Chapter 801: Late Years and the Nature of the World

Chu Feng glanced at Ouyang Feng and said, "Why is your face so dark? It's almost emitting black smoke."

"Can't you speak like a human?!" Ouyang Feng lifted his swan-like neck and glared at him with a dark expression.

"It would be strange if he were fair and tender!" Ying Xiaoxiao said with a giggle.

By now, the entire battlefield had fallen silent. Plin and all his subordinates had been eliminated. Chu Feng and Ying Zhexian, making their debut with their mystical techniques, displayed astonishing power, obliterating all the so-called divine archers and knights.

Ouyang Feng's face was indeed dark, and his expression was quite grim.

"What exactly happened?" Chu Feng asked.

Just now, Ouyang Feng had been responsible for searching Plin's soul, and his face had darkened afterward.

"It must be bad news related to us," Ying Zhexian said. She landed on the ground, shedding her swan form, and stood gracefully, emanating an otherworldly aura.

In the recent battle, she and Chu Feng had narrowly escaped being killed by Marquis Lingwei's soul light; it had been incredibly perilous. Their physical bodies were unusable, left in tatters.

Even their souls were somewhat dim; both were considerably wounded.

After all, that wisp of soul light carried the aura of a Half-Saint. For them to survive it at their current level was already a miracle!

"Smart," Ouyang Feng said, glancing at Ying Zhexian with a soft sigh.

"We came to this world and have only encountered people from the Martial God lineage, acquiring their unique techniques. I assume this has something to do with it, perhaps leading to very serious consequences?" Ying Zhexian asked.

Ouyang Feng showed a surprised expression. This woman from the Immortal-descendant race was indeed astute, able to perceive things in advance.

"The problem is quite severe," the toad sighed softly. He badly wanted to spit out a mouthful of saliva, but after thinking it over, he swallowed it back. This was soul light, spiritual energy, and he didn't want to waste it.

This action made the silver-haired loli stare, finding it incredibly uncomfortable; she would have preferred him to just spit.

"While chasing us, that grandson Plin told his bastard father, Marquis Lingwei, about the situation. That old man is quite terrifying and extremely protective of his children. He had six sons. Years ago, his third son was killed on the battlefield by a divine archer from the Moon Goddess lineage. Marquis Lingwei crossed over the border that very night, wiped out that entire squad, and slaughtered the archer's entire clan, completely cleansing them with blood. He even brutally smashed eight children, from infants a few months old to kids five or six, to death. His methods were exceedingly cruel and violent."

Subsequently, experts from the Moon Goddess's side set out to retaliate against him. However, he was well-prepared, having informed his powerful backer to shield him from trouble beforehand. He set up an ambush and once again killed a group of experts.

Chu Feng and Ying Zhexian frowned upon hearing this. Marquis Lingwei was so vindictive and protective of his offspring; wouldn't he go mad upon learning of Plin's death?

Moreover, he was at least a Half-Saint. That wisp of soul light earlier was terrifying; it had almost killed Chu Feng and Ying Zhexian. Without the Seven Treasures Mystical Art, both of them would surely have exploded into two clouds of blood mist.

Ouyang Feng sighed and said, "There's also something else that Fairy Ying guessed correctly; it's related to the unique techniques. This damn thing... it's a trap!"

Aside from attracting lightning strikes every month due to excessive absorption of divine particles, evolvers in this world generally have very short lifespans, some even comparable to ordinary people.

As Ouyang Feng revealed this, Chu Feng frowned, feeling that the situation was quite grim.

"Be more specific!"

"According to some secret reports leaked from the laboratories of several deities on the Ferocious Beast Plateau, many believe this is related to refining excessive divine particles and Dao Ancestor matter using unique techniques."

Chu Feng gasped, *this unique technique also carries great misfortune?*

He fundamentally understood that every world emphasized balance; there couldn't be a cultivation method that defied the heavens to the extreme without any cost. Yet, suddenly learning that it would reduce lifespan still made him realize the severity of the problem.

Ouyang the Toad said, "The Martial God and the Moon Goddess on the Ferocious Beast Plateau are both researching this. From the perspectives of both fatalism and evolution, their theories make a lot of sense."

