Chapter 358: 360.Chapter 354: Yama's Touch Bestows Immortality, an Unprecedented Double Metamorphosis of the Dao Fruit【Seek Monthly T

360. Chapter 354: Yama's Touch Bestows Immortality, an Unprecedented Double Metamorphosis of the Dao Fruit【Seek Monthly Ticket】

The netherworld is very fair.

It will give anyone an opportunity.

As long as one submits obediently.

Then one has a chance to obtain a resurrection package, provided that……

Submit.

Li Che spread his five fingers and pressed them onto the remaining golden skull of Huang Mei.

Yama's touch bestows an immortal body!

Becoming the Detained God indeed grants an immortal body; even if the body perishes, it can recondense, and no matter how great the power, it cannot obliterate the Detained God.

Unless that powerful existence can trace back to the source, find the power source of the Detained God, and strangle it.

And the source of the Detained God…… comes from Li Che.

Li Che's【Pure Heart】Dao Fruit!

Only by following the Detained God to annihilate and shatter the Pure Heart Dao Fruit can one truly obliterate the Detained God.

And the Pure Heart Dao Fruit……

It is suspended in the boundless, vast Dao Tree space, possessing profound mystery.

Li Che cannot imagine how terrifying the power that, by following the Detained God's existence, traces back to the source, finds the Dao Fruit, and then obliterates it from the Dao Tree, truly is!

wWW? TTKдN? Co

"If you want to atone, it's not enough to shed a single demon's tear; you need to show it with concrete actions, for as long as hell is not empty, you will never become a Buddha."

A faint voice, from beneath the black-and-white divided, yin-yang splitting dawn mask, slowly reverberated out.

Carrying indifference, carrying cruelty.

It caused even the sword-sheathing, silver-haired flying Lü Taibai to have his hairs stand on end slightly.

Then……

Lü Taibai's pupils involuntarily contracted.

An intense, extreme disbelief burst forth and spread from the depths of his eyes.

His entire body's sword intent and sword qi trembled uncontrollably!

This……

What…… is this?!

Yet he saw.

The Netherworld Yama's five fingers, like hooks, pressed onto the golden Buddha bones of Huang Mei, whose flesh had been burned away by the prison lotus fire.

One after another black current, like scorched matter, rose as black smoke.

And as if the netherworld had opened, endless deathly death qi surged forth rolling and tumbling.

"Soul, return——"

"Detained God…… bow to me!"

Clatter clatter——!

The nearly completely ruined Ink City Fengdu shuddered violently.

Countless ink-colored water droplets falling from the city's high altitude drenched the ruins completely, like a cold rain offered in mourning for death, bringing solemnity and stillness.

A hazy net enveloped heaven and earth.

It caused the whole world to lose color at this moment, leaving only black and white, representing death.

The low sound, like on a wilderness, primitive humanity, upon a stone altar stained with fresh blood, burned black smoke; the chant at the sacrifice, as if communicating with the gate of death, allowing the departed souls to walk anew from the netherworld!

Countless deathlike black qi permeated and intertwined, constantly spreading and coiling around the Netherworld Yama and Huang Mei's golden remains!

Clatter clatter——

The icy cold clashing and scraping of chains echoed from between heaven and earth.

It was as if someone stepped out from the deep, dark darkness devoid of any vitality, step by step.

An immensely huge black hole emerged, entirely woven from the breath of death.

Beneath Lü Taibai's hunter-king mask, which showed cracks, emerged an expression of shock and desperation.

Such intense death qi……

Corpse God Sect?

No! Not right!

This death qi differs from that of the Corpse God Sect; it is pure death qi, untainted by any evil aura, extremely pure!

It is truly the deathly aura!

Lü Taibai stared fixedly at the pitch-black black hole formed from the deathly aura, the tinkling of chains like a soul‑grasping sound made every hair on his body stand on end.

The deathly black hole swallowed all light, cutting off light and heat completely.

It seemed to pierce through the netherworld and this realm!

Then.

