Chapter 428: The Netherworld Fiends Welcome the Ghost Emperor, the National Tutor's Loyalty to the D

Chapter 428: The Netherworld Fiends Welcome the Ghost Emperor, the National Tutor's Loyalty to the Dragon God

Purple flames burned, incinerating mountains and boiling the sea, silent yet scorching.

The quiet flames slowly distorted space, as if the void itself was turned into fuel.

Inside the study.

Li Che stood silently, but his entire demeanor underwent a drastic change. His entire head was enveloped in purple flames, melting his skin, flesh, and hair, leaving only his golden bones.

Only the golden body of a Martial Immortal remained, twisting and burning beneath the purple flames. He used the power of the Primordial Dragon Elephant Flame Tribulation as a new mask, covering his face. The flames burned, completely concealing his features, making him look like an evil ghost emperor emerging from the depths of hell.

A terrifying, domineering, and annihilating aura slowly emanated from Li Che's body.

The purple Primordial Dragon Elephant Flame emitted an extremely frightening tribulation aura, a calamity power far beyond the Three Disasters and Nine Tribulations.

Even the White Underworld Tribulation Fire, which Zhao Beidou, a master of the Divine Tribulation, could summon, seemed insignificant in the face of the Primordial Dragon Elephant Flame. It was like a small witch doctor compared to a mighty sorcerer, with no comparison.

"Netherworld Ghost Emperor..."

Li Che's golden skull, shrouded in purple fire, had hollow, dark eyes that seemed to glow with endless darkness. Though it was just a skull, the two eye sockets were infinitely deep, like two swirling vortices of the underworld.

"The power of the Tribulation..."

His five fingers spread wide.

Removing the purple fire from his head, his flesh revived, his hair danced, and his eyes shone with crystal clarity.

Li Che's entire body returned to its original appearance.

It was like a mask that changed his appearance, but in a simpler and more brutal way.

He burned away his flesh and hair, leaving only his bones.

Boom—

The Primordial Dragon Elephant Flame, which had been swirling around his five fingers, struck his skull again. Instantly, flames engulfed his entire head, and his aura surged as the surrounding space distorted. It was as if an overwhelming force was surging within.

The purple flames wove together, forming a terrifying, blurry shape of a demonic elephant! A dragon coiled around the demonic elephant's body, merging with it.

Li Che stood up, his black robe fluttering, and the purple fire dancing. His entire being seemed to turn into a black hole, collapsing as it devoured countless breaths, swirling like a tornado.

Beneath the burning flames, the golden skull's eyes made the heavens and earth seem cold and desolate, leaving only a murky, evil world.

"Ghost Emperor... Netherworld Ghost Emperor!"

"By drawing the power of the Tribulation upon himself, he becomes the Ghost Emperor!"

Li Che's skull-like mouth opened and closed, as if in a single breath.

His long breath surged without end, and Li Che's heart surged with it. The Heaven-Earth Chessboard instantly enveloped and expanded, sealing off the entire study and isolating its aura.

The next moment, Li Che's body moved slightly, and countless qi and blood exploded within him. The dragon that had been dormant in his body seemed to awaken, roaring deafeningly. The explosive power within him revived.

At the eight meridian nodes, the qi and blood surged, as if experiencing eight successive waves, making the qi and blood stronger and stronger. The Eight Mystic Gates were simultaneously activated.

The surging golden qi and blood erupted, bursting forth and overflowing. All 36,000 pores on his body opened, exuding an intensely thick blood aura.

A ten-thousand-zhang-high qi sea appeared, along with a ten-thousand-zhang-high mountain of martial arts, as if his understanding of martial arts up to this point was fully displayed in this moment.

The purple flames covered his entire head, leaving only golden bones, and the qi sea turned purple, churning and boiling.

Li Che's golden qi and blood all over his body also turned purple.

Weird, cold, and annihilating, it seemed to obliterate everything, like the gates of hell opening, and a ghost emperor stepping out, controlling the countless lost souls in the depths of hell.

"Unfortunately... I've only mastered a strand of the Primordial Dragon Elephant Flame. If I had mastered more, the Tribulation Fire could have been integrated into the qi and blood of the Eight Mystic Gates, making my blood... possess a unique Tribulation characteristic!"

Li Che's eyes flashed.

He had only mastered a single strand of the Primordial Dragon Elephant Flame.

The power of the Three Disasters and Nine Tribulations was something only Divine Tribulation and Martial Deity cultivators could control. At this moment, Li Che's cultivation had not yet reached this level, but with the tribulation aura of the Primordial Dragon Elephant Flame, he could still barely display the aura and oppression of the Divine Tribulation.

"I must continue to refine the Primordial Dragon Elephant Flame."

The more of the Primordial Dragon Elephant Flame he mastered, the higher his Ghost Emperor's power would rise.

Even to the point of rivaling the true Divine Tribulation Fire, or surpassing it.

Li Che's heart moved, and he once again entered the Tribulation Space, and then...

There was no 'then'. In the blink of an eye, Li Che was struck by the Primordial Demon Elephant formed from the Tribulation Fire.

