Chapter 438: The Ten Fiends

Clack clack—!!!

Lead‑colored clouds churn, flying snow roars.

Thunder weaves together, the net like a heavenly net!

Snowflakes the size of a hand drift shakily down from the clouds amid the terrifying interlaced thunder lattice.

Beyond Qian Yuan Dao City, the atmosphere is chilling to the extreme!

The Underworld has acted.

The Underworld's ink‑colored fierce tiger, the Gate of Fengdu, looms across, delivering an immensely strong shock to everyone involved in this war!

Commander Xie Yunshen was seized by the Underworld; the Underworld, as always, prefers to capture the king before the thief!

And the commander's temporary disappearance has a huge impact on the imperial army; they instantly feel bewildered, uneasy, unsure whether to keep fighting.

Ning Caishen, head of the Seven Treasure Divine Sect, has his right eyelid twitching nonstop, his heart suddenly rising to his throat.

That feeling again!

Another unsettling situation!

Ning Caishen, together with Gu Cheng and Huang Mei, was battling Fang Hanshu, but now Ning Caishen subconsciously starts to slack off, unwilling to continue the fight.

He wants to determine whether Xie Yunshen can walk out of that Underworld Fengdu alive, if he cannot.

All the commanders leading the court's mountain‑crushing campaigns have fallen; what meaning does this imperial war still have?

It has no meaning at all.

Ning Caishen therefore sees no need to keep risking his life for this great battle.

Boom—!!!

Fang Hanshu's vast righteous river sweeps forward; with a fistful of five fingers, a teaching rod like a long blade crashes down, space warps slightly, and his momentum climbs step by step.

Bang—!!

Grand Master Huang Mei roars, his golden Buddha cracked all over as if about to shatter.

"This person is strong; you two, be careful!"

Huang Mei shouts loudly!

Ning Caishen and Gu Cheng both feel a slight heaviness; Fang Hanshu is indeed powerful, channeling the vast righteous river, comparable to a half‑step Divine Tribulation—such power is certainly extraordinary…

The three of them together can only barely withstand Fang Hanshu's assault.

The Dragon God Crown Prince and the Third Dragon Son were taken by the Underworld, as were Zhao Beidou and Xie Yunshen…

Old Dragon God also charged headlong into the Underworld's Fengdu.

No one knows what exactly is happening inside Fengdu.

However, the outside situation has suddenly reversed due to these disappearances.

Boom—!!!

Gu Qianchi swings a sword, countless blade lights burst forth; he does not employ Disaster Calamity Power, for Lu Taibai is currently striking at the Divine Tribulation, and using Disaster Calamity Power would be courting death.

Patriarch Lu Qiankun of Qian Yuan also erupts blade light; sword cultivators focus on killing, and the two terrifying blade lights clash, exploding like brilliant fireworks shattering in mid‑air!

Lu Qiankun stands before the plaque, and above it the vortex of the Qian Yuan Small Heaven swirls continuously.

His brows knit, his gaze occasionally sweeping, looking at the black portal hanging suspended in mid‑air.

The characters "Fengdu" hang on the portal's ink‑colored wall, an icy death meaning constantly radiating outward.

Underworld…

Lu Qiankun lets out a slight sigh of relief.

Without the Underworld, Qian Yuan Divine Sect… would truly be unable to survive this calamity.

All the great sects now have divergent thoughts; Dàjǐng produced Xie Yunshen, whose Crosswise Technique sows discord among the great sects, even forcing the Heavenly Core Divine Sect and several others to submit to the Dàjǐng Court—presumably after promising to crush sects, they will re‑divide territories and the world's fortunes.

With this encouragement, the divine sects that should have united are now easily broken one by one.

Boom—

Gu Qianchi retreats; the two Divine Tribulation masters do not engage in a death battle.

Lu Qiankun does not wish to press too hard, because Lu Taibai is attempting to break through the tribulation; if he goes all out, the heavens' will may lock disaster upon Lu Taibai, harming him.

On the other side, Gu Qianchi wants to wait for the situation in the Underworld's Fengdu to clear, to see whether Old Dragon God, Zhao Beidou and Grandmaster Xie Yunshen can return alive before making further plans.