Slowly, one after another black thread, like threads condensed from death's entwining, drooped down, the death qi entwining and brimming with vigorous life force, continually twisting together.

Like a mother's thread, slowly woven into a figure!

Countless black threads gathered, like a clump of thick ink piling into shape!

The terrifying aura and spirit spread in ripples, causing the ink‑colored rain falling from the sky to burst open and be cleared away!

Slowly, as if giving color to the thick ink, a luster appeared.

The monk's robe fluttered, the gold‑bordered great red kasaya billowed, the face full of aged bark trembled slightly, the two long yellow eyebrows swayed in the wind!

Above his head, nine precept scars faintly emitted a luster!

Huang Mei!

Huang Mei sat cross-legged in the void, his monk robes, long eyebrows, and kasaya fluttering, his palms pressed together before his chest, yet jet-black chains wrapped around his hands and his crossed legs.

Those chains were incomparably jet-black, profound and devoid of light, wrapping around Huang Mei and extending all the way into the netherworld.

Ding ding dang dang—

In the netherworld, it seemed as if a terrifying existence was slowly pulling the chains back, as if trying to drag Huang Mei back as well.

However, the chains were slippery like a loach, slipping away from Huang Mei's hands and feet.

Finally, the chains were pulled back bit by bit into the deathly black hole.

The deathly black hole also shrank bit by bit, finally becoming like a tiny spatial anchor, completely erased and vanished!

Huang Mei!

He's alive!

Lv Taibai's pupils constricted!

The incredulity and shock in his heart were stimulated to the extreme!

Blood and flesh, essence and qi, spirit and soul!

All were present!

One could not tell at all that this was a dead person!

Not a fake person, but a genuine one!

Huang Mei—he had returned from death!

Under his mask, Lv Taibai's pupils were filled with astonishment—what on earth… what method is this?

No!

Lv Taibai's scalp went numb; each silver hair fluttered wildly at this moment, and the sword qi within his body surged uncontrollably.

As a top-tier apex cultivator, Lv Taibai had never been shaken in mind and spirit by any strange occurrence.

But this time, his worldview and consciousness suffered an unprecedented shock!

The netherworld… what exactly is its origin?

Could it truly be the power that governs life and death?!

Hum—

The Taibai sword slid out from his wide sleeves, which he grasped tightly; the blade seemed to reflect his current unrestrained mood, violently trembling, carrying a hint of horror and solemnity…

The netherworld… too strange!

Even though Lv Taibai had just perfectly coordinated with the netherworld's Yama King to slay Huang Mei, who was a top-tier apex cultivator listed on both rankings!

However, Lv Taibai witnessed an extremely terrifying aspect of the netherworld—the ability to let people return from death.

This netherworld inspires fear!

"Namo Amitabha Buddha..."

Huang Mei pressed his palms together; the chains on his body vanished, he felt ease, truly achieving successful resurrection and rebirth.

Black raindrops drifted down, striking his body and splashing, letting Huang Mei truly feel the taste of rain; this sensation let him realize he had truly returned to life.

But…

Huang Mei gazed at the golden Buddha bone held by the netherworld Yama King's five fingers.

That was his Buddha bone, proof of his death.

He had indeed died, yet the netherworld made him live again.

"If hell is not empty, you will continue to strive for the great aspiration you had since childhood; the netherworld will become your greatest reliance behind you, allowing you to truly achieve the emptiness of hell." The netherworld Yama King's bland voice echoed.

Huang Mei's eyes flickered; on his face, as dry as old tree bark, a touch of moved emotion appeared.

The message transmitted in his mind made his expression extremely complex; he realized who the person before him was—this netherworld Yama King, no… rather, the entire netherworld was nothing like he had imagined.

After much thought, making various judgments and guesses, they believed the netherworld was a power created by the gods of the camp that had revived in the mysterious void, still pondering which netherworld faction it was—whether it was the Black Sumeru, the Dark Heavenly Court, or the Ghost Demon Lair…

But now it seems all those guesses were nothing but a joke.

Amid Huang Mei's complex expression lay a feeling of admiration.

