Chapter 639: After Three Hundred Years of Rebirth, I’ll Make the Empress Fall to the Underworld!

Brilliant sword light filled the air, forming ten thousand dazzling feathers of death. They engulfed the Five Poisons Sect Master, sweeping over her like a tidal wave.

However, the venomous power radiating from her body was overwhelming. Illusory shadows of the Five Poisons coiled around her, turning intangible into tangible, as if a dream turned nightmare. They entwined with runes of sacred brilliance, dissolving both the Da Luo Sword Embryo’s radiance and the golden divine feathers.

“A Nascent Soul-level expert… truly extraordinary!”

Lu Changsheng’s eyes were cold, noticing that the sect master had formed a domain around her, a pure land immune to all laws. Within it, her toxic field roiled, constantly attacking with an endless barrage of venom.

If not for possessing the Chaos Body, immune to all poisons, he’d have already been overwhelmed by this constant storm of toxins.

With a glance at the Seven Absolute Gu still locked in a stalemate with the Peach Blossom Gu, Lu Changsheng gripped the Spear of the Demon God and strode forward, ready to kill once again.

His terrifying physique surged with both Buddhist light and demonic energy, bursting into violet flames entwined with golden lightning, melding like yin and yang, churning the heavens and earth.

In an instant, the sinister auras of demonic energy, evil spirits, filth, and venom evaporated, causing the air itself to twist and collapse.

“Bang bang bang!”

The Brahma Demon True Form, with its six arms of immense power, wielded the Da Luo Sword Embryo and slashed again. The radiance lit up the sky like a river of stars pouring down from the heavens, splitting the world apart.

“Clang!”

The scorpion tail needle, locked in battle with the Spear of the Demon God, trembled violently before being flung away with a harsh clang. The Five Poisons Sect Master’s face paled, a trace of her life force leaking away.

“Hmm?!”

Golden runes flickered in Lu Changsheng’s eyes as he gauged the situation. “I thought you tore up the soul contract without a single consequence!”

For a Nascent Soul expert like the Five Poisons Sect Master, an inner demon oath was mostly symbolic unless she aimed for the Deification stage.

But a fourth-tier soul contract? That was a real deal. When Lu Changsheng checked it then, nothing seemed amiss.

Had the sect master forcibly nullified it through secret methods, the contract scroll in his Storage Ring would have disintegrated.

Yet the scroll remained intact, meaning she hadn’t undone their soul contract.

Seeing her current condition, Lu Changsheng immediately realized she must’ve suppressed the contract’s effects through some secret method.

“Whoosh!”

Lu Changsheng pulled out the soul contract scroll, infused it with his mana, and immediately the scroll shone brilliantly, disrupting the sect master.

Though a soul contract couldn’t fully restrain a Nascent Soul expert, it could still make her pay a price for defiance!

As expected, when the contract began to burn, the energy around her flickered, but she quickly suppressed its effects again.

However, in that fleeting moment of instability, Lu Changsheng’s Da Luo Sword Embryo slashed forth, cutting through endless hindrances to almost shatter her protective domain.

“Buzz!”

With an oppressive surge, the Spear of the Demon God moved swiftly towards the sect master, its tip dark and ominous as if stained with half-dry demon blood, glowing like bloodred jade, about to pierce her Nascent Soul defense.

“Rumble!”

Her colorful banner rippled with a fierce howl, expanding in the wind. The figures of five sacred beasts shrieked and enveloped her, resisting the Spear of the Demon God, while countless toxins surged forth to corrode Lu Changsheng’s body.

“Woooooooo!”

The Spear of the Demon God, fully unleashed by Lu Changsheng, surged with demonic flames as ten thousand demons roared in a horrifying sonic assault targeting the soul.

“Soldier Destruction Technique!”

Knowing the Spear of the Demon God couldn’t completely overpower a spiritual treasure, Lu Changsheng quickly unleashed a divine technique.

It was the top-tier secret technique from the Divine Creation Refinement Art—not just weapon conjuration, but also capable of disrupting the treasures of others. Mastering it could even enable him to seize other people’s spiritual artifacts!

Though he didn’t aim to steal her treasure, just some interference was enough!

“Rumble!”

The sect master’s treasure trembled violently, and in the next breath, the sword lights rained down, piercing through her domain, shredding the heavens with their brilliance.

