Chapter 1319: Is It You Who's Back?

The heavens and earth exploded as if undergoing a doomsday catastrophe! The firmament crumbled, and the massive earth sank, as if the universe had reached its end, time had run out, and everything was destined for annihilation, ceasing to exist.

All of this was caused by the man's resurrection; he opened his eyes, revealing a pair of unnaturally sinister pupils that seemed poised to obliterate everything in the heavens. The moment his eyes opened, the sky fell and the earth caved in. A chilling wind howled furiously, and blood-red rain poured upwards towards the heavens, plunging the world into absolute darkness. This sight was horrifying, as if a formidable demon had awakened, intent on slaughtering all life and throwing the past, present, and future into disarray.

The black behemoth's heart pounded, then it began to tremble. The cold, ruthless light emanating from those eyes was utterly devoid of the warmth it associated with the Celestial Emperor it knew. It was as if another soul had taken over! However, it was now devoid of strength, its head bowed, unable to lift itself to see. It could only feel a bone-chilling cold as that gaze turned towards it.

The black behemoth despaired. It had fought to stay alive, hoping to cling on for just another moment, all to catch a glimpse of the person it admired and knew so well. But who had it brought back now? This was not its Great Emperor! Bitter hatred filled its heart. The truth was so chillingly cruel: had it summoned the lingering soul of an adversary, allowing it to revive by possessing the Celestial Emperor's body? Or was it that this being, overflowing with malevolence, tyrannical aura, and boundless destructive power, had always resided within the Celestial Emperor's body? And now, seizing its chance, had it fully awakened and come to life?

The black behemoth wanted to cry out, but its throat was parched, unable to even emit the faintest whisper. Its soul was nearing depletion, with only a mere flicker remaining. It was consumed by immense regret. After countless eras, after it and so many others had painstakingly gathered such a potent elixir, it hadn't saved the one it sought to save. Instead, had it resurrected an enemy?

Darkness enveloped the land as the darkest hour descended. Blood rain poured down; terrifyingly, it flew upwards, having erupted from beneath the earth. Moreover, lightning flashed and thunder roared, as streaks of blood-red lightning crisscrossed the darkness, unleashing their terrifying power without restraint. In that instant, the skeletal remains of former enemies, and ancient figures whose memories had long faded, suddenly materialized within the dark, blood-red lightning, hovering in the dim mid-air. It was as if they had descended from beyond the heavens, appearing in this very place.

The black behemoth struggled to hold on, desperately keeping its last spark of life from extinguishing. Upon seeing these creatures and strange phenomena, its eyes nearly burst with fury. Many of them were enemies. What had it done? Had it revived an adversary, and in doing so, summoned the lingering souls of countless enemies?

“No!” It could only roar out that single word, but its voice was so weak it was almost inaudible. It couldn't bear it; this was an unbearable outcome.

Before it, the middle-aged man remained coldly indifferent, yet for a moment, he did not strike. He merely gazed down, watching it with a chilling intensity. Boundless black mist emerged around the middle-aged man, making him appear like a peerless demonic overlord descended to earth. He was so terrifying that the mere breath exhaled from his mouth and nose caused the firmament to rupture.

“No, this isn't right. Is this the legendary darkness... awakening? No!” The black behemoth cried out weakly, consumed by fury and hatred. It was utterly terrified and filled with immense regret, thinking that if this was the outcome, it would have been better not to save the Celestial Emperor at all. By doing this, had it caused the Celestial Emperor to succumb to darkness, allowing an adversarial force to emerge in the world? That would be incredibly terrifying, with destructive power beyond imagination. Crucially, if this entity were to encounter old acquaintances who remained unaware of its true nature, even if two or three other Celestial Emperors were to revive, they would likely meet a tragic end at its hands.

