Chapter 561 - End of the Lair

Deep in the lair’s tunnel, Snowjade’s eyes were cold as he slowed down.

Buzz—

An invisible aura surged from the tunnel’s depths, pressurizing Snowjade.

Just the aura alone is terrifying enough to kill a Fourth Tribulation Eminence. Snowjade was somewhat puzzled. What’s the source of the aura?

Even the aura emitted by a legendary Eighth Tribulation Eminence’s corpse could only control Tribulation realm experts, changing their bloodline. The emitted aura wouldn’t kill a Fourth Tribulation Eminence directly.

Is it some treasure in the River of Spacetime or a living being? Palace Lord Snowjade’s body glowed with an ice-jade luster as he advanced without slowing down.

“Palace Lord, Palace Lord.” A voice cried for help.

Huh? Snowjade frowned slightly.

Inside his grotto-heaven, Palace Lord Snowjade’s figure condensed. He looked at Emperor Roc’s Essence Soul avatar, who was bowing respectfully.

“Palace Lord.” Emperor Roc’s Essence Soul avatar said anxiously, “I encountered an enemy, Meng Chuan. My true body was captured, and my treasures were taken away.”

“Your treasures have been taken? He imprisoned your outer realm true body?” Snowjade frowned slightly. The treasures his subordinates obtained in the cave abode were his to begin with. Meng Chuan robbing Emperor Roc’s treasures was equivalent to robbing him of his treasures, so he naturally wasn’t pleased. He then asked, “What’s his background?”

Emperor Roc immediately said, “Palace Lord, this Meng Chuan comes from Archean Eon Realm!”

“Ancestral Master Archean Eon’s Archean Eon Realm?” Snowjade was somewhat astonished.

Ancestral Master Archean Eon was the only Seventh Tribulation Eminence that had been born in Three Bay River System over the years. Palace Lord Snowjade naturally knew about him.

“Yes.” Emperor Roc continued, “As you know, Archean Eon Realm neighbors my homeworld, and we have formed a huge grudge with each other. This Meng Chuan quickly rose to prominence. In Archean Eon Realm, he is also known as Imperial Lord Eastcalm. His strength was considered normal. After cultivating for about 100 years, his strength was only at the perfected Supremacy realm.”

In the World Gap, Meng Chuan revealed his full strength very clearly. At his strongest, he was only comparable to Monarch Peacock.

“Later, he entered the outer realm. In just a few decades, his strength reached the Tribulation realm,” explained Emperor Roc. “Furthermore, he’s suspected to be at the Fifth Tribulation realm now.”

“He’s suspected to be at the Fifth Tribulation realm after a few decades in the outer realm?” No matter how calm Snowjade was, he found it unbelievable.

“Therefore, I suspect that it might be an opportunity left behind by Ancestral Master Archean Eon, which allowed him to enter a special mystic realm,” said Emperor Roc. “It might seem like he only spent a few decades in the outer realm, but maybe more than 10,000 years have passed in the mystic realm. This time, he tracked me through our karmic connection and came to this cave abode. He first captured me alive, then used karma to kill two Imperial Lords in my homeworld. He has a huge grudge with my homeworld. He imprisoned me because he wants to have full confidence in killing all my avatars,” said Emperor Roc.

Snowjade nodded slightly. “I understand. If he really has reached the Fifth Tribulation realm, nobody will be able to kill him cleanly. Since he wants to kill you… you can only rely on yourself if you want to live.”

“I understand,” replied Emperor Roc with a bow of his head. He naturally understood this logic. Only an Eighth Tribulation Eminence could kill a Fifth Tribulation Eminence with an inhabited world in the way! The probability of such a thing happening was negligible.

Therefore, after confirming that Meng Chuan had reached the Fifth Tribulation realm, Emperor Roc felt despair. All he could do now was work hard to become stronger, making it difficult for Meng Chuan to kill him completely. If Emperor Roc reached the Fifth Tribulation realm one day, he would naturally be able to roam the River of Spacetime fearlessly.

…

With those thoughts in mind, Snowjade continued advancing through the deep passageway.

Imperial Lord Eastcalm, Meng Chuan, is suspected to be at the Fifth Tribulation realm? It’s getting more and more interesting. Snowjade endured the pressure and continued advancing. Finally, Snowjade reached the end of the deep tunnel and arrived in a huge cave.

The massive cave spanned about 5,000 kilometers.

Snowjade walked out of the passageway and entered the cave. At a glance, he saw a massive head at the end of the cave.

The head was about 500 kilometers tall. It had two black curved horns, and its skin was black. It only had a single blood-colored, vertical eye! Its mouth was gaping, spanning about 250 kilometers long; within its mouth were mountain peak-like teeth.

Chains were embedded in the head and rooted in its skull, face, ears, and mouth. Large amounts of energy passed through the chains to everywhere in the lair.

Oh? Snowjade’s expression changed drastically.

Although the chains trapped the gigantic head and its huge mouth, making it unable to move, its blood-colored vertical eye was glowing as it stared at Snowjade.

With the blood-colored eye staring at him, Snowjade felt stifled and horrified. His body instantly froze, unable to move.

Break! Break! Break!

Snowjade took a few seconds to resist the blood-colored vertical eye’s influence completely and regain control of himself.

This made him look at the gigantic head in horror.

A forbidden creature at the Sixth Tribulation realm? Snowjade was shocked. He had seen a forbidden creature once, but the one he had encountered was only at the Fifth Tribulation realm. However, the feeling was similar.

The head in front of him was even more terrifying than the one he had once encountered. If it hadn’t been completely imprisoned, the blood-colored eye could have killed him with a single stare. It could devour him with a single gulp.

