Chapter 1041: Prehistoric Big Brother

A cold gust of wind blew, lifting the coat that Ji Hu had given him, which was made from a fur vest. Chu Feng immediately felt a chill below.

His face turned slightly green. "What's going on?" he wondered. "Didn't they say it would be fine as long as I didn't get within ten feet? I'm at least three hundred feet away."

He remained quiet for a moment, feigning composure and calm. He mused, "Hmm, it must be the mountain wind, just carrying the chilly aura from the stone coffin."

The surroundings were silent, and the atmosphere was heavy, somewhat terrifying.

Chu Feng coughed and said, "I am Gu Chenzhou, a revered Great-Cosmos-level evolver. However, I once became lost after mistakenly falling into the Nine Netherworld. Now that I have transcended, I have come today to deliver you."

Just as he felt the atmosphere was too desolate and oppressive, the stone coffin on the barren mountaintop suddenly shook violently!

The entire mountain trembled with it, giving Chu Feng a fright.

A voice came from within the coffin, saying, "Big Brother, is it really you? I have waited for you for countless eons, and you have finally arrived! I am Chenhai, Gu Chenhai!"

An ancient, weathered voice spoke, filled with excitement, causing the stone coffin to clatter as if desperate to burst open.

Chu Feng was dumbfounded, utterly bewildered. What was happening?

Was he actually going to acknowledge a relative?!

Then, he realized, cursing inwardly, "Gu Chenhai, you've got to be kidding me! This Nine Netherworld Ghoul is actually trying to fool your Grandpa Chu!"

He had called himself Chu Chenzhou, which was obviously a fake name he'd made up on the spot. Yet, this Nine Netherworld Ghoul latched onto it, truly calling him "Big Brother." This wasn't just about following him; it was a shameful attempt to impersonate and claim kinship.

This was outrageous! He had met a scoundrel who was trying to trick him in return.

"As expected of a Nine Netherworld Ghoul," Chu Feng thought with a sigh. Dong Qing had been right; these creatures were the most insidious, cunning, and ruthless. He had truly gained new insight. It seemed these creatures were also... shameless?

In the brief moment Chu Feng was stunned, the Nine Netherworld Ghoul in the stone coffin spoke again, saying, "Big Brother, is it truly you? I plunged into the Nine Netherworld not for eternity, not to become heaven, nor for the ultimate path. It was only to trace your footsteps in the realm of the dead and await your reappearance. Big Brother, I have missed you for eons!"

Its voice was tearful, as if it had long been weeping profusely. Even the stone coffin trembled slightly as it wailed from within.

Chu Feng was so infuriated he wanted to rush over and kick the coffin a few times. This fellow was far too committed to the act, trying to deceive him in return. Did he really think Chu Feng was so easily fooled?

"Big Brother, although you have transcended, you must have forgotten the prehistoric era, forgotten your glorious years. That was your magnificent age."

The Nine Netherworld Ghoul's ancient voice wailed from the coffin, truly heartbreaking.

"You may not believe that this is our reunion, but please step forward and look closely. Gaze at this rocky area on the mountain. There are names written there, and the largest character among them is 'Gu'!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Feng felt suspicious and looked around.

This area had a field barrier, a restriction set by the fairy in the temple, but it couldn't stop him. Specializing in his craft, his mastery in this domain was too profound, and he casually walked through it.

Then, his body stiffened. He genuinely saw carvings on the rocks—some names. On the largest rock, there was a deeply carved, large character: "Gu."

"Some lost people wandered in here. After I guided them, I asked someone to carve this 'Gu' character for me. This is our brothers' surname, and I wanted to remember it!"

Chu Feng muttered under his breath, "This is uncanny!" There really was an authentic "Gu" character carved there. Could he have genuinely encountered a younger brother today whom he could take under his wing?

But since it was a Nine Netherworld Ghoul, shouldn't it have severed all ties to its former life?

