The moment Xu Ying soared into the sky coincided with Great Emperor Dongyue and Great Emperor Beiyin joining forces to confront Immortal Monarch Wang Ruo'an.
Back then, the Four Netherworld Emperors had been pitted against one another by instigators, sowing deep rifts between them; when Dongyue died, the Northern Emperor had not lifted a hand to save him. The Northern Emperor stepping in to aid him now was, in part, a gesture to bury past grudges.
Both great emperors possessed formidable Primordial Spirits. Though neither was at their peak, each wielded arts uniquely tailored against the Primordial Spirit. Wang Ruo'an dared not even unleash his own, finding himself completely on the defensive, his defeat all but sealed.
On the other side, Great Emperor Cangwu cast aside Zhang Shanzong and went straight for Perfected Jade Pot. Zhang Shanzong was secretly overjoyed. Just as he was about to make his escape, cool, desolate moonlight spilled down before him, veiling the hazy figure of a beauty beneath its glow.
*The Reincarnation Mysterious Maiden! She is the most unfathomable among the Netherworld's four giants!*
Zhang Shanzong swerved immediately, bounding across the Nether Sea for hundreds of thousands of li in mere moments, moving at a speed that rivaled chasing the stars and catching the moon.
As he hurtled forward, a bright full moon suddenly appeared ahead of him. The moonlight shone upon a single figure—an exquisite woman of sublime purity and grace.
Zhang Shanzong's heart jolted. He swerved again, hurtling wildly across an unknowable distance, only to find himself drawing closer and closer to that bright moon, its light washing down upon that same woman.
"Spatial divine arts?"
He sprang into the air, tearing through the fabric of space with a divine art to break away.
That leap took him outside space itself, brimming with a sense of unfettered freedom.
Yet as he completed that vault, another bright moon hung squarely before him, barring his way.
His heart skipped a beat. *The so-called Samsara is nothing more than the life and death of living beings, the end and rebirth of souls. Could the Samsara Female Emperor have deepened her comprehension of Samsara after returning from the dead?*
He fled no further. Grasping outward, a grand banner materialized in his hand—neither quite flag nor spear.
This treasure was named the Tushita Heaven-Burning Banner, refined by harvesting Tushita immortal fire. Once unfurled, it unleashed boundless celestial flames capable of incinerating a Primordial Spirit and destroying a physical vessel, reducing a lifetime of cultivation to nothingness!
Moreover, it was a deadly weapon in close quarters. Wielded like a spear while spewing Tushita immortal fire from its cloth, it was almost impossible to defend against!
Since escape was out of the question, there was only one choice left: fight to the finish!
Zhang Shanzong accelerated his pace, charging straight toward the Samsara Female Emperor beneath the moon. Suddenly, his bodhimanda unfolded, and his Dao tree erupted with blinding divine radiance, empowering his strike!
Knowing her capabilities, Zhang Shanzong poured every ounce of his power into this blow, determined to strike true on the first attempt!
The instant his grand banner pierced through the Samsara Female Emperor, she vanished into thin air. Carried by momentum, he continued hurtling forward, only to be seized by the sensation of weightless, endless falling.
Alarmed, Zhang Shanzong hurriedly channeled his magic power to take flight, but no matter which direction he flew, an inescapable, nightmarish feeling of plummeting dragged him down!
"To be human is to be bound by joy, anger, sorrow, yearning, grief, fear, and shock; to be captive to sights, sounds, scents, tastes, touch, and thoughts. All the seven emotions and six desires reside within."
The Samsara Female Emperor's voice echoed from every direction, ringing with absolute clarity in his ears. The voice plunged alongside him, echoing directly within his Dao heart.
"Even immortals cannot escape the seven emotions and six desires. Fellow Daoist Zhang, as an Immortal Monarch, can you step outside this cycle of passion and desire?"
In fury, Zhang Shanzong swung the Tushita Heaven-Burning Banner, attacking in all directions. The space-time of Samsara shattered under the onslaught, and unable to evade in time, the Reincarnation Mysterious Maiden was reduced to ashes by a blast of Tushita immortal fire!
