Thoughts flashed past Grai’s mind.
The Netherworld King must have promised him something big for Mu Zi to completely give his body over, such as eliminating the Ninth Shade Faction to take revenge for Wang Zhong. When the Netherworld King was killing, he seemed to have vaguely mentioned the entire Ninth Shade Faction. This campsite was no more than an appetizer for his wishes. At that moment, the Netherworld King, who was controlling Mu Zi’s body, was most likely heading towards the Ninth Shade Faction! He wanted to complete his promise to Mu Zi. This way, he could completely control Mu Zi’s body and not receive any resistance from Mu Zi’s will, allowing the most perfect integration that the Netherworld King had longed for in his dreams.
It was the Ninth Shade Faction!
Grai narrowed his eyes. He was too lazy to even look at the corpse of the Gold Core expert in the campsite. His body suddenly turned into fog, and he vanished with a swishing sound.
…
Glug glug glug…
Kill kill kill kill kill!!
Rumble…
Lao Wang’s consciousness was constantly in a hazy state. He seemed to be continuously drinking water. He sensed waves of violent killing intent attacking his mind over and over again, and he could sense waves of terrifying aura infiltrating his will. As a result, he could not completely sober himself.
He could only vaguely remember that the moment he fell into the Netherworld River, he had forcibly opened his fragment world and threw his body inside. Back then, Lao Wang had thought that this was the only way to save himself. After all, to him, the Netherworld River water had an extremely strange power and could not be touched.
However, he had made the wrong choice. Even though he did not encounter any obstacles to entering his fragment world, the water from the Netherworld River had surged in as well… Furthermore, the aura that contaminated the Netherworld River water was connected to the Netherworld River, and the channel to the fragment world could not be sealed. Now, there was no difference between his fragment world and the Netherworld River. A large volume of Netherworld River water flooded his fragment world and soaked everything there. Not only was Lao Wang submerged, even the level-6 medicinal plants he had been nurturing in the fragment world and the various divine artifacts were all submerged in the water. The fragment world was filled with water and the vile Netherworld aura. As a result, the lively fragment world became heavy with a deathly aura. The level-6 medicinal plants withered in an instant, but Lao Wang had no time to care about these plants.
His aura was already in chaos from Elder Hades’s attack, and he could not even maintain his true form. At that moment, he was also submerged in the Netherworld River water. The Netherworld aura attacked his already severely injured body a second time. As a result, Lao Wang almost completely lost all ability to fight back.
He could no longer use his divine cells and his Void Core true form. It was as if his entire body had turned rusty, and he could not even activate his spiritual energy. He could not even sense the presence of any spiritual energy in his fragment world that was now rich in Netherworld aura.
The feeling of his entire body being submerged in the Netherworld River was extremely terrifying. This was completely different from the small experiments that Lao Wang had conducted by the Netherworld River.
The temperature of the Netherworld River water was not extremely low, but when a creature came into contact with it, one would feel a bone-piercing chill. This was the cold of the Netherworld aura and of death, not the typical cold element. Thus, his resistance to cold was of no use now. Furthermore, it was as if this cold was about to rip his body apart. Countless people had died in the Netherworld River over many eras, but their souls and wills were still being bound by the Netherworld River. They had turned into a hate that reached the skies and mixed with the water of the Netherworld River, continuously attacking the wills of anyone who fell in.
At that moment, the impact on his will had reached a peak. Even someone with a stable state of mind like Lao Wang was about to lose his sense of self from the impact of the rising hate. Amidst his hazy state, a wisp of clarity wanted to ask for help from the Fate Stone. However, what was surprising was that the Fate Stone did not react to this!
The last hint of clarity in Lao Wang’s heart disappeared. The Fate Stone could only protect his soul and ensure that it did not shatter, but when it was assaulted and affected by the evil will of the Netherworld River, it seemed as if the Fate Stone would not react unnecessarily.
It’s over…
Lao Wang simply felt as if he was rapidly losing the last hints of his will. His consciousness became weaker and weaker, and he could no longer see the exact situation in the fragment world. However, the moment before his consciousness completely vanished, he seemed to see a ball of dazzling light in the fragment world.
It was not the Fate Stone, but something from the pile of miscellaneous items in the depths of the fragment world. It seemed to be… the dragon cauldron that the Ocean Empire had given him? It had actually started to dazzle!
