With a wet squelch, the black, weird creature pierced straight through Emperor Venerable's Immortal Platform, scattering countless drops of Black Blood in all directions. Despite Emperor Venerable's strength, he had been unable to dodge the terrifying black creature.
"Ah..."
No matter how Emperor Venerable struggled, unleashing countless supreme forbidden secret arts, he could do nothing to halt the black creature's corruption. All he could do was howl more and more shrilly.
With a boom, Emperor Venerable's body crumbled, and his primordial spirit nearly collapsed. Even his last wisp of true spirit turned pitch-black, and it looked as though the black substance would corrode and grind it away.
Suddenly, countless Great Dao Runes manifested from that last wisp of true spirit, resisting the weird and ominous fluctuations emanating from the black substance.
The black, weird creature attacked frenziedly, but Emperor Venerable stubbornly resisted it all, preserving his last wisp of true spirit.
"What is that thing? How can it be so terrifying...?" Longevity Heavenly Venerable and the others cried out in alarm.
Emperor Venerable's body formed anew. He desperately resisted the invasion of the black Weird Substance, even trying to grind it away with his supreme divine power.
The black Weird Substance formed a black human face, which gave a mysterious smile. "If that's all you're capable of, then your life ends here."
As soon as the black face finished speaking, the void there shook violently. Countless streams of black Weird Substance spread out, giving off weird fluctuations that made Longevity Heavenly Venerable, Carefree Heavenly Venerate and the others' hair stand on end.
"What is that?" Sensing that terrifying, weird and ominous presence, Carefree Heavenly Venerate and Annihilation Heavenly Venerable could not help crying out in alarm as well.
Within the terrifying black haze, the weird fluctuations of the Great Dao grew stronger and stronger, binding Emperor Venerable tightly within.
Dark light flowed over the black haze, accompanied by the circulation of weird Great Dao power.
Longevity Heavenly Venerable, Carefree Heavenly Venerate and Annihilation Heavenly Venerable, as members of the Nine Great Heavenly Venerables, could be said to have seen and heard much.
Yet the moment they saw the black Weird Substance, their faces were filled with horror and bewilderment. They had not known that such a terrifying danger lay hidden in the world.
Emperor Venerable sensed the terrifying divine charm and fluctuations of the Great Dao emanating from the black Weird Substance.
Never in his life had he seen such a terrifying substance or creature.
He believed himself incomparably powerful and invincible under heaven, only a hair weaker than Overlord Heavenly Venerable. Yet now, wrapped in the black Weird Substance, he felt his hair stand on end, as though the end of days had arrived and disaster was upon him.
Clearly, the will within the black Weird Substance wanted to seize his body.
Emperor Venerable was shaken to his core and resisted desperately. He felt how terrifying the weird fluctuations were, and that hair-raising presence gave him the feeling that he was about to perish.
Emperor Venerable thought of his Immortal Ascension Cauldron. He began frantically drawing upon the Immortal Dao Runes within it, controlling them with all his might to resist the invasion of the black Weird Substance.
Hum, hum, hum.
Upon sensing Emperor Venerable's Immortal Ascension Cauldron, an immortal artifact, the black creature sent out a delighted divine thought.
It seemed not to have expected Emperor Venerable to be carrying an immortal artifact.
The human face formed from the Weird Substance said to Emperor Venerable, "Do you still want to live? You no longer have that chance!"
The black Weird Substance pouring from the black creature was almost endless, cascading frenziedly toward Emperor Venerable.
Even though Emperor Venerable had drawn upon the Immortal Dao Runes in the Immortal Ascension Cauldron, he was now nearly powerless to resist the endless black Weird Substance.
"No..."
To Emperor Venerable's despair, the instant the black Weird Substance enveloped him, he lost all sense of Longevity Heavenly Venerable, Carefree Heavenly Venerate and the others. He could no longer perceive the outside world at all.
Clusters of black flames rose from the black Weird Substance, one after another.
The black flames looked ordinary, but the weird Great Dao fluctuations they gave off sent waves of horror through Emperor Venerable.
That incomparably terrifying presence of destruction seemed intent on destroying everything in the world.
The instant Emperor Venerable saw the black flames rise, his primordial spirit trembled uncontrollably, and he let out a series of agonized screams.
What made Emperor Venerable even more despairing was that his Immortal Ascension Cauldron and the Immortal Dao Runes he had drawn from it were utterly powerless against the weird black flames.
The Immortal Ascension Cauldron was now as though it had lost its weapon spirit and was no longer under his control.
The countless Immortal Dao Runes Emperor Venerable had drawn forth cracked apart one after another in the black flames, turning to ash.
When Emperor Venerable's primordial spirit came into contact with the flames, he let out an incomparably shrill scream of agony.
Watching the terrifying scene, Longevity Heavenly Venerable, Carefree Heavenly Venerate and Annihilation Heavenly Venerable immediately retreated, putting plenty of distance between themselves and Emperor Venerable.
