The magma filling the cavern was entirely sustained by an array meticulously arranged with Yellow Jade Magic Crystals. Once these crystals were removed, the magic array vanished, and gravity naturally caused the magma to surge downward like a deluge.
Chen Feng had anticipated this situation, yet when he retrieved the first Yellow Jade Magic Crystal, he noticed nothing amiss and dismissed the thought. Logically, destroying even one base crystal should destabilize and instantly collapse the array. Who knew this particular formation was so peculiar—perhaps all base crystals needed to be destroyed before it would fail?
Rumble!
With a deafening roar, the molten rock, mixed with massive stones, plummeted from the sky, instantly filling the stone cavern.
“Hollow, hollow…”
Under the violent impact of the magma, Chen Feng’s forward trajectory was smashed into the ground, burying him four to five meters deep.
While not afraid of the magma itself, the sheer weight and force of the massive torrent crashing down still churned his vital energy, causing him to violently cough up a mouthful of blood. It was understandable; many people aren't afraid of water, but a massive wave can still cause injury.
“How do I get out now?” Chen Feng gasped, recovering his breath quickly. He expanded his domain, forcing the magma away from his body, feeling a wave of anxiety.
Even without looking, the sounds from above told him exactly what had happened: not only had the magma layer collapsed, but the entire mountainside was giving way.
The first time he entered this cavern, he had walked for a full half hour through natural tunnels and then descended for over ten kilometers. The depth was staggering!
Now, he was deep within the mountain's core. If the peak hadn't collapsed, flying out through the original tunnel would have taken less than three minutes. But escaping upward through dozens or even hundreds of kilometers of rock from a point ten kilometers underground seemed harder than ascending to heaven!
Furthermore, the surrounding rock walls were impervious even to magma exceeding sixty or seventy thousand degrees. Boring a hole through that was an almost impossible feat!
“My domain power can absorb oxygen in water, but it’s somewhat trickier when buried underground. If I don't exert myself, I could last three to five days without issue. But if I try to bore through the rock face… I’ll suffocate before I get out!” Chen Feng understood his predicament.
“Going up is definitely out. Moving sideways isn’t much easier either. Should I wait for them to rescue me? That's one option, but who knows how long that might take!”
“Right—if I can’t go up, maybe I can go down?” A flash of inspiration struck Chen Feng.
All mountain ranges have underground rivers; the saying about mountains and water being mutually reinforcing has some truth. He was already over ten kilometers underground. If he could find an underground river, perhaps following the current could provide a way out!
When he entered the cave, he noticed the ground felt damp, a sign of water. And when the magma slammed him into the earth earlier, he distinctly heard hollow, echoing sounds emanating from below.
Such sounds clearly indicated that there was empty space beneath!
Excitement surged through Chen Feng. He channeled energy into his fingertips, gritted his teeth, and forcefully clawed downward.
The rock here was incredibly hard, yet under his hands, it felt no different than soft tofu. His hands moved like the wind, sending fragments of stone flying, boring downward at an astonishing speed.
He dug down less than ten meters before his hand plunged into emptiness—he had indeed found a void!
“There really is a hollow!” Delight flooded his heart. He widened the opening and leaped down.
He sealed the upper end of the void with a large boulder, preventing any further magma flow.
Below him was indeed a gently flowing river. Chen Feng took a deep breath, bent down, and took a drink. The water felt cool, delicious, and incredibly sweet.
Flames flickered from his fingertips, casting a slight glow on his surroundings. A transparent river flowed slowly beneath his feet, and the air carried a damp, cold scent.
The magma layer above was tens of thousands of degrees hot, yet this place was pleasantly temperate and humid. Separated by just a dozen meters of rock wall, it was a completely different world.
Chen Feng followed the water flow forward for several hundred meters, and the passage unexpectedly grew wider, suggesting a much larger cavern ahead.
“What is this place? Why are there so many statues?” After flying forward some distance, Chen Feng discovered numerous strange stone figures. Their faces and forms varied greatly, but all were rendered with astonishing realism and lifelike detail.
Chen Feng dared not be careless this time. He focused his spirit and expanded his domain around his body.
A hidden, subtle power fluctuation pulsed from the statues, as if they were alive. In the dark cavern, they appeared exceptionally eerie.
“Could these statues all be petrified, like Senior Yan Long?” Chen Feng suddenly entertained the thought. “But… if that’s true, aren’t these all deities? This seems absurd.” There were easily tens of thousands of statues here. How could so many deities be petrified simultaneously? It defied all logic!