Otherwise, there is truly no need to risk life and death against the Qian Yuan Divine Sect; the great war… was meant to impress the court's higher‑ups, and with the Grandmaster now pulled into the Underworld, its purpose is meaningless.

Gu Qianchi retreats to Gu Cheng's side, already sensing the disadvantaged stance of Gu Cheng, Ning Caishen and Huang Mei against Fang Hanshu.

Half‑step Divine Tribulation still leaves a gap compared with the three top‑level great gods.

Seeing this, Fang Hanshu's righteous teaching rod suddenly lashes; Gu Qianchi's blade light sweeps and severs the long whip.

Fang Hanshu tips his toe onto the sky, and under the pull of the vast righteous river, retreats swiftly back to the tower of Qian Yuan Dao City.

On the other side.

Feng Zhichi, Zhao Fangzhou, Tang Xiejia and other martial saints and divine embryos finish their clashes, each retreating safely to the city towers, assuming a standoff posture.

Yet the immensely powerful qi streams continuously vent between the two sides' strongmen, crashing together like two tides.

The ancient city walls tower like clouds, lofty, massive, solid.

Beyond the walls, massive, fierce black‑iron spirit‑wood warships emit eerie glows, like hungry wolves in a wasteland awaiting the perfect hunt!

And a black portal hovers above everyone's heads.

Pitch‑black as ink, as if devouring endless light, profoundly deep, like a death‑laden portal floating in hell.

Everyone's gaze fixes on the portal, trying to discern the final outcome.

Boom—!!!

Suddenly.

Standing before the Qian Yuan plaque, Patriarch Lu Qiankun's eyes flicker slightly.

They jerked their head upward.

Returning, Fang Hanshu, who was floating beside Lu Qiankun, was also startled and looked up.

All the great Martial Saints and Divine Embryo cultivators also felt something in their hearts.

On the warship, Ning Caishen, Gu Cheng, Gu Qianchi and others also looked up toward the sky now shrouded by black clouds!

However…

Their eyes suddenly narrowed.

But then, above the heavens, an endless scarlet light suddenly appeared.

The entire world seemed to tremble at that moment.

The black clouds seemed to be torn apart, and a blood-colored phantom dragon hung in the void, winding and raging, finally opening its massive jaws and emitting a resentful dragon roar!

The dragon roar shook heaven and earth, and all the beasts in mountains, rivers and lakes were terrified at that moment.

Even the cultivators and soldiers in Qianyuan Dao City and the imperial army were, at that moment, uneasy, as if a terrifying beast deep in their souls roared, making their souls shiver.

The blood-colored dragon shadow writhed high in the sky, then roared and surged upward, soaring straight toward the edge of the black clouds, as if to tear through the heavens and plunge into the source of the calamity above the nine heavens, to behold its splendor!

However.

In the end, it failed; the blood-colored dragon shadow spiraled straight for three thousand zhang, exploded with a roar, and the whole sky seemed to turn blood‑red in an instant.

Whoosh—

The falling snowflakes were stained crimson, carrying a strong scent of blood.

Among the bloodied snow were specks of blood‑colored raindrops.

Red rain poured down, a celestial anomaly!

A divine calamity fell upon the mortal world!

Boom—!!!

A ferocious blood‑colored thunderbolt suddenly erupted in the sky, like a blood‑red greatsword tearing the skin of heaven and earth, revealing scarlet flesh!

Celestial anomaly!

It seemed the entire Lingnan Dao trembled, spanning hundreds to thousands of miles; on the Grand Canal, waves surged skyward, blood rain fell, as if a calamity returned to heaven, making everyone feel extreme oppression!

Beyond Lingnan Dao, at the junction of the Grand Canal and Guangling Dao.

Tidal waves towered!

The water surged with a roar, and figure after figure shot upward from the Grand Canal, treading the undulating river surface, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

"Aaah—"

"Dragon Emperor! Our clan's Dragon Emperor... has fallen!"

These figures, with horns sprouting from their heads, were cultivators of the Dragon God lineage.

At this moment, they gazed at the blood rain anomaly appearing in the sky, a scene where calamity's force seemed to return to heaven and earth, tears streaming from their eyes as they knelt on the river surface one by one.

They wailed and wept loudly.

The Dragon Emperor is dead.

The Dragon God lineage is about to be utterly extinct!

