Ancient Hall's Secret Shadow, Undercurrents Surge

Thick, grey-black turbid energy churned between heaven and earth like a boundless, ink-colored tide, pressing down until the very void trembled. Lin Chen stood at the center of this miasma, the golden light circulating around him as steady as a rock, blocking all the encroaching evil aura from his body. Having traced the flow of the turbid energy to its source, he had initially assumed it was merely an ordinary ancient forbidden land, but with every step forward, the gravity in his heart deepened.

The ground beneath his feet had long since lost the color of normal earth and rock, taking on a deathly, dark-grey hue. It felt soft and sticky to the touch, as if he were treading upon mud that had been rotting for years. The particles of turbid energy floating in the air drifted into his nostrils; even with his currently formidable physical body and soul, he could feel a faint sense of irritation and malice constantly attempting to disturb his mind. The silhouettes of distant mountains were twisted and blurred, the trees were withered and crooked, and even the wind carried shrill, low moans. This entire region had completely devolved into a forbidden zone for the living.

"This turbid energy was definitely not naturally generated." Lin Chen muttered to himself, his gaze sweeping over the ruined landscape. Along the way, he had discovered gullies of varying depths everywhere, the rock walls covered in ancient cracks. Some of the broken walls and ruins still bore faint, mysterious patterns—not the traces of natural geological evolution, but rather the remnants of a cataclysmic battle.

Combining this with the clues he had gathered earlier, this rampant turbid energy originated from a long-destroyed old era. What exactly happened in that old era, and why did it leave behind such a terrifying, lingering disaster? Countless questions swirled in his mind. In the ancient texts circulated throughout the Heavens, records of the old era were sparse, mostly mentioning in fragments that it was a glorious epoch where experts were as numerous as clouds and the martial path was at its peak. Yet, following that glory came a sudden, total collapse; countless prodigies, sects, and dynasties vanished into thin air overnight, leaving only scattered remnants across various planes.

Lin Chen walked forward slowly, retracting some of his external power and deliberately slowing his pace. He could clearly sense that the concentration of turbid energy ahead was continuing to climb, and the fierce, baleful power mixed within it was becoming increasingly violent. To rashly charge forward with full force might well alert some unknown existence lurking in the depths. He circulated his internal cultivation technique, his soul power quietly spreading out like an invisible net to meticulously probe every inch of space.

Wherever his soul power swept, he saw scattered weapon fragments, broken armor plates, and even long-petrified bones. These skeletons were in various postures; some remained in the stance of throwing a punch, while others were curled on the ground, as if they had endured immense agony before death. Countless ages had passed, yet a faint black aura still coiled around the remains, enough to imagine how tragic the slaughter here must have been.

"Not just one battlefield." Lin Chen frowned slightly. Along the way, he had discovered at least three large-scale engagement zones, all close to one another. Clearly, a great number of experts had gathered here in the past, only to fall in the end. Was the destruction of the old era not a natural disaster, but an internal strife or an invasion by an external enemy that swept across the entire epoch?

Just as he was deep in thought, the turbid energy ahead suddenly churned violently. The previously steady flow of air exploded, and a bone-chilling, fierce intent rushed toward him. Lin Chen instantly focused his mind, his muscles tensing as the golden light on his skin flared, preparing him for battle.

The rolling turbid energy parted to the sides, and a tall, dark shadow slowly emerged. The figure stood about two zhang tall, its body condensed from pure turbid energy. Its silhouette vaguely resembled a human, yet it lacked clear facial features; where a head should have been, there was only a mass of constantly writhing black mist. It had thick limbs, with arms hanging down to its knees. Every step it took caused the ground beneath to corrode into tiny pits, and a low, guttural roar emanated from its misty form, carrying a primitive and violent killing intent.

"A spirit body formed from turbid energy." Lin Chen saw through its nature at a glance. Such creatures, condensed from the turbid and baleful energy of heaven and earth, possessed no independent intelligence and attacked the living purely by instinct. Their strength depended on the concentration of the surrounding turbid energy. This particular spirit body was at the early stage of the Immortal King realm—a powerhouse in ordinary planes, but here, it was merely a gatekeeping menial.

