Chapter 537: The Price of Becoming Stronger

In the silent void outside the chaotic hole.

The turtle-shelled old man, 'Xuanfang,' smiled at Peng Huang, who was taking out treasures one by one. "Still a bit short, still a bit short," Xuanfang muttered with a chuckle.

"Five hundred units of Outer Realm Yuan Crystals are absolutely enough," Peng Huang said, unwilling to take out anything more after producing another piece of refining material.

Xuanfang said with a slight hint of disdain, "To exchange these treasures for Outer Realm Yuan Crystals, I'd have to sell them specifically. There's no Black Dragon Star in the Sky Peak Galaxy anymore, so I'd have to laboriously travel to other galaxies to trade. Oh well, fine, I'll begrudgingly count it as five hundred units." With that, he waved his hand, collecting all the treasures.

Peng Huang felt a pang of heartache, but he also knew that 'Xuanfang' had a much greater chance of killing Meng Chuan than he did. Not only was Xuanfang significantly stronger, but he also specialized in the karmic lineage.

"Alright, since I've taken your treasures, I'll naturally do what you ask. I value karma more than anything," Xuanfang said with a smile.

Peng Huang felt relieved. Normal Tribulation Realm mighty figures highly valued karma. Those who delved into karma, like Xuanfang, valued it even more. For Xuanfang, he would rather abandon all his external treasures than owe a significant karmic debt.

"Lead the way," Xuanfang said.

"Follow me," Peng Huang nodded.

The two Tribulation Realm mighty figures immediately flew towards the chaotic hole. They first flew past the Golden Disc of the Chaotic Hole, then into the deep, dark interior of the chaotic hole.

"A newly ascended Emperor could dive into the extreme depths of the chaotic hole? I wonder what rare treasure he possesses; I've only heard of such treasures in legends," the turtle-shelled old man Xuanfang muttered. "It seems this Meng Chuan has quite a background. Are you sure there are no other powerful experts in his home world in the current era?"

"I also don't wish to incur a major karmic debt, so naturally, I wouldn't lie about such a thing," Peng Huang coaxed. "Besides, Brother Xuanfang, you are skilled in divination, so you should know I'm telling the truth."

"The strongest current expert of a mid-tier world." The turtle-shelled old man nodded slightly. "After killing him, all his treasures will belong to me."

"Naturally, they're yours," Peng Huang nodded, feeling a touch of regret. Meng Chuan, having fled alone into the Outer Realm, must have carried many treasures with him. Given Ancestor Cang Yuan's treasures, Meng Chuan's ability to dive into the extreme depths of the chaotic hole suggested the items he brought were quite powerful.

"Perhaps they're worth thousands of Outer Realm Yuan Crystals," Peng Huang secretly speculated. However, if a Fourth Tribulation Realm mighty figure was hired, they would certainly claim the spoils. As a Third Tribulation Realm cultivator, trying to snatch them would be courting death.

Deep within the chaotic hole, in a region with a sixty-fold time flow rate. Meng Chuan sat cross-legged in the darkness. He had grown accustomed to the darkness.

He had already spent over three hundred years cultivating in the chaotic hole in real time. For Meng Chuan, now over seven hundred years old, three hundred years were spent cultivating in the Myriad Flowers Realm of Black Dragon Star, and another three hundred years in the chaotic hole. His life in Cang Yuan Realm had been relatively vibrant, but after stepping into the Outer Realm, he had focused solely on cultivation. This solitary and lonely cultivation had affected Meng Chuan's disposition, not to mention the influence of the 'chaotic hole' for over three centuries. Meng Chuan himself was aware of this issue. Therefore, he consistently held 'Heavenly Grotto Pavilion lectures,' teaching generations of Yuanchu Mountain disciples and regularly maintaining contact with them, which helped slow the complete 'descent' of his mental state.

"Hm?" Meng Chuan suddenly sensed something. "Someone's here? One is Peng Huang, and the other seems even more powerful?"

After being trapped and cultivating in the chaotic hole by Peng Huang for over two hundred years, his Cloud Mist Dragon Snake Movement Technique finally broke through, reaching the perfected Heaven-Earth Realm. This ultimate technique was far more profound than the 'Sword of No Self and No Form.' Upon achieving perfected Heaven-Earth Realm, its skill level alone was comparable to a Third Tribulation Realm mighty figure. Newly ascended 'First Tribulation Realm mighty figures' generally only had ordinary perfected Heaven-Earth Realm skill. Second Tribulation Realm might be slightly more powerful, but with limited improvement. The Third Tribulation Realm marked a qualitative change. The perfected Heaven-Earth Realm 'Cloud Mist Dragon Snake Movement Technique' also represented a qualitative change compared to ordinary perfected Emperor ultimate techniques.

"He's brought help," Meng Chuan thought without hesitation, and immediately darted deeper into the chaotic hole.

"What?" The turtle-shelled old man, 'Xuanfang,' and Peng Huang, who were quietly approaching, were both startled. Xuanfang could already sense Meng Chuan, and Peng Huang had long confirmed his presence through karma.

"He discovered us so early?" Xuanfang was somewhat surprised and looked at Peng Huang beside him.

