Chapter 336: Claiming the River of Darkness

Chen Xiao did not reply. He simply stared at the man before him—his own father.
If everything was as the River of Darkness had said, that he had inexplicably become Chen Yuntian and then somehow reverted to the god of the underworld, then everything seemed far more complicated.
His father was the god of the underworld—so what about his mother? What kind of identity could his mother have, someone he had never met?
And who, exactly, was manipulating all of this from behind the scenes?
To easily turn a supreme god who had existed since the birth of the underworld into an ordinary person, and then turn that ordinary person back into a god decades later—what terrifying power must that be?
At least, in Chen Xiao’s or the River of Darkness’s understanding, no such being existed. Everything seemed incredibly strange.
Moreover, given the current situation, neither Chen Xiao nor the River of Darkness had the right to investigate. The being who could toy with the River of Darkness like an ant must be terrifyingly powerful.
Yet, in Chen Xiao’s mind, a strange possibility flashed through—perhaps all of this was related to him.
“Heavenly Map, Primordial Spirit Fire… You want me to become your pawn and work for you? Hmph, it’s not that simple.”
Chen Xiao sneered inwardly. Although he didn’t have the strength to resist this imposed fate yet, many changes had taken place within his body, such as the Two Principles Map.
This map seemed different from the Primordial Spirit Fire and the Heavenly Map. The power of the former gods had also been transformed into the power of the Two Principles.
With the existence of the Two Principles Map, Chen Xiao felt a little more at ease. As long as his power grew strong enough, he could break through everything and take control of his own destiny.
The River of Darkness and Chen Xiao didn’t say much, as there was still the Death Sovereign in this city.
The Death Sovereign was at the pinnacle of sovereigns. Although the River of Darkness could contend with ordinary sovereigns, he was by no means a match for the Death Sovereign. If the Death Sovereign discovered Chen Xiao’s existence, he would likely go berserk and destroy the River of Darkness as well.
After all, Chen Xiao had killed the Death Sovereign’s daughter, a god-level being, and also refined one of his avatars—this was an insult to a sovereign. If the Death Sovereign found out about Chen Xiao, everyone related to him would likely be killed, even tortured to death.
The River of Darkness absolutely could not reveal Chen Xiao’s presence here.
The River of Darkness had detected Chen Xiao’s existence the moment he stepped into Fengdu City. But he didn’t act rashly. Instead, he observed Chen Xiao secretly for three days before sending his subordinate, Mu Yanlong, to bring Chen Xiao over.
The divine will that Chen Xiao had sensed earlier was actually the River of Darkness’s will.
The River of Darkness was Chen Xiao’s biological father and also a higher-ranking god, so he naturally could sense the blood connection inherent in their relationship.
But while the River of Darkness could detect Chen Xiao, Chen Xiao couldn’t sense the River of Darkness—this was the gap in their powers.

“Chen Xiao, have you come to the Netherworld this time for Hu Zi Xuan?” Suddenly, the River of Death spoke up.
Although no one in the Netherworld knew about the Death Lord, the River of Death was fully aware of it, as he had always kept an eye on the world of supernatural abilities, including Chen Xiao before. He also knew well about the relationship between Hu Zi Xuan and Chen Xiao.
“Father, do you know where Zi Xuan is?” Chen Xiao looked at the River of Death, his eyes gleaming slightly.
“Ah, of course I do,” the River of Death shook his head. “Xiao, you must have heard the news about the supreme god of death acquiring an unparalleled genius—that talented youth with the Body of Nether Thunder.”
“Could it be…” Chen Xiao was shocked.
“That’s right, he is Hu Zi Xuan,” the River of Death nodded. “In fact, the Death Lord wants to take revenge on you, but he won’t resort to despicable methods. He brought you to the Netherworld because even supreme gods have their dignity. The Death Lord brought Hu Zi Xuan here precisely because he discovered his Body of Nether Thunder.”
Hearing these words, Chen Xiao felt gloomy.
“What about Zi Xuan? Is he willing to stay here?” Chen Xiao asked after thinking for a moment.
“The current Hu Zi Xuan is now a true subordinate of the Death Lord. All his past memories have been erased by him. He is no longer Hu Zi Xuan,” the River of Death shook his head.
At these words, Chen Xiao trembled. “Is there any way to restore him?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps we can only ask the Death Lord,” the River of Death sighed slightly as he looked at Chen Xiao.
“Father, let’s leave together,” Chen Xiao suddenly raised his head. By now, he had reverted to his youthful appearance, looking at the River of Death with longing in his eyes.
“Leave? Where to?” The River of Death was slightly puzzled.
“To the Land of Origin. Father, Grandfather is there now too,” Chen Xiao said eagerly. He was determined to find his parents in this life. Now that he had found his father, all that remained was his mother.
The sage once said that to find one’s parents, one must visit the Netherworld again. Could the sage know something?
Suddenly, Chen Xiao became curious about the sage’s identity. This sage seemed to know everything, yet he didn’t seem to bear any ill will toward him. Still, Chen Xiao couldn’t help but remain cautious.
The River of Death shook his head and said, “My origin, the River of Death, is in the Netherworld. If I go to the Land of Origin, all the supreme gods there will surely know I’ve gone there. That would be dangerous.”
The relationship between the Divine Realm and the Netherworld was already strained. Now that the Divine Realm no longer existed, the supreme gods left there had created the Land of Origin, which had become a continuation of the Divine Realm.
Not to mention the River of Death, the oldest supreme god in the Netherworld, even if other supreme gods went there, they would be detected by those in the Land of Origin.
“Moreover, the Land of Origin is too dangerous for us now. There might even be beings beyond supreme gods there. With your Supreme God Space and Origin Spirit Fire, if discovered, it would mean certain death.”

