249: Chapter 249 Reincarnation Manifests Its Power and Spatial Exile

Underground Yin River, core of the Myriad Corpse Grand Formation.

Time seemed to become viscous at this moment. Above, that sky-covering gray hand, carrying the destructive Law of the Daluo Realm, should have instantly crushed Zhou Wannian into meat paste. Yet, the moment that eerie mask was put on, a trace of delay that shouldn't have existed appeared.

"Buzz—"

A dark red ripple, centered on Zhou Wannian, erupted violently in a ring.

This was no ordinary energy shock, but a supreme Law that stood above the Five Elements and even faintly suppressed Time—Reincarnation.

Wherever that dark red ripple swept, the originally surging and roaring black river water instantly dried up, turning into flying ash filling the sky. Those corpse-evil limbs that hadn't yet dispersed actually underwent the entire process of rotting, weathering, and returning to dust in the blink of an eye.

Even Yin Hua's giant hand, condensed entirely from the Gray Realm Origin, saw its surface gray runes begin to rapidly dim and peel off the moment it touched this ripple, as if it had experienced the scouring of billions of years in an instant.

"This is... the Law of Reincarnation?!"

From above came Yin Hua's roar, filled with shock and fury.

How keen was a Daluo Realm powerhouse's perception of Laws? He instantly sensed that the essence of this power did not come from Zhou Wannian himself, but from that mask! That mask sealed a terrifying Law projection; its level was so high that it actually caused a crack to appear in his "Nine Nether Domain."

"A high-level member of the Reincarnation Palace?! Who exactly are you?!"

Yin Hua's shock was no small matter. The Reincarnation Palace was mysterious and unfathomable in the True Immortal Realm; it was said that its Palace Master possessed power enough to rival the Time Dao Ancestor of the Heavenly Court. If this person truly was a core figure of the Reincarnation Palace, then today's matter would be complicated.

"Who I am, you are not qualified to know."

Zhou Wannian's (alias Li Feiyu) voice came through the mask, becoming aged and grand, as if countless voices were overlapping and echoing.

This wasn't him playing god; while the mask overextended his Divine Sense, it also briefly lent him a trace of the "Reincarnation Palace Master's" pressure.

"Break!"

Zhou Wannian joined his fingers like a sword. On that extended finger, dark red Reincarnation light and golden Time light intertwined, stabbing fiercely into the palm of the giant gray hand.

"Boom—!!!"

A dull, heavy explosion rang out.

That giant hand, capable of crushing a Taiyi Jade Immortal, was actually pierced through by this finger, leaving a hole a chang wide!

Although such damage was negligible for a Daluo Realm Dharma Idol, this moment of stiffness was the distance between life and death.

"Go!"

Zhou Wannian had no intention of lingering. He knew very well that this was a life-saving trump card given by Fox Three (who was actually the Reincarnation Palace Master), and it could only be used once. Once Yin Hua reacted and the mask's power was exhausted, he would surely die.

"Squeak!"

Golden Boy, already poised in his sleeve, sensed the gap in the hand's blockade. He turned into a golden stream of light and slammed fiercely toward the spatial vortex beneath the Yin River.

"Crack!"

The spatial node originally blocked by Yin Hua shattered into an irregular black hole under the dual attack of Golden Boy's all-devouring teeth and the heaven measuring ruler's spatial Divine Ability.

"Want to run?! In your dreams!"

Yin Hua roared. The pierced giant hand healed instantly and doubled in size, ignoring spatial distance to grab fiercely at the black hole.

"Nine Nether · Annihilation!"

This grab was no longer a simple physical attack, but directly detonated the Evil Qi Origin within a hundred-mile radius.

"Not good!"

Zhou Wannian, who had just stepped half a foot into the black hole, felt a chill from behind capable of freezing his Soul.

Even with the Reincarnation mask protecting him, he felt his protective immortal light shattering inch by inch, and his spine emitted overburdened explosive cracks.

"Can't block it!"

In a flash, Zhou Wannian made a decision.

He spun around violently, sacrificing the xuantian spirit slaying sword and the heaven measuring ruler simultaneously.

"Explode!"

He didn't self-detonate the Immortal Artifacts (that would be too wasteful); instead, he detonated the pile of storage treasures he had just snatched from Shi Zhanfeng, as well as... the excessive Evil Qi accumulated in his body!

"Rumble—"

The self-detonation of several Taiyi-grade Magic Treasures, combined with the reverse discharge of energy from the Xisha Pool, created a small-scale Law storm within the narrow underground space.