Having slain the Samsara Female Emperor, Zhang Shanzong saw Wang Ruo'an imperiled under the joint assault of Dongyue and Beiyin. He surged forward and ambushed Great Emperor Dongyue. In an instant, Dongyue was executed and Great Emperor Beiyin was decapitated, both emperors meeting violent ends!
Flushed with triumph, Zhang Shanzong charged onto the Heavenly River, slaying Great Emperor Cangwu and rescuing Perfected Jade Pot.
Perfected Jade Pot threw himself to his knees, kowtowing frantically. "Many thanks to Immortal Zhang for saving my life!"
Zhang Shanzong burst into loud laughter. Catching sight of Great Emperor Cangwu's daughter and struck by her beauty, wicked desires stirred within him. He reached out, seized Chu Xiangxiang, and placed her under binding seals, thinking, *I'll keep her to toy with later. First, I must kill Xu Ying!*
Leading Jade Pot and Wang Ruo'an, he launched a fierce assault on the Immortal Realm, joining Ling Wuxin in besieging Xu Ying. In a brief exchange, he stripped Xu Ying of his nine supreme treasures one after another, leaving Xu Ying subdued and captured on the spot.
Xu Ying shouted stubbornly, "If not for Immortal Zhang, even if the Primordial Monarch herself stepped in, she couldn't have done a thing to me!"
Ling Wuxin also hastily knelt in gratitude. "If not for Immortal Zhang, I would have been in grave peril."
Swelling with pride, Zhang Shanzong escorted Xu Ying into the Immortal Court, basking in glory. The incident shook the Imperial Monarchs and Heavenly Venerables, who came in droves to pay their respects, humbled before him.
The Supreme granted him a personal audience, conferring upon him the title of Heavenly Venerable and bestowing the Tianyuan Treasure Realm. "This realm is sufficient for Immortal Zhang to cultivate to the rank of Heavenly Monarch. If you can achieve it within a century, I shall grant you entry into the Supreme Treasure Realm to cultivate and break through to Supreme."
Overwhelmed with gratitude, Zhang Shanzong choked with tears. "Your Majesty's profound grace leaves me speechless. Your subject will gladly shatter his bones and spill his blood to repay the imperial favor without hesitation!"
His fame reached unprecedented heights, and true to his promise, he became a Heavenly Monarch within a century—a speed that even the Xu Ying of old could never have matched.
Immortal Kings, Immortal Monarchs, Imperial Monarchs, and Heavenly Venerables from all quarters sent their daughters to wed him. Zhang Shanzong dined on dragon liver and phoenix gall, dressed in celestial robes woven by heavenly maidens, reaching the very pinnacle of wealth and splendor.
Yet the Supreme went back on his word, refusing to grant him entry into the Supreme Treasure Realm.
Someone whispered to Zhang Shanzong, "The Supreme is envious of talent and fears you threaten his rule, which is why he withholds the Supreme Treasure Realm. Why not simply rebel?"
Dark ambition seized him, and he roared, "Rebel it is! Today I declare myself Emperor, turn against the Immortal Court, put down the Supreme, and take the throne myself!"
And so he rebelled.
He revolted in the morning, and by afternoon he was dragged onto the Immortal Slaying Stage. Looking back on his life, Zhang Shanzong still laughed boisterously. "In this life, I slept with countless fairy maidens, amassed unimaginable treasures, received endless flattery, and ruled as Immortal Emperor for half a day. I enjoyed every pleasure this world had to offer—it was worth it!"
As the Immortal Slaying Saber descended, fear finally crept into his heart. When his head struck the ground and his consciousness dissolved into darkness, his life drew to an end.
***
Back in the Netherworld, at the mouth of the Nai River, Great Emperor Cangwu stood upon a severed segment of the Heavenly River, relentlessly assailing Perfected Jade Pot. Chu Xiangxiang floated outside the river, manipulating its waters to trap Jade Pot and deny him any route of escape.
Upon the surface of the sea, Great Emperor Beiyin manifested his towering true form, holding a clear oil lamp whose beam swept toward Wang Ruo'an like a pillar of light.
Great Emperor Dongyue also unveiled his true body, draped in apocalyptic flames that incinerated all soul bodies as he struck at Wang Ruo'an!
And on the shore by the river's mouth, the Samsara Female Emperor stood bathed in moonlight.
