Chapter 652: with translation of chapter title

The Eight Metamorphoses Hell Dao Fruit gave Li Che a chance to break free!

Through the Eight Metamorphoses Dao Fruit, he utterly absorbed and refined the Hell origin on his body, effectively erasing that mark!

Otherwise, with the Hellfire Divine Tree's origin aura marking him, Li Che would have no way to escape; in the netherworld, he would be like a blazing sun, wherever he went becoming the most conspicuous target.

Thus, the breakthrough Hell Dao Fruit became Li Che's greatest aid, at least helping to erase the aura—a significant help that played a huge role in his escape!

Boom——!

As the Hell Dao Fruit erased the Hell origin on his body, Li Che's entire back slammed violently into the void, as if merging with the boundless void.

The Heaven-Earth Chessboard stretched across, its interwoven lines completely erasing his aura.

Moreover, with the Sleeping Dragon Elephant's technique for concealing aura, Li Che vanished completely from everyone's sight!

The four corpse emperors' expressions changed slightly at once.

Disappeared?!

They released overwhelming corpse qi, hoping to stir the Hell origin within Li Che's body via the corpse qi to sense his position, but they utterly failed.

The Hell origin on Li Che's body no longer exists!

"He ran?"

"He took the Hellfire Divine Tree and still wants to leave!!"

The four corpse emperors fell completely into madness; their corpse qi erupted, transforming into countless sharp spears that continuously shot out toward the void where Li Che had been.

In a chaotic, frenzied barrage, if Li Che had remained in place, he would surely have been forced out by their mad, unreasonable means.

However……

Since Li Che had concealed his aura, he naturally would not stay where he was.

He used the expanded Heaven-Earth Chessboard to directly perform the Flying Star Shift, emerging from the Hell Abyss.

The four great corpse emperors left in the Hell Abyss, as well as the one gripping the Sovereign Giant Axe and beginning to accumulate power to activate the Netherworld Ancient Symbols, aiming to fiercely slay Li Che's Netherworld Sovereign, all lost their target.

"He escaped?"

The Netherworld Sovereign's eyes were icy cold; the sovereign aura bursting from his body surged forth like waves, flooding the entire Hell Abyss.

That Hellfire Divine Tree, its branches cut off, swayed continuously; the severed spot kept spraying blood like human blood, countless sprays almost forming a sea of blood!

Although the four great corpse emperors had originally wanted to search for Li Che, they were instead guided by the Hellfire Divine Tree to attack the Netherworld Sovereign.

Why?

Because Li Che's target was lost, the Hellfire Divine Tree naturally shifted its target to the Netherworld Sovereign, since the main force that had severed its branches was actually the Netherworld Sovereign.

It was the Netherworld Sovereign's sovereign axe qi that cleanly cut off its branches; only then did that petty thief receive a trifling boost of power, enabling him to chop off the branches and take them!

The four great corpse emperors received the Hellfire Divine Tree's order and immediately, fearless of life and death, slaughtered toward the Netherworld Sovereign!

The Netherworld Sovereign single-handedly brandished the terrifying Sovereign Giant Axe, sweeping it out fiercely; its dreadful power, as if to cleave heaven and earth, the axe-light that swept out utterly sliced everything to pieces.

One corpse emperor, with unparalleled flesh and towering corpse qi, stubbornly resisted this axe qi, yet was actually hacked apart, his flesh body severed.

"Get lost!"

The Netherworld Sovereign was utterly cold-hearted, furiously angry.

He let that rascal escape again!

I originally thought that rascal, having taken the Hellfire Divine Tree's branches, would surely be unable to conceal himself and would be exposed in Hell and the Netherworld.

By then, we could simply follow the vine to find the melon.

As it turned out, that rascal actually possessed a means to erase the Hell origin!

Such a means……

How could this be something a cultivator of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths could master?

This is unreasonable!

The Netherworld Sovereign was extremely angry; the four great corpse emperors charged like indestructible cockroaches, wildly rushing forward—even if he hacked their flesh to pieces with his swings, they showed no retreat, continuing their frenzied assault.

