Chapter 475: The Rise of a Martial Immortal

Thunder vanished. All fell silent.

Moonlight, once golden, lost its luster as it streamed from the blue sky, bestowing a rare clarity upon the mortal realm.

That celestial calamity, twisting like shimmering auroras, had disappeared. It was a true tribulation—far more dreadful than the common trials—so fierce that even a being as powerful as the Underworld Ghost Emperor, with his mighty martial form, had nearly been shattered by the lightning.

Yet the Underworld Ghost Emperor was not destroyed; he survived amidst thunder as fearsome as the third calamity.

The section of the Grand Canal had completely withered.

The riverbed, once hidden beneath evaporated moisture, was exposed; countless fish and creatures had long since fled, overcome by heaven’s dread, leaving behind nothing but an immaculate channel.

The purple flames above the Underworld Ghost Emperor blazed anew, and his Golden Skull glowed even brighter, with ancient golden patterns dancing across his bones.

The char faded away, revealing a body that had healed while drawing in the essence of a five-thousand-li span of Heaven and Earth. His skin shimmered, and golden blood roared through his meridians like a cascading waterfall.

Every gaze converged upon him; breaths quickened as awe and shock reigned.

Did he succeed?

It seems… he did!

For the celestial tribulation above was gone—it no longer gathered the will of Heaven and Earth, nor did it rain down doom. It had simply merged with the world.

All eyes were fixed on the Underworld Ghost Emperor. The twisting purple flames obscured his features like a mask, hiding his true identity.

Who is the Underworld Ghost Emperor?

In an era when the martial path was tainted by chaotic divinity and immortality seemed impossible, such a monstrous force emerging from martial cultivation…

Who could truly be this martial prodigy, destined to attain the status of a Martial Immortal?

Surely no one would remain nameless!

Soon, everyone’s mind raced with theories on his true identity—once indifferent, now they could not help but care.

Because the Underworld Ghost Emperor had ascended to Martial Immortal!

Though he had only just broken through, he was already on par with those who had advanced through the divine tribulation.

Yet one thing was clear: In combat prowess, a Martial Immortal utterly outmatches one steeped in divine calamity techniques!

His corporeal form was so overwhelmingly powerful that he even shrugged off divine secrets—and not even the second divine calamity could instill fear in him!

Such a being, standing at the pinnacle of the mortal world, bore a name known by all.

And yet, no one could pinpoint the true identity of the Underworld Ghost Emperor. They scoured their memories and offered countless guesses, but nothing seemed to match his legend.

It was simply too rare—for across five thousand years of martial fate, only one could achieve such an unrivaled Martial Immortal state!

Simply astounding!

Murmurs swelled around Qitian City as throngs of martial fighters surged forward, faces flushed passionate red and hearts pounding, chattering excitedly.

A Monument to Martial Cultivation!

The Underworld Ghost Emperor had become the living emblem of mortal martial achievement!

Breaking through with pure, untainted martial prowess—untouched by divinity and rising into the divine tribulation realm—he was virtually unmatched!

To resist the allure of divinity takes an iron will indeed!

But…

Every eye lifted in anticipation, only to be met with stunned expressions.

“No… that’s not right…”

“The Underworld Ghost Emperor seems on guard… Could it be that the celestial tribulation isn’t truly over?!”

“That can’t be—the calamity has dissipated, with no threat of divine punishment… So what is he defending against?”

…

Several keen observers, expecting the typical exuberance of a breakthrough, noticed none of that joy—instead, many sensed his vigilant caution.

Shí Jiān, the Patriarch of the True Martial Divine Sect, along with venerable Shí Yuan, bore expressions steeped in gravity and sorrow.

“Could it be… there’s still a remaining tribulation? Even at Martial Immortal status, the Underworld Ghost Emperor finds it nearly impossible to tread these lands?”

Shí Yuan, the venerable patriarch of the True Martial Divine Sect, sighed deeply, his eyes brimming with grief.

“Has the martial path become so dark that there seems no light ahead?”

…

…

Li Che stood motionless as the char receded, his body restored. He absorbed vital energy into himself, his flesh remade better than ever.

And in his chest, the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit had borne the trial of the calamity alongside him.

Perhaps it too had experienced a significant transformation!

Yet Li Che did not relax; the calamity-fire still loomed overhead, his Golden Skull ablaze, his eyes still flickering with ember-like flames.

