Chapter 299: The Shattering of Divinity

The universe seemed to pause in that horrifying, earth-shattering punch—

Everything plunged into utter silence!

A terrifying tide of blood and qi surged like a colossal, ravenous wave!

It was as if a world-ending frost seeped into every corner of the Su Family Residence.

Inside the patriarch’s palace.

All was reduced to dust, and an overwhelming, suffocating pressure, like a chaotic torrent, raged everywhere.

Ji Heshan knelt on the ground, his robe clinging as if battered relentlessly by a savage windstorm.

His eyes bulged, sweat streaming down; in an instant, the boiling qi evaporated every drop.

Every fiber of his flesh trembled—

A trembling born of sheer terror!

Horrifying!

Unyielding!

At the pinnacle of martial might!

Five Qimen Divine Seeds?!

As an inner elder of the Qianyuan Divine Sect, Ji Heshan knew well the immense difficulty of mastering a Qimen Divine Seed. To imbue a divine seed into the Qimen, one must elevate an entire divine seed martial art to master level.

The challenge of divine seed martial arts surpasses even the Martial Saint Techniques, each requiring long years of cultivation.

When You Liqing was taken as a disciple by a formidable figure like Ji Mo Li—one who had already cleared the second gate of the Heavenly Gate—their innate talent was evident; even mastering two divine seed arts to reach Master level took decades.

For cultivators with lesser talent, one divine seed martial art might take decades and still fall short of completion.

To awaken a Qimen Divine Seed, one must grasp the true essence of a Master-level divine seed art.

Under such rigorous conditions, who could possibly master five divine seeds and successfully integrate them into the body’s Qimen?

Ji Heshan was painfully aware that the difficulty of channeling divine seeds into the body surged exponentially!

It demanded an incredibly robust body to bear endless pain, with staggering demands on will, soul, and physique.

Several warriors had managed to channel two divine seeds.

Only a handful, the very few stalwarts guarding the Heavenly Gate, could channel three.

Warriors channeling four into their Qimen were unheard of!

And now…

Ji Heshan watched in disbelief as a terrifying existence managed to channel five divine seeds!

In the Underworld, there emerged an entity that had integrated five divine seeds into its Qimen!

An almost mythical figure!

Such an existence was undoubtedly a being of supreme might!

Absolutely one of the titans capable of holding the Heavenly Gate!

With one movement, like the taut string of a bow, the power driving the five Qimen Divine Seeds exploded forth!

Ji Heshan could not believe that a mere Su Daoling could trigger such a cataclysm, seemingly dooming both to mutual destruction.

For a being of his caliber, detonating a divine seed was as simple and routine as a warrior unleashing his own qi.

That was truly the most terrifying part!

A body lock was nothing in front of such an existence!

What sort of monstrous flesh could withstand that?!

What ancient behemoth was this?!

“Wrong…”

“Everyone is mistaken!”

“The Underworld isn’t a force that rose merely on gimmicks. Its heritage rivals that of a grand divine sect – its mystery, its terror, nearly akin to that of an ancient clan, a divine sect, or an immortal family!”

Crushed under the overwhelming pressure, Ji Heshan collapsed to the ground.

He stared, unflinching.

That fearsome figure with the black and white mask, exuding an aura that could sever life and death, cupped a fist in a sea of blood and hurled it lightly.

There was nothing exceptionally fast about it; to Ji Heshan it appeared almost lethargic, yet the void rippled, and the Qimen Divine Talismans invoked by Su Daoling were torn asunder, countless sword talismans evaporating into nothingness!

In that instant—

Only a cry of despair escaped him.

Before he knew it, every inch of his body was crushed, reduced to ash and nothingness!

It was as if he disintegrated into endless shards of blood and flesh, exploding between heaven and earth!

That seemingly weightless punch fell like a collapsing pillar, shattering the vault of the heavens, as if the sky itself were being cleaved apart, black and oppressive!

After Su Daoling met his total demise,

Ji Heshan’s soul, along with all those of the fallen, trembled; for that dreadful shockwave, undulating like ripples, spread from him and from afar to Su Li.