They did not know what was happening to Emperor Venerable, nor did they know how to help him.
"Ah..."
Countless layers of black Weird Substance wrapped around Emperor Venerable, and he let out incomparably shrill wails from within.
The Great Dao belonging to Emperor Venerable alone surged mightily, and the myriad Daos of heaven and earth wailed.
But layers of chaos and the incomparably terrifying Weird Substance blocked the area, and none of Emperor Venerable's cries reached the outside.
Sensing the terrifying pressure of the black Weird Substance, Longevity Heavenly Venerable, Annihilation Heavenly Venerable and Carefree Heavenly Venerate could not help trembling all over. They felt an urge to kneel and prostrate themselves in worship.
Their expressions were exceedingly complicated.
They were already incomparably powerful Heavenly Venerables. How many years had it been since they had felt this terrifying sense of the end of days descending?
Hum, hum, hum.
The terrifying Weird Substance was endless. Like a great black silkworm cocoon, it wrapped Emperor Venerable in layer upon layer, devouring all his countless Immortal Dao Runes.
Even though Emperor Venerable was still struggling with all his might and had used every move he had, he could not stop the Weird Substance from corroding his primordial spirit, turning it black bit by bit.
After his body fell, his primordial spirit too was about to fall into annihilation.
This black Weird Substance surpassed the imagination of everyone in this world, and Emperor Venerable's most of all.
The terrifying black Weird Substance thoroughly corroded his body and primordial spirit. Although the last wisp of his primordial spirit still resisted desperately, it seemed powerless to reverse this tragic end.
More and more Weird Substance poured out, wrapping Emperor Venerable's primordial spirit in layer upon layer.
Emperor Venerable felt the great terror between life and death, a horror that penetrated to his very soul.
"Why is this happening?"
"My dream of Red Dust Immortal Ascension, my dream of ascending to immortality with my entire sect-neither has come true yet."
"I hate this...!" Emperor Venerable roared again and again in unwillingness, and then his last wisp of true spirit was stained black as well.
Countless streams of black Weird Substance entered Emperor Venerable's body. It was as though he had absorbed all of it.
An incomparably weird fluctuation of the Great Dao spread in all directions. That weird presence surged and billowed, growing stronger all the while.
Longevity Heavenly Venerable, Carefree Heavenly Venerate and Annihilation Heavenly Venerable stared fixedly at Emperor Venerable, watching his every movement.
Suddenly, Emperor Venerable opened his eyes. They were filled with death and desolation, and even held venomous hatred for the living beings of the entire world.
The first person Emperor Venerable fixed his gaze on was Annihilation Heavenly Venerable.
Annihilation Heavenly Venerable heard a tremendous boom. His whole body felt as though it had cracked apart, and his mind went blank for an instant.
Longevity Heavenly Venerable and Carefree Heavenly Venerate saw to their horror that Emperor Venerable had glanced at Annihilation Heavenly Venerable, and Annihilation Heavenly Venerable had immediately burst apart, bright red blood scattering everywhere.
Annihilation Heavenly Venerable's body exploded piece by piece, obliterating vast swathes of chaos.
Longevity Heavenly Venerable and Carefree Heavenly Venerate saw Emperor Venerable's body become as thin as a skeleton in the blink of an eye. His skin was like a stone rind, or like the bark of an old pine tree, exceedingly rough, gray and lusterless. Faint black mist surrounded his body: death, decay, destruction...
Annihilation Heavenly Venerable was almost powerless to resist. His limbs, body and head were forcibly torn apart just like that.
Blood streamed from all over him like a waterfall, gushing frantically outward and staining vast swathes of chaos red.
A low roar came from Emperor Venerable. It did not sound human and was terrifying.
Longevity Heavenly Venerable and Carefree Heavenly Venerate felt a suffocating, indescribable oppression.
This part of the world grew dark and gloomy, as though some terrifying monster had set its sights on them.
The chaos seemed to explode, and black mist spread everywhere.
Annihilation Heavenly Venerable looked as though he had been torn apart by five horses.
Blood streamed from all over him like a waterfall, gushing frantically outward.
Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled in this expanse of heaven and earth, swirling around Emperor Venerable's body.
At the same time, Annihilation Heavenly Venerable's roars rang out.
Annihilation Heavenly Venerable was wrapped in mysterious laws of the Great Dao. Countless divine chains of order cut his body apart again and again, then put it back together.
Annihilation Heavenly Venerable was in unbearable agony, but he did not die. His body came apart again and again, only to be reassembled each time.
Emperor Venerable looked at Annihilation Heavenly Venerable's body and bared his white teeth, which flashed with a cold light. His smile was chilling.
Emperor Venerable looked at Annihilation Heavenly Venerable's two thighs and waved his great hand. Both thighs flew straight into his grasp.
