Chapter 954: Lame Heavenly Venerable

The Vermilion Bird Abyss was dark and profound, like a cosmic black hole stretching across the landscape, bisecting the land.

Nearby, life was scarce; even plants had withered. The ground was riddled with cracks, extending far into the distance.

Chu Feng's brows furrowed. He immediately sensed something was wrong; the energy radiation levels in this area were abnormally, even absurdly, high.

Within the abyss, energy radiation surged like a mighty tide, so intense that it extinguished all life in the region, turning it almost into a wasteland.

He was filled with uncertainty and alarm. This phenomenon closely resembled the pre-death signs of a deity recorded in ancient texts. His heart sank instantly. Was it the old Vermilion Bird?

Before coming here, he had heard rumors that the old Vermilion Bird had gone berserk a year ago, slaughtering its way into the Fierce Beast Plateau and slaying a god.

Reportedly, that god had once declared that if the Vermilion Bird race ever declined, it would come and annihilate them.

As a result, in its twilight years, with not much life left, the old Vermilion Bird preemptively launched an assault, infiltrating the other major faction and directly slaughtering the god.

Such a terrifying feat. Since then, the old Vermilion Bird had not reappeared. Everyone believed it was on the verge of death, destined to pass away in the abyss.

However, no one from any faction dared to provoke it or take advantage of its vulnerability in its final years.

Everyone knew that the old Vermilion Bird was incredibly powerful. Its cultivation dated back ages, and unlike other beings that absorbed divine particles and Dao Ancestor substances, it had evolved systematically. Therefore, its later years wouldn't be tragic; if it fought with all its might, it could still engage in battle!

Many people were waiting for an opportunity, certain that once it fully perished, they would invade its territory, eradicate it, and wipe out its descendants.

"Is it truly passing away?" Chu Feng sighed. The news he had received on his journey indicated this had been the situation for a year.

Precisely because of this, the Vermilion Bird Abyss had temporarily avoided conflict. No one wished to provoke a terrifying Vermilion Bird that, though nearing its end, could still fight to the death in a frenzy.

Chu Feng whispered, transmitting his voice into the great abyss, informing them of his return.

However, there was no response.

His heart tensed. In an instant, he plunged into the earth, using his domain powers to shrink space, traversing 100,000 li in a flash, and concealing himself in an unknown part of the earth's veins.

No one pursued him, which made Chu Feng suspicious.

Eventually, he returned, using geomagnetism and other means to subtly detect any activity within the Vermilion Bird Abyss, utilizing telluric energy imperceptible to outsiders.

Fifteen minutes later, Chu Feng appeared at the bottom of the 800-li-deep black fissure, his expression grim and contemplative.

Here lay a divine corpse, but it was definitely not the old Vermilion Bird's. It had been artificially arranged, and its energy radiation levels were astonishing.

This involved extremely profound methods. Had Chu Feng's domain cultivation not been extraordinary, allowing him to approach and witness it firsthand, it would have been hard to believe there was another divine skeleton.

At the same time, he discovered important engravings here, written in the script of the Netherworld Universe. These were left specifically for him, providing clues.

It wasn't a direct message but an encrypted code, briefly mentioning the "Strongest Path Handbook," with notations like "Chapter One, Eighty-First Character," "Chapter Four, Thirteenth Character," "Chapter Five, Ninth and Thirty-Ninth Characters"...

Chu Feng was speechless. This was the work of the lame Heavenly Venerate Fox. It had once given Chu Feng a so-called "Strongest Path Handbook," which was the culmination of its master's lifelong effort, touted as an extremely mature training method.

At that time, Chu Feng had regretted not having a "formal" background, always relying on unconventional methods, and thus failing to cultivate many areas to a flawless level.

The lame fox had given him this handbook, telling him that if he had the chance, he should try it, as it was a very mature and painstaking path in the Yang Realm.

Chu Feng deciphered the message; it pointed to a secret location with precise coordinates.

He vanished, departing from the area.

This time, Chu Feng didn't cross the battlefield or engage in combat. Instead, he stealthily moved, utilizing the primordial magnetic earth veins, and it took him two full days to reach the location, a region of rolling hills.

However, this time he again found nothing. There was no one there, just another message, which, once deciphered, again provided only a coordinate.

Chu Feng was forced to set off again. It was clear that the lame Heavenly Venerate Fox and the Vermilion Bird family were being extremely cautious, which also implied their situation was dire.

If they were strong enough, why would they need to be so careful?

Five times in a row, after deciphering a location, Chu Feng set off to find it.

The final location was a desolate, boundless stone forest. Upon reaching his destination, Chu Feng sensed that an evolver was lying in wait.

With a soft cry, a crimson lightning bolt, accompanied by overwhelming firelight, rapidly lunged towards Chu Feng.

