Chapter 943: Below the Great Abyss

Taiwu's body stiffened. As a Dao body of a Heavenly Venerable, he felt a chilling sensation, cold from head to toe. What level of evolutionist was he? Even using only Reflected-level energy was terrifyingly powerful, and his divine senses were still active. Yet, he had felt nothing beforehand, only to suddenly hear someone sighing beside his ear. Even Taiwu felt a shiver of icy dread.

Chu Feng wore a look of sorrow. He, too, heard that sigh. Even in the darkest moments of his life, overwhelmed by grief, he knew this was no ordinary occurrence. He had always known his heart wasn't cold enough, that he couldn't be utterly hard and cruel. Witnessing his loved ones and old friends perish one by one, he was willing to humble himself, as long as they could be resurrected. If life could restart, he wished he would have no more weaknesses, able to march forward fearlessly to the very end.

At this moment, Taiwu's body tensed, his stone embryo form glowing crystal clear, and divine light surged powerfully. His heart churned with unease; he could no longer indifferently look down upon this universe. Suddenly, he rapidly retreated, his body's energy growing denser, vital essence spreading, and various energy manifestations densely arrayed around him. He was preparing for battle!

"Impossible!" he whispered, a look of apprehension on his face. He had located the source of the sigh. Though it had seemed to come from the depths of the universe, Taiwu ultimately determined it originated from deep within the Great Abyss. Before this, people from the Yang Realm had conducted numerous tests and experiments, monitoring the radiation levels and discerning the true nature of the danger here. Taiwu already knew that an extraordinarily ancient and formidable evolutionist of the Grand Cosmos level resided here!

Individuals at this level were considered to be near the end of their evolutionary path. Outsiders had no idea what they transformed into once they reached this stage, but one thing was certain: they were on the brink of death, at the very end of their decline. Heavenly Venerable Taiwu had personally deduced that the entity in the Great Abyss was essentially dead, having entered this so-called final stage of decay, making awakening utterly impossible! It was a being in a deep slumber, merely awaiting its final demise! As long as it wasn't provoked, and energies beyond the divine level weren't used to awaken its instincts, it would pose no significant threat, even if the species it had evolved into was utterly terrifying.

Heavenly Venerable Taiwu had suppressed his own power, refraining from using divine-level abilities or provoking the Grand Cosmos-level being. He was convinced that this creature should not awaken! Yet, the reality was before him: the ancient entity in the Great Abyss had indeed awakened and was emitting sounds, causing Heavenly Venerable Taiwu immense trouble.

"Are you an ancient one from my Yang Realm?" the stone embryo asked, regaining his composure. In those distant years, the Yang Realm had plunged into chaos. For reasons unknown, some great powers had suddenly initiated conflict, battling across the myriad heavens. Some were gravely wounded and nearing death, taking the Yang Realm's supreme treasures with them to choose their burial grounds. This Great Abyss in the Underworld was thus regarded as an exceedingly terrifying grand tomb! Now, a great power from the most ancient era, from a time even before Taiwu's birth, had awakened and was sighing softly within the tomb. How could Taiwu not feel a chill run through his entire body?

"When you, like an azure dragon, looked down upon ants, did it ever occur to you that there might also be an azure dragon looking down upon *you*?" From beneath the Great Abyss, a weak voice, tinged with the scent of decay, emanated. It was very faint, heavy with the weariness of twilight, carrying both a remembrance of past events and the profound weariness of a life nearing its end.

Yao Yao had already ceased fighting and retreated to the side. By this point, the Mother Gold Divine Sword in her hand had been shattered into more than a dozen fragments, some of which had flown back and pierced into her own flesh. A brief silence fell upon the scene. Heavenly Venerable Taiwu's expression was grave. After a moment, he declared, "There is no such being! Who dares to regard a Heavenly Venerable as an ant? Not even you!"

A round, smooth mirror appeared beside him, surprisingly reflecting blurry scenes from the Great Abyss. It absorbed the energy radiated from the area, using it for deduction. On the mirror's surface, various patterns intertwined, and many symbols appeared. Taiwu felt uneasy, risking the use of a Heavenly Venerable-level secret treasure to probe the reality of what lay beneath.

"You actually can't kill anyone!" Taiwu muttered to himself, his gaze gradually brightening as his confidence grew. He was certain that this ancient entity was even weaker than he had imagined. Even if it could speak now, it was merely an empty husk, utterly incapable of taking action. Rather than calling it the Grand Cosmos-level entity's resurgence, it was more like a wisp of its lingering obsession, echoing like a phantom through this burial ground, uttering its final words.

"Yes, I am powerless to act, and I have never killed any living being here," the ancient voice replied, calmly and frankly. However, hearing the Grand Cosmos-level entity say this sent a shiver down Heavenly Venerable Taiwu's spine for the first time. In the past, Heavenly Venerables had entered the Underworld and vanished forever. Could it be that this being had not killed them during the times when it still possessed power? This revelation terrified him! Were there still dangers in the Underworld that he didn't comprehend? He had dared to come because he had monitored the decaying energy aura radiating from the Great Abyss, believing he understood the precise state of the evolutionist within. But now, it seemed he had overlooked something critically important!

Taiwu turned and left instantly, his body tearing through cosmic space as he prepared to escape into the chaos. The weak and ancient voice resonated. Though seemingly unremarkable, to Taiwu's ears it exploded like thunder, sending an icy chill through his very bones. "Though I am not a native inhabitant of this land, having long slumbered here, I have developed a certain sense of belonging. Are you not the azure dragon who looks down upon all? Come in and see for yourself."