Nether River said with some concern.
“Father, don’t worry. With my current strength, even if the will of a supreme god were to invade my body, it wouldn’t be able to see my primal spirit flame.” Chen Xiao smiled slightly as he suddenly remembered something.
“Father, I also possess a domain in the universe. If you and Grandfather would be willing to go there and take charge, it would be a hundred times better than this Nether World.”
Chen Xiao looked at Nether River with longing in his eyes.
Nether River was Chen Xiao’s father. Staying by the side of the Death Sovereign was extremely dangerous; if his identity were revealed, he would likely suffer severe consequences.
Seeing Chen Xiao’s gaze, Nether River felt a slight stir in his heart and then said, “Speaking of which, I’ve long wanted to leave this Nether World. But my primal source, the Nether River, is still here, so I can’t leave no matter what.”
His expression was somewhat depressed.
Once, Nether River had been an utterly cold supreme god, viewing all things in the world as insignificant insects. The only ones who could speak to him directly were those few sovereigns; even ordinary high-ranking supreme gods were beneath his notice.
But decades ago, he inexplicably became the son of the Chen family’s head on Earth, met a girl he loved, experienced family affection, love, friendship, and the ups and downs of life, and completely changed.
Over these decades, he had been missing his father, mother, beloved one, and son constantly. Yet he had no way to do anything. As a uniquely special being in the Nether World, with his primal source being the Nether River, he was destined to stay there forever, able only to briefly appear elsewhere outside the Nether World.
Though this brief time was already extremely long compared to other deities.
Once separated from his primal source, Nether River’s strength would be greatly weakened, and his cultivation and power would gradually decline until he perished.
Chen Xiao seemed to have also thought of the records regarding the Nether River Supreme God. After pondering for a moment, he said, “Father, could you take me to see the Nether River? Maybe I have a way to solve this.”
“Mm,” Nether River didn’t refuse. With a wave of his hand, a beam of light enveloped Chen Xiao’s body, and soon the two appeared above the Nether World.
The Nether River was no ordinary river. It spanned the entire Nether World, above and below, almost everywhere, even more mysterious than the vast Nether Sea.
There were countless creatures nurtured within this river, and the Nether River Supreme God was the manifestation of its primal source. In essence, the Nether River itself was his true form.
Yet such a massive true form restricted his movements, preventing him from being as free as other supreme gods.
Other supreme gods could roam the universe freely, being omnipresent, but Nether River could only stay within the Nether World. Leaving it seemed like a luxury for him.
Chen Xiao took a deep breath as he gazed at this vast Nether River. The Black Tortoise Egg he had obtained earlier came from this very river.
This river stretched through heaven and earth, seemingly flowing from time and space. No one knew its origin, nor where its end lay.

