This is already the deepest part of the Punishment Forest, where it is entirely possible to encounter Soul Palace Realm fierce beasts, or even Condensing Spirit Realm ones. To say he had no misgivings at all would certainly be a lie.
"Someone is here."
Su Chen's figure instantly vanished from the spot.
A small valley was surrounded on all sides by dense, towering trees. If not for the unusual disturbance, locking onto this place would have been no easy task.
Right in the center of the valley stood hundreds of martial artists. Each of them exuded a powerful aura, and all of them were staring intently at the ancient altar before them.
He tossed away the remnant map in his hand. He had thought he was the only one who had found this place, but it now seemed he was not only a step behind, but had also stumbled upon a gathering of so many powerhouses.
The valley felt grim and eerie, resembling a purgatory on earth with skeletons scattered everywhere. Especially striking was the ancient altar at the very center, which exuded layer upon layer of black mist like the tolling of a funeral bell, while resentful, mournful roars slowly emerged from within the altar.
Surrounding the ancient altar were eight stone statues, each depicting a Buddha in various postures. They stepped upon lotus thrones with their hands pressed together in prayer as if chanting something, while faint yellow light surged from behind them, forming a spiderweb-like seal that enveloped the entire altar.
"This sound is utterly disgusting. If I listen to it a moment longer, my heart feels like it's going to shatter."
"It's said that these eight stone statues are the Eight Dragons Array deployed jointly by eight top-tier Buddha powerhouses to suppress the altar. As for what is sealed inside the altar, no one knows."
"Who on earth leaked the remnant map, drawing so many martial artists here?"
From within the ancient altar, piercing tolls of a funeral bell rang out continuously: one, two, three...
The tolling went on and on.
The hundreds of martial artists surrounding the area listened as the funeral bell echoed incessantly in their minds, their faces extremely grave. Even though they knew the Eight Dragons Array likely sealed some sort of evil treasure or power, none of them were willing to leave just yet.
To martial artists, whether power was righteous or evil did not matter at all; all that mattered was mastering formidable power.
Fists represented everything.
Half an hour later.
Everyone grew impatient and began launching fierce attacks against the eight surrounding stone statues. Yet, under the shroud of Buddhist light, their attacks were utterly insignificant.
The funeral bell sounding from within the ancient altar grew increasingly intense.
Rumble!
At that very moment, a churning current of air erupted from the ancient altar, violently battering the surrounding stone statues as cracks began to appear across the altar. The fissures spread like a spiderweb, covering the entire structure.
Before the shocked eyes of everyone present,
the ancient altar completely collapsed.
The ancient altar had suddenly collapsed, and torrents of terrifying black mist surged and roared endlessly from within.
Hum!
Chants of Buddha were expelled from the mouths of the eight Buddha stone statues, and the lotus thrones beneath their feet formed a massive spiderweb that covered the surroundings, entirely suppressing the black mist within.
Even so,
some black mist managed to pierce through the barrier of Buddhist aura, churning outward and directly corroding the bodies and minds of the martial artists.
"Ah!"
A miserable scream instantly resounded through the void.
"My soul!"
"What is happening? Fall back from here immediately!"
Some martial artists of lower cultivation realms could not withstand the corrosion of the black mist at all; their eyes turned bloodshot and frenzied as they directly charged and slaughtered the surrounding martial artists.
Pfft!
Some martial artists were even hacked to death from behind by their peers before they could react, their bodies cleaved in two as a spray of blood was instantly devoured clean by the black mist.
The altar, suppressed by the eight Buddha stone statues, churned with black mist, its terrifying killing intent roaring to the skies as it violently battered the barrier of Buddhist aura, striking dread into the hearts of all who saw it.
The piercing tolls of the funeral bell began to roar densely, crazily eroding the martial artists.
"Quickly get inside the altar!"
Only by facing death could one find a way to live.
Su Chen, too, had been corroded by the black mist. Escaping was clearly out of the question; their only option was to enter the altar and use the Buddhist aura to suppress the black mist.
