Li Shenrong appeared near a ridge. It couldn't be considered a ridge because the ground below couldn't be seen at all. Thick fog eluded everyone's vision. Luo Shenghua felt her heart palpitating just by gazing down.
"Brother, Li…." Bao Zhentian spoke, his voice was incoherent.
When Luo Shenghua glanced at him, she saw that his face had gone pale, his entire body trembling. Even his breathing had become labored.
Li Shenrong calmly placed his palm on Bao Zhentian's forehead. Instantly, a cool sensation spread through Bao Zhentian's sea of consciousness, dispelling the strange, suffocating effect.
"What happened, Junior Brother?" Luo Shenghua asked, concern evident in her eyes.
Wiping the cold sweat from his face, Bao Zhentian replied, "I… as soon as I glanced below, a fear unlike anything I've ever known surged from the depths of my soul. It felt like I, a mere insect, was being stared down by a supreme existence. I can't even put it into words…"
A trace of wariness appeared in his eyes.
His words left Luo Shenghua shocked. What kind of entity could make someone like Bao Zhentian, who faced True Gods without flinching, tremble like this?
Both turned to look at Li Shenrong, seeking an explanation.
"Let's go down and see," he said with a light chuckle, then casually stepped forward.
Luo Shenghua and Bao Zhentian were left speechless. This guy was too hateful, always smiling mysteriously, never giving clear answers.
Bao Zhentian was hesitating.
Bao Zhentian hesitated. "Sister… you really didn't feel anything?"
Moving forward, Luo Shenghua replied innocently, "Nope."
"Brother Li, how do you plan to go do...." Before she could finish her sentence, she saw Li Shenrong leap down with one hand behind his back. His face was calm, utterly composed.
"AAAAAA!" she nearly screamed. "This guy! How can he be so careless!?"
Despite her fear, she clenched her teeth and jumped after him, her scream echoing into the void.
"Sister, wait for me!" Bao Zhentian shouted and followed after them.
The trio fell endlessly into the unknown. Soon, the brightness above was lost, replaced by pitch black darkness. There was no light, no sound, only the sensation of falling into an abyss without end.
Inside Li Shenrong's sea of consciousness, a tiny plant trembled. A ray of golden light shot out from it, enveloping his entire body.
With a casual wave of his hand, the golden light extended and wrapped around Luo Shenghua and Bao Zhentian as well.
The suppressive force in the air vanished the moment they were covered by the golden light.
Bao Zhentian maintained a stern expression, his thoughts constantly racing. The earlier experience had shaken him deeply. As a descendant of a reclusive ancient giant, even facing his Godking ancestors had never caused such fear. It was a heavy blow to his heart but fortunately his heart wasn't weak.
Time seemed to lose all meaning. The group had yet to land, and their descent continued at terrifying speed fast enough to break the sound barrier. Luo Shenghua had long since fainted and was now being carried by Bao Zhentian. In truth, he too was reaching his limit. The oppressive atmosphere, the endless fall, the utter silence, it was all too much.
He couldn't help but cry out anxiously, "Brother Li, are you there?!"
"I am," Li Shenrong's voice answered calmly, unfazed as ever.
Hearing that, a trace of confidence returned to Bao Zhentian's heart.
Suddenly, Li Shenrong's eyes glowed with a strange light. He had activated his All Penetrating Heavenly Eye, an evolved form of one of his Nirvana Arts after forming his own Heaven.
Within the absolute darkness, all things remained hidden, but his Heavenly Eye pierced through space and time, landing on a faraway point.
After a while, he withdrew his gaze and spoke, "get ready, we will be landing soon."
Just as he finished, Bao Zhentian felt a tremendous gravitational force pull at him. His body crossed an invisible barrier, and his mind flipped, then he slammed into the ground with a loud thud.
"Ahhh!" he groaned, clutching his sore bottom.
Li Shenrong, on the other hand, gently landed like a feather.
"Brother Li! You should've told me something like that was going to happen!" Bao Zhentian complained, gritting his teeth. "We actually entered a small world?!"
Li Shenrong glanced at his surroundings. All he could see was endless black sand. The sky above was murky and gray. As far as the eye could see, there was no sign of life, only desolation.
Bao Zhentian scanned the area with his divine sense but sensed no presence, no creature, nothing.
"What kind of place is this…"
"A prison…" Li Shenrong replied.
Bao Zhentian was startled. Using a whole world as a prison? What kind of terrifying being was sealed here? He couldn't imagine the level of power.
Then, a terrible thought crossed his mind. "Could it be… the fear I felt earlier was from the entity imprisoned here?"
"Indeed," Li Shenrong replied. "It noticed us the moment we got close."
Bao Zhentian's scalp tingled, but he quickly realised this fear, if left unresolved, would become an inner demon and hinder his future path to godhood. He immediately sat down and began meditating, adjusting his mental state.
Seeing this, Li Shenring nodded silently, appreciating his determination.
As they walked deeper, they encountered numerous corpses. Bao Zhentian recognized several of them.
"Three Eyed Demon God… Heavenly Goddess Xiao… Moon Sword God Master… All of them were legendary figures who vanished mysteriously…" he whispered in disbelief.
Not far ahead, a corpse sat cross legged in meditation. If not for the dense death aura, one would think he was merely a kind old man cultivating in peace.
Suddenly, the corpse opened its eyes, revealing empty sockets and stared at them.
But in an instant, Li Shenrong appeared before Bao Zhentian and Luo Shenghua, shielding them.
Boundless sword light erupted, illuminating the endless expanse of black sand world. Countless sword intents tore through space. The sword intents were disoriented but each sword intent could slay true gods like chickens and dogs.
One unparalleled sword intent locked onto Li Shenrong.
Li Shenrong narrowed his eyes and stepped forward.
Bao Zhentian's knees buckled, not from cowardice, but because of the natural suppression when a lower lifeform faced an existence several planes above.
Li Shenrong's whole body became resplendent in the blink of an eye. Nine colored clouds surged into the sky, emanating a divine brilliance. They gathered to form a Throne of Primal Chaos. Behind it, a faint shadow of a gargantuan tree appeared, its massive trunk seemingly supporting the heavens themselves.
Li Shenrong's small figure sat upon the throne, overlooking all beneath him.
At this moment, he was no longer just a man, he was the Lord of myriad worlds, Emperor of Creation, and Sovereign of the Cosmos. His words were law. His voice was the Grand Dao itself. He reigned supreme, above all things that had ever existed.
Then, Li Shenrong spoke, his voice wasn't loud but it reverberated throughout the entire desolate black sand world.
"Paltry tricks, i expected better from you." His tone was filled with disdain.