Published at 26th of October 2026 5:31 am

Chapter 4600: The Nethersea

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

There were piles of white bones everywhere, many still repeating the battle techniques of the Death Codex.

Lu Yin sat there quietly, waiting for Ji to finish.

After an unknown length of time had passed, a hiss rang out. Lu Yin looked up. Dark Prisonbone had arrived.

They could no longer freely use Abyssal Displacement, so now, Dark Prisonbone was the means by which the various Abysses passed messages to each other. It even transported living beings.

Lu Yin was in no hurry to go out. He continued to quietly wait.

Several years later, Thousand Machinations called him out. "The war with Obscura is drawing near. Make some preparations."

"Will you be joining the battle as well, Senior?"

"I will not, but I will be making sure that one member of Obscura cannot take part."

"Obscura’s Keeper of Balance?"

Thousand Machinations replied, "Not necessarily, but no matter. Whether this battle is fierce or uneventful, you will be the safest one."

Lu Yin somberly declared, "This junior will definitely kill one member of Obscura."

Thousand Machinations was caught off guard, and ithe bear turned to look at Lu Yin. "Are you serious?"

"Absolutely."

Thousand Machinations sized Lu Yin up and down. "That fellow Wang Wen is not easy to fool. If you kill a member of Obscura, you will be breaking their rules. You will undoubtedly die."

Lu Yin continued with righteous conviction, "That is assuming that he can enter the Death Megaverse to kill this junior. With you here, Senior, I refuse to believe that he is able to do that."

Thousand Machinations grinned. "Of course not. I am a heroic bear."1

Lu Yin hurried to continue the flattery. Thousand Machinations liked hearing pleasant words. As for whether Lu Yin would actually kill a member of Obscura, so long as he had a chance, he would not hold back.

"Senior, do you need this junior to go to Obscura and probe for some information?" Lu Yin asked.

Thousand Machinations rolled its eyes. "I do not care. Go wherever you want."

"This junior understands," Lu Yin replied.

Thousand Machinations left. The bear was still within their Abyss, but Lu Yin truly did not know where. He also would not search everywhere, as he feared upsetting the Abyssal.

As he took out a gate, he knew that it was time to visit Obscura. By moving between the two sides, he might be the first to know when the war would actually begin.

He truly looked forward to seeing this clash between the two colossi. The fact that the Trio could stay hidden and apart from the clash allowed him to relax quite a bit.

As soon as he arrived at Vestigium, he gave a report concerning the situation in the Death Megaverse.

"Did Thousand Machinations directly intervene? Then Devouring Trace's death has truly dealt them a heavy blow," Ba Se commented.

Lu Yin quickly reminded Ba Se, "Please make absolutely sure to not tell every member of Obscura about this. If you do, the Death Megaverse will definitely learn that I am a traitor, as only I could know of this matter."

"Do not worry. You have done very well, Chen," Ba Se praised.

Lu Yin continued in a respectful tone. "Concerning this upcoming war, I hope to kill another Abyssal. Please give me whatever orders you may have."

Ba Se found themself admiring this Chen more and more. Looking at everyone in Obscura, there was no other being that was this loyal. There were even members who said that, as long as the rules were not broken, even betraying Obscura was acceptable because there was no loyalty within Obscura.

It might be acceptable for loyalty to be missing, but as soon as it appeared, the contrast immediately became clear. Ba Se's attitude when speaking to Chen was clearly different.

"According to Obscura's rules, only those who complete missions can choose rewards. Although you have not completed a mission, you have taken the initiative to provide us with information. You are also the one who previously provided the intelligence that the Death Megaverse intended to go to war with my Obscura. I will grant you a reward in my private capacity. Chen, what do you want?"

Lu Yin was surprised. Was such a good thing actually possible?

He immediately replied, "There is no need for a reward. The Keeper of Balance teaching me the Heavenbond Art is already the greatest reward possible. I can never repay such kindness."