He circled among the statues and vaguely detected a pattern: all the statues seemed to be facing the same direction, faintly arranged in a circular formation!
Following the direction the statues faced toward the center, he saw what they were all looking at: a stone platform crafted from a Yellow Jade Magic Crystal.
The platform wasn't large—just over a meter long, half a meter wide, and about as tall as a man.
“This stone platform has a slight incline; it would be quite convenient for placing books on it.” The platform’s shape resembled the music stands used by performers, which explained his thought process.
He circled the platform and saw three large characters carved on the back: "Reception Platform!"
These three characters were inscribed on the rear of the platform, written with powerful, bold strokes. Every line was distinct, exactly matching the Han characters from Chen Feng’s previous life—and, remarkably, in the familiar "Pang Zhonghua style"!
Chen Feng had read the Yan Long Notes and knew these must have been inscribed by Yan Long himself.
“Reception Platform? What is that?” Chen Feng couldn't decipher its purpose. Staring at a smooth section on the platform, an inexplicable impulse moved him. He flipped his wrist, and a scroll materialized in his palm.
It was the Xuantian Illustrated Codex, which he had kept stored in his water flask since he hadn't used it.
Chen Feng didn't know why he suddenly thought of this item, but the moment he took it out, he felt a mysterious resonance between the codex and the stone platform.
He gently opened the Xuantian Illustrated Codex and placed it flat upon the stone platform. Instantly, the platform erupted with a seven-colored light, like a brilliant firework. Waves of gentle power radiated outward in all directions, illuminating the cavern until it became transparent.
Chen Feng retreated a few steps, tense, ready to flee at a moment’s notice. If the cavern ceiling were to collapse again like before, he wouldn’t live to regret it.
Whoosh…
Bands of colored light streamed through the cavern like silk ribbons...
A "buzzing" sound filled the air, and a sacred, pristine aura emanated from the platform.
Facing this holy power, Chen Feng couldn't help but tremble, feeling as insignificant as an ant, utterly incapable of resistance! This feeling was exactly the same as when he confronted the Golden Profound Tiger!
“Could this be the power of a deity!” A single phrase leaped into his mind, startling him.
For a Ninth-Level Dou Zun, whose spiritual perception was at the late Saint Realm, to be terrified to this degree by something else could only be the power of a deity!
Crack! Crack!
The light stabilized and suddenly morphed into a golden silhouette.
“Senior Yan Long?” Chen Feng’s expression grew quite strange upon seeing the figure's appearance.
“I am Yan Long, one of the Four Divine Beasts, but what you see now is not my true body, merely an energy construct, much like a holographic movie—I can't converse with you… Oh, right, I misspoke; you probably wouldn't know what a holographic movie is… Although I don't know who you are, nor do I know what you look like, finding this place suggests you have already opened the Yan Long Secret Tome, haven't you!” The golden figure spoke to itself.
The Yan Long Secret Tome. Chen Feng certainly wanted to open it, but before completing the sacrifice, he had attacked the Tiger Domain and subsequently arrived in this world. Forget opening it; he hadn’t even seen what it looked like.
“Since you have opened the Yan Long Secret Tome and found this place, I trust you understand everything. There’s no need for me to elaborate,” the figure continued.
“…” Chen Feng was speechless and almost blurted out, I came here by accident, okay?
“Indeed, the Xuantian Demon God, the Slaughter Demon God, the Nine Heavens Profound King… they are all our people. The reason we have fallen into this state is solely to defy fate and change destiny… You must understand all this already; any more words from me would just be superfluous.”
Chen Feng thought: You should be superfluous just this once... I genuinely know nothing... But he knew shouting wouldn’t help; the figure was merely an energy construct without independent consciousness.
“The Xuantian Illustrated Codex is the key to opening the Gate of Reincarnation. By dripping the blood of the Four Divine Beasts onto it, you can open the Gate of Reincarnation and welcome the gods back…”
“The blood of the Four Divine Beasts?” Chen Feng smiled wryly and shook his head. “I only have the Yan Dragon bloodline, and perhaps some Fire Phoenix bloodline has merged… As for Dao, it seems even he realized that later successors might not gather the blood of all Four Divine Beasts, which is why he devised this final solution.”
Hearing that there was still a fallback plan, Chen Feng finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Welcoming the gods back? Although he didn't fully grasp the meaning yet, it certainly couldn't be a bad thing. If these deities stood on the same side as Senior Yan Long, his future actions would undoubtedly be much smoother.