Was he seeing things?
This last thought flashed past his mind. Then, Wang Zhong could no longer restrain the exhaustion and fatigue in his mind and fainted.
Rumble…
It was obviously not an illusion. The lid of the dim and dark dragon cauldron gradually opened, and 11 dragon heads seemed to have come alive as they opened their large mouths. Closely after, they were like whales swallowing water. All the Netherworld River water that had surged into the fragment world was rapidly swallowed by the 11 dragon heads. However, there was more. Even the Netherworld River outside that was connected to the fragment world was continuously being sucked in at an even faster speed, causing the river to rapidly flow backwards!
Flee~ Flee~ Flee~~
The hateful will contained in the Netherworld River water had been shaken and was fearful. It desperately wanted to escape this strange fragment world and flee from the terrifying absorption from the dragon cauldron. However, this weak resistance was simply like a drizzle in the face of the sucking force from the dragon cauldron! If someone was closely researching the Netherworld River at that moment, they would realize that the water level along several dozen kilometers of the Netherworld River outside Black Gold Town had decreased by half!
The dragon cauldron only stopped forcibly sucking the water from the Netherworld River outside the fragment world when it was full. Then, the fragment world that had been forcibly kept open by the Netherworld River was sealed at that moment, and the entire fragment world went back to normal. Even the medicinal ingredients, which had withered due to the infiltration of the Netherworld River and were on the verge of death, and the pitch-black Will had become “clean” once again. However, Wang Zhong was still not awake. The injury to his soul was not something that could be healed when the Netherworld River water was sucked away.
Pa!
The dragon cauldron closed, and the 11 dragon heads went into hiding. Closely after, a dazzling golden light shone from the “stomach” of the dragon cauldron. The entire dragon cauldron slowly floated and hovered in midair.
The golden light became more and more brilliant. It was as if something was brewing in the “stomach” of the dragon cauldron. After 17 or 18 seconds, the dragon cauldron suddenly trembled violently.
Buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz~
Bang bang bang bang bang!!
A golden item was flying around in the dragon cauldron and colliding with the walls of the dragon cauldron, producing a violent clashing sound. Cracks that could be clearly seen rapidly spread along the surface of the dragon cauldron. Then, when the cauldron was filled with cracks…
Sssr!
There was a loud sound in the sky, and the dragon cauldron shattered. The roar of a dragon reverberated in the fragment world. A dazzling golden light hovered in midair. It was a mini multicolored gold dragon!
It looked at Wang Zhong, who had fainted on the floor. Without any hesitation, it traveled a small circle in the air and turned into a golden pill that resembled a small sun. It only paused for a moment before the golden light disappeared closely after. Lao Wang, who had fainted on the ground, did not even open his mouth, but the pill simply passed through his closed lips and entered his throat.
Gulp…
He naturally pressed the pill down his throat and swallowed the pill, and the golden light traveled down his throat directly into his stomach.
Very quickly, the light gradually vanished, and everything fell silent…
Lao Wang dreamt for a very long time. In his dreams, he seemed to have fallen into a boundless hell and was entangled with countless evil spirits. Just when he felt that it was difficult for him to free himself from this circumstance, a golden light suddenly shot from the sky, causing the countless spirits to disperse. Then the golden light charged into his body. It was like an elixir of life that allowed him to instantly be reborn. His Void Core turned into a Solid Core, and his physical body turned into a golden body. Next, he soared into the clouds and traveled through the bright sky. He broke through the boundless hell world and came to the Heaven that countless people yearned for. It was like a beautiful spring day here, and the surroundings were filled with rich daylight. The air that he breathed in seemed to contain the fragrance of pills, intoxicating him. He lingered on here with no thought of leaving.
While Lao Wang was reveling in this rich fragrance, he suddenly heard someone calling his name from the direction of hell that he had dug himself out from.
Those were the voices of Mu Zi and Grai!
He was shocked and suddenly woke up from his dream. Then, his consciousness returned, and his soul went back to its place. His various memories before he fell into a coma surged back, as if nature was calling for him.