Before Su Li could even let out a scream, he was transformed into a pool of blood and mud.

“Senior—!!!”

“I am the fourth inner elder of the Qianyuan Divine Sect! Show mercy!”

A hoarse scream escaped Ji Heshan.

He did not want to die!

He was just one step away from attaining the Divine Nucleus—he didn’t want to die!

And yet…

That towering presence rising from the ancient, decaying city—its black and white mask swirling like a starry cosmos, as if life and death were being redefined within—

Didn’t spare him even a glance, as if the gods themselves were too indifferent to heed the call of a mere mortal.

The shockwave of his punch kept expanding.

Then—

Ji Heshan could only watch in despair as his flesh was ground to dust, his Divine Essence Golden Pill cracking and disintegrating completely.

Why?

Ji Heshan was at a loss.

He couldn’t fathom why he was doomed to die such a miserable death tonight.

Was his luck just that terrible?

And—why, after a year of silence, would the Underworld suddenly see the emergence of an ancient beast? A being of such sublime might that it annihilated the Su Family patriarch, Su Daoling?

Why?!

Staring at the blood-soaked remains of Su Li, Ji Heshan’s mind suddenly conceived an unthinkable explanation.

Could it be—

Could it be because of Li Nuǎnxi?!

The Su Family was still fixated on Li Nuǎnxi, even dispatching Su Chuyang and Su Li to get close to her, scheming with their familiar tactics of enticing girls into marriage.

But why?

Why would a force as formidable as the Underworld, commanded by beings of supreme might, spare no effort to exterminate Li Nuǎnxi—who is Li Che’s daughter, not even the Underworld’s own!

Hmm?!

Ji Heshan suddenly froze.

He felt he had grasped something.

“Li Che—!!”

Ji Heshan roared.

And then,

He completely perished.

Almost at the very moment Su Daoling fell,

In one of the eerie temples, Su Lei Ba—a Qi Hai Martial Saint of unparalleled might—sensed it.

Boom!

His pale hair whipped wildly as Su Lei Ba’s eyes nearly burst.

“Ah—!!!”

Boom!

A powerful surge of blood and qi crashed like rolling tides. He stepped forward, transformed into a streak of blood-red lightning as he burst out of the room, as if a hurricane had been unleashed.

Su Lei Ba ascended step by step; his weathered, stooped frame seemed to be revived by the surging blood and flesh!

His back gradually arched, flesh swelling, his body bulking up with crimson patterns intertwining over his form.

In an instant, his pale hair turned jet black, and his eyes brimmed with sorrow and murderous intent!

“Who’s there?!”

“Slay me, you half-saint of the Su Family Divine Talismans!”

Su Lei Ba bellowed in rage!

Fixing his gaze on the Su Family Residence,

He did not succumb to madness over Su Daoling’s death; his resolve remained intact as he charged forward.

He barely knew what had transpired at the Su Family Residence.

Su Daoling, a master of divine talisman techniques, had once set up a vast divine talisman array there – even a third-rate Martial Saint would have caused a tremendous stir if he broke it.

Yet Su Daoling had passed away silently.

He had only just sensed that Su Daoling’s Soul Jade had completely shattered, extinguishing his life.

It was too quick!

He was instantly slain!

A divine talisman expert like Su Daoling, with his myriad techniques, was taken down in an instant!

Even if a mountaineering Martial Saint unleashed everything – breaking apart the Su Family’s divine talisman array, shattering Su Daoling’s tactics, and killing him—

There was no way it could have been so swift, right?!

Thus, although Su Lei Ba was furious, he did not let anger cloud his judgment, charging straight forward.

If the culprit hadn’t yet fled and attacked him as well, killing him too—

Then the Su Family would be utterly finished!

And Su Lei Ba’s roar was meant to alert the mighty forces within Daocheng.

In truth,

There was no need for his furious roar!

