Chapter 1165: Chive Plantation, Secret of the World

The disturbance in the underground maze soon alerted the entire City of Heroes. Even the towering World Tree, hundreds of thousands of meters tall and formed by principles, released a white radiance. Its majestic power rippled outward, illuminating the night sky.

Beams of light flared in all directions in response and shot toward the heavens. At the Valkyrie Academy, more than a dozen presences comparable to the mythical level, two akin to the titan level, and one as great as an ancient titan burst forth explosively.

The World Tree and the underground maze were of great significance. Not only did they anchor the transcendent strength of the continent, but they also bore on the very survival of this world. If the maze collapsed, countless demonic beings would surge out like a tide, contaminating heaven and earth. Everyone would die.

At the roots of the World Tree, near the trembling stone gate, a burly figure clad in crimson armor appeared, over three meters tall. The panicked heroes nearby immediately steadied their spirits.

"It’s the city lord!"

"City Lord Wargert has arrived!"

"We pay our respects to the city lord."

The helmet’s sides extended into crimson horns like a demon’s, while beneath the faceplate, dark-red eyes glowed with solemn majesty. "Kuwas, do you know what has happened below?"

Among the crowd, a middle-aged man in black armor respectfully replied, "According to the heroes who escaped from the maze, the abnormality began about an hour ago. At that time, the passages on the nineteenth level suddenly collapsed on a large scale. Mountain walls shattered and the collapse spread at shocking speed toward the twentieth level and below. Because it started from the nineteenth level, the initial commotion wasn’t very great. Only now has the ground above begun to tremble slightly. At present, the collapse should have already reached below the fiftieth level, since it has been half an hour since the eight-star hero Kuair returned from the fortieth level to the surface."

"Kuair." Wargert turned toward a rough-featured, armored middle-aged man carrying a battle axe. "You are the strongest among those who have returned. Did you see what caused the maze’s collapse?"

The man hesitated, then bitterly smiled. "I'm afraid that you will not believe me. Even I am uncertain."

Wargert’s voice was deep. "Whether we believe you or not is for us to judge. The collapse of the maze is of grave importance. We must determine its cause and the consequences it may bring."

Kuair nodded solemnly. "It was a man. I saw a man standing amidst lava and flames, and become a beam of light that pierced heaven and earth. Wherever he passed, the passage walls crumbled instantly. The ground split apart with unimaginable force. At that time, even the eight-star demonic boss on the fortieth level was blasted apart by a single punch. The ground broke open, creating a lava tunnel hundreds of kilometers wide and over ten kilometers deep, straight into the forty-first level."

Gasp!

The surrounding heroes all sucked in a breath, disbelief on their faces.

An eight-star boss is so powerful that even nine-star heroes need to join forces to defeat it. Yet this man has killed one with a single punch, shattered rock ten times harder than steel, and carved out a tunnel hundreds of kilometers long? And he’s fought his way down from the nineteenth level, destroying every level he passed. Is he not tired at all?

As everyone stood in shock, stronger figures from the Valkyrie Academy descended. One after another, women in glamorous, alluring battle armor landed from the sky. The weakest among them radiated nine-star strength. Among them was Amitya, who had just been training with Fiorina.

At their head stood the academy’s strongest Valkyrie, the dean herself. Though she bore the title of dean and her hair was snow-white, Carmanlinton looked no more than thirty. Beautiful in appearance, regal in bearing, she exuded a mature and captivating aura.

The other Valkyrie instructors, each stunningly beautiful and voluptuous, were no less dazzling. With Amitya’s light wings spread behind her graceful figure, clad in ornate armor, the sight was blinding to all eyes. However, despite their beauty, what these women inspired was not lust, but instinctive awe and reverence.

As soon as she appeared, Carmanlinton lifted her gaze toward the radiant World Tree. White light shone in her eyes, and at once a majestic and holy aura spread from her. Her white hair floated as divine radiance surrounded her like a summoned god.

Seeing her awe-inspiring presence, Wargert respectfully said, "Dean Carmanlinton, we have learned that an unknown powerhouse is wreaking havoc beneath the maze and destroying everything. Though we do not yet know his purpose, the World Tree and the maze concern the safety of the surface. I believe we must act immediately to stop him."

