In the next instant, the fiery red speck of light slowly expanded, forming a humanoid figure. Heisenberg leapt up from his chair in shock, his eyes wide, mouth agape, as if he could swallow an egg.
"This, this, this... could it be a creature from the Underworld?" As someone who had dealt with the Undead Ancestor many times, Heisenberg was particularly stunned. His first thought was that this might be a being from the Underworld.
Manu cupped his hands toward Heisenberg in greeting. "I have long heard of your great name. I am Manu. I hope we can have pleasant exchanges in the days to come."
Rhett smiled mysteriously. "Manu isn't a creature from the Underworld, but his alchemical expertise is no less than yours."
Upon hearing this, Heisenberg's expression shifted to one of doubt as he scanned both Rhett and Manu. "Really? I don't believe it."
"In terms of alchemical fusion, I have many questions for you," Manu said as he stepped forward after a moment of thought. "How do you fully integrate composite metals with magical plants? While splitting spiritual energy into multiple channels allows for more precise control, it's difficult to achieve complete fusion along a specific path. However, the metal used for the soul passage has perfectly solved this issue..."
"Oh?" Heisenberg's eyes flashed with surprise. From just a few words, he could tell that Manu indeed had a solid foundation in alchemy. His expression became more serious. "The issue you're speaking of was something I resolved fifty years ago. I spent thirty years in seclusion, conducting countless experiments and explorations to find a stable method. The difficulty was immense. And yet, you hope to extract such crucial information from just a few words? That's a bit too wishful, don't you think?"
"Hmm?"
At this, Rhett feigned a menacing glare at Heisenberg.
"Ah, well..." Feeling the weight of Rhett's gaze, Heisenberg's heart tightened, remembering Rhett's unparalleled combat prowess, especially how Rhett had helped him escape a dire situation. Feeling guilty, Heisenberg hastily added, "But since you're a friend of Rhett's, sharing a little information shouldn't be an issue. I'm always generous with friends..."
With that, Heisenberg extended his hand in invitation. "This way, please. Simply explaining it in words won't do justice to its intricacies. Only through hands-on experimentation can the true essence be conveyed."
"Thank you!" Manu cupped his hands again, smiling.
"N-No problem." Heisenberg's expression turned a bit strange. Manu's gesture of cupping his hands wasn't exactly the etiquette of nobility on this continent. Heisenberg, having lived for so long and traveled far and wide, had seen many customs but had never encountered this particular form of salutation.
"Could he really be from another world? Rhett is truly remarkable..." Heisenberg mused silently.
Pushing these thoughts aside, he led Manu deeper into the laboratory.
There, the alchemical instruments were even more sophisticated and clearly of the highest grade—equipment that even Rhett had never seen before. It was apparent that these were newer models.
As the two of them moved further inside, Rhett inquired about the location of the meditation chamber and then headed off on his own.
Finding a quiet spot, Rhett sat down and closed his eyes, immersing himself in his cultivation.
Now that he was in the simulated world, he had the opportunity to continue with his elemental fusion practice.
His spiritual energy stirred the nearby elemental particles, drawing them into his mind. Rhett then followed a familiar process, guiding the elements along a profound and mysterious trajectory.
The elemental core in his mind steadily grew larger. Although the process was slow, Rhett thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Underworld.
A land formed from piles of bones, crimson blood, and grayish decayed flesh. A figure, with horns like a ram and a phantom-like body, floated half a meter above the ground. In front of him, a black, circular gate hovered in the air, emanating an eerie and sinister aura.
In the elder's view, countless pale-gray figures continually streamed out of the dark gate. These figures, their faces blank and eyes lifeless, wandered aimlessly through the air and across the land like soulless zombies after emerging from the gate.
Gazing upon the countless souls, the elder's lips curled into a smile. "Hahaha, the soul passage is finally complete. From now on, I will have an endless supply of fresh soul power. With this as my driving force, I will eventually be able to tap into the core of the Underworld!"
His expression darkened as he recalled the unpleasant events that had recently occurred in the Elemental World.
His eyes narrowed, and with a sudden glare, hundreds of newly emerging souls instantly shattered, disintegrating into nothingness.
"Hmph! Dare to oppose me? The next time I enter the Elemental World will be the day you meet your doom!"
In his hand appeared a staff, a meter and a half long, jet black, with the sneering face of a ram-headed demon faintly visible at the top—sinister and terrifying.
With a casual toss, the elder planted the staff in midair, where it began to absorb the surrounding souls.
At that moment, an unusual ripple spread through the void. A vast and powerful force began to bombard the barrier of the Underworld.
The elder's face suddenly changed, his disbelief apparent as he shouted, "Someone is attacking the Underworld! Who dares to be so bold?!"
His eyes flashed with killing intent. Could it be the Beast God World? Only the Beast God had the power to challenge the Underworld.
This thought flashed through his mind, but to be cautious, the elder retrieved his staff, causing a surge of souls to whirl around him. A beam of light shot into the sky, disappearing from view.
In the next moment, the scene outside the Underworld's barrier became visible to him.
"Hmm? There's no one here? Then why is the space so chaotic..."
What he saw defied his understanding.
Before he could ponder further, the spatial tremors intensified dramatically, like a flood breaching a dam, unstoppable and devastating.
Boom!
The thunderous roar reverberated through the entire Underworld.
Weaker souls and creatures across the Underworld perished instantly from the tremors. Countless undead beings were filled with both shock and anger, not understanding what was happening.
However, when some of the strongest entities sensed the source of the tremors, they immediately dropped everything and rushed toward it.
"Undead Ancestor! What's happening? What caused such a disturbance?"
The first to arrive was a pitch-black shadow, barely discernible in form. Without speaking, one might not even realize it was a living being.
Upon seeing the Undead Ancestor and the dark gate ahead, the shadow immediately assumed that the elder was responsible for the commotion.
The Shadow Demon Progenitor's eyes gleamed with deep wariness. "Undead Ancestor, you've long dominated this vast territory, and we've accepted that. But targeting the younger generation of our race like this—don't you think that's going too far?"
"Exactly! That last tremor killed half of my tribe's offspring. You owe us an explanation!"
An ethereal voice echoed from all directions.