Li Che never intended to conceal the Underworld Yama’s intervention; not even the Heavenly Dome or the Cosmic Chessboard hid his aura when, with a single punch that obliterated Su Daoling by detonating five Qimen Divine Seeds,

Numerous powerful figures in Daocheng sensed the surge of qi.

At the Six-Desire Exorcism Lv Xuan Sword Immortal’s Bizarre Temple,

Within the Bizarre Temple, the eerie mists tore apart!

Then a terrifying blast of blood and qi, like a giant cleaver, slashed through the mists, revealing a body as brilliant as the sun that burst forth in an instant.

It spanned the void, with eyes like two brilliant beacons!

Dressed in the robes of the Temple Guardian Division’s Governor, Feng Zhiqi’s attire fluttered as streams of blood and qi surged into the night sky, dispelling the darkness and scattering the swirling snow without a trace!

Yu Wen Wenlong soared upward, his expression grim and his aura imbued with both shock and solemnity.

“Governor Feng!”

“What is—”

“I sense it. I already sense it——”

“Five Qimen Divine Seeds, shattering body locks in an instant, a single punch undoing heaven and earth!”

“To harness such explosive power from five divine seeds effortlessly supported by a body lock—this warrior, even if he has not reached the Heavenly Gate, is but a hair’s breadth from the pinnacle of mountaineering!”

“He has even seen the Heavenly Gate and can now hold the fort at its threshold!”

“So powerful! Truly powerful—I can feel every muscle trembling, every fiber excited—

“I want it!”

“I want to challenge him to a duel!!!”

Feng Zhiqi roared as he raised his arms, and the formidable blood and qi within him erupted like an ancient volcano!

In the next moment, he transformed into a projectile, streaking across the sky!

In the dark night, a blood-red dragon seemed to arc across the skies, its blazing qi warping the void!

This time, Yu Wen Wenlong did not remain behind at the Lv Xuan Sword Immortal’s Bizarre Temple.

He transformed into a streak of light, tailing right behind.

At the Dao Master Residence.

Inside a secret chamber, Dao Master Yue Huanglong, who was perusing an ancient tome, suddenly furrowed his brows; his typically comical face turned steely as a flash of murderous intent appeared!

“Who?!”

His voice still lingered.

But he had already vanished.

Reappearing high above the Su Family Residence, some three hundred zhang away, amid swirling winds and turbulent air,

He looked toward the Su Family Residence.

And he saw a towering Mo City rising repeatedly, growing ever higher!

In a flash, a gigantic chessboard stretched across the sky, a dark city with morbid energy swirling, boundlessly black.

Atop the city, a single figure stood, channeling the explosive power of five divine seeds, raising a sea of tumultuous qi, twisting the very firmament and night; the intense heat melted every snowflake in Daocheng.

Dao Master Yue Huanglong, his rotund figure half-closed his eyes as he watched the patriarch’s palace of the Su Family vanish into thin air—a sign that the new Su Family Patriarch, Su Daoling, had perished.

A flash of unusual fury and anger danced in his eyes!

Su Daoling—

Dead?!

For Su Daoling, a divine talisman half-saint, his role in Daocheng was paramount. He was the one Li Che had nurtured to counter Lü Taibai of the Qianyuan Divine Sect.

To prevent the Qianyuan Divine Sect from monopolizing divine talisman techniques in Daocheng!

If that were the case, then the Daocheng Lord dispatched by the Great Jing Court would face condemnation from the Great Jing Emperor and the State Preceptor!

Dao Master Yue Huanglong shuddered as he recalled the figure in plain white seated beside the golden dragon throne in the Divine Capital during court.

That very plan to dispatch a Dao Master to suppress the burgeoning powers of various divine sects was the brainchild of the State Preceptor.

The previous Su Family patriarch had once produced a divine talisman half-saint by his methods.

Originally, that very figure could have appeased both the Divine Capital and the gods. Now—appeasement was lost!

This time, at the Pan Tao Summit, that imperial feast… it would be impossible to find peace.

“The Underworld—”

Dao Master Yue Huanglong stared up at the dark city overhead, his heart trembling slightly.

