Chapter 332: The Shattering of Mo City

Mo City trembled as countless droplets tumbled from above, only to shatter into endless sprays of water powder beneath the expanding shockwaves.

A hazy net spread throughout the heavens and earth!

In that moment, the entire world seemed drained of color, obscured by inky rain and mist, leaving only shades of black and white.

Yet, amidst the gloomy sheen, brilliant golden light surged forth, slowly dissipating into countless fine particles. In the face of a fearsome, raging energy wave, that light broke apart and scattered over Mo City like a relentless golden rainstorm.

Crash, crash—

The remnants on the mask slid away completely.

Revealing Li Che’s gentle features, though his eyes betrayed little emotion—as if he were a god stripped of all feelings, reigning high above the mortal realm.

His jet-black hair whipped wildly like a divine lash that shattered the very air.

Even the formidable flesh and blood of Yue Huanglong’s four-armed Martial Saint couldn’t withstand the overwhelming might of the Dragon Elephant Furnace’s Dao Induction.

But it was mostly because the power behind the Dragon Elephant Furnace had dissolved the divine aura within Yue Huanglong’s life force, causing his cultivation to plummet sharply to a mediocre level.

Naturally, he could not endure Li Che’s full-throttle assault that unleashed the terrifying might of six Qi Men Divine Seeds!

The sixth Qi Men Divine Seed was developed through a transcendent martial art of the True Martial Way; once its binding shattered, Li Che’s power skyrocketed.

Howling winds roared as the unleashed airflow, once pushed aside, rebounded with relentless, torrential force like a crashing tidal wave.

Li Che gradually relaxed his clenched fists and fixed his gaze on the ever-dissolving mass of blood, flesh, and golden radiance.

Between heaven and earth, Yue Huanglong’s formidable soul quivered—yet it was nothing more than his soul essence.

Buzzing with converging energies, countless soul fragments intertwined to form the plump, almost comical shape of Yue Huanglong.

Suspended above Mo City, he no longer dared use his soul power to resist Li Che.

He only looked at Li Che with a complicated expression.

“I never imagined—truly, I never imagined—”

“The Ogre, the Yama… could it really be you?”

Yue Huanglong stood with his arms folded, his entire body radiating a blood-red glow.

However, with Mo City isolated from the outside world, his soul power was gradually eroded. He knew his existence wouldn’t last much longer.

Yue Huanglong was truly stunned, repeatedly dumbfounded—

After the fight, his mind buzzed with deafening confusion.

No wonder the Ogre was so cunning—more deceitful than even the wiliest fox of Daocheng.

In battle, he deployed myriad tactics to unsettle his opponent’s state of mind.

Resurrecting Yan Jing from death, he even exposed the Ogre’s true identity as Yama.

His emotions swung wildly, leaving him in a pitiful state.

Moreover, using the ever-shattering Ogre Mask to toy with his psyche made him yearn to glimpse the truth hidden beneath, preventing Yue Huanglong from adopting a delaying strategy.

Exactly… delay was his only option!

Against a foe who could trigger a Qi Men Divine Seed to break through realms with martial might, delaying was the only tactic.

By stalling, the explosive divine seed energy would wane gradually.

When that time came, it would be his chance to counterattack.

Alas…

Yue Huanglong, repeatedly assaulted on the spiritual plane by Li Che, became disoriented and ended up clashing head-on with the one who had unleashed all six Qi Men Divine Seeds.

“And that final move you used… what was it?”

Yue Huanglong looked at Li Che with desperate eyes.

He longed to know—what exactly was that blazing furnace?

He had never seen anything like it.

Inconceivably powerful—not a mere display of brute strength, but a martial art of a level beyond divine seeds or transcendent True Martial Way!

“Dao Induction.”

With a robust and imposing build, Li Che’s wild black hair seemed intertwined with golden smoke swirling in his eyes. To the already doomed Yue Huanglong, Li Che’s calm reply was like granting him a long-awaited, fulfilling death.

He hoped that when he was later subdued by Spiritual Confinement, he would show some awareness.

Few times did Li Che show such merciless tenderness toward an enemy.

This was the first time.

Yue Huanglong’s soul stood as testament.

“Dao Induction…”

What is Dao Induction?

Yue Huanglong—completely clueless.