At this very moment, in a far-off, shattered, unknown universe, Chu Feng felt a pang of unease. The black behemoth's projection had just dimmed. What's more, it had vanished so abruptly. Had it abandoned him here, leaving him to fend for himself? Yet, this place seemed to hold a strange secret. Gazing at the vast expanse of stellar graves and the endless colossal wreckage at the dim universe's edge, he sensed that this place might record a forgotten ancient history, one worth exploring. Nevertheless, being unceremoniously abandoned in this unfamiliar realm made him profoundly uncomfortable. What troubled him most was the persistent feeling that inexplicable waves were once again surging from the projected world, sending shivers down his spine. What was happening there? He found himself lost in wild speculation, consumed by a surge of suspicion.

At this moment, within the darkened world, the blood-red lightning grew even more terrifying. It seemed to strike down from the primeval era, cutting across countless eons of space and time, weaving itself into this realm. The man, with his hair dishevelled, had risen and now stood beside the ruined bell. His eyes grew increasingly terrifying; each time he turned his head or changed direction, his gaze seemed to pierce through the void. Every single one of his movements influenced the very fabric of space-time. Countless corpses materialized in mid-air, drifting and bobbing as if following his every command.

“Great Emperor, where are you?!” the black behemoth cried out. It was on the verge of death; having burned its soul light to sustain itself until this moment was already a miracle. It simply didn't want to depart, yearning for one more glimpse. Yet, it had never anticipated that the one it waited for would not be the familiar figure, but an enemy! Or perhaps, it was the man corrupted by darkness.

The middle-aged man gazed down at it with cold indifference, then slowly raised a hand, poised to seize it. His demeanor was utterly merciless, imbued with boundless killing intent. At that moment, the ruined bell stirred, letting out an autonomous roar. A blinding bell wave, so potent it seemed capable of rewriting destiny and severing the past from the present, erupted. The bell wave transformed into ripples, surging into the man's body. He jolted violently, his movements instantly stiffening. Simultaneously, a gentle bell wave rushed into the black behemoth's body, sustaining its life.

At this moment, the black behemoth's dwindling soul fire, on the verge of extinguishing, temporarily stabilized, preserving its last "breath." With great effort, it lifted its head, gazing at the man. What had become of him? His eyes were a deep, terrifying shade of violet, profound and sinisterly malevolent!

“It's not darkness, it shouldn't be corruption, but... there's still a huge problem!” It trembled, realizing that besides dark energy and shadowy matter, something else was present. In those days, they had encountered far too many bizarre phenomena!

The ruined bell vibrated once more, causing the myriad blood-red lightning bolts in the sky to dissipate. The boundless darkness was torn asunder, and bell waves swept through the world. Most astonishingly, the deep violet in the middle-aged man's eyes began to recede, and his body shook violently, as if his physical form was resisting something. Though a putrid scent still lingered and his vitality hadn't fully returned, his physical body seemed to possess a will of its own, actively resisting and blocking something.

The ruined bell vibrated again, and at the last moment, it transformed into a beam of light, connecting with the middle-aged man. They merged, resonating with a continuous roar. At this juncture, the middle-aged man withdrew his outstretched hand, refraining from seizing the last vestiges of the black behemoth's dying soul. He then slowly raised his hand and forcefully clutched at his own heart. A stream of black blood welled up, followed by a splash of purple blood imbued with a faint blue luminescence.

A world-destroying aura emerged, and the firmament exploded. All of this was due to the middle-aged man's movements; his physical body seemed to possess an instinct, striving to eradicate whatever foreign elements resided within it. In an instant, his hand glowed. Was this the re-emergence of his former divine power? Seeing it, hot tears streamed down the black behemoth's face, as if it were transported back to that glorious era. His pale palm suddenly trembled violently, and a horrifying green smoke erupted from his body. This was accompanied by an eerie and terrifying shriek, as if a life had been extinguished, something utterly annihilated.

Finally, the man slowly sank back down, his back to the black behemoth, resting upon the now quieted ruined bell. A putrid scent began to emanate once more, and the fresh fragrance that had clung to the middle-aged man's body from absorbing the Three Lives Elixir completely vanished. The black behemoth was consumed by immense grief. It knew this attempt had failed; the middle-aged man had not been truly revived. But soon, amidst its despair, a flicker of hope ignited, and it spoke with a trembling voice.