An ancient, weathered, and black fortress spanned the vast chessboard like a net; it was as if countless ghosts wandered within its depths. And atop it, within the black and white mask that mirrored the stars and cosmic cycles, the power over life and death reigned!

The Underworld—

Could it really harbor such an existence?!

Though Yue Huanglong had only just reached the peak of the fourth-tier Martial Saint and caught a glimpse of the Heavenly Gate,

He was by no means weak. Yet at this moment, he felt an overwhelming threat!

“Who exactly are you, sir?”

Yue Huanglong’s rotund form trembled as he hovered in the void three hundred zhang above. Slowly, he assumed a starting stance as the celestial winds shifted; behind him, an enormous, majestic gateway appeared!

Beyond the gateway, one could see myriad lights shimmering amidst swirling mists, almost like ethereal pavilions and towers—a yellow dragon coiled gracefully amid them, roaring with might!

Boom!

In the distance,

Feng Zhiqi barreled forward. A towering mountain rose behind him, its peak hidden, his qi entwined with the martial mountain, his gaze fierce and his aura overwhelming!

“The Underworld—? They really misjudged everyone!”

“So the Underworld too has beings at the pinnacle of power!”

Yue Huanglong shot a sharp look at Feng Zhiqi, his heart suddenly tightening.

This Feng Zhiqi was but a step away from reaching the supreme echelon!

Yet, though Feng Zhiqi trembled with both excitement and fear, Yue Huanglong’s imposing aura forced him to stand down.

“Governor Feng, protect Su Family’s great elder Su Lei Ba—this foe aims to destroy the Su Family.”

Yue Huanglong stated coolly.

Feng Zhiqi narrowed his eyes.

He had no intention of defying Yue Huanglong’s orders; though the Temple Guardian Division and the Dao Master Residence were both official entities, differences still existed—how dare anyone command him?!

Feng Zhiqi, burning with the desire to shatter the limits of the body lock, wanted to challenge this peerless warrior thoroughly.

He longed to call for battle!

But then,

Feng Zhiqi glanced into the distance.

There—a void seemed sealed, and a dust-whip, like a white divine dragon, hung over the vault of heaven, arresting the void.

From the Imperial Watch, Monitor Hong Shifo, clad in a white robe, ascended laughing, standing with his hands behind his back,

Squinting as he surveyed the figure standing amidst the blood sea atop the dark city.

At that moment,

Feng Zhiqi felt a stirring.

He looked toward the Qianyuan Divine Sect’s Taibai Peak.

There, a silver-haired figure cascaded like a waterfall, standing with his hands behind him, coldly watching the scene.

“No escape!”

“This Underworld supreme being, hemmed in by the three greatest titans of Daocheng—has nowhere to run!”

Feng Zhiqi’s burning passion cooled the moment he sensed Lü Taibai. His expression turned grim.

“Did you kill Qianyuan Divine Sect’s fourth elder, Ji Heshan?”

Feng Zhiqi’s face twisted as he sensed something amiss.

Then,

Feng Zhiqi said no more.

He streaked forward like a dragon of qi and blood, appearing before Su Lei Ba and intercepting him.

Above Mo City.

Li Che, wearing the black and white Underworld Yama mask and a fluttering dark robe, exuded an oppressive aura between heaven and earth—it was utterly horrifying!

This was the very aura of a being at the pinnacle of existence!

Even just the combined encirclement of Lü Taibai and Monitor Hong Shifo made Li Che feel a suffocating pressure, as if the five Qimen Divine Seeds were about to be utterly suppressed.

The pressure—it was enormous!

Only after experiencing it firsthand did one realize how far one truly was from those supreme masters!

But Li Che’s objective this time was achieved.

The Underworld Yama could still evolve—

But you have all reached your limit!

“Do you wish to leave?”

“I’m afraid you can’t.”

Monitor Hong Shifo stood with his hands behind him as a mighty soul of heaven and earth descended, sealing off the surrounding void; his white dust-whip, a top-tier divine weapon, sank into the void, as if the very fabric of space were frozen.