That was genuine admiration springing from the depths of his heart.

Because he had never imagined that the entire netherworld was actually just one person's netherworld!

The living… only one, oh, two…

There was also a cat face, but that doesn't matter.

The true mainstay has always been a single person.

Admirable!

Huang Mei let out a sigh.

One who was overlooked by everyone, considered by all to be honest and dutiful—that half‑sacred Divine Eagle…

…turned out to be the black hand behind the netherworld!

It's all him!

Even Huang Mei, at this moment, couldn't help but be convinced.

"This humble monk Huang Mei greets his lord."

Huang Mei did not speak to reveal Li Che's identity; he was very wise, because there was also Lv Taibai present.

Lv Taibai was currently shocked by the netherworld's mysterious means of resurrection, and moreover Lv Taibai is not dead now, nor is he a true binder of gods; exposing Li Che's identity would bring no benefit.

As a qualified binder of gods, one should proactively give the lord worries and thoughts.

Huang Mei obviously would strive to become a qualified binder of gods.

My lord?

Lü Taibai's whole body shuddered again.

The revived Huang Mei... actually voluntarily submitted to the Underworld Yama? This means the Underworld has gained another powerful ally?

Lü Taibai seemed to think of something, his gaze sweeping over as he looked toward the figures walking out of the ink-colored city's architecture.

His gaze fell upon Yue Huanglong.

Originally, Yue Huanglong's fatty flesh had evaporated, and after detonating the Qimen Divine Seed, he would have died outright in the blast, but now he has recovered, unharmed, chubby and plump, with his signature goofy, endearing smile.

It seemed he met Lü Taibai's gaze, and Yue Huanglong smiled and nodded in greeting.

Yue Huanglong...

Also revived by the Underworld?!

Lü Taibai looked at this Yue Huanglong and instantly thought of these possibilities.

Besides that, Lü Taibai saw too many familiar figures...

Grand Marshal Yan Jing of the Divine Guard Army of Qianyuan Dao City!

And there's Su Lei Bao, the Great Elder of the Su Clan, and Su Dao Ling, the Patriarch of the Su Clan...

You Qing, Dragon Queen Consort Ao Yuxin, and... Huang Jianjiu!

Huang Jianjiu!

That's his disciple!

Lü Taibai gazed at Huang Jianjiu with a complex expression—indeed, he had died, but was revived by the Underworld.

Not as Lü Taibai had imagined, Huang Jianjiu had not died.

So many acquaintances calmed Lü Taibai's originally tumultuous emotions, gradually soothing them; perhaps... for them, being able to live another life is already a good thing.

At least, they haven't completely left this world.

Lü Taibai looked at Huang Jianjiu with relief.

Because Huang Jianjiu's aura has now reached the peak of the Two-Opened Martial Saint!

This speed is far faster than normal cultivation!

"What an incredible Underworld..."

Lü Taibai looked with a complex expression at the Underworld Yama wearing a black-and-white divided mask, his qi and blood exuding a golden mist.

Pure martial qi and blood...

The divine monkey Li Che also cultivates pure martial qi and blood, though the gap to the Yama is huge, likely the same lineage.

Pure martial arts actually have no path forward, yet why does the Underworld still cultivate pure martial?

Could the Underworld have a path beyond pure martial?

Lü Taibai's eyes flickered as he looked at the Underworld Yama, his heart slightly shaken, not daring to guarantee that the Underworld truly cannot find a way beyond pure martial.

Such a mysterious force, its strange foundations are utterly unfathomable.

"Brother Yama..."

"Does the Underworld have only you as its Yama?"

"Are there any other Yamas?"

Lü Taibai voiced the curiosity he had long held.

Li Che smiled, and beneath his black-and-white distinct mask lay a pair of eyes that seemed to smile yet not.

"The Underworld... naturally is not limited to just one Yama."

Li Che's mind stirred, and his Sovereign clone was instantly activated.

Then, atop the Sovereign Hall, a second figure appeared, wearing a black-and-white divided starry mask.