With a single step forward, Su Chen's figure vanished instantly from the spot.
The martial artists rushed desperately toward the altar, no longer caring about the terrifying black mist within. Entering the altar might grant them a chance at fortune, but lingering outside meant certain death.
They had to take the gamble.
When the last person flooded into the altar, only a little over half of the martial artists remained. Severed limbs were scattered everywhere, and a pungent smell of blood enveloped the entire valley.
Inside the underground space of the altar.
The dim, murky underground space echoed endlessly with the piercing tolls of the funeral bell. The black mist filling the surroundings was as tangible as reality, resembling pairs of vicious eyes staring fixedly at their destined prey.
"Ah! It hurts so much!"
"Who are you? Just who on earth are you?"
As the martial artists entered the underground space of the altar, they were instantly enveloped by the black mist, muttering incoherently and acting like madmen. Their eyes gradually turned scarlet, and their bodies began to flush a deep crimson.
"I'll kill you!"
They began to slaughter one another, their scarlet eyes radiating a terrifying, bone-chilling glare as they lashed out with their hands without the slightest pity or mercy.
Only slaughter remained.
Striking out frantically, every martial artist was filled with a chilling intent to kill. Even if half of their brain had been hacked away, they felt no pain at all.
Turtling backward, Su Chen's eyes turned instantly grave.
Even though he knew there was something wrong with this place, he had forged ahead without looking back simply to see what kind of entity those eight Buddha stone statues were suppressing.
The piercing funeral bell echoed in his mind. Even with all his preparation, Su Chen could not entirely withstand the erosion of the black mist.
His expression changed abruptly. He knew very well what the consequences would be if he were consumed by the black mist.
He refused to become a killing machine.
Three Blood Wheels simultaneously condensed and floated into the air above his head: the Devouring Blood Wheel, the Slaughter Sword Blood Wheel, and the Dragon-Elephant Blood Wheel.
He began frantically circulating the Chaotic Devouring Art within his body, causing a hundred-foot golden body of the Chaotic Physique to manifest behind him. The frantically encroaching black mist around him actually began to emit faint, trembling sounds.
Su Chen could see that the underground space of the altar was now completely swallowed by the black mist. Anyone corroded by it would inevitably be reduced to a killing machine.
At that very moment,
four martial artists charged fiercely toward Su Chen like wild beasts, their scarlet eyes radiating a terrifying, bone-chilling killing intent.
Using his fingers as a sword, he unleashed the Nine Calamities Sword, augmented by the overlapping might of his three Blood Wheels. Without the slightest suspense, before the four martial artists could even close the distance, they were slaughtered.
The martial artists corroded by the black mist fought no better than common brawlers, utterly incapable of even executing martial techniques.
Hum!
Accompanied by rolling Buddhist chants echoing through the underground space, one towering Buddha phantom after another condensed. With their hands pressed together in prayer, they chanted scriptures continuously as a massive Buddhist aura coalesced into numerous swastika symbols. Flashing with golden light, these symbols came crashing down to suppress everything around them.
Under the suppression of the churning Buddhist aura, swastika symbols slammed directly into the glabella of every person who had been transformed into a killing machine by the black mist.
No screams, no resistance—their bodies simply fell stiffly to the ground, instantly turning into corpses.
"A bow and arrow?"
The moment the eight Buddha phantoms manifested, a long bow and nine arrows appeared out of thin air, radiating a terrifying aura that directly suppressed the Buddhist aura and caused the condensing swastika symbols to collapse rapidly.
This bow and arrow was undoubtedly a supreme treasure. Su Chen was no fool; the moment he saw them, he guessed that this bow and these arrows were extraordinary. The fact that they could be suppressed by eight such terrifyingly powerful Buddhas spoke volumes in itself.
The next second,
the eight Buddha phantoms began jointly suppressing the long bow. Vast Buddhist aura rapidly converged to form a hundred-foot swastika, which smashed down viciously toward the long bow.