From the fatalistic perspective, it's because this unique technique interferes with the natural order and involves too much killing; it's practically stepping on the corpses of others to evolve and grow.

Therefore, in the end, everything comes with retribution. Heaven and Earth will not tolerate it. Besides being frequently struck by lightning, everyone's lifespan is shortened due to their heavy killing intent.

Moreover, all evolvers face bleak later years, with almost none meeting a peaceful end. Even deities are no exception; their twilight years are incredibly miserable.

Some inexplicably go mad, heading towards self-destruction, even eradicating their own clans.

Some powerful individuals find their vitality suddenly drying up, leading to rapid aging, their bodies cracking all over, dying in agony.

Others experience their souls disintegrating, like decaying flesh; their soul light "rots away." In their later years, they become more miserable by the day, their soul bodies collapsing, suffering immense torment.

"Even deities are the same; one is more unfortunate than the last. When their power weakens, they are even hunted by successors, killed outright, and their divine particles absorbed."

This was what Ouyang Feng had found in Plin's mind. It sent shivers down their spines, making them feel that evolvers in this world ultimately had no good end, only bleak twilight years.

"Even deities can't solve this problem? Their vitality dries up, their souls collapse, and they die in agony?" Ying Xiaoxiao was horrified, feeling chills run down her spine. If this were true, she would rather refuse the unique techniques and return to her own universe.

"But unique techniques are like a divine-grade poppy. For evolvers seeking immense power, who can resist them?" Ouyang Feng sighed, uncharacteristically serious. This was all information he had seen within Plin's soul.

Marquis Lingwei's grandfather was incredibly powerful in his time, a high-ranking general who commanded countless armies. However, in his later years, he became skin and bones, wailing day and night, unable to be alone. His end was still incredibly tragic: he was accidentally ripped in half by a grown divine beast during a city massacre, then his skull was pierced by a thunderbolt, destroying ninety percent of his soul light. Finally, he endured dozens of days of torment worse than death before he perished.

His subordinates all said that it was because of his excessive slaughter in the past.

Then there was the Demon God of old, who was struck by lightning on the Ferocious Beast Plateau every day in his later years, losing parts of his body daily, becoming like charcoal. Eventually, he was ambushed by a successor, brutally beaten to death, slowly refined for a hundred days, enduring humiliation and torment. That successor ascended to godhood by stepping on his corpse, and only then did the Demon God's bleak twilight years end.

This was because the Demon God had also ascended in a similar manner back then.

Therefore, evolvers in this world strongly believed in fatalism, considering it logical. Many things often came true, bringing retribution.

"If we practice their unique techniques, will we also suffer such a tragic end?" Chu Feng didn't want a reduced lifespan, nor did he want to mysteriously decline. Those situations were even more horrific than the aging, sickness, and death of mortals.

What was the point of becoming an evolver? Wasn't it to transcend, to be more carefree and unconstrained? But these outcomes were like a sword hanging over one's head, casting a shadow over their entire later life.

The silver-haired loli's eyes widened, her expression tense. She said, "Sister, let's just go home and find Mom! This world is too insecure. I don't want to be skin and bones in my old age, and I certainly don't want to be tormented by all sorts of accidents, only to die miserably."

Ying Zhexian remained calm and asked Ouyang Feng, "You just mentioned fatalism. What about the evolutionary theory?"

"The evolutionary theory is even more terrifying. It states that divine particles from different creatures possess a certain degree of exclusivity, and higher-level Dao Ancestor matter is particularly repellent. Although they appear to merge into one, at a certain stage, these substances react with each other in various ways, leading to all sorts of troubles. Even if a deity cries out in terror in their old age, claiming to see ghosts or soul-reapers from hell, don't consider it unusual. It's because they might genuinely be seeing something extraordinary, something perhaps formed and proliferated by divine particles and Dao Ancestor matter breaking away."

Chu Feng was speechless. *Gods afraid of ghosts?* But thinking about it, the deities in this world were all destined to die eventually, which brought a sense of resignation.

"Is there no other solution?" Chu Feng inquired.

Ying Zhexian also looked at Ouyang Feng, wanting to understand more deeply. Like Chu Feng, she was unwilling to accept this.