The shadow sensed Lin Chen's aura and suddenly accelerated. Its massive body, wrapped in a sky full of turbid energy, threw a punch that whistled through the air. Where the fist wind passed, the space rippled, and the surrounding turbid energy was stirred into a vortex. Lin Chen remained calm; he did not dodge or evade, but simply raised a hand to block.

A dull, thunderous boom erupted. An invisible shockwave swept outward, instantly scattering the surrounding turbid energy. The shadow's thick fist struck Lin Chen's palm; what seemed like a heavy, powerful blow felt as if it had slammed into indestructible divine iron. Amidst a humming sound, the shadow's body trembled violently, and the turbid energy holding it together showed signs of collapsing.

Before the creature could recover, Lin Chen slightly twisted his wrist, and a thick, surging power flowed out. It traveled along the creature's arm and struck its core—a righteous and majestic power specifically designed to suppress dark, evil miasma. The shadow let out a shrill, piercing shriek as its massive body faded and dissolved at a visible rate. Within a few short breaths, it completely dissipated into the air, reverting into scattered turbid energy and returning to the world.

Having dealt with the obstructing spirit, Lin Chen did not linger and continued toward the core area where the turbid energy was thickest. The closer he got to the source, the more orderly the ruins became. They were no longer scattered stones and rotten wood, but vast, ruined architectural complexes. These buildings featured peculiar styles with sharp, sweeping eaves and rafters; the beams and pillars were carved with archaic, profound runes. Even after being eroded by endless ages, the runes still retained a faint luster, faintly emitting an ancient pressure.

It was evident that this had once been a grand complex of ancient palaces, undoubtedly a vital hub during the old era. But now, the pavilions and towers had all collapsed, the high walls were broken, and the ground was a mess; the former glory had long been buried by dust and turbid energy. Walking among the broken walls, he could almost hear faint echoes—the lingering sounds of time, mixed with the roars, slaughter, and wails of the past. It was illusory yet real, making one feel as if they were standing in that distant epoch.

Lin Chen stopped before a massive broken wall. It was covered in dense, ancient characters with strange, distorted shapes—not any script currently used in the Heavens. He focused his gaze and channeled his soul power to attempt a translation, and fragmented information gradually surfaced in his mind. These characters did not record cultivation techniques or anecdotes, but rather a series of battle reports and warnings.

Piecing together the intermittent content, it roughly described how, in the late old era, strange black energy had appeared endlessly between heaven and earth. Wherever the black energy passed, living beings went mad and the order of the martial path collapsed. At first, everyone thought it was an ordinary calamity and the major sects joined forces to suppress it, but the black energy grew more rampant, surging continuously from deep underground until it evolved into an extinction-level disaster. Countless experts threw themselves into the depths of the earth to find the root cause, but most never returned.

"Underground?" Lin Chen's gaze darkened. So, this turbid energy did not come from beyond the heavens, but was born beneath this very land. The experts of the old era had discovered the root of the problem long ago, yet they were unable to eradicate it and were instead dragged into an bottomless abyss.

He bypassed the ruins, passed through a collapsed gate, and finally arrived at the very center of the palace complex. A primitive, ancient hall that still stood mostly intact appeared before him. This hall was far more majestic than the surrounding structures, built entirely of unknown black boulders and standing several dozen zhang high. The hall doors were half-open, the pitch-black entrance like the gaping maw of a giant beast. The thickest, most concentrated turbid energy was surging out from within; the entire hall was the true source of this miasma.

The surface of the hall was covered in mottled marks—cracks from sword strikes, scorch marks from flames, and deep claw marks embedded in the stone walls. Each mark represented a fierce battle. The plaque at the top of the hall had long since broken and fallen, leaving only a fragment where two ancient characters were vaguely visible, exuding a heavy, dignified aura.