Even though she was a Nascent Soul expert and leader of a sect, her purple dress, silver headpiece, and accessories—each a top-tier treasure or near-spiritual treasure—instantly formed a protective layer around her, enveloping her in divine radiance.

“Damn!”

Lu Changsheng had always considered himself quite wealthy.

Besides his Da Luo Sword Embryo, he also had the Misty Dust Banner, Yin-Yang Diagram, Inconceivable Treasure Wheel, and the Golden Tiger Dragon Armor.

But compared to the sect master, whose random accessory was a top-tier treasure, he felt like a pauper.

Of course, the real issue was that his Da Luo Sword Embryo, Misty Dust Banner, and the Sun-Moon Yin-Yang Mirror couldn’t be used right now. Otherwise, no amount of her treasures would be of any use!

“Boom!”

Seizing the moment, his Spear of the Demon God struck once again, piercing through and scorching everything in its path. The sect master’s energy faltered, her complexion turning pale.

At that moment, the effects of the soul contract she repressed erupted, causing her already pale face to turn ghostly white.

Lu Changsheng’s Three Treasure Incarnation, which had merged with the Inconceivable Treasure Wheel behind him, unleashed a massive figure of gleaming light, and its yin-yang hands crashed down toward the sect master.

The Three Treasure Incarnation wasn’t as powerful as Lu Changsheng himself, but this blow still did significant damage, blood trickling from the sect master’s mouth.

“Hmm!”

The sect master’s face grew serious as she observed the Three Treasure Incarnation, her eyes gleaming with five-colored light.

Being a Nascent Soul-level cultivator, she could easily tell its illusory nature.

But the Three Treasure Incarnation before her seemed so real it was impossible to discern its true form! “An external incarnation? Impossible! An external incarnation would require the cutting of one’s soul, damaging its source and lifespan.”

“For him, a Nascent Soul monster reincarnating and regaining a Dharma form at Foundation Establishment was already unfathomable. How could he also create an external incarnation?”

Her expression wavered with disbelief—she couldn’t understand Lu Changsheng at all.

He’d fought for so long without showing signs of fatigue or depletion, and his techniques only seemed to multiply. It was terrifying! If he had utilized all these methods against the Heaven Corpse Sect Master back then, wouldn’t he have had a chance to defeat Yan Wujiang?!

A faint sense of regret crept into her heart. She had underestimated him far too much.

Based on the information she’d gathered and over a month of observation, she thought he’d already reached his limit. She had no idea this was only the tip of the iceberg.

Or perhaps, he had just been hiding too deeply! When he fought those demonic beasts, it looked like he was on the verge of collapse. Now, he displayed combat strength nearly at the Nascent Soul level!

But it was too late now, and she understood that she had no other options unless she surrendered.

Besides, Yangming Zhenren was merely at the Core Formation stage. Surely he was just bluffing to cover up his weaknesses!

“Soul Devour! Mind Distract! Spirit Confuse!”

Regaining her composure, she unleashed several techniques, sending invisible Gu bugs rushing at Lu Changsheng to disrupt his body, mana, and spirit.

Then she threw out a bag of spirit insects, unleashing countless venomous bugs. As they combusted, her field’s venomous energy intensified, threatening to corrode Lu Changsheng.

But Lu Changsheng wasn’t about to give her any breathing room. His Brahma Demon True Form continued slashing with the Da Luo Sword Embryo, and with his powerful body like a primordial beast, he charged ahead, the Spear of the Demon God in hand. The Great King of Bright Light rotated in his mind as he fought fiercely.

Meanwhile, his Three Treasure Incarnation summoned thirty-six crystal-clear, azure-glowing pearls, the [Canghai Pearls]!

This treasure had been his since early cultivation. Though Hong Lian had declined it, suggesting it was better suited for territorial battles against the likes of the Five Poisons Sect Master or the Heaven Corpse Sect Master, he had brought it along for this exact occasion.

“Boom boom boom!”

The thirty-six pearls combined, releasing a massive surge of power that evolved into the Canghai Tidal Array, wrapping around the sect master, joining forces with the Yin-Yang Diagram to suppress her.

With her colorful banner gripped tight, the sect master stood tall, her child-size body somehow appearing larger and more imposing as she bathed in rainbow-colored light, exuding an air of sovereignty.

