Chapter 422: The Underworld’s Reckoning
by xennovelJoin the Underworld?
Eternal life, invincibility?
In Xie Yunshen’s words there was a hint of fanaticism, an uncontrollable thrill—as if he were on the verge of worship.
Zhao Beidou’s hair stood on end, as if a piercing chill had wrapped him completely.
“National Teacher!”
“You…”
“What are you saying?!”
Zhao Beidou turned to look at the Destiny Golden Lotus radiating around him!
That was the force of destiny…
Xie Yunshen actually attacked him?
What on earth is he doing?!
Even a seasoned Divine Calamity cultivator like Zhao Beidou couldn’t help but feel a surge of confusion at that moment.
He had never imagined that National Teacher Xie Yunshen would strike him—a strike with the Destiny Golden Lotus!
What a madman!
Besides, wasn’t Xie Yunshen already gravely injured? Suffering the backlash from unleashing the Destiny Golden Lotus…
In his current condition, how could he still use the Destiny Golden Lotus?
Isn’t that a death sentence?!
What shocked Zhao Beidou even more were the words Xie Yunshen uttered. Could such words really come from the mouth of a National Teacher?
Were those the words that should be spoken?
Join the Underworld?!
Zhao Beidou’s scalp tingled and his whole body trembled—as if he had discovered something momentous.
National Teacher Xie Yunshen…
Could he really be a member of the Underworld?!
Wait a minute!
Why would National Teacher Xie Yunshen dare expose himself like this now?
Trouble!
A bone-chilling dread swept over Zhao Beidou, a sensation of death more vivid than when he last faced Underworld Yama’s explosive assault.
A surge of Dao aura erupted from him.
It seemed to suppress the Destiny Golden Lotus, and he sprang to his feet, his dragon-tiger patterned robe whipping wildly in the breeze.
He intended to release his aura to alert the others and call for backup!
The Ancestral Patriarch of Bashu Sword Pavilion Gu Qianchi, along with the Old Dragon God of the Dragon God Clan, who rarely met his gaze, would surely come to investigate at the first sign of trouble.
Both being Divine Calamity cultivators, they would immediately sense the disturbance and rush over.
At a time when the Imperial Court’s encampment was filled with formidable experts, how dare Xie Yunshen…?
However…
Zhao Beidou’s heart soon sank into an abyss.
Because as he released his aura, neither Gu Qianchi nor the Old Dragon God seemed to stir—not an iota of movement.
Even the Huang Mei Great Master of Xiao Lingyin Temple at the camp’s entrance exhibited no reaction, as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
This isn’t good!
Zhao Beidou immediately sensed something was awry.
Looking upward, he was shocked to see a massive portal had appeared behind him, seemingly there from nowhere.
Dark, deep, and ink-black!
An inscription of two heavy, profound characters was emblazoned on it.
Fengdu!
Underworld Fengdu!
This city…
had appeared once again!
Eyes blazing with fury, Zhao Beidou unleashed his White Abyss Calamity Fire, which surged forward like a ferocious flood aimed directly at Xie Yunshen.
With a resounding bang—
the White Abyss Calamity Fire slammed into Xie Yunshen’s Destiny Golden Lotus. However, the Lotus was exceptionally resistant to calamity forces.
It merely emitted a sound like distant drums.
Yet atop Zhao Beidou, the Destiny Golden Lotus persisted, growing ever denser.
Xie Yunshen chuckled softly and, with a sweeping gesture, flipped the Destiny Golden Lotus, intending to smash Zhao Beidou into that portal.
But Zhao Beidou snorted coldly—and just as his snort faded, he noticed a figure materialize beside Xie Yunshen, a figure wearing a mask split in stark black and white…
Yama!!!
So it turns out Xie Yunshen had indeed mingled with the Underworld!
Damn it!
Zhao Beidou spread his arms, unleashing countless White Abyss Calamity Fires in a desperate bid to tear open the camp and burst into the skies, all to draw the attention of Gu Qianchi and the Old Dragon God.
Underworld Yama was back, his murderous intent as relentless as a raging river!
Yama was coming for him!
He had been deceived!
Zhao Beidou glared menacingly at the flushed, destiny-shrouded Xie Yunshen.
How could Xie Yunshen, appearing so unscathed, even now?
He was in his prime!
“Xie Yunshen!!!”
Zhao Beidou roared.
At that moment, memories of Xie Yunshen’s heartfelt pleas—the words urging him to stay, promising that Zhao Beidou was indispensable for the wars against their foes—flooded back.
It was all lies, deceit, and just a tactic to keep him here until his end!
Zhao Beidou understood that even Underworld Yama had been wounded, yet his recovery was swifter than his own.