A crack split his brow as his Star Plucking Gaze emerged—a vertical slit reflecting the world around him!

The Cosmic Chessboard roared to life high above, swirling as it searched for that inexplicable sense of impending doom.

Those ominous tendrils, as threatening as venom-spitting snakes in the dark, robbed Li Che of the moment’s triumphant joy.

After scouring his surroundings for clues and finding nothing, confusion gripped him. Had his senses deceived him?

Perhaps he had encountered an unprecedented calamity, his nerves thrown into disarray by the relentless thunder!

This Martial Immortal trial was by far the greatest crisis Li Che had faced since he first began his cultivation.

An unparalleled crisis!

His flesh had been riddled with gaping holes, nearly shattering him to pieces. His Martial Immortal Golden Body was pushed to its very limit!

Much of it was due to the despicable actions of various factions—even the Emperor of the Great Jing Court had acted, forcing a divine trial cultivator to risk his very life, inadvertently igniting his own calamity and amplifying the threat.

Fortunately, his body was strong enough, and with the Thunder Magnetic Conduit Dao Fruit frenziedly absorbing the power of the calamity, he managed to endure.

Yet Li Che had come frighteningly close to death; it was as though a remnant of primordial will had sparked his resurgence in the cycle of life and death.

He stood rigid, his muscles as taut as a coiled dragon, every fiber alert to that ever-lurking danger—like a pest gnawing at his very bones.

“The path of the Martial Immortals… If we consider it a way of attaining immortality, it seems to surpass even the divine—a pinnacle even the heavens recognize.”

“For those who walk the martial road to immortality, there may lie realms beyond mortal constraints—perhaps even a Celestial Immortal state, free from the bonds of Heaven and Earth!”

Li Che’s eyes gleamed with determination.

In the instant of his breakthrough, a resonant clarity rang in his mind, revealing the true extent of his martial prowess.

And Li Che sensed something else.

After attaining Martial Immortal status, though the world still rebuffed him, the constant threat of divine tribulations no longer loomed overhead as it once did.

He could now unleash his martial arts with abandon in the mortal realm.

Li Che was delighted—perhaps this was the unique trait of Martial Immortals?

Or maybe pure martial cultivation is the natural order for the mortal realm?

When he thought it through, it made sense. Divine influence had sprung from the Bizarre Temple emerging from the Bizarre Temple, corrupting mankind and forming today’s cultivation system.

Before that, the martial way was the very foundation!

Boom—Boom—Boom—

Suddenly.

Li Che heard the toll of an ancient bell reverberate.

He looked up abruptly toward Qitian City, where the source of the bell echoed from within its towering walls.

“Qitian Inner City?”

Li Che frowned in dismay.

Then he saw that the sky over Qitian City had grown surreal—chaotic currents intermingled as if enormous cracks were forming one after another.

An overwhelming sense of crisis made his hair stand on end. Nearly every cultivator present felt a bone-deep dread, their hearts gripped by terror.

Li Che clenched his fists; his golden body pulsed as swirling golden energy coalesced above his head like the Golden Heavenly Gate. His Martial Immortal Dao merged perfectly with his flesh, surging his strength to unimaginable heights!

Yet with this newfound power, a terror unlike any other seized him.

It felt as if the end of the world had come—a moment of utter despair.

This crisis… was coming for him!

Li Che’s hand shot out; the Thunder Demon Three-Pronged Twin-Edged Blade landed in his grasp as golden energy burst forth.

Across the land, powerful cultivators who had gathered in celebration turned pale in shock.

Even warriors from the Western Lands of Buddhism, Witch God Mountain, and the Great Jing Court were stunned. Some wondered if these factions intended to disrupt the Underworld Ghost Emperor’s breakthrough.

Had they planned to prevent a Martial Immortal from emerging and rising even further?

Then why hadn’t they acted sooner?

The Underworld Ghost Emperor had completed his ordeal—merging Martial Immortal Dao with his body and stepping fully into the Martial Immortal realm!

“What is this?”

Yet shock still gripped every heart.

They saw that even the towering walls of Qitian Inner City could no longer contain the unfolding scene.

Endless, swirling mists intertwined as if revealing a fragment of land drifting mysteriously—a land shrouded in fog as if from another realm.

It was as if another world within Qitian Inner City was slowly drawing near!