The Sovereign clone was directly disguised by Li Che as an Underworld Yama.

Although Lü Taibai is the sect master of the Qianyuan Divine Sect, one of our own, the mystery that should be kept must be kept, and the thoughts that should be speculated upon... should be allowed to run wild.

Sometimes, only when a person knows nothing does the acting they display become the most genuine.

Lü Taibai swept his gaze over and sensed the other Underworld Yama seated cross-legged atop the hall, likewise erupting with terrifying pure martial qi and blood!

His heart involuntarily tightened!

Indeed, there truly is another hidden Underworld Yama!

He hadn't even sensed it before!

Perhaps...

Huang Mei, dragged into this Ink City Fengdu, is surely doomed to die.

The Underworld had long prepared layer upon layer of means awaiting him.

Lü Taibai shook his head, his apprehension of the Underworld growing ever heavier.

Boom—rumble—!!

The entire city began to tremble, shaking violently as if it were about to collapse.

The Underworld Yama's eyes flickered as he looked at Huang Mei.

His heart stirred slightly, and he had already transmitted his thought to Huang Mei.

Boom——!!

Li Che directly opened the gates of Ink City Fengdu, flinging Lü Taibai and the captured Huang Mei out.

……

……

Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—

The sound of breaking air rumbled in waves!

Above the fourth city, powerful auras constantly intertwined, rolling like flood dragons; the scorching, seething qi and blood instantly vaporized the raindrops falling from the leaden clouds in the sky into nothingness.

The ground trembled incessantly; the Shendu Xuanwei of Shendu's Fourth City were almost immediately dispatched, the Azure Dragon and White Tiger divisions of the Xuanwei, clad in azure and white armor, racing along the broad street.

A terrifying momentum surged forward.

Upon the immeasurably wide street, the Xuanwei, rolling like a great flood, hurried toward the direction of the Xiao Lingyin Courtyard.

And the void surrounding the Xiao Lingyin Courtyard.

Had already gathered countless powerful figures.

Before the Xiao Lingyin Courtyard.

A figure in white monk's robes knelt on the ground; the mournful voice that echoed across several cities of Shendu emanated precisely from this white-clad monk's mouth.

Someone recognized this white-clad monk as an aide under the Third Prince, hailing from the Xiao Lingyin Temple.

The white-clad monk knelt on the ground, palms pressed together, his whole body trembling slightly, his eyes blood‑red, as if two tear tracks had streaked across his cheeks.

And in the void, numerous sect masters hurriedly arrived.

Lü Taibai's painted‑immortal avatar stood side‑by‑side with the sect master of the Zhenwu Divine Sect, Shi Jian, hanging in the air, their expressions complex as they gazed down at the scene.

The courtyard's walls could not block their view at all; they clearly saw the miserable state inside the courtyard……

Broken corpses lay strewn, blood flowed like rivers; all the cultivators from the Xiao Lingyin Temple who had come to Shendu to participate in the Peach Blossom Victory Assembly were dead!

Whether fledgling dragon or mighty hero, even the number‑one hero Wukong who had once fought Li Che, was reduced to flesh scattered across the ground.

Gu Changqing, Ning Caishen, Gu Cheng, Bai Buyi and other sect masters wore solemn expressions.

They were shocked in their hearts, wondering who… had slaughtered the entire Xiao Lingyin Courtyard, and they had no idea!

And who exactly was it?

How cruel, ruthless, and vicious!

Boom——

The sound of breaking the void rang out, and figures flew swiftly toward the scene.

The Shendu Xuanwei arrived, sealing off the courtyard completely.

Moreover, a unit of Golden Scale Guards, their bodies covered in dragon‑scale golden armor, tore through the Xuanwei ranks like a spear and slowly took the lead.

At the very front was a burly figure with a prominent brow and fiery red hair and beard, wearing the robes of the Director of the Temple‑Pacifying Office.

Wang Kui wore a golden ring on his nose, narrowed his eyes, and walked slowly forward.

He glanced at the white‑clad monk kneeling on the ground, then kicked open the tightly shut door.