He stared at Li Che, his eyes flickering slightly: “There’s an incredible inheritance within you…”

“An ancient legacy?”

Yue Huanglong suddenly asked.

But this time, Li Che offered no reply.

After a moment’s silence, Yue Huanglong shook his head and burst into laughter, “Perhaps I was too blunt…”

He no longer looked at Li Che but instead turned his gaze toward the dome of Mo City, shrouded in inky mist.

No stars dotted the sky—only a pitch-black expanse prevailed.

Only the thick, dark smudge of ink remained.

In a room so dark that even a stretched hand could not see its tip.

After a long, silent spell, Yue Huanglong sighed.

“What a pity… I, Yue Huanglong, for the sake of the Imperial Court, have spent three centuries away from home in Daocheng.”

“For three hundred years, under immense pressure, I have fought diligently against the Qianyuan Divine Sect, stifling its growth with every effort and cunning strategy—”

“Oh, Master Taibai… I was merely pawns in his game. All these years, walking on a knife’s edge, I’ve done many misdeeds for Daocheng, fearing that Master Taibai would one day strike me down.”

“But I did it all for the Imperial Court.”

Yue Huanglong sighed softly.

He had barely broken through to a four-armed Martial Saint before being dispatched to Daocheng, severing all ties with the central power of the Divine Capital and dashing any hopes of inheriting the Yue family’s legacy.

Yet, he felt little regret.

“This Daocheng… will no longer have Old Yue.”

“With Master Taibai gone, you can finally rest easy,”

“Fang Han Shu, what are you hiding? It’s a pity I’ll never see it,”

“Monitor Hong Shifo—old turtle, no one will play chess with you anymore! I’ve long wanted to say so!”

“Seems like the only ones worth my concern after three hundred years in Lingnan are you lot…”

Standing in the void, Yue Huanglong gazed into the distance devoid of light, murmuring to himself.

The radiant glow of his being gradually dispersed as his soul began to seep away.

Eventually, it transformed into a sigh that echoed between heaven and earth.

“Just watching the spectacle and ending up beaten to death.”

“What a pathetic end to die like this.”

Yue Huanglong’s words were laced with deep, suffocating regret.

And yet, there was nothing to be said.

As Li Che had stated—

When Yue Huanglong, alongside the Yellow Dragon Treasure Ship, had exited the Qiankun Great River area and tread onto the Grand Canal—

Deep inside, he was no longer simply an onlooker.

His sighs merged with the wind.

And finally…

He vanished into countless drifting specks of golden light.

Under the combined explosion of six Qi Men Divine Seeds via the Dragon Elephant Furnace, even Yue Huanglong’s divine embryo was utterly obliterated by a single punch!

Only his unique soul remained.

But even that remnant was soon swallowed and annihilated by Mo City.

As the roaring winds battered the scene, Yue Huanglong’s soul completely dissipated, and only then did Li Che’s eyes flicker with life.

Though Yue Huanglong muttered many things, Li Che paid them little heed.

After all, everyone reminisces before their final moments.

Perhaps Yue Huanglong was a worthy Daoist Master for Daocheng, having stifled the Qianyuan Divine Sect for so long—even if it meant undermining its operations in secret.

It might be said that he was a good master in the eyes of the Imperial Court, but he was hardly a good man.

If he were, he wouldn’t have joined forces with various powerful families in Daocheng to utterly annihilate the Su Family during the Su Lei Ba migration, sparing not even a single life.

Thus, it is clear that Yue Huanglong was far from virtuous.

For Li Che, these details were insignificant.

Yue Huanglong’s ulterior motives were evident from the moment he notified the Dragon God’s faction about the Titled Old Dragon King, setting his sights on XiXi and Li Che, in a bid to sever the rising hope of the Qianyuan Divine Sect.

From that moment, Yue Huanglong had already chosen a path toward death, giving Li Che every reason to kill him.

“You’re finished,”

Li Che spread his arms and examined his body, now crisscrossed with deep cracks.

Unknowingly, he had grown significantly stronger.

Though his newfound strength came from unleashing the divine seed power, it was still a cause for celebration.

The refining of the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit and the tempering of his pure martial body through the Dragon Elephant Furnace had rendered Li Che’s flesh nearly as durable as that of a four-armed Martial Saint.