Behind the Underworld Yama mask, Li Che looked calmly at Hong Shifo.

He could also sense the terrifying sword intent from Lü Taibai in the distance, as if it were locking onto him.

Li Che smiled.

Taking a step forward, at that moment!

Within his chest, the Dao Fruit “Dream Celestial” pulsed vigorously.

The power of his dream surged forth!

A mirage-like scene blossomed behind him!

It was the very image he had seen in Big Black Dog’s dream—a terrifying entity oozing molten lava, slowly awakening from hell itself, gradually rising and opening a colossal eye that spanned the heavens!

Boom!

Both Yue Huanglong and Hong Shifo’s expressions changed drastically; beads of sweat formed as they stared at the scene.

On Taibai Peak,

Lü Taibai’s brows furrowed as he fixed his gaze on the unfolding spectacle—

Even he felt a tremor in his eyes!

“A terrifying ancient beast emerging beyond the Bizarre Temple?!”

“The Underworld—could it be tied to what lies beyond the Bizarre Temple?!”

At that moment, Lü Taibai flicked his fingers and his Taibai Sword began to sing.

Meanwhile, Li Che, fired by the dream’s vision invoking the image of a petulant dog relying on human power, suddenly felt his chest-bound Chess Sage Dao Fruit throb fiercely.

In the next instant, five luminous Divine Chess Pieces, blessed by the Buddha’s radiance, were gripped tightly by him,

And like teleportation, they appeared at the center of five swirling vortexes of blood and qi emanating from the explosive body lock of the Qimen Divine Seeds.

They merged into them.

It was as though an earth-shaking chemical reaction had been triggered!

“Underworld Ascension!”

A deep voice emanated from beneath the black and white mask!

Boom!

Countless brilliant sword flashes erupted, the churning qi and blood swelling once more—

Bang!

Li Che’s left arm clenched into a fist as the Thunder Demon Three-Pronged Twin-Edged Blade emitted a dazzling ring of blade sound!

Within his chest,

The Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit surged urgently, as if its qi were being channeled directly into the Thunder Demon Three-Pronged Twin-Edged Blade!

Then!

Empowered by the divine light of the Temple Spirit and the shattering might of a body lock-breaking qi, along with the unleashed strength of his divine weapon—

A single punch was launched!

It collided fiercely with the resplendent silver sword light that had just materialized before him.

In the void, countless sword flashes exploded!

They blossomed like the most dazzling sword lotus.

Surreal and ethereal!

An exquisite spectacle in the night sky!

Yue Huanglong and Monitor Hong Shifo exchanged horrified glances.

How swift was Lü Taibai’s sword!

Neither of them even noticed a sword that had appeared before the Underworld Yama, at some unknown moment!

The terrifying sword qi erupted, unfurling into a sword lotus that completely devoured the Underworld Yama’s figure.

Visibly, the void shattered as if mirrors cracked, a brutal net of fissures spreading endlessly!

Once the sword lotus slowly dissipated,

There was no sign of the Underworld Yama beneath the heavens.

The dark city began to vanish like dissolving bubbles; the chessboard too faded into nothingness—

Gone?!

The Underworld Yama…

Had vanished without a trace?!

“Impossible!”

Hong Shifo’s brows knotted as he spat out a low curse!

He had sealed the void with divine weapons—an anchoring force far stronger than even the Four Emperors’ Calming the Wind Divine Talisman!

Yet the Underworld Yama still managed to escape!

“For the sake of the throne, the Underworld supreme being—could this be a figure akin to the Dragon God’s crown, a Dragon King?!”

A low murmur came from Yue Huanglong’s lips,

As though sensing something was off.

But—no matter how Lü Taibai’s sword might block him, even Monitor Hong Shifo’s divine techniques could not trap him.

This Underworld Yama…

Its danger was skyrocketing!

A flash of apprehension glittered in his eyes.

The Underworld…

An Underworld like this!

Boom!

A sword light transformed into Lü Taibai’s silhouette—his silver hair streaming as he stood with his hands behind him.