"The purpose of the Heavenbond Art was to allow you to remain hidden within the Death Megaverse. That is not included among the rewards that you have been given. You may choose any reward you want. There is no need to be polite," Ba Se said.

Lu Yin thought carefully. "A fallen branch of the Divine Tree."

Ba Se was astonished. "That is what Cyan needs. Are you asking on its behalf?"

Lu Yin bowed. "Cyan not only introduced this junior into Obscura, but they also helped this junior through many crises. Such kindness is difficult to repay."

Ba Se remained silent for a moment. "Very well."

Shortly thereafter, Lu Yin stepped beneath the Divine Tree. He picked up a fallen branch and left to search for Furball. They were not in Vestigium, nor in the Qi Megaverse.

This was for the best. Truthfully, Lu Yin did not need anything at this time. He already had all the power that he should, and he had not even fully comprehended the power that he did possess. Cultivating anything else would only waste his time. As for what he truly needed, it was all connected to human civilization, and Ba Se would definitely notice such a choice. Lu Yin might as well ask for a fallen branch of the Divine Tree. If he gave it to Furball, then he gave it to Furball. Furball had done quite a lot for him, and they would do even more in the future.

Even if Lu Yin did not give the branch to Furball, he could use it himself. Each branch that fell from the Divine Tree contained divine energy and could replenish one’s reserves.

He left the Qi Megaverse and returned to Thousand Machinations' Abyss.

Lu Yin did nothing there and simply waited quietly.

In this way, a hundred years later, he emerged from the underground space to find Thousand Machinations. "Senior, will Abyssal Displacement be used in this war?"

"Do you want to replenish your Stillness?" Thousand Machinations asked.

"Yes."

Thousand Machinations thought for a moment. "It probably will not."

"Then this junior…?"

"Do not get any ideas about me. I do not have much left either. Did I not just recently allow those few to try to reach the limits of their potential? Every attempt consumes some Stillness."

Lu Yin looked troubled. "This junior has less than half of my Stillness reserves remaining. With that, this war will be very difficult."

Thousand Machinations did not speak.

Lu Yin bowed to him. "May this junior apply to go to the Nethersea to replenish my Stillness?"

Thousand Machinations looked at Lu Yin. "Do you know what beings are allowed to go to the Nethersea?"

"An Abyssal."

"You are not an Abyssal."

"This junior hopes to kill one member of Obscura during this war."

Thousand Machinations looked out into space. "Have you ever approached Obscura's Divine Tree?"

Lu Yin did not hesitate. "Yes. The Heavenbond Art was cultivated beneath the Divine Tree and not far from it."

"Is that so? Hmm… fine. Go to the Nethersea. I will speak to Nethersea Suppression," Thousand Machinations said.

Lu Yin was overjoyed. "Really? Many thanks, Senior!"

Thousand Machinations smiled. "Do not forget your promise. Kill one member of Obscura. Consider this as me rewarding you in advance."

Lu Yin grew solemn. "This junior will do it even if it costs me my life."

Whether he could kill a member of Obscura would depend entirely on the situation at the time. He needed to first obtain some benefits.

Going to the Nethersea without using Abyssal Displacement meant that he needed to rely on Dark Prisonbone. Although Lu Yin was wary of the skeleton bird, he was even more eager to make a trip to the Nethersea, where he could completely release his limits and use the Three Death Arts to gorge himself on Stillness.

He did not know how Thousand Machinations had made contact with Dark Prisonbone, but several years later, the bird arrived.

A massive bone shadow covered the sky and peered down.

Lu Yin looked up. Dark Prisonbone unleashed its pressure without holding back at all, focusing entirely on Lu Yin.

Lu Yin clenched his skeleton hands into fists and walked towards the bird.

Every step he took through space caused the universe to split apart. Cracks spread through the void, running up and down. Even Stillness was released, the pressure turning it into a black torrent that fell towards the earth.

Dark Prisonbone stared at Lu Yin. Its bone-deep chill and bloodlust caused Lu Yin to suspect that the Abyssal might truly attack.

Thump.