Yet even such a body struggled under the immense pressure from activating all six Qi Men Divine Seeds.

It almost couldn’t hold on.

No wonder ancient texts spoke of the Eight Mysterious Gates as if they were myth.

“A four-armed Martial Saint at the pinnacle of first-class power—can he possibly master Spiritual Confinement? And will Old Yue have the wisdom to yield?”

Li Che’s muscles stood out like blue veins, burning and intertwining as if aflame.

He hadn’t yet dispelled the power of the six Qi Men Divine Seeds—a force that wasn’t something that could be nullified immediately, but needed to settle gradually.

Still, Li Che cared little; his body was strong enough to endure it.

Indeed, the most perilous moment was the initial explosive surge of the divine seed energy. The sudden increase could shatter one’s flesh if not withstood.

But once that burst was weathered, maintaining the power was far less challenging.

Feeling the explosive force within him, Li Che slowly exhaled.

In the distance, Yan Jing—shattered repeatedly by the rippling shockwaves—had long descended into numbness. At the very instant Li Che’s gaze swept over him, Yan Jing jolted upright and clasped his fists in salute.

“My lord, Yan Jing at your service!”

His voice rang strong and confident, filled with genuine submission.

Damn it—one couldn’t help but admire such obedience!

How could Yue Huanglong, that wily old fox, be defeated so utterly? Were his Yan Jing not just waiting to be used as bait?

When Yan Jing first embraced Spiritual Confinement, numerous messages about his predicament, potential power, and duties had been transmitted to him.

Li Che had pre-set these instructions within the Pure Heart Dao Fruit, so that once Spiritual Confinement was achieved, they would immediately be relayed to the confined. This not only heightened their likelihood of submission but also saved a great deal of acclimation time.

With a robust physique and countless strands of golden blood swirling around him like ethereal smoke, Li Che exuded both divine grace and fearsome menace. His dominating aura caused Yan Jing’s Spiritual Confinement to tremble ever so slightly.

Yet Li Che did not force the compliant Yan Jing into the maw of other spiritual entities to bolster their strength.

After all, Yan Jing was a peak Qi Hai Martial Saint, barely shy of reaching the summit. Given a chance and a non-compliant spirit to feed upon, even Yan Jing could grow into a formidable ally.

Now Li Che’s Spiritual Confinement force—bolstered by the likes of Su Lei Ba, Su Daoling, Huang Jianjiu, You Liqing, the Dragon Queen, and Yan Jing—numbered six in total.

This lineup was on par with some of the lower-ranked Divine Sect factions.

Admittedly, it still lagged behind the Qianyuan Divine Sect, primarily due to figures like Master Taibai, who single-handedly held back a multitude of powerful opponents, and Fang Han Shu, a prodigy whose limits remained unknown.

If only Old Yue would willingly submit, the outcome would be uncertain.

Li Che’s eyes flickered over the cascading blood rain.

With a sudden, powerful pull, countless fragments of shattered flesh were drawn in, among which lay Yue Huanglong’s premium Qian Kun Jade.

Even in such a fierce battle, it remained broken but not completely destroyed.

Yue Huanglong’s flesh was scattered to pieces; as blood rained down, the disappearance of his soul signified his final death.

Since he was dead—

Li Che could now attempt Spiritual Confinement.

He certainly valued this opportunity, for Yue Huanglong’s cultivation was far from weak. Successfully confining him would mean gaining a powerful ally capable of touching the highest realms.

After all, Yue Huanglong’s ample flesh was his reserve at the pinnacle of martial might!

Once transformed into a spiritual entity, Yue Huanglong could freely burn away his fat and, even in death, return as a warrior anew!

Hence—

Li Che’s eyes shone with golden, incense-like smoke.

Under Yan Jing’s reverent and awed gaze,

with his five fingers spread wide, he targeted the overwhelming mass of Yue Huanglong’s remains.

“Soul, return—Spiritual Confinement!”

In a deep, resonant tone, as if chanted during an ancient rite, an elder’s solemn hymn opened the gates of death, allowing lost souls to break free of their spectral chains and return!

Crash, crash—Cold chains clashed as if locked onto someone’s feet, step by step emerging from the depths of darkness.

Above Mo City, a colossal black void materialized.

