My son is about to break through.

"Good lad! To achieve this level of feat at the Ninth Tribulation Celestial Venerable realm, fighting against an Immortal without defeat, truly has not tarnished the prestige of our human race!"

An undisguised smile bloomed on the rugged face of the Ancient Barbarian Celestial Venerable.

His enormous, bell-like eyes were fixed on the figure in the void water mirror—a figure whose feet trod the Yellow Springs, whose blue robe was stained with blood, yet whose aura was as powerful as a rainbow—his gaze filled with pure admiration.

He truly never expected that such a monster would emerge from among the younger generation of humans!

This reminded him of his youthful days, when he was fearless and reckless. But what Gu Qingfeng was showing now was not just brute force, but also formidable strength.

However, if someone could see into the heart beneath the seemingly magnanimous smile of the Ancient Barbarian Heavenly Venerable, they would discover that deep within his eyes lay a barely perceptible yet undeniably real emotion—shock!
That's right!

It's shocking!

Gu Man Tian Zun, an ancient and immortal being who had been in seclusion for many years, had naturally heard of the name of Xuan Tian Immortal Emperor Gu Qingfeng.

He knew that in the past tens of millions of years, the human race had produced an extraordinary rising star with unparalleled talent, even surpassing Xiang Chu, who was known as the Overlord and swept away all his contemporaries.

However, hearing about something is one thing, but witnessing it firsthand is quite another.

Ancient Barbarian Heavenly Venerable originally thought that Gu Qingfeng was at most the number one person below the Immortal level.

The battle situation displayed in the water mirror before him completely overturned his understanding.

With the cultivation of a Nine Tribulation Celestial Venerable, he actually fought against an ancient immortal like the Void God Lord, who had stepped into the first realm of immortality, and held his own.

This level of strength truly represents a terrifying combat power comparable to the first level of the Immortal Realm.

Even with the ancient barbarian celestial being's mindset, which had endured countless eras, this involuntarily stirred up a monstrous wave, causing him to feel an indescribable shock.

He had to admit a fact.

If he were at the Ninth Tribulation Celestial Venerable level and faced an immortal like the Void God Lord, the outcome would be no better than that of an ant that was casually crushed by the Void God Lord.

At most, they can last a few more rounds, and then they will perish!
Below the immortal, all are but ants!
This statement is an ironclad rule in the Endless Immortal Realm, a truth proven by countless lives and bones.

Before Gu Qingfeng's sudden emergence, both the evil god race and the human race had produced peerless geniuses with extraordinary talents.

In the realm below Immortality, they may be able to sweep aside their peers, create countless glorious achievements, and leave behind legends.

However, when they truly faced an immortal who harbored murderous intent, all their brilliance vanished like bubbles in the sunlight, easily extinguished.

That is an absolute crushing of the level of life.

Gu Qingfeng, a young man who had only cultivated for tens of millions of years, used the Netherworld Blade in his hand and the River of the Underworld beneath his feet to forcefully cleave this seemingly insurmountable chasm.

"This child is beyond description with the word 'monster'."

Ancient Barbarian Celestial Venerable murmured to himself, his gaze growing ever more profound.

"He is an anomaly, a variable, and a key figure who may rewrite the future!"

"In this battle, no matter what that bullshit bet is, no matter what the cost, Gu Qingfeng must be saved!"

He understood better than anyone what such a peerless genius, capable of defying immortality with a non-immortal body, meant for the future of humanity.

If the opponent grows up, he is very likely to become another pillar of the human race after the Ziwei Heavenly Emperor, or even surpass him!

As for that so-called bet?

Ancient Barbarian Celestial Venerable merely sneered inwardly.

How credible are the promises of the evil god race?
Even if you win, the other party may not readily comply.

If we lose, will the human race really just stand by and watch Gu Qingfeng perish?
joke!

In the eyes of the Ancient Barbarian Celestial Venerable, this wager itself was a delaying tactic put forward by the Eternal Silence God Lord to avoid greater losses and stabilize the situation.

……

at the same time.

In the immortal camp of the evil god race.

The atmosphere was extremely heavy, even faintly filled with a sense of oppressive panic.

The Void God Lord's pale green soul-fire eyes were fixed on Gu Qingfeng's increasingly fierce and seemingly tireless attacks reflected in the water mirror.

The soul fire in his eyes flickered violently due to extreme cold and killing intent, like a candle flickering in the wind, yet icy and bone-chilling.

He did not speak, but a wave of divine thought containing bone-chilling coldness and unquestionable authority had already silently reached the depths of the immortal souls of every evil god present.