The void trembled violently as the density of divine energy soared a thousandfold, boiling like water on a scorching pan!

Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—

A gust of wind swept by, rekindling everyone’s spirit as the divine energy surged immeasurably.

Crash—Crash!

Thick divine essence rained down in heavy droplets, as if a deluge of holy rain had begun.

And that divine torrent cascaded toward the newly ascended Underworld Ghost Emperor, swirling above his head.

It was as if divinity had reawakened with intent—like a deity shaking loose divine energy from its very core, set on infecting his Martial Immortal form!

Its aim was to invade his body, to transform his Martial Immortal form into that of a Divine Warrior!

“It’s the Bizarre Temple… a calamity birthed from within it!”

Li Che’s hair stood on end.

At that moment, Qitian City seemed cloaked in overwhelming divine might. The very void trembled as if it might collapse. Martial fighters quaked uncontrollably, barely able to breathe.

Numerous floating caverns shifted as formidable warriors cast incredulous stares.

From the Western Lands of Buddhism, Witch God Mountain, the Great Jing Court, and even hidden supreme masters in Minor Caverns—no one dared approach the mortal realm.

“Earthly Bizarre Temple!”

“A projection of the Earthly Bizarre Temple?!”

Within a Minor Cavern—untouched by the Qitian Great Sage’s Golden Hoop Staff—a phantom emerged. A powerful aura loomed above it, casting a burning, wary gaze toward a projected island that seemed to drift over an endless sea!

Nine Heavens and Ten Lands of Earthly Bizarre Temple!

A mysterious land deep within the Bizarre Temple!

Legends spoke of an undying spirit that slumbered within!

At this moment, a fragment of that mysterious land shone through!

What could this mean?

Had the breakthrough of the Underworld Ghost Emperor stirred even a fragment of the Earthly Bizarre Temple into projection?

Could an undying spirit from the far end of the Earthly Bizarre Temple have descended to suppress him personally?

Would they really not allow a Martial Immortal to arise in the mortal realm?!

Everyone trembled, their bodies shuddering in dread.

The Patriarch of the True Martial Divine Sect and his disciples, who practiced True Martial, even cried out in despair.

“Just as I feared—just as I feared!”

“In the old days, our founding patriarch failed to break through to Martial Immortal, crushed by the undying spirit in the Bizarre Temple and left with nothing but despair!”

“And now, the undying spirit from deep within the Bizarre Temple is poised to meddle with mortal affairs once more?!”

An ancient patriarch wailed, his aura surging as his golden blood transformed into a fierce column of flame—like a blazing golden dragon!

His grizzled hair whipped wildly, yet his body shone with terrifying strength like steel and iron.

Boom—Boom—Boom—

It was as if, in defiance of the undying spirit, his challenge had been met. Overwhelming divine might converged above him, snuffing out his blazing aura and dragging him down forcefully!

Sizzle—Sizzle—Sizzle—

His blazing blood was quenched, billows of smoke rising in its wake.

The venerable patriarch of the True Martial Divine Sect collapsed to his knees, filled with unyielding grief and anger.

Boom—Boom—Boom—

A massive cloud of divine energy, coiling like serpents, surged down upon the Underworld Ghost Emperor.

Purple flames burned fiercely atop Li Che’s head, his golden eyes blazing with intensity.

His body trembled as the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit in his chest convulsed violently, fueled by an unquenchable hunger for battle!

Divine clouds spanned miles, heavy and relentless, pouring down like a torrential rain.

Li Che’s gaze grew cold; his fingers gripped the Thunder Demon Three-Pronged Twin-Edged Blade as his ink-black robes were stained with blood. Behind him, the Dragon Elephant Furnace ascended, accompanied by seven blazing celestial orbs!

His entire being ignited into a blazing sphere of golden fire!

“If the will of Heaven and Earth recognizes me, then you, you puppet spawned from the Bizarre Temple… daring to try and corrupt me? If you refuse the birth of a Martial Immortal in the mortal realm, then I shall be the one—and only Martial Immortal!”

A torrent of divine might surged forth as the will of Heaven and Earth stirred, though it made no further move.

Li Che looked around and discovered that within a thousand miles of Qitian City, bizarre temples sprouted like mushrooms after rain!

Swirling mists and the tiles of the Bizarre Temple appeared intermittently as if the Bizarre Temple had claimed its territory across the land!