The black long bow slowly drew back. An arrow was nocked upon it, and with a sharp whistle, an overwhelmingly tyrannical black arrow collided violently with the hundred-foot swastika. The swastika was shattered by the black arrow, which then struck one of the Buddha phantoms directly.
He was utterly shocked.
If he could obtain such a supreme treasure, the benefits would be immeasurable without a single drawback.
However,
thinking about it was one thing, while actually obtaining it was quite another.
Su Chen was well aware of how tyrannical the bow and arrow were. Relying on his current strength to suppress the bow and arrow and claim them as his own was practically impossible.
"We beseech the benefactor to assist us in suppressing the God-Slaying Bone-Piercing Bow."
"Buddhist affinity has reached its end, and the Heavenly Dao undergoes reincarnation. As long as the benefactor is willing to help us suppress the God-Slaying Bone-Piercing Bow, the eight of us are willing to help you purify its demonic energy so that it becomes your personal treasure."
"Benefactor, please make your move."
An urgent voice echoed in his mind. Without asking, he knew it must be a telepathic transmission from the eight Buddhas.
He felt quite depressed. He was merely in the Foundation Establishment Realm; even if he wanted to help the eight Buddhas suppress the God-Slaying Bone-Piercing Bow, he lacked the capability. Did they expect him to throw away his life? That was certainly out of the question.
He was no disciple of the Buddhist sect; the whole "if I don't enter hell, who will?" philosophy simply did not fly with him.
"The benefactor only needs to allow us poor monks to borrow your divine body."
Borrow his Chaotic Physique?
Su Chen knew very well that if he used his Chaotic Physique as a medium to help the eight Buddhas suppress the God-Slaying Bone-Piercing Bow, whether he lived or died thereafter would be completely beyond his control.
Should he choose to give up this fortuitous encounter? He was unwilling.
Looking at the overwhelmingly tyrannical God-Slaying Bone-Piercing Bow, which even the eight Buddhas could not suppress, Su Chen ultimately chose to agree to help them.
The hundred-foot golden body of the Chaotic Physique rapidly condensed behind him once more.
Chaotic aura enveloped the underground space.
The eight Buddha phantoms chanted scriptures anew as torrents of vast Buddhist aura poured into the golden body of the Chaos, re-condensing into a hundred-foot swastika that smashed down toward the God-Slaying Bone-Piercing Bow.
Pfft!
A mouthful of blood spewed from his lips, and Su Chen's complexion instantly turned pale. His cultivation alone was simply insufficient to suppress the God-Slaying Bone-Piercing Bow. He had only chosen to take this gamble out of a desire to subdue it and claim this top-tier supreme treasure.
He certainly wouldn't have dared to act alone, as he could clearly see just how tyrannical and formidable the God-Slaying Bone-Piercing Bow truly was.
He rapidly circulated the Chaotic Devouring Art within his body, unleashing wave after wave of devouring force that continuously consumed the surrounding black mist, integrating it into the golden body of the Chaos to temporarily suppress the turmoil in his heart.
The eight Buddha phantoms wore solemn expressions, their vast and boundless Buddhist aura resembling countless rumbling thunders that pierced through layers of the void to continuously pour into the golden body of the Chaos, violently suppressing the God-Slaying Bone-Piercing Bow.
Rumble!
The hundred-foot swastika spun rapidly, emitting wave after wave of vast Buddhist aura infused with chaotic aura, as if capable of suppressing boundless hell.
The God-Slaying Bone-Piercing Bow and the hundred-foot swastika collided fiercely, sending tidal waves of force rippling wildly outward, carrying a terrifying might that made one's hair stand on end.
Treading upon illusory lotus thrones with their hands pressed together in prayer, the eight Buddhas each unleashed top-tier Buddhist divine abilities, forming a spiderweb of Buddhist aura that sealed off all directions to prevent the God-Slaying Bone-Piercing Bow from escaping.
"If I don't enter hell, who will?"
"My Buddha suppresses demons; there are no demons left in the world."
