CHAPTER 563: CHAPTER 554 NETHERWORLD_1

If this truly were the Land of Oblivion, they would be in serious trouble. He had made too many enemies in the past, the most terrifying of whom were the Elixir Tower’s Master and that Lady. If he were caught by those two, it would undoubtedly be a life-or-death situation.

The ugly old woman said little, directly leading everyone into the passage. Less than an hour later, a light shone before their eyes, revealing a sacrificial altar. During this time, Fatty also emerged from the ancient castle.

The altar was entirely blood-red, as if dyed in blood, emanating an ancient and mysterious aura. Everyone curiously examined the altar, wondering what it was. But Qin Feiyang’s and Fatty’s hearts were in their throats; it seemed they were truly headed for the Land of Oblivion.

The ugly old woman remained silent. With a wave of her hand, Battle Intent surged towards the altar. As the Battle Intent flowed into it, the altar, like a slumbering beast, gradually began to awaken.

HUM!

A moment later, accompanied by a low thrum, the altar erupted with a dazzling, bloody light, dyeing everyone’s faces crimson.

"Go!" the ugly old woman said coldly, finally withdrawing her Battle Intent and stepping aside.

"This teleportation altar can only transport ten people at a time," Wang Hong announced. "Everyone, don’t rush. Take your time."

Wang Hong was the first to step onto the teleportation portal.

"Hmm?" Qin Feiyang was surprised. I had thought Wang Hong and Jiang Qianqing’s task was only to bring us here. I hadn’t expected them to follow along as well.

"Boss, what are you spacing out for? Hurry up and get on!" Fatty urged, tugging Qin Feiyang along as he became the first to leap onto the altar.

"What’s your rush?" Qin Feiyang frowned.

Fatty chuckled. "If we stumble upon any treasures, we can grab them first!"

"You know what the entrance to the Land of Oblivion is like. What treasures could possibly be there?" Qin Feiyang rolled his eyes at him.

"You never know," Fatty smirked. After all, such a long time has passed. What if some treasure really has appeared?

"Aren’t you worried at all anymore?" Qin Feiyang looked at him, puzzled. Just moments ago, he looked terrified. Why the sudden bravado, even wanting to be the first to enter?

"I’m worried!" Fatty nodded. But what’s the use of worrying? Unless we withdraw from the Nine States Battle, we’ll have to enter sooner or later.

While the two were whispering, Ren Wushuang and Shen Mei, Lu Xingchen and Xiang Shaolong, Murong Xiong, Dong Zhengyang, and Dongfang Wuheng also jumped onto the altar one after another. Including Wang Hong, that made exactly ten people.

Instantly, their vision went black. It felt as if they had entered a deep, dark tunnel, and they could feel their bodies moving rapidly. The speed was immense, as if they were hurtling through time itself. Faced with this situation and an unknown battlefield, Ren Wushuang and the others inevitably felt apprehensive.

However, Qin Feiyang and Fatty had experienced teleportation before and knew what the Land of Oblivion was like, so they weren’t worried. They had even steeled themselves for the possibility of falling into that icy lake once more.

However, when light returned to their vision and their feet touched solid ground, both of them froze.

Solid earth beneath our feet? What’s going on? Has the ice lake vanished? Was it caused by the fierce beasts fighting on the glacier? Or was it destroyed when that Lady pursued us, during her battle with the Snow Python guarding the entrance?

But when they regained their senses and surveyed their surroundings, they realized all their guesses were wrong. Because this place was not the Land of Oblivion at all!

Immediately after, the scene before their eyes left them profoundly shocked. They now stood on an incredibly vast plain, stretching beyond the horizon. The plain was utterly barren, without a blade of grass. It looked as if it had been arid for a very long time, covered with countless cracks, like a giant spiderweb stretching across the land.

But if that were all, Qin Feiyang and Fatty surely wouldn’t have been so astounded. What truly astonished them was that the soil was dark red, as if it had been soaked in fresh blood that had subsequently air-dried, leaving behind this color.

Wisps of a faint, bloody mist also permeated the air, carrying an unshakeable, grim aura. Moreover, there was an eerie chill that made the hairs on their necks stand up!

"Look quickly!" Suddenly, Fatty pointed towards the sky, his eyes wide with horror.

Everyone looked up in unison, expressions of horror creeping onto their faces. High above, a sun hung in the sky, but it wasn’t fiery red; it was blood-colored, as if congealed from fresh blood!

Everything here felt like stepping into hell, causing Qin Feiyang and the others’ hair to stand on end!

Dongfang Wuheng asked, "Commander Wang Hong, when you and the Mansion Master participated in the Nine States Battle years ago, was this the place?"

"Yes," Wang Hong nodded, a reminiscent look in his eyes. "So many years have passed, yet nothing here has changed."

Fatty sidled up to Qin Feiyang and whispered, "Boss, do you know what this place is?" As a prince of the Great Qin Empire, Qin Feiyang surely ought to have some knowledge.