Yes, he had been severely injured by Elder Hades and fell into the Netherworld River. He opened his fragment world and wanted to flee inside, but never thought that the Netherworld River water would also surge inside. As a result, the entire fragment world turned into a vast body of Netherworld water. All his medicinal plants had withered, and he had been on the verge of death…
He suddenly opened his eyes. He thought that he would still be submerged in the boundless Netherworld River water but never thought that when he opened his eyes, the stink of the Netherworld River water that he had imagined was gone. Furthermore, he no longer felt the splitting pain throughout his body, and his surroundings were peaceful.
The batch of level-6 medicinal ingredients he had personally planted were growing lushly, as if they had not withered from being submerged by the Netherworld River. A rich pill fragrance also wafted through this space.
This…
Before Lao Wang recovered from his shock from seeing the strange scene in front of him, he immediately sensed something even more serious.
This was his body! This was his Void Core!
No. It was obvious that he could no longer call this his Void Core. Unlike the hazy and almost illusory feeling that his Void Core once gave off, the present “Void Core” was now extremely solid. One could sense its substantial presence with just the naked eye. It was like a solid “sphere” that was no longer “soft”. Instead, it felt more substantial and real. It was even livelier than before!
Extremely rich spiritual power revolved around the Solid Core. A thought flashed past his mind, and rapidly surging spiritual power instantly activated at a speed that was 10 times faster than when he was a Void Core. It was as if his spiritual power would reach the level of control that he wanted the moment the thought of directing it flashed past his mind!
Had he… advanced to the Solid Core Realm?!
Lao Wang simply could not believe this. He stretched out his left hand and fiercely clenched it. Not only were the injuries he had incurred before his coma gone…
Bang bang bang!
This rhythmic banging sound exploded through the sky like sonic booms. Then, waves of unimaginable power seemed to have sensed Wang Zhong’s “summoning” and surged forth from all of his limbs and bones. Lao Wang’s clenched fist gave him the feeling that he could punch through a great mountain.
There was no doubt that this was his Solid Core! Regardless of whether it was the change and solidification of his Void Core or the terrifying jump in his power and physical strength, he had advanced to the Solid Core Realm.
Before he fell into a coma, he was still in a state of certain death and could not take care of himself. However, once he woke up from his dream, he was fine? And the fragment world had been repaired? Furthermore, he advanced from the Void Core Realm to the Solid Core Realm! He did not dare to imagine this even in his daydreams.
Was it because of the Fate Stone?
Lao Wang immediately looked up at the Fate Stone, which was hovering in midair. The Fate Stone still radiated a gentle light as usual, and there was nothing strange about it.
Wang Zhong rejected this idea very quickly as he had seen the golden fragments that were scattered in his fragment world.
Those were the fragments of the dragon cauldron! He could even see the shattered dragon heads.
Lao Wang immediately thought of the strange scene he had seen before he fell into a coma, and some memories from his blurry state of mind appeared after some rumination. Back then, the dragon cauldron seemed to have emitted a brilliant light that absorbed the Netherworld River water. When he smelled the rich pill fragrance that continued to fill his fragment world, he recalled his dream from when he was in a coma and remembered that a golden pill had entered his stomach. Had the dragon cauldron formed some substance and saved him after absorbing the Netherworld River water? Then, did the dragon cauldron collapse and shatter because it had produced this substance?
He carefully took a stroll around the fragment world and collected all the shattered dragon cauldron fragments. Then, he pieced them together based on his memories and managed to form the rough shape of the original dragon cauldron. However, some fragments that were too small were temporarily too hard to find. Thus, the dragon cauldron that he had pieced together was full of cracks and had many holes of different sizes. However, from the rich pill fragrance that these dragon cauldron fragments had left behind, there was no doubt that this was the object that had saved his life.
The mysterious dragon cauldron… He never thought that it would save his life like this and even give him a great blessing.
Various guesses continued to surge in Lao Wang’s mind. However, it was a pity that he was already in a coma then and could only guess everything that had happened. He did not dare to say that he was absolutely correct.
It seemed like he needed to go to the Ocean Empire Planet to understand this situation… It was very obvious that the Fate Stone, the Golden Stone Slab, his encounter in the Illusion Sea World, and even the dragon cauldron from the Ocean Empire Planet were not coincidences. They seemed to revolve around him… More accurately, the Fate Stone had a major secret.
He carefully collected and stored the shattered dragon cauldron. Then, a delayed excitement gradually surged into Lao Wang’s heart.