That void was so pitch-black it threatened to devour all light and warmth.

No ray of light could linger; everything was swallowed and erased!

Even Li Che, as a Spiritual Confinement master, couldn’t help but fix his gaze on that swirling, obsidian vortex.

Inside the vortex, thin, lifelike strands descended, gradually intertwining as if weaving a garment.

In mere moments, Yue Huanglong’s rotund, comical figure was reformed.

Like gathered ink forming a solid mass, a terrifying aura swept like a storm, shaking the very foundation of Mo City!

Li Che’s eyes narrowed as he beheld something extraordinary.

Chains as dark as ink now coiled around both the arms and legs of Yue Huanglong, binding him tightly and leaving him unable to break free!

Li Che’s brows furrowed.

How could chains appear now?

None of his previous Spiritual Confinement operations had ever produced such an effect…

Could it be that Yue Huanglong’s cultivation had reached the four-armed Martial Saint level—a mighty force on the verge of transcending to the divine?

Li Che sensed that Yue Huanglong’s aura still shone with first-class peak power, far removed from that burning, unbridled mass of fat used to forcibly open the Heavenly Gate and infuse divine energy.

Yet this outcome had been within his expectations.

Yue Huanglong floated in mid-air, drifting until, after an indeterminate time, he slowly opened his eyes. Even his adorable, clumsy face revealed a look of bewilderment and—

Inconceivable!

He was alive again!

Who would have thought!

This, then, was the method of the Underworld!

As feedback surged through his mind, Yue Huanglong’s chubby cheeks trembled, and a smile crept across his face.

“Heed wisdom, for only the clever survive.”

“Old Yue pays respect to his lord!”

Yue Huanglong laughed warmly.

He accepted his fate with calm resignation. If he had the spine, he could have chosen to die standing instead of submitting.

But Yue Huanglong—ever the spineless old fox—simply wanted to live!

By becoming a spiritual entity, he still had a chance to survive, even if it meant constantly serving Li Che.

After all, as an official of the Imperial Court, Yue Huanglong would be obligated to serve the Great Jing Emperor, whether he obeyed Li Che or not.

Submission, in any form, made little difference.

To submit to Li Che meant another chance at life; to resist was to truly taste death.

Yue Huanglong was a cunning old fox, and he would certainly choose the sensible path.

Seeing no obstacles, he chose to submit.

A peculiar glimmer flashed in Li Che’s eyes.

His mood lifted noticeably.

It saved him the trouble of using Yue Huanglong as fodder to empower other confined souls.

After all, a four-armed Martial Saint was too valuable to waste.

“Old Yue… not bad at all,”

Li Che praised him.

Instantly, Yue Huanglong’s face lit up with a broad smile, “To be taken into the Yama’s dark realm is an honor for me—”

The wily veteran always spoke in the most pleasing tones.

Raising his hand, Yue Huanglong

as a rapid whir of air heralded the approach of a massive Giant Divine Sleeve Hammer, which he grasped firmly.

Yue Huanglong breathed deeply, “Master, it feels so good to be alive.”

Li Che’s gaze fell on the dark, emanating chains.

Stirring slightly, he raised his hand and clutched tightly.

Two chains, under the impact of the Pure Heart Dao Fruit’s power, shattered with a resounding crack.

Yue Huanglong’s expression wavered slightly.

“Thank you, my lord—”

Li Che nodded slightly, though his heart grew heavy.

These chains… seemed to have been attached to Yue Huanglong at the very moment of his death!

Right when his soul had been claimed by some unknown realm, chains were immediately fastened upon him;

or perhaps only warriors or divine cultivators of other realms ever receive such bindings.

Yue Huanglong, a master at the four-armed Martial Saint level, now found himself locked by the unseen forces of the Underworld.

Who had placed these chains?!

“Do you even know who bound you?”

Li Che’s eyes narrowed as he asked.

Yue Huanglong kept shaking his head, “After my death, when my soul dissipated, it drifted aimlessly—losing all awareness and control—”

“It was as if, in the depths of darkness, I entered a massive blood-red fortress—”

“Within that fortress, some mysterious force bound my soul.”

Vivid, fleeting images flashed through Yue Huanglong’s mind, as if emerging from long-buried memories.

Li Che trembled slightly.