Spirit snakes, venomous scorpions, spiders, toads, and centipedes twined around her, creating gigantic projections covering the sky as they formed her toxic domain.

Countless venomous bugs roared and hissed, constantly gnawing at Lu Changsheng’s body and dissolving his sword light, his spear strikes, the Yin-Yang Diagram, and the Canghai Pearls.

“If this is all the sect master’s poison arts have to offer, then it’s time to send you on your way!”

Lu Changsheng could see that she was dragging out this fight into a battle of attrition.

But with the Heaven Essence Emperor Lotus, his perpetually regenerating kidneys, and indestructible matter, he had no fear of such tactics.

Her poisons were potent, no doubt about it.

But with his near-fourth tier physique, Chaos Body, Great King of Bright Light, and warding golden lightning, unless she outright dismantled his body, her poisons were useless!

The sect master’s expression darkened, uncertainty flickering in her eyes.

She too realized something was off.

No matter how insidious her toxins, Yangming Zhenren showed no signs of being affected by them, which was incredibly wrong.

Even if his cultivation gave him great resistance to poisons, it was impossible to be this immune!

“Boom boom boom!”

At that critical moment, the Brahma Demon True Form powered up further, slashing once more. Lu Changsheng hurled the Spear of the Demon God forward as waves of yin and yang divine light poured from his body, surging like a tidal wave.

Two yin-yang fish entwined with his life-bound treasure, the Yin-Yang Diagram, merging to create a vortex millstone that seemed to be forging a new world.

The Yin-Yang Chaos Grinding Mill! Not using the Spear of the Demon God, Lu Changsheng switched to the advanced technique from the Yin-Yang Creation Sutra!

His Chaos Body’s core essence boiled within him as he pushed the Calamity Poison Body and Kunpeng Demon Body to their limits, absorbing all the demonic energy, killing intent, filth, and toxic fumes around him, turning them into raw energy!

With a single step forward, the world seemed to shake. The heavens rumbled as space broke apart.

Tremendous rays of black and white divine light swirled above his head, the Yin-Yang Grinding Mill twisting and warping reality, reversing heaven and earth, turning yin into yang and vice versa. The Nine Treasures Dao Bone on his chest surged like a boundless ocean.

“Boom boom boom!”

Under the vast countering force of the yin-yang grinding laws, even the sect master’s toxic field began to falter. Her small figure appeared like she was standing in a raging sea, constantly being pummeled by the waves.

With his Brahma Demon True Form, the Da Luo Sword Embryo, the Golden-Winged Roc, the Three Treasure Incarnation, and the backlash from the soul contract, her situation had grown increasingly perilous. Her toxic field shattered as she coughed up blood.

“Crash!”

Lu Changsheng, body crackling with lightning and fire, advanced again, exuding the aura of a divine being—a god, a buddha, a demon—all at once. His unstoppable advance brought the Yin-Yang Grinding Mill crashing down again as sword light filled the heavens, fracturing the sect master’s domain and Nascent Soul shield into pieces. She was flung into the distance, her five-colored banner dimming.

The toxic creatures dissolving into smoke as they turned to ash.

“Whoosh!”

Coughing blood, the sect master realized the situation was dire. She could no longer outlast Yangming Zhenren and decided to flee.

But Lu Changsheng had expected this. He had already sealed the area with the Yin-Yang Diagram, the Yin-Yang Chaos Grinding Mill, and the Canghai Tidal Array, with the Golden-Winged Roc standing by to cut off her retreat.

And she had brought it upon herself by picking a fight within the Abyss of Ten Thousand Demons.

Here, isolated from the outside world, Void escape techniques wouldn’t work like they did in the outside world.

She had chosen this place to force Lu Changsheng into a corner, preventing him from escaping.

The Five Poisons Sect Master attempted to pierce the Golden-Winged Roc’s blockade with her scorpion tail needle, but the Three Treasure Incarnation intercepted her.

At the same time, the Brahma Demon True Form’s sword slashed at her, tearing a hole in her purple and red dress and exposing her pale skin.

“Ah!”

Despite her childlike appearance, the scene was humiliating. Her dress in tatters, she was furious and embarrassed beyond words.

Lu Changsheng paid no heed, continuing his onslaught, while sending a signal to the Peach Blossom Gu: “Do better.”

He had already pushed the sect master to the brink, yet the Peach Blossom Gu was still no match for the Seven Absolute Gu!