Then, mighty divine energy rose like pillars into the sky, thickening the divine clouds even further!

Boom—Boom—Boom—

Divine energy struck like relentless waves, pummeling Li Che, whose body shone with radiant gold!

Scattered droplets of holy essence, like crazed fragments, surged toward Li Che’s body, intent on penetrating his pores.

They aimed to convert the newly ascended Martial Immortal into a Divine Warrior!

For a moment, many factions exhaled in relief—if a Martial Immortal emerged in the mortal realm, it would pose a huge challenge, especially for those in the Underworld, whose ranks in the Yulian Camp would then be hard to manage.

Having survived the dreadful Martial Immortal trial and earned the recognition of Heaven and Earth, he could now act freely—a blow that would lower the divine might of many forces.

Now, from a projection of the Earthly Bizarre Temple, a divine spirit reached out, intent on transforming him.

It was almost laughable.

The Underworld, too, had its day!

It was now facing retribution, wasn’t it?!

…

…

On top of the walls of Qitian Inner City.

XiXi’s delicate face trembled uncontrollably. She turned her head in disbelief, her wide eyes filled with sheer terror.

The soft Hun Tian Ling draped over her seemed to spring to life, stiffening like a divine spear aimed at the projected fragment of the Earthly Bizarre Temple—a sight so overwhelming it nearly took her breath away!

“Boss!”

“What is that thing?!”

XiXi cried out.

The Boss held her hand and looked back; his white robes billowed like fresh snow in the wind.

Dog Master squinted disdainfully, a flicker of contempt sparkling in his eyes.

He snorted but took no further action.

“Immortal God.”

The Boss murmured softly.

XiXi took a deep breath. “It looks incredibly formidable.”

With an unlit rolled cigarette dangling from his mouth, the Boss swung it slowly and remarked in a detached tone, “Fried’s great, stew works too—and pickled might be a bit fishy…”

XiXi: “Ah…?”

Despite the Boss’s nonchalant comment, worry still crept across XiXi’s face.

“Can the Ghost Emperor hold him off? Was our hard-won Martial Immortal about to become a Divine Warrior?”

XiXi asked anxiously.

“Don’t worry—if the sky falls, someone tall will bear the weight.”

The Boss replied coolly.

In the next moment, the Boss, Dog Master, and XiXi vanished from atop Qitian Inner City’s walls.

They reappeared inside a restaurant lit by a soft, orange glow.

…

…

In the void, a delicate pagoda floated serenely.

The Grand Inspector, riding a Xuan Turtle, slowly cast his gaze downward.

Beside him stood a graceful figure in a Dao robe—Fang Shangzhen.

“Grand Inspector, shall we act?”

Fang Shangzhen couldn’t help but ask.

After all, it was rare for a Martial Immortal to manifest in the mortal realm—one who had endured the terrifying will of Heaven and Earth and earned their recognition. Was he truly going to let a divine spirit from the Bizarre Temple taint him?

The Grand Inspector’s face was shrouded in divine aura and Dao essence, his eyes deep and inscrutable.

He merely shook his head.

Without a word to Fang Shangzhen, he simply watched on in silence.

The fact that the Underworld Ghost Emperor had survived his Martial Immortal trial—becoming the sole Martial Immortal in five thousand years—had caught even him off guard.

Yet he knew well the Underworld’s methods.

The Underworld Ghost Emperor still held a trump card. If he left now, even a projection of an undying spirit from the Earthly Bizarre Temple would be powerless to suppress his foe.

As for the Grand Inspector himself…

Now wasn’t the time to act.

…

…

Li Che could indeed depart.

Divine clouds descended as bizarre temples sprouted around Qitian City, amplifying the divine energy within its borders manifold!

Divine energy fell like a torrential red rain.

Many cried out, while formidable Martial Saints sighed—truly, the path of the Martial Immortal was fraught with insurmountable challenges.

Even after surviving the dreadful trial, the undying spirit from the Bizarre Temple still waited.

The undying spirit within the Bizarre Temple would not permit the birth of a Martial Immortal—and would stop at nothing to quash it.

After all, these undying deities from the Earthly Bizarre Temple were beyond imagination!

Li Che stood still, his body burning as golden blood ignited like fire, his gaze fixed on the projection of a fragment of the Earthly Bizarre Temple in Qitian Inner City.