A blood-red fortress in the depths of darkness?!

Could it be that this world… still harbored a genuine Underworld, a true Shandu?

Li Che’s heart pounded furiously.

A true hellish Underworld?!

A true… Shandu?!

The final resting place of the dead.

It wasn’t entirely impossible, after all—

Li Che’s heart trembled as even the fierce Third Prince, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, and the Three-Eyed True Lord had all made appearances.

Then why couldn’t the underworld Shandu manifest?

Suddenly, Li Che felt his breathing quicken as a surge of electrifying energy raced through his mind.

He couldn’t explain why his body felt suddenly tense.

Li Che now wondered whether seizing the souls of the dead from that blood-red fortress in the deep Underworld might attract the attention of a truly terrifying expert.

That blood-red fortress in the deep Underworld…

A true, genuine Shandu?!

Does it really exist?

At that moment, as Li Che caressed Yue Huanglong’s Qian Kun Jade,

he suddenly snapped back to reality.

In his pupils, crisscrossing streams of light danced!

A flash of furious indignation broke across his expression.

“How dare you!”

Li Che raised his hand, tearing open Qiankun Space.

A sharply defined mask, sprinkled with starlight, was pressed onto his face.

Almost in the same instant, a Star Killer Mask was drawn from Li Che’s grasp and flung toward Yue Huanglong.

Yue Huanglong’s original Star Killer Mask rested silently within the Qian Kun Jade, and Li Che—holding the Qian Kun Jade—left Yue Huanglong speechless.

As if understanding his thoughts, Li Che retrieved it directly for him.

“Wear it.”

Adorned with a Yama Mask, Li Che transformed into a figure both profound and terrifying.

In the next moment, his hand clenched hard!

Within his palm, a small white chess piece appeared, almost imperceptibly!

Grasping it firmly,

the waters of the Grand Canal fell silent as if by command.

Zhao Fangzhou’s hair stood on end; clutching his precious blade, he dared not move an inch, while the Nine-Layer Yellow Dragon Xuanmu Treasure Ship surged amid the waves.

He stared intently at the figure on the small, black umbrella boat wearing the Hunt King Assassin Mask!

That mask was unmistakable.

The Hunt King Assassin of Lie Shen Pavilion…

After all, even Master Taibai of the Qianyuan Divine Sect possessed one!

It was hardly a secret among the elders of the Qianyuan Divine Sect.

Many of them even held positions within Lie Shen Pavilion.

For a moment, the world seemed to fall into an eerie silence.

Zhao Fangzhou roared; his vast aura exploded as bloodshot veins emerged.

Then, in the next instant,

like a single droplet splashing in a quiet water jar—

a tiny ripple spread quietly with a soft plink.

Clutching his precious blade, Zhao Fangzhou managed to lift it, only to see a figure appear by his side—the very Hunt King Assassin emerging from the black umbrella boat as if by teleportation.

A greenish bamboo flute pressed gently against the raised blade—

Zhao Fangzhou’s eyes narrowed, his muscles trembling as he exerted the full force of his Qi Hai Martial Saint prowess.

Yet not even his might could budge the bamboo flute that suppressed his blade by an inch.

The disparity was simply too vast!

This Hunt King Assassin was undoubtedly a Martial Saint at the four-armed level!

“Enough. I’m only here to take someone away; I don’t wish to shed blood.”

“With Master Taibai absent and the Underworld forces shielding the little girl, now is the perfect moment. I don’t mean to kill—just to take her with me.”

“Don’t force my hand.”

Beneath the Hunt King Mask, the figure smiled lightly and replied coolly.

Then, with a sudden jolt, the bamboo flute clasped against Zhao Fangzhou’s blade vibrated and tapped down sharply.

Zhao Fangzhou felt an overwhelming, irresistible force burst forth…

Thud!

Before he knew it, he was relentlessly dragged to the bottom of the Grand Canal.

Waves of white foam erupted as he was pulled, crashing against the riverbed.

On the surface, amidst lingering mists,

only a swirling vortex remained.

Zhao Fangzhou had already been cast down to the riverbed.

With Zhao Fangzhou no longer to obstruct, the Hunt King Assassin strode across the water, his garments fluttering.

Every step sent gentle ripples across the surface.

After merely three steps, the ripples dwindled.