But the Netherworld Sovereign couldn't be bothered to entangle with these four corpse emperors; it was pointless, slaying them would be useless, for with the Hellfire Divine Tree present, these four corpse emperors could continually reform their corpses, essentially being immortal.

On the contrary, finding that rascal is of utmost importance!

Boom——!!!

The Netherworld Sovereign consecutively cleaved with the Sovereign Giant Axe, axe qi crisscrossing, sending each corpse emperor flying.

Even when the four great corpse emperors joined forces, they could still hinder him; wanting to easily suppress them is no simple task.

Hum——

The Netherworld Sovereign's eyes were icy cold; unwilling to delay, he directly chose to employ a powerful means.

Ancient Netherworld symbols flickered to life on the axe in his hand, then a stormy axe qi erupted with a boom, splitting the void of the Hell Abyss into countless cracks that struggled to heal.

And the four corpse emperors were sliced into countless millions of fragments.

The Netherworld Sovereign surged forward, blasting through all the corpse fragments, his gaze sweeping out as his mighty sovereign perception spread.

Having located the position, he vanished entirely, then flickered forth at the target spot, moving as freely as a teleport, utterly unrestricted.

This is somewhat similar to Li Che's Lightning Shift, yet compared to Lightning Shift, it is even more free and unrestrained.

It requires no Lightning chess pieces as medium or anchor.

However, the Netherworld Sovereign's powerful perception spread wildly like a river tide, continuously expanding in all directions, seeking to locate Li Che's fleeing form.

The Netherworld Sovereign knew Li Che came from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, having taken the Hellfire Divine Tree, and likely intended to leave the Netherworld and return to the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths or the mortal realm.

And the routes from the Netherworld back to the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths are actually only a few.

"Sovereign! Old Dragon knows where that rascal intends to escape from!"

The Netherworld Dragon Emperor sensed the Netherworld Sovereign's terrifying qi, immediately spoke up, offering his service.

The Netherworld Sovereign's powerful gaze swept over suddenly; in the next instant, the Netherworld Dragon Emperor was seized and placed under the Sovereign's foot.

"Lead the way!"

The Netherworld Dragon Emperor felt an utter frustration, yet he had no way to say anything.

It was as if the Responding Dragon was trampled by the Death Overlord and turned into a mount.

He, the Dragon Emperor, is likely to tread the same path.

However, if he could kill Li Che, what would this bit of resentment matter?

The old dragon must also endure hardship and bide his time, restoring the majesty of the Ancestral Dragon lineage and sweeping across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths once more!

Roar—

The Netherworld Dragon Emperor opened his mouth and roared, then brought the Netherworld Overlord toward the entrance Li Che had previously entered!

The Netherworld Overlord actually knew this position; his powerful perception kept spreading out, yet he sensed not a trace of Li Che.

This made the Netherworld Overlord involuntarily furrow his brows slightly.

Boom—

When the Netherworld Dragon Emperor lifted the Netherworld Overlord and appeared at the spot where Old Dog had kicked open a rupture, now healed, in the Netherworld fortification, his expression involuntarily changed slightly.

"None?"

The Netherworld Overlord stood upon the Dragon Emperor's skull, gripping the Overlord's giant axe with one hand, his cold gaze slightly drooping and falling upon the Dragon Emperor, causing the Dragon Emperor's mighty draconic body to stiffen slightly, a fear spontaneously arising in his heart.

"Where is the person?"

The Netherworld Overlord said coldly.

The Dragon Emperor opened his dragon mouth, feeling somewhat at a loss.

"I don't know……."

Li Che entered the Netherworld here; if he doesn't leave this way, where else could he return?!

The Netherworld Overlord stomped down heavily with one foot.

Terrifying power instantly exploded above the Dragon Emperor's skull, rings of ripples spreading outward in a circular form, radiating impact, stirring up thousands of layers of massive waves.

The Dragon Emperor only felt his head tilt, his huge, majestic draconic body, like a cannonball, slammed heavily onto the Netherworld ground, as if plunging into an endless abyss.

