Chapter 00476: Returning to the Depths of the Mysterious Profound Canyon
# Returning to the Depths of the Mysterious Profound Canyon
Chapter 476
Novel: Abandon The Universe
Chapter 476: Returning to the Depths of the Mysterious Profound Canyon
Lan Xiaobu put away the jade slip and said to Zhi Zhen'a, "You're no longer needed here. Don't cause trouble in the Star Ascension Immortal Court again, or else, no matter how lucky or lenient you are, you won’t be able to save the Zhi Family. Also, stop luring Immortal Emperors to nourish the Void Slanting Mushrooms with their souls. Heaven watches all actions. Today, a few of your family remain, but tomorrow, perhaps none will be left. The reason I’m sparing you today isn’t just because you showed restraint but also because you once sought the Heavenly Gang Formation Flags on Void Island, contributing somewhat to the Mysterious Profound Immortal Domain."
"Yes, thank you, Five Universe King, for sparing my life."
Overwhelmed with emotion, Zhi Zhen'a bowed deeply before cautiously taking her leave.
Surviving this ordeal had not been easy.
Even without Lan Xiaobu’s warning, she wouldn’t dare repeat her actions now that he had intervened.
Besides, most of the Zhi Family members involved in these schemes had already been killed by Lan Xiaobu.
The fate of Zhi Shou couldn’t be atoned for by sacrificing the entire Zhi Family.
Once Zhi Zhen'a left, Lan Xiaobu tossed Gu Xu back into the Cosmic Dimension Matrix and summoned his Reincarnation Pot, heading straight for the Mysterious Profound Canyon.
Gu Xu still had a sliver of usefulness left, and Lan Xiaobu intended to extract every bit of it.
The Reincarnation Pot was incredibly fast, and soon, they arrived outside the Mysterious Profound Canyon.
Lan Xiaobu hesitated briefly before steering the pot into the canyon.
He knew many flying artifacts couldn’t function here, but back then, even Feng Luan of the Divine Cloud Immortal Pool had managed to cross the canyon.
His Reincarnation Pot would fare even better.
As expected, the Reincarnation Pot moved through the canyon as effortlessly as it did through ordinary void space.
Even Feng Luan had to rush across the canyon, risking being sucked in if careless.
But the Reincarnation Pot felt no such pull.
This time, instead of merely crossing, Lan Xiaobu descended straight to the canyon’s depths.
Despite slowing the pot to its lowest speed, it took only about an hour to reach the bottom.
The canyon floor was as lifeless and deathly as when he had left it.
For now, Lan Xiaobu had no interest in exploring further.
His priority was retrieving the Heavenly Gang Formation Flags.
Perhaps afterward, he’d investigate the place, including the Life-Severing Pool.
He headed straight for Immortal Emperor Village.
The last time he was here, he had been severely injured and carried on Yu Ruo’s back.
It was here that he had seized the Life and Death Cauldron from the parasitic vampires and repurposed it as the Five Realms Immortal World’s stabilizing treasure.
Recalling the narrow escape with Gong Yunqi, Lan Xiaobu felt a flicker of anticipation.
What surprises did the vampire—Gu Xu’s master—have in store for him this time?
His divine sense swept the area.
Only about thirty to forty Immortal Emperors remained, barely a third of the previous number.
In just over a century since he left, so many had disappeared.
What had happened?
"You? Lan Xiaobu?" a shocked voice exclaimed.
"Weren’t you sacrificed? How are you still here?"
The entire village had witnessed Lan Xiaobu being dragged into the Life and Death Cauldron for sacrifice.
"Ah, it’s you again," Lan Xiaobu chuckled.
When Yu Ruo had first brought him here, this was the same Immortal Emperor he had encountered right after the white-haired elder.
Back then, Yu Ruo had claimed to be an Immortal Emperor to avoid bullying, to which this man had scoffed, "Who here isn’t an Immortal Emperor?"
"I decided sacrifice wasn’t for me, so I came back," Lan Xiaobu replied casually.
Clearly, Gu Xu hadn’t spread the news of him stealing the Life and Death Cauldron, or else this man wouldn’t have assumed he’d been sacrificed.
The Immortal Emperor paled, too afraid to say more.
No one had ever returned after being sacrificed to the cauldron.
He hurried into the village, head bowed.
Survival here meant keeping one’s head down.
"Lan Xiaobu?" Another voice rang out.
A short Immortal Emperor stared at him in disbelief.