…

…

Huff—

The howling gale surged violently, like the wind and waves erupting from the Nine Abyss of the Yellow Springs, bearing a soul‑piercing chill.

Time itself seemed to freeze solid at that moment.

Mo City, Fengdu.

Within the whole of Mo City, a torrential downpour raged incessantly, countless streams surged over the shattered ground, and the falling ink‑colored raindrops seemed to completely dispel the toxic fumes from the poisonous pills.

Scorching heat spread, purple flames burned and twisted, causing the falling ink‑colored raindrops to hang upside down in the heavens, turning into steam that rose like clouds.

Li Che's head was struck by the primordial dragon flame, a golden skull emerged, flickering like restless ghost fire.

On the ground, an enormous dragon bone crashed down with a roar, as if weighing tens of millions of jin, denting the earth.

Li Che's eyes glimmered faintly.

Behind him, the Dao guide of the Immortal Fruit in the painting slowly unfolded, revealing the Ten Beasts Ink‑splash Diagram.

Li Che was curious; this Dao guide, which contains an ancient Dragon God of the Divine Calamity realm, could illuminate what other fierce beasts?

The previous Dragon God Crown Prince could have used it, but Li Che thought that a Dragon God Crown Prince who hasn't even reached the Divine Calamity realm would waste a Ten Beasts slot, which was indeed a bit extravagant.

Now, an ancient Dragon God of the One Disaster Two Calamities realm barely meets the requirement.

"Ten Beasts Ink‑splash!"

"Return!"

Li Che spread his arms, and instantly the dragon bone began to quake violently; then the massive bone seemed to melt like ink, dissolving bit by bit, finally turning slowly into black ink.

"Aaa—!!!"

An extremely terrifying earth‑shaking dragon roar surged upward, as if an ink‑colored vortex spiraled between heaven and earth, like shackles binding souls disintegrating inch by inch!

The ink‑form ancient Dragon God's momentum rose step by step, and the Dao guide scroll behind Li Che trembled with a whooshing thump.

Then, the ink‑colored Dragon God flicked its tail with a roar, winding across the sky to strike the Ink‑splash Diagram.

Countless jets of black ink splashed and exploded!

It seemed as if ten trillion thunders simultaneously burst behind the clouds, echoing loudly.

Air currents surged, ink splashed, and sound waves raged!

It was as if a peerless immortal painter wielded a wolf‑hair brush, drank dense ink, and flung it wildly.

It seemed the ink‑colored shockwave, centered on Li Che's body, rapidly expanded outward toward the four corners of Mo City.

Shattered the ink rain that filled the sky!

Amid the splashing ink, a sky‑covering demonic aura raged on, constantly surging!

Whirr—whirr—whirr—

The ink‑colored dragon shadow abruptly darted out of the scroll, as if terrified and trying to flee.

It was an awakened dragon soul; because it had not been bound, it had not yet submitted to Li Che.

Sensing that the scroll intended to devour it and everything it held, the dragon soul began to panic.

It wanted to escape.

But it could not escape at all.

Ink‑colored chains dropped from the scroll, binding the ink dragon soul, restraining its head, claws and tail, and with a clacking sound they pulled it piece by piece into the scroll.

"Roar—!!!"

Accompanied by the final roar echoing through Ink City's heavens and earth.

The old Dragon God's dragon soul was completely dragged into the Ten Evils Ink Painting.

Then gradually, ink appeared on the scroll, as if sketched by the brush of a painting immortal.

【Ten Evils Ink Painting: Nine Infant of the Turning Sea (10%)】

Hm?!

Before his eyes, a slow flow of ink light emerged, projecting a line of hint.

One of the Ten Evils… Nine Infant of the Turning Sea!

Li Che's eyes narrowed.

In his mind, a vast scene began to unfold slowly.

In the vision, the boundless sea roiled, waves rose in succession, terrifying colossal waves surged skyward, exploding like a thousand piles of snow, and the sudden sea water formed whirlpools.

Nine consecutive whirlpools appeared in the sea, and when the whirlpools swelled like inverted bowls, the water burst!

The entire sea seemed to be turned over!

Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—

Countless water pillars shot skyward, rising from the sea and piercing the clouds like a dragon vortex.

