Chapter 1106: The Evil Gods of the Outer Heavens (I)

Golden-white clouds surged across the heavens, blotting out the sky as they spun into a colossal vortex ten thousand kilometers wide. At its center stood a towering figure with three faces and ten arms, radiating divine might with each foot planted firmly on the current of time.

In truth, Chen Chu’s true form wasn’t this massive. The figure above was only a projection, an exaggerated manifestation of his breakthrough that showcased the power he now commanded.

After glancing through the attribute page, Chen Chu dismissed it, letting the newfound strength rush through him. Having stepped into the true spirit level and fused two supreme principles with heaven and earth, he could now shift the principles of this realm, even overturn heaven and earth themselves, with a single thought.

He lowered his head slightly, looking at the crowd cheering below. The earth quaked as his voice rolled across the heavens. "Everyone, there’s no need for such formality."

Chen Chu's voice boomed like thunder. It was deep and commanding, as if carrying the weight of heavenly decrees, and the crushing pressure pinning the crowd down vanished at his words. One by one, they rose to their feet.

Xia Youhui’s legs shook uncontrollably. He lifted his head, staring at the massive figure in the sky. The thought flashed in his mind:

Damn, Ah Chu is terrifying.

However, he couldn’t bring himself to say it aloud.

Not far away, Lin Xue and Lin Yu also looked up. Seeing the figure within the distorted spacetime, and wrapped in radiant light, a deep sense of awe swelled in their chests. They understood with painful clarity that Chen Chu, once their classmate, now stood on a plane of existence far beyond their reach.

Despite the countless admirations from below, Chen Chu frowned. "The mythical world is rejecting me."

Just as the Dragon Emperor of the End had experienced when it broke through to the true spirit level, Chen Chu also felt the force of rejection. It didn’t come from a single place, but from heaven, earth, and the mythical world as a whole.

However, unlike the Dragon Emperor, whose massive body clashed head-on with that rejection, Chen Chu had chosen the path of principles. His true form, smaller in essence, allowed him to suppress the rejection for now.

Boom!

Chen Chu’s true form suddenly collapsed inward, compressing until it erupted in a radiance that blazed like the sun. The light was so intense that everyone below had to shield their eyes. All of the displays that had marked his breakthrough, including the golden clouds, the blooming lotuses, and the azure glow flooding the land, vanished beneath the overwhelming brilliance.

When the light finally faded, a young man stood tall with long black hair tied beneath a crown. His gaze was cold, and his presence radiated unquestionable authority. The Demon God Armor of Despair on his body had reshaped into something between armor and robe. Its black base was set with golden scales at his shoulders and waist, and over it draped a magnificent garment patterned with golden-white clouds across his chest.

A domain woven from supreme principles surrounded him, restraining his power. At once, the mythical world’s rejection weakened. As long as Chen Chu didn’t unleash his full strength or step into the primordial threshold, he could remain in the mythical world.

He finally let out a breath of relief. Then, the space warped around him, and in the next instant he appeared before Zhenwu and the others. Before anyone could speak, a cheerful voice rang out across the void. "Congratulations on your breakthrough and on becoming the Divine Might Emperor, Brother Chen."

The space ahead split open, and Shi Feitong stepped out of the rift, an unmistakable middle-stage true-spirit-level aura spreading from her. She wore a magnificent gown, her flawless face softened by a faint smile as her eyes rested warmly on Chen Chu.

Sensing her cultivation, Chen Chu returned her smile. "Congratulations, Feitong. I see you’ve advanced another step."

Moments later, the Golden-Winged Divine King Tolstoy arrived, followed by nine Heavenly Feathered Race chief gods and more than twenty other gods. They all bowed deeply. "Congratulations, Divine Might King, on advancing to Divine Might Emperor. From this day, you stand equal with the heavens. May your light never dim."

Before Chen Chu could respond, the faerie kings Xuntian and Yintian appeared with countless faerie lords and generals. Their voices rose in unison. "Greetings, Divine Might Emperor. May your divine power surge, and your radiance shine across the world."

The Primordial King and several others laughed heartily. Dozens of heavenly kings and kings, including Li Daoyi, offered their blessings again. "We celebrate our Divine Might King rising as the Divine Might Emperor. May your martial path flourish, and may eternity lie within your grasp."

