A chill gripped the hearts of the Four Emperors of the Underworld. Within the Immortal Court, the Heavenly Venerable, the Imperial Monarch, and the Primordial Monarch held the greatest renown. The Immortal Emperor Supreme rarely showed his face and intervened even less, leaving the three of them to rule the Immortal Court as supreme lords.
Yet ever since the Heavenly Venerable had fallen at the hands of Xu Jing, the Immortal Court's triumvirate had lost one of its pillars. The Primordial Monarch had grown far more reserved, and the Imperial Monarch seldom appeared in public.
It had seemed as though the three giants of the Immortal Court could not hold a candle to Xu Jing's fame.
Only now, having just traded blows, did the Four Emperors of the Underworld realize the terrifying gulf between them.
It was a disparity spanning at least two full realms—something utterly beyond their power to resist.
Wen Xuan, Meng Ji, Ling Mei, and Fei Yu were also titled Primordial Monarchs, but they were merely Immortal Monarchs. In terms of cultivation and prowess, they were ten thousand leagues behind Primordial Monarch Ling Su.
Ling Su was acclaimed as possessing the foremost primordial spirit of the Immortal Realm. Her palm encompassed heaven and earth, vast to the absolute extreme, capable of blotting out the entire Underworld.
Just as the four great emperors of the Underworld were on the verge of perishing beneath her grasp, turbulent waves suddenly roiled across the Nether Sea. Another Nether Sea—one standing completely upright—manifested out of nowhere, crushing toward the Primordial Monarch!
Even though this second Nether Sea was a vertically oriented ocean, its waters remained completely still, without the slightest sign of pouring downward. At the center of this ocean lay an enormous horned skull. Its two horns resembled pillars driven deep into the darkness, twisting through nine bends and eighteen curves. Even after an unfathomable span of death, it still radiated an overwhelming, torrential divine power!
This vertical Nether Sea arrived so abruptly that before it even drew near, the surging shockwaves made the rushing Primordial Monarchs—Wen Xuan, Meng Ji, Ling Mei, and Fei Yu—cough blood. The jeweled carriage carrying Primordial Monarch Ling Su shook violently, turned brittle, and shattered into pieces!
As the jeweled carriage burst apart, a somewhat plump woman was revealed sitting in midair. A single red mole adorned the space between her brows, and her expression was gentle and serene, bearing none of the overbearing aggression one might expect.
Yet behind her sat a vastly immense primordial spirit, anchored across the void, for the space-time of the present world could no longer endure the sheer weight of its presence.
That was the Primordial Monarch's primordial spirit.
The Four Emperors of the Underworld were currently held captive within that very primordial spirit's hand! The Heavenly Venerable's primordial spirit had been forged into undying spiritual light, attaining supreme refinement, yet in terms of raw magic power, it paled in comparison to the sheer density and depth of the Primordial Monarch's.
In terms of intrinsic quality, her primordial spirit could not match the Indestructible Primordial Spirits of the Heavenly Venerable or Xu Ying, but the sheer quantity of energy it contained was terrifying. It was little wonder her physical body could not bear its power and was unable to draw the primordial spirit inside.
Above this primordial spirit's head, another Heavenly Monarch-grade cave abyss rotated continuously, channeling immortal spiritual qi like a tidal surge. It was none other than the Heavenly Monarch-grade cave abyss in her possession—the Changzhou cave abyss.
Within the Changzhou cave abyss, a million female immortals stood in orderly ranks, every last one of them women.
Primordial Monarch Ling Su was the head of all female immortals under heaven. Any woman who achieved immortality—whether she held a formal title, was named a Primordial Monarch, or was honored as an Imperial Consort—had to revere her as superior!
The million female immortals within her cave abyss were her personal retinue. Each month, they received a stipend of immortal spiritual qi, enough to barely cover their daily needs, yet far too meager to support their cultivation, let alone break through into the next realm.
Within the cave abyss, strict hierarchies were maintained, making it resemble a miniature Immortal Court. Still, receiving a monthly stipend was already far better than being an unaffiliated rogue cultivator.
Though these female immortals possessed modest cultivation, their collective strength was immense. A million female immortals poured forth their magic power simultaneously to meet the surging Nether Sea. With just a brief collision, the blood and qi of all one million women churned violently, forcing them to stumble back.
The Primordial Monarch chuckled. "Ten Hall Yamas, you come seeking your own deaths, saving me the trouble of hunting you down!"
Her primordial spirit struck out with its other palm to meet this ancient Nether Sea. Her magic power converged with that of the million female immortals, borrowing their might to swell the momentum of her strike until she finally halted the ancient Nether Sea in its tracks.