Then an overwhelming stench of blood assailed his nostrils, and before his eyes lay corpses strewn across the ground.

"What a bunch of fellows……"

"Just now the Noble Consort Ji died in the Second City, and in the Fourth City… the Peach Blossom Victory Assembly delegation sent by the Divine Sects was wiped out."

"How many years has Shendu gone without such a heinous major case?"

Wang Kui's eyes churned with cold intent.

Besides the Director of the Temple‑Pacifying Office, Wang Kui, the commanders of the Azure Dragon and White Tiger divisions of the Shendu Xuanwei, Xuan Qinglong and Xuan Baihu, also arrived; both are peerless martial saints, for naturally one who can command the Azure Dragon and White Tiger Xuanwei armies must rely on strength to speak.

"Such a villain… truly atrocious!"

Xuan Qinglong's eyes flashed with a harsh gleam, yet also a sense of gravity welled up.

After all……

Precisely within the Fourth City, such a murder case occurred, yet despite many Divine Sects being so nearby, not a single person noticed.

Had the white‑clad monk not recalled something and returned, perhaps no one would have known how long it would take to discover it.

"And what about the Great Master Huang Mei?"

Xuan Qinglong and Xuan Baihu stepped into the courtyard, which was soaked in fresh blood, leaving hardly any place to set foot.

"The attacker's martial prowess is extraordinarily strong, his qi and blood pure and domineering, crushing them outright; even this high monk who has undergone the Three Transformations of the Divine Embryo could not withstand him, nor even send a message—the attacker… must be a supreme peerless expert!"

After scanning the area, Wang Kui drew a conclusion.

Suddenly, he looked toward the distance, where a figure clad in profound black heavy armor appeared, followed by four towering suits of profound black armor each over three meters tall.

The expressions of the various powerful figures all shifted slightly.

Ji Moli and his four sons have arrived!

"What a vicious method… judging by the forces the Xiao Lingyin Temple has recently offended, could it be Lü Taibai of the Qianyuan Divine Sect who did this?"

Xuan Qinglong said in a deep voice.

"Hey… Commander Qinglong, don't spout blood; I have been in detailed discussion with Sect Master Shi Jian of the Zhenwu Divine Sect, and Shi Jian can vouch for me." The painted‑immortal avatar of Lü Taibai spread his hands and said.

Shi Jian immediately nodded, indicating that he had indeed been discussing important matters with Lü Taibai.

Upon hearing this, Xuan Qinglong's doubts vanished at once.

They might not trust Lü Taibai, but they would not doubt Shi Jian.

The frank men of the Zhenwu Divine Sect think straight, with no twists and turns; especially Shi Jian, since he said Lü Taibai has been with him all along, he could not possibly be lying.

Suddenly.

The void suddenly surged!

The myriad powerful figures present felt their heavenly‑human sensibilities and heaven‑earth souls tremble, their gazes sharply sweeping toward one spot.

Yet they saw the void as if it were collapsing open.

As if a pitch‑black door like ink had burst open, and then a blood‑spattered figure stumbled out from within.

With a bang, he hit the ground.

"Cough cough cough……"

The Great Master Huang Mei's face was as pale as paper, his two long eyebrows incessantly trembling, the Buddhist light on his body dim to the extreme, the power of the Embryo‑Calamity Buddha still lingering……

He opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of thick blood.

「Hu hu hu——」

Huang Mei clutched their chest, utterly disheveled, dyed red by blood.

「It's Huang Mei! 」

「He's still alive! 」

「Great Master! 」

……

Everyone's expressions changed slightly.

The white-clad monk, full of grief and blood-red, knelt on the ground, moving forward by kneeling, knees thudding continuously as they knocked, knocking into the courtyard, a mournful sound issuing from deep in their throat.

So many senior and junior brothers and sisters of Xiao Lingyin Temple... are dead!

Does the opponent specifically target monks?

Will they also kill him?

He's scared to death!

Huang Mei's eyes dimmed, weakly raising a hand and waving it.

