In the Netherworld of the Four Desolations world.
Following the glow of the lamp, Xu Ying arrived at Great Emperor Beiyin's side. The old man held a clear-oil lamp whose wick took the form of a mountain—none other than the divine Mount Fengdu!
Though Great Emperor Beiyin held the lamp as if it weighed nothing, it was in truth impossibly heavy; even Xu Ying would have struggled to lift it. Yet the emperor handled it with effortless grace.
Xu Ying knew that while this old man appeared short and slight, his true stature matched Mount Fengdu, towering and magnificent.
Beside Great Emperor Beiyin stood five towering figures, menacing and ferocious as demon kings.
Great Emperor Beiyin said, "There is no need to worry, Fellow Daoist Xu. These are the prefects who followed me in the past: Prefect Shengqi, Prefect Shengxing, Prefect Sijin, Prefect Siming, and Prefect Zonglu. After my death, the five of them fled here and lived under assumed names. It took me quite an effort on this trip to subdue them."
Xu Ying immediately grew wary. *Subdued them? It seems Great Emperor Beiyin's ministers harbor rebellious thoughts. The divine power surging from these five prefects is immense—not half a bit weaker than the current Great Emperor Beiyin.*
Prefect Shengqi praised, "Fellow Daoist Xu, you just fought God King Xuantian to the death and slew an Immortal King. Your extraordinary abilities are truly admirable. No wonder the Northern Emperor mentioned you to us again and again."
He possessed a towering frame, a deity in charge of mortals' vital qi, and his very body was forged of primal qi. Living upon his form were tens of thousands of nether gods, large and small, among whom were some exceptionally formidable beings.
Prefect Shengqi then smiled. "Northern Emperor, if not for this lamp in your hand, you could forget about subduing us."
Great Emperor Beiyin snorted and explained to Xu Ying, "The five of them were responsible for governing the mortals' qi, form, prohibitions, lifespan, and records. Later, however, all of that was usurped by the Heavenly Dao world. The five of them could only eke out an existence here in the Netherworld. When they saw me, they refused to submit and even planned to hand me over to the Heavenly Dao world to claim a reward."
Xu Ying's heart skipped a beat, finding these five prefects rather untrustworthy.
Prefect Siming chuckled. "We didn't actually turn you in for a reward, did we? Besides, do you really believe you could suppress the five of us with your present abilities? We six of the Luofeng Heavens stand on equal footing, six brothers born of the worship of all living beings, without any innate hierarchy. It is only because you were revered as the Northern Emperor that we had to yield to you. Why shouldn't I be the Northern Emperor?"
His physique was equally towering, bearing tens of thousands of gods and demons large and small across his body.
The Northern Emperor trembled with rage. "After my defeat, you stole away the Six Heavenly Palaces, making off with even my Zhoujue Nether Heaven Palace!"
Prefect Zonglu was more diplomatic and said, "If we hadn't taken the Six Heavenly Palaces, they would have fallen into the hands of the Heavenly Dao world long ago. Where would there be any chance of a resurgence? We took the Six Heavenly Palaces purely to preserve our strength. As for Eldest Brother's Zhoujue Nether Heaven Palace and its myriad gods and demons, we haven't touched a single one, and all will be returned to you."
Xu Ying was quite intrigued and thought to himself, *It appears Great Emperor Beiyin and these five prefects were born at the same time, but because Beiyin was the eldest brother, his status stood a cut above theirs.*
The Northern Emperor turned to Xu Ying and asked, "Fellow Daoist Xu, what karmic bond do you wish to forge by coming here?"
"The Twelve-Storyed Mansions of the Nether Sea," Xu Ying said.
The Northern Emperor murmured thoughtfully. The other five prefects, who had been joking and laughing, suddenly fell dead silent.
The Northern Emperor said, "Has Fellow Daoist Xu not already seen the Twelve-Storyed Mansions of the Nether Sea? Upon the Nether Sea, you witnessed that other shore, and the Twelve-Storyed Mansions stood upon it, surrounded on all sides by nether immortal fire."