The leap from the Void Core Realm to the Solid Core was a large one. With a regular and conventional speed of cultivation, advancing from the Void Core Realm to the Solid Core Realm required a large amount of accumulated spiritual power. This process was tedious and dreary, and was simply an accumulation of time. Based on his previous estimation, it would have taken at least ten years. However, he had now achieved these results overnight.
Lao Wang carefully experienced this change. The most direct display of an advance in his realm was the increase in strength of his physical power and spiritual power.
At that moment, with his Solid Core Realm, he could easily enter the microcosmic world and clearly see the further development of his divine cells. It was a form of internal development, as if the space within each divine cell had expanded. The energy networks that his cells could construct were 100 times more complex than before and were densely interlocked within each cell. Rich energy sources surged back and forth in these energy networks. The spiritual power that he could now store was more than ten times that of when he was in the Void Core Realm!
An ordinary Void Core would reach their limit when their Spiritual Energy Value hit one million. When they activated their true form, extremely powerful Void Cores could explode with power and reach a value of almost two million. However, Solid Cores had a Spiritual Energy Value of between two to five million.
Even though Lao Wang could reach a Spiritual Energy Value of four to five million when he used his dragon’s breath true form, this second-stage true form that countless Solid Core Masters in the Celestial Honors Class pursued simply could not be measured by normal standards.
By ordinary standards, when Lao Wang used his ice-fire dual wings true form in the past, he had only reached a peak of two million. However, at this moment, he had simply activated his spiritual power and casually used it, but it felt as if his Spiritual Energy Value was at the Solid Core peak of five million. He could be considered a peak Solid Core.
However, this was simply his ordinary physical state. He had not even used his ice and fire wings…
He comfortably stretched out his fingers and carefully experienced the feeling of powerful energy circulating within his body.
With his current state, if he encountered Gold Cores like Elder Hades, Lao Wang had enough confidence to face them head-on.
Pa!
He fiercely clenched his fist, and the excited expression on Wang Zhong’s face gradually calmed down and became as peaceful as water. His gaze was deep as he scrutinized the various unknown details of his breakthrough. Mu Zi’s safety and the blood feud of the Ninth Shade Faction were much clearer in his memory as compared to this. He immersed his thoughts and activated his spiritual power. Then, the fragment world rapidly retreated from Wang Zhong’s vision, and a dimensional pathway appeared in front of him.
The moment the pathway was opened, he could feel a wave of familiar hatred. However, the Netherworld River water did not surge in.
The Netherworld River had an independent will, and Wang Zhong already knew about this. At this moment, it felt as if the will of the Netherworld River was alert and pacing along the entrance of the pathway to his fragment world. It did not dare to rashly enter his fragment world.
Lao Wang was secretly amused and in a carefree mood. What was more satisfying than seeing the Netherworld River, which had almost killed him, in a terrified state?
He took a step forward and emerged at the bottom of the Netherworld River. Then, his fragment world was sealed. Without the threat of the fragment world, the Netherworld River water instantly surged forth.
Lao Wang was excited and allowed the Netherworld water to soak his body. There was a light sting, but this was completely different from the bone-piercing cold and the heart-piercing pain that he had experienced when he previously came into contact with it. In fact, the boundless hatred in the Netherworld River had become extremely weak at that moment. The pathetic screams that he had once heard now sounded as loud as a mosquito.
The power and hatred of the Netherworld River caused massive harm in a majority of creatures, and only Gold Core experts could completely resist this harm. But now, Lao Wang could do so as well.
He used the Netherworld River as a small test of his strength after advancing to the Solid Core Realm. Wang Zhong no longer hesitated and casually waved his hand. A wave of spiritual power naturally arose, splitting the water and disrupting the flow of the river. Then, he suddenly charged into the sky from the bottom of the river.
Lao Wang might be happy, but the outside world was in a tumult.
Was the heavenly favored Wang Zhong dead?
Not only did this news spread in the underground world, the Star Alliance and the Heavenly Gates also received this information very quickly.
There was no doubt that the death of a Celestial Honors Class member was a major event. Even though it was not rare, most of them had died in the Dimensional World. Such a brazen assassination was novel, even throughout the eras. What was most amusing was that this was known to all.