「It's fine, this poor monk... cannot die. 」

His gaze swept over the entire courtyard, his face instantly turning crimson as he spat out a large mouthful of blood mist.

Grief, anguish, heart-piercing pain... various emotions surged in his heart.

「Namo Amitabha... oh the sin! 」

Wang Kui's gaze fell upon Great Master Huang Mei, his brows slightly furrowed: "Huang Mei, who attacked you?"

「The Underworld... 」

Huang Mei's face turned pale, they shook their head and let out a long sigh.

「What a vicious Underworld, what a ruthless Underworld... 」

Sorrow surged unceasingly in Huang Mei's eyes.

「This poor monk was captured by the Underworld's Yama King into a minor cave heaven... Inside that minor cave heaven, I fought the Underworld's Yama King; the Yama King held the advantage of timing and terrain, I was unable to match, and had no choice but to resort to my trump card, the Dao Yun Jie Li... only then did I manage to break out. 」

「Although I wounded the Underworld's Yama King, I myself also suffered grave injuries... 」

Huang Mei concealed nothing, laying out the situation.

「Indeed it is the Underworld... capable of masking its aura to commit crimes; among the many forces, the only thing this governor can think of is the Underworld. 」

「Did the Great Master resort to the Dao Yun Jie Li? 」

「Can the Underworld's Yama King actually fight toe-to-toe with a Great Master who has resorted to the Dao Yun Jie Li? 」

Wang Kui narrowed his eyes.

Huang Mei raised their head, panting: "Governor Wang, do not underestimate the Underworld, do not underestimate the Underworld's Yama King..."

「The Underworld has been too mysterious thus far; what secrets lie in its foundations, nobody knows... 」

「Perhaps the Underworld was established by one of the divine factions that have revived in the Mysterious Void? 」

Huang Mei pressed their palms together and spoke sorrowfully.

As soon as the words were spoken.

Not only did Wang Kui's expression change, but the heads of the various divine sects, as well as Ji Mo Li, also underwent changes.

The number of top-tier pinnacle experts present was extremely large; in fact, the heads of the various divine sects all possessed top-tier pinnacle combat power...

Although many cannot be listed on the double rankings together, they are genuine top-tier pinnacle experts, and as sect heads they vaguely know some secrets.

Huang Mei thought... the Underworld might have been created by those divine factions that have revived in the Mysterious Void?

Given Huang Mei's strength, making such a judgment is not baseless.

Combining the Underworld's mystery with the fact that the divine monkey who took the Willful Gold Iron Divine Staff has mysteriously disappeared, nowhere to be found.

Possible!

It really is possible!

Wang Kui's expression changed repeatedly; he then briefly questioned Huang Mei, and finally clasped his fists: "Great Master, please accept my condolences."

「I, the official, will surely exert all efforts to capture the Underworld's murderers, to honor the spirits of the many young dragons and heroes of Xiao Lingyin Temple who have died. 」

「Namo Amitabha... thank you, Governor Wang. 」

Huang Mei's breath was faint as a silk thread, yet they spoke filled with sorrow.

Afterward, Wang Kui departed with the Xuan Wei and Jin Wei guards; the heads of the various divine sects also successively offered condolences and comfort.

Finally, the courtyard became completely empty.

That white-clad monk knelt on the ground, their whole body trembling.

「Rest assured, the Underworld is targeting this poor monk; Wukong and the others have suffered undeserved disaster, all due to this poor monk's sin. 」

「You may go now; do what you ought to do. 」

Xiao Lingyin Temple is now in Shendu, with hardly anyone left; this year's Peach Blossom Festival may end up with not a single peach harvested...

Upon hearing those words, the white-clad monk finally let out a long breath.

They bade farewell and departed.

The Xiao Lingyin Courtyard instantly fell silent, blood mist roiling, deathly aura pervasive; Great Master Huang Mei's Buddha light dimmed, as if seated cross-legged in a blood sea reflecting golden light.

Suddenly, Huang Mei raised their head, palms together, expression calm.