He had personally seen Lan Xiaobu dragged away—how was he back?
"Ah, the short one. I didn’t see Bai Hai or Dong Ye around, but you’re still alive, you troublemaker," Lan Xiaobu sneered.
This was Liu Yanjin, one of the group—along with Fei Wenze, Bai Hai, Dong Ye, and Gong Yunqi—who had plotted to escape the canyon together.
In the end, all but the oblivious Gong Yunqi had tried to use Lan Xiaobu as cannon fodder.
Liu Yanjin didn’t dare retort.
Lan Xiaobu’s strength alone could crush him instantly.
Trapped at the canyon’s bottom, these people were as good as dead.
Lan Xiaobu ignored Liu Yanjin and strode toward the small hill behind the village.
In his eyes, Liu Yanjin was insignificant.
His real targets were the vampire and the being inside the Fortune Formation Disk.
Seeing Lan Xiaobu heading for the sacrificial platform, Liu Yanjin hurried after him.
"Brother Lan, we were wrong before. Please forgive us. How is Gong Yunqi?"
Lan Xiaobu paused.
"First, Gong Yunqi is doing well—his cultivation has advanced. Second, there’s nothing to discuss between us. Not before, not now, not ever."
With that, he quickened his pace, leaving Liu Yanjin behind.
Liu Yanjin’s eyes darted as he sent out several messages.
Soon, Bai Hai, Dong Ye, and Fei Wenze rushed back to the village.
So, none of them had perished—they’d just been absent earlier.
"Liu Yanjin, why the urgent summons?" Bai Hai demanded.
Liu Yanjin sighed.
"You won’t believe who I just saw—Lan Xiaobu."
"What?" Bai Hai and Dong Ye gasped.
"Wasn’t he sacrificed?" Bai Hai pressed.
Liu Yanjin shook his head, glancing at the composed Fei Wenze.
"Fei Wenze was right—Lan Xiaobu isn’t so easy to kill. Back then, we thought it was nonsense. Now we know better."
He continued gravely, "I can assure you, Lan Xiaobu wasn’t sacrificed. He left the canyon and has now returned willingly. His aura and demeanor make it clear. I suspect he’s discovered how to enter and exit the canyon at will."
The group exchanged uneasy glances.
Lan Xiaobu wouldn’t have returned without a purpose.
"Is he here to deal with Gu Xu?" Dong Ye ventured.
Bai Hai frowned.
"Hard to say. When I pretended to know nothing about formations to enter his array, I thought I was fooling him. Turns out, he saw right through me. If he hadn’t held back, we’d all be dead. If he’s here now, he must be confident. If we could cooperate with him again, maybe..."
Fei Wenze scoffed.
"Cooperate? If he can handle Gu Xu, what use does he have for us?"
Silence fell.
To Lan Xiaobu, they were worthless.
---
Lan Xiaobu stood once more before the fenced enclosure.
With Gu Xu gone, the fence was sealed.
The small mound inside now looked absurd.
Last time, the brown mound had been surrounded by lush grass, brimming with vitality.
Now, only barren earth remained.
Lan Xiaobu didn’t rush to break the seal.
Instead, he began laying void formation patterns.
Though he could easily slay Half-God Realm experts, the being behind Gu Xu was another matter.
After setting up the patterns, he unsealed the fence.
Without the hunched figure of Gu Xu, the place felt eerily still.
Lan Xiaobu tossed Gu Xu out.
"Think hard. If you can’t remember anything useful, I won’t bother keeping you around. Annihilation might be your only end."
Staring at the brown mound, Gu Xu’s eyes flashed with terror before realization dawned.
"It’s a pre—"
Before he could finish, black blood trickled from his lips.
His body collapsed, dissolving into the earth like water seeping into soil.
A chilling presence instantly enveloped Lan Xiaobu, freezing his consciousness with a lifeless aura.
Unfazed, Lan Xiaobu cloaked himself in flames.
This was exactly what he’d been waiting for—otherwise, Gu Xu would’ve outlived his usefulness long ago.
A muffled grunt echoed.
Lan Xiaobu smirked.
Success.
Using the Bone-Clinging Fire, he had not only countered the soul attack but left a mark on his assailant.
Even if the other party burned away the mark, he now knew their location.
And if he knew where they were, he could surely kill a vampire too weak to even leave the canyon.
The Bone-Clinging Fire truly lived up to its name.
(End of Chapter)