Boom—!

Finally, he slammed heavily into a Netherworld precipice, leaving a huge pit, smoke and dust rolling like a mushroom cloud, engulfing his body.

The Netherworld Overlord didn't even glance at the Dragon Emperor, whom he had nearly crushed with his foot.

He arrived at the precipice.

Boom——!!!

Terrifying death essence burst forth from the precipice, and then the precipice became covered with endless fine cracks.

After exploding apart, the Death Overlord's burly, broad-shouldered form walked out from the shattered spot in the Netherworld fortification and returned to the Netherworld.

He cast his gaze forward, seeing not the Dragon Emperor, but the utterly cold Netherworld Overlord.

"Netherworld… how could it be you?"

The Death Overlord furrowed his brows.

Beyond the precipice lay the Netherworld mouth, ravaged by countless turbulent currents.

A lazy black dog floated there, curiously probing its head; when it didn't see Li Che, the big black dog seemed to exhale.

"Netherworld! Where is the human who intruded into the Netherworld? That person is the father of the Hell Lotus Maiden; seize him, use him to threaten the Hell Lotus Maiden, perhaps we can make the Hell Lotus Maiden serve us, cooperate with her, and we can break out of the Netherworld and overturn the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths!"

The Death Overlord said coldly.

However, as he spoke, the Death Overlord lost his voice.

Because the Netherworld Overlord did not respond to him.

The Dragon Emperor, who had crawled out of the abyss in a sorry state, his dragon bones fractured in many places, also lowered his dragon head, daring not to speak.

The Death Overlord immediately understood.

"That brat… escaped?"

The Death Overlord's powerful death essence trembled, projecting his gaze toward the direction of the Hell Abyss.

In fact, no perception is needed; once the Hellfire Divine Tree's branches were cut, it began to frenziedly rage, the disturbed qi audible throughout the Netherworld.

"That brat… cut down the Hellfire Divine Tree, obtained the Fire God Wood, and still escaped easily?"

The Death Overlord's tone gradually carried disbelief.

"The Netherworld is the Netherworld, not the Hell Lotus realm; how did it become the home of the Hell Lotus Maiden's father?"

Old Dog, through the Netherworld precipice, seemed to hear the Death Overlord's words, instantly grinning so wide his mouth almost reached the back of his head.

Wiggling his doggy hindquarters, he took the Heaven-Reaching Divine Emperor and headed out of the Netherworld mouth.

……

……

In the Netherworld, Li Che's traces seemed to vanish in an instant; in fact, Li Che had not gone far.

He had long guessed that the vile Dragon Emperor would choose to report his entry point into the Netherworld; if he continued from that spot, escaping the Netherworld would be no easy feat.

Because at that Netherworld mouth stands a Death Overlord; once he runs into him, it's like delivering himself as a dish.

The Death Overlord and the Netherworld Overlord are both sovereign-level beings; encountering either would bring Li Che no good outcome.

So Li Che chose another escape route.

"Netherworld Dragon Emperor……

Li Che was utterly cold, remembering the Netherworld Dragon Emperor, that vile dead dragon!

Rumble——

Li Che traversed the Netherworld, the heaven-and-earth chessboard expanding, his whole body shifting at great speed.

He did not choose to return to the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths via the original entrance.

Instead, he chose another place to return.

That place is actually not particularly mysterious.

Rather, it is another Netherworld Mouth connecting the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths with the Netherworld.

The structure of the Netherworld Mouth is actually not complex, because communicating with the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, it presents as an inverted funnel-shaped anomalous region.

Countless death origins, Netherworld origins, and reincarnation origins surround beneath the inverted funnel.

At the top of the funnel lies a Netherworld fortification leading to the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, connecting the Netherworld Mouth.

Originally, this Netherworld Mouth was the place where the Death Sovereign resided.

But, with the opening of another Netherworld Mouth, the Death Sovereign went there, being suppressed and restrained by the Heaven-Reaching Divine Emperor, and thus this Netherworld Mouth became vacant instead.