“Past records state that the physical body is as crucial as the soul, and that the body itself can possess a primal instinct, capable of governing the true self in place of the soul. Just now... was that you, returned?”

However, no one responded. At this moment, it truly couldn't hold on any longer. The life force granted by the ruined bell was collapsing, and the last remaining flicker of its soul light was fading away.

Yet, the ruined bell vibrated once more, and the man's body trembled alongside it. It was unclear whether this was caused by the bell's vibrations or if he moved on his own accord. Simultaneously, the ruined bell began to glow, resonating with the man. Both trembled, making it difficult to discern whether the ancient artifact was driving the motion or if the man's body was pulsating on its own. Finally, as the bell chimed softly, the man's body ignited with a faint glow, as if something within him was being refined. A single drop of liquid slowly floated upward.

“My essence? My soul light energy?” The black behemoth whispered in a trembling voice, utterly stunned in its dying moments. That single drop of liquid silently entered its mouth and vanished within its body. It felt its burning soul light and the foundational essence that had been consumed return. Not only that, but another drop of medicinal liquid entered its form, nourishing its withered body that had been on the verge of turning to dust. It was the Three Lives Elixir, which it had given entirely to the man, fearing the dosage wouldn't be enough. Yet now, some of it was being returned to it.

“Is it you, ruined bell? Do you still possess sentience, are you helping me?” The black behemoth, rescued from the brink of death, looked suspiciously at the ruined bell. With a soft chime, the ruined bell fell silent. Yet, the black behemoth noticed the man's body twitch twice.

“Great Emperor!” It cried out, tears streaming down its face in an instant. It felt as though the Emperor's true essence had briefly returned! “It's you! It must be you, returned! But why haven't you awakened, why aren't you alive?!” It shook the body that still exuded a putrid scent. “Did you save me, refusing to let me die like this? Or was it merely your body's primal instinct, protecting me once more?”

The black behemoth wailed in despair. It knew that regardless, this attempt had failed; the man had not truly returned to the world. Yet, in its moment of despair, a profound ripple of emotion surged within its heart. The Emperor's true essence seemed to have reappeared, or perhaps the Great Emperor's former instincts still resided within this body. This was hope. It firmly believed that one day, this man would reappear, would return!

“This was merely the Three Lives Elixir, not the Three Lives Emperor Elixir. It seems the vintage and ingredients weren't sufficient this time. I must find the Three Lives Emperor Elixir!”

Having said this, it hunched its body and stood up. Its projection then appeared in the shattered, primeval universe where Chu Feng resided, and a voice resonated. “I'm giving you a task, or else I'll curse you for life!”

Chu Feng was in the midst of searching and exploring when he suddenly looked up, startled by the voice. He saw the black behemoth reappear, its form now distinct. But what was it saying? It wanted to give him a task, and if he refused, it would curse him? What kind of situation was this? This wretched black monster wanted him to do its bidding and was threatening him to boot?

“Why me?” he muttered.

“If you don't do as I say, you'll suffer greatly!” The black behemoth bared its teeth, some missing, but still strikingly white.

“Are you a dog, just turning on people like that?” Chu Feng almost blurted out, but then, to his astonishment, he realized that now that he saw it clearly, it *was* indeed a large black dog. He promptly shut his mouth.

“First, go find me the Three Lives Emperor Elixir!”

“First?” Chu Feng squinted at it, muttering under his breath, “Is there going to be a second task?”

“Hmm, thank you for reminding me. Indeed, there is a second one,” the large black dog said, shaking its head, its body hunched, with its paws behind its back.

“Damn it!” Chu Feng cursed inwardly, wanting to unleash a string of profanities.

“Here's a clue for you: find the Empress!” At this moment, the large black dog became incredibly solemn and serious, as if discussing an event momentous enough to rewrite the ancient history of this realm.

“Hmm?” Suddenly, the large black dog felt the man's body beside it twitch once more. What was happening? Was there some strange anomaly? A shiver ran down its spine. Immediately, it activated a specific set of spatial coordinates, and in a fleeting vision, it seemed to glimpse an ancient bronze coffin floating.

“Suppress the evil!” it first commanded softly, then bellowed.