Using this terrifying counter-thrust, Zhou Wannian stuffed Golden Boy into his bosom and, like a meteor, plunged headfirst into the collapsing spatial black hole.

"Li Feiyu!!!"

Yin Hua's giant hand grabbed empty air, catching only the aftermath of the explosions filling the sky.

He watched helplessly as the black hole completely collapsed and vanished in the storm.

"No matter where you flee... this seat will pull out your Soul and refine your spirit!!"

...Endless Void Realm, Spatial Storm.

There was no light here, no sound, only endless tearing and squeezing.

"Puff!"

Zhou Wannian tumbled through the chaotic spatial tunnel, spitting out mouthfuls of blood.

Although Yin Hua's final strike hadn't landed solidly, the aftermath of the Annihilation Law had still swept across his back. At this moment, his back was a bloody mess, with wounds deep enough to see bone, and even his pale golden bones were covered in gray cracks.

"Damned Daluo... the gap is too large."

Zhou Wannian endured the intense pain, tightly protecting Golden Boy in his arms.

The Reincarnation mask on his face had already completely shattered under that strike, dissipating into points of red light. This life-saving trump card was ultimately scrapped.

"Warning. Host's life signs have dropped to 3%. Spatial tunnel is extremely unstable, random teleportation imminent. Predicted drop point: Unknown Gray Realm region."

Tiezhu's voice was intermittent, clearly affected by the Spatial Storm as well.

"Random teleportation?"

Zhou Wannian gave a bitter smile.

"As long as it's not back to Nine Nether City... anywhere is fine."

Before his voice finished.

A piercing white light suddenly appeared in the darkness ahead.

Immediately after, a massive centrifugal force hit him.

"Whoosh—"

Zhou Wannian felt like a pebble thrown out of a drum, heavily crashing through a boundary membrane... Gray Realm, unknown region.

"Bang!!!"

A loud boom resounded, and the earth trembled.

In a forest covered in black vegetation, a deep pit a hundred zhang wide was smashed out of thin air.

The dust cleared.

Zhou Wannian lay spread-eagled at the bottom of the pit, covered in blood and in tattered clothes. His Physical Body, comparable to a Taiyi Magic Treasure, was now covered in fine cracks, which were slowly writhing and repairing.

"Cough, cough..."

Zhou Wannian spat out a mouthful of stale blood containing fragments of internal organs, struggling to sit up.

"Where is this?"

He looked around.

The environment here was completely different from the Bone Burial Wasteland.

The sky was still gray, but it didn't have that oppressive weight. Giant trees a hundred zhang tall grew all around; these trees were pitch black, and their leaves appeared as a semi-transparent crystalline form, shimmering with an eerie light in the dimness.

The Evil Qi concentration in the air was lower than in the Nine Nether Domain, but there was an additional violent fire-attribute Law fluctuation.

"Hot..."

Zhou Wannian felt the surrounding temperature constantly rising.

"Tiezhu, scan the environment."

"Scanning... Ambient temperature: 3 degrees (and rising). Air composition: Evil Qi, fire poison. Based on vegetation characteristics, this location is likely the edge of the Gray Realm's 'Shura Realm,' also known as the 'Burning Bone Forest.'"

"Shura Realm?"

Zhou Wannian frowned slightly.

According to the information he had gathered in Nine Nether City, the Shura Realm was the most bellicose region of the Gray Realm. The Gray Immortals here mostly Cultivated fire-attribute and blood-path techniques; they were hot-tempered and had long been at odds with the Nine Nether Domain.

"Dropped into the territory of my enemy's enemy? That's good news."

Zhou Wannian breathed a sigh of relief. At least Yin Hua's reach wouldn't extend here.

"Squeak, squeak..."

A weak cry came from his bosom.

Golden Boy poked his head out from his tattered lapel. His originally glittering golden shell had become dim and lusterless, even somewhat soft.

"Boss... I'm so sleepy..."

Golden Boy's voice was full of fatigue.

"Just now, to bite through that Daluo's Domain, my teeth broke..."

Zhou Wannian stroked its head with heartache.

"It's okay, go to sleep. When you wake up, your teeth will have grown back."

He knew that Golden Boy had devoured an excessive amount of Law power and forced his Origin, and was about to enter a new round of dormant evolution. Once he woke up this time, he would likely be truly stabilized at the Daluo Early Stage.

Putting Golden Boy into the spirit beast pouch, Zhou Wannian took out a handful of Medicinal Pills, stuffed them into his mouth, and began to circulate his power to heal his injuries.