Just as she blocked the sea, ten ancient deities flew out from between those nine-curved, eighteen-bent horns. Their forms were colossal, and with a unified roar, they slammed their might into the palm of the Primordial Monarch's primordial spirit!
The Ten Hall Yamas had appeared. Combined with the crushing momentum of the ancient Nether Sea, the divine might unleashed was truly earth-shattering. The entire Underworld trembled, and countless billions of ghosts prostrated themselves in sheer terror!
The Ten Hall Yamas were the ten Heaven and Earth Primordial Spirits of Taiyi Heavenly Venerable, wielding staggering divine might. This all-out strike instantly blunted the power of the Primordial Monarch's primordial spirit.
Her other palm could no longer maintain its grip on the Four Emperors of the Underworld, who immediately seized the opening to break free.
The towering form of the Primordial Monarch's primordial spirit leaned back slightly. Then, thirty-three resounding metallic clangs rang out in rapid succession as one realm of the heavens after another manifested behind it. Layer upon layer unfolded, displaying suns, moons, mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas with vivid clarity!
A full thirty-three heavens emerged behind her primordial spirit, each realm teeming with the natural wonders of heaven and earth. They even brought forth myriad creatures and phenomena—beasts of the land and birds of the air, flowers, insects, fish, and even thriving human settlements.
In that instant, aside from the Wangxiang Platform, the entire gloom of the Underworld was illuminated by the radiant glow pouring from those thirty-three heavens!
This was none other than the wondrous phenomenon produced by her cultivation technique: the Thirty-Three Heavens Spirit Assembly Technique!
This technique concentrated all resources on cultivating the primordial spirit exclusively, placing little value on the physical body. The moment the thirty-three heavens appeared behind her primordial spirit, the faces of the Ten Hall Yamas turned grim. Straining under immense pressure, they grunted in unison and were forced backward against their will.
The ancient Nether Sea rumbled and shuddered, also driven back by the crushing force. A colossal palm-shaped depression even sank into the vast surface of the sea!
Witnessing this, the Four Emperors of the Underworld felt their hearts pound in dread. Gritting their teeth, they charged forward, straining with all their might to withstand the blow alongside the Yamas.
The Primordial Monarch smiled faintly, and the other palm of her primordial spirit swept toward them.
Boom!
The Ten Hall Yamas and the Four Emperors coughed blood simultaneously, their auras withering. Crushed by the overwhelming force, they slammed into the surface of the ancient Nether Sea, forcing the entire ocean to slide backward.
Back then, the Ten Hall Yamas had died at the hands of the Ten Useless Heavenly Monarch, Liu Guanyi. But that had been after Liu Guanyi had observed them for a long time, deciphering their Dao methods and divine abilities until he knew every gesture and habit before striking with a meticulous plan.
At present, the Primordial Monarch was already half a Daluo Golden Immortal. Though she could not match the Liu Guanyi of six hundred thousand years ago, today's Ten Hall Yamas were also far from what they once were.
Having been resurrected from death, their divine power had suffered and had never fully recovered. Even after paying audience to the Ancestral God, they had failed to return to their peak.
Seeing them on the brink of death, the Primordial Monarch could not help but reveal a look of triumph.
Right then, the sky split open, and multicolored rosy light cascaded down. Xu Ying descended from above, landing in front of the vertical Nether Sea, and raised his palm to meet the colossal hand of the Primordial Monarch's primordial spirit.
Behind him, a primordial spirit emerged as well, shimmering throughout with undying spiritual light, resplendent to the extreme.
Thump!
The palm strikes of their primordial spirits collided, instantly causing the Underworld to quake. The Earth Immortal Realm's Underworld, pieced together from the myriad worlds, was none too stable to begin with. Under this impact, it groaned and cracked, the earth tearing open as though about to splinter back into separate worlds!
"Xu Ying, you killed my beloved son! There is no room between us under the same sky!"
Seeing Xu Ying, the Primordial Monarch flew into a rage and rose to her feet. The colossal primordial spirit behind her rapidly shrank, burrowing into her physical form.
In the next instant, she had retracted her primordial spirit entirely, leaving only the Changzhou cave abyss drifting behind her head.
Her figure flashed, vanishing from her spot and leaving behind only a pocket of shattered space.
Her primordial spirit was too powerful. When it had remained separate from her body, it was like a tree without roots, unable to unleash her peak combat power.
Only now, fused with her flesh, did she display her true might!
Xu Ying also drew his primordial spirit into his body, raising his hands to meet the Primordial Monarch's earth-shattering assault. He asked in surprise, "Primordial Monarch, who told you your son died at my hands? I thought I handled it cleanly enough not to leave any traces."