Within the nine exploding waves, nine ferociously snarling dragon heads twirled wildly, their necks long and thin yet attached to a single body, and flesh wings flared suddenly…

Obscuring sky and sun!

A ferocious aura spread across the heavens!

The nine dragon heads simultaneously roared toward the firmament, as if howling at the injustice of heaven and earth!

One of the Ten Evils…

Nine Infant of the Turning Sea!

Boom—!!!

Within his chest, the painting immortal Dao fruit throbbed violently.

Bang—bang—bang—

Each beat sounded like a shockwave, booming incessantly!

After an unknown amount of time, the Dao fruit in his chest finally began to calm slowly.

Li Che landed on the ground of Ink City, where the Primordial Dragon Elephant Flame burned peacefully.

Beneath the skull, the eyes were profoundly deep, like the Nine Abyss.

He raised his hand, his five fingers like hooks.

In his palm lay a black chess piece, brimming with interwoven terrifying demonic aura.

It seemed as if a faint dragon's chant exploded within it.

His five fingers clenched forcefully, instantly crushing the black demonic chess piece to pieces, and the scroll behind it slowly unfurled.

Within the wall‑like smooth scroll, countless chains clanged, and nine wildly flailing narrow necks and heads burst out. Seven of the heads were very blurry, while two were distinct, shimmering with an extremely brilliant radiance.

The Dragon God… transformed into the Ink Nine Infant, one of the Ten Evils!

Rumble—

Li Che could feel the beast's overwhelming power and ferocity, wildly insane, brimming with destructiveness, bearing a terrifying conviction to annihilate everything.

However, Li Che could decide the beast's life or death in a single thought.

Whether to extinguish the dragon soul within.

Whirr—whirr—whirr—

Its wings beat as the Nine Infant of the Turning Sea hovered aloft, its two dragon heads swaying, eyes dimly gleaming.

"In the realm of one disaster and two tribulations, so… two heads appeared?"

Under the violet flame, Li Che's eyes flashed with a faint smile.

"It seems… there's still greater room for growth."

Having all nine infants and nine heads appear together would probably be far stronger than now.

Raise a Nine Infant!

A pet, you must raise it well, plump and healthy, so it can serve you better.

The Primordial Dragon Elephant Flame on his head vanished, Li Che's eyes scanned, his five fingers spread, and instantly the broken dragon flesh scattered on the ground coalesced into an enormous meat ball.

Within his chest, the painting immortal Dao fruit had just settled into calm, then the Dao fruit began to throb wildly again.

It was the Ten Thousand Demons Emperor Dao fruit.

A massive devouring force erupted from the Ten Thousand Demons Emperor Dao fruit, crazily devouring the demonic aura within the old Dragon God's corpse.

The only regret was that the old Dragon God's Dragon Emperor Pearl had exploded…

Otherwise, this meal, the Ten Thousand Demons Emperor would certainly eat himself completely full.

Watching the Ten Thousand Demons Emperor Dao Fruit's maturity begin to skyrocket, Li Che's mood instantly became excellent.

After the remaining demonic qi in the shattered flesh of the Old Dragon God was completely devoured.

The Ten Thousand Demons Emperor Dao Fruit finally gradually returned to calm.

【Dao Fruit: Ten Thousand Demons Emperor (lv5, 50%)】

Li Che glanced over, feeling a slight regret; the increase was a bit less than imagined.

Originally, Li Che intended to devour the Old Dragon God's demonic qi and leap straight to level 6.

But now it seems that achieving it in one go is indeed a pipe dream.

Of course, it might also be because the Old Dragon God was beaten so badly.

The Dragon Emperor Pearl shattered with a boom, the Dragon Bone melted into ink, forming the Sea‑Overturning Nine Infant.

【Dao Fruit: Painting Immortal (lv660%)】

Li Che's eyes lit up slightly, his mood soaring, and the Painting Immortal Dao Fruit had indeed risen considerably.

It seems that drawing a fierce beast with the Ink‑Splashed Ten Fiends Diagram significantly boosted the Painting Immortal Dao Fruit's maturity.

Besides that, the spoils of this battle were more than just these.

The Dao Fruits of Dragon Elephant Vajra, Pure Heart, Chess Sage, and others all saw varying degrees of maturity increase!