"City Lord Wargert and everyone, do not be hasty. The matter is not as dire as you think." Carmanlinton withdrew her gaze from the World Tree and slowly shook her head. "Although the World Tree is shaking violently, it just told me that the roots entwining the world remain stable. That man has not shaken the maze’s foundation. What I do not know is why he is doing this."

As dean of the Valkyrie Academy and the strongest Valkyrie on the continent, Carmanlinton possessed the ability to communicate with the World Tree. Through its roots, which wrapped around layer upon layer of space to evolve into the underground maze, she saw Chen Chu cutting through the maze and slaughtering all demonic beings.

What puzzled her was why Chen Chu would do such a thing. As a divine illusory beast summoned under contract, why would he slaughter demonic beings without his contractor? Valkyrie warriors killed those monsters to temper their combat skills and accumulate the power of heavenly gift, raising their ranks. This was why they ventured deep into the maze. An illusory beast, however, gained nothing from killing those beings without its contractor present, aside from dropping a few materials and equipment.

This was the source of Carmanlinton’s confusion.

Amitya softly said from behind, "Dean, Chu once said that he detested those dark demonic beings."

"Is that so?" Carmanlinton mused. "So it’s a matter of instinctive opposition between living beings. After entering the material world, he actively ventured into the underground maze."

Fiorina nodded at the side. "I also think that must be the case, Dean."

The explanation did indeed align with Chen Chu’s actions. And regardless of the reason, he truly was massacring the maze’s demonic beings, weakening the power of the evil gods. Slowly, Carmanlinton allowed her worries to fade, though deep down she couldn’t shake the feeling that this divine illusory beast was far more mysterious than it appeared.

Deep within the stone gate, the battered figures of Estelle and her six companions finally emerged, bringing back the news of what they had witnessed. By this time, however, the powerful ones outside already knew what was happening below. Because the maze’s layered spaces were reinforced by the roots of the World Tree, they hadn’t rushed in at once.

They wanted to see whether that terrifying divine being would directly storm into the Underground Palace of Evil Gods and suppress the gods sealed below once he finished tearing through the maze’s ninety-nine levels.

While those above waited, Chen Chu continued to smash through everything with unrivaled force, soon reaching beneath the ninetieth level.

Here, the maze space was even more stable. The passages were vast, their separating walls stretching like mountain ranges. The weakest of the demonic beings born here were eight-star. Nine-star monsters were common, and every level had a guardian with the strength of a demon king.

Of course, such power was still nothing before Chen Chu. Sweeping through like crushing dry weeds, he soon reached the deepest part of the ninety-ninth level. Heaven and earth were pitch-black, all things dead and silent. Then the level’s skies suddenly collapsed, pouring down lava and flames that lit the darkness. This level contained no ordinary monsters, only one terrifying great demon king.

"A hundred years have passed, and finally another hero has reached this place." The voice was low and steeped in dreadful malice as it echoed through the world. "Unfortunately, your adventure ends here. For I am the king of darkness, who shall one day engulf the earth."

At the world’s center, nine black peaks tens of thousands of meters tall converged, like nine razor-sharp demon horns crossed to form a colossal throne. Upon the throne sat a towering figure with a ferocious visage, hundreds of meters tall and clad in black battle armor. It raised its head, gazing coldly and cruelly at Chen Chu as he descended amid the storm of molten fire.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

From its body radiated an oppressive might comparable to a heavenly king. Coupled with the rolling sea of demonic qi that blotted out the heavens and its blood-red eyes, its presence was terrifying, fitting for the great demon king that suppressed the maze’s deepest level.

Yet just as the great demon king finished speaking, Chen Chu, descending from the sky and stepping onto the void, reached out with his hand.

Boom!

Heaven and earth quaked, and the air exploded.

Above the great demon king’s head, a massive amount of power gathered, forming a transparent palm spanning thousands of kilometers, which then pressed down.

Sensing the crushing force that sought to suppress eternity itself, the great demon king’s expression instantly twisted in horror. "Your power... Impossible!"

Boom!

The throne of nine mountains shattered to powder. The ground fractured, as countless stones and clumps of soil blasted tens of thousands of meters into the air.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The colossal fragments crashed into the cavern roof like missiles, triggering massive explosions. Flames roared, and dust choked the air. In that instant, the legendary ninety-ninth level of the underground maze became an apocalyptic scene.

