The Being at the Bottom of the Pit

"This is it!" Luo Feng hovered in mid-air, sensing the surrounding malevolent energy concentration. "Go up further, and the malevolent energy concentration decreases. Go down further, and the concentration also decreases.

Luo Feng looked ahead; the crimson malevolent energy was slowly flowing.

The depth he was at was where the malevolent energy was most concentrated... yet, the entire abyss was too vast, and he was merely clinging to the edge of the mountain wall.

"I'm at the edge of the abyss, so what's the malevolent energy concentration like in the center?" Luo Feng cautiously flew deeper into the endless malevolent energy, penetrating at a speed of about 100 kilometers per second. As he approached the center of the abyss, "The concentration is increasing, this malevolent energy concentration is actually rising again!"

3.5 times... 4 times... 4.5 times... 5 times... 6 times...

As he drew closer to the center, the increase in malevolent energy concentration became more astonishing. The killing intent surging into his Sea of Consciousness grew increasingly powerful and terrifying, as if countless slaughtering demon gods were howling. The demon gods' howls, whether forceful or invisibly penetrating, continuously tempted and swayed Luo Feng's will.

"Too strong." Luo Feng stopped in the area with 7 times the malevolent energy concentration, his face slightly pale. He squinted, his gaze sharp as a blade, and cold sweat subtly seeped from his forehead.

"This killing intent is truly, truly too... too terrifying."

Endless killing intent filled the world of his Sea of Consciousness.

Compared to it, Luo Feng's will was much weaker, yet it was firm and condensed.

"Although this killing intent is still chaotic, countless streams of killing intent merge, each incredibly powerful. While I can endure it, I already need to treat it with extreme seriousness." Luo Feng's expression was grim. In the Pit of the Abyss, he was constantly assailed by killing intent, but that level of intrusion... Luo Feng could still fully dedicate himself to studying laws.

But now!

At 7 times the malevolent energy concentration, most of Luo Feng's mental energy had to be used to resist the invasion of killing intent.

"I'll go all out and see how far I can last." Luo Feng slowly flew forward.

His flying speed slowed, but the concentration increased even faster; the closer to the core, the more astonishing the rise.

8 times the concentration!

"Hmm?" Luo Feng abruptly stopped in mid-air.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~~~

The malevolent energy before him was now as crimson as blood, continuously swirling into a vortex at a visibly increasing rate!

"The vortex core!" Luo Feng instantly spotted the core of the malevolent energy vortex dozens of kilometers away. The malevolent energy at the core was so dense it made one's heart tremble, like a crimson sun! At the same time, the vortex core emitted an ancient, eternal aura, and even an invisible temptation seeped into Luo Feng's mind.

"Come!"

"Come!"

"Come to me!" That invisible summons permeated Luo Feng's Sea of Consciousness.

"Get out!!!" Luo Feng let out a roar that shook his entire Sea of Consciousness, instantly crushing and pulverizing the temptation that had invaded its depths. "How dare you try to sway me!"

Luo Feng's eyes were sharp as he stared at the vortex core.

"I can't get any closer."

"If I get any closer, I probably won't be able to resist." Luo Feng's expression was grim. Although he instantly detected the temptation... he had to admit, the allure of this vortex core was far more terrifying than the illusions of 'Illusory Sea's Ninth Island,' and the frenzied killing intent was also nearing the limits of Luo Feng's endurance!

At 7 times the concentration, he already felt immense pressure.

The malevolent energy at 8 times the concentration was indeed close to his limit.

A pure contest of will.

On one side was Luo Feng's pure will, and on the other, endless killing intent! Nearing his limit now, Luo Feng could indeed push further, perhaps delve a little deeper, but—

He dared not risk it!

Because if he failed and the killing intent successfully invaded him, he would become a bloodthirsty madman. A true madman, devoid of reason and thought. That would be equivalent to death!

Dozens of kilometers from the vortex core, Luo Feng chose to retreat.

"It seems my will isn't strong enough yet." Luo Feng looked at the blood-like vortex before him. "If Big Brother and Second Brother were here, they could probably go much deeper!"

"Right!"

"A vortex?"

"The vortex core is the densest, and it gets weaker further out. The 'arms' of this vortex probably extend to the outermost edge at a depth of 9000 kilometers." Luo Feng simulated a colossal vortex in his mind, a malevolent energy vortex with a radius of several thousand kilometers. That 9000-kilometer depth was the outermost edge of the vortex.

So the concentration there was twice that of the Pit of the Abyss.

Further out, it sharply dropped to a single concentration.

...

"The densest malevolent energy in this abyss is actually that vortex core. I wonder what that core, condensed like a crimson sun, truly is." Luo Feng recalled the invisible temptation that had seeped into his Sea of Consciousness along with the killing intent, and an inexplicable palpitation arose in his heart. "I can't go deeper! Not now, at least!"

Whoosh!

Luo Feng flew to the rock wall near the abyss, then descended directly hundreds of meters along the wall, continuing his descent towards the bottom of the giant pit.

"I want to see just how deep this giant pit abyss is, and what lies at its bottom." Luo Feng continued to descend.

15,000 kilometers, 20,000 kilometers...

The depth of the giant pit clearly surpassed its width, and the malevolent energy concentration at the bottom was almost identical to that of the Pit of the Abyss.