“Divine Master, lend me your help.”
Chen Xiao gazed at the River of Darkness, feeling a slight stir in his heart. He immediately contacted Chai Yunkē, the Divine Master who was cultivating in the Main God’s Space.
By now, Chai Yunkē already possessed the power of a ruler. Moreover, he had become the Spirit of the World of Books, controlling a realm akin to the Main God’s Space—far more powerful than ordinary rulers.
Upon hearing Chen Xiao’s call, Chai Yunkē stepped forward. Yet now, he carried no aura around him at all, standing quietly by the River of Darkness like an ordinary person.
“The Lord God of the River of Darkness?”
Seeing the River of Darkness, Chai Yunkē’s expression changed slightly, showing a hint of wariness. Clearly, he feared it greatly.
“Divine Master, he is my father,” Chen Xiao said with a faint smile upon seeing Chai Yunkē’s reaction.
“Your father is the Lord God of the River of Darkness? One who can rival a ruler?” Chai Yunkē was stunned. He never expected Chen Xiao to be the son of such a legendary god. All this time, he had thought Chen Xiao was just an ordinary boy with exceptional luck.
“The divine artifact of the Water Domain ruler—the Glorious Milky Way Map?” The River of Darkness was momentarily taken aback upon seeing Chai Yunkē and spoke instinctively.
“That was in the past. I’ve given up on the true form of the Glorious Milky Way Map. I am now the Spirit of the World of Books,” Chai Yunkē replied with a smile.
“Divine Master, the Milky Way and the River of Darkness—one is the original Milky Way of the divine realm, the other the original Milky Way of the nether realm. Now, that Milky Way is within the Two Elements Map in my body. I wonder if you can find a way to incorporate this River of Darkness into the Two Elements Map as well?”
The Guangshui Milky Way Map, named Guangshui, actually originated from the Milky Way that once spanned the divine realm.
“What?!”
Both the River of Darkness and Chai Yunkē were shocked by Chen Xiao’s insane idea. Incorporating the River of Darkness would likely shake the entire nether realm.
“Xiao’er…” The River of Darkness’s heart trembled slightly. If the River of Darkness could truly be absorbed and carried with him, he would be completely free.
“If Lord Shuimiao is willing to step in, then there should be no problem,” Chai Yunkē said, frowning slightly. He had been by Chen Xiao’s side for days now and knew well what this seemingly ordinary boy could do when driven mad.
In the next moment, Chen Xiao’s right hand slowly sank inward, and a Two Elements Map appeared in his palm. The map rotated slowly, emitting waves of Two Elements energy. This map was not formed by Chen Xiao’s own Two Elements but by Chai Yunkē’s true form—the Guangshui Milky Way Map.
As soon as the Two Elements Map appeared, the River of Darkness also began to ripple, as if something was pulling at it.
Chai Yunkē gritted his teeth and said, “Lord Shuimiao, lend me your help.”
In the next instant, he grabbed the Two Elements Map, and the spirit of its true form rushed into it.
“Endless Milky Way, emerge! Power of the Two Elements, activate!”
At this point, Chai Yunkē’s spirit had also transformed into the Spirit of the Two Elements. He could even return to the Two Elements Map and become that spirit again. However, doing so would greatly hinder his growth.
Boom!

The entire Diagram of Yin and Yang expanded instantly. In just a short moment, it covered an area of millions of miles. The next instant, golden rivers shimmering with light flew out from the Diagram of Yin and Yang, heading straight toward the endless River of Darkness.

“Go!”

Suddenly, a sharp shout rang out in the void. Infinite spatial power flowed from the Space of the Supreme God into the Diagram of Yin and Yang. Instantly, the diagram expanded again, covering half of the sky. The golden rivers also grew more powerful as they continued to surge toward the River of Darkness.

…

“Wow, he actually wants to take control of the River of Darkness? That’s insane.”

In an unknown corner of the Underworld, a charmingly beautiful woman slightly raised her head and looked in a certain direction.

“That kid can really do anything,” Jing Ning said with a smirk.

“My lord, if he wants to take control of the River of Darkness, shouldn’t we stop him?” asked the maid at the level of a supreme god, puzzled.

“Why stop him? Without the River of Heaven, the River of Darkness loses its value. I’ve long wanted to destroy it. Now that this kid has taken it over, it saves me the trouble.”

“But my lord…”

“Hehehe, let’s go watch the excitement and see how that kid deals with the other supreme gods of the Underworld.”

With that, Jing Ning moved slightly and disappeared from sight.

At the same time, all the supreme gods in the Underworld sensed that something was amiss with the River of Darkness—someone seemed to want to harness it. They all took to the air, eager to see who was so bold.

…

“All supreme gods, please return.”

The River of Darkness stood there in white robes, his white hair flowing gently. He appeared pure and elegant, standing proudly by the river’s edge and blocking all the approaching supreme gods.

“River of Darkness, what are you up to? Do you really want to take control of it?” asked a man wreathed in dark red flames, frowning at the river. This man was none other than the Lord of the Nether Fire, mentioned earlier by Qiu Er.

Although the Lord of the Nether Fire was a supreme god, he wasn’t very confident against the River of Darkness. After all, water and fire were opposites, and being by the river’s edge, he was no match for it.

“Hehe, I’ve been lonely in this Underworld for too long. I want to take my true form and go outside to see the world,” said the River of Darkness, regaining his cold and aloof expression.

Now, standing by the river’s edge, he could draw on its power at will. Even a supreme god like the Lord of Death couldn’t do anything to him.

“If you take control of the River of Darkness, do you realize how many beings and beliefs reside within it? If you take it, won’t our beliefs be severely damaged?” asked another supreme god with a cold smile.

“What I do is none of your business. Get lost!”

The River of Darkness raised his hand, and a fierce black wave surged from his fingertips, rushing toward the supreme god’s body.

Boom!

That supreme god had no chance to resist and was swept away millions of miles away in an instant. With just one move, a supreme god was taken away without even a chance to fight back—this showed just how powerful the River of Darkness had become.

“Who else wants to give it a try?” A hint of arrogance appeared on River of Darkness’s face.
“Hiss…”
In an instant, the sound of many supreme gods taking in breaths filled the void.
River of Darkness’s strength was clearly beyond that of ordinary rulers.
Boom!
Suddenly, the River of the Underworld behind him emitted a sound that shook the void. Two waves, one golden and one black, like dragons, rose into the air and intertwined endlessly in the void, beneath which lay an enormous black-and-white pattern.
“What’s that?” Someone exclaimed in shock.