He shook his head.

To make the Ghost Emperor's might reach its peak, it seemed...

A heavy burden and a long journey lay ahead.

...

...

The mountains were covered in frost, and the snow was thick and pure.

The distant mountains were shrouded in mist, and the night was so deep and dark that it seemed unbreakable.

Divine Capital, First City.

Imperial Palace.

Snowflakes danced, covering the grand palace with a layer of snow, giving it a surreal, icy feel.

The entire First City was covered in palace buildings, each one a grand structure in itself. Inside, countless buildings were arranged in rows, like blooming flowers, adorned with one palace after another.

Yunxiao Palace.

The Emperor sat on the main throne, his face glowing with divine essence and blood, as he perused the memorials.

After a while, he put down the documents.

The eunuch, Zi Yi, respectfully approached.

"These days, the National Tutor has led the army to Divine Origin City. What are the results? So many experts have gone, even the Elder Dragon God of the Dragon God Lineage, yet there's no news at all."

The Emperor stood up and shook the yellow robe he was wearing.

He walked out of the Yunxiao Palace with Zi Yi, strolling along the corridor. Cold air blew through the corridor, carrying snowflakes that quickly rushed in from outside.

"Your Majesty, there's no news from the National Tutor. It's said that they're preparing the army and waiting for the right moment."

Zi Yi bowed his head.

"Waiting for the right moment?"

The Emperor gave a cold laugh.

"What is Xie Yun Shen up to? It's been so long, and they can't take action in time. The longer they delay, the more they make the Great Jing Empire lose face."

"Ji Moling, the leaders of the various divine sects, and even the three Divine Tribulation masters working together... With such a lineup, they still can't conquer a divine sect. Isn't this making the Great Jing Empire a laughingstock?"

"How can that be? To prepare ten divine tribulations for Xie Yun Shen, with ten times the power of the opposing force, just to defeat a single divine sect?"

Although the Emperor couldn't see the man's face clearly, he could sense a hint of anger in his words.

Eunuch Lian lowered his head, not daring to breathe.

He didn't dare to make any excuses for Xie Yun Shen or find any reasons.

Because, the Grand Tutor Xie Yun Shen's army, in terms of combat power, was truly several times that of the Heavenly Origin Divine Sect. Aside from the mysterious Purple Mansion Divine Sect, which was the first divine sect that couldn't be understood.

As for the other divine sects, they were all pretty much certain to be defeated, right?

"Even if we can't break through the divine sect's mountain gate, why is there not even a sound? The Dragon God has already arrived, and with Zhao Beidou, the ancestor of the Dragon Tiger Divine Sect, as well as Gu Qianchi, the ancestor of the Bashu Sword Pavilion... This is equivalent to gathering the full strength of the court and the two divine sects to besiege the Heavenly Origin Sect. How can this not be easily accomplished?"

The Emperor spoke coldly.

"Before the alliance, when Ji Moling's clone was defeated during the joint attack, I have reason to suspect that Xie Yun Shen might be colluding with Ji Moling to plot something."

Eunuch Lian's forehead instantly broke out in cold sweat.

"Your Majesty, the Pacifying King... surely he wouldn't joke around with his own clone?"

"His clone is still quite important."

The Emperor stood in the corridor, gazing at the falling snow throughout the city, and he couldn't help but chuckle, "Is it important? For Ji Moling... it's just a matter of slaughtering a city. Is it really that important to him?"

"Are the lives of the people in that city really that important to him?"

The Emperor's voice trailed off as he spoke.

"You think I don't know anything about his alliance with those self-proclaimed Confucian and Daoist families in Jiangnan, and the affairs he's been involved with at the Vast and Serene Academy?"

"I didn't allow him to suppress the Corpse God Sect, nor did I intend for him to become a part of it."

Eunuch Lian quickly lowered his head, not daring to speak.

Looking at the snow-filled sky, a glint of coldness and urgency flashed in the Emperor's eyes, "Li Che... did he really take that Gathering Immortal Flag from the ten-thousand-year-old peach tree?"

"I can't wait any longer."

"It's not that I don't trust in her eyes. She has shown her ambition and desire to realize her self-worth. She is my left and right hand, just like Eunuch Lian, the most trusted person."

"I can even entrust the fate of the Great Jing Empire to her... how could I not trust her?"

"But this time, I am truly disappointed in her performance."

The Emperor shook his head and sighed softly.

"The Heaven Temple is about to open soon. These days, the Celestial Surveillance Bureau has been busy, working tirelessly. It seems that the Grand Supervisor is about to announce the specific date of the opening of the Heaven Temple."

"I hope... that the Grand Tutor can defeat the Heavenly Origin Divine Sect before the opening of the Heaven Temple!"

The Emperor narrowed his eyes.

"Eunuch Lian, I have a decree for you to deliver personally!"

Upon hearing this, Eunuch Lian's body trembled slightly.

He truly felt the Emperor's urgency.

What could it be...

The gods of the Secret Realm's divine camp that were about to revive?