He instantly shifted sideways, landing on a giant boulder tens of li away. His previous spot became a lake of lava, then a cave opened up in the ground, and all the lava flowed into it, forming a whirlpool.

A small fiery red bird, with brilliant crimson wings, tilted its head, looking at him.

"Chu Feng?!" It exclaimed in surprise, its voice clear and distinct, like a young girl's.

The little Vermilion Bird!

It was definitely her. Chu Feng recognized her at a glance. He hadn't expected the final part of his journey to be so smooth, leading him directly to the correct location and this race.

Chu Feng rushed over, approached it closely, examined it carefully, and touched a tuft of bright red feathers on its head. This made the little Vermilion Bird's eyes widen, and it immediately pecked him with its sharp, jade-red beak.

"Ouch!" Chu Feng exclaimed, a bit speechless.

This little bird was very aggressive, not allowing even a touch. Fortunately, he was at the Saint level, otherwise, there would surely be a bloody hole in his hand.

The little Vermilion Bird watched him warily and warned him not to get handsy.

Chu Feng was dumbfounded. He finally realized what mistake he had made. The bird's voice was that of a young girl, making it undoubtedly a proud and pretty young girl, slightly vexed.

"Where are Senior Vermilion Bird and Senior Fox?" Chu Feng asked, as upon arriving, he hadn't detected any other life fluctuations besides the little Vermilion Bird's; its siblings were nowhere to be seen.

Hearing his words, the little Vermilion Bird grew dim, tears welling up in its eyes, and it told Chu Feng that it was now a matter of life and death separation, and they would never be seen again.

Chu Feng was greatly startled by this news and quickly offered comfort while asking for details.

The old Vermilion Bird was supremely divine and martial, a peak figure among the god-level experts of this generation in the foreign land, having even slaughtered a god in the Fierce Beast Plateau a year ago.

And the so-called energy radiation beneath the abyss was clearly a deception; it should have been alive.

"My mother died a year ago," the little Vermilion Bird sobbed, its body gleaming like red agate, its large eyes now filled with tears, weeping sorrowfully.

A preeminent figure among the foreign deities, almost reaching the God-King realm, yet ultimately it hadn't persevered and had died.

The little Vermilion Bird spoke through its tears, which rolled down in pairs like pearls. Its mother, not long after returning from slaying the god a year ago, could no longer hold on; her lifespan was coming to an end.

However, the old Vermilion Bird was unyielding; unwilling to wait for death, it directly plunged into the foreign land's first forbidden zone, seeking to attempt a final heaven-defying act to carve out a future.

Unfortunately, it failed. Not long after entering that forbidden zone, its soul light extinguished, and it died there forever.

"Are you sure Senior has passed away? Perhaps there's another serendipitous encounter, and she's just temporarily trapped," Chu Feng consoled.

The little Vermilion Bird cried and shook its head. At that time, it and the old fox had personally seen her off, witnessing from afar her mother falling forever in the forbidden zone, never to rise again. She had indeed died.

Hearing this, Chu Feng let out a mournful sigh, feeling a bitter pang of regret. The old Vermilion Bird had been very kind to him, exerting great effort to send him back to the Netherworld Universe.

He never imagined that parting then would be forever; her promise to endure for another fifty years had not come true.

"What about Senior Fox?"

After a long silence, Chu Feng spoke again.

He hadn't seen it here, and an ominous feeling arose in his heart. Had the old fox completely petrified and died as well?

"Over here," the little Vermilion Bird led the way, walking deeper into the stone forest, finally stopping before a stone mountain where a small, dazzling cave dwelling had been carved out.

Chu Feng saw the lame old fox. He was astonished; indeed, things had changed greatly since their last meeting. Only a few months had passed in his Netherworld Universe, but thirty years had gone by here.

Before him, a stone statue of a lame fox was enshrined on a jade altar, its expression melancholic, gazing into the distance as if trying to pierce through the void and stare into the Yang Realm.

It had completely petrified, without a trace of flesh and blood, becoming a mere rock statue.

"Senior!"

Chu Feng felt an even greater sense of regret. He had wanted to seek its guidance again. The fox's origins were incredibly mysterious and extraordinary; if not false, it was a Heavenly Venerate.

At this moment, he realized that in life, nine out of ten things don't go as planned. Reality always held regrets, not matching his expectations; he had thought he could reunite with his old acquaintances from the foreign land.

"Poor Senior, such a desolate later life, lonely for half a lifetime, reduced to this state."

Chu Feng sighed, paying his respects there.

Then, he added, "Senior, rest assured, once I enter the Yang Realm, I will definitely go to the Fox clan and take good care of your so-called heaven-defying genius of a granddaughter."

"You scoundrel, still harboring evil intentions! I can't believe I didn't beat you to death!" To Chu Feng's shock, the stone fox actually spoke, making him jump back several steps, wide-eyed in astonishment.

