Chapter 1392: Astral Hell
Chapter 1392: Astral Hell
Everyone was watching the 10 gateways to Hell gradually fusing into one.
In the process, they could see the color getting darker. Towards the end, the 10 gateways to Hell became one and pitch-black!
The surface of the ring shimmered in a black glow, and the dots on it resembled the endless stars within the Great Void Immortal Path.
"Something is happening!" The Gu Huo Immortal Lord was exhilarated. Just as he had expected, when the 10 gateways to Hell combined into one, it would be different from before.
However, as to the changes it would bring, they would still have to continue observing.
The space of the gateway to Hell wasn't particularly huge and could only allow two to three people to pass through at any point. Despite combining 10 into one, the space wasn't enlarged.
On the other end, the vibes from within the ring were constantly strengthening. Standing before it, one would feel as though they were within the thousandth level of hell. The pugnant, disgusting, malevolent, murky, and chilling sensation bombarded them. All of them were descendants of immortal emperors of the sky palaces, so they naturally wouldn't be comfortable with it.
Eventually, the fusion was complete.
A pitch-black gateway to Hell was left before the eyes of the crowd. There weren't any movements for now, and everyone was stumped.
"Nothing's happening?" The Gu Huo Immortal Lord was astounded.
At this moment, flashes of black light burst forth from the gateway to Hell, propagated outwards and probably sweeping through the entire Endless River of Stars!
All of a sudden, an imposing voice reverberated across the Endless River of Stars.
"Congratulations to everyone on starting the path. The 10th-grade Mark of an Immortal King is right behind this door and within the 5,000th level of hell, the Astral Hell.
"The door to the Astral Hell will be opened for one year before closing. Those who choose to participate can enter it. However, Hell is fraught with dangers and ghostly immortals. Before having thoughts of the 10th-grade Mark of an Immortal King, please think thrice.
"Once you enter the Astral Hell, you wouldn't be able to return to the sky palaces unless you survive the full 100 years. Then you will be brought back to Sublime Gracious Sky automatically."
These three messages weren't just reverberating at the place the Gu Huo Immortal Lord was, it continued propagating outwards. All the immortal lords in the Great Void Immortal Path could probably hear it. Moreover, they would be able to roughly tell the source of it. It was likely they would rush here like maniacs.
The three messages had three key pieces of information! Each information was of utmost importance to everyone!
The Gu Huo Immortal Lord's breathing got quicker all of a sudden.
Obviously, it was the same for Wu Yu as well!
After the messages sounded, the groups started discussing.
"Just as I expected! The 10th-grade Mark of an Immortal King is in Hell, the 5,000th level of Hell to be exact! At that place, there isn't a lack of those in the Great Void Ghostly Realm or ghostly kings!”
"Gathering 10 gateways to Hell could indeed activate the challenge for the 10th-grade Mark of an Immortal King. However, is that voice from the Jade Emperor? To think that he placed the 10th-grade Mark of an Immortal King in Hell! That's too daring. Within the territory of the ghostly immortals, the difficulty is easy to envision...."
"Yeah! Moreover, although we are the ones who opened the path, it will remain open for a full year! By that time, other immortal lords will be able to enter as well. Despite our Gu Huo Immortal Lord getting four gateways to Hell, we didn't seem to get any advantage! We are completely at the losing end!"
"Just as the Jade Emperor warned, Hell is fraught with dangers. There will also be lots of ghostly kings. If news gets out, there will definitely be more ghostly immortals entering the Astral Hell from the other levels of Hell. If that happens, we will be in more danger! We could definitely lose our lives. Those who have the intention to enter really have to think thrice if this is worth it for getting the 10th-grade Mark of an Immortal King. Regardless, I wouldn't dare to. After all, the 10th-grade Mark of an Immortal King doesn't have anything to do with me...."
"Yeah. Even if one can find the 10th-grade Mark of an Immortal King after entering, they would not be able to leave Hell immediately. They would only return after persevering for 20 years. What a frightening thought, and how many people could survive till then? There's only one 10th-grade Mark of an Immortal King. From what I see, this treasure is more of a nightmare. Only the Young Master and a select few could possibly compete for it...."
Among them, those shocked and petrified were the majority. After all, once one passed through the door, they wouldn't be able to leave the Astral Hell for 20 years! On the other hand, the level of danger of remaining in the Endless River of Stars was probably lower than 1% of being in the Astral Hell. One could also continue searching for other Marks of an Immortal King.
There were definitely lots of Marks of an Immortal King that hadn't been found in the Great Void Immortal Path.
"If one is overwhelmed by emotions and enters the Astral Hell, their chances of death will increase by a hundred times. You and I wouldn't be able to take it."
"Moreover, the more of us that enter, the more easily the ghostly immortals will find out. To think that the Jade Emperor would place the 10th-grade Mark of an Immortal King in the Astral Hell! When the time comes, how could immortals like us compete with all of Hell and expect to come out alive? The most frightening thing would be for news to leak out. If it happens, our Young Master might not even be able to last for 20 years, as many ghostly kings might get involved in this...."
"Stop speculating. Our Young Master has his plans!"
"I'm not speculating blindly. It's indeed too dangerous and frightening. This is probably what everyone believes too. The 10th-grade Mark of an Immortal King is no doubt a lethal venom...."