That mysterious Underworld must have methods to rapidly mend injuries!
This was simply too bizarre!
Terrifying beyond measure!
Huuu—
The instant Underworld Yama appeared, the entire camp was smothered by a suffocating, dreadful aura, with surging, scorching blood like a mighty dragon unleashing its fury!
Buzz—
With a single step, everything within the camp seemed to be crushed onto the ground, as a weight like a mountain descended with brutal force.
Zhao Beidou was engulfed in White Abyss Calamity Fire!
Yet Underworld Yama merely lifted his foot and planted it before Zhao Beidou’s crisscrossed defenses.
Space itself seemed to cave in before violently rebounding with terrifying power.
Zhao Beidou was hurled sideways, crashing into the black portal.
As he neared the portal, he was yanked by one impenetrable black chain after another, drawing him deeper into the city.
Furious, Zhao Beidou grabbed the wall at the gateway with all his might, his fingers piercing deep into the stone.
But he was ensnared by countless inky chains.
Clang after clang—
each clash of chains echoed, rattling his very soul.
Slowly, Zhao Beidou was torn toward the city, the wall bearing deep, jagged marks from the assault.
During his pull, his eyes burned with rage—rage born of betrayal, deception, and injustice!
He couldn’t understand…
How could National Teacher Xie Yunshen hide so deeply?
At that moment…
Zhao Beidou began to doubt: In this world, who can truly be trusted?!
……
……
The Cosmic Chessboard materialized above the camp like a transparent veil, shutting out all perception.
Snow tumbled ceaselessly across the heavens, like a mirage dissolving into falling flakes.
No one noticed that Zhao Beidou had already vanished from the camp.
Huuu—
A vicious wind howled as inky rain swirled, transforming into a barrage of arrows with relentless force.
Accompanied by a dreadful aura, it descended.
It was as if time in Mo City had come to a standstill!
Boom—!!!
Zhao Beidou’s body was flung like a cannonball, crashing down violently.
White Abyss Calamity Fires raged and intertwined!
Across Mo City, torrents of water roiled; droplets of inky rain hung suspended in the sky as vapor formed misty clouds!
The scorching, boiling waves of White Abyss Calamity Fire unleashed a tidal heat across heaven and earth.
Fury, anger, and mania!
Betrayed, and deceived, Zhao Beidou’s fury burst forth!
Yet, in the end, he could not break free of the Underworld Fengdu’s grasp, dragged relentlessly into it.
His heart sank into an abyss.
Looking around, he saw the familiar Underworld Fengdu—
that very Minor Cavern of the Heavens belonging to the Underworld!
The Minor Cavern he once shattered so utterly…
Although it had been destroyed, now it appeared completely intact, its condition better than ever.
“How… is this possible?!”
Zhao Beidou’s eyes narrowed.
As a Divine Calamity cultivator, he knew well how long a shattered Minor Cavern needed to reform—a minimum of five years to regain shape, and another five to be fully restored.
In short, at least ten years was required for recovery!
But what he saw now…
The once broken Minor Cavern of the Underworld had completely healed—flawlessly restored and seemingly even stronger than before!
A murderous intent…
An overwhelming aura of death permeated the heavens.
Zhao Beidou realized that entering this Minor Cavern again meant the Underworld wouldn’t grant him any more chances.
Boom—!!!
In a flash, White Abyss Calamity Fire transformed in his hands into a blazing flame blade.
The vibrating blade was swung ferociously, as if tearing the void apart!
Yet even with that tremendous force, it barely rippled the void, leaving only a slender crack!
The crack sealed almost as quickly as it appeared…
Zhao Beidou trembled all over!
How could this Minor Cavern possibly have healed so thoroughly?!
Not only had it reformed, but its resilience had grown so immensely!
Boom—!!!
Suddenly, an explosive roar shook heaven and earth!
It was as if a blazing sun had erupted from the earth!
Blinding and brilliant, a flaming furnace rose, formed from countless mingled pulses of blood and qi, with mysterious, intertwining patterns—like a coiled dragon’s furious roar or a mighty elephant’s thunderous bellow!
Dragons and elephants intertwined in a fierce dance!
Scorching, seething, and boiling!
That blazing heat of raw qi even managed to overpower the White Abyss Calamity Fire’s own intensity!
Underworld Yama!
Within that colossal furnace, as vast as a rising sun, Underworld Yama stood—his mask split starkly in black and white.
Gold smoke dripped from his eyes like molten chains, intertwined with flashes of golden lightning—a monstrous ancient deity emerging from endless darkness!
His terrifying aura only grew more imposing!
