Netherworld Shards

As the Plant Spirit Race experts were wondering who Meng Chen's Guardian might be, a figure stepped out from the void.

First the right foot, then the body, then the left foot—everything was utterly natural. The newcomer treated space as if it were nothing, strolling through the great Dao of heaven and earth as he pleased, free and unrestrained, going wherever he wished.

"Senior Brother, I've troubled you!"

Azure Dragon Lord Cangwu chuckled. "Junior Brother, no need for formalities. Our teacher sent me here precisely to help you resolve your difficulties."

Though he displayed no divine power, he gave the Plant Spirit Race experts a sense of reassurance. With this master by their side, they could go anywhere under heaven without fear of danger.

After Meng Chen explained the full story, Azure Dragon Lord Cangwu's expression grew serious.

"Junior Brother, among the named Magic Treasures of heaven and earth, only Luo Hou's God-Slaying Spear matches your description. If it truly is the God-Slaying Spear, we must be cautious. Luo Hou possesses a technique called the Dao Heart Demon Seed. Anyone who cultivates his arts or refines his treasures will have a demon seed congealed in their True Spirit. Relying on that seed, Luo Hou can perform True Spirit Seizure and descend into the Primordial Wilderness."

"True Spirit Seizure?"

The Plant Spirit Race experts had never heard of this concept and were deeply puzzled.

Seeing this, Meng Chen explained: "It's a demonic art that overwrites one's self-awareness. The Primordial Spirit carries consciousness, but consciousness itself can be altered. Some demonic arts and techniques in the demonic path can subtly influence a person's awareness."

"True Spirit Seizure is the most profound demonic technique. Those who master it can overwrite another's consciousness with their own, making that person believe they are themselves. This method is far more sophisticated than ordinary body seizure. If disguised well enough, it can even deceive heaven and earth."

"In the demonic path, there is a Great Freedom Sky Devil who often disguises himself as a heart demon, infiltrating cultivators' consciousness to perform True Spirit Seizure on them."

"At first, the seized person only thinks they look a bit like the Great Freedom Sky Devil. By the time the seizure is complete, they believe they are the Great Freedom Sky Devil."

Hearing this, the Plant Spirit Race experts couldn't help but shudder.

If they fell victim to the demonic path's True Spirit Seizure technique, they would not only lose themselves but also become puppets of the demonic path, causing endless harm.

"But don't worry. Though the Great Freedom Sky Devil can disguise himself as a heart demon, his true body is not in the Primordial Wilderness—it's in the Sky Devil Realm. As long as your Dao heart is firm and you aren't deceived by heart demon illusions, he cannot seize you. If you're still uneasy, after this matter is settled, I'll teach you some protective mental incantations to ensure no evil can touch you."

Ancestor Hongjun and Luo Hou were old rivals; almost all the techniques he created were aimed at Luo Hou. The demonic arts Luo Hou had devised, including the Dao Heart Demon Seed technique and the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation, had all been thoroughly broken by Hongjun Daozu.

"Thank you, Immortal Lord!"

With their minds prepared, the group set off on the treasure hunt.

After the Plant Spirit Race experts pointed out the direction, Azure Dragon Lord Cangwu tore through space directly, bringing everyone to the location of the cave.

When they arrived outside the cave, they realized it wasn't a real cave at all—it was the hollow of a withered tree. The tree was so enormous, towering even above Pointing Heaven Peak, that the Plant Spirit Race had mistaken the hollow for a cave.

The Lava Sea wasn't inside the hollow either; it was in another dimension.

Within this withered tree existed a passage to another realm, connecting two different dimensions.

As soon as Meng Chen stepped into that dimension, he felt a chill wind rush toward him. The void was filled with the wailing of vengeful spirits, and countless twisted faces flew about—green-faced with fangs, red-faced with white pupils, ecstatic and agonized... an endless gallery of expressions.

Yes, to Meng Chen, these faces were just emojis.

He was no helpless mortal; why would he fear these specters? With a single breath, he could reduce all the ghosts over this Lava Sea to ashes.

"This isn't the Primordial Wilderness—it's a dimension parallel to it. Legend says there are two supreme Innate Spiritual Roots in heaven and earth: one is the Jian Tree, a ladder to the Celestial Realm; the other is the Ruo Tree, which leads to the world of the dead. The withered tree we see is the Ruo Tree, but it has already died."

Azure Dragon Lord Cangwu sensed the laws of this dimension and spoke.

The Celestial Realm, the Primordial Wilderness, and the Netherworld were not in the same space—they existed in different dimensional planes. That was why the Celestial Star Gods had never discovered the Celestial Realm, even though the stars had always been there.

Later, when the Celestial Realm emerged, its dimensional plane merged with that of the stars, allowing the immortals of the Primordial Wilderness to finally witness the Celestial Realm.

"This isn't the Netherworld—just a fragment that broke off from it. If it were the true Netherworld, we would have been rejected by its laws the moment we entered. Remember, we are beings of the living world; entering the Netherworld violates the laws of heaven and earth."

Meng Chen added.

"Correct!"

Azure Dragon Lord Cangwu shot Meng Chen an approving glance. "Only a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal can enter the true Netherworld in the flesh. Those below that level can only send their Primordial Spirit to roam there. Of course, if someone could obtain an Earthly Dao Artifact and refine it to become the master of the Netherworld, they could change its rules."

Meng Chen naturally knew who Azure Dragon Lord Cangwu was referring to as the master of the Netherworld, but he wasn't tempted. The Netherworld might be fine, but his Eastern Celestial Pole was no worse. Compared to the gloomy Netherworld, Meng Chen still preferred the blue skies, white clouds, and green waters of the Eastern Celestial Pole.

Soon, the group arrived before the bloodstained spear.

The spear stood upright, thrust into a Stone Platform. Though its divine light was concealed, the killing intent emanating from its shaft still made their souls tremble. With a single glance, Meng Chen seemed to see rivers of blood and mountains of bones.

The Plant Spirit Race experts fared even worse, shaken by the killing intent until their bodies trembled, unable to move even a finger. They stared at the spear in terror, like lambs awaiting slaughter, utterly devoid of will to resist.

Azure Dragon Lord Cangwu stepped forward, grasped the spear with one hand, and pulled it out.

At that moment, a sudden change occurred. The spear came alive, its tip flickering with killing light, intent on annihilating the one who had profaned it.

Azure Dragon Lord Cangwu moved, and the space around him instantly froze. Time and space within were forcibly sealed. A cyan barrier formed, enveloping him and the spear.

"Roar!"

Though the spear couldn't break free from Azure Dragon Lord Cangwu's grip, it erupted into countless spear shadows. These shadows, dense as a swarm, stabbed at every part of his body.

Azure Dragon Lord Cangwu snorted coldly: "Truly a demonic treasure—the God-Slaying Spear. Even your master has fallen; do you think a mere artifact can overturn the heavens?"

Countless Azure Dragon phantoms flew from his body, ruthlessly pouncing on the spear's shadows. With a single clash, they crushed all the shadows back into the spear's body.

A sound like a cosmic explosion echoed from within Azure Dragon Lord Cangwu—he was getting serious!

In the next moment, countless explosions erupted along the spear's shaft. Each burst of flame was brighter and more dazzling than a star. This showed just how fierce the struggle between Azure Dragon Lord Cangwu and the God-Slaying Spear was.

But an artifact was still an artifact. Without its master, it could only unleash a fraction of its power. In the end, the God-Slaying Spear was subdued by Azure Dragon Lord Cangwu.

Watching this, Meng Chen's heart raced. Without strength, even if you saw a treasure, you couldn't claim it!