The black mist surged, accompanied by a chilling tide that sent shivers down the spine. The stone pavement beneath was coated in a thick layer of ice, and towering, broken divine statues could be occasionally seen around, all with missing heads and limbs, their faces weathered and indistinct.

Zhang Kui’s eyes narrowed slightly as he surveyed the surroundings, signalling for everyone to halt with a wave of his hand.

There seemed to be a constant rustling sound by his ears, and the intense feeling of being watched came from all directions, as if the entire space was filled with malice and scrutiny.

"Many thanks to Taoist Friend Zhang for your assistance..."

The Spider Spirit brothers from the Spirit Corpse Sect expressed their gratitude with clasped hands and bowed.

The battle between both sides had erupted too suddenly; perhaps it was a coincidence, or perhaps premeditated. Many had not reacted in time, and the two demons had witnessed several cultivators more powerful than themselves being engulfed by all sorts of evil and toxic lights, turning to ashes in an instant.

In a battle of this magnitude, even the space was blasted into chaos, perhaps taking a millennium to repair. Even Immortals were as insignificant as ants; their survival was thanks to Zhang Kui’s fast reflexes.

"You’re too kind, Taoist Friends."

Zhang Kui nodded indifferently, his brows furrowed as he looked around.

Within a secret realm, there is often a force that prevents divine thought from probing. The more mysterious and dangerous the place, the stronger this force becomes.

The Ancient Secret Realm on the Celestial Essence Star Realm, the black mist of the Netherworld, the black tide area eroded by chaos power... As Zhang Kui’s cultivation grew deeper, these places were no longer obstacles. But in this Ancient Celestial Mansion, it was evidently different, as his divine thought couldn’t reach beyond a thousand meters.

Indeed, it was the most mysterious place in the Netherworld Realm; aside from those like the Nine Calamities Divine Monarch and Celestial Ghost Buddha, others would be groping around in the dark.

Though not him.

Thinking of this, Zhang Kui immediately activated the Tongyou Skill with full force. Two beams of divine light shot out, disappearing into the endless darkness, and the scene before his eyes changed:

The space here was exceptionally odd. The bluestone steps they stood upon were a thousand meters wide, with the foundation less than ten meters thick, suspended in mid-air, winding endlessly.

There was not just one such path; sometimes they converged, sometimes they crossed over each other, complex like a chaotic labyrinth.

In the middle of these suspended paths floated some bizarre "black clouds," pitch-black and viscous like asphalt, slowly writhing like a living entity. They emitted no sign of life, only endless evil Qi pervading.

They were not alone in entering this place. Many couldn’t see the paths and, panicked, fell into the void, only to be entangled and devoured by these "black clouds," their desperate struggles and unleashed flames and icy tides futile.

What on earth were these things?

Seeing even an Immortal level being swallowed, Zhang Kui felt his scalp tingle.

Sensing his unusual expression, the two demons from the Spirit Corpse Sect exchanged wary glances and cautiously asked, "Taoist Friend Zhang, can you see it?"

By now, even if they were dull, they knew Zhang Kui was no ordinary person. Truth be told, their deceased ancestor might not even possess such cultivation.

However, they wisely chose to play dumb. After all, Zhang Kui had shown goodwill by saving them; knowing too much might not be beneficial.

"This place is extremely dangerous; never attempt to fly around recklessly..." Zhang Kui didn’t bother denying, his gaze was grave as he recounted what he saw and heard.

"That’s the ’Black Calamity!’"

Unexpectedly, the Spider Spirit brothers recognized the object, their eyes full of fear, nervously scanning the surroundings.

"Taoist Friend Zhang, you probably don’t know, but our sect’s records mention this thing. It occasionally appears during the thunderous roar of dark lightning and spatial chaos. They are drawn by the Divine Mountain Array, and many clans have been wiped out because of it."

"No one knows its origin; it’s like a calamity brought down by this world, hence it’s called ’Black Calamity.’ I didn’t expect it to originate from here..."

Listening to the demons’ description, Zhang Kui was thoughtful.

Rumor has it that this Ancient Netherworld can control the entire Netherworld Realm; even the position of Realm Master must be obtained from here. Could it really be the core of this world?

Despite many questions in his heart, the path of entry had vanished. Zhang Kui didn’t dwell on it much, ordering the two demons to closely follow him as they continued forward along the ancient, weathered stone steps.

After deploying the Tongyou Skill, although still obstructed and a bit fuzzy in the distance, it was enough for pathfinding, thus their speed was rapid.

However, they were not the only ones who entered.

Boom!

A colossal black Ancient Mirror Starship, with billowing smoke all around, spiraled down from the sky, shattering the road ahead for several thousand meters, then plummeted into the "Black Calamity," as the Spirit Charm Array quickly dissipated.

Zhang Kui had already sensed it, promptly halting everyone.

Fatty Tiger, gazing at the pitch-black void cliff ahead, couldn’t help but shrink his head, "Taoist, there’s no path; where do we go?"

The two demons from the Spirit Corpse Sect beside him wore equally bitter expressions. Their abilities lay in controlling zombies, presumably tasked by Celestial Ghost Buddha to gather a corpse tide for pathfinding. Who would have thought the sudden battle would leave them alone?

Now, let alone seeking treasure and merit, just surviving and leaving safely was lucky. Thinking of this, they also looked towards Zhang Kui.

But Zhang Kui’s expression was grave, his face displeased.

Dirt and stones cascaded from the void. Intense sounds of slaughter and domain collisions shook the space from all directions, causing nearly all the stone steps to sway precariously.

Too many people had rushed in!

A densely packed army, massive Disaster Beasts, countless Ancient Mirror Starships, two Star Realms... Even though the Ancient Netherworld was vast beyond measure, it seemed almost teeming with people, not to mention the ongoing battles and skirmishes.