Corpse Emperor

At the end of reincarnation, all things would draw to a close. The Underworld was the final destination of all living beings.

Since the founding of the Underworld in the Mythological Era, this eternal maxim had spread from those ancient halls steeped in profound death. Though ages passed and heaven and earth were overturned, though even the Heavenly Court that had ruled the cosmos had fallen, the Underworld had never perished.

Reincarnation, death, rebirth, spiritual awakening...

In the Primordial Era, the Underworld had long since lost the glory of the Mythological Era, yet it remained one of the most renowned powers in the universe, ranging unchecked across the stars with no one able to oppose it.

Under the arrangements of its founder, the present Underworld had all but transcended the concept of a cultivation lineage. It had become a forbidden zone unto itself, capable of contending with the ancient Life Forbidden Zones on the Big Dipper Ancient Star.

It occupied an immensely vast stretch of starry space. Within its boundless rivers of stars, swathes of black palaces stretched endlessly, linked into an incomparably expansive whole. Extreme Dao formations covered the region, layer upon layer, intimidating every being that dared to spy upon it.

Even Yuangeng froze for a moment when he arrived at this cluster of galaxies. The Underworld was simply too vast, like an ancient behemoth crouched amid the stars. Even asleep, it still demanded his serious attention.

"Worthy indeed of the Netherworld Venerable's arrangements."

Thinking of the Tribulation Heavenly Venerable, then of the Netherworld Venerable, he could not help marveling at the Underworld's splendor. Its founder, who seemed to have extraordinary ties to the Desolate Heaven Emperor, was unquestionably an exceptional being of the heavenly rank, surely no weaker than the Undying Heavenly Emperor.

But Yuangeng likely would not have a chance to test the Netherworld Venerable's methods this time. He had not come to fight the Underworld to the death today, but to accept an invitation from one of its supreme beings for a conversation.

The advantage of overwhelming strength was that Yuangeng had no need to care whether the other party harbored ill intentions. He could sense it clearly: the arrow's owner was merely a Self-Slashed Supreme on par with the Qilin Emperor. Even without summoning his Immortal Ancient Dao Fruit, he could slay one of these little fellows within ten moves.

Clink!

Outside that starry region, Yuangeng lightly tapped the pitch-black arrow. Its arrowhead, forged from dragon pattern black gold, gave a clear, ringing tremor. The sound surged like a dragon's roar, shaking the distant palace complexes.

Soon, a milky-white ray of heavenly light tore across the void from deep within the cold, pitch-black palaces, carrying surging fluctuations of vital energy as it arrived before Yuangeng.

"The First Judge of the Corpse Emperor Hall pays respects to the supreme Yuangeng!"

The light dispersed, revealing a milky-white exotic beast. It had the body of a deer, a mouth full of fangs, and a single straight horn on its head. Its eyes held the majesty and force to suppress wickedness and banish evil.

Xiezhi was the name of this kind of beast, and the one before Yuangeng was a Quasi-Emperor Xiezhi, standing at the seventh heaven of the Quasi-Emperor realm. Its vital energy was far more abundant than that of Si Yanning of the Lunar Essence Divine Church, who was only at the first heaven of the Quasi-Emperor realm.

Yuangeng narrowed his eyes. This Quasi-Emperor Xiezhi differed from ordinary cultivators. At its Immortal Platform, there was a distinct, lustrous white mark, deeply branded into it as though it had weathered endless ages.

That was a Reincarnation Seal!

"His Majesty the Corpse Emperor invites you to speak with him!"

When Yuangeng remained silent, the First Judge spoke again. The upright, unyielding horn on its head shone, and a massive bow, ancient and weighty, flew out from between its brows.

No one could tell what material the great bow had been forged from. It resembled neither metal nor wood. Its body curved like a True Dragon, and its string seemed to have been refined from a dragon's tendon. Merely looking at it was enough to feel the explosive power within.

Without question, this was an Extreme Dao Weapon.

"Lead the way."

Only after getting a clear look at the bow did Yuangeng nod slightly. The Quasi-Emperor Xiezhi bowed again and led the way with the Heavenly Bow above its head. Wherever it passed, all the Underworld's Imperial Dao Formations withdrew, opening a path.

