Eternal Heavenly Emperor

The dried corpse, dead for who knows how many years, actually opened its eyes!

This was truly horrifying, everyone couldn't help but lean back involuntarily, showing expressions of shock.

"Erh—" The Taoist opened his mouth, letting out coughing sounds, and one hand actually reached out, grabbing towards the person closest to him.

Smack!

The Skeleton Ferryman smacked with a bamboo pole, pushing the Taoist's hand away, causing that person to tumble several times in the water.

Only then did everyone realize that although the Taoist's face was as delicate as jade, as if deep in sleep, the hand that extended out of the water was nothing but a skeleton, bone-chillingly terrifying.

And although the Taoist had opened his eyes, they contained no eyeballs, just ghostly white, seeming like a ghost.

"Er, erh!" The Taoist let out a piercing scream, the sound as if it could penetrate ears, making everyone uncontrollably cover their own. It was truly like a Demonic Sound, and even War Emperors were no exception, pressing their hands to their ears.

Blood streamed from the seven orifices of each person, their heads feeling as if they were boiling, wishing for immediate death.

Smack!

The Skeleton Ferryman struck with the pole again, plip plop, the Taoist was immediately pressed below the water's surface, exhaling a string of bubbles. The ferryman pushed off with the bamboo pole, and the boat moved forward once more. By the time the Taoist reemerged, he was already far away from them.

With the living's presence gone, the Taoist returned to his prior calm, no longer making a sound, like a floating corpse.

Everyone then breathed a sigh of relief, but all had a mind full of questions: was the Taoist alive or dead? If alive, how could he possibly lie within the Nether River? If dead, how did he just come back to life?

However, with the danger past, they all started wiping the fresh blood off their faces, without needing to look at their own conditions, simply by looking at the bloody scars on others' faces, they could imagine how dreadful they looked.

In this place, War Emperor's cultivation was utterly worthless, unable to resist even a scream, reduced to covering their ears in pain. This left several War Emperors from the Murong Family and the Alien Race with ugly expressions.

The so-called powerhouses were virtually worthless here!

Everyone cleaned the dirty blood from their faces, glancing back with lingering fear. Had it not been for the Skeleton Ferryman, they could all have been doomed.

Who could have expected that this horrifying figure would actually protect them.

The lone boat continued forward, but everyone dared not make the slightest sound, fearing to awaken another existence like the Taoist.

"Fat Cat, what just happened?" Chu Hao communicated to Fat Cat through Divine Sense.

"Even I don't know, I just felt my hair stand on end, almost peed myself! Eh, seems like I did pee a little." Fat Cat said from atop Chu Hao's shoulders.

Chu Hao's face twitched uncontrollably, this Fat Cat really was shameless, still in the mood for jokes at a time like this.

"Ahead, ahead!" someone pointed to the front, as another corpse floated by.

This was a female corpse, who must have been incomparably beautiful in life, so alluring that it made people want to plunge into the Nether River and sleep with her forever.

She looked as if in peaceful slumber, her cheeks like white jade and still bearing a hint of blush, her skin smooth as if it could break upon a blow, her delicate features flawless. Yet, there was not a trace of life in her.

"What a pity, such a beauty eternally resting here!" someone lamented, almost forgetting the terror of this place, and reached out wanting to touch the woman's face.

"Stop!" A War Emperor from the Murong Family shouted, but it was a moment too late, as that person's hand had already touched the woman's face.

Whoosh!

The woman suddenly opened her eyes, also only white without pupils, a terrible aura circulating. She suddenly reached out, her hand should have been delicate and fair, but now it was only a few white bones that gripped the man's neck in an instant.

With a splash, the man was immediately dragged into the water, his face showing a look of terror, but his zest for life disappeared in a flash.

Just like that, a living person died.

The female corpse reached out towards the edge of the boat, and this time, the Skeleton Ferryman finally acted, slapping her with the bamboo pole, knocking her back into the Nether River.

The lone boat continued on, the mist growing thicker, until reaching a point where they could not see their own hands before their eyes. Although the majority had entered the Upper Three Realms, possessing keen eyesight, it was of no use here; even their Divine Sense was unable to extend outward, as if some force held it within their bodies.

But perhaps it was better to not see, lest they be frightened by more corpses floating in the river, which could lead to greater disasters.

Mist enveloped them, and everyone was like blind people navigating the unknown. Su Wanyue and Gu Qingcheng both couldn't help but grab one of Chu Hao's hands, while Yun Cai yawned boredly, as she was naturally thick-skinned.

Time was difficult to gauge, but suddenly the mist cleared, and a vast expanse of water appeared ahead, with the riverbank in sight.

Yet before everyone could rejoice, an indescribable chill rose from the bottom of their hearts, accompanied by a nauseating feeling that made them want to vomit.

Because, within this stretch of water, there were densely packed floating corpses!

It was astonishing. Each of the floating corpses seemed to have just died, quietly resting on the water's surface. Upon closer inspection, some wore Treasure Armor that gleamed with divine light, clearly of no ordinary quality.