“Alright, no need to rush. I have laid down a magic array here and placed the Purple Fire Crystal Mother in the center to confuse the energy flow. Even the divine sense of a Main God cannot detect our presence. Follow the method outlined in the Yan Long Secret Tome,” the golden figure said, growing dimmer before vanishing completely.
“Hey, you didn't finish talking...” Chen Feng rushed forward anxiously, but no matter how he repositioned the Xuantian Illustrated Codex, the golden figure did not reappear.
“The magic array... and the Purple Fire Crystal Mother... I dismantled them all!” Chen Feng smiled bitterly, standing still atop the Reception Platform.
“Since I don't have the blood of the Four Divine Beasts, I might as well start collecting these statues,” Chen Feng thought. He stilled his mind, clenched his fist, let out a mighty shout, and hammered down at the floor!
“Wild Bite, Absolute Domain 50%!”
Bang!
With a loud crash, the stone slab beneath his feet showed no change whatsoever. Instead, Chen Feng was violently repelled backward, crashing heavily onto the ground.
“I only used 50% of my Absolute Domain for that strike. With pure strength alone, even Black Gold Iron would have likely been dented. How is it that this stone slab didn’t change, yet I was repelled?” Chen Feng felt his vital energy churning, his chest aching slightly, and he couldn’t help but ponder.
Only then did he truly notice the stone slab underfoot. It looked crystalline and flawless, like jade, but touching it revealed the texture of ordinary bluestone.
“This slab is probably imbued with divine power. Punching it apart is certainly not going to be easy!” Chen Feng gasped a few times, his gaze sharpening as he focused on the ground again.
“Perhaps I should try the newly mastered 'Pseudo Sun Irradiation'!” This thought arose in his mind. His body slowly lifted into the air, his pupils devoid of emotion, and he abruptly raised both hands!
A pure white radiance flared throughout the entire cavern. The stone slab beneath the Reception Platform emitted a crisp cracking sound and released a blue light under the illumination!
Hummm…
A high-pitched ringing immediately filled the air, and all the statues were enveloped in the blue light.
The moment the blue light appeared before Chen Feng’s eyes, his mind roared as if struck by lightning. He floated in the air, utterly stunned, his eyes wide with shock.
If someone were before him, they would have been amazed to see countless shadows flickering rapidly through his eyes. In front of him, it seemed like an instant eternity; his entire body was frozen.
“This is the Gate of Reincarnation…” Chen Feng mumbled, slowly closing his eyes and sitting down quietly on the ground.
As he sat, the blue light suddenly intensified. All the surrounding statues, including the Reception Platform and other objects, vanished in a sudden whoosh, compressed into a small sphere.
The sphere spun briefly in the air before dropping straight down to Chen Feng’s feet.
………………………………………………………………
Chen Feng was already deeply immersed in a state of enlightenment, finding it difficult to extract himself.
The Gate of Reincarnation. Although he didn't know exactly what it was, based on Yan Long's projection, he vaguely sensed its function. To recall deities from ten thousand years ago, it must inherently contain the laws of time!
The blue light flash earlier had shocked Chen Feng as if by electricity, instantly plunging him into a mystical realm, as if hundreds of years had passed in an instant, allowing him to touch the essence of Qi!
All of Iori Yagami’s techniques became perfectly clear in his mind. However, lacking a final catalyst, he had never grasped the Ghost Walk, which contained the laws of time, nor the Ya Otome (Eight Desires Hundred Style)!
These two were Iori Yagami’s signature skills. In King of Fighters '97, Iori once used a massive sake cup to halt the time of the entire Earth.
Chen Feng had constantly pondered how to execute these two moves. Therefore, the moment that profound sense of antiquity appeared, his mind immediately responded, and he began to comprehend these two techniques!
The Ghost Walk was a skill even more formidable than Teleportation. If he had been able to use it earlier, even if he couldn't escape the Golden Profound Tiger’s speed, he wouldn't have been so battered!
The power of the Ya Otome was even more self-evident. Anyone who had played King of Fighters knew that once this move landed unexpectedly, the opponent would have their time frozen, left to the victor’s mercy—it was one of the most favored techniques among Iori Yagami enthusiasts.
Although both moves were the simplest applications of the law of time—one of the two fundamental laws structuring the world (Space Law and Time Law)—the power they contained was undoubtedly incredible. If executed well, even his recently performed “Pseudo Sun Irradiation” would pale in comparison.
The cavern flickered with light as Chen Feng sat cross-legged on the ground, his comprehension of these two techniques deepening with every passing moment…
…………………………………………………………
“Ahem, ahem…” Bishop Dima had lost a full stone over the past two months.