"Yes. On the Ferocious Beast Plateau, there's a theory that if one becomes powerful enough, perhaps they can avoid everything, obliterate everything, and fear none of those so-called miserable ends. Of course, no such person has appeared yet; all those who defied fate have died. Furthermore, the deities are still exploring a path: they want to venture into the chaos, to traverse and cross it to reach other worlds. Different realms might offer different ideas, and they hope to find inspiration there to solve their own problems."

"To other worlds?" Chu Feng asked, surprised.

Ouyang Feng had searched Plin's soul and discovered that the entire Ferocious Beast Plateau seemed to be the center of this world. Beyond it lay chaos.

"Indeed, in this realm, the Ferocious Beast Plateau is the center. There are also several abysses inhabited by divine beasts, and then it's just chaos. This realm isn't as vast as ours. According to the deities of this world, it's a fragmented world."

This topic touched upon the essence of this world. Generations of deities on the Ferocious Beast Plateau had encountered otherworldly yin spirits and even otherworldly yang souls.

They speculated that this world might border a vast netherworld or be not far from a grand yang world; it was a world in a crevice.

As Ouyang Feng explained all this, both Ying Zhexian and Chu Feng were moved. The deities of this realm likely had deduced even more than what was presented.

"Throughout history, some deities embarked on journeys before their twilight years arrived, hoping to change their own fates. However, some died tragically the moment they entered the chaos, witnessed firsthand by those who saw them off. Others simply vanished, never to return."

"Died tragically in the chaos?" Chu Feng was astonished, greatly surprised.

"Yes, there are paths along the edge of the chaos. They don't just abruptly cross; there are traces left by predecessors," Ouyang Feng nodded.

Then, a look of horror appeared on his face. He said, "The scene... it's quite miserable. It feels like going to hell, not the so-called complete grand universe."

Ouyang Feng then showed them the scene he had witnessed in Plin's soul: the path adjacent to the chaos.

It was a grinding mill, slowly rotating. To cross realms, one actually had to throw themselves into the mill, enduring being crushed. Some deities couldn't survive that ordeal, their soul light shattering.

Some were luckier because the mill occasionally stopped rotating. For those who entered when it wasn't grinding, it was a clear path, with a gate of light inside the mill.

This was entirely dependent on luck, even for deities!

Chu Feng was deeply shaken by the images Ouyang Feng displayed!

What he saw was a grinding mill somewhat similar to the one inside the City of Light and Death in Purgatory, though not as large. Its material and function were similar.

He was certain that there was indeed a path beyond this mill. In Purgatory, it was a Samsara Path. What kind of path was this here? And where did it lead?!

After a long time, Chu Feng finally spoke, asking Ying Zhexian, "What do you think?"

"We need to act immediately and strive to find the most top-tier unique techniques of this world. Even if we can't use them, we should try to acquire them for future consideration. At the same time, we must study this world, searching for sacred medicines and other things suitable for us. Of course, if, after thoroughly understanding the essence of this world, we truly find it unsuitable, then we will end our journey here within a few days, in the shortest possible time."

Ying Zhexian was very decisive. She felt the problem was extremely serious.

"Oh, right," Chu Feng asked, "what happened to those who, throughout history, gained opportunities from the Great Dream Pure Land Divine Temple and supposedly 'dreamt of the Dao for a hundred years in a single night'?"

"That's precisely what sends shivers down my spine," Ying Zhexian said with a solemn expression. "Upon careful thought, about half of those historical paragons eventually met with accidents and died violently in the universe. Back then, everyone believed it was due to envy and secret attacks. But now, it seems their manner of death somewhat resembles the later years of some powerful individuals in this world."

Upon hearing this, Chu Feng almost broke out in a cold sweat.

Ying Zhexian explained that some other paragons also didn't fare well in their later years; some died from qi deviation, others met with inexplicable calamities and died tragically.

Though some did eventually meet a peaceful end, they were truly few.

"What a scam, a divine trap!" Ouyang Feng exclaimed.

"There's no time to waste. We must act immediately. If things go wrong, we leave at once!" Ying Zhexian said.

The few of them nodded, their expressions solemn.