Through the Seven Absolute Gu, Lu Changsheng learned it was a kind of love gu. If the Peach Blossom Gu could reverse the situation and cause a backlash, Lu Changsheng could use that opening to seize control over the Nascent Soul-level sect master!

The Five Poisons Sect Master pulled out a fourth-tier talisman, her form melding with the void in a final attempt to flee. But after all the effort Lu Changsheng had put in to injure her, there was no way he would let her escape.

His Nine Treasures Dao Bone surged with power, filling his body, and he charged forth, shattering barriers in his path. His vitality felt boundless.

In the earlier territorial battle, the sect master’s toxic domain and Nascent Soul domain had allowed her to contend with Lu Changsheng, but now that she was retreating, she was quickly being overpowered.

After only a few more exchanges, not only had her dress been torn even further, her silver crown and hairpins were also knocked aside by the Da Luo Sword Embryo, leaving her hair in disarray and destroying her previous dignity.

Were she a typical female Nascent Soul cultivator, the sight would be incredibly alluring.

But the Five Poisons Sect Master looked no older than seven or eight. Despite her snow-white skin, Lu Changsheng had not a single indecent thought as he advanced with the Yin-Yang Grinding Mill, focused on suppressing her.

“Yangming Zhenren, I admit my wrongs. If you stop now, I am willing to offer compensation. Otherwise, neither of us will leave this place unscathed.”

The sect master wrapped herself in a new purple dress, her voice echoing through the broken battlefield.

She knew that in the Abyss of Ten Thousand Demons, escape was nearly impossible. Unless she was willing to force her Nascent Soul out of her body.

Such a method was a last resort, one no Nascent Soul cultivator would consider unless facing death. It crippled the body and greatly damaged the Nascent Soul’s essence, making future progress almost impossible.

And though her current body was childlike due to a secret art, it had accumulated vast potential.

“You came with ill intent and spoke falsehoods while trying to kill me. How can I trust you? If you let the gu worm backlash consume you, we’ll end this.”

Clad in golden dragon-scale armor, a towering black-and-white Yin-Yang Grinding Mill spinning above his head, Lu Changsheng pressed forward, his Brahma Demon True Form wielding the Da Luo Sword Embryo as he slashed toward her in full force.

Meanwhile, his Three Treasure Incarnation, weakened by the scorpion tail needle’s venom, struggled to control the thirty-six Canghai Pearls. The Golden-Winged Roc circled around, ready to provide support, wary of being too deeply poisoned.

“Impossible!”

The sect master, pale and expressionless, snapped.

Though she could suppress the Seven Absolute Gu’s backlash, the cost would be immense.

If Yangming Zhenren kept pressuring her throughout the process, within fifty years, she’d be utterly doomed.

“I may be losing, but do you truly think you can kill me? Negotiation is our best option.”

Gritting her teeth, her long hair disheveled, the sect master clutched her colorful banner.

For a Nascent Soul expert to lower themselves before a mere Core Formation cultivator—what a disgrace.

Even if that Core Formation cultivator was once a Nascent Soul-level monster, it was an unbearable humiliation.

After all, finding examples of Nascent Soul cultivators being defeated by those at the Core Formation stage was almost unheard of in ancient history.

Lu Changsheng knew he couldn’t truly kill her.

Even if he could destroy her body, killing her Nascent Soul was out of the question.

Had he come fully prepared, having advanced his divine techniques further, perfected his Brahma Demon True Form, and crafted a few top-tier treasures tailored to restrain Nascent Souls with help from Hong Lian and the Divine Creation Refinement Art—maybe then.

But he hadn’t expected the situation with the Five Poisons Sect Master to escalate so far.

“Aren’t we discussing terms right now?”

Lu Changsheng’s expression was cold, his eyes shooting out golden light as he gazed at the sect master. His voice resounded with authority: “What you seek is nothing more than furthering your path. Let the gu worm backlash take its course and submit to me, and I will help you reach new heights on your path to the Dao!”

“In the future, I could even help you unify the Jin Kingdom and conquer the Heaven Corpse Sect and Yin Ghost Sect, giving you unrivaled dominion!”

From his conversation with Nangong Mili, Lu Changsheng had learned about the dynamics within the Jin Kingdom. Although its three main sects were allies, they each harbored their own secrets.

