Chapter 83

Xuankong was taken aback, remembering that the Lord of the Underworld, who governed the cycle of life and death, indeed had a somewhat repulsive nature.

The immortals in heaven did not all leap out of stone crevices; who didn't have a few relatives or friends living in the mortal world? It was just that once they achieved Daoist cultivation and ascended to immortality, they naturally could rise to the heavens. However, few had the ability to bring their entire family, including chickens and dogs, to ascend to the celestial realm.

Unfortunately, the Heavenly Court had strict rules, and there were celestial deities enforcing the law, so even immortals could not arbitrarily convert mortals to immortality, making them live forever.

Fortunately, there was another shortcut. If one could persuade the ten Lords of the Underworld to lend a hand.

Secretly altering the Book of Life and Death could extend a mortal's life by a few years.

However, the ten Lords of the Underworld were all impartial and selfless. Since they took charge of the Underworld, they had never acted out of favoritism or privately altered the Book of Life and Death. The immortals and scattered sages who came with heavy gifts were often turned away, leaving them unhappy and often complaining about the lack of sentiment from the Underworld's Lords.

If they encountered a temperamental deity, causing a commotion in the Underworld was not uncommon.

Even if the Upper Heavens knew about it, they would only laugh it off and not take it seriously.

When Xuankong heard about this from Guxing Star Lord, he raised his thumb in praise: "The laws of heaven and earth are constant. I say the Lords of the Underworld are doing a good job. If everyone could arbitrarily alter the Book of Life and Death, what would be the point of the heavenly cycle?"

Guxing Star Lord was taken aback by his words and turned to laugh: "Ha ha, Xuankong, you have limited experience. Once you have more, you won't say that anymore."

Wang Qi also pulled Xuankong and said, "Yes, Master Brother, aren't we also going to ask Lord Yama to extend my father's lifespan?"

Xuankong scratched his head, sighed, and stood to the side. Guxing Star Lord would not deceive him, and what his junior brother Wang Qi said was true. Could it be that his own sense of justice was wrong?

"You wicked creature, still causing trouble here. See who I am!"

Guxing Star Lord released his mount, the Fire-Eyed Golden Beast, which stomped its hooves on the riverbank and soared into the air with a streak of blood light. As soon as he finished speaking, he heard the waves in the Blood River rolling, and a blood-red dragon with five claws burst into the air from the river.

Xuankong was startled to see the blood dragon, which was thousands of feet long, rush up from the river with its fangs bared and claws extended. He immediately cast a Nine Heavens Mixed Primordial True Thunder at the blood dragon.

The blood dragon opened its mouth, let out a silent growl, and swallowed the Mixed Primordial True Thunder.

Without regard for its master, it wagged its tail and was about to strike Xuankong.

Guxing Star Lord marveled repeatedly, thinking to himself, "Indeed, you are the protagonist of the heavenly decree. With just a book of Dao from Uncle Wenchong, you have managed to deduce and restore the Thunder Law of our Jie Sect. No wonder even the Grand Master has instructed us to secretly look after you."

It turned out that the Nine Heavens Mixed Primordial True Thunder that Xuankong had comprehended had another name in the Jie Sect: the Supreme Clarity Divine Thunder, a secret technique of the Supreme Clarity Master.

Only those who were personally taught or favored by the Master could learn it. Xuankong, however, had deduced the original form of this divine thunder from the remnants of the Daoist tradition left by the Nine Heavens Thunder God Puhua Tianzun Wenchong.

Indeed, he was a child of thunder, the protagonist of the heavenly decree, with a body and wisdom that were the best of the current generation.

Unexpectedly, the Heavenly Net Blood God Saber, which had been away from him for a long time, had not only not lost its fierce and rebellious nature but had become even more so. Guxing Star Lord was furious, thinking that if his personal treasure injured his junior disciple in front of him, he would have no face in the heavens.

He extended his hand, transformed into a Fangtian Halberd, and flew in front of the blood dragon.

The blood dragon, though mindless, still feared Guxing Star Lord. Seeing the Fangtian Halberd blocking its path, the blood dragon shrank back a bit, then whipped its tail to raise a huge wave from the Blood River, splashing it onto the shore.

Taking advantage of the wave, it tried to retreat into the Blood River.

Guxing Star Lord laughed coldly, "I thought you had cultivated some earth-shattering powers over the years, daring to challenge me!"

Sitting on the Fire-Eyed Golden Beast, he silently recited the secret incantation, reached out, and grabbed the air.

He shouted, "Rise, return to your original form!"

The Blood River, which stretched for thousands of miles, was forcibly lifted into the air by Guxing Star Lord's great power, gradually shrinking and condensing into a sharp, brownish-red saber.

A blood-red light flashed on the blade, like a red dragon writhing and coiling.

This was the secret treasure of the Daoist Yu Hua from Penglai Island, the Heavenly Net Blood God Saber, originally designed for battlefields. This saber was extremely vicious; anyone cut by it would die from blood loss. If struck directly, they would not only die instantly but their soul would be sucked into the saber.

With the Blood River in front of the Ghost City of Fengdu restored to its original form, a clear path lay ahead for Xuankong and his companions. The sound of creaking gates came from the city entrance, and many ghost soldiers and generals poured out, the troops guarding the Ghost City of Fengdu.

Guxing Star Lord did not want to get entangled with the Underworld's ghost deities. He held the Heavenly Net Blood God Saber and fell into a deep meditation.

Wang Qi had never seen so many ghost soldiers and generals.

Though he was also a cultivator, he instinctively looked to his Master Brother, hoping Xuankong could show him the way. Xuankong stood under Guxing Star Lord's cloud. By seniority, Guxing Star Lord Yu Hua was the senior uncle of the Laoshan Sect.

Among those present, he was the most senior. What could Xuankong do if Yu Hua did not speak?

He thought for a moment, worried about a misunderstanding with the Underworld's ghost soldiers, and took out the "Yuan Shi Wu Liang Du Ren Shang Pin Miao Jing" given to him by King Qin Guang. Wang Qi looked at the front and glanced at Xuankong's hand.

Seeing him take out a scroll, Wang Qi's eyes widened: "Good Master Brother, are we going to recite a few soul-soothing spells before fighting these little ghosts?"

Wang Qi drew his sword from his back, spat on his palm, and mustered his courage: "Well, well, today I will die with you, Master Brother!"

Xuankong found his words touching and a bit amusing.

He patted Wang Qi on the back of the head and laughed, "What are you rambling about? I have the Underworld's military token; these ghost soldiers won't attack us." Seeing the disbelief in Wang Qi's eyes, Xuankong flipped his hand.

A purple light emanated from the "Yuan Shi Wu Liang Du Ren Shang Pin Miao Jing" in his hand. When the light dissipated, it had transformed into a deep purple iron token lying in Xuankong's palm.

Xuankong weighed the token and said, "I knew that with King Qin Guang's status, he wouldn't casually give me a handwritten copy of a scripture." He had long suspected that the "Yuan Shi Wu Liang Du Ren Shang Pin Miao Jing" contained a secret.

Now, seeing the ghost soldiers and generals from the Ghost City of Fengdu form a welcoming formation, he decided to test it. When he infused it with true essence, the scripture indeed transformed into the Underworld's military token.