Yet the sky here, like that of the Demon Realm, was a shade of purplish-red, utterly devoid of a sun. The atmospheric pressure was easily several times that of the mortal realm—perhaps hundreds of times more. The moment they arrived, everyone felt as if a mountain had been placed upon their backs.

Fortunately, their collective strength had reached a certain echelon; otherwise, the sheer pressure might have crushed their bodies instantly. Feeling this immense force, Ye Jingyu vaguely understood why the demons emerging from the Abyss were so powerful. Surviving under such pressure, even without active cultivation, meant their raw strength alone would surpass that of ordinary people by more than a hundredfold.

He casually threw a punch, only to discover that the spatial structure here was abnormally robust. His strike merely cut through the air with a sonic whoosh and failed to shatter the space itself. It made sense; this was a place sealing demons. If the space weren't solid enough, the demons’ strength could easily tear it apart, allowing them to slip away.

He attempted to ascend, to soar into the air, but was stunned to find that the energy expenditure required was more than a hundred times his usual rate, and even then, he only managed to rise a few zhang high.

This is the Demon Abyss? Ling’er, wait for me. I have arrived. And Master, please bless me to find Ling’er soon, and to find the murderer who killed you, Yuan…

As these thoughts crossed his mind, he turned and saw that Liang Xiaoke and the others had followed him through; it was fortunate they hadn't been scattered by the spatial rift. However, Yuan's aura had vanished completely, leaving no trace of his whereabouts.

"Damn it all, what kind of shitty place is this? Taking a single step feels like moving a mountain!" Liang Xiaoke struggled to his feet from the ground. As he tried to walk toward Ye Jingyu, lifting his leg felt like hoisting a massive boulder, making him nearly fall over, prompting an immediate curse.

Ye Jingyu ignored Liang Xiaoke’s outburst. He went to Jiufeng and checked on her. Seeing her flash him a bright smile, he nodded gently in return.

"Let's go. This is the legendary Abyss. Since we are here, we should..." Ye Jingyu stepped forward, took Jiufeng’s hand, and started walking ahead.

Hu Yanqi and Hu Yanmeng followed closely behind Ye Jingyu without speaking much. Seeing that Ye Jingyu was paying them no mind, Liang Xiaoke muttered something about favoring romance over friendship, then sullenly followed their rear, deciding it was too eerie to remain alone in such a place.

They had entered a forest. The trees here were a deep crimson, resembling dried human blood, and they towered to incredible heights—each one easily several hundred zhang tall. That they could grow so tall under such crushing pressure left Ye Jingyu and the others somewhat awestruck by the sheer tenacity of these plants.

From time to time, chirping sounds echoed through the woods—sometimes like small birds, sometimes like the low growl of a fierce beast—keeping Ye Jingyu and the others constantly on edge. Liang Xiaoke even summoned the Blood Corpse Gongsun Lu and Lin Yuanmu to guard his back; after all, his own life came first.

As the group cautiously pressed onward, far away in another sector of the Demon Abyss—a location even high-ranking demons dared not tread—lay the remains of an ancient Great God who had once fought his way into the depths. Upon his death, his lingering resentment was potent enough to obliterate any demon below the Yu level. No demon, save the Seven Great Lords, could approach this place.

Even the Seven Great Lords avoided this area unless absolutely necessary. The Great Gods who managed to penetrate the Demon Abyss in the past were all figures of legendary terror; if their predecessors couldn't defeat them, how could the current Lords stand a chance?

At this moment, within this bleak, dead canyon, lay a single, gaunt man covered in deep, crisscrossing scars. It was Dugu Bachen.

Swallowed by the black light, he had been flung directly here. He had expected certain death, as his body was virtually shattered. Yet, upon arriving, he felt his wounds healing at a rate more than a hundred times faster than normal. In mere breaths, his near-fatal injuries were completely mended.

Not only that, but he felt his very Soul Origin had been significantly repaired. What in the world is going on?

Dugu Bachen tried to rise, puzzled, only to find his body felt as heavy as a sacred mountain; even moving a finger was agonizingly difficult.

His injuries were healed, so why couldn't he stand? Refusing to believe it, Dugu Bachen forcibly circulated the Yuan Li within him and strained to stand. A formidable Martial Venerable expert, yet just rising now was proving almost impossible.

The atmospheric pressure here was at least ten thousand times that of the outside world. If the outside world was one hundred times that of the mortal realm, then the pressure here equaled one million times the mortal realm’s. If Dugu Bachen hadn't meticulously refined his cultivation and hardened his physique, he would likely have been crushed into a slurry of flesh by now.

Such overwhelming pressure explained why ordinary demons would never venture here lightly.

He turned to survey his surroundings. It was a relatively small canyon, its sheer walls polished smooth as glass, as if cleaved open by a single, impossibly sharp blade.

Furthermore, the surrounding land for several li was barren—not a blade of grass grew. About a hundred zhang ahead of him, however, was a knife plunged into the ground: a stark, black stone blade.

The moment Dugu Bachen saw the weapon, his eyes lit up. A man whose life was bound to the blade, he was somehow unable to discern the material of this simple stone sword.

He began to move, but every step was an immense struggle, akin to climbing a three-thousand-meter peak. Yet, the knife seemed to call to him, compelling him to grasp it immediately, ignoring the hardship, drawing him toward it. It took him a full hour to cover a few hundred zhang, his body drenched in sweat by the time he reached the stone blade.

Brushing a strand of hair from his eye, Dugu Bachen slowly extended his right hand and gently laid his fingers upon the hilt. In that instant, the seemingly archaic stone blade erupted in dazzling beams of light. Sharp blade energy tore through the air, instantly etching deep marks onto the mirror-smooth canyon walls.

Dugu Bachen realized that given the immense local pressure, these stone walls must be incredibly solid—at least a million times harder than rock in the mortal world. Even his full-power strike might not leave a scratch. Yet, the energy emanating from the stone blade cleaved the rock as easily as tofu. How could blade energy be so sharp?

When he looked up at the stone wall, he was struck dumb by the sight etched upon it... It was a complete set of Blade Arts.

(Upon waking this morning, I saw that the Golden Bricks have exceeded two or three hundred! Stars, you have all seen the effort Star has put in. Those reading Star’s book are the most numerous, and the outbursts are the most frequent. Is Star’s Golden Brick count less than others? My brothers and sisters, even a casual Golden Brick gives Star immense motivation. Simply enter the page for War Soul Divine Venerable on your phone, click 'Send Golden Brick,' and follow the instructions. I beg you all!) [Ti: Dear book enthusiast, this chapter marks the final page of this book]