He was out of options.

The strength difference between Tribulation Eminences increased the further one progressed. A Fifth Tribulation Eminence could easily crush a Fourth Tribulation Eminence, but a Sixth Tribulation Eminence’s suppression of a Fifth Tribulation Eminence was even more terrifying.

For example, a monstrous genius who created an Imperial Lord-level paramount technique could reach the Fifth Tribulation realm in a short period of time. However, that monstrous genius might spend their entire life trying to reach the Sixth Tribulation realm.

Sixth Tribulation realm. Palace Lord Snowjade stood in the cave and stared at the imprisoned Sixth Tribulation forbidden creature. The forbidden creature’s blood-colored vertical eye kept staring at him. Even though he could resist the vertical eye’s influence, he still felt immense pressure.

Whoosh.

Fog flew out from the gaping mouth that was hundreds of kilometers long. It condensed into a man with a human body and a snake tail.

“This sinful creature’s mouth is the core of the cave abode.” After the snake-tailed man flew out, he smiled at Snowjade and said, “Only one of you can reach the end of the cave abode.”

“Can I enter now?” Snowjade looked at the snake-tailed man. He could tell at a glance that he was a Guardian and not a true lifeform.

“No.” The snake-tailed man shook his head. “After the one-year deadline, all lifeforms that arrive here will engage in one final battle. Only the final victor will be able to enter.”

Palace Lord Snowjade didn’t say another word. He could sense layers of array formations on the gigantic head. They were something that could even imprison a Sixth Tribulation forbidden creature. If he wasn’t allowed to enter, he would be tempting fate if he dared to barge in.

…

Half a month later.

“Oh?” The hunchbacked Old Fiend Black Wind also arrived. When he saw the huge chained head, his face turned pale. The blood-colored vertical eye turned to look at Black Wind.

Black Wind was horrified. It took him almost ten seconds to withstand the suppression.

A forbidden creature at the Sixth Tribulation realm? Black Wind was alarmed as well. Soon, he discovered the chains’ uses. What a powerful sealing method. It completely imprisons the Sixth Tribulation forbidden creature. Furthermore, it seems to draw upon this forbidden creature’s strength to supply energy to the entire cave abode.

Black Wind immediately turned to look at Snowjade.

Snowjade stood by the side with his eyes closed as he waited silently.

“Snowjade, you came really quickly,” said Black Wind with a smile.

Snowjade opened his eyes and glanced at Black Wind before closing them again.

…

Another half a month passed.

The skinny Ta Gu arrived. When he saw the huge head, his body trembled for a few seconds before he resisted the forbidden creature’s aura. This was because he had known about this cave abode’s layout long ago. He also knew that there was a terrifying forbidden creature imprisoned here.

Since his mind was prepared, he naturally escaped the aura’s influence faster.

They came earlier than me? Ta Gu was somewhat surprised when he saw Snowjade and Black Wind. Following that, he turned to look at the Guardian—who had a human body and snake tail. He said loudly, “The other lifeforms in this cave abode should have given up on the exploration. Only the three of us are at the Fifth Tribulation realm. Let’s quickly engage in the final battle.”

“No rush.” The snake-tailed man smiled and said, “There’s one more person still advancing.”

“It’s been ten months. There are still people advancing through the cave abode?” Ta Gu was puzzled.

Black Wind and Snowjade remained calm. Both of them knew that an unknown fifth Tribulation Eminence had entered the cave abode.

Imperial Lord Eastcalm, Meng Chuan? Snowjade thought to himself. He knew the most about the unfamiliar expert among the three.

…

“Senior, spare me! Spare me!” A lanky gray-robed man was extremely respectful, but he felt bitter in his heart.

He was at the Fourth Tribulation realm. He had deliberately slowed down. With the number of tunnels in the lair, he thought he had made a killing.

Who knew that another Fifth Tribulation Eminence was slower than him! Furthermore, he happened to share the same passageway as him.

Isn’t this Fifth Tribulation Eminence afraid that he will be too slow and have all the best treasures taken by the other Fifth Tribulation Eminences? The lanky gray-robed man felt aggrieved.

“Spare your life?” The white-haired Meng Chuan looked at him. “You should understand the rules. Hand over all the treasures, and your life will be spared.”

“Yes.” No matter how depressed the gray-robed man was, he obediently handed over the treasures. This was because he had discovered the huge difference in strength between them. Just the illusory Essence Soul World’s suppression made him unable to resist.

If this white-haired man was willing, he could easily kill him and take away all the treasures. He spent 600 Outer Realm Essence Crystals cultivating this outer realm body. It was already not bad if he could retain this body.

Whoosh.

Meng Chuan waved his hand and put away the treasures before continuing forward.

He had arrived rather late, so Palace Lord Snowjade, Ta Gu, and Old Fiend Black Wind had all benefited. On the other hand, Meng Chuan’s main gains were obtained from the Fourth Tribulation Eminence and Emperor Roc.

Of course, certain regions in the lair had a lowered threat after the core treasures were removed. Thus, Meng Chuan was able to proceed much faster.

This aura’s pressure… Meng Chuan also felt a terrifying aura affecting him. He was puzzled by it as he walked through the tunnel. Why is the aura so strong? Is it a treasure or a living thing?

Soon, Meng Chuan walked out of the deep tunnel and arrived at a huge cave.

The cave was 5,000 kilometers wide. At the end of the cave was a huge imprisoned head. The blood-colored vertical eye on the head stared at Meng Chuan.

As for Snowjade, Black Wind, and Ta Gu, they turned to look at Meng Chuan.

“The last one has arrived.” The snake-tailed man smiled.