This was the Underworld, after all. This stretch of stars likely held the greatest concentration of death energy in the universe. Layer upon layer of colossal Formation Patterns confined an immense amount of the universe's Dao resonance of death. Amid palace complexes like mountain ranges, not only did a hundred thousand ghost soldiers often march in perfect unison, but heavy ancient coffins also seemed to be enshrined within those halls.

Yet Yuangeng felt no discomfort whatsoever. Death was an essential part of his lunar essence great Dao. If he exerted his full strength, he could even swiftly drain the deathly Dao resonance from this entire region of stars and turn it into nourishment for himself.

The man and beast moved swiftly. In mere moments, they arrived before a dark, fathomless palace. It was incomparably imposing, larger even than many stars. Oppressive might emanated from within, making the palace seem like the gaping maw of a colossal beast, ready to swallow everything.

Upon the hall, ancient words woven from obscure netherworld glyphs radiated an infinitely deep majesty.

Corpse Emperor Hall!

Whoosh!

The Quasi-Emperor Xiezhi bowed deeply before the Corpse Emperor Hall. The Imperial Dao bow above its head swiftly flew inside, while the First Judge of the Corpse Emperor Hall bowed to Yuangeng once more, then flew toward a distant side hall.

"Fellow Daoist!"

Immediately afterward, a deep male voice rang out from within the hall. As he spoke, vast streams of starlight and death energy gathered, illuminating the oppressive ancient chamber. There, a burly figure sat upon an imperial throne, watching Yuangeng.

Yuangeng narrowed his eyes and discerned the towering figure's true appearance. He was a huge man with a curling beard, seemingly in the prime of life. Nearly ten feet tall and clad in heavy bronze armor, he held himself perfectly upright, like a sovereign of death looking down upon every soul passing into rebirth.

"They call me the Corpse Emperor."

The Corpse Emperor's entire body was sealed within a small mountain of Immortal Source. An aura of extreme antiquity surrounded him, at odds with the state of his primordial spirit, creating a strange sense of contradiction.

"Yuangeng."

Yuangeng stepped into the Corpse Emperor Hall and likewise gave his name. He suddenly realized that the Corpse Emperor's condition seemed similar to that of the Qiongqi Emperor on Flying Immortal Star. He had slashed himself while his vital energy was still abundant. Though his Immortal Platform was damaged, he remained in excellent condition, his vital energy soaring into the heavens. He could live for many more years.

Strangely, this man's physical body was exceptionally ancient, as though it had endured the vicissitudes of countless ages and witnessed far too many changes in the mortal world.

"Do you recognize me, Fellow Daoist Yuangeng?"

After they exchanged names, the Corpse Emperor invited Yuangeng to sit upon an equally imposing imperial throne. His very first question made Yuangeng narrow his eyes. A brilliant light flared between his brows, illuminating the Corpse Emperor's face, covered in a beard that curled like writhing dragons.

The Corpse Emperor paid it no mind. He allowed Yuangeng to examine him, seemingly eager to hear an affirmative answer.

"I don't."

But Yuangeng's answer disappointed the Corpse Emperor. Searching through hundreds of thousands of years of memories, he truly did not recognize this huge, curly-bearded man.

"What a pity. I heard that Supreme Yuangeng was a being from before the Mythological Era, and that you awakened with memories of your past. I thought you might recognize this face," the Corpse Emperor said regretfully.

The reason he was the Corpse Emperor was that he had arisen through the spiritual awakening of a corpse unearthed by the Underworld, and

that corpse had remained imperishable through the ages. Though its Immortal Platform was empty, a Reincarnation Seal had formed within it, nurturing an entirely new primordial spirit. After many years of cultivation, he had reached the Extreme Dao domain.

Yuangeng had nothing to say to this. This man was deeply obsessed with finding his past self. The span from Immortal Ancient to the Chaotic Ancient Era had to be measured in tens of millions of years, and the Primordial Ancient Realm was no tiny patch of land. It was only natural that Yuangeng, a man of Immortal Ancient, did not recognize the Corpse Emperor.

"Did you seek me out just to have me look at your face?"

He toyed with the ancient black arrow in his hand. Naturally, he did not believe the Corpse Emperor's purpose in inviting him here could be so simple, and pressed him further.

"Of course not."

At those words, light flickered in the eyes of the Corpse Emperor, seated within the Immortal Source, and he spoke in a quiet, distant voice.

"Fellow Daoist, do you have any connection to our Underworld?"