Nine Nether Heavenly Emperor

"Ha!"

Within the dark and eerie forest, Shi Feng let out an angry shout, and his body erupted with fierce black thunder as he shot upwards towards the night sky.

But immediately, an invisible, powerful force suddenly appeared above Shi Feng, slamming him, in his black thunder form, back into the dark and eerie forest.

By now, Shi Feng had lost count of how many times this force had sent him crashing back into the forest.

"Die, die, die!" The deathly curse sound continued to echo through the forest.

It was driving everyone crazy!

"Ah!" Shi Feng had already become somewhat frenzied, wishing he could drag out the hidden monster and reduce it to ashes.

He was trying to return along the original path, but every time the path was gone, leading him onto a path he had never walked before.

Breaching the space only to be slapped back by a strong invisible force yet again.

Controlled by this strange forest at every turn, he felt like a bird trapped in a cage.

Inside the Earth Divine Bell, the Black Robed Man's power was weakening, covered in wounds. To repay two life-saving debts, Shi Feng had passed on the ancient symbol of the Life Law to him, hoping he could hold on with its power.

"Who are you?" At this moment, Shi Feng suddenly sensed a disturbance in the forest ahead and a figure rapidly approaching, prompting Shi Feng to shout fiercely at it.

"Who are you? After all these years, no other living being has entered here. Unexpectedly, tonight, one has." Then, an elderly, gravelly voice, as if filled with sand, sounded from the front.

Following that, a shadow flickered not far in front of Shi Feng.

Soon, a small-statured figure appeared before Shi Feng.

It was a hunched old woman, standing at only a meter tall. She looked extremely aged, the marks of time vividly etched on her face, which was full of creases like crumpled paper, indicating she had lived many years.

Naturally, as she mentioned that no other living beings had entered here for a long time, it proved that she belonged to this place.

If she lived in these ancient relics, her lifespan must be terrifyingly long.

The most crucial point was that Shi Feng couldn't see through her cultivation level. Despite her small stature, her aura was long-lasting, like an unfathomable abyss.

However, in this eerie forest, seeing such an old woman, Shi Feng became more cautious and fixated his gaze on her.

"Are you from the Wilderness Continent outside?" The old woman also sized Shi Feng up, glancing at the Earth Divine Bell on his right shoulder.

Since she said "you," she must have noticed the Black Robed Man inside the Earth Divine Bell.

"That's right!" Shi Feng nodded in response.

"Follow me then." At this moment, the old woman suddenly turned her back and said to Shi Feng.

On their first meeting, she asked him to follow her; naturally, Shi Feng, being cautious, furrowed his brows and was unwilling to follow her.

After a few steps, noticing that Shi Feng didn't follow, the old woman turned her head back and looked at Shi Feng again, saying:

"You and this girl have both been affected by the Death God Curse Sound. If you don't come with me, then wait for this girl to die, and you will slowly wait for your death too."

"Death God Curse Sound?" Hearing the old woman's words, Shi Feng was shocked. Death God Curse Sound! In ancient times on the Tianheng Continent, there had been a god called the Death God. The silver sickle he once acquired was the Death God's item, known as the Death God Scythe.

The sound this old woman referred to as the Death God Curse Sound—is it related to the Death God?

What shocked Shi Feng even more was her mentioning "girl," and he looked strangely at the Earth Divine Bell on his shoulder.

In his mind, the image of the Black Robed silhouette appeared naturally, along with that elderly, gravelly voice.

Especially considering that voice and the word "girl," they did not seem to connect at all.

However, Shi Feng also remembered those white slender hands, like a woman's.

"Could it be that this fellow is really a woman?" Thinking of this, Shi Feng stared again at the unfathomable old woman.

However, after saying her piece, the old woman ignored Shi Feng, moving forward steadily on her own.

Seeing her continuing forward, Shi Feng hurriedly moved his legs to follow. At this moment, the old woman was the only hope to save the Black Robe.

Shi Feng had sensed that the aura within the Earth Divine Bell was getting weaker, and it wouldn't be long before the Black Robed Man completely exhausted himself.

"Die, die, die! Die!" At this moment, the Death God Curse Sound again echoed in this eerie forest.

At this moment, the old woman walking in front suddenly shouted, "Ha!"

As the shout rang out, Shi Feng felt no power wave at all, yet under the old woman's shout, the bizarre sound she called the Death God Curse Sound abruptly ceased!

Subsequently, Shi Feng suddenly saw a strange purple ancient rune floating rapidly over from the front, quickly attaching itself to the Earth Divine Bell.

"Dong!" The Earth Divine Bell emitted a faint vibrating sound.

"This..." Shi Feng was taken aback, watching as the purple rune caused the Earth Divine Bell to resonate unexpectedly.

But immediately, the old woman's raspy and calm voice sounded from the front once more: "Don't worry, I merely dispelled the residual Death God Curse Sound's power within this girl."

The old woman didn't turn around when she spoke. Afterward, she continued on her way.

After hearing the old woman's words, Shi Feng checked the Earth Divine Bell and finally felt at ease.

The old woman hadn't lied. The aura within the Earth Divine Bell, the Black Robed Man's, gradually stabilized.

Then, Shi Feng once again caught up with the old woman. When he reached her, he spoke humbly: "Senior, thank you for saving us. May I ask, where are we going?"

Since this person had already saved both of them, with unfathomable strength and a long life, he respectfully called her "Senior" out of humility.

After Shi Feng's voice fell, the old woman's voice sounded again: "The reason I saved you is that I have some connection with this girl; otherwise, whether you lived or died would have nothing to do with me.

Don't ask so many other questions. If I ask you to follow, then just follow."

As the old woman concluded, her impatience was evident in her tone.

Originally, Shi Feng wanted to inquire more about these ancient relics, but it seemed she wouldn't speak further.

Yet this old woman probably harbored no ill will towards them; had she truly borne ill will, he would have been unable to resist anyway.

Shi Feng continued to observe the unfathomable old woman, pondering what cultivation level she had achieved.