Boom!
The Primordial Monarch's power detonated with ferocious intensity, completely suppressing his strength. The shockwaves of her divine ability swept outward, carving a massive crater into the vertical Nether Sea behind Xu Ying.
The Ten Hall Yamas and the Four Emperors hurriedly scattered to avoid the blast. Colossal waves surged across the Nether Sea in a terrifying spectacle.
The Primordial Monarch was consumed by fury. Ever since Ling Wuxin entered the Wuzhuang Temple, all trace of him had vanished. Suspecting the worst, she had sought out the Divine Diviner Tian Chouchou, but even he could not divine what had transpired within the temple.
She had then pleaded with the Eastern King, but he knew nothing of Ling Wuxin's death either. In the end, she had hardened her resolve and inquired directly with the Immortal Emperor Supreme, finally learning the truth.
Back when Xu Ying had served as Celestial Venerable of the Dou Bureau, Ling Wuxin had once challenged him, only to be defeated and forced to call him his junior dad. In those days, Xu Ying had visited her often, and she had inevitably developed feelings for him. Yet she had known it was an impossible match. Xu Ying had been surrounded by numerous women, while she was burdened with a child whose father she could never name; naturally, she could never unite with the Celestial Venerable Xu who was in his prime.
Later, Xu Ying had fallen from grace. She had severed her feelings for him as a mind demon, yet that affection had still resurfaced from time to time.
This lifetime's Xu Ying was different from his first. He was ruthless and merciless, having slain Ling Wuxin and turning all her lingering affection into pure hatred.
A golden bridge rose beneath Xu Ying's feet. Standing atop it, he met the Primordial Monarch's assault head-on once more.
The Primordial Monarch charged onto the golden bridge. Within just a few exchanges, fractures appeared across the span beneath Xu Ying's feet, clearly unable to withstand her sheer force.
Xu Ying was filled with astonishment and genuine admiration. He praised, "Primordial Monarch, your Thirty-Three Heavens Spirit Assembly Technique is truly remarkable. Though your body and primordial spirit have not reached the Supreme realm, in the single aspect of magic power, you have practically attained the Supreme level!"
The Taiyi Golden Bridge beneath his feet shattered with sharp cracks, brutally destroyed by her overwhelming force.
Having smashed the golden bridge, the Primordial Monarch was about to execute Xu Ying when a sudden sweetness welled in her throat. She spat a mouthful of blood, and the skin across her entire body threatened to split open!
Her primordial spirit was still simply too strong. After this brief burst of violence, her physical body had finally reached its limit.
Rallying all her strength, the Primordial Monarch unleashed one final strike. Xu Ying raised his hand to block it, and suddenly an expanse of clear sky sprang forth behind him, faintly revealing the silhouettes of the Mortal Realm, the Earth Immortal Realm, and the Heavenly Immortal Realm.
Seeing this vision, the Primordial Monarch showed shock. She let out a muffled grunt, her flesh no longer able to endure, and hastily ejected her primordial spirit from her body.
Her physical form landed upon the primordial spirit's shoulder, hurtling backward in retreat as alarm gripped her heart. *What was that?*
Xu Ying pursued in hot pursuit. The two blurred through the Underworld, crossing thousands of mountains and rivers and bypassing countless stars in the blink of an eye.
Just as Xu Ying was on the verge of catching her, plum blossoms suddenly drifted through the air ahead. An ancient, gnarled tree stood tall between heaven and earth, radiating a holy light amidst the murky shadows of the Underworld and barring Xu Ying's path.
Xu Ying stepped into the grove, only to find the Primordial Monarch gone without a trace. Beneath the plum blossom tree stood only a white-haired youth clad in wide robes and billowing sleeves.
The youth was looking upward, gazing at the Dao fruit hanging upon the Dao tree.
It was Emperor Changsheng.
Xu Ying walked beneath the plum tree, his eyes bright as he smiled. "Emperor Changsheng has not severed his mind demon?"
Emperor Changsheng cast him a glance, then returned his gaze to his Dao fruit and said indifferently, "What mind demon would I have?"
Xu Ying smiled. "Your defeat at the hands of the Ten Useless Heavenly Monarch, Liu Guanyi, has already spread across the Immortal Realm as a laughingstock. Do you truly harbor no mind demon?"
Emperor Changsheng withdrew his gaze, standing proud like the plum blossoms on the ancient bough amidst the snow. "A mind demon is merely the resort of cowards, not a true method of the Supreme. It is a desperate measure used only by those whose Dao hearts lack righteousness. I, Chen Changsheng, have lived honorably between heaven and earth. In success or defeat, it is all my own doing. I have no shame before my heart, nor before any man. Why should I sever a mind demon?"