Immortal Monarch Zhang Shanzong stood before her. Suddenly, raging flames erupted from deep within him, burning outward until they consumed his physical body in moments, reducing his bodhimanda, the Realm of Xiyi, and his Primordial Spirit to ash.
When the strange flames dispersed, the Immortal Monarch was gone, leaving behind only a pile of dust and empty robes.
"The seven emotions and six desires—you did not escape a single one. What kind of immortal path did you even cultivate?" The Samsara Female Emperor shook her head.
Having undergone the cycle of death and rebirth, this Mysterious Maiden's mastery over Samsara had reached a higher plane, claiming the life of an Immortal Monarch without leaving a trace.
***
At the Immortal Realm rift.
Ling Wuxin stood behind the fracture, grabbing a fistful of immortal pills and swallowing them whole. Behind him stood his Heavenly Palace.
Suddenly, a blast of astral wind slammed into his face, carrying an overwhelming wave of heat that sent his cheeks rippling violently!
Quite a few of the immortal pills he had not yet chewed were jarred right out of his mouth.
Though he bore the visage of a youth, the fierce gale etched deep furrows across his features.
All around him, space crackled with sizzles as sparks flew backward, threatening to ignite his Heavenly Palace!
Ling Wuxin stared fixedly at the rift before him. A figure was hurtling toward him, his footsteps treading the empty air, each impact detonating the space beneath his feet.
The momentum of his charge shook the surrounding space. The sky resembled a pane of glazed glass, fractured by the crushing force of his approach and ready to shatter at any second!
Ling Wuxin gritted his teeth and sneered, "Xu Ying, you are no immortal. You cannot enter the Immortal Realm."
*Boom!*
As if unable to withstand the immense pressure, the barrier between the immortal and mortal worlds exploded. Bearing an ecstatic grin, Xu Ying leaped across the Immortal Realm rift, lunging straight for him!
Although Xu Ying's Primordial Spirit and physical vessel had yet to reach the immortal realm, he had mastered the three thousand Heavenly Dao runes, allowing him to evade tribulations and command them. Moreover, the Ruyi Great Luo Heaven rotated around him, manifesting as a bodhimanda.
Though he possessed a mortal body, the nine realms behind him pushed his cultivation to the Ascension Stage, even stepping into the Jade Capital. He could already be counted as an immortal.
That was how he could forcefully shatter the divide between mortal and immortal to charge right before Ling Wuxin!
Ling Wuxin roared, forcing his Primordial Spirit back into his flesh, meeting Xu Ying's realm-shattering strike head-on!
*Rippp—!*
His sleeves burst open from the cuffs to his shoulders and collar. The fine immortal robes he wore were shredded by the terrifying force transmitted through Xu Ying's palm, stripping his upper body bare in an instant.
*Snap!*
The purple-gold crown binding his hair shattered, sending his locks flying wildly.
Ling Wuxin surged his cultivation, activating the Thirty-Three Heavens Divine Convergence Technique. Created by his mother, Primordial Monarch Lingsu, this method was a formidable discipline for Heavenly Monarchs. Once driven, it amplified the Primordial Spirit's combat prowess, but placed far greater strain on the physical body!
He had already been struggling to suppress his Primordial Spirit's backlash on his flesh, and using this art made it harder still.
Yet the oppressive pressure Xu Ying exerted forced his hand. He was not unprepared, however; the pills he had just swallowed were packed with raw physical vitality, meant to keep his vessel in a constant state of self-repair.
Twisting through the air like a massive serpent, Xu Ying brought another crushing palm downward, striking with such force that even the space of the Immortal Realm shook violently.
Ling Wuxin pushed the Thirty-Three Heavens Divine Convergence Technique to its absolute limit. His flesh nearly ruptured, only for the medicinal potency of the immortal pills to erupt, knitting his vessel back together!
He met Xu Ying's palm head-on. "Xu Ying, I've long wanted a proper fight with you, to show you who's really boss!"
Their palms collided in a detonation of power. Xu Ying laughed heartily as a plume of pure energy burst from the crown of his head, resolving into three incarnations of Xu Ying that descended upon Ling Wuxin from above.