At this moment, the voice from the stone coffin came again, choked with sobs, saying, "Big Brother, do you see this stone coffin? I refined it with all my might during my lifetime and brought it with me into the Nine Netherworld. What for? It was all so I wouldn't forget you. I left various imprints inside the coffin, recording bits of the past, just so I could still remember you, hoping to reunite with you in the Nine Netherworld, for brothers to gather again and fight in the Great Wilderness once more!"

Chu Feng was utterly speechless. Could this actually work?

"Big Brother, have you truly forgotten? Do you recall the years when you rode across star realms, your long halberd rending the heavens, and all heroes bowed before your might?"

"Back then, you led us to conquer one-tenth of the Yang Realm's territory. Such an achievement shook the past and present; few have ever occupied such a vast and boundless domain."

"In that brilliant era, you subdued dormant magnates and even dared to wage war against forbidden lands, your passion and ardor burning through the Thirty-Three Heavens!"

"For your followers, in a fit of rage, you once roared like thunder, shattering the proud suns of the heavens and turning night into day!"

"You collected cultivation techniques from all corners of the world, and after reaching the pinnacle, you sought to transcend further. You dared to defy time, sever all karma, and look down upon the Great Yang Realm!"

"Of course, you also had flaws: after conquering hostile and immortal evolution sects, you were ruthless, viewing the founders of entire teachings as mere blades of grass, taking their Great-Cosmos-level evolvers as servants, and only choosing celestial maidens as attendants..."

Chu Feng was speechless. He didn't see these as flaws; by all accounts, this person sounded like a winner in life. Perhaps his own standards for character weren't... that high? Nonsense!

"Finally, you erupted in a fit of rage for a beauty, deciding to storm the Great Underworld. But... you died before even achieving success, due to an unexpected turn of events, leaving heroes with tear-stained robes."

"Heaven be merciful, Big Brother, let me meet you again in this life!"

Great wails of sorrow emanated from the stone coffin, filled with extreme grief, like the mournful cries of a ghost in the autumn wind, infusing the mountain with sadness.

Chu Feng pondered, "Is this truly a Nine Netherworld Ghoul with a story? If it's mistaken me for its Big Brother, perhaps I can play along and demand an ultimate prehistoric technique."

As this possibility crossed his mind, his heart burned with excitement.

But the next moment, he almost slapped himself. Such a thought was fine to consider, but was he actually going to take it seriously?

Chu Feng felt that the other party was despicable, trying to fool him into confusion!

After calming down, he wouldn't believe a word of this nonsense!

With a taut face, he said, "I, your Big Brother, have severed my past and forgotten everything. Simply tell me a breathing technique or combat skill, preferably one I favored or researched during my lifetime, to see if it can awaken memories in my subconscious."

Silence immediately fell inside the stone coffin, as if it had been choked.

After a long pause, the ancient voice finally spoke, "I fear giving it to the wrong person. Are you truly my Big Brother?"

"Of course, I am your prehistoric Big Brother. Trust your instincts!" Chu Feng said.

The Nine Netherworld Ghoul said, "Then, Big Brother, project a wisp of your divine sense into the stone coffin, let me feel your aura, and see if it is truly you."

This was intolerable! Chu Feng's small face darkened with anger. Was this old ghoul looking down on him? Did it really think he was so easy to fool, and that he would commit such a suicidal act?

"Enough talk. Hand over the ultimate technique, and I might grant you some freedom!" Chu Feng said.

"Big Brother, what do you mean?" an ancient, astonished voice came from the stone coffin.

"Big Brother, my foot! Those names on the mountain were probably written by people you killed before they died, right? Just because some 'Gu' happened to carve a large 'Gu' character, you dared to try and fool me?" Chu Feng burst out in exasperation.

He added, scolding, "And that common language you're speaking, with its barbarian accent, you must have learned it from your victims, right? At the very least, try to be a bit more professional and utter a few prehistoric phrases! Do you really take me for a child?!"