As though holding chicken drumsticks, he opened his mouth and took a bite. Crunch, crunch.
"This tastes absolutely delicious!"
"Emperor Venerable has gone mad." Longevity Heavenly Venerable and Carefree Heavenly Venerate exchanged a glance.
After the dark Weird Substance invaded Emperor Venerable, he had suddenly become abnormal.
Annihilation Heavenly Venerable struggled back to awareness. He could feel the terrifying, weird power within Emperor Venerable's body.
When he saw that Emperor Venerable was gnawing on his thighs raw, waves of horror made his hair stand on end.
With a bang, Annihilation Heavenly Venerable's body exploded again, and his arms and thighs flew into Emperor Venerable's hands.
Longevity Heavenly Venerable and Carefree Heavenly Venerate felt waves of horror, but they were also extremely anxious, unsure what to do.
They had come to explore the Road to Immortality together and had obtained only a few treasures. Now Emperor Venerable had gone mad.
After seizing Annihilation Heavenly Venerable's arms and legs, Emperor Venerable devoured them in great mouthfuls, as though he were eating the most delicious food in the world.
Longevity Heavenly Venerable and Carefree Heavenly Venerate were shocked into silence.
They realized that something terrible had happened.
Emperor Venerable seemed to have been invaded by the black Weird Substance. The Emperor Venerable before them was very likely no longer the man he had been.
Emperor Venerable was far too demonic now.
The sight of Emperor Venerable gnawing on a thigh raw was truly hair-raising.
Annihilation Heavenly Venerable felt as though his scalp would split apart. Terror from the depths of his soul made him tremble uncontrollably.
Though he was also one of the Ten Great Heavenly Venerables, Annihilation Heavenly Venerable was clearly weaker than Emperor Venerable.
And now Emperor Venerable had become so vicious.
Most of all, they had all watched with their own eyes as the black Weird Substance flew into Emperor Venerable's body, after which he had suddenly become strange.
Longevity Heavenly Venerable and the others nodded, then immediately flew toward the exit of the Road to Immortality.
The Road to Immortality was truly unsafe now. They really did feel their hair stand on end.
"Where do you think you're going?!"
"Stop!"
Emperor Venerable now seemed to regard Longevity Heavenly Venerable, Carefree Heavenly Venerate and Annihilation Heavenly Venerable as his food.
He bared his bloodstreaked, ghastly white teeth in a chilling sneer at the backs of the three.
Terrifying black Weird Substance poured from Emperor Venerable's body, blotting out the sky and sun as it swept toward the three Heavenly Venerables.
Carefree Heavenly Venerate's Great Dao Treasure Bottle seemed to contain an endless number of small worlds. These small worlds shot out, frantically devouring and enveloping the black Weird Substance.
Longevity Heavenly Venerable's Longevity Sword slaughtered its way across the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, desperately attacking Emperor Venerable as he pursued them.
Annihilation Heavenly Venerable's Annihilation Treasure Wheel gave off billowing flames, frantically burning the black Weird Substance.
The three Heavenly Venerables cared about their dignity too.
But now they truly could not afford to care about it and joined forces to attack Emperor Venerable.
"Emperor Venerable, are you still there?"
"Has that mysterious weird creature taken over your body?"
Longevity Heavenly Venerable and Carefree Heavenly Venerate still had enough strength to shout at Emperor Venerable.
A dark light flashed in Emperor Venerable's eyes, then gradually faded.
In a low voice, he said, "I, Emperor Venerable, am still Emperor Venerable. The effect of that Weird Substance just now was very peculiar. After I came into contact with it, I found I especially liked eating raw meat. Apart from that, there has been no particular change."
Longevity Heavenly Venerable and the others were half convinced and half doubtful. They did not know whether the weird creature was masquerading as him, or whether Emperor Venerable really had refined the Weird Substance.
They grew deeply wary.
All three agreed that Emperor Venerable could not be trusted now.
"If you really are Emperor Venerable, then stop attacking us and let us go." Carefree Heavenly Venerate snorted coldly.
Emperor Venerable carefully studied each of their faces, then nodded. "Longevity Heavenly Venerable, Carefree Heavenly Venerate, you two may go."
"But Annihilation Heavenly Venerable must stay. I like the meat on his body," Emperor Venerable said with a faint smile.
That chilling, weird smile made Longevity Heavenly Venerable and Carefree Heavenly Venerate frown once more.
The two then joined forces to break through the chaos and flew straight toward the exit of the Road to Immortality.
As for Annihilation Heavenly Venerable, while he hated Longevity Heavenly Venerable and Carefree Heavenly Venerate for abandoning him, he hated Emperor Venerable even more for wanting to eat him alive.
Hearing Annihilation Heavenly Venerable's incomparably shrill screams from behind them, Longevity Heavenly Venerable and Carefree Heavenly Venerate fled even faster, flying outward without looking back.
(End of chapter)