「My lord, have I handled this adequately? 」

Huang Mei said.

And behind Huang Mei, a figure stood with their back turned, their dark robe suddenly billowing upward.

「Not bad. 」

After the words fell, Li Che clenched his five fingers, and his figure vanished directly.

Outside the door.

Footsteps echoed.

Ji Moli, clad entirely in profound black heavy armor, actually returned after leaving.

Ji Moli gazed at the Grand Dharma Master Huang Mei sitting in the blood‑water filled courtyard littered with corpses, his dark pupils flickering.

He walked over slowly and sat cross‑legged in the blood‑water.

Amid the clanking of armor.

Ji Moli looked toward the weakened Huang Mei.

A slight arc curled at the corner of Ji Moli's lips.

«The Xiao Lingyin Temple that created hell on the Xiling Dao…»

«But now it has been turned into hell by someone's slaughter…»

«Truly interesting. »

«Grand Dharma Master Huang Mei, do you harbor hatred or anger in your heart? »

Ji Moli asked.

Huang Mei's eyelids twitched slightly upward…

He looked at Ji Moli without any emotion.

«Prince, speak plainly if you have something to say. »

Ji Moli spread his hands.

«Grand Dharma Master, would you be willing to join forces with this prince…»

«To hunt down the netherworld! »

Huang Mei's pupils flickered slightly, then he abruptly lifted his head and stared at Ji Moli.

Immediately, the vigor in his eyes seemed to drain away.

«The movements of the netherworld's fiends are strange and unpredictable, hard to grasp; to hunt the netherworld… how could that be easy? »

«Difficult! Difficult! Difficult! »

Ji Moli rose to his feet, looking down upon the Grand Dharma Master Huang Mei as if he had lost a breath of vigor.

He gave a faint smile.

«Indeed, the tracks of the netherworld's fiends are indeed hard to find. »

«But…»

«Li Che and Li Nuanxi are two persons the netherworld greatly cares about…»

«This Li Che is even one of the netherworld's fiends himself. »

«With their lives as bait, we can lure out the netherworld! »

Upon hearing this, Huang Mei's bewildered, vigor‑less eyes suddenly blazed with Buddhist light!

The next moment, Grand Dharma Master Huang Mei pressed his palms together.

As if even his back teeth were being ground to pieces.

«Amitabha! »

«Prince…»

«This humble monk is willing! »

……

……

Lü Taibai's painting immortal avatar bade farewell and departed from the sect master Shi Jian of the True Martial Divine Sect.

Shi Jian also put forward his request, desiring the Namo Immortal Craft Gatlin held by Xixi, the more the better.

However, Lü Taibai's painting immortal avatar said he could not contact Xixi's mechanisms; if Shi Jian wished to make contact, he should seek Li Che, for Li Che, as a half‑saint of the Divine Condor, is highly accomplished in mechanism arts and might be able to help with the manufacture.

Shi Jian, stalwart and clad in black armor, watched the silver‑haired, wide‑sleeved Lü Taibai turn and depart, his eyes flickering slightly.

It is said that the martial practitioners of the True Martial Divine Sect are crude and straightforward.

But Shi Jian is not foolish; this Lü Taibai who chatted with him arrived too coincidentally, though that does not matter—what matters is that Lü Taibai's qi and blood are abnormal.

Shi Jian cultivates a form of True Martial close to pure martial arts, making him extremely sensitive to qi and blood.

As a top‑tier peak cultivator, the sharpness in Lü Taibai's qi and blood is all too clear to Shi Jian.

Who says martial practitioners are foolish?

Martial practitioners… can also have a heart that senses tigers and smells roses!

«It seems… this affair is a collaboration between Lü Taibai and the netherworld…»

«Desiring to kill Huang Mei. »

«Huang Mei has lost his past and future selves… wanting to kill him is no problem; if it were me, I would also want to kill him. »

Shi Jian rubbed his steel‑needle‑like crew‑cut head.