After a long while, when his injuries had slightly eased, he pulled out a Storage Ring from his bosom.

This was what he had conveniently snatched from Shi Zhanfeng's corpse at the last moment.

"The wealth of a Taiyi Late Stage, I hope it doesn't disappoint me."

Zhou Wannian's Divine Sense forcibly broke through the Restriction on the ring.

"Clatter—"

A large pile of items was poured out.

Besides the mountain of sha yuan crystal and various Gray Realm Materials, three items were the most conspicuous.

The first was a gray Jade Slip emitting a cold aura.

Zhou Wannian pressed it to his brow and scanned it, and a look of joy immediately appeared on his face.

"«Nine Nether Soul Refining Art»? This is the unique Divine Soul Cultivation secret method of Yin Hua's lineage? Although it's not as good as the «Spirit Refining Art», the methods for tempering the Soul with Evil Qi can be used as a reference to repair my damaged Divine Sense."

The second item was a detailed map drawn on some kind of human skin.

This map not only marked various strongholds in the Nine Nether Domain but actually marked secret routes to several other Domains, including a shortcut to "Shura City."

"With this, I won't have to worry about getting lost."

As for the third item... it was a black wooden box heavily sealed.

Zhou Wannian carefully peeled off the Seal and opened the wooden box.

"Buzz—"

A heart-palpitating spatial fluctuation instantly leaked out.

Inside the box lay a crystal only the size of a thumb, completely transparent, with what looked like a miniature world sealed inside.

"Could this be..."

Zhou Wannian's pupils shrank, and his breathing quickened slightly.

"World Origin Stone?!"

This was a legendary supreme treasure that only formed when a world was born or destroyed! It was a core material for refining spatial-type Xuantian Treasures! Even in the Immortal Realm, this was something that would make even a Dao Ancestor envious!

"No wonder Shi Zhanfeng carried it with him; this was likely a treasure he prepared to offer to Yin Hua for breaking through a Bottleneck."

"Now, it's mine."

Zhou Wannian quickly closed the wooden box, applied several high-grade Talismans, and put it into the deepest part of his storage bracelet.

With this item, plus the heaven measuring ruler, as long as he had enough time, he could even refine a spatial-type Xuantian Treasure of his own!

"A worthwhile trip."

Zhou Wannian stood up, the fatigue in his eyes swept away.

Although he was hunted by a Daluo and heavily injured, this wave of "zero-cost shopping" was a massive profit.

"But before that..."

Zhou Wannian looked into the depths of the forest.

"I must first find a place to heal my injuries and, while I'm at it, refine all this Evil Qi."

His figure flickered, turning into a faint gray shadow that disappeared into the depths of the Burning Bone Forest... A few days later.

In the center of the Burning Bone Forest, at the foot of an extinct volcano emitting black smoke.

A group of Gray Realm soldiers wearing red leather armor and holding flame spears was besieging a giant Blazing Rhinoceros.

"Quick! Surround it! Don't let it escape!"

"This Blazing Rhino's hide is a birthday gift for 'Lord Rahu'!"

The leader was a female Gray Immortal with a fiery figure and dark red skin, at the Middle True Immortal stage.

Just as they were about to succeed.

"Roar—!!"

That Blazing Rhinoceros suddenly went berserk, flames erupting all over its body. It actually broke free from its restraints and charged madly at the female cultivator.

"Not good! Young Miss, run!"

The surrounding guards were terrified, but it was too late to rescue her.

Seeing that giant horn burning with raging fire was about to pierce the female cultivator's chest.

"Clang!"

A pale, slender palm suddenly reached out from the void beside her, steadily pressing against that giant horn.

The violent Blazing Rhinoceros was like it had hit a mountain, instantly coming to a standstill, its four hooves plowing deep furrows into the ground.

"This..."

The female cultivator opened her eyes in terror, looking at this mysterious person who had suddenly appeared before her.

It was a man wearing tattered green robes, with long hair flowing and a cold, stern face.

He held back the giant rhino, which was capable of smashing mountains, with one hand. He turned his head and gave a slight smile to the already dumbfounded female cultivator.

"Fellow Daoist."

"I have lost my way and would like to ask for directions."

"I wonder how to get to... Shura City?"

After speaking, he applied a slight pressure with his palm.

"Crack."

That Early Golden Immortal Blazing Rhinoceros let out a mournful cry, its massive body kneeling directly to the ground, trembling and not daring to move an inch more.

The entire scene was deathly silent.

Only that extinct volcano continued to belch black smoke, as if paying tribute to this newly arrived... baleful star.