Standing outside the hall, one could feel the terrifying power churning within—turbid energy, baleful intent, remnant souls, and malice intertwined to form a chaotic energy field. An ordinary expert would have their mind eroded and become a walking corpse the moment they approached. Lin Chen took a deep breath, suppressed the ripples in his heart, and walked step by step toward the half-open doors.

The moment he stepped into the hall, his vision suddenly darkened; the light from outside was completely cut off by the thick turbid energy. The space inside was vast, comparable to a small plaza. Thick stone pillars supported the dome, their surfaces also coiled with black mist. The ancient divine beast patterns carved into them looked hideous and terrifying, flickering in and out of the mist as if they might come to life at any moment.

The ground was piled with thick black dust, and beneath the dust lay countless weapon fragments and bones. Compared to outside, the number of fallen experts here was even greater. Judging by the lingering aura, many were top-tier powerhouses of the old era. Clearly, the final battle had taken place within this very hall.

In the center of the hall stood a circular stone platform, several zhang in diameter and entirely translucent white, appearing remarkably stark amidst the sky-filling turbid energy. At this moment, rolling grey-black miasma was continuously erupting from a hole in the center of the platform, spreading outward without end. The entire platform was the core node of the turbid energy eruption.

Lin Chen walked slowly toward the platform. The closer he got, the stronger his sense of unease became. He could clearly feel that beneath the platform, it was not merely a source of turbid energy, but a terrifying aura lying in wait. This aura had been silent for endless ages, yet it had not perished; it was like a sleeping primordial beast, ready to awaken at any moment.

Just as he was a few steps from the platform, the turbid energy in the hall suddenly churned violently. The mist, which had been flowing in all directions, gathered toward the sides of the hall. Two spirit bodies, far more powerful than the previous one, slowly manifested. These two were larger, their bodies as solid as flesh, and they were wrapped in pitch-black chains. Runes flickered on the chains, emitting a suppressing force; their strength had already reached the peak of the Immortal King realm.

The two spirit bodies made no wasted movements, lunging at him simultaneously from left and right. The chains whistled through the air with the power to seal space, attempting to bind Lin Chen firmly. Lin Chen's eyes sharpened; he no longer held back. His divine power surged, and the golden light transformed into a ten-thousand-foot radiance that enveloped the entire hall.

He flickered, turning into a blur to avoid the sweeping chains, and threw out a series of punches. His fist force was fierce and domineering, each strike shattering the surrounding turbid energy. The two peak Immortal King spirit bodies coordinated perfectly, balancing offense and defense; the chains coiled while their claws tore, their moves extremely savage. A gale roared within the hall, stone debris fell constantly, and the ancient walls trembled under the intense collisions.

After more than a hundred rounds of fierce fighting, Lin Chen gradually grasped their patterns. These spirits relied on turbid energy to maintain their power; they understood no refined techniques and fought only with instinctive brute force. Finding an opening, he suddenly accelerated, closed the distance to one of the spirits, and concentrated his palm power into a single point, slamming it into the creature's head.

With a loud boom, the spirit's body vibrated violently, and large cracks appeared in the condensed turbid energy. Lin Chen immediately turned, pushed off the ground, and vaulted into the air, kicking the other spirit in the chest. A thick force invaded its body, destroying its energy foundation. Both spirits let out painful roars, their bodies fading rapidly. After struggling for a moment, they collapsed and dissipated into the air as sky-filling turbid energy.

Having dealt with the two guards, the hall temporarily returned to silence, save for the platform still spewing turbid energy. Lin Chen walked to the edge of the platform and looked down into the central hole. It was deep and pitch-black, bottomless. Cold, chilling air rose from below, accompanied by the turbid energy and intermittent whispers.

The whispers were blurred, sounding like countless people murmuring or ancient incantations, drilling into his ears and disturbing his soul. Lin Chen quickly focused his mind, circulating his soul cultivation technique to stabilize his spirit, while extending a sliver of divine sense to cautiously probe down into the hole.