If the sect master wanted to further her cultivation, she would need more resources and greater control over the Jin Kingdom!

Given her attempt to poison him, Lu Changsheng figured she was likely trying to use him to bolster her sect’s power.

“You want me to become your slave and weapon to use against them, and yet you dress it up as if you’re doing me a favor!”

Despite the tempting words, as the sect master of her own sect and a Nascent Soul expert, she would never be won over so easily. Gripping her five-colored banner, she bit her lip, reluctantly crushing yet another fourth-tier talisman.

“Choices in life are crucial. It’s all about perspective. Submit to me, and we’ll get along just fine, just like Nangong Mili.”

Lu Changsheng pressed forward with the Yin-Yang Grinding Mill, offering further tempting promises.

Recalling Qingluan Zhenren’s theories and Hong Lian’s conversations, Lu Changsheng continued, “You’ve likely noticed—I’ve reincarnated and started from scratch, currently at Core Formation. I need capable allies, and if you submit, there’s much I can offer—opportunities you wouldn’t find anywhere else.”

After all, clarifying intentions was sometimes necessary to coax the wolf into the trap. He slightly eased his attacks and took out a Jade Slip from his Storage Belt.

Inside, he inscribed the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment sections of the Ten Thousand Calamities Toxic Spirit Codex along with some fragmented secret arts. With a flick of his hand, he tossed the slip toward the sect master.

“I’ve heard your cultivation method is flawed, causing setbacks in your path. This codex I happened upon by chance could fix that. Submit to me, and it will be yours, and I will help guide your progress. The path to Dao will be within reach.”

His aura radiating dominance, Lu Changsheng spoke with confidence.

Though it was just a fragmented codex, the sect master would surely recognize its value at a glance.

“Hmm?!”

Her eyes narrowed as Lu Changsheng eased his aggression. Cautiously, she used a spirit snake to retrieve the Jade Slip and sent a sliver of her divine sense inside.

At the Nascent Soul level, a mere sliver of divine sense was enough to thoroughly scan the contents of the codex.

Despite the fragmentation, a quick perusal showed that this codex held profound insights, far exceeding her own cultivation method!

Lu Changsheng’s Taiyi Spirit gleamed brilliantly in his sea of consciousness as he observed the surprise and intrigue in her gaze. Seizing the moment, he struck again: “Though you’ve reached Nascent Soul, the Jin Kingdom is but a corner of the Southern Desolation, a frog in a well with no sense of the vast world beyond.

“If you’re lucky enough to break through to the Deification stage and venture to the Central State, you’ll soon realize what a great honor it is to submit to me!

“The Central State?!”

As a Nascent Soul cultivator, the sect master knew many secrets of the world.

She was aware that the Southern Desolation was just one of five major cultivation regions, with the East Sea, Western Desert, Northern Plains, and Central State being the others.

And of the five, Central State was by far the most prosperous, home not only to cultivators of the Deification stage—rare legends in the Southern Desolation—but also to numerous other races, ancient noble families, and true spirit lineages—a true wonderland for any cultivator!

“That’s right. And it’s no secret. In my past life, I was the ruler of the Holy Radiant Empire in the Central State. After being betrayed and gravely injured, I used the opportunity to walk the path of reincarnation, following the ancient Dragon Emperor Sage King’s method to rebuild myself. Now, I have formed a supreme Dragon Emperor Dao body and walk the unparalleled path of Yin-Yang.”

“Once my three hundred years of cultivation are complete, even the Empress will be dragged into the Underworld!”

“If you submit to me, I can help your Dao progress to levels you can’t even imagine. You’ll reach the Heavenly Dao Nascent Soul stage, beyond anything possible through ordinary techniques. Without my guidance, even with supreme techniques and miraculous opportunities, your future will be inherently limited!”

With killing her out of the question, Lu Changsheng decided to bluff.

Normally, his words would sound like wild boasts, laughable even.

But a Core Formation cultivator in the seventh stage wielding fifth-tier supreme treasures, a true spirit-grade pet, mastering the Incarnation technique, and pressing a Nascent Soul expert to such a desperate state? His words carried heavy credibility.

What’s more, as Hong Lian had mentioned, anyone at the Nascent Soul stage or higher was likely privy to ancient secrets regarding the realm beyond the Southern Desolation.

And if his bluffs aligned with the little she already knew, it would only make him seem more believable.