A silver sword qi pattern gleamed between his brows!

Lü Taibai’s eyes revealed an unusual glimmer.

Though that sword was not his most powerful, it spared no effort.

After all, this Underworld Yama had slain a fourth inner elder of the Qianyuan Divine Sect.

Although Lü Taibai had long heard of Ji Heshan’s misdeeds, having served as an inner elder of the Qianyuan Divine Sect for nearly a century and generating vast benefits, as long as Ji Heshan wasn’t overly outrageous he always turned a blind eye.

The same went for the other elders.

But tonight, Ji Heshan had finally brought his own ruin upon himself.

Lü Taibai had already conspired with Fang Han Shu to strip Ji Heshan of his elder status, for his actions had become too egregious.

Yet, who would have thought, Ji Heshan would perish tonight.

An inner elder’s death—Lü Taibai couldn’t stand by.

“What a formidable Underworld Yama.”

“Intriguing.”

“He isn’t dead; he has left.”

Lü Taibai said calmly.

“We were all too dismissive of the Underworld.”

“To detonate five Qimen Divine Seeds without damaging one’s body, and behind him stands an ancient beast from beyond the Bizarre Temple…”

“How many surprises can the Underworld still bring us?”

Lü Taibai mused coolly.

Yue Huanglong and Hong Shifo exhaled, their eyes dark with thought yet saying nothing.

In the distance,

Su Lei Ba’s face showed a hint of dread.

Fortunately, his caution kept him alive—if not, he’d already be nothing more than a corpse.

That Underworld Yama could withstand Lü Taibai’s sword without dying!

The Su Family was done.

Suddenly, Su Lei Ba remembered something; his face turned pale and grim.

Su Daoling was dead, and though he was a second-tier Qi Hai Martial Saint, his time was nearly up—how many more years could he protect the Su Family?!

Moreover, the threat from the Underworld had filled Su Lei Ba with dread and uncertainty.

Who knew when the Underworld Yama would suddenly appear—just as it had taken Su Daoling’s life—and claim his own?

This was a monster that could easily defy Lü Taibai’s sword!

The Su Family was—

Finished.

The Su Family’s three-thousand-year legacy in Daocheng was on the brink of collapse!

“The Su Family—”

“There is only one way left.”

At the Two-Hearted Great Sage’s Bizarre Temple,

What had been a calm candle flame flickered violently, as if a sudden storm might snuff it out!

Boom!

Li Che, wearing the black and white Yama mask, emerged in an instant, sitting cross-legged on the ground as his body burned with intense, blazing qi.

The ancient, mottled blue bricks of the Bizarre Temple’s floor split open, riddled with grotesque cracks like expanding spiderwebs!

Beneath his mask, a deep, echoing call resonated.

And as the cracked blue bricks repaired themselves at a visible speed, sealing the fissures as if nothing had happened,

Li Che raised his hand and removed the black and white Yama mask.

His face was faintly pale; within the Mud Pellet on his brow, the divine essence was nearly spent.

His roiling flesh bore numerous brutal scars. Li Che’s inner sense probed his body.

With a shudder,

He observed that inside his body, not only his skin, muscles, tendons, bones, and organs were under unbearable strain, but they were all crisscrossed by fine cracks.

Though his mighty primordial spirit could sense these cracks slowly healing under the nourishing power of the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit, mending his wounds,

This was undoubtedly the most severe injury Li Che had ever suffered!

Not inflicted by others,

But self-inflicted!

Even Lü Taibai’s sword had not harmed him at all—it was entirely worn down by the unleashed blade qi of the Thunder Demon Three-Pronged Twin-Edged Blade.

The mighty guardian of the seventh gate of the Heavenly Gate could well be regarded as the seventh mightiest martial artist in the world!

Indeed, he was supremely powerful.

The Dao Fruit was his primary trump card, with the Thunder Demon Three-Pronged Twin-Edged Blade as his secondary asset.

Yet Li Che felt the Thunder Demon Three-Pronged Twin-Edged Blade’s power wane, along with the depletion of his divine seed qi,

And those five luminous Divine Chess Pieces he painstakingly assembled over a year—

He sighed softly.