The heretics had been utterly abnormal for the last two months, showing no fear of casualties, only relentless charging and assaulting. They fought without regard for death, their eyes bloodshot as if driven mad.
Whenever they encountered guards, they would charge forward without mercy, tearing the defenders into shreds with brutal ferocity.
“Kojia City has been besieged for two months, and more than half the city’s populace is dead. If this stalemate continues, Kojia City will likely fall within half a month!” Bishop Dima sighed, analyzing the current situation.
“Where did this group of heretics emerge from? How are they so powerful… The entire area under the Kojia Church’s jurisdiction is now controlled by them. If I die, how can I face my Divine Lord in the heavens!”
“It seems the heavens truly intend to destroy our Church!” Bishop Dima felt immense despair.
“Your Excellency, Bishop…” A voice called from outside. A white-robed bishop rushed in anxiously.
“What is it? Are they attacking again?” Bishop Dima’s eyes looked vacant.
They had been subjected to more than a dozen attacks daily. If it weren't for the "Glory of the God of Justice" protecting the Church buildings, they would have been annihilated long ago. Thus, seeing the white-robed bishop rushing in frantically, he automatically assumed the heretics had launched another assault.
“No…” The rushing white-robed bishop’s face showed excitement. “It seems they retreated overnight!”
“Retreated?” Bishop Dima looked confused, unable to believe his ears.
“Yes, retreated. This morning we discovered the area outside the city was completely empty. Not a single one of them remained. Even their tents outside the city are gone!”
“Why did they retreat? Where did they go?” Bishop Dima hastily asked.
“We don’t know, but the message left by our scout seems to indicate they all withdrew toward Antlu Town!” the white-robed bishop replied.
“Antlu Town? That’s the jurisdiction managed by Father Dela,” Dima murmured. “What are they trying to do there?”
…………………………………………………………
“What should we do?” White paced anxiously in the hall, surrounded by a circle of seated figures: Kam and the Ten Camp Commanders. “It’s been ten days since the mountain collapsed, and we have no word from the Boss. Do none of you have any ideas?”
“Our team has started digging. At the current rate, it will take another month to reach the magma layer and rescue the Boss,” said the Heavy Armor Camp Commander.
“Nonsense! If it takes another month, the Boss will die inside!” White roared. “Think of some useful solutions, now!”
“Yes…” Everyone fell into thought.
They had been thinking of solutions since the mountain collapsed ten days ago, but what solution was there besides digging another tunnel?
“Report…” Just then, a Golden Armored Warrior stumbled into the hall.
White’s eyes lit up, and he asked eagerly, “Is there news of the Boss?”
“No… sir!” The messenger quickly said, “It’s the heretics! For some unknown reason, under the banner of punishing us, they have dispatched a massive force that is now near Hutang Village!”
“The heretics? Aren't they locked in a life-or-death struggle with the Church? Why are they coming here now?” White was startled. “Approximately how many people, and what are their ranks?”
The messenger lowered his head. “Twenty thousand experts at the Nether Saint level, fifty thousand at the Nether Venerable level, and ten thousand Golden Armored Warriors!”
Everyone in the hall sucked in a collective breath.
Their own forces seemed formidable, but compared to the enemy’s numbers, the disparity was immense.
“That force is enough to contend with the Kojia Church! Why would they suddenly attack us?” the Close Combat Camp Commander asked anxiously.
Such a powerful army—even the combined might of the Church might not surpass them!
“Should we fight or retreat?” Kam suddenly asked.
All military command was entrusted to White, so Kam sought his opinion.
“What do you all think?” White scanned the room, looking at the Ten Camp Commanders.
Five commanders, including the Close Combat and Blazing Fire Camps, immediately showed excited expressions: “We fight! It’s a good chance to test our strength!”
“No…” The commanders of the remaining few camps looked distressed. “The enemy is too strong. If we engage directly, even if we manage to escape, our losses will be catastrophic. We should perhaps evade their main force first, or… negotiate peace with them!”
“Fight them…” shouted the faction advocating for battle.
“Evade their edge, or negotiate peace!” shouted the remaining few.
White’s expression darkened, and he sneered, “What about the Boss?”
“This…” Everyone fell silent simultaneously.
Whether they fought or sued for peace, it would inevitably affect the rescue operation for the Boss. The hall fell silent as if trapped in a deadlock. (To be continued. For future developments, please log in to m, where more chapters are available to support the author and legitimate reading!) First published