Hearing this, Taiwu instantly regretted his actions. He had lingered here for too long, inadvertently awakening this evolutionist that had been quietly awaiting death, leading to a major unforeseen event. He was traversing space, an endless sea of stars appearing behind him. He firmly believed that once he entered the primordial chaos, he would be safe from any further mishap. However, at this moment, a chill ran through him from head to toe. His body, completely out of his control, began to fly backward, swiftly retracing his path, and with a thunderous roar, he plummeted towards the Great Abyss.

Taiwu roared, his composure shattered for the first time. He was no longer calm, no longer superior, no longer able to look down upon the entire Underworld universe. He resisted, unleashing his energy without reservation. Supreme fluctuations shot from his body, and Dao Ancestor matter permeated the air, powerful enough to destroy heaven and earth. The rules and order of the Underworld universe became chaotic, suppressed by his might! Alas, just as he revealed the true power of a Heavenly Venerable, he was suppressed by an invisible energy, rendered utterly immobile. He then plunged straight down into the dark depths of the Great Abyss.

His heart trembled. After becoming a Heavenly Venerable, who could possibly restrain him, or manipulate his body in such a manner? The Great Abyss was endless, and he fell relentlessly. He let out a long howl, yet he had no control over himself, like iron filings irresistibly drawn to a giant magnet. In an instant, he understood: the more Heavenly Venerable-level energy he released, the faster he sank, accelerating towards that terrifying end. However, when he reined in his aura, suppressing it back to the Reflected realm, and even further, to the Saint realm, he found it was futile. The trend was set, irreversible!

Taiwu realized he was wrong. The supposed dying entity beneath the Great Abyss, supposedly decayed to nothing but a lingering obsession, might have just been his wishful thinking. Otherwise, how could it possibly drag him down like this? He was in immense trouble, for he was facing a Grand Cosmos evolutionist. When the paths of current individuals offered no sufficient precedent, and beings of this caliber advanced towards ultimate evolution, no one could predict what might happen. Therefore, even Heavenly Venerable Taiwu had no idea what this terrifying evolutionist from eons past had become! Was it human, beast, an aberrant form, or something else entirely?

He no longer restrained himself. In the depths of the Great Abyss, he once again unleashed his most potent energy, determined to resist to the very end, to fight for his life. His physical form expanded, causing the stellar remnants along his path to explode and turn to dust. Compared to him, those so-called shattered planets were minuscule. The Heavenly Venerable's Dharma Body obliterated everything; nothing in the world could obstruct it! He blazed fiercely, Dao Ancestor matter surging and releasing its full power.

Soon, he glimpsed the bottom of the Great Abyss, and his scalp prickled as he saw part of the truth. In that darkness, one corpse after another sat in repose, each immeasurably vast. Stars were mere specks of dust before them. What was this? Heavenly Venerables! Not just one, but many Heavenly Venerable corpses lay there, all cold. Even though their physical bodies were supposed to be indestructible through the ages, an aura of decay now permeated them. One after another, they were all too immense, surrounded by stars. All these Heavenly Venerables had perished here!

A chill ran down Heavenly Venerable Taiwu's spine. Even in his stone embryo form, he felt goosebumps all over and his scalp tighten. Although his entire being was resplendent, emitting dazzling light, and Dao Ancestor matter overflowed, illuminating all directions, he still could not illuminate the entire Great Abyss. The very bottom remained dim, and he could only vaguely discern everything. At the very end of the Abyss, there lay a being — decayed, rotten, cold, and still, yet faintly bearing the last vestiges of life. That had to be the Grand Cosmos-level evolutionist.

Upon seeing this, Heavenly Venerable Taiwu's body violently trembled. His scalp felt as if it would explode. As a Heavenly Venerable, he had never experienced such sheer terror. "Is this what a Grand Cosmos-level being becomes, with no further path to tread, ultimately transforming into this?" He tried to retreat but found himself unable to. Taiwu lost all composure, utterly unable to remain calm. He struggled with all his might.

It was profoundly dark there; ordinary beings would see nothing. Only Heavenly Venerable Taiwu could perceive the truth. "What exactly are you?!" he demanded in a hushed tone.

"I am merely a failure who collapsed on the path of evolution, nothing more," came the voice, laced with weakness and decay.

"Didn't you say you wouldn't act, and that you had no ability to strike?" A chill ran down Taiwu's spine. He felt his life was threatened; something terrible was about to occur.

"Yes."

"Then you..." Taiwu's voice trembled. As he felt death's approach, he was consumed by complete unease and a pounding heart, his entire body tensed. He then launched a desperate, swift attack. He unleashed his most terrifying offensive, deploying endless Dao Ancestor matter, various energy constructs, and forbidden techniques, all at once.

Yet, it was all futile. He felt himself drying up, weakening, and succumbing to decay. Then, he saw it: behind the Grand Cosmos evolutionist lay a black hole. It was this that was leading Heavenly Venerables to their life's end. Other Heavenly Venerables had also died because of this!

"What is... that?" Taiwu trembled, his life force rapidly diminishing. He knew he was going to die; there was no hope.

"You should have guessed," the Grand Cosmos-level evolutionist said.

"Could it be..." Taiwu lost all control. His body rumbled and shook, his soul fracturing. He was about to perish in this place. From the dark opening, a sudden, resplendent burst of light appeared, golden rain showering forth, intensely sacred and irresistibly hot!

Heavenly Venerable Taiwu's face turned ashen, his spirit utterly crushed. He sat cross-legged at the bottom of the Great Abyss, taking his place behind the other Heavenly Venerables, waiting for his final moment of death.