"This child... must not be allowed to live!"

"If we allow him to leave alive today, he will surely become a major threat to our clan in the future!"

This divine thought, like a chilling wind from the depths of hell, swept through the hearts of all the immortal evil gods, making their already gloomy faces even more unsightly.

No evil god or immortal uttered a word of rebuttal or objection.

Because what the Lord of Emptiness said was the consensus in their hearts.

Gu Qingfeng's potential and combat power have far exceeded their initial expectations, reaching a level that makes them all feel uneasy.

An existence capable of forcing the Void God Lord to such a state even at the Nine Tribulations Realm.

Once he truly merges with the Dao and enters immortality, what a magnificent sight that will be!
They dare not think about it, nor do they want to think about it!
The platinum divine fire surrounding the Blazing God was burning unusually quietly at this moment, but deep within those flames lay a fury and restlessness that seemed capable of incinerating the heavens.

He took a deep breath, and his body, which was made of chaotic divine fire, seemed to tremble slightly. The cold light in his eyes was like a tangible ice blade, flashing and disappearing in an instant.

He remained silent, but the slight, grinding sound of his tightly clenched fist, seemingly formed from eternal flames, at the knuckles, revealed the extreme turmoil within him.

……

"boom--!!!"

Once again, it was a straightforward, head-on clash, with the Netherworld Divine Blade colliding fiercely with the Law Shield formed from the illusory mist.

The Void God Lord's body trembled violently, and he involuntarily staggered back half a step!
Although he regained his balance instantly, this detail seemed like a dangerous signal.

And just as that tiny flaw appeared—his body momentarily sluggish, his old strength gone and his new strength yet to arise—it was a moment when his body was slightly sluggish and his old strength had been gone and his new strength had not yet arisen.

"boom!"

A jet-black blade of energy, so refined it seemed capable of cleaving through time and radiating an aura of utter annihilation, somehow broke through the layers of illusory mist and illusion, suddenly erupting like a venomous snake and striking him squarely in the chest.

"puff--!"

This time, it's not just a superficial injury like before; it's a real, serious blow!

The divine body of the Void God Lord, constructed from the immortal laws, was actually cleaved open by this sword with a terrifying wound that was so deep that bone was visible, almost splitting him in two!
At the edge of the wound, immortal divine blood gushed out like a fountain, scattering across the chaos. Each drop of blood was as heavy as a star, causing the void to cave in.

Even more terrifying, the lingering ghostly and underworld Daoist energy at the wound site, like a maggot clinging to his bone, frantically eroded his immortal body, preventing the wound from healing instinctively.

“Damn it——!!!”

The face of the Void God Lord instantly turned ugly, his eyes filled with disbelief and rage.

For him, the cost of this 30,000-year-long battle was far greater than he could have imagined!

He originally thought that with his immortal body and almost limitless resources, he would be able to wear down Gu Qingfeng, this ant, to death!

But the reality is that the opponent's strength seems to be inexhaustible, and they become stronger with each battle!

He himself had suffered considerable losses during the long and arduous battle.

The so-called limitless power of immortality is only relative to lower-level life forms. Against opponents of the same level, a prolonged and intense war of attrition would also leave them feeling exhausted.

This sudden and devastating blow is just adding insult to injury!
The Netherworld and Yellow Spring Daoist influences that had invaded his body were like a bone-deep infection, constantly damaging his Daoist structure and consuming his primordial power to suppress and dispel them.

"It seems that so-called immortality is nothing more than this!"

Just then, Gu Qingfeng's voice, tinged with weariness but filled with intense fighting spirit and icy mockery, came through the chaotic energy aftershocks!
He stood on the Yellow Springs, his body swaying slightly, and his aura fluctuating violently, but his eyes shone like the brightest stars in the night, sparkling with excitement and the light of an impending breakthrough.

Thirty thousand years of bloody war!
For Gu Qingfeng, who has the Netherworld as his source of power, the consumption is enormous, but he is far from being at his wit's end.

More importantly, in these 30,000 years of extreme battles and countless brushes with death, his understanding of his own Netherworld Dao is gradually transforming at an unprecedented speed.

He felt as if he had touched the barrier that would lead to the ninth level.

Many profound truths that were previously obscure and incomprehensible are becoming clear under the stimulation of life-and-death battles.

The pressure and tempering of engaging in a life-or-death struggle with a true immortal is far more effective than seclusion for millions or billions of years.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

A journey to enlightenment that risked his life!