Xu Ying smiled. "Not those Twelve-Storyed Mansions. What I seek is the original archetype! During my first life, I visited that place, but my memories have not fully returned, so I cannot recall its exact location."
The Northern Emperor uttered another noncommittal sound.
The faces of the other five prefects darkened simultaneously. Pairs of eyes fixed upon Xu Ying, and the atmosphere grew intensely oppressive. Acting as if he noticed nothing, Xu Ying smiled. "Brother Beiyin, please look."
Behind him, cave-heavens manifested one after another, connecting directly to the Immortal Realm in a magnificent spectacle.
Xu Ying smiled and said, "I have already obtained the inheritances of the Tushita Palace of Lihen Heaven, the Yuxu Palace of Kunlun Realm, and the Seven Treasures Palace of Xuandu Jade Capital, opening three Immortal Realm cave-heavens. Now I only lack the Twelve-Storyed Mansions of the Nether Sea, the Chaos Mud Pill Palace, and the Yellow Court Mansion of the Dark Yellow Realm. I came seeking you, Dao Brother, precisely to ask you to point out the way."
The five prefects each gave a cold snort, their expressions hostile.
The Northern Emperor raised a hand to restrain the five prefects. His own expression was somewhat strained as he said, "The mortals of the myriad worlds believed that after death, souls must have a destination, and thus the Netherworld came to be. The living beings of the myriad worlds believed that within the Nether Sea of the Netherworld lay Mount Luofeng, known as Fengdu, and that Fengdu contained the Six Heavenly Palaces, where six great prefects presided to govern the ghosts and deities of the world. Thus came Mount Fengdu, the Six Heavenly Palaces, and the six of us."
He glanced at Xu Ying and continued, "Fellow Daoist Xu, the people of the myriad worlds migrated from the Ancestral Court. But what about before the myriad worlds? Where did the people who came before believe the dead went? What were the gods of that place called?"
At these words, Xu Ying suddenly understood why his inquiry about the Twelve-Storyed Mansions of the Nether Sea had soured the expressions of the Northern Emperor and the five prefects.
"The Twelve-Storyed Mansions of the Nether Sea are actually the domain of the Netherworld's former ruler, aren't they?" Xu Ying asked. "Could it be that you fear I will awaken the ruler of that place and threaten your dominion?"
Prefect Shengxing bristled with murderous intent and barked, "Since you know, do you still expect us to lead you to the Twelve-Storyed Mansions of the Nether Sea?"
Xu Ying laughed. "Gentlemen, you do not currently rule the Netherworld; you are merely hiding in the Netherworld of the Four Desolations world. Just now, when I fought that fierce battle against God King Xuantian, the ruler of the Four Desolations world, you did not even dare show your faces. With you fellow daoists being this cowardly, huddled in a forgotten corner of the myriad worlds' Netherworld, what face do you have to worry about me awakening the ruler of an ancient era?"
These words struck right at their pride. The faces of the five great prefects flushed deep liver-red, and they flew into a collective rage, shouting, "Northern Emperor, do not hold us back! Today, we are definitely taking this brat out!"
The Northern Emperor did not lift a finger to stop them.
The hearts of the five prefects tightened, and they exchanged nervous glances.
Prefect Shengxing cleared his throat and yelled, "Northern Emperor, don't stop me! I shall slay him right now to wipe away this disgrace!"
The Northern Emperor remained entirely motionless.
Prefect Shengqi bluffed, "If you take the initiative to kowtow and apologize, we five prefects might just forgive you!"
Xu Ying let out a cold laugh and said blandly, "Kowtow and apologize? Are you worthy?"
The five prefects were furious, and the gods and demons cloaking their bodies roared like thunder, clamoring to tear him to pieces.
