148: Chapter 148 The Secret of Heaven and Earth

Gu Changge shook his head and continued forward, like a lost tourist, observing the “scenery” here. Unknowingly, he had already arrived at the deepest part of a black palace.

He saw a huge black crystal coffin standing silently in the center of the hall, emanating a heart-palpitating pressure.

Inside the coffin, a figure was quietly sleeping, surrounded by dense Silent Extinction Death Qi, as if he had merged with this world and had been slumbering for countless ages.

Gu Changge stopped in front of the coffin, tilting his head slightly, seemingly in thought.

“Wouldn’t it be impolite to wake him directly…” he muttered softly, a rare hint of hesitation in his tone.

Just as he was pondering—

Inside the coffin, the eyelids of the sleeping figure suddenly trembled.

Immediately after, a pair of eyes, seemingly containing endless stars yet also bearing the intent of Silent Extinction from countless ages, slowly opened.

The Lord of Annihilation’s consciousness awoke from his long slumber, and the first thing he saw was the white-robed figure standing in front of his coffin, looking down at him.

Their eyes met.

Lord of Annihilation: “???”

For the first time, clear bewilderment and shock appeared in his ancient, unchanging eyes.

‘An illusion? Have I been sleeping too long, and my mind is in a daze?’

He subconsciously closed his eyes, concentrated his mind, dispelled distracting thoughts, and then slowly opened them again—

The white-robed figure was still there! Not only was he still there, but he even nodded slightly at him, revealing a friendly (yet incredibly terrifying in the Lord of Annihilation’s eyes) smile!

Lord of Annihilation: “!!!”

It wasn’t an illusion! A living being actually entered?!

At this moment, this ancient existence, who once suppressed an era and looked down upon the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, felt a monstrous wave surge within his heart!

‘How is this possible?! This place has my “Myriad Silent Origin Great Array” set up, isolating heaven and earth, obscuring heavenly secrets. Even a Peak Quasi-Emperor would find it hard to detect, let alone step in!

How did he get in?! Why didn't the Great Array react at all?! Why didn't he disturb my slumber?!’

He was horrified, but outwardly, the majesty cultivated over countless ages forced him to suppress his agitated mind.

“Intruding into my slumbering ground, do you… know your crime?”

A cold, hoarse voice, as if from eons ago, resounded, carrying awe that made the Soul tremble and boundless Death Qi.

At the same time, an invisible, terrifying pressure, capable of instantly crushing a Saint Lord's spine, like a mountain weighing billions of jin, slammed towards Gu Changge!

This was the majesty of a former Great Emperor; even after slumbering for countless ages, it was not to be defiled!

However—

Facing this terrifying pressure that could change the very color of heaven and earth, not even a corner of Gu Changge’s clothes fluttered.

He seemed to feel no pressure at all, merely sighing helplessly.

“Indeed, disturbing someone’s sleep tends to make them angry.”

He raised his right hand, extended his index finger, and gently tapped the invisible, terrifying pressure in front of him, which was capable of crushing stars.

There was no earth-shattering collision, no light of Laws intertwining.

That vast and boundless Emperor’s might, capable of making a Quasi-Emperor prostrate, instantly vanished without a sound, like a popped bubble, the moment it touched Gu Changge’s fingertip.

As if it had never existed.

Lord of Annihilation: “!!!”

Inside the coffin, the ancient figure suddenly sat up! His star-like eyes were filled with unbelievable horror!

His fully unleashed Emperor’s might was actually… shattered by a mere tap from the other party?

This wasn’t a confrontation, nor an offset, but a complete… obliteration!

A fear stemming from the depths of his Soul instantly gripped this Emperor from eons ago!

“You… who exactly are you?!”

His voice, for the first time, carried an undisguised tremor and shock. Back then, he was also a Great Emperor who suppressed an era and looked down upon the world, though he had self-crippled himself to prolong his existence and retreated into a restricted zone.

But in an era where Great Emperors did not emerge, a restricted zone was an invincible existence! How could he have imagined a day when he would be so easily crushed by someone?!

Gu Changge looked at his shocked and flustered appearance, smiled helplessly again, his tone still calm:

“A passerby, who wants to ask you something.”

His voice was calm, but to the Lord of Annihilation’s ears, it was like a thunderclap from the Nine Heavens!

He stared intently at Gu Changge, as if trying to see through him. This seemingly ordinary existence, his terrifying degree had already exceeded his comprehension.

In the face of such an absolute disparity in strength, any concealment or resistance seemed meaningless.

After a long while, the Lord of Annihilation took a deep breath, with great difficulty suppressing the tumultuous waves in his heart, and spoke in a dry voice:

“What… do you want to ask?”

Gu Changge ignored the other party’s emotional fluctuations and asked directly: “In ancient times, though the Emperor’s Path was arduous, there were always those who could reach the Peak and grasp the Mandate of Heaven.”

“However, in the past tens of thousands of years, no new Emperor has been born in this world. Even those with astonishing talent who touched the threshold of the Emperor Realm ultimately failed, either dying, or stopping before the Emperor’s Gate, unable to advance an inch.”

Gu Changge’s gaze seemed to pierce through countless ages, landing on the trembling Soul of the Lord of Annihilation: “You have slumbered here for countless ages, stealing the residual rhythm of heaven and earth, delaying the decline of the Dao.

Do you know what exactly happened in this world, and why the Origin is being lost?”

His question went straight to the core, concerning the greatest secret of this world!

Upon hearing this, the Lord of Annihilation felt an even greater surge of monstrous waves amidst his immense shock and fear!

‘He… he actually asked about this?! Who exactly is he?! Why would he care about the severance of the Emperor’s Path?! Could he…’

Countless thoughts flashed wildly through the Lord of Annihilation’s consciousness. He forcibly suppressed the trembling of his Divine Soul, his voice carrying an unprecedented solemnity and a subtle hint of fear, echoing through the palace:

“You… Your Excellency, who exactly are you? Why do you inquire about such a forbidden secret?!”

Gu Changge’s expression remained unchanged; he merely looked quietly in the direction of the palace, not speaking, but that calm gaze brought an unimaginable immense pressure to the Lord of Annihilation, as if if he didn't answer, he and the entire palace would be completely obliterated in the next moment!

The Lord of Annihilation felt that silent, yet more terrifying threat than the collapse of heaven and earth, and his Divine Soul turned cold. He no longer dared to hesitate or conceal anything, and hurriedly spoke:

“The severance of the Emperor’s Path… this matter… this matter is indeed not natural!” His voice carried an unsuppressable dread and a trembling reminiscent of the past, “In the late ancient era, an… indescribable change occurred!”

“It wasn’t a great war, nor a catastrophe, but a kind of… a kind of ‘extraction’! A kind of ‘stripping’!”

The Lord of Annihilation’s voice became strained, “It was as if an invisible giant mouth, from an unknowable place, continuously… swallowed and drew away the Origin of this world! Not Spiritual Qi, but a deeper… Dao Foundation! It was the ‘Mandate of Heaven’ and ‘Fortune’ that supported the birth of Emperors!”

“It was after that, although heaven and earth outwardly seemed the same, internally they had already… already become riddled with holes, like a hollowed-out tree!

No matter how astonishingly talented later generations were, they were like rootless trees, unable to bear the weight of the Emperor’s position! Forcing it would not only fail but also accelerate their own Dao collapse, and even… attract misfortune!”

Wishing everyone a happy double holiday and a joyful eight-day break!!!