Of course, for 99% of the Heavenly Venerables in the Endless Immortal Realm, such an opportunity is a path to death.

Only an extraordinary individual like Gu Qingfeng, who possesses the power of the underworld and whose foundation is unfathomable, would dare to use an immortal god as a whetstone to break through his bottleneck!
Time continues to flow.

Another ten thousand years have passed.

For beings at the level of immortality, ten thousand years may just be a slightly longer period of seclusion.

But in this extremely brutal duel, every second was filled with deadly dangers and clashes of the great principles.

The Void God Lord's injuries worsened, and his aura grew weaker. Although his attacks remained fierce and ruthless, they lacked the initial composure and control, and were replaced by anxiety and madness.

Although Gu Qingfeng was covered in wounds and his blue robe was soaked with blood and his own Daoist aura, his eyes grew brighter and deeper!

The aura of the netherworld surrounding him became more solid and profound, as if undergoing some kind of final sedimentation and sublimation.

finally--

"It's now!"

As Gu Qingfeng once again deflected a tricky finger strike from the Void God Lord with his sword, and a subtle resonance occurred between his internal blood and immortal power due to the violent tremor, it was as if a thunderclap exploded in his mind.

The seemingly indestructible barrier that had troubled him for so long suddenly developed a crack.

Followed by.

Countless insights into the true meaning of the netherworld, like a flood bursting its banks, broke through all the fog and obstacles, and suddenly became clear in his heart.

All the previously obscure points are now clear!

An unprecedented Daoist aura of the netherworld erupted from the depths of his Great Dao origin.

“Buzz——!!!”

The Netherworld Divine Blade in his hand emitted an intense, uncontrollable tremor!

The originally pitch-black aura of death on the blade suddenly collapsed and condensed inward, transforming into a dark color that was so profound that it seemed capable of devouring all light and life.

At the edge of the blade, a single, intense, eerie light shone, like the beginning of reincarnation, or the end of all things.

The Netherworld Path - Ninth Level (Later Stage)!

Breakthrough!
In the fortieth year of his life-or-death struggle with the immortals, Gu Qingfeng, in the face of despair, broke free of his shackles and elevated his Netherworld Dao to an unprecedented new height.

"cut!"

Without hesitation, without building momentum.

Gu Qingfeng simply followed the instinct of the power of the Great Dao he had just broken through, and swung his sword again at the Void God Lord in front of him.

This strike lacked the earth-shattering power of the previous ones; it even seemed somewhat understated.

But where the blade flashed.

The void no longer shattered, but simply withered away, as if gently wiped off the canvas of existence.

This sudden surge of power terrified the Void God Lord.

By the time he realized what was happening, it was too late.

"boom--"

All the power of the Daoist aura shattered and was destroyed. The terrifying blade energy slashed fiercely at the Void God Lord, instantly turning half of his body into dust.

Such injuries caused the Void God Lord to suffer severe damage instantly.

Subsequently.

Before he could react, the waters of the Yellow Springs swept in, and a terrifying force erupted from the murky river, forcibly dragging the remaining half of the illusory god's body into it.

"Do not!!!"

The Void God Lord was shocked and furious. His immortal power erupted, causing the Yellow Springs to tremble violently. However, the power of the Yellow Springs in the third stage was already comparable to that of immortal beings.

If it were at its peak, the Void God Lord would naturally not fear the Yellow Springs.

But here's the thing.

After tens of thousands of years of bloody battles, his strength had already been greatly diminished.

Furthermore, the force of Gu Qingfeng's strike further exacerbated his injuries.

This way.

The illusory god was naturally unable to withstand the power of the Yellow Springs.

No matter how much he struggled, he could not escape from the underworld.

After a long time.

As the struggle subsided, the figure of the illusory god was completely swallowed up by the Yellow Springs.

All the cultivators who witnessed this scene were horrified.

"The Illusory God Lord has been defeated!!"

"To defy immortality with the body of a Nine Tribulations Celestial Venerable—this is the first person in history to do so!!"

Many ancient celestial beings were deeply shaken.

Above the Immortal Kingdom.

The oppressive atmosphere was completely shattered by the final image captured in the water mirror.

The face of the Purple Star Heavenly Emperor, shrouded in a hazy celestial light, seemed to become slightly clearer for a moment, and a faint smile appeared on his lips, a smile that seemed to make all the stars in the heavens pale in comparison.

He slowly turned his head, his gaze calmly fixed on the seemingly eternal darkness beside him, and on the face of the Eternal God hidden deep within the darkness.

"Well? Our human race has won this battle!" (End of Chapter)