"The Eight Dragons, suppress the evils of the world."
The eight Buddhas wore stern expressions. Viewed from afar, they looked like holy monks descended to deliver all living beings and purify every evil force in the world.
An even more terrifying hundred-foot swastika coalesced on the spot, crashing down ruthlessly upon the God-Slaying Bone-Piercing Bow.
This time,
rather than being suppressed within the underground space, it was forced directly into the golden body of the Chaos.
At least the eight Buddhas hadn't tricked him: as long as his golden body of the Chaos could suppress the God-Slaying Bone-Piercing Bow, he would be able to freely wield this supreme treasure in the future.
Accompanied by endless roars of rage and unwillingness, the God-Slaying Bone-Piercing Bow was forcefully suppressed inside the golden body of the Chaos.
Shortly after,
the golden body of the Chaos vanished from sight.
"Many thanks, benefactor, for lending a helping hand so that the eight of us could successfully suppress the God-Slaying Bone-Piercing Bow."
"From this moment onward, the eight of us shall likewise take up residence within your golden body to jointly assist you in suppressing the God-Slaying Bone-Piercing Bow. Please remember, benefactor: unless absolutely necessary, do not invoke this bow. Once you are eroded by it, even we will be unable to save you."
"We shall now begin imparting to you eight top-tier divine martial arts. We hope you will practice diligently to aid in suppressing the God-Slaying Bone-Piercing Bow together."
The eight Buddhas were not entirely unreasonable.
Regardless of whether they did it to help him or to thoroughly suppress the God-Slaying Bone-Piercing Bow,
teaching him eight top-tier divine martial arts was an immensely advantageous matter for him.
"Many thanks, eight great masters."
The eight Buddhas each revealed their religious titles, and one divine martial art after another poured endlessly into his mind.
Then, the eight Buddha phantoms vanished from the spot, successfully entering the golden body of the Chaos to begin helping Su Chen suppress the God-Slaying Bone-Piercing Bow and its nine arrows. Until that very moment, the eight Buddhas still had no idea that the golden body Su Chen had condensed was actually the legendary Chaotic Physique.
Looking across the entire continent, probably no one else would be able to recognize it.
Looking at the corpses littering the ground, Su Chen felt no particular pity. To die for the sake of fortune was something everyone there had anticipated.
Fortune and peril always went hand in hand.
Had he not possessed the golden body of the Chaos, he might not have survived either.
The eight Buddhas had also sought to utilize his golden body of the Chaos to thoroughly suppress the God-Slaying Bone-Piercing Bow; otherwise, they might not have stepped in to help him.
Just as Su Chen was preparing to leave,
he suddenly noticed an ancient altar situated right at the center. It was almost identical to the ancient altar outside. It seemed this altar was the true location where the God-Slaying Bone-Piercing Bow had been suppressed.
The fact that eight Buddhas had used the Eight Dragons Array to jointly and forcibly suppress it within this ancient altar spoke volumes about how formidable this supreme treasure truly was.
He walked over to the altar.
"Oh?"
Lying inside the altar was a purple fox, roughly the size of a palm, with an extremely faint aura. Its purple fur looked exceptionally pretty.
For a fierce beast to appear inside an ancient altar filled Su Chen with boundless curiosity. He gently picked up the purple fox from the altar. It was as fluffy as a little piglet, and its fur felt exceptionally pleasant to the touch.
"You and I share some affinity, so I will spare your life."
Placing the purple fox into his tunic, Su Chen did not linger any longer. Word of what happened here would never leak out, because everyone who knew was already dead.
Little did Su Chen know,
the moment he tucked the purple fox into his tunic, its eyes slowly fluttered open. A trace of cold malice flashed within them, but due to some special reason, it was unable to channel any internal strength whatsoever and could only close its eyes once more.
Leaving the underground space, as the God-Slaying Bone-Piercing Bow was thoroughly suppressed within his chaotic body, the valley was entirely free of black mist, and the eight stone statues had completely crumbled to dust.