The gathering resembled the descent of a Heavenly Emperor. Gods and immortals bowed in reverence, while below, cultivators like Ji Wuji watched in awe, their hearts pounding with excitement.

Chen Chu shook his head. "I’ve already said, there’s no need for such formality—"

Before he could finish, the Hell’s Wheel inside his storage space began to tremble, releasing a faint blood-red glow. An ancient, distant power stirred within it, as if something was calling to him.

Chen Chu’s eyes narrowed.

Alvaron? What business does it have with me?

The mythical world didn’t only reject beings beyond the primordial level. It also suppressed the supreme planes, those vast dimensions that stretched across endless space and time. A projection of planar power could appear here without issue, but the will of a being as mighty as Alvaron, the Lord of Hell, would be torn apart the instant it entered.

Being torn apart this way would wound even a being as powerful as Alvaron to a certain extent. This was why it had given Chen Chu the Hell’s Wheel. It served not only as a coordinate and a pass into the battlefield of planes, but also as a communicator, allowing Alvaron to reach him directly.

Curious, Chen Chu willed the seal on the Hell’s Wheel to release. From deep within it, Alvaron's will rang out. "Chu Batian, I sense a change in the nature of the power you refined within the Hell’s Wheel. Have you broken through to the thirteenth tier?"

Alvaron’s tone held a trace of surprise. Not long ago, when it spoke with Chen Chu, his cultivation had only reached the peak of the ancient-titan level, still far from the true spirit level.

Chen Chu answered calmly. "That’s right, Lord Alvaron. I’ve stepped into the thirteenth tier."

"Remarkable. Even at the tenth tier, you had already drawn the attention of the Hell Plane’s supreme will." Avalon's voice was filled with awe, but it quickly shifted into a sharper tone. "The fifth layer of hell under my command is about to open a plane battlefield against a Great Thousand World deep in the Endless Sea. The Abyssal Plane has also set its sights on that world. It may become a double battlefield..."

Avalon paused, then asked, "Well? Do you have any interest in coming to watch?"

Chen Chu’s eyes narrowed. "Planar battles, huh."

Chen Chu’s original plan was to reach the divine region first to meet the True Radiant Sky Emperor of the Ancient Civilization, and only then consider taking part in the planar battles. Now, however, with his breakthrough into the true spirit level and strength rivaling that of a Primordial Star, his hesitation had vanished. "Lord Alvaron, I’m honored by your invitation. Once I finish settling matters here, I’ll draw on Hell’s power to get there. I'm also curious about the planar battles that span spacetime."

"No rush. I still need time to erode that world’s crystal wall. When the time comes, I’ll introduce you to other Hell Apostles from different spacetimes and powerful worlds." Satisfaction rang in Alvaron’s voice. Chen Chu’s decision to join the planar battles clearly pleased it.

Their exchange lasted only a short moment. Even Shi Feitong, who stood right beside Chen Chu, never realized that he had just spoken with a Lord of Hell.

Chen Chu gathered his thoughts and glanced at the powerful figures around him before turning to Shi Feitong. "Feitong, how long until we reach the Flamewheel Divine Region?"

She thought for a moment. "By the Blue Planet’s time, about ten days. But if you want to arrive sooner, I can infuse the battleship with true spirit origin. With a subspace jump, we could get there in four days."

Chen Chu shook his head. "No need for that. Ten days will be enough for me to stabilize my cultivation in seclusion."

He turned toward the Primordial King and the others, but the Primordial King spoke first, chuckling. "Go on, Chen Chu. Your cultivation comes first. We’ll handle everything here."

"Then I’ll leave things in your hands, sirs." Chen Chu smiled, distorted the space around him, and vanished.

As Chen Chu’s cultivation rose, he stopped moving like ordinary people. He hadn’t walked anywhere in a long time; wherever he wished to go, he simply teleported.

Traveling to the plane battlefield through the power of hell was different from entering the Ancient Arena, where time outside stood still. In the battlefield, time flowed as it did in the real world. With Chen Chu’s current status, vanishing without explanation would stir unrest. He needed a cover, and the most natural excuse was seclusion, to stabilize his cultivation after his breakthrough.