Infused with the resonance of the Heavenly Dao, Xu Ying's voice boomed forth, suppressing the voices of every single god and demon: "Forty-eight thousand years ago, I descended from the Immortal Realm alone! I slew Immortal Kings, executed immortal gods, swept across the Heavenly Dao world, and shattered the heavenly road! When the myriad worlds blocked my path, corpses paved the ground beyond counting! Though I was ambushed by the Imperial Monarch and wasted forty-eight thousand years, in this lifetime I rose from humble beginnings, carving my way up by slaying gods and demons! In Kunlun, I executed the six Nuo Ancestors; in Weixu, I stood against two Immortal Kings; on Mount Sumeru, I battled Xuankong; at the Wangxiang Platform, I shattered the Purple Nether Saber; and in the Four Desolations world, I killed Xuantian to exact my vengeance!"
He cast his gaze around him: "My physical body was destroyed, my Primordial Spirit was severed, and my realms were stripped away, yet I still fought with such fierce valor. When you saw your eldest brother trapped, you fled in panic before he had even fallen. What face do you have to demand that I kowtow and apologize?"
Prefect Shengxing was so enraged his inner fires flared, and he shouted, "No one stop me! I swear I'll kill him!"
Prefect Sijin hurriedly said, "Third Brother, wait! Let us hear what Eldest Brother has to say."
Prefect Shengxing snorted in anger and flicked his sleeves. "Fine! We'll listen to Eldest Brother. But if we don't finish off this brat, the stifled rage in my chest will never dissipate!"
The Northern Emperor sighed and said, "Enough, enough. You five have a moniker—the Five Cowardly Gods of the Netherworld. It's not as if I didn't know. Back then, when I was ambushed by the Immortal Realm and the gods of the Heavenly Dao world came to kill me, the five of you saw me faltering, took to your heels, and ran for your lives. For more than sixty thousand years, you've only dared hide in the Netherworld of Xuantian's world to evade the search of the Heavenly Dao world. You clearly knew Xuantian had been expelled from the Heavenly Dao world, yet you never dared make a move against him. How would you dare take on Fellow Daoist Xu?"
Hitting the nail on the head, his words left the five prefects sulking in silence.
The Northern Emperor turned to Xu Ying and said, "Pardon their shameful display, Fellow Daoist Xu. Just as you said, we are indeed no longer the rulers of the Netherworld. Heh, the four titans of the Netherworld have each died once; who still dares claim dominion over it? If that ruler from the ancient era revives, it might not necessarily be a bad thing for us."
Though he was reluctant to part with his divine authority over the Netherworld, he knew that power was no longer in his hands.
Xu Ying awakening the previous ruler of the Netherworld could also share the pressure exerted by the Immortal Realm. As for whose hands divine authority over the Netherworld would ultimately fall into, that remained an unknown.
Though the five prefects were still somewhat grudging, since the Northern Emperor had spoken, they had no choice but to comply.
Xu Ying expressed his gratitude and said, "I owe you a favor, Dao Brother."
Holding the lamp before him, the Northern Emperor said, "Brothers, remember to conceal your forms so you aren't detected by the Immortal Realm or the Heavenly Dao world. Going to the Nether Sea this time, there will surely be Immortal Realm experts lying in wait, waiting for us to return. Disguise yourselves as mortals to avoid drawing attention."
The five prefects were massive, and just as they were about to shrink their bodies, Xu Ying smiled. "No need."
He traced a light stroke through empty space, parting the void to reveal pocket realms within—a marvelous application of the Gourd Heaven Dao Verification Scripture.
Xu Ying opened five spaces in succession for them to hide in.
The Northern Emperor walked forward, with Xu Ying following behind, and the five spaces concealed within the void accompanied them.
The Northern Emperor praised, "Fellow Daoist Xu's divine powers and dao methods progress at a startling pace. Did you encounter the Samsara Female Emperor?"
Xu Ying nodded. "Her skills are astonishing and truly admirable."