With each surge, the furnace burst forth with rays of golden light like a rising sun!
What could this be?
Zhao Beidou’s eyes tightened, his dragon-tiger robe flapping violently as his heart pounded.
Was that…
a Qimen Immortal Seed?!
But even a Qimen Immortal Seed couldn’t possibly harness such a horrifying power of qi and blood!
Could a human even possess such force?!
Boom, boom, boom—
Radiant golden light splashed across the sky like a soaring golden bird, as chains of human limits shattered into bursts of gilded brilliance!
The momentum surged upward, the aura reaching toward the heavens!
This was terrifying!
A Martial God!
Truly a Martial God!
Zhao Beidou’s eyes shrank as the calamity wheel on his back was agitated, surrounded by surging White Abyss Calamity Fire like white flaming serpents.
Yet he felt no safety.
For cracks had begun to appear on the calamity wheel, leaking his Dao aura…
While Underworld Yama’s strength only surged, widening the gap between them!
Zhao Beidou had personally experienced the sheer terror of Underworld Yama’s power.
He understood all too well the devastation one punch from Yama could unleash.
“Underworld Yama!!!!”
“Hold on!”
Zhao Beidou roared, desperate not to delay any longer—he feared that if he hesitated, Underworld Yama’s next devastating blow would already be upon him.
That blow…
etched itself into his memory!
It was as if the ultimate martial display of a warrior transforming into a qilin!
“If you and your Underworld can work with Xie Yunshen, then why can’t I, Zhao Beidou, join forces? No… not joining forces—
I, Zhao Beidou, am willing to surrender!”
He roared.
No more fighting!
I give up!
Fighting for the Imperial Court’s sake wasn’t his style—he would rather live than face a near-death terror once more.
So Zhao Beidou only wished to survive.
If surrendering to the Imperial Court was surrender, then why not surrender to the Underworld?
In his eyes, there wasn’t much difference—and if he could gain the Underworld’s protection…
Perhaps the Dragon and Tiger Divine Sect, like Qianyuan Divine Sect today facing the Imperial Court’s overwhelming might, could stand a chance!
Zhao Beidou thought…
If the Underworld can accept a crippled Xie Yunshen, then how could they reject the surrender of a Divine Calamity cultivator like him?
But then—
Underworld Yama’s eyes glimmered with golden light, a mocking sneer flickering on his features.
In a low, reverberating voice that echoed through the heavens and earth, he said,
“You’re dead…”
“And even in death, you obey.”
No one knew how to handle you better…
The moment his words died away—
The skies exploded with a cacophony of sound!
Boom—
A thunderous shockwave, like a colossal bell, reverberated outward as if the very void trembled!
Underworld Yama clenched his fist and slowly swung out a punch!
Countless strands of qi and blood interwove—one mere punch that seemed to traverse time and space, tearing through every ripple of wind and cloud!
It burst forth with dazzling brilliance from that single blow!
The overwhelming torrent of qi, like the breaking of a dam in the Milky Way, cascaded down in a torrent, transforming into a qilin striding across the cosmos.
Underworld Yama stepped forward and punched.
It appeared almost gentle, so slow that every movement could be tracked with the naked eye.
But in truth, that punch was like a leaping qilin, carving an elegant arc across the void.
It targeted Zhao Beidou!
Zhao Beidou’s eyes widened in disbelief, his suppressed frustration and indignation exploding all at once!
The Underworld… had rejected his surrender?
They even had the gall to land a punch?
He was a Divine Calamity cultivator!
A surrender from a Divine Calamity cultivator was a rare opportunity indeed!
On what basis would the Underworld disdain his surrender?!
And… what does it mean to be more obedient in death?!
Is that even human talk?!
The insult was unbearable!
Zhao Beidou howled.
Underworld Yama!
Even in death, you expect obedience?
If I die, I will return as a vengeful ghost without equal and wreak havoc!
Li Che’s eyes turned cold; within his Martial Immortal Golden Body, his golden bones trembled, and his qi surged like raging waves!
The breakthrough of Martial Saint realm had elevated his qi to even greater heights—a transformation of pure quality, a metamorphosis born of true martial understanding!
The Seven Qimen Divine Seeds and a Qimen Immortal Seed…
all were completely activated by Li Che at that moment! The seven divine seeds erupted, and the Qimen Immortal Seed was entirely stimulated!
Boom—!!!
The void itself seemed to twist, with countless fine fissures appearing under Yama’s punch!
They spiraled and intertwined!
“Ah——!!!”
The crushing pressure was beyond imagination!
Zhao Beidou’s hair stood on end, his bones trembled, as if he were facing a legendary immortal—every movement grew agonizingly difficult!
