My gorgeous wife Chapter 2040 - 2008: Courting Death Once

The beast-eared girl's name was Emperor Hanxue.

Had this been tens of thousands of years prior, the surname Emperor Hanxue carried might have struck fear throughout the Yushi Realm.

This is because, eons ago, the Emperor Clan to which Hanxue belonged stood as one of the most formidable, unfathomable powers within the Yushi Realm!

They originally hailed from the Demon Race. While the Demon Race possesses immense power in the Yushi Realm, they are largely disunited, operating independently.

Subsequently, Emperor Hanxue's lineage officially severed ties with the Demon Race, establishing themselves as a distinct clan.

The sheer audacity of adopting 'Emperor' as their surname speaks volumes about the terror the Emperor Clan inspired in those ancient times.

However, as tens of thousands of years elapsed, the Emperor Clan's fate took a downward turn, its decline shrouded in mystery. Stalwart powerhouses perished one after another, or vanished without a trace. Today, the Emperor Clan has plummeted to the status of a mere third-rate faction. If this were not the case, as a scion of the Emperor Clan, Hanxue would not find herself gambling for fortune in places like the Spirit Releasing Abyss.

It can be definitively stated that the Emperor Clan has reached the nadir of its former glory.

Nevertheless, despite the Emperor Clan's decline, during its zenith, it amassed a significant hoard of treasures, acquisitions only accessible to the most prominent figures of that era.

While few of these treasures persist today, a collection of ancient texts remains.

From her youth, Emperor Hanxue harbored a fondness for these ancient manuscripts, gleaning many fascinating insights from their pages.

Even she never fathomed that the knowledge acquired through mere intellectual curiosity could be bartered for an artifact as valuable as the Mind-controlling Fruit.

Emperor Hanxue delicately narrated tales and historical fragments concerning the Spirit Releasing Abyss, while Li Chen absorbed her words with rapt attention, betraying no sign of impatience. He appeared as serene as an amateur enjoying traditional ballads in a teahouse... if he hadn't previously subdued and dispatched a Progenitor's phantom.

"Doesn't he fear reprisal from the Progenitor?" someone couldn't help but question in a hushed tone.

"A cultivator of his caliber, capable of subduing and slaying a Progenitor's phantom, surely indicates he harbors no fear of the Progenitor; even if outmatched, he could undoubtedly effect an escape. Should such a potent individual live in dread of anyone?" his companion countered in a whisper, shaking his head.

"That is indeed the case."

"During the twilight of our Emperor Clan's power, we too harbored aspirations of resurgence," Emperor Hanxue remarked with a trace of melancholy, "At that juncture, our final Progenitor, accompanied by the sole remaining two Eighth Rank Ancestors, ventured into the Spirit Releasing Abyss, seeking to secure a future for the Emperor Clan. Alas, their entry marked their final departure, as they never returned."

"Even the Progenitor could not escape?" Li Chen directed his gaze toward the adjacent Spirit Releasing Abyss, his eyes deepening with contemplation.

The Spirit Releasing Abyss is, in essence, an unfathomable abyss, and despite Li Chen's Eye of the Dao granting him foresight, the depths remained obscured, its ultimate appearance unknown.

Yet, such a chasm has yielded treasures to the Yushi Realm for untold years, and its depths remain unplumbed by any; this is a matter of considerable intrigue.

The Yushi Realm itself is not without strength; indeed, among the myriad minor worlds, few rival the Yushi Realm within the scope of the Four Great Realms.

Even the lesser realms affiliated with the Four Great Realms struggle to produce such a profusion of formidable cultivators.

And yet, in a world so replete with powerful individuals, the enigmatic Spirit Releasing Abyss has eluded complete exploration for millennia, yielding no definitive information, a truly remarkable phenomenon.

Concurrently, Li Chen entertained a plausible hypothesis.

It is not that no one has ever emerged—or perhaps, someone has surfaced and deliberately suppressed the information.

Emperor Hanxue's narrated accounts also alluded to sightings of powerful figures who had entered the Spirit Releasing Abyss in the Yushi Realm's other territories.

"This Spirit Releasing Abyss is undoubtedly a place of profound mystery," Li Chen could not help but muse aloud.

"Indeed, across the vast expanse of time, no one has ascertained what secrets lie hidden beneath the Spirit Releasing Abyss," Emperor Hanxue concurred softly from his side.

Li Chen gave a light chuckle, casually propelling the Mind-controlling Fruit towards her.

Emperor Hanxue startled, hastily fumbling to secure the Mind-controlling Fruit. To witness such a precious item treated with such nonchalance, she found herself rolling her eyes once more.

"Farewell for now, little girl," Li Chen smiled and with a casual flick of his wrist, conjured a spatial portal before Emperor Hanxue.

Before she could fully process the unfolding events, she abruptly found herself transported to a different plane of existence.

"Space Law?" With a bewildered expression, Emperor Hanxue took a moment to regain her senses, promptly stowing the Mind-controlling Fruit, after which she swiftly departed, making her way towards the Emperor Clan Territory.

She knew Li Chen acted for her well-being; with a treasure as potent as the Mind-controlling Fruit falling into the hands of someone with her low cultivation, it would inevitably invite trouble from others. Li Chen had actively aided her departure; otherwise, even if she had managed to retrieve the Mind-controlling Fruit without Li Chen’s help, it wouldn't have stayed with her.

As the spatial gate vanished, Li Chen smirked and turned his steps toward the Spirit Releasing Abyss.

"What... what is he planning to do?"

Witnessing Li Chen heading towards the Spirit Releasing Abyss, a wave of bewilderment swept through the onlookers.

They had comprehended Li Chen opening a spatial gate to send Emperor Hanxue away, but his approach towards the Spirit Releasing Abyss left them utterly perplexed.

Though proximity to the Spirit Releasing Abyss offered the chance to acquire treasures sooner, the Nether Demon Qi intensified closer to its depths. A misstep could lead to total corruption, madness, and a gruesome demise. Given Li Chen’s cultivation, he should have been aware of this danger, yet he pressed on.

Finally, Li Chen positioned himself at the edge of the Spirit Releasing Abyss, peering into the unfathomable depths with a thoughtful expression.

Remarkably, the surrounding Nether Demon Qi exerted no influence on him whatsoever, a testament to its consumption by the Red Moon and the Seven Slaying Sword.

"I sense something extraordinary lies within the depths," the Supreme Treasures themselves remarked, underscoring the profound mystery of the Spirit Releasing Abyss.

"I too feel it," Li Chen chuckled, "but for some unknown reason, I simply feel compelled to descend and investigate. Do you think I am seeking my own doom?"

The Supreme Treasures fell into a contemplative silence; they were at a loss for words to describe Li Chen, who could only offer wry smiles.

They understood that once Li Chen set his mind on a course of action, he rarely wavered from his resolve.

"Very well, perhaps I shall flirt with death just this once," Li Chen declared, shrugging nonchalantly. Before countless astonished eyes, he stepped forth, plunging directly into the Spirit Releasing Abyss.

"This brat is truly reckless!" even the Black River, observing from afar, couldn't help but mutter in secret amazement.