The Northern Emperor asked in puzzlement, "She didn't help you undo your memory seal?"
Xu Ying shook his head. "No. But she promised to help me undo another kind of seal, the Samsara Seal. As for my own seal, I can unravel it myself."
Having obtained that scroll from the Imperial Monarch, he already had clues on how to crack the sixteen-character seal runes. Over these past few days, many memories of his first life had gradually resurfaced—a natural consequence of Xu Ying studying methods to break the sixteen-character seal runes.
At this rate, it wouldn't take more than a few years before he could completely break through the sixteen-character seal!
However, regarding the remaining eight-character seal, he still had no lead.
The Nether Sea was pitch black, devoid of any light. The Northern Emperor held the clear-oil lamp to illuminate the water's surface, vigilantly surveying their surroundings.
Xu Ying looked up at the sky and faintly sensed an unusual aura. There were indeed others hiding in the dark here.
"Brother Beiyin, why not extinguish the clear-oil lamp?" Xu Ying whispered.
The Northern Emperor shook his head. "To open the other Nether Sea, this lamp is required."
He raised the clear-oil lamp and blew a breath toward the flame. Howling nether fire surged forth, instantly illuminating the entire surface of the Nether Sea!
Just then, Xu Ying saw the flames on the sea surface assemble into an ancient gateway. Beyond the gateway lay another expanse of sea, perpendicular to this Nether Sea!
"Go, quickly!" the Northern Emperor barked.
Xu Ying took flight immediately, darting through like a bird diving into a forest toward the waters behind the gate!
At the same moment, bursts of laughter echoed across the sea surface: "Beiyin, we've finally found you!"
Powerful surges of aura swept in from all directions across the sea. Thunder cracked across the heavens, and the sky above the Nether Sea split wide open. The immortal hall of the Thunder Department of Ten Thousand Gods—one of the three divisions of the Immortal Realm's Thunder Department—appeared at the opposite end of the sky!
"The Thunder Department of Ten Thousand Gods!"
The Northern Emperor's expression changed abruptly. Hesitating no longer, he followed Xu Ying into the gateway.
Just as he moved to close the gate, figures arrived in rapid succession, pursuing him into this ancient expanse of space.
Those immortals of the Thunder Department unleashed their immortal artifacts, propping open the portal so the Northern Emperor could not extinguish the nether fire.
Beyond the gateway, an Immortal King clad in heavy armor and bathed in the radiant glow of the Immortal Realm stepped into the portal.
"The Immortal King of the Thunder Department of Ten Thousand Gods, Immortal King Su Jingyan!" Holding the clear-oil lamp, the Northern Emperor flickered away and vanished into the darkness.
Stepping through the gate, Immortal King Su Jingyan raised a hand lightly. The surrounding immortal officials recalled their artifacts, and the nether fire gateway behind him instantly extinguished, disappearing without a trace.
Immortal King Su looked around, his brow furrowing slightly.
Rising from the surface of this Nether Sea were colossal bull horns, twisting through nine bends and eighteen turns, the other tips appearing to pierce straight into the Yang Realm!
Even the most massive primordial behemoth would not equal a fraction of these horns!
Even heavenly gods capable of blotting out the sky appeared pathetically tiny before them. And beneath the horns, half of an unimaginably immense skull emerged from the water.
"What is this place?" Immortal King Su couldn't help but gasp.
An ancient immortal examined their surroundings and hurriedly bowed. "Lord Immortal King, this appears to be the Netherworld of the ancient era."
Immortal King Su said in astonishment, "An alternate dimension woven from the incense faith power of ancient primeval mortals? A pity that with the destruction of the ancient era's Great Dao, the divine power of all ancient deities would scatter. The gods died too, leaving only skeletons buried in the Nether Sea."
He glanced around, puzzled. "Why did that rebel Beiyin flee here? Doesn't this just make him a turtle in a jar for me to catch?"
Chapter 411