Chapter 381: Encounter with Luo Beihuang

Nine Heavens branch road, a stretch of Dead Silence desolate Star Domain.

It seems to have endured an unimaginable cataclysm here; stars shattered, continents crumbled, leaving only cold cosmic dust and twisted spatial fragments drifting slowly in the Void.

The laws are chaotic, spiritual energy so thin as to be almost nonexistent; it is a forgotten ruin.

A black streak of light raced from the distant starry sky, its speed gradually waning, finally halting at the outer edge of this Dead Silence Star Domain.

The streak faded, revealing Ye Wuque's upright Dark Shadow.

His black robe fluttered lightly, his gaze calmly sweeping over the shattered starry sky before him, with little turbulence in his eyes.

Having entered the Nine Heavens branch road for several days, he did not rush onward; instead he familiarized himself with the Ancient Path's environment while exploring alone, seeking possible opportunities, and covertly monitoring the movements of all parties.

The Ancient Path is vast, spanning endless regions; even the branch roads are unimaginably wide, causing beings that enter to disperse easily.

The Great Thousand Divine Universe contingent, shortly after entering the Ancient Path, followed Seven Yu Elder's instructions and their own plans, gradually splitting up to train independently, agreeing to reconvene at the crucial area where the branch roads converge into the Main Road.

Feng Caichen also temporarily partied from Ye Wuque; he has his own sword Dao to hone and his own Causality to resolve.

"Ultimate Main Road, farewell... Lao Feng," Ye Wuque said at the parting.

"Fine," Feng Caichen's reply was concise and firm.

At this moment, Ye Wuque stood alone in this Dead Silence starry sky.

He did not depart immediately, but slowly turned, facing the Void he came from; those Dark Eyes, deep as the starry sky, suddenly became cold and sharp, as if they could pierce endless darkness and chaotic laws, staring directly at something hidden deep within the Void.

His voice was calm, yet carried a soul‑freezing chill, resonating clearly in the Dead Silence starry sky:

"You've followed for so long..."

"Still not planning to come out?"

"Luo Beihuang."

The three words, like three blades sheathed in ancient ice, struck the ground with a sound, their murderous intent chilling!

Behind him, the Void remained Dead Silence, the Stellar Debris drifting slowly, as if Ye Wuque were speaking to empty air.

Yet Ye Wuque's gaze did not waver; that cold murderous intent grew ever denser, nearly solidifying.

A full dozen or so breaths passed.

"Hahahahaha..."

"Hahahahaha..."

A burst of laughter, first low, then gradually swelling, finally becoming wildly unrestrained, seemed to erupt from all directions, from every corner of the Void, shattering the Star Domain's Dead Silence façade!

The laughter was sharp, hoarse, twisted, full of mockery, playfulness, and an intensely unsettling madness and greed!

"Ahahaha... my dear junior disciple..."

As the laughter faded, that twisted voice rose with exaggerated admiration:

"Your perception... remains so keen... indeed, indeed you have not disappointed me, senior brother..."

"No, it far exceeds expectations!"

As the words fell, the Void about a Thousand Zhang ahead of Ye Wuque rippled violently like water; a tall Dark Shadow cloaked in a broad black robe, wearing a black cloak, slowly solidified from the void and emerged.

It was the Black Robe Figure that had been covertly watching Ye Wuque within the Great Thousand Divine Universe contingent!

Now, it no longer concealed itself.

He slowly raised both hands, grasped the edge of the cloak, and then... gently lifted the cloak off.

The cloak slipped away, revealing the face beneath.

Ye Wuque's gaze fell upon that face; its cold pupils contracted imperceptibly.

What a face it was!

Faintly one could still discern remnants of Luo Beihuang's former features, yet now the face was utterly unrecognizable, not even a complete human visage.

Across the face were crisscrossing grotesque wounds, some so deep they exposed the stark white bones beneath; on the bones one could even see fine, as if corroded by some strange substance, traces!

Dark crimson and black blood mingled with a yellow‑green nauseous pus, seeping slowly from those wounds, emitting a bizarre odor of blood, rot, and a pungent medicinal scent!

His skin took on an abnormal bluish‑gray hue, many areas appearing forcibly sutured, leaving thick, twisted black stitch scars crawling across the cheeks like centipedes.

One eye seemed severely damaged, the eyeball cloudy and pale, pupil dilated; the other eye flickered with an extremely aroused, inquisitive, possessive eerie glow, staring straight at Ye Wuque unabashedly, as if admiring a priceless treasure, yet also scrutinizing a rare specimen awaiting dissection.

That face—horrifying, hideous, nauseating!

Completely a monster's face!

Yet, confronting his own terrifying visage, Luo Beihuang seemed unfazed; even the remaining intact eye showed a near‑ecstatic, proud expression.

He stuck out his tongue, licked the pus‑blood mixture at his mouth corner, emitting a light "tsk" sound, as if savoring a delicacy.

"How is it? Junior disciple..." Luo Beihuang tilted his head, the terrifying face pushing out an even more chilling grin, his voice hoarse and excited, "Senior brother I... my latest 'work'... not bad, right?"

He spread his arms, as if displaying his altered body: "To pursue the ultimate truth, to explore the Primordial mysteries of life, to break the shackles of this frail flesh... a slight change in appearance, what does it matter?"

His gaze refocused on Ye Wuque, the greed and mania in his eyes nearly overflowing:

"As for you... my dear junior disciple..."

"Your growth, your metamorphosis, the flawless Extreme Realm Dao Foundation within you that contains supreme, ultimate mysteries..."

Luo Beihuang's voice trembled slightly with excitement:

"I have a strong premonition..."

"As long as I thoroughly, deeply 'research' you, dissect the nature of your power, comprehend the mysteries of your Extreme Realm..."

"The experiment that has troubled me for so long, the ultimate, greatest experiment... will surely be able to..."

"Success!"

The final two words he almost roared, bearing a fanatical, cult‑like devotion and madness!

In his eyes, Ye Wuque was no longer a person, nor even an opponent, but an ultimate treasure containing supreme truth, awaiting his unlocking—a perfect specimen that could lead him to the Other Shore of "Truth"!

Ye Wuque listened silently to Luo Beihuang's mad, disgusting proclamation, the cold hue on his face not easing at all, but deepening, the murderous intent in his eyes nearly solidifying into actual ice.

He stared at the now completely corrupted, unrecognizable "senior brother" before him, memories flashing through his mind—recalling Ba Lao, who had tormented him for countless years, and the peril when he himself had once nearly been killed by him.

Finally, Ye Wuque spoke slowly, his voice terrifyingly calm, yet colder than the Myriad-Year Dark Ice:

"Someone like you..."

"Having survived until now..."

"Truly... what a pity."

The moment his words fell, with Ye Wuque at the center, the surrounding Dead Silence starry sky seemed to suddenly drop to absolute zero!

The invisible killing intent and the overwhelming spacetime Great Power began to slowly awaken and spread!