Taking three heavy blows in rapid succession, Ling Wuxin's aura faltered. Xu Ying's true body closed in, unleashing a barrage of crushing strikes that punched straight through his bodhimanda, closing the distance to bury a fist directly into his face!
Ling Wuxin's eyes, nose, and mouth caved in, yet he kept his composure in the face of crisis. The Dao tree behind him rose with blinding brilliance, sweeping down with brilliant arcs of light!
The Seven-Colored Divine Tree materialized behind Xu Ying to parry the blow, but even it was shattered under the impact, a testament to the Dao tree's sheer might.
That Dao tree appeared to be a tree, but was in truth woven from chains of the Dao—a manifestation of refined cultivation where every branch embodied an insight into the Great Dao.
When it lashed out, it was all but indestructible and unyielding!
Xu Ying's Three Purities Primordial Spirits charged forward, deploying various divine arts, but within a few clashes, they were blasted apart by the Dao tree, reverting into three wisps of true qi that returned into Xu Ying's body.
Standing beneath his Dao tree, Ling Wuxin surged his blood and qi, popping his eyes, nose, and mouth back out from his skull. Breathing a sigh of relief at the sight, he thought, *Why bother matching him in physical combat? His realm is far beneath mine. Beneath my Dao tree, I stand upon invincible ground!*
The next instant, Xu Ying strode forward, taking on the Dao tree with bare hands. Crisp explosions rang out incessantly as branch after branch shattered!
Feeling his cultivation and magic power plummeting, panic seized Ling Wuxin. Seeing Xu Ying's fist driving straight for his face, he threw caution to the wind and scrambled away from beneath the Dao tree!
*Boom!*
Xu Ying's fist struck the Dao tree. Radiance erupted as chains of the Dao whipped through the air. The recoil tore the flesh on Xu Ying's right hand, splattering blood and snapping several of his fingers.
Stepping back with his right foot, Xu Ying clenched his right hand once more. Muscles rippled beneath his skin like dragons and serpents; torn flesh and broken bones knitted together at astonishing speed.
*Boom!*
He unleashed another punch. The canopy of Ling Wuxin's Dao tree was sheared clean off, tumbling outside his bodhimanda.
With his cultivation severely crippled, Ling Wuxin coughed up mouthfuls of blood, his aura withering. His unbridled Primordial Spirit backlashed against his vessel, bringing him to the verge of bursting—a strain even the immortal pills could no longer contain!
Xu Ying closed in before him, raising a blood-dripping fist, and smiled. "Who's the boss now?"
"Dad!"
Ling Wuxin dropped to his knees with a thud, drenched in blood. Looking up, he forced a laugh. "Xu Ying, the way you look right now—you're truly my little dad! I lose, completely and utterly. Little Dad, spare my worthless life!"
Behind him, numerous immortals flew out from the Heavenly Palace, brandishing an array of treasures. Further in the distance, even more formidable auras surged skyward, rushing toward the scene.
This was the Immortal Court.
Though brief, the clash between Xu Ying and Ling Wuxin had been so violent that it had already alerted countless powerhouses of the realm.
"You're mistaken. I am indeed not the Xu Ying you knew back then, and I never will be again."
Xu Ying's blood-dripping fist relaxed into an open hand. Extending an index finger, he tapped Ling Wuxin lightly between the brows and said calmly, "The Xu Ying of old wouldn't have killed you. But compared to him, I am ruthless."
The smile froze on Ling Wuxin's face.
Turning away, Xu Ying vaulted into the air, leaping down from the Immortal Realm.
Behind him, a cloud of immortal artifacts came crashing down, plunging into the mortal world in hot pursuit.
Mid-air, Xu Ying summoned the Third Heavenly Pass, and his silhouette vanished without a trace.
The Primordial Monarch rushed forward alongside a host of immortals, arriving before the rift. The fracture was already beginning to heal, with wisps of cloud drifting below, and Xu Ying was nowhere to be seen.
"Mother..."
Hearing Ling Wuxin's call, the Primordial Monarch turned around, only to see a speck of blood between his brows. Her expression changed drastically and she rushed forward, but it was already too late.
Ling Wuxin's physical body was torn apart by his rapidly swelling Primordial Spirit, detonating into gore that scattered in every direction!
Chapter 491