Before leaving, Su Chen utterly destroyed the ancient altar.
~~~~~~~~
Under the blazing sun,
Su Chen did not waste a single moment. Aside from practicing the Chaotic Devouring Art, he was also cultivating the Nine Calamities Sword Art, the eight Buddhist divine secret arts, and the Nine Dragons Nine Elephants Technique. As for the martial arts he had practiced within his family clan, their tiers were simply too low.
He knew very well that the eight Buddhist divine secret arts imparted to him by the eight Buddhas were undoubtedly top-tier martial arts; how could he possibly let them go to waste?
As for his foundation, it was the Chaotic Devouring Art, which consisted of nine stages. At present, he had barely grazed the surface of the first stage and had yet to reach its peak.
Right at that moment,
Su Chen felt a powerful pull emanate from within the Chaotic Devouring Pagoda, and he immediately knew the pagoda spirit was summoning him. Offer no resistance, his entire body vanished instantly into the Chaotic Devouring Pagoda.
In his current state, he could not enter the Chaotic Devouring Pagoda of his own volition; only when the pagoda spirit summoned him could he be guided inside.
If one day he could freely enter and exit the Chaotic Devouring Pagoda at will, then the world within the tower would become his greatest trump card. Should he encounter a powerhouse he could not contend with, he could simply retreat into the world within the tower, where no one could harm him.
Inside the world within the tower.
The illusory figure was none other than the pagoda spirit. To this day, Su Chen still had no idea whether the pagoda spirit of the Chaotic Devouring Pagoda was male or female.
"Pagoda spirit, do you have business with me?"
The pagoda spirit nodded and smiled, saying, "Congratulations, Master, on acquiring the God-Slaying Bone-Piercing Bow and its nine arrows. Given that Master has already completely fused with three Blood Wheels, the pagoda spirit, in accordance with the rules of the tower's world, grants Master an exceptional reward: Three Thousand Dao of Alchemy."
"Alchemy?"
"That's right. The Three Thousand Dao of Alchemy embodies the great Dao of alchemy. As long as Master can thoroughly comprehend them, you will attain mastery over the Dao of alchemy and be able to refine the world's supreme medicinal pills."
"Here is the Universe Furnace, given to Master as an additional reward."
A small furnace appeared in his hand. Su Chen was certainly no stranger to alchemists. In the Eastern Wasteland, there were several categories of people whose status far surpassed that of ordinary martial artists.
First were formation masters, second were alchemists, third were weapon refiners, and fourth were talisman masters. However, wanting to become one of these four kinds of people required a talent that far exceeded that of ordinary martial artists—it was not something just anyone could achieve.
Alchemists, in particular, required a freakish level of talent. Su Chen did not yet know whether he possessed any talent for alchemy, but since the pagoda spirit had rewarded him with the Three Thousand Dao of Alchemy, he intended to seize the opportunity and master it well.
"Master, refining pills requires exotic flames. There are tens of thousands of different exotic flames in the world, which Master must seek out yourself. As for ordinary flames, Master only needs to grasp the surface of the Three Thousand Dao of Alchemy to condense flames and begin refining pills."
"Understood."
Leaving the world within the tower, Su Chen found that the cultivation method for the Three Thousand Dao of Alchemy had already appeared in his mind. Suppressing the excitement in his heart, he began to comprehend it.
The first thing he needed to do was cultivate the Three Thousand Dao of Alchemy and condense flames; otherwise, alchemy would remain nothing more than empty talk.
Dusk descended.
Su Chen felt genuinely fatigued. He stood up, stretched his limbs vigorously, and casually caught a wild beast to roast and eat.
As he ate the roasted meat, he gazed at the purple fox resting in his palm. The more he looked at it, the more he fondled it, and he decided to adopt this purple fox.
However,
the purple fox's aura was far too weak. At this rate, heaven knows how long it could survive; it might very well kick the bucket by tomorrow morning.
"Seeing that your fur is entirely purple, I'll give you a name from now on."