«I hope this favor can be exchanged for that mechanism… then the True Martial Divine Sect disciples stationed to guard the Tongyu Dao and face the barbarians of the Great Li Court would suffer fewer deaths. »

……

……

Within the Mo City of Fengdu.

A stretch of ruins.

But an invisible force surged, giving rise to a thick black mist that continually restored Mo City, letting the buildings recover and the city be rebuilt.

The battles of the top‑tier peak cultivators were too destructive, their unchecked outpouring left Mo City unable to withstand, almost directly collapsing into ruins.

In the ruins.

Li Che, however, appeared here, sitting cross-legged.

His ink robe fluttered, making noise; the black-and-white King of Hell mask was slowly removed by him, and his jet-black, vigorous hair whipped through the air like lightning.

In his eyes, a hint of strange color inevitably surfaced.

"Ji Moli... came to invite Huang Mei, to join forces against me and Xixi?"

Li Che's strange face carried a hint of harshness.

This Ji Moli has indeed thoroughly set his sights on him and Xixi.

First, he bewitched Consort Ji to go to the emperor's side to spread pillow talk, and on the other hand, he also joined forces with Huang Mei.

The two extremely powerful experts, both listed on the double rankings, joined forces.

That is simply enough to make people unable to sleep or eat in peace.

He and Xixi are likely to truly encounter a tremendous threat.

After all, Li Che, cooperating with Lü Taibai, just killed Huang Mei, and he is all too aware of how terrifying the threat of those two top-tier experts is!

Li Che believes that Ji Moli, like Huang Mei and Lü Taibai, has surely already cultivated the Dao Tribulation Force; he just doesn't know which of the Three Disasters' Dao position he has chosen.

Li Che exhaled a breath.

Fortunately, Huang Mei is now his.

Ji Moli cooperating with Huang Mei means he is being stared at tightly by him.

At critical moments, Li Che can without hesitation let Huang Mei backstab Ji Moli!

Having planted a Backstabbing Buddha beside Ji Moli, Li Che only feels immense peace of mind.

Having one's own people beside the enemy is truly good.

Sitting cross-legged in the ruins of Ink City undergoing self-repair.

Once this self-repair is completed, Ink City's resilience will likely increase greatly; moreover, it has absorbed the heaven-and-earth spirit after Huang Mei's fall, and also the overflowing Dao Tribulation power from Huang Mei.

Ink City's Fengdu is growing; its detained spirits can also cultivate within Ink City, continually growing stronger in secret.

Rattle—

Ink-colored rain kept falling down.

However, being steamed by Li Che's qi and blood, it instantly turned into vapor.

Hah—

Huh—

The heavens and earth were utterly silent; within Ink City, deathly still as usual.

Only the sound of breathing rolled like thunder.

Suddenly.

Li Che opened his eyes, and golden lightning arcs suddenly leapt out, lashing at the void.

In an instant, centered on his body, thunder rumbled and surged, like a thousand birds crying in unison, myriad noises.

Within his chest, he had absorbed a Divine Heaven Tribulation Lightning's Lightning Magnetic Orbital Body, which throbbed!

Li Che's jet-black hair flew loose and disheveled.

In a vague sense, he felt that the entire Ink City's heaven and earth gave birth to countless invisible lines, descending from above his head and curving outward from beneath his feet, forming a closed loop!

Li Che suddenly opened his eyes, and a golden lightning dragon roared.

Golden light like lightning!

A prompt appeared.

【Dao Fruit: Lightning Magnetic Orbital Body (lv4, 0%)】

And within the prompt.

The maturity of the just-transformed Dao Fruit actually surged rapidly, at extreme speed, from 1% to 99%!

Finally, with a booming tremor, the golden light changed again!

【Dao Fruit: Lightning Magnetic Orbital Body (lv5, 0%)】

Unprecedented!

Dao Fruit underwent a double metamorphosis!

Second Update, I was busy with some things during the day, the update came out a bit late; Lao Li continues writing, striving to finish early tonight, feeling that reaching 500k characters this month is hopeful; continue asking for monthly votes, recommendation votes, and continued reads! Lao Li, keep pushing!