Desolate Devouring Art
Chapter 1076 - Abyssal Emperor

Chapter 1076 - Abyssal Emperor

Liu Wuxie didn't conceal his true purpose—to find the Barefooted Elder.

After a brief moment of silence, Tian Wucang said, "I can take you to him."

The moment those words left Tian Wucang's lips, Liu Wuxie sprang to his feet in excitement. Had they not been trapped here, he would have grabbed Tian Wucang and started the search immediately.

"Brother Tian, I don't even know how to thank you," Liu Wuxie said sincerely, "If you can help me find the Barefooted Elder, I'll owe you a great debt. Just say the word, and I'll repay you."

Since Tian Wucang was probably the only one who knew the Barefooted Elder's whereabouts, Liu Wuxie vowed to remember this favor forever.

"You saved my life. Helping you is the least I can do," Tian Wucang replied calmly.

If Liu Wuxie hadn't intervened the previous night, the Abyssal Emperor's guards would have already captured and executed Tian Wucang.

"Let's figure out how to get out of here first," Liu Wuxie said with a nod. After all they had been through, there was no need for formalities between them.

They began circling the underground tomb, searching for a way out. A craftsman had built the walls using a special type of stone that was so tough even weapons couldn't scratch it.

They searched for a long time, but every slab was sealed tight, without even the slightest gap. Not even an ant could slip through. After an exhausting day and night of searching, they collapsed onto the ground, panting for breath.

Tian Wucang stood up and walked over to a corner.

"Brother Gu, excuse me," he said as he walked off to relieve himself.

Unlike Liu Wuxie, Tian Wucang hadn't cultivated enough to refine away bodily waste like other advanced cultivators. He still relied on food and drink like an ordinary person and had to relieve himself as a result.

Liu Wuxie nodded, as it was only natural.

After relieving himself, Tian Wucang returned to rest.

Just then, a faint dripping sound echoed nearby. Liu Wuxie immediately shot up and rushed to the corner where Tian Wucang had urinated. The small puddle on the ground vanished rapidly right before his eyes.

Tian Wucang followed behind, and the two exchanged glances upon witnessing the disappearance of the small puddle.

"There's a hollow space down below!" they exclaimed in unison.

Although the stone slabs appeared tightly sealed, the liquid seeped through hairline cracks, indicating a hollow chamber beneath.

"Let's dig!" Liu Wuxie shouted. They both drew their weapons and began excavating along the trail where the liquid had drained. They struck the stone with their blades, sending sparks flying.

Soon, a fist-sized hole was made.

"This layer is much thinner than the walls," Liu Wuxie said upon an observation. They tried excavating the side walls earlier, but the side walls were far more durable.

Summoning the Heretic Blade, Liu Wuxie slashed out with great force. With each strike, spiderweb-like cracks spread outward from the impact point.

The hole widened rapidly to the size of a bowl, and it was still growing.

Tian Wucang backed away, not daring to get too close. Liu Wuxie's aura surged, overwhelming the space with strength rivaling an Earth Profound Realm expert.

With each strike, a deep, muffled boom would echo throughout the tomb. The fractures widened as shards of stone splintered and fell away.

"Open!" Liu Wuxie roared, channeling his true essence into the Heretic Blade. The blade morphed into a massive hammer, and he swung it downward with immense force.

With a deafening crash, the stone palace quaked. The stone coffin creaked and shifted. The sight was something Tian Wucang had never witnessed before.

A low rumble echoed from beneath the floor as the stone beneath Liu Wuxie cracked open, revealing a foot-wide hole.

"Underground magma!" exclaimed Liu Wuxie and Tian Wucang at the same time.

The sound wasn't water; it was molten lava surging through a subterranean river. Intense heat surged upward, sharply spiking the chamber's temperature.

"No wonder the stone here is weaker. The lava must have eroded it over time," Tian Wucang observed, noting that the layer here was significantly thinner than the others.

"The magma's too hot right now. Let's wait until the flow weakens before heading down," Liu Wuxie said after gauging the heat. He could endure it, but Tian Wucang likely wouldn't survive such intense heat.

Tian Wucang nodded in agreement, and they sat near the opening, watching the lava shift and flow.

Suddenly, a loud thud echoed through the chamber as the lid of the stone coffin fell shut. Both men jumped to their feet at once.

Liu Wuxie cautiously approached the coffin. With the Heretic Blade in hand, he was ready for any threat.

When the two drew near and confirmed that no danger lurked, they slowly leaned in to peer inside.

"An Abyssal Emperor!" Tian Wucang gasped.

An Abyssal Emperor-level devil's preserved corpse lay inside the coffin. Oddly, the body emitted no aura whatsoever. That baffled them since an Abyssal Emperor's remains should still radiate powerful laws that could linger for millennia.

Liu Wuxie extended his divine sense into the coffin. The body was ancient, thousands of years old, but aside from its flawless preservation, it was utterly void of any law fluctuations.