At least, for now, no Sovereign-level existence presides over it.

For Li Che, this is extremely good news.

However, although there is no Sovereign residing, there is an Imperial Rank Heavenly Immortal sent from the Death Abyss under the Death Sovereign, stationed here.

That is a figure like a red-haired Asura, sitting cross-legged at the funnel's top, at the white light position connecting to the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

"Netherworld Abyss, one of the four Imperial Rank Heavenly Immortals, the Death Sovereign's foremost fierce general, the Asura Emperor!"

Li Che, via the Heaven-Earth Chessboard's Flying Star Translocation, spanned the vast distance and appeared here, gazing far at that terrifying red-haired Asura Emperor, faintly feeling a great oppression.

And besides that.

Gazing far at the Netherworld Mouth, Li Che's eyes flickered with a complex expression.

Because, through that Netherworld Mouth, the light of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths shone down.

It seemed as if a magnificently powerful figure was stationed outside the Netherworld Mouth.

"Nüwa Emperor..."

Li Che actually felt quite complex about the Nüwa Emperor.

After all, his wife Zhang Ya is none other than the reincarnation of the Nüwa Emperor.

The memories that Zhang Ya possesses, the Nüwa Emperor... actually has them as well.

Li Che's reason for choosing to exit from this Netherworld Mouth was also to experience the Nüwa Emperor.

Although this Asura Emperor's combat power is extremely strong, a position occupied by an Imperial Rank Heavenly Immortal is, compared to the Death Sovereign, plus being reported by the Dragon Emperor, the Netherworld Sovereign also rushing over, making this Netherworld Mouth sealed by two Sovereigns somewhat safer.

However, Li Che did not immediately choose to reveal himself.

He also did not do anything like using the Hell Dao Fruit to disguise himself as a Netherworld powerhouse.

Because, such a tactic is largely useless before the Asura Emperor, after all, Li Che wanting to leave the Netherworld Mouth, just this decision, would cause the Asura Emperor to act against him.

Without the Sovereign's order, no Netherworld being may pass through the Netherworld Mouth to enter the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

So, Li Che abandoned the tactic, planning to directly choose a forceful assault.

"After all, he is a Sovereign; the gap between me and him now is still vast… unless I break through to become a Martial Dao Heavenly Immortal, but my Path of Opening Heaven has not yet reached its end; even if I become a Heavenly Immortal, I must walk the Perfected Heavenly Immortal path!"

Li Che's eyes flickered.

Therefore, if one wants to break the situation now…

"Only by remanufacturing the Heaven-Matching Armor again…"

Li Che pondered in his heart; this idea spontaneously arose in his mind.

The next moment, his whole body, under the disguise of the Heaven-Earth Chessboard, vanished and entered the Ink City Fengdu of the recently transformed Painting Immortal Dao Fruit.

Hum—

It was like a straight black pillar of light, falling onto the Sovereign's Tower.

As far as the eye could see, the entire Ink City Fengdu became immeasurably vast; the current Ink City Fengdu's vastness is comparable to half a realm.

Of course, wanting to rival an entire realm still leaves some gap.

However, once the Painting Immortal Dao Fruit undergoes nine transformations, the area of Ink City Fengdu will likely be able to rival a complete realm.

And upon the central plaza of Ink City Fengdu.

That felled Hellfire Divine Tree is then inserted therein.

It is just like a tree growing here.

Li Che instantly appeared before the Hellfire Divine Tree, terrifying and scorching heat waves rolling forth.

Within this Hellfire Divine Tree lies a vast and mighty Hell Origin, plus the residual will of the fire god wood, extremely strong, seeking to resist Li Che.

Li Che silently watched, extending his hand to touch the Hellfire Divine Tree.

Behind him, the Hell Dao Fruit rotated and emerged, the Hellish aura spreading out, slowly soothing, causing the Hellfire Divine Tree's aura to begin gradually calming down.

Li Che was like stroking a cat, gently caressing.

With his stroking, the Hellfire Divine Tree seemed to no longer resist or struggle; of course, it was more like resignation.