And three steps later,

above the Nine-Layer Yellow Dragon Xuanmu Treasure Ship,

the Hunt King Assassin emerged, standing atop the vessel’s bow with his hands clasped behind his back and a jade flute in hand like a spear.

Beneath his mask, his eyes shone with a mysterious gleam.

He raised the bamboo flute to his lips and began to play; its melody spread like rippling shockwaves, bombarding the entire Yellow Dragon Treasure Ship.

While playing, he leaped onto the deck as if a siren commanding the seas.

He climbed floor after floor.

All the children, crew, and guards who had gathered to watch Zhao Fangzhou bravely cleave through the waves collapsed into a deep slumber.

They were utterly helpless against the flute’s irresistible sound.

When the Hunt King Assassin reached the sixth deck, those hoping to witness Zhao Fangzhou’s heroic cleave were left staring in wide-eyed disbelief.

“Danger!”

In an instant, Master Taibai reacted—the moment he saw the Hunt King Assassin, his body erupted with sweat.

Taking a step forward, he interposed himself in front of XiXi.

The Hunt King Assassin glanced at XiXi and Master Taibai in confusion.

“You two little ones—are you really alright?”

“Did you manage to withstand my flute?”

The Hunt King Assassin murmured quietly.

Then he noticed patterns gradually appearing on Master Taibai’s body and smiled, “So you are indeed a cultivator from Witch God Mountain—

It appears you’re the little Witch’s apprentice, with the Great Witch God’s mark in your soul. Not surprising you could resist my flute…”

“And you, little girl—are you Li Nuǎnxi?”

Fixing his gaze on XiXi, his eyes shimmered slightly behind the mask.

“Come along, be good and follow your uncle.”

“Ahem, ahem—”

“Don’t ignore your old man now—”

Monitor Hong Shifo reluctantly stepped forward, carrying a chessboard to shield XiXi.

“Monitor Hong Shifo—”

“You’re commendable, but having just entered the realm of Great Divinity, you can’t stop me.”

“With Master Taibai and Wei Yuan engaged in battle, and even Yue Huanglong in the fray—being marked by the Underworld—it’s the perfect chance for me.”

Monitor Hong Shifo laughed.

“So—did you not take me seriously?”

“But if I delay you, I can stall long enough,”

“Your aim—seems to be snatching XiXi, doesn’t it?!”

“For a Hunt King Assassin to personally target a six-year-old girl is nothing short of laughable.”

“I’m quite curious—who sent you?”

“Such tasks are usually assigned,”

“Your stealth is remarkable—you even managed to pinpoint the moment when Master Taibai left to clash with those Corpse God Sect miscreants…”

“And you barely left a trace of your presence—presumably using a teleportation technique,”

“Let’s see…”

“The one who sent you must be from the Divine Capital, right?”

“Was it the noble consort from the Su Family? Or King Ping Luan? Or perhaps the National Teacher?”

Monitor Hong Shifo squinted, chessboard in tow, as his broad sleeves billowed. His fingers assumed a complex gesture, and a fearsome divine embryo materialized behind him.

“Forget the numbers—what good does it do if you calculated it all?”

“You can’t stop me.”

The Hunt King Assassin replied coldly, unwilling to linger on trivialities with Hong Shifo.

He had to act quickly; with Master Taibai’s return imminent, he’d only leave empty-handed if delayed.

“Unless you’re ready for death—though, for the sake of these children, would you really choose it?” the Hunt King Assassin said softly.

“As for who sent me—don’t ask.”

Suddenly,

Monitor Hong Shifo looked up, his wrinkled face breaking into a sly, mocking grin.

“Alright—now I won’t stand in your way any longer.”

“You’ve landed in serious trouble, you know?”

Huh?!

Just then, XiXi blinked her large eyes and, from somewhere, produced a pink, six-barreled mechanical device, pointing it at him.

Behind XiXi, the fabric of space began to ripple violently, distorting like a tumultuous tide.

Two powerful auras suddenly burst forth from two shadowy figures materializing out of thin air.

One figure, rotund and jovial, wore the familiar Star Killer Mask with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

The other, adorned with a black-and-white Stellar Mask, was a mysterious and imposing presence.

Standing behind XiXi, facing away before slowly turning around—