Chapter 1185: The Deathwalker

In the Heart Realm Continent, within a tranquil garden.

“Swish, swish, swish.” Holding a wine flask in one hand and a wine cup in the other, he leisurely poured himself a drink.

The Undying Nether Emperor, clad in resplendent golden robes and wearing a crown, sat cross-legged, indulging in self-poured wine. He focused intently on savoring the taste of the liquor.

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the void beside him—none other than the ‘Insect Ancestor,’ who resembled a humanoid flying insect.

“Insect Ancestor?” The Undying Nether Emperor’s eyes lit up as he immediately set down his cup and asked, “Have you gathered everything?”

“What about my payment?” The Insect Ancestor produced a translucent, amber-like substance, within which flowed an extremely rare, faintly shimmering seven-colored liquid. Without hesitation, he tossed the peculiar object over.

The Undying Nether Emperor’s face brightened with joy the moment he saw it. Catching it, he carefully inspected it while muttering, “Rest assured, we made a vow. Why would I break it? Hmm, a hundred drops—not one more. You’re quite stingy, aren’t you? But the purity is acceptable. Haha, Insect Ancestor, truly worthy of being a former general under the Devouring World Emperor. He treated you well, passing down his legacy and even allowing you to gather a hundred drops of this ‘Devouring World Spirit Liquid.'”

“Whoosh.” With a flip of his hand, the Undying Nether Emperor produced a bracelet and tossed it over. “Here’s what you wanted. I prepared it long ago.”

“Good.”

The Insect Ancestor caught it, examined it meticulously, and revealed a faint smile. “Then I’ll take my leave.”

“Haha, if you ever need more treasures, feel free to seek me out. You can always trade with Devouring World Spirit Liquid,” the Undying Nether Emperor said.

“If I have need, I shall return to Your Majesty,” the Insect Ancestor replied. With a slight flutter of his crystalline wings, he vanished without a trace.

“Tsk, tsk. To produce a hundred drops… It seems the greatest treasures left behind by the Devouring World Emperor have all fallen into his hands.” The Undying Nether Emperor watched the Insect Ancestor disappear, murmuring to himself before lowering his gaze to the strange object in his hand, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “Finally, everything is gathered. It took so long after my return, but now all the pieces are in place.”

The Devouring World Spirit Liquid was originally harvested by the invincible ‘Devouring World Emperor’ from the higher layers of the Hunyuan Space using a supreme treasure.

Each drop was painstakingly obtained.

It was the finest ‘nourishment’ the Devouring World Emperor used to cultivate his insect beasts—those creatures that required it to reach the combat power of a Cosmic God. However, after the Devouring World Emperor’s fall, this liquid became a legend! Though he was besieged and slain, he managed to conceal his most valuable possessions before his death.

Now, it appeared that his former general, the ‘Insect Ancestor,’ had inherited them! Only after reaching the Ultimate realm did the Insect Ancestor dare to reveal them!

“Eternal Night has nurtured three Ultimate Wraiths, the Primordial Blood of Endless Night, the ‘Sacred Flame Stones’ gifted by the Sacred Flame City Lord, the ‘Devouring World Spirit Liquid’ from the Devouring World Emperor, and the intact corpse of a Hunyuan Lifeform I obtained long ago.” The Undying Nether Emperor’s eyes burned with fervor. “Now, all that remains is the final sacrificial offering to supply sufficient power. Once complete, I shall forge a ‘Deathwalker.'”

“Back then, I painstakingly crafted a Deathwalker, only to lose in that final gamble. I had to sacrifice it to hold off my enemies while I fled back here.” The Undying Nether Emperor recalled those past years, his blood boiling with intensity.

He had embarked on the path to becoming a Hunyuan Lifeform.

This path was not his alone—many other powerhouses from various Source Worlds, guided by assistance, had also begun their journeys toward Hunyuan Lifeform status. Initially, he received some aid, but after three consecutive failures, all support vanished. Like many others who failed, he was left struggling in despair.

That he managed to escape back to the Heart Realm Continent by sacrificing his Deathwalker was already a stroke of luck.