...

Deep within the abyss, on a protruding rock platform at the edge of the mountain wall, a tall figure clad entirely in bronze combat armor sat cross-legged. Suddenly, he opened his eyes, looking into the distance. At the same time, a trace of primal energy directly permeated to the bottom of the valley: "My lord, someone has arrived. Peak Cloud-Sky Tier strength. How should we deal with them?"

...

At the bottom of the abyss.

Malevolent energy permeated the air, and some common plants and weeds grew, but a palace, entirely crimson, stood at this bottom.

"Leave it to me!" A booming voice quickly echoed back to the ears of the figure in bronze combat armor.

Deep within the second floor of the palace.

There were sealed cells, from which strange and frenzied roars faintly emanated, occasionally accompanied by the clang of metal. Yet these cells... each was about ten meters high, ten meters long and wide, like sealed cubic coffins. And at this moment, one of these cells suddenly opened automatically. Inside this cell... stood a valiant warrior, approximately three meters tall, his body slightly hunched, with two gigantic cleavers strapped to his back.

However, his hair was disheveled, and his eyes were blood-red, devoid of any reason.

"Roar~~ Kill!" He let out a low growl, like a beast.

"Go, kill the one disturbing the master's cultivation!" A voice rang out.

Whoosh!

The beast-like valiant warrior transformed into a streak of light and swiftly charged out.

...

Luo Feng gently descended, his boot soles touching the valley floor.

"Moss-like plants?" Luo Feng looked at the ground, then surveyed his surroundings. The valley floor was utterly silent, occasionally revealing scattered rocks that had clearly tumbled down from higher up the rock walls.

"Could it be that there's no life at all at the bottom of this valley?"

Driven by curiosity, Luo Feng began to explore, though he remained very cautious.

Each step propelled him dozens of kilometers away. He began exploring this immensely vast valley floor, where some areas were sunken like canyons, and others protruded like mountains. After all, in terms of sheer area... the valley floor's size was quite close to Earth's landmass. Small mountains several kilometers high, and canyons thousands to tens of thousands of meters deep, were indeed common sights at the bottom of the valley.

"It seems there's nothing truly special here."

"Utter silence." Luo Feng turned to leave when suddenly his ear twitched. He faintly sensed an aura rapidly approaching, and then that aura became very clear.

"Hmm?"

Luo Feng abruptly spun around, staring intently into the distance. "What a frenzied aura, completely undisguised. I detected it at least a thousand kilometers away. Judging by the aura... it shouldn't be too strong. Cloud-Sky Tier Ninth-rank? Or Domain Tier First or Second-rank?" Luo Feng's hand rested on the scabbard at his back, while simultaneously sensing the aura's rapid approach.

"Roar~~" A figure swiftly appeared.

A tall warrior, hunched over with disheveled, wild-man-like hair, appeared. His blood-red eyes were filled with nothing but madness and slaughter, and in his hands, he wielded two gigantic cleavers.

"He's fallen into madness." Luo Feng instantly judged upon seeing him. "Assailed by killing intent in this malevolent energy environment, he finally couldn't resist and the killing intent invaded his consciousness... the entire person became solely focused on slaughter, completely mad."

"Kill, kill!" The mad savage let out frenzied sounds from his throat, simultaneously lunging at Luo Feng.

"Since you've fallen into madness, you pitiful soul, I'll do a good deed and send you on your way." Luo Feng instantly drew his Blood Shadow Battle Blade!

Clang!

As the battle blade left its sheath, Luo Feng instantly drifted like a phantom. The mad savage, with a single cleave, struck Luo Feng's afterimage. Boom, boom, boom~~~ The earth violently cracked and split open, a canyon several kilometers deep was directly carved out, but the afterimage dissipated, clearly struck at empty air.

"Kill!" The frenzied savage directly spun and swung his cleaver!

"Clang!"

It precisely struck Luo Feng's incoming Blood Shadow Battle Blade, sending Luo Feng himself flying, transforming into a silver speck of light that vanished into the crimson malevolent energy.

"What keen senses, and his blade technique subtly carries the essence of 'Earth Origin Laws.' I approached in an instant, yet he could easily defend. This madman... before he fell into madness, he must have been a master." Luo Feng retreated with the momentum, then instantly vanished like a phantom.

Meanwhile, the mad savage roared in frenzy.

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

The sheer force unleashed by his two gigantic cleavers caused countless surrounding rocks to shatter. His blood-red eyes wildly scanned the surroundings, and at the same time, his invisible mental force spread out to search for Luo Feng.

An incomparably beautiful blade light illuminated the area!

So beautiful it was intoxicating!

Space itself seemed to freeze at this moment. This streak of blade light was silver, with faint golden threads at its tip. As this beautiful blade light bloomed...

"Pfft!"

The blade light swept into the mad savage's neck, and then a sharp blade light extended into his body, directly striking his core singularity, causing the core to explode.

"Kill, kill, kill..." The mad savage's head fell to the ground, his mouth twitching slightly, still unconsciously muttering the word "kill." Blood continued to gush from his neck as he crashed to the ground.

Swish!

Luo Feng's body coalesced, standing there. He looked at the corpse on the ground, falling into a slight silence.