"But how could an Abyssal Emperor die like this?" Liu Wuxie muttered, frowning. Abyssal Emperors were equivalent to Heaven Profound Realm cultivators, near-immortal unless slain.

Yet, this corpse bore no wounds.

"I know him!" Tian Wucang whispered, his face going pale. His body trembled, and he instinctively staggered back a few steps.

"Who is he?" Liu Wuxie asked.

"Tian Hengshuang, my ancestor," Tian Wucang replied softly.

By fate or chance, he had found the tomb of his forebear.

"How can you be so sure?" Liu Wuxie asked.

If this Abyssal Emperor was truly Tian Wucang's ancestor, then he had to have died ages ago. With such a vast generational gap, how could Tian Wucang recognize him at a glance?

"Because... he also had the Curse Physique!" Tian Wucang replied, regaining his composure as he stepped forward.

"The Curse Physique?!" Liu Wuxie was stunned.

That constitution was exceedingly rare, and those who possessed it usually faced execution as soon as they were discovered. Yet today, he had encountered two individuals with such a physique, all in a single day.

"Are you certain that he had the Curse Physique?" Liu Wuxie asked again, studying Tian Wucang carefully.

"Yes. In our bloodline, one Curse Physique appears every ten thousand years," Tian Wucang said with certainty. The abyssal devil in the coffin was undoubtedly his ancestor.

"That makes it even stranger. Where did his laws go? No matter how I look at him, he seems like a normal corpse," Liu Wuxie said, genuinely puzzled. He meant no disrespect. He truly couldn't fathom why a being of that level would leave behind no trace of law energy.

"The Curse Physique is a strange constitution that defies harmony with the world," Tian Wucang explained. "Once its bearer dies, everything within them transforms into pure cursed energy and disperses back into the world."

He had studied the Curse Physique for years, poring over countless ancient records to gain a deeper understanding of it. That was why Liu Wuxie's insights impressed him.

However, even those records only noted one thing: those born with the Curse Physique would inevitably bring misfortune to everyone around them.

"I see..." Liu Wuxie nodded, though Unease crept through his mind.

The two circled the stone coffin in silence. Liu Wuxie fell into deep thought, absentmindedly stroking his chin.

"Brother Gu, are you wondering how my ancestor died despite being an Abyssal Emperor?" Tian Wucang asked, catching on to Liu Wuxie's train of thought.

Liu Wuxie nodded. That was indeed the question that had been plaguing him. Heaven Profound Realm experts rarely died unless slain by someone of equal strength.

"Exactly. I can't figure it out."

"It's because the world itself rejects the Curse Physique," Tian Wucang explained. "If someone with that physique fails to master the Curse Dao Art, their life force will eventually run out, regardless of their cultivation."

With that, Liu Wuxie finally understood. Tian Hengshuang had to have failed to master the Curse Dao Art and, as a result, he died when his natural lifespan was finally exhausted.

Then, a thought struck him, and he asked, "So... the Barefooted Elder also has the Curse Physique?"

He had long suspected it, but now, everything was pointing to that conclusion. No matter how strong they grew, those with the Curse Physique eventually perished. That begged the question—was the Barefooted Elder still alive?

"You're right," Tian Wucang said, nodding. "The Barefooted Elder has the same physique. He's an even rarer variant, one that brings misfortune to anyone who gets close to him. Unlike mine, his Curse Physique had fully awakened."

Liu Wuxie's brow furrowed. "Then... are you certain he's still alive?"

That was the question that weighed on him most. He had traveled far for answers, but if the Barefooted Elder no longer lived, his journey would be in vain.

"He should still be alive," Tian Wucang answered after a moment, but uncertainty clouded his tone. It had been over ten thousand years since anyone last saw the man. In the Eastern Domain, the name "Barefooted Elder" had become a taboo name that no one dared to utter aloud.

Together, they closed the coffin. No matter what, a figure of that stature deserved a proper burial. However, Tian Hengshuang was born with the Cursed Physique, so they had sealed him in this remote tomb and denied him proper rites and honors.

"The lava's calmed down. We need to move before it flares again," Liu Wuxie said, returning to the molten opening.

"Let's go," Tian Wucang muttered. His voice was low, his mood weighed down by emotion.

Liu Wuxie took the lead, leaping down. His feet landed precisely on a protruding stone floating above the lava. Tian Wucang followed closely behind him.

Before them stretched a vast underground river of lava. Neither dared to relax as they leaped from stone to stone, moving quickly to ensure that the next surge wouldn't hit them.

After fifteen minutes, they reached a fork in the road. The main lava stream flowed deeper underground, but Liu Wuxie veered off into a side path.

"We need to get out of here first," he said, frowning.

A sinister aura had started to rise. Abyssal and curse energies saturated the air, making it thick enough to feel suffocating.

Staying here for too long would be dangerous, even for him. He could already feel the stirrings of his inner demon clawing at the edge of his mind. The mixture of curse and abyssal energy was gnawing at his soul.