Thousand Machinations sat at a stone table, a claw tapping on the tabletop.

Lu Yin translated, "That is going too far."

Dark Prisonbone looked at the bear and gave them a deep look. Then, it withdrew the pressure, and talons reached out to grab Lu Yin.

This was an incomparably familiar scene, one that had been carved into Lu Yin’s very bones. Before, when Dark Prisonbone had crushed him during an Abyssal Displacement, it had also moved just like this. Beneath that bone talon, he had not been able to fight back in the slightest.

This time, Lu Yin took a deep breath and suppressed the urge to resist. He did not move at all.

The talons seized Lu Yin and abruptly squeezed.

There was a grating sound that made one's teeth ache. Lu Yin's white bones were twisted by the overwhelming force, and the shape of his skeleton warped.

Lu Yin stared at Dark Prisonbone, saying nothing.

Thousand Machinations raised their head head to look at the bird.

Dark Prisonbone suddenly vanished.

In the blink of an eye, the sky overhead changed. They were already far from Thousand Machinations' Abyss.

Lu Yin looked around. This was not the Nethersea.

The Plume Immortals' ability to teleport allowed them to go anywhere. They could completely ignore distance unlike Lu Yin, who needed to see his destination before he could teleport to it.

Dark Prisonbone was absolutely capable of instantly appearing in the Nethersea, and yet it had not done so.

"You were lucky to not die last time. You will not be so lucky this time," Dark Prisonbone hissed, and its bone talons squeezed tight once again.

Lu Yin did not resist at all, allowing the bones throughout his body to shatter bit by bit. Dark Prisonbone absolutely had the strength of a three-law Immortal, and it was no weaker than Gao Tian.

This was Lu Yin’s first time encountering such a powerful Plume Immortal. Unless his true body appeared, if Dark Prisonbone decided to actually kill him, there was nothing that Lu Yin could do to stop it.

But would it really kill him?

Crack.

Bones continued to shatter. Even the bones on his face were splitting apart.

Lu Yin simply stared at Dark Prisonbone. This time, he did not even use Stillness.

"Do you not fear death?" Dark Prisonbone let out a low screech.

Lu Yin continued to stare at it. "If you wanted to kill me, you could have simply extracted the Stillness within me."

"You are certain that I will not kill you."

"Yes."

"Audacious!" Dark Prisonbone's talons squeezed even harder. Most of Lu Yin's bones were shattered. It seemed that just a little more force would truly crush him to death.

Lu Yin still did not resist and simply looked at Dark Prisonbone in silence.

The bird met his gaze. A moment later, it relaxed its talons and sneered. "Devouring Trace is dead, which has severely reduced the number of experts in the Death Megaverse. You are even a rare Aberrant. Is this why you think that I will not kill you?

"Not killing you now does not mean that I will not kill you on the battlefield. I can teleport. As long as I know where you are, no one can save you."

Lu Yin nodded. "I will do my best not to let you know."

Dark Prisonbone sneered, grabbed Lu Yin again, and then vanished.

The next moment, Lu Yin found himself above a dark-yellow sea. Everything overhead was hazy, and he could not see anything clearly. His body was suddenly hurled into the depths of the sea by a tremendous blast. With a splash, Stillness rushed in, but to Lu Yin, it was very comfortable. After all, he cultivated Stillness.

Was this the Nethersea?

His body continued to fall because of Dark Prisonbone's power. Lu Yin looked up as the surface grew farther and farther away. He could also see Dark Prisonbone's cold glare. Although the bird had no eyes, that icy gaze was filled with so much killing intent that it was blatant.

Above Dark Prisonbone, within the hazy sky, colossal things could be faintly seen swimming.

Darkness replaced everything. His body slammed into something at the bottom of the sea, though whether it was stone or some other material, he did not know. It was quite hard. Lu Yin opened his mouth, and Stillness poured in. However, because he was just a skeleton, this did not exactly count as entering his body.

He used the Stillness to quickly repair his skeleton clone.

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