“Fortunately, I still possess a Hunyuan Lifeform corpse. Once refined, it will become a ‘Half-Hunyuan Lifeform’—my strongest weapon yet. With this, I will have the confidence to venture into the Broken Tooth Mountain Range.” The Undying Nether Emperor smiled. “With the opportunities hidden within the Broken Tooth Mountain Range, I may even have a chance to break through by sheer force.”

This path was treacherous, but any advantage was worth pursuing.

“Eternal Night Primogenitor, Endless Night Primogenitor, and the others—they all sense that I’ve grown slightly stronger, but only by a fraction. The true culmination of my eons of struggle, countless brushes with death, and relentless research is my perfected method of forging ‘Deathwalkers.'” The Undying Nether Emperor mused silently.

Some of his former peers on this path had perished, while others, prodigiously talented, had taken unique but flawed routes, transforming themselves into ‘Half-Hunyuan Lifeforms.’

The Undying Nether Emperor had refrained from such a choice.

Taking that step would sever his path to becoming a true Hunyuan Lifeform. Instead, he continuously refined his Deathwalker forging techniques, gathering insights from other practitioners and experimenting with materials until he elevated the method to unprecedented heights.

Only by using a Hunyuan Lifeform corpse as the foundation could a truly formidable Deathwalker be forged!

Through his experiences, the Undying Nether Emperor had come to understand that the disparity among Hunyuan Lifeforms was vast. Those who ascended from weakness, mastering the Dao with unparalleled control—some even anchoring themselves to an entire Source World—were truly formidable. In contrast, natural-born Hunyuan Lifeforms often wielded the Dao clumsily, relying on instinct. Some of the weaker ones… he could even contend against with a supreme treasure, though at a disadvantage.

“The Heart Realm Continent was created by Yuan.”

“Yuan is one of the most ancient and nearly peerless Hunyuan Lifeforms, rivaled only by the likes of Lord Luo, who achieved Hunyuan status through sheer force.”

Only after his experiences abroad did the Undying Nether Emperor grasp the stature of Yuan and Lord Luo.

“Rumors say that the corpse of a terrifying serpent, which even Yuan had to gravely injure himself to slay, was discarded somewhere in the Broken Tooth Mountain Range.” The Undying Nether Emperor’s eyes burned with desire. The most renowned relic in the Broken Tooth Mountain Range was a fragment of that serpent’s remains—even the so-called ‘Broken Tooth Serpent Pearl’ was but the most insignificant part of its body.

…

The Broken Tooth Mountain Range was perilous beyond measure.

The more valuable the location, the deadlier the risks. Though the Undying Nether Emperor had ventured there multiple times, certain forbidden zones remained beyond his reach. With a Deathwalker, however, he would finally have the confidence to explore them.

Night deepened.

At the edge of the Heart Realm Continent, atop a nameless desolate mountain, a handsome youth clad in golden robes and a crown descended.

“The moment has come—the critical juncture.”

With a wave of his hand—

**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!**

Sixteen bronze pillars materialized out of thin air, plunging into the earth. They expanded rapidly, soon towering like celestial columns encircling the mountain.

**CRASH!** Another gesture summoned an enormous, four-legged beast’s corpse, sprawled across the mountain. Countless mystical patterns shimmered across its form, and chains bound its limbs, swiftly linking to the sixteen bronze pillars. The chains, also etched with intricate runes, resonated with the corpse’s markings, forming a colossal seal that suppressed the entire carcass.

“Endless Night Primogenitor’s abilities may be mediocre, but his Primordial Blood is exceptional—far surpassing the vitality of even the strongest body-refining warriors.” The Undying Nether Emperor marveled.

After all, the Endless Night Primogenitor’s true form was an ocean of blood.

Before him, a massive cauldron appeared, containing nine precious Sacred Flame Stones. With a slight activation, pale flames surged within.

Then, with meticulous control, the Undying Nether Emperor suspended a blood sphere the size of a human head above the cauldron, subjecting it to the pale flames. **Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle.** The sphere’s surface rippled with shifting runes as its contents burned away, gradually revealing an eerie azure glow within.

By the end of the process, only a fingernail-sized azure crystal remained.

Holding his breath, the Undying Nether Emperor—

“Go.”

With a pointed finger—

The azure crystal flew toward the colossal Hunyuan Lifeform corpse.