Of course, the greatest gain was obtaining a pet of the One Disaster Two Calamity Realm!

Slaying a Great Repair of the One Disaster Two Calamity Realm, even using some despicable methods, nevertheless the feedback from Li Che's Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit was quite noticeable.

Based on the Level 7 Rank, its maturity rose by 5%.

It can be said, very impressive.

After all, for a Level 7 Rank Dao Fruit, raising maturity becomes increasingly difficult.

Clack clack clack clack—

Li Che stretched his lower body, feeling his entire sinews roar, while powerful qi and blood surged wildly.

Xie Yunshen and Zhao Beidou floated respectfully forward, looking reverently at Li Che.

"Lord!"

Li Che's smile faded, and he tucked away the malicious Heavenly Poison Pill, the Nine‑Turn Ascending Dragon Pillar, hovering behind him.

He nodded toward the two.

His spirit remained constantly linked with the outside world.

Because this time Li Che did not choose to Detain Spirit; without Detaining Spirit, the sea‑of‑deception effect was absent.

Heaven and Earth's will directly sensed the severed link between the Old Dragon God and the Ancestor Dragon Disaster, and naturally deemed it death.

Even if it transformed into a terrifying beast like the Sea‑Overturning Nine Infant, it is now a brand‑new Soul Spirit, its wielded power entirely different.

If Detain Spirit were used, the Soul Spirit would remain the same, existing like a Heaven‑and‑Earth Wandering Soul, naturally not triggering calamities.

"The Old Dragon God's death cannot be concealed..."

"But the problem is minor."

Li Che said lightly.

Xie Yunshen lightly waved his feather fan, falling into contemplation: "Lord, with the Old Dragon God's death, the court side can no longer hope to defeat the Qian Yuan Divine Sect; retreat is the only option…"

"Aiming to cut mountains and break sects is basically impossible now."

"So, Zhao Beidou will escort you out, saying the Old Dragon God, for the future of the Dragon God lineage, sacrificed his life to shield you two in breaking out of the Small Cave Heaven," Li Che said with a faint smile.

Xie Yunshen frowned: "If we retreat… the Emperor will inevitably have doubts."

Li Che waved his hand dismissively, saying, "No problem; all the Emperor wants is for the world's Divine Sect qi‑yun to converge into one…"

"Old Xie, you told me that the Heavenly Pill Divine Sect, Vast Righteous Academy, Seven Treasure Divine Sect, and other Divine Sect qi‑yun have not actually been incorporated into the court, right?"

Li Che asked.

Xie Yunshen nodded, his eyes dim: "Yes, those sects appear to submit, but coaxing them to surrender their qi‑yun, leaving the cultivation‑boosting Golden Lotus, would require countless words…"

Li Che smiled: "Then, after the court army withdraws from the Qian Yuan Divine Sect, we should attack the Heavenly Pill Divine Sect of the Guangling Dao…"

"Give the Emperor an explanation, so he trusts you as a capable minister."

"Say that you, in Qian Yuan Dao City, persuaded the Underworld, and the Underworld is willing to cooperate with you."

Xie Yunshen's eyes flashed: "The Emperor probably won't believe it, right?"

"Never mind, the council will report to the Emperor properly…"

Upon hearing that, Xie Yunshen burst into laughter, lightly waved his feather fan, then clasped his fists and bowed.

"Lord, rest assured, I will spare no effort for you…"

"Gather the world's qi‑yun!"

……

……

Buzz—

Above Qian Yuan Dao City, black clouds rolled and churned, oppression reaching its peak.

The atmosphere was heavy and still; no one spoke, everyone stared at the jet‑black portal.

Lu Qiankun, the Patriarch of the Qian Yuan Divine Sect, sighed lightly: "Old Dragon God… a three‑thousand‑year‑old monster, one cannot help but…"

"…must be admired… fighting for life, forcibly extending his lifespan ten years for the sake of his race…"

"What a pity, a forcibly extended fate cannot endure and is prone to mishaps."

"The Dragon God lineage's qi‑yun… has essentially scattered."

Lu Qiankun lamented, while Fang Hanshu beside him had eyes flashing with sharp light, his heart roiling with turbulent waves.