As for the self-proclaimed king of darkness, the one that would supposedly drown all, he was smashed into ash by a single palm strike from Chen Chu. His will was extinguished, his true form dissolved. Once power reached such a pinnacle, so-called immortality above the mythical level no longer held meaning.

With the great demon king’s fall, a torrent of heavenly gift power surged down from above, flooding into Chen Chu’s body. For the people of this world, that energy could only be used to level up. In Chen Chu’s hands, however, it reverted to the origin of the world itself, which then transformed into origin points unique to him.

On his attribute page, the original 4,570 origin points skyrocketed by 15,244, increasing by more than ten thousand. This was equivalent to slaying a true spirit on the planar battlefield. After altering the contract and redistributing the "shares" between himself and Amitya, the gains from this world had multiplied more than a hundredfold compared to the planar battlefield.

Even Chen Chu’s eyes reddened slightly as he stared at the sudden leap of origin points, killing intent swelling as he looked downward.

Beneath the vast hollow he had blasted open lay endless darkness. Within it floated a palace as immense as a plane itself. That was the Underground Palace of Evil Gods, where the Hell Apostles were imprisoned. If he slew them here, the origin harvested could be enough for the Dragon Emperor to condense its Third Primordial Heaven, stepping directly into the primordial monarch level.

Chen Chu exhaled softly, restraining his bloodlust. Here, the day’s work was nearly done. He had slaughtered his way through the entire maze, killing all of its demonic beings and reaping over 500,000 origin points. This was enough for the Dragon Emperor to condense its Second Primordial Heaven and break through to the primordial overlord level, yet it still wasn’t enough. Chen Chu wanted more.

The maze’s special nature was that its "structures" would automatically repair over time, and its demonic beings would soon regenerate. Of course, the demon kings of the lower layers and the elite bosses wouldn’t return so quickly. These powerful beings, born from endless slaughter and devouring human heroes’ flesh, required time to accumulate.

Even so, Chen Chu estimated that each time he cleared the maze in the future, he could harvest two to three hundred thousand origin points. Thus, there was no need to kill the roots. The true strategy was to leave the source—the evil gods that spawned the maze’s monsters—untouched. Better to reap them again and again, like harvesting chives.

At this thought, a faint smile curved Chen Chu’s lips. Even if he went down eventually, it would only be after those two had been nearly drained dry. Whether he killed them for their origin, or acknowledged that they were the ones who had drawn him here and thus spared them, would depend on the situation, such as if Chen Chu had already accumulated enough origin points by then.

Just as he cast one last deep glance at the Underground Palace of Evil Gods and prepared to turn away, something within his storage space stirred. The sub-disk of the Hell’s Wheel trembled faintly.

Those two...

Chen Chu’s gaze flickered. His spiritual force swept into the storage space, and at once broken fragments of thought pulsed from within the disk.

—"Brother Chu Batian... Be careful. This world is dangerous... In the deeper depths of the Underground Palace of Evil Gods... an even stronger existence is sealed away... The Ancient Demon... Celos..."

This time, the message carried by the two Hell Apostles caused even Chen Chu’s expression to turn solemn. Hidden deep within this world was another imprisoned being of terrifying might. Or rather, the suppressive force of this world, which restrained all evil gods and could even suppress primordial beings of the Second or Third Primordial Heaven, was in truth aimed at sealing that one existence in the lowest depths.

That existence was most likely at the Fourth Primordial Heaven, or perhaps something even stronger.

"So this... is the true secret of this world?" Chen Chu slowly raised his head, gazing upward at the vast hollow that pierced through ninety-nine levels. Beneath his feet, space collapsed with a roar, and his figure vanished in an instant.

On the surface, the tremors from underground had already stilled for more than ten minutes, yet none of the gathered heroes or Valkyries had left. Their faces remained tense, all waiting for something.

Every gaze snapped toward the stone gate leading into the maze, where a boundless surge of vitality erupted, pressing on all hearts with dreadful weight. From within the depths of the gate, before countless solemn and startled eyes, a black-haired youth slowly emerged.