"Heh heh..."

A chilling laugh echoed from the stone coffin, completely different from before, like a sinister ghost standing behind him, sneering and blowing cold air, sending shivers down Chu Feng's spine.

This laughter was very cold, imbued with malice.

As expected of a Nine Netherworld Ghoul, once it showed even a hint of its true nature after the pretense dropped, it became unsettling, sending chills down one's spine.

Chu Feng continued, "Furthermore, Great-Cosmos-level evolvers are all monstrous and indescribable beings. Would they really have confidantes? Or the inclination to rule one-tenth of the Great Wilderness?"

This was also a test; he wanted to understand Great-Cosmos-level evolvers.

"That's your ignorance," came the reply from the stone coffin.

Along with more laughter, growing colder, further words emerged.

"I misjudged you. One can't walk by the river without getting wet shoes. I mistook you for a precocious child, but it turns out I've encountered a formidable ghost with no simple origins."

After a slight pause, the Nine Netherworld Ghoul continued, "If you want the ultimate prehistoric technique, that's fine. It's an exchange of equal value. You, formidable ghost, go and prepare one million evolvers for a blood sacrifice to me."

Chu Feng retorted, "Equal value, my foot! Hand over the strongest prehistoric breathing technique first, or don't blame me for dealing with you. Trying to pull a fast one on me? You're too green—no, you're too old for that!"

"Heh heh, trying to intimidate and threaten me? Who do you think you are?" The Nine Netherworld Ghoul chuckled sinisterly, disdain evident in its voice.

Chu Feng, his face still taut, nodded and said, "Be serious. This is a robbery, an extortion. Hand over the strongest breathing technique."

The Nine Netherworld Ghoul was quite choked up and furious. It genuinely wanted to kill someone. For the first time in history, it was being extorted, and this person had the audacity to demand a breathing technique so righteously. What a character!

At the same time, it felt a pang in its "liver." This brat was truly deluded. In its dreams!

Chu Feng added, "I warn you, if you don't hand over the breathing technique, I'll throw you into the Heavenly Pit and bury you in the Underworld!"

"Brother, you're not playing fair," the Nine Netherworld Ghoul said chillingly, making Chu Feng feel a wave of intense cold.

At the same time, Chu Feng found it somewhat strange. The cold monster's tone became increasingly indifferent. Was it genuinely fearless of the Heavenly Pit, or merely feigning calm?

"Who cares!" Chu Feng thought. He decided to take some action first.

He didn't approach the stone coffin, always feeling that Dong Qing's words were unreliable and that the claim of danger only within ten feet was incorrect.

From a distance of two to three hundred feet away, he began throwing out translucent magnetic stones, quickly setting up a teleportation field.

The next moment, the stone coffin trembled and became enveloped by the dense field runes.

"What do you want, you little brat?!" the Nine Netherworld Ghoul roared.

"I'm sending you to the Heavenly Pit, into the Underworld!" Chu Feng said coldly.

With a hum, the stone coffin vanished.

Afterward, Chu Feng quickly rearranged the magnetic stones, making only subtle adjustments; it was still a teleportation field. He stepped into it.

The next moment, Chu Feng appeared at the edge of the Heavenly Pit, about half a kilometer from the stone coffin, both at the rim of the dark chasm.

At this point, the commotion from within the coffin was immense, with continuous loud bangs.

"Big Brother, I know I was wrong! Let me out! It seems you truly know me inside and out. Your little brother, Gu Chenhai, submits!" The ancient voice howled.

"Gu Chenhai, my foot!" Chu Feng would die before believing that was its name.

"It seems you're very afraid of this place," Chu Feng said.

"I struggled for a long time, suffering for many years before I finally crawled out of here. Big Brother Gu Chenzhou, please spare my life!"

Chu Feng was astonished. This Nine Netherworld Ghoul had crawled out of *this* place?!