The last time Chu Feng had mentioned the old fox's descendants, his eyes had lit up, saying that the fox clan had many beauties and he wanted to go see them and help the old fox take care of its descendants, only to be spat upon then.

"Senior, are you a zombie now? No, you've been resurrected! You should thank me; it was my words that stimulated your revival!" Chu Feng chattered.

In reality, he knew the old fox hadn't died at all; it was just in a very poor state, its body petrified, but its soul light still intact.

The lame old fox glared at him, but ultimately wasn't angry. With a sigh, it said, "Judging by the gloom on your brow, you've either lost both parents or all your loved ones. What profound sorrow and bitter suffering is that in life?"

Those few words instantly filled Chu Feng with sorrow, making him look dejected.

The little Vermilion Bird couldn't help but sigh, realizing that the old fox's wisdom was formidable. The stone fox didn't argue with Chu Feng or scold him; just a few sentences were enough to deflate him.

After his initial hurt, Chu Feng quickly understood. This old fellow truly didn't lose out; with just a few words, it had managed to stir up his bitter emotions. It was incredibly astute.

"Senior, I have missed you all deeply. After so many years apart, I longed to return immediately and listen to your teachings, but I was held back by various worldly affairs and couldn't come sooner."

"Tell me, what has happened?" the lame stone fox asked.

It had already admitted that its condition was poor, having been severely dealt with by its master, knocked down from its former realm, and ever since being trapped in this world, it had deteriorated day by day. Eventually, its soul would also stiffen, and it would completely petrify here.

Chu Feng sighed, thinking that great being in the Yang Realm was too ruthless, punishing even its own disciple so mercilessly.

His eyes dimmed as he briefly recounted the events in the Netherworld Universe.

"One of Tai Wu's Dao bodies died, how truly unexpected," the stone fox responded, then told Chu Feng that its current state was poor and communication time was limited, so he should get to the point.

"I want to become strong, I want to become a god, and I want to rise swiftly in this world!" Chu Feng declared, then asked about the whereabouts of the little Vermilion Bird's other siblings.

The old fox said, "I exhausted all my means and eventually sent them into the Yang Realm, but regrettably, I cannot guarantee that they will all survive."

Chu Feng's spirits immediately lifted. He said, "Senior, send me into the Yang Realm too! I'll sneak in there and turn their world upside down!"

"Do you think I have the power to act in this state?" The old fox stared at him, then added, "You actually came here in your physical body?"

In fact, the little Vermilion Bird had also been observing Chu Feng; his physical body's arrival in the foreign land was quite astounding!

Chu Feng dared not mention the stone box. After all, the old fox claimed to be a Heavenly Venerate, and he truly feared what complications might arise. After the incident with Tai Wu, he realized how intensely Heavenly Venerates yearned for such ultimate objects.

He took out the Soul Bell and said, "With its protection, I dared to embark on this journey. You saw it last time when I used it to protect the little Vermilion Bird, almost successfully entering the Netherworld."

Although the old fox's eyes were made of stone, they seemed incredibly profound. It stared at him for a few moments, then said, "At least you still have a conscience, knowing to come back and guide the little Vermilion Bird."

Then, it spoke again, "However, since you've cultivated a fragmented version of the Six Paths Time Art and have decided to rapidly evolve in this world, then be prepared to be suppressed by strange substances in your later years. It will be brutal and utterly desolate. You truly are fearless in your ignorance."

"Please, Senior, help me resolve this," Chu Feng said with a solemn expression, seeking its guidance.

"A Heavenly Venerate at their peak could naturally resolve problems for those whose issues aren't severe. However, you will cultivate for a hundred years to become a god through this method, which is destined to be unsolvable," the lame Heavenly Venerate Fox shook its head.

Chu Feng remained silent, his brows deeply furrowed.

"There's only one way: go retrieve a talisman paper," the old fox said.

"What kind of talisman paper?" Chu Feng was startled.

The lame Heavenly Venerate Fox said, "Haven't you encountered it on the path of reincarnation? This time, I will guide you to a place to acquire two sheets. One for the little Vermilion Bird."

"That kind of talisman paper?!" Chu Feng was shocked. Regardless of whether he took this path or not, the mere mention of such an item was enough to make his heart pound. It was exceedingly rare, priceless even in the Yang Realm, only occasionally retrieved during special periods from the most terrifying forbidden zones in the Yang Realm.

As for the young Daoist priest, who claimed to have the potential of a Heavenly Venerate, in their world, the great sects of the entire world had joined forces and were ultimately annihilated, with only a few survivors. It was from their first forbidden zone that a single black talisman paper was retrieved and fell into the young Daoist priest's hands.

Now, the lame old fox was casually telling him where to get two?

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