"I don’t know," Qin Feiyang shook his head. Though he had enjoyed reading various ancient records in his youth, he had only lived in the Imperial Capital for ten years. Factoring in the first few years after his birth when he was still an ignorant child, the time was even shorter. Moreover, back then, he hadn’t devoted all his time to studying these ancient texts, merely perusing them in his spare time between cultivation sessions. Therefore, he wasn’t familiar with every region of the Great Qin Empire.

"Even you don’t know? It seems this place is quite mysterious," Fatty murmured, his gaze turning grave.

SWISH!

Simultaneously, the other disciples continued to arrive on the battlefield. Like Qin Feiyang and the others, upon seeing this strange land, they immediately began to discuss it, an involuntary shiver running down their spines.

An hour later, everyone had arrived. Excluding Wang Hong and Jiang Qianqing, there were a total of 550 people. Most of them had cultivation levels at Four-star War Emperor or higher. There were a few below Four-star War Emperor, but they were exceptions.

"Silence!" Wang Hong took a few steps forward, standing opposite the crowd. Jiang Qianqing stood to one side, a faint smile on his face.

Everyone immediately stopped talking and looked at Wang Hong.

Wang Hong glanced at everyone and said, "This place is very unfamiliar to you, but to me, it’s very familiar. This is where my rise to prominence began. And it has a name that strikes fear into hearts: Netherworld!"

"Netherworld!" Hearing this name, everyone shuddered. At the same time, they found the name very fitting. The blood sun high in the sky, the blood-mist in the air, the blood-red earth... It was hardly different from the Netherworld itself.

"Humph!" Suddenly, Wang Hong snorted coldly and said, "If you think this is all there is to this place, you are sorely mistaken. Do you see the end of the plain?" He gestured towards the far end of the plain.

Everyone followed his gaze. The plain was too vast; they couldn’t see its end.

"At the end of the plain lies a Death Swamp, filled with all sorts of deadly perils. When the Mansion Master and I participated in the Nine States Battle years ago, our group numbered over seven hundred. However, only a little more than three hundred of us successfully made it out of the Death Swamp. And those who perished within," Wang Hong declared, "were, like you, once the highly acclaimed prodigies of the Inner Court!"

Qin Feiyang and Fatty exchanged horrified glances. The mortality rate is that high?

The others were also dumbstruck.

"Scared already?" Wang Hong continued. "Let me tell you, the Death Swamp is just the beginning. The areas beyond it will be even more perilous. So, I advise you all: it’s best to set aside your personal grudges for now. Your chances of survival will be higher only if you unite."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Wang Hong then said, "If you have any questions, ask them now before we set out."

"Isn’t this the Nine States Battle?" someone immediately asked. "Why don’t we see people from the other eight major states?" This was a question on everyone’s mind.

Wang Hong replied, "Barring any surprises, they have already entered this place. However, their teleportation points are different, so you won’t encounter them for now."

Lu Xingchen asked, "Then when will we meet them?"

"It could be soon, or it could take a while," Wang Hong said. "But once you enter the Death Swamp, you are bound to meet them sooner or later, as you are all heading to the same destination."

"What destination?" someone else inquired.

"The Other Shore!" Wang Hong uttered these two words, syllable by syllable, his expression exceptionally grave.

"The Other Shore?" Everyone was taken aback. The term ’The Other Shore’ was not unfamiliar to them, as it referred to the end of the Netherworld. Could this place truly be the Netherworld?

"I am not at liberty to say much about this place," Wang Hong stated. "This is the current Emperor’s command. You need to explore it for yourselves; otherwise, the Nine States Battle would lose its meaning. I can only tell you two things. First, there are abundant treasures here. Precious medicinal herbs, Perfect Battle Skills, Elixir Formulas, Pill Flames, Pill Furnaces, Divine Weapons—everything you can imagine can be found here. It all depends on whether you are fated to find them and strong enough to seize them. Second is the final outcome: the first fifty individuals to reach the Other Shore will be eligible to enter the Imperial Capital."

Although he didn’t elaborate, his words were incredibly rousing; everyone couldn’t help but clench their fists in anticipation.

"If there are no further questions, each of you come and collect a Qiankun Bag. Men on the right, women on the left." With a wave of Wang Hong’s hand, two large piles of Qiankun Bags materialized on the ground before him, one to his left and one to his right.

"What’s this?" Fatty immediately rushed forward, grabbed two Qiankun Bags, hurried back to Qin Feiyang’s side, tossed one to him, and eagerly began inspecting his own. Everyone else watched him curiously.

"Hmph! And here Master Fatty thought it was some treasure. Turns out it’s just this pile of junk!" Upon inspection, Fatty’s face filled with disdain.

"What’s inside?" someone asked.

Fatty glared at the person and snapped, "Damn it! Weren’t we told one per person? Can’t you look for yourself?!"

That person sheepishly averted his gaze, ran to grab a Qiankun Bag, and also looked disappointed after inspecting it.

Seeing Fatty’s and the other person’s reactions, Qin Feiyang curiously looked inside his own bag. He couldn’t help but smile wryly. They were filled with nothing but clothes.

But what’s the purpose of giving everyone these clothes? Qin Feiyang wondered, taking out a garment. He examined it closely and found that the insignia on the chest was no longer a small sword, but the word ’Spirit’.