"He must have a treasure protecting him," Peng Huang said.

However, Peng Huang did not know that Meng Chuan's skill in the Void lineage was already on par with his own! Furthermore, Meng Chuan's 'Cloud Mist Dragon Snake Movement Technique' leaned more towards the domain aspect, while Peng Huang's leaned more towards combat.

"I'm not skilled at resisting this gravitational pull; I can't get any closer," Peng Huang quickly stopped. "The rest is up to you, Brother Xuanfang."

"Leave it to me." Xuanfang solemnly continued to fly inward. He could sense Meng Chuan, and the deeper Meng Chuan flew, the slower his speed became, clearly indicating the increasing spatial-temporal distortion in the chaotic hole's depths.

Sixty times, sixty-one times, sixty-two times... Xuanfang pressed deeper. Being a special life-form who had cultivated to the Tribulation Realm, his physical body was inherently extremely powerful, and having reached the Fourth Tribulation Realm, he could naturally delve quite deep into the chaotic hole.

"I see him," Xuanfang locked onto Meng Chuan with increasing clarity, and the distance between them shortened. Meng Chuan glanced back, then continued flying deeper.

Sixty-five times, sixty-six times... When he reached the region with a 'sixty-eight times' time flow rate, the old man Xuanfang stopped, his brow deeply furrowed.

"He's twenty million li away from me, in a region that has already reached seventy-two times the time flow rate," Xuanfang realized. "I can only go a few million li deeper at most; there's no way I can get close to him."

Xuanfang silently stood guard there. Meng Chuan, twenty million li deeper, also watched Xuanfang from afar. They watched each other. And so, time dragged on.

A month later. Xuanfang turned and left.

Peng Huang had been patiently waiting deep within the chaotic hole, but after a full month, he found through karma that Meng Chuan was still perfectly fine.

"Hm?" Peng Huang saw the turtle-shelled elder, 'Xuanfang,' flying back from the extreme depths. "Brother Xuanfang, what happened?" Peng Huang pressed him, "Why is Meng Chuan still alive?"

"You hired the wrong person for this job," Xuanfang shook his head. "This Meng Chuan has delved much deeper than I can."

"Deeper than you?" Peng Huang couldn't believe it.

"It's likely that a Fourth Tribulation Realm mighty figure won't be able to catch him in the chaotic hole. You might try finding a Fifth Tribulation Realm mighty figure instead," the old man Xuanfang said, then flew directly outward.

Peng Huang couldn't help but say, "Brother Xuanfang, are you just giving up?"

"I can't kill him. I've already exerted my full effort and spent a month's time, so I haven't broken my promise," the old man Xuanfang's voice echoed in Peng Huang's ears, though his figure had already vanished into the distance.

Peng Huang could only watch, frustrated. The five hundred units of Outer Realm Yuan Crystals had to be paid in advance. The other party had only promised to exert their full effort in the pursuit for one month, not to guarantee success. No one would guarantee success in a 'pursuit'; there were too many possibilities in the future.

"Hiding that deep? Even a Fourth Tribulation Realm mighty figure can't reach him?" Peng Huang was immensely frustrated. He hadn't even considered hiring a Fifth Tribulation Realm mighty figure. Fifth Tribulation Realm mighty figures held a much higher status. The cost of hiring one would be far beyond the value of the treasures he possessed. Moreover, Fifth Tribulation Realm mighty figures usually belonged to top Outer Realm powers, and they could easily uncover Peng Huang's identity and the entanglement between the Demon Race world and Cang Yuan Realm.

Meng Chuan, controlling his domain through the 'Thunder Domain Seal,' remained cautiously vigilant. "By his appearance, he must be 'Xuanfang,' the renowned Tribulation Realm mighty figure from the Sky Peak Galaxy."

"In other places, I might not be able to defeat him, but deep within the chaotic hole, he can't do anything to me."

Meng Chuan was calm. After being trapped in the chaotic hole by Peng Huang for over two centuries, his Cloud Mist Dragon Snake Movement Technique had reached the Heaven-Earth Realm, and his Saber of Nirvana had also advanced, reaching the 'mid-Heaven-Earth Realm.' As a technique with significant flaws but power comparable to an Emperor's ultimate technique... upon reaching mid-Heaven-Earth Realm, its skill level alone was comparable to the 'Fourth Tribulation Realm' tier. If it reached perfected Heaven-Earth Realm, it would be at the 'Fifth Tribulation Realm' tier. With skills at the Fourth Tribulation Realm level, and specifically adept in the chaotic hole domain, Meng Chuan could naturally delve deep enough.

"If you keep me trapped for a while longer, my Saber of Nirvana might even reach late-Heaven-Earth Realm," Meng Chuan thought to himself.

The chaotic hole greatly affected one's mental state. However, his Nirvana state of mind allowed Meng Chuan to progress very smoothly in comprehending the Saber of Nirvana. Meng Chuan knew that the impact on his mental state would be significant, but enhancing his strength was also what he needed; he required absolute certainty to win that war! Even if it meant paying some price, he did not care.

Because over the past nine hundred years... many gods and demons had paid the ultimate price with their lives.