His divine sense sank slowly along with the turbid energy, passing through layers of churning air and delving deep into the earth. After descending an unknown distance, the environment gradually changed. It was no longer just turbid energy, but a much darker underground space. Within this space stood countless pillars reaching toward the sky, and between them, blurred figures were bound by pitch-black chains.

Those figures remained motionless, wrapped in thick black energy. Their auras varied in strength; the weakest were at the Immortal Emperor level, and among them, several figures possessed auras as vast as the sea, in no way inferior to the top powerhouses of the current Heavens. They were tightly bound by the chains, their bodies covered in scars, clearly having been suppressed for endless ages.

And in the deepest part of this underground space, a massive, indescribable black shadow was coiled in the void. Its silhouette was blurred, and the black energy around it was thick to the extreme. A mere sliver of the aura it leaked caused Lin Chen's probing divine sense to tremble violently, as if it were about to shatter completely.

It was a fear that originated from the depths of his soul—not a pressure brought by a gap in strength, but an innate evil and desolation, as if it did not belong to this world.

Just as Lin Chen wanted to probe further to see the true face of the shadow, the massive entity coiled in the depths suddenly moved slightly.

It was an extremely slight movement, yet the black energy in the entire underground space instantly turned violent. Countless chains emitted a harsh, metallic ringing, the bound figures struggled fiercely, and shrill roars echoed through the depths. A monstrous, fierce might surged up through the hole, instantly sweeping through the entire ancient hall.

Lin Chen's expression changed drastically. He felt an irresistible force pressing down on him; the golden light around him swayed violently, and he was forced to retreat several steps before he could barely stand firm. The sliver of divine sense he had extended was shredded into nothingness the moment the entity moved.

"So strong..." Lin Chen's heart hammered, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. The strength of that existence deep underground had already exceeded his current understanding; it was absolutely at the peak level of the Heavens. The truth behind the destruction of the old era was likely closely linked to this mysterious existence.

Before he could calm his mind, a giant hand covered in black scales suddenly reached out from the hole in the center of the platform. The giant hand's five fingers spread, carrying world-destroying power as it lunged toward Lin Chen. Where the hand passed, space collapsed in layers, and all the turbid energy in the hall was sucked into it, plunging the entire area into a deathly silence.

A life-and-death crisis had arrived! Lin Chen's pupils constricted, and he immediately mobilized all his power, preparing to block this fatal blow with everything he had.

But just as the giant hand was about to touch his body, a clear bell chime suddenly rang out from outside the hall. The chime was distant and heavy, carrying a righteous, upright energy that pierced through the sky-filling turbid energy and rang directly into the hall.

The moment the chime was heard, the descending scaled hand stopped abruptly. It then retracted slightly in the air, carrying reluctance and wariness, and slowly retreated back into the deep hole. The monstrous, fierce might deep underground also quickly receded and fell silent once more.

The violent turbid energy within the hall gradually calmed, leaving only the platform still slowly spewing black energy, as if that heart-stopping moment had never occurred.

Lin Chen's tense body slowly relaxed, his back soaked in cold sweat. He looked toward the hall entrance, his eyes full of shock and suspicion. Who had rung the bell outside? Were they friend or foe? Why could the sound of the bell force back that terrifying existence beneath the earth?

At the same time, the bell rang again outside the hall, one chime after another. The rhythm was slow, yet it carried an irresistible sense of summons. The ancient hall trembled slightly, and the remnants of the old era within the hall seemed to be awakened by the bell. On the broken walls all around, blurred figures vaguely emerged.

Lin Chen clenched his fists, knowing that this place was fraught with danger and the terrifying existence underground was only temporarily dormant; the threat was far from eradicated. And the sudden appearance of the bell-ringer brought a new, unknown variable.

He took a deep breath and walked toward the half-open doors, wanting to find out the truth. But just as he was about to step over the threshold, his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a slender, dark shadow standing quietly in the shadows of the hall's dome. It had not made a single sound from the beginning, and a pair of cold, dark eyes were locked firmly onto his figure.