【241】 One must know that within that Small Cave Heaven, the Old Dragon God could unleash his full power, condense a Disaster Wheel, and display the strength of One Disaster Two Calamities.

One disaster two calamities is far stronger than one disaster one calamity.

At least one can fight five or six one‑disaster‑one‑calamity without any pressure, and can even suppress the opponent.

That is a suppression at the level of calamity‑evil power.

But the Old Dragon God actually fell into the little cave heaven of Fengdu in the Underworld.

Who killed the Old Dragon God?

The Underworld King of Hell?

Impossible; the Underworld King of Hell's strength, even when matched with Zhao Beidou, is very hard, and even exhausting all his bottom cards cannot kill Zhao Beidou…

And how could he possibly kill the Old Dragon God?

Boom—

Just as the hearts of all the strong ones trembled.

That portal, black as ink, seeming to interweave endlessly under flashing thunder, thunderously opened.

As if struck open by a powerful force.

Two figures shot out at speed; they were none other than Zhao Beidou, Xie Yunshen, the Dragon God Crown Prince, and the Three Great Dragon Sons…

Except for the Old Dragon God, the strong ones pulled into Ink City Fengdu have all escaped.

Ah—!!!

Grandpa!

The Dragon God Crown Prince wept blood endlessly; once out of Ink City Fengdu, he knelt fiercely in the void, howling with tears.

Zhao Beidou's complexion turned extremely pale, and fresh blood continuously spilled from his mouth and nose.

He is still putting on an act, but the performance naturally has to look a certain way.

"Go!"

Zhao Beidou's face was wax‑white; he seized the Dragon God Crown Prince and others, and swiftly retreated back to the court camp.

Xie Yunshen fell onto the warship, his body staggering, his complexion extremely grim.

"Old Dragon God… fare well!"

"Dragon God lineage, I Xie Yunshen, will definitely take good care! You go with peace of mind!"

Xie Yunshen clenched his five fingers.

Gu Qianchi, upon seeing Xie Yunshen's return, the tension in his eyes instantly faded, and he let out a deep sigh of relief.

When the Old Dragon God died, he thought Xie Yunshen and the others would also die.

But the current situation exceeded his expectations.

"Master Gu… Senior Dragon God, in order to break through for us, fought to the death with the Underworld Ghost Emperor, and completely fell into that little cave heaven…"

Xie Yunshen was deeply moved.

Gu Qianchi felt a slight tremor in his heart.

"Underworld Ghost Emperor?"

"Isn't it the Underworld King of Hell?!"

"Underworld… has a newcomer?!"

Gu Qianchi's heart instantly surged with a storm; the Underworld… still has strong ones?

No wonder, no wonder the Old Dragon God and such beings fell into it.

What faction is this Underworld, how can it be so powerful?!

Xie Yunshen's face was full of bitterness as he looked at the Fengdu portal of the Underworld floating in midair.

"Above the King of Hell, the Underworld Ghost Emperor…"

His words finished.

Gu Qianchi seemed as if his heart was touched.

He suddenly turned his head to look.

He saw that floating Fengdu portal of the Underworld burst open, as if endless darkness poured out in an instant.

Gu Qianchi's hair stood on end; a feeling of impending disaster descended in an instant.

On the other side.

Lu Qiankun, Fang Hanshu and other strong ones of the Qianyuan Divine Sect also narrowed their eyes.

But they saw.

The Fengdu portal burst open.

The dark light vanished, replaced by countless erupting purple radiance.

A mass of purple flame burned fiercely.

Beneath that purple flame was a golden skull.

A pair of eyes, deep as the pupils of the Nine Abyss.

Further down, the standard Underworld black robe rustled.

A tall figure stood upright before the Fengdu portal.

Hands clasped across chest.

Overlooking all things.

In those hollow, faint, demon‑like eyes, there was indifference toward all life.

Underworld Ghost Emperor!

Under countless gazes.

The Underworld Ghost Emperor looked up, casting a glance at the sky filled with black clouds.

Afterward, stepped a step toward the outside of Fengdu.

From behind the portal, it emerged within this world, and the terrifying calamity force surged out, raging wildly from that purple fire.

Seemed to be with this world…

Completely out of place!

In an instant…

The heavens and earth changed color!

Heaven and earth would not tolerate!

(End of chapter)