In an instant, it was as if he’d returned to square one.

At least, the name and sign of the Underworld had already been struck.

The Underworld Yama would thus forever be known as one of the supreme beings.

It would stand as the pillar of the Underworld.

That wasn’t a loss.

It was just a pity he hadn’t killed Su Lei Ba—this man was shrewd enough to remain vigilant and not let hatred or anger cloud his judgment.

Had Su Lei Ba charged into the Su Family Residence then, Li Che would have killed him without hesitation.

But that was enough.

This aging Qi Hai Martial Saint, Su Lei Ba, would not live many more years. Even if he ascended to Martial Saint, his lifespan was shorter than that of one in the Divine Nucleus stage—inevitably, his day would come.

Thus, the Su Family—

Could no longer stir up great waves; it was utterly finished.

The Zhou, Yun, and Zhong families of Daocheng, if they couldn’t even devour such tender meat, would no longer deserve the title of ancient families.

Sensing the energy of the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit, Li Che noticed it remained completely intact, still exuding its qi to help restore his body and forge his physique.

This Dao Fruit—

It was so hungry for improvement!

“Detonating five divine seeds, even with the Dao Fruit’s power, inflicts such devastation on the flesh—

If I triggered six, it would be dangerously reckless.”

Li Che’s eyes narrowed.

“Seven, or even eight divine seeds—would surely be fatal.”

“But it’s all because my body is too weak; I am nothing more than a Nascent Grandmaster right now.”

“I must improve.”

Li Che exhaled deeply.

He took out a Martial Pill and swallowed it.

Soon, he sat within the Two-Hearted Great Sage’s Bizarre Temple.

Without haste, Li Che began to use the Qian Kun Jade he had stealthily taken from Su Daoling and Ji Heshan to mend his injuries.

With wounds this severe, he estimated it would take at least a couple of days to fully recover.

The chaos stirred by the Underworld Yama ensured that Daocheng would remain restless tonight.

The major families were shaken; every power anticipated the Underworld differently now.

The Underworld—

It harbored beings whose might was on par with the supreme!

The Underworld Yama!

Even when hemmed in by the supreme figures of the Divine Sect, the Dao Master, and the monitor of the Imperial Watch, it broke through and escaped.

And it managed to survive Lü Taibai’s killing blow with nonchalance!

On Taibai Peak,

Lü Taibai drifted back; his Taibai Sword clanged as it returned to the offering stand within Taibai Hall.

Su Xixx softly began to fall again, descending onto the mountain peaks as a chill spread.

Lü Taibai’s silver hair flowed, his gaze fell upon elder Fang Han Shu, who held a Sacred Classic. Dressed in a timeless scholar’s robe with a few flakes of snow on his shoulder and hair,

“You showed mercy,”

Fang Han Shu remarked.

Lü Taibai smiled and replied, “XiXi and the Underworld are on good terms; no need for total extermination.”

“Ji Heshan is dead,” sighed Fang Han Shu.

“I never thought it would come so fast.”

Lü Taibai shook his head, “His constant scheming and impure thoughts not only earned the Su Family’s sponsorship but also implied ties with Ji Mo Li’s faction. If he were to break into the Divine Nucleus, things would indeed become troublesome—”

“Enough, enough about him.”

“What do you think of the Underworld Yama?”

Lü Taibai looked at Fang Han Shu.

Fang Han Shu dusted off his Sacred Classic as he stood, shaking the accumulated snow off his body.

His eyes shone with a tranquil, unblemished light.

Over hills and through the falling snow, he fixed his gaze on the brightly lit Divine Sect Disciple City amidst the towering mountains.

“That blade light that intercepted your sword qi—it resembled the Mythic Weapon, the Thunder Demon Three-Pronged Twin-Edged Blade. And that demonic hound imagery behind the Yama, though not overly oppressive, sends shivers down one’s spine. Such a hound for a twin-edged blade…”

“Who did you think of?”