Yet his heart stirred, torn between retreating into Mo City Fengdu to shield himself from Heaven and Earth, and seizing the chance to prove himself.

But such retreat, while it might shatter the divine downpour and stave off contamination, would cost him the opportunity to bond with the will of Heaven and Earth—to secure his status as one who would no longer be at their mercy.

Boom—!!!

Suddenly.

A modest figure stepped before Li Che.

Adorned with a Purple Golden Phoenix Feather Crown, clad in Golden Armor, bearing a Gathering Celestial Yellow Flag and Holy Cloud Boots!

He wielded a Ruyi Golden Hoop Staff; his monkey hair fluttered in the wind, and he even had a rolled cigarette—a cigarette Li Che knew well—dangling from his mouth.

Boom—

It was Qitian Old Monkey, who had raced forth after slaying a formidable cultivator in a Minor Cavern.

Qitian Old Monkey said nothing, merely brandishing his Ruyi Golden Hoop Staff before him.

He glanced back at Li Che.

“Little Brother, the Martial Immortal path in today’s world defies Heaven—a matter no god will ever allow. Whether it’s revived divine spirits or the undying deities of Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, none will permit the emergence of a flawless Martial Immortal free of divine taint. They must sever this path altogether.”

“Moreover, they fear that this Martial Immortal has arisen within the Yulian Camp…”

“That is something they absolutely cannot accept.”

Qitian declared.

“Little Brother… Promise me one thing, will you?”

Li Che, his golden blood blazing and his grip firm on the Thunder Demon Three-Pronged Twin-Edged Blade, replied, “Please, say it.”

“Take good care of the little girl—let her remain joyful. I do not wish to see history repeat its cruel cycle; life is too harsh for a child…”

“The gods fear her too much, and so they will not allow her revival. In this lifetime, the little girl might have to live in another way.”

Qitian Old Monkey hefted his Golden Staff and smiled.

Li Che’s heart skipped a beat—he knew exactly whom Qitian referred to: XiXi.

“And then… when the time is right, revive that hot-tempered Third Prince. If he returns, he’ll give those gods a run for their money.”

“That fiery Third Prince is even tougher than me—unyielding and rebellious.”

Qitian Old Monkey spoke as though bestowing a solemn charge.

Li Che murmured, “Elder…”

“Don’t worry, I won’t die easily.”

“But now isn’t the time. The Yulian still has to blossom.”

“I had planned to charge into the Earthly Bizarre Temple and confront those self-proclaimed undying, who in truth fear death—to buy us some time.”

“But they have already leapt forth—they couldn’t hold back any longer…”

Qitian Old Monkey scoffed.

“I cannot stand oppression. The more they press, the more I feel it in my bones…”

Qitian Old Monkey straightened, his figure suddenly towering, his monkey hair alight like fire, his eyes burning like scarlet lightning as he gripped his gleaming Ruyi Golden Hoop Staff.

“Little Brother, promise me.”

“When the opportunity arises, fight alongside me to slay the deities of Nine Heavens and Ten Lands! Let them know…”

“That mortals still give rise to immortals!”

Boom—!!!

With those words, the transformed, resolute Qitian Old Monkey stepped forward, his feet treading on countless layers of clouds.

He reached back and gathered a handful of monkey hair with his outstretched fingers.

With one powerful breath, those clumps of hair scattered, transforming into countless figures clad in Golden Armor, wielding Ruyi Golden Hoop Staffs and crowned with Purple Golden Phoenix Feather Crowns.

Boom—Boom—Boom—

One staff pointed to the heavens, and countless others followed suit.

The divine clouds surged into Qitian Great Sage’s body, absorbing all the divine essence that had targeted Li Che’s Martial Immortal Golden Body.

All that essence, meant to corrupt Li Che, was devoured completely by Qitian Great Sage—so thoroughly that he even belched, the sound echoing like thunder across Heaven and Earth.

“Hahaha—”

“No matter what traps the gods set, I was born to fight—fight! Fight! Fight!”

“After all, I am Qitian Great Sage!”

Boom—!!!

Numerous roars echoed from Qitian, a somersault here, staff shadows interweaving like countless beams slicing through the starry sky, unleashing a meteor shower that struck a projection of a fragment of the Earthly Bizarre Temple.

“I’m off, Old Monkey!”