Hearing this, Xu Ying felt a surge of respect. "I spoke out of turn. For Emperor Changsheng to possess such a resolute Dao heart, I am truly impressed. Yet with such a Dao heart, why have you not attained the Supreme realm?"
"Timing and fate," Emperor Changsheng replied. "I was born a hundred thousand years too late and missed that era of chaos. Without a Supreme cave abyss, I was destined to never attain the Supreme realm. Settling for second best by becoming a Daluo Golden Immortal is not bad either."
Though he claimed it was not bad, his tone still betrayed an unavoidable trace of regret.
Xu Ying smiled. "Since Brother Dao stands in my way, it is inconvenient for me to press the kill. I shall spare the Primordial Monarch this once."
Emperor Changsheng gave him a peculiar look. "She is merely a woman; her life or death means nothing to me. Even if you slept with her in your past life, I wouldn't care."
Xu Ying frowned slightly. *Did I really sleep with her?*
*Probably not,* he comforted himself. Otherwise, hunting her down like this would seem far too heartless.
Emperor Changsheng continued, "I came here solely for you. Emperor Jiuyou's disciple, Lu Lian, went to Primordial Monarch Zitong on Jiuyou's orders to propose marriage, yet you killed him. That very night, Emperor Jiuyou went to the Dou Bureau, only to return in defeat. I wish to know who fought Emperor Jiuyou."
Xu Ying chuckled. "You don't think it was me, do you? I am merely a Heavenly Immortal."
Emperor Changsheng said, "Indeed, you are merely a Heavenly Immortal. But on the night Emperor Jiuyou raided the Dou Bureau to kill you, you were still an Earth Immortal, having not yet reached the Heavenly Immortal realm. Afterward, you relocated to Weiyang Palace—the territory of the Immortal Emperor, where Jiuyou dared not act recklessly. I once suspected the person who clashed with Jiuyou that night was Xu Jing."
Xu Ying adopted a solemn expression. "I brought back the Yingzhou cave abyss. After my father, Old Heavenly Venerable Xu, obtained it, his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, breaking through from the Immortal Monarch realm to the Heavenly Monarch realm. Having also consumed a Ginseng Dao fruit, it was an honorable defeat for him to clash with Emperor Jiuyou."
Emperor Changsheng replied, "Jiuyou ranks third in strength among the Nine Heavens. Had Xu Jing fought him, he would have perished by the second exchange. The gap between them was far too vast. Moreover, Jiuyou entered secluded cultivation immediately after that night, never showing himself since. I suspect he was wounded."
Xu Ying raised an eyebrow with a half-smile. "Surely you don't suspect me, do you?"
Emperor Changsheng said coldly, "I suspect His Majesty the Immortal Emperor is hiding upon your person."
Xu Ying's brow furrowed tightly, at a loss as to where such an idea had come from.
Emperor Changsheng continued, "The Immortal Emperor Supreme is a man of infallible calculation. He would never commit the foolish mistake of exiling himself. I believe his actions were a ploy to lure the snake from its hole, deliberately baiting those traitors into showing themselves."
Xu Ying could not help but say, "Your words sound very reasonable. But have you never suspected that the person who defeated Emperor Jiuyou was me? I was also gone for a long time, and I jumped straight from the ascension stage into the Heavenly Immortal realm! My cultivation advanced so rapidly without meeting any obstacles—do you really not suspect me at all?"
Emperor Changsheng glanced at him. "You are not qualified..."
His expression suddenly shifted violently. With a blur of his figure, he vanished alongside his Daluo bodhimanda.
Xu Ying stepped forward, matching his pace in the very next instant. The two arrived almost simultaneously in a pitch-black expanse of the Underworld. This place was perpetually deprived of light, inhabited only by decaying, withered old spirits devoid of conscious thought.
Yet here and now, fragments of spiritual light drifted through the gloom—the remnants of the Primordial Monarch's shattered primordial spirit.
Though she had never refined an Indestructible Primordial Spirit, her Undying True Spirit had been growing. Yet at this moment, her primordial spirit was completely broken.
Her corpse sat slumped beneath an old willow tree, eyes wide and staring, entirely devoid of life.
Xu Ying approached the tree and looked out into the distance, his eyelids twitching. Across the pitch-black region spanning several hundred li, the corpses of a million female immortals lay strewn about, scattered everywhere.
Not a single one had survived.
His robes fluttering in the wind, Emperor Changsheng spoke in a hoarse voice: "Her Changzhou cave abyss is gone!"
Chapter 584