It was as if a force from a higher plane weighed upon his very life!
With a final roar, Zhao Beidou’s brow split open!
He knew he had to fight with everything he had!
Even if this desperate struggle meant his calamity wheel could never be fully mended, it was better than a swift death.
Zhao Beidou’s brow split open as he released his all, his divine aura surging forth like a coiling dragon.
All of his accumulated Dao aura poured out!
Within his Mud Pellet’s inner realm, a Dao Position spirit badge materialized!
A spirit badge formed entirely from his Dao aura—a mark defined by a divine cultivator who, having survived endless calamities, solidified his Dao Position. It was as if his share of divine calamity was permanently sealed!
At that moment, even the Dao aura within his Dao Position surged to such an extent that it miraculously mended the cracks on his calamity wheel!
But in truth, once that divine power subsided, the calamity wheel, once restored, would be riddled with fissures, waiting to shatter completely!
Zhao Beidou had no choice!
“If you want to kill me—”
“Underworld Yama! Let’s settle our fate once and for all!”
“If you don’t let me live, then I won’t let you live either! Let’s die together!”
Zhao Beidou’s aura surged as he reached peak power—perhaps even beyond his usual state!
White Abyss Calamity Fire twisted into a blazing sword that covered his body like fiery armor. With a flick of his fingers, the fire transformed into a long blade.
He charged headlong at Underworld Yama, their clashing qi and blood coalescing into a terrifying golden qilin as they collided!
It was but one punch—a legendary qilin seemingly devouring all the light and energy!
Truly astonishing!
Yet Zhao Beidou had nowhere to retreat!
He had only one option: fight!
The flame-forged blade, powered by White Abyss Calamity Fire, crashed down relentlessly onto the golden qilin!
The qilin roared!
A violent clash sent shockwaves across heaven and earth, stirring winds and swelling torrents of blood like crashing waves!
Boom—!!!
The impact reverberated like an ancient bell tolling, its deafening sound shattering eardrums and splintering the ground into a web of cracks.
In that collision, Zhao Beidou’s divine might surged—the state achieved after unleashing his Dao Position!
This was his ultimate form!
His White Abyss Calamity Fire burned at full force!
Yet Zhao Beidou’s eyes held no joy—only grim determination. With one clash, he knew his fate was sealed:
Underworld Yama… had grown even stronger!
The air shattered as successive waves of force expanded like rings—a frontal assault from Underworld Yama sent torrents of blood rolling like waves!
Beneath Yama’s mask, Li Che’s eyes shone like a thousand-watt bulb!
Striding with overwhelming might, the ground trembled beneath him!
Golden chains wrapped around him, swirling and shattering as they collided with explosive force!
The eighth Qimen Immortal Seed!
Boom!
Boom—
Atop the towering rectangular structure of Mo City Fengdu, the Mo City Dominator Clone appeared—its entire form riddled with countless cracks…
Crackle, crackle…
Fine dust began cascading down relentlessly.
Even Li Che, who had triggered the eighth Qimen Immortal Seed, paid a heavy price.
Even with the support of his Martial Immortal Golden Body, it wasn’t enough!
For his Martial Immortal Golden Body was only just emerging…
But at least earlier, when he nearly sacrificed his life with Zhao Beidou, he was far stronger and more at ease!
The Mo City Dominator Clone was riddled with crevices.
Yet all the shockwaves and impacts were transferred to the rebuilt Mo City’s surface.
Countless jagged cracks spread as torrents of qi pulverized the shattered stones into dust, conjuring a thick fog!
A torrent of pure qi cascaded like a massive waterfall.
Li Che felt an unprecedented surge of power!
He could clearly sense that a single punch from him could shatter space like glass!
Boom—!!!
And in Zhao Beidou’s eyes, only terror remained!
Underworld Yama’s body twisted and grew, as countless golden fires erupted from the ground, coalescing into a terrifying, ten-meter-tall humanoid beast!
He was a martial warrior burning his entire being to the extreme!
The battle fervor blazed as tangible flames danced, distorting space and engulfing everything in their path!
Fight!
At that moment, Li Che felt an unparalleled hunger for battle!
He longed to unleash his fury in a truly breathtaking combat—
a battle of blood, fire, and the overwhelming might of qi!
With one step, the ground gave way like soft clay!
A vast sea of golden qi erupted, swelling to unprecedented heights!
The amplification of qi through his meridian nodes propelled the expansion of his blood energy!
An Immortal Seed!
The Qilin Sealing Inscription!
Li Che formed a hand seal. As the Sealing Inscription burst forth, the entire void seemed to sink into silence!