Suddenly.

In Li Che's eyes, suddenly burst forth brilliant light.

His five fingers spread, each rotating Heaven-Earth ancient sigil was compressed; the Heaven-Earth Seven Sigils Blade, at this moment, was compressed by Li Che into the carving knife.

An ordinary carving knife wanting to cut down the Hellfire Divine Tree is naturally difficult to achieve.

To carve the Hellfire Divine Tree, one must employ extraordinary power.

Therefore, Li Che chose to use the power of the Heaven-Earth Seven Sigils Blade to carve.

Pfft!

The Hellfire Divine Tree, whose emotions had just calmed, was instantly struck by Li Che's blade, its bark being cut open.

The next moment, the Hellfire Divine Tree began to violently struggle and resist!

Like a black pig near slaughter, continually twisting and struggling.

The terrifying force almost flung Li Che away.

Moreover, corpse qi continually rolled out from the branches of the Hellfire Divine Tree, seeking to condense into one divine spirit corpse after another.

But after all, this is merely a branch of the Hellfire Divine Tree; the divine spirit corpse condensed from it was easily suppressed by the God-Seizing formed from Li Che's finger flick.

The God-Slaying, God-Killing, God-Trapping, and God-Extinguishing Immortals, the four great immortal disciples under the Heaven-Reaching God Emperor, all gathered together.

Assisting Li Che in suppressing the resisting force of the divine spirit corpse condensed from the corpse qi released by the Fire Divine Tree.

And the Immortal Emperor Toad, Immortal Emperor Sparrow, and other immortals also successively helped, suppressing the constantly trembling and shaking Hellfire Divine Tree.

Li Che's Heaven and Earth Seven Symbols Engraving Knife instantly flashed with a cold light, then he slashed fiercely.

It cut and tore open the bark; the sharp blade sliced through the Hellfire Divine Tree's incredibly tough wood structure, terrifying blade qi raged, and sharp wood chips flew everywhere.

Boom——!!!

The Hellfire Divine Tree struggled violently; the Immortal Emperor Sparrow and Immortal Emperor Toad were actually flung away alive, and the two earthly immortals were even pierced through alive by the corpse qi bursting from the Hellfire Divine Tree, subsequently achieving a kind of corpse-qi contamination reverse control.

This caused the Immortal Emperor Toad and Immortal Emperor Sparrow to attack Li Che.

"Huh?"

The resistance was this fierce.

Li Che furrowed his brows and flicked his finger.

The Immortal Emperor Toad and Immortal Emperor Sparrow then burst apart and receded, leaving only two ragingly dancing corpse-qi branches that had lost their control target, dancing wildly in confusion.

Li Che grasped the Heaven and Earth Seven Symbols Engraving Knife and fiercely cut downwards, countless sparks splashed, the origin aura trembled and spread, the death origin burst forth like blood.

Li Che's cutting of the Hellfire Divine Tree was like a surgery; with one slash, blood splattered and the origin overflowed!

Moreover, the Hellfire Divine Tree kept struggling; even though Li Che was the Divine Condor Holy Hand, there was no way to finish the carving under such struggling of the Hellfire Divine Tree.

This won't do.

We need to think of a way to suppress the Hellfire Divine Tree.

Hellfire Divine Tree...

Li Che's eyes suddenly lit up with brilliant radiance.

The Hellfire Divine Tree comes from the Hellfire Divine Tree; isn't borrowing the tiger's might enough?

Li Che actually knows a tree even more terrifying than the Hellfire Divine Tree!

Hum——

The Hell Dao Fruit and the Painting Immortal Dao Fruit suddenly rumbled and vibrated.

Li Che grabbed the Hellfire Divine Tree and directly chose to enter the Dao Tree space.

The heavens spun and the earth turned, the stars shifted!

A vast, boundless aura came rushing over.

The Hellfire Divine Tree, which had been struggling nonstop, seemed to sense some great terrifying existence……

It directly stiffened, turning into a piece of dead wood.

(End of Chapter)