Three short messages sent chills down their spines. This was because they were from large immortal tribes and weren't ordinary immortal lords who had no connections. Even if they were to get the 10th-grade Mark of an Immortal King, it would belong to their young masters and not themselves. Therefore, this was equivalent to risking their lives without expecting rewards.
Perhaps many immortal lords without connections would choose to enter.
Wu Yu could see that most of the people were horrified over being excited. The Astral Hell and the ghostly immortals had petrified them.
"It makes sense that they said it's unlikely anyone will get the 10th-grade Mark of an Immortal King this time. The Jade Emperor has really gone too far. If it were just the Hell of the Netherworld, it might still be acceptable. After fusing 10 gateways to Hell, we will be entering the Astral Hell directly! At the 5,000th level of Hell, there will be countless powerful ghostly immortals. Although the path is now open, the difficulty of succeeding is despondently low. At the same time, the level of danger increases by 100 times. Even those like the Gu Huo Immortal Lord is likely to die in that place. If the Mighty Miracle God doesn't save him...."
Wu Yu was shaken to the core too.
“If 10 can open the door, then my gateway to Hell will be useless. Most likely, this is to reduce the difficulty of preparing 11 gateways to Hell. As long as 10 can be gathered, the path will be opened. In fact, there might be 12, 13, or even more."
Wu Yu didn't think they would succeed. After all, they were making wild guesses. In the end, they did succeed. Now the door was right before their eyes. Whether to enter or not would be the decision for the Gu Huo Immortal Lord and the others to make.
The fact that they didn't charge in immediately showed that they were wary.
…….
Even outside, the immortal emperors were exchanging gazes.
"This is too much, too perilous. Hell isn't our territory...." Dhritarashtra sighed.
The Primeval Mighty Miracle God added, "Moreover, the experts in the Astral Hell are simply too plenty. And they are all ghostly immortals...."
They were getting anxious because they knew their son and daughter would definitely enter.
The attraction of the 10th-grade Mark of an Immortal King was colossal for anyone.
Would they allow their descendants to enter a dangerous place like the 10,000 Levels of Hell? The immortal emperors were having complicated feelings. Some had even started making arrangements.
Naturally, they wouldn't dare to interfere in the contest for the 10th-grade Mark of an Immortal King. However, to protect the lives of their descendants, that would still be acceptable.
"One full year. If there are too many who are daring and not afraid of dying, the Astral Hell will be really lively." Marshal Tian You laughed.
From the stellar diagram, they could see that the young immortal lords had made their decisions.
…….
The Gu Huo Immortal Lord was the first to speak. "The Astral Hell is undoubtedly dangerous. If over a thousand of us enter, the target would be too huge. We might cause a huge commotion and make things difficult for everyone. If news of the 10th-grade Mark of an Immortal King were leaked, we would basically have no hope, and it would only benefit the ghostly immortals. Therefore, I suggest each group only sends 10 elites into the Astral Hell. As for the rest, they will be stationed here and prevent anyone from entering the Astral Hell!"
For the five elite groups, this would be the best suggestion. With just 10 elite members, they would be more agile and could conceal themselves better without leaking any information. Moreover, they wouldn't want others to enter the Astral Hell. Leaving the majority of their forces behind to seal the path towards the Astral Hell would also benefit them.
When this suggestion was made, rumblings erupted. Most of the people heaved sighs of relief. This was because they wouldn't dare to enter the Astral Hell. Even if they did, they would have nothing to gain. Obviously, there were some who wanted the adventure and serve their young masters. For them, this would be more meaningful.
Mo Yuji remarked, "I agree with that suggestion. I will also choose nine other people to follow me. As for the rest, please work together to protect the door to the Astral Hell and stop anyone from entering. After one year, your mission will be accomplished and any Marks of an Immortal King you find would be yours to keep."
They were the two most authoritative people. For the Ruling Fate Immortal Lord, the White Night Immortal Lord, and the Bewildered Fire Immortal Lord, this would be advantageous for them too. However, they felt like their forces were too shabby and wanted to increase the number to 30. In the end, it was decided to be 20. 20 elite 9-realm immortal lords should be able to ensure their own safety after entering the Astral Hell. At the same time, the chances of them leaking information and endangering themselves wouldn't be that high.
Once the number got too large, it wouldn't work.
Like Mo Yuji had said, as long as the remaining members could protect the place for a year, they could keep all the Marks of an Immortal King they found. For most of them, this was a huge attraction. Therefore, those remaining members who didn't dare to enter had basically accepted the suggestion.
Following, they chose the 20 most capable and willing people from their own groups. The Gu Yan Immortal Lord was arranged to remain behind to lead the rest. The Gu Huo Immortal Lord also gave him some missions for standing guard in this place. After settling these matters, he could lead the team away after a year and everyone could fight to get their own Marks of an Immortal King.
A total of 100 people. This was the most elite team from the five major tribes! Everyone was a pinnacle 9-realm immortal lord. The Gu Di Immortal Lord was among them too. She naturally wanted to enter the Astral Hell to help her young master.
After which, they were preparing to get in. As for those who were left behind, they started laying immortal designs.