At long last…
he could finally execute the Qimen Immortal Seed technique!
Though it was only at its foundational level…
it was enough!
The void seemed subdued by Li Che’s seal!
The seal struck like a mountain bisected in two, hammering straight toward Zhao Beidou!
Torrents of scorching qi erupted!
Boom—!!!
The Sealing Inscription crashed onto Zhao Beidou!
In an instant, his body was overwhelmed by an onslaught of thunder and lightning, as if countless bolts from beyond the heavens had converged upon him!
It was like the reverberation of a titanic shockwave—the air, the ground—everything trembled!
A massive deep pit emerged on the surface!
Inside him, his Dao aura receded in an instant. The sound of his Dao Position spirit badge cracking echoed like winter thunder, shattering apart!
It split into two, collapsing into countless particles of light!
Crack, crack, crack—
The pit marked by the Qilin Sealing Inscription was as deep as a qilin’s hoofprint, its perimeter crisscrossed with dark fissures—vivid void cracks…
Even rolling stones would be pulverized and obliterated by these void fissures.
Zhao Beidou was drenched in blood; his body had literally turned to sludge.
His calamity wheel, deprived of divine strength, was marred by one horrific crack after another.
At last…
With a final crunch, the calamity wheel collapsed, vanishing into the void!
Zhao Beidou’s consciousness began to fade…
“Hahaha——”
“I, Zhao Beidou, even as a proud ancestor of the Divine Sect… shall not die in this manner… I am consumed by anger and resentment!”
“Xie Yunshen, you will meet a miserable end!”
Zhao Beidou managed a bitter laugh.
In the end…
his aura was completely extinguished.
Huuu—
The raging wind roared.
The brutal currents were forced aside as Li Che, donning the stark black-and-white Yama mask, crashed down. Once the air was dispelled to a distance, it began to surge back.
Layer upon layer, the qi and blood receded back into flesh.
The Martial Immortal Golden Body continued its resounding clamor.
“Celestial Seed Martial Art… pairs so well with the Martial Immortal Golden Body,”
Li Che remarked with conviction.
In that moment, his state—the breakthrough of Martial Saint realm combined with the detonation of Eight Mysterious Gates—granted him power comparable to a Martial God!
“No wonder the Divine Calamity retaliated so fiercely in his final moments…”
“Had I not pushed my cultivation further, I’d never have been able to counter Zhao Beidou’s desperate assault. I might have ended him—and even doomed myself.”
Li Che exhaled deeply.
All of Mo City fell silent as dark, inky rain began to cleanse the scars of the city.
Sacrificing Dao Position strength to earn the will of heaven and earth, repairing the calamity wheel, and even stimulating his own power!
Divine Calamity is not to be underestimated.
This was a severely injured Divine Calamity cultivator. If he were at full strength, it would have been even more difficult to contend with.
Slowly stepping forward, as the ground crumbled beneath him,
inside his chest, the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit pulsed wildly, as if straining to burst forth from his body.
His qi receded, drawing back into every limb and sinew.
His golden bones shone brightly as they trembled.
Li Che exhaled, impressed by his Martial Immortal Golden Body’s resilience—alone, it would have allowed him to survive the drawbacks of triggering the Eight Mysterious Gates.
It was as if the Mo City Dominator Clone had not perished.
But because his Martial Immortal Golden Body was still in its infancy…
bearing the full brunt of the human body’s limits after unleashing the Eight Mysterious Gates proved immensely taxing.
His hulking form, his robust build, all the golden qi swirling around him like an ancient deity emerging from the wild—his terrifying presence twisted space itself.
Li Che’s eyes burned with determination as he stepped into the deep pit left by the Qilin Sealing Inscription,
standing before the mangled, lifeless remains of Zhao Beidou.
The Qilin Sealing Inscription.
In one seal, Zhao Beidou’s divine aura evaporated, his divine nature extinguished, his heavenly soul completely shattered.
He was as dead as dead could be.
Already grievously injured, he had suffered repeated blows. No matter how tenacious a Divine Calamity cultivator he was, he could not survive.
Gazing at Zhao Beidou’s corpse,
Li Che couldn’t help but feel a surge of twisted excitement and exhilaration.
Regarding Zhao Beidou’s supposed surrender…
Li Che scoffed inwardly.
After all, the living Zhao Beidou was hardly trustworthy enough for Spiritual Confinement!
Spreading his fingers wide,
he fixed his gaze upon Zhao Beidou’s corpse, a slight curl playing at the corner of his lips.
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
Then, suddenly, all was silent.
Only the whispered murmur of ancient deities could be heard:
“Rise again…”
“Let them witness true loyalty.”