The entire arena fell silent.
Even Juyang Immortal Venerable and Starscourge Immortal Venerable, looking at Wuji Demonic Venerable's completely unscathed arms and hands, were plunged into extreme shock.
After Gu cultivators ascended to immortality, they always had to face Earth Calamities, Heavenly Tribulations, Great Tribulations, and Myriad Tribulations. Once they reached the Ninth Transformation level, the power of these tribulations became even more terrifying.
Venerables faced a Great Tribulation every ten years, a Myriad Tribulation every fifty years, and a Chaos Calamity every hundred years!
This Chaos Calamity was the primordial chaos beyond the World Embryonic Wall.
Each time it arrived, it could threaten a Venerable's life. They had to fight with everything they had just to carve out a sliver of survival.
Ordinary Gu Immortals didn't fully understand, but every generation of Venerables had been tested by the Chaos Calamity and knew all too well how terrifying these tribulations were.
Now, Wuji Demonic Venerable had used his own body to test the law, without employing even the slightest defensive measure, and had directly withstood the chaos — completely unharmed!!!
This scene shook the assembled Venerables beyond anything they had ever experienced.
As for those like Fang Yuan who knew the truth but had never experienced it firsthand, their feelings couldn't compare to the Venerables' depth of shock.
"You did it." After a long silence, Starscourge Immortal Venerable let out a deep sigh.
Juyang Immortal Venerable remained silent.
"No, he hasn't. This isn't true immortality!" Lètǔ suddenly spoke, his expression and tone absolutely certain.
The assembled immortals all turned to look.
"That's right, not yet. This doesn't count as immortality." In the next moment, Wuji Demonic Venerable echoed the sentiment, a hint of desolation suddenly flickering across his face.
Then, he did something astonishing.
Facing the breach in the World Embryonic Wall, he actually opened his mouth and sucked in violently.
An enormous amount of chaos was drawn into Wuji Demonic Venerable's body!
Juyang Immortal Venerable and Starscourge Immortal Venerable watched with constricted pupils, unable to stop themselves from drawing sharp breaths.
If a Venerable was like an infant, then chaos was like flames. Moments ago, Wuji Demonic Venerable had immersed his arm in the chaos — that was like roasting his flesh over fire. But this was even more reckless — he was literally swallowing fire!
Wuji Demonic Venerable inhaled a vast quantity of chaos, then immediately sat down cross-legged.
At the same time, chaos continued to pour from the breach like a torrential current, ceaselessly washing over his head, shoulders, and body.
For the first time, Wuji Demonic Venerable activated a killer move. An overwhelmingly powerful aura erupted forth, sending tremors through the hearts of every immortal present.
Everyone watched in silence, understanding that Wuji Demonic Venerable was making an attempt.
This was a final charge!
He was charging toward the realm of true, complete immortality!!
From childhood onward, he had maintained a fiercely burning curiosity.
He was like an innocent child, filled with an insatiable desire to explore the unknown.
He wanted to understand everything, wanted to know the truth.
Fame and fortune were never what he sought. The title of Venerable had never given him a moment's pride.
He had once reached the pinnacle of the world, the very end of heaven and earth.
He wanted to keep going!
But there was no path left.
So he had painstakingly schemed to cooperate with Starscourge, dragging the entire Gu cultivation world with him, risking the very survival of existence to build the Mad Demon Grand Formation. A million years of accumulated resources, all for this single moment.
All to uncover the truth!
There had long been no path.
He planted his feet, pushed with everything he had, and stepped into the endless, profound darkness.
He wanted to carve out a new path!
This was the final charge.
Wuji had given everything he had!
Time passed for what felt like an eternity, or perhaps only a few breaths.
Huu.
Black fire suddenly erupted from Wuji Demonic Venerable's nose and ears.
The assembled immortals' hearts lurched.
Then, Wuji Demonic Venerable slowly opened his eyes, gazed at the gathered immortals, and said calmly: "I failed."
"No! There's still me." Qìjué Demonic Immortal cried out, striking once more and pushing the Practical Gu with every ounce of his power.
A mysterious light projected from Qìjué Demonic Immortal onto Wuji Demonic Venerable.
The black fire on Wuji Demonic Venerable's body actually began to rapidly extinguish!
Wuji Demonic Venerable seized the reprieve, laughed heartily, then gently shook his head: "Qìjué, stop."
"If I don't give everything, how will I know the result?" Qìjué Demonic Immortal shot back angrily. "Giving up like this — are you truly content? True immortality... I want it too. I want to see it too!"
Wuji Demonic Venerable sighed, his expression at this moment infinitely complex: "A million years of accumulation, and still failure. Don't you understand yet? Immortality — has never existed."
In the next moment.
Boom.
Wuji Demonic Venerable suddenly shattered, reverting into countless fragments of Reality Ice Floe.
"No!!" The Schemer and Bushi Xian screamed in unison, as if mourning their own parents.
Wuji Demonic Venerable had failed!
Qìjué Demonic Immortal, too deeply entangled with him, was immediately found by the chaos. In an instant, it washed over him and he dissipated into nothing!
A mighty quasi-Venerable couldn't even last three breaths.
The terror of the Chaos Calamity was plain to see!
The assembled immortals were still stunned.
This million-year struggle — which had involved the schemes and machinations of nearly every Venerable — was going to end like this?
Starscourge Immortal Venerable had been reborn, Juyang Immortal Venerable had been revived, Lètǔ had switched to cultivating the Heavenly Path, Youhun Demonic Venerable had lost his sanity. In the end, Wuji Demonic Venerable had suppressed all the others, his power terrifying beyond measure — and still he hadn't succeeded.
He was dead, dead on the path of exploration.
Immortality?
A mere fantasy.
It didn't exist.
It never existed!!
"How could he fail? How could he be allowed to fail!" Bushi Xian cried out.
The Schemer clutched his head, his soul lost and scattered: "No immortality... heh heh, no immortality... heh heh." He was nearly driven mad!
"Is there truly no immortality in this world? Venerables are already the limit — ahead... there is no path?" Starscourge Immortal Venerable murmured.
Her words echoed the greatest question burning in every immortal's heart at that moment!
No one could answer it.