"My goodness, these materials are at least at the level of Star Master!" Fat Cat communicated telepathically.

Chu Hao gasped in shock, which meant that at least Star Masters had died here, and not even War Gods qualified to lay among them.

Star Masters, oh Star Masters. Smaller planets could only produce one, and sometimes not even a single one. But here, they were as common as cabbages on the streets, dense like cow's hair.

How could so many powerful beings have died, and died in such a mysterious manner?

Everyone grew increasingly fearful; the mystery of this place far exceeded their imaginations. With their abilities, entering this place was like trying to fit into a crevice—it made no difference.

The Skeleton Ferryman, however, remained unchanged. He manned the bamboo pole, propelling the lonely boat forward, parting waves. The floating corpses were disturbed and "came to life," their eyes opening with ghastly sclera and reaching out with skeletal hands to cling to the boat.

Pat pat pat pat, the Skeleton Ferryman continuously swung the bamboo pole, knocking their hands away.

Everyone dared not make the slightest sound, the scene sending chills down their spines.

Fortunately, the riverbank was now in sight. The lonely boat's progress was not swift, but it was steadily approaching. After another fifteen minutes, the boat finally reached the shore, making a gentle collision sound.

Some people disembarked, while others remained on the boat.

Those who got off were, of course, planning to continue forward to explore this mysterious place, while those who stayed were frightened and chose to return to the other side with the ferry, leaving this place immediately.

Chu Hao and his companions obviously belonged to the group moving forward. They looked around; it was a plain, and ahead was a mountain, not very tall, but it was so dark that nothing could be seen clearly.

The Alien Race still had two War Emperors. They eyed Chu Hao's group and the few from the Murong Family with a malicious glint, but ultimately did not attack, leading the younger members of the Alien Race quickly forward.

They likely knew the secrets of the Nether Palace; thus, not a single one turned deserter. Those who remained on the ferry were the Juniors of the Murong Family.

Once the Alien Race left, the Murong Family's War Emperor's eyes flashed fiercely, fixing their gaze on Chu Hao and the others.

"Old man, you're surely not thinking of making a move, are you?" Chu Hao laughed, "I'd advise you not to seek your own death!"

"Haha, a mere War Venerate Junior, why be so bold?" The Murong Family's War Emperor sneered coldly. This child had killed Murong Yun, and if he let him leave alive, he would surely be executed by the Murong Family's ancestors when he returned.

"Since you're stubbornly clueless, then come over here and meet your death!" Chu Hao summoned the Western Wind.

"Senior Murong, please reconsider!" Gu Fei stepped forward, trying to mediate between the two sides. After all, the Murong Family was a major clan, and the family's ancestors were on the verge of reaching the status of War God. He did not wish his brother-in-law to make too many enemies.

The Murong Family's War Emperor was practically exploding with rage, another War Venerate Junior daring to rebuke him. What was happening to the world, had the martial arts rankings collapsed? Were War Venerates now trying to turn the world upside down?

"The Junior Gu Fei, from the Gu Family of Wood State!" Gu Fei declared his origins.

"The Gu Family!" The Murong Family's War Emperor was slightly startled; he, of course, knew what a force the Gu Family of Wood State was. It was said that during the Ancient Times, they had produced many War Emperors and had deep foundations; even a War God would not want to provoke them.

"Fine, out of respect for the Gu Family, this old man can step back," the Murong Family's War Emperor nodded, "As long as this youngster follows me back to the Murong Family, I can assure that he will receive a fair trial!"

"Old man, I had no idea you could be so beautiful!" Chu Hao scoffed.

"Eh, where is this old fellow beautiful with a face full of wrinkles?" Yun Cai, who always took things literally, quickly asked.

"Wishing for something beautiful!" Chu Hao laughed.

"Hahaha!" Yun Cai immediately burst into laughter.

"Impudent!" The Murong Family's War Emperor could no longer contain himself, and immediately made his move. He slapped out his palm, and a whistling gale arose as a dozen giant swords flew toward them, each gleaming with Spirit Talismans, their might formidable.

Chu Hao also lost his patience and directly revitalized the Western Wind. At once, the archaic Runes on the sword lit up, and a dreadful aura circulated as if a martial arts emperor had awoken from slumber.

This was a Divine Artifact, crafted by a War God. Even though Chu Hao could not unleash its full power in his hands, it surely surpassed any ordinary Imperial Artifact.

The Murong Family's War Emperor's complexion drastically changed; the force intimidated him instinctively, pressing upon him with a sensation of impending death.

Whoosh, the Western Wind swept by, a cold light soaring to the skies. The Murong Family's War Emperor was instantly cut into two, and with a snap, fragmented into countless pieces, dissipating into the cosmos.

"Eh, a Dharma Body?" Chu Hao frowned, no wonder his strength had been so feeble—it was just a Dharma Body that had appeared. After a brief pause, he turned his gaze towards the other members of the Murong Family.

"Please, don't kill us!" They were all so scared that their faces turned pale.

"I won't kill you, but what will you give me in exchange for your lives?" Chu Hao said with a smiling voice. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes, monthly votes; your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)