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Eunuch Lian, the Emperor's most loyal servant, didn't say more. He only obeyed the Emperor's decree while feeling sympathy for him.

...

...

Boom!

Even in the snowy landscape, the surface of the Grand Canal, which never froze, was churning with rolling waves. Droplets of water splashed, creating a misty haze.

The Elder Dragon God sat cross-legged on the river's surface, his body majestic and imposing. His two dragon whiskers resembled divine blades piercing the void.

He sat with his legs crossed, and the divine essence from the Grand Canal rapidly gathered towards his body, making his aged yet robust physical body seem as if it could shatter the void and enter nothingness.

Within a ten-zhao radius around the Elder Dragon God, the Dragon God Prince and three other Dragon Princes also sat cross-legged, cultivating under the guidance of the Elder Dragon God's aura, absorbing the divine essence from the Grand Canal.

This was why Li Che hadn't summoned the Dragon God Prince, because... the Elder Dragon God was constantly watching over the Dragon God Prince, guiding and supervising his cultivation.

After all, the Dragon God Prince was the hope of the Dragon Deity Lineage. The Elder Dragon God couldn't guarantee that this trip to Heaven Temple would find a solution or extend his lifespan further.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

After an unknown amount of time, the Elder Dragon God slowly opened his eyes, and his entire body trembled with power, as if returning from the void.

"It's been so long... and the Grand Tutor still hasn't made a move? If we wait any longer, the bizarre temple in Heaven Temple will revive!" The Elder Dragon God's eyebrows furrowed, and his two white whiskers seemed like divine blades.

Boom!

Suddenly, he stood up, and the entire river trembled.

The Elder Dragon God looked towards the army camp covered by the drifting snow.

With a single step, his terrifying and scorching blood energy instantly vaporized, as if bringing wind and rain, melting the snow and turning it into a torrential downpour. After a few steps, he arrived at the Grand Tutor Xie Yun Shen's tent.

Inside the tent, Xie Yun Shen was playing chess with a purple-robed eunuch. Upon seeing the Elder Dragon God, Xie Yun Shen's pale face lit up.

"Elder Dragon, you've come. Let's play a game of hand talk."

Xie Yun Shen said warmly.

However, the Elder Dragon God only glanced at him indifferently, "Grand Tutor, I didn't come here to play chess. I've been here for a month, and I wonder when you will make your move?"

"Continue this stalemate? When will it end... Elder Dragon, we can't keep stalemating like this."

The Elder Dragon God directly stated his purpose.

Hearing this, Xie Yun Shen sighed, "Elder Dragon, I know you're anxious, but after the first defeat, without understanding the Netherworld's strength, I dare not act recklessly."

"The deaths of the Tiandan Divine Sect's Gu Changqing, the Vast and Serene Academy's Bai Buyi, the Dragon Tiger Divine Sect's Zhao Chunsiou... I still can't let go of these sect masters' deaths, and the Pacifying King's clone being beheaded."

Xie Yun Shen's expression was tired, "I must ensure the safety of my subordinates and the other leaders."

"In fact, it's not just the Elder Dragon God who's anxious. Even the Emperor in the Divine Capital is impatient.

"Here comes Lian Gonggong with the imperial edict."

Xie Yun Shen spread his hands helplessly, conveying to the Elder Dragon God that it wasn't that the court didn't want him to start a war, but that he really had to understand the situation first.

The Elder Dragon God turned to the purple-robed Lian Gonggong, naturally recognizing the eunuch who served the Great Jing Emperor.

Lian Gonggong, with his white beard and black mustache, smiled and nodded.

The Elder Dragon God's eyes softened a little, but his brows remained furrowed. "National Tutor, whether we can fight or not, we'll know after a battle..."

Xie Yun Shen sighed with a wry smile. "Elder Dragon God, you've just arrived and don't know how terrifying and unfathomable the Netherworld is..."

"Although Zhao Zu Shi said that the Netherworld King was severely injured... But is the Netherworld really just the King? Is there no other powerful beings in this mysterious force that has never shown Divine Tribulation or Martial Deity Realm strength?"

"This official... is afraid."

Xie Yun Shen sighed.

Hearing Xie Yun Shen's evasive words, the Elder Dragon God became slightly annoyed. "Afraid of this, afraid of that, what's the point of attacking the Mountain and destroying the Sect?"

Xie Yun Shen, however, was not angered by the Elder Dragon God's tone. He gently shook his feather fan, and a cool breeze caressed his face.

He walked out of the tent and looked at the snow that had been melted into rainwater by the Elder Dragon God's blood energy.

His gaze deepened. "Elder Dragon, I have already made my plans. In a short while... Just a little longer, not too long, and we can immediately take down the Divine Origin Divine City. Do you believe me?"

"Elder, do you believe me?"

Xie Yun Shen's voice was low and steady, and his entire being seemed to exude an incredibly strong confidence.

Such confidence made the Elder Dragon God, a powerful Divine Tribulation cultivator, narrow his eyes slightly.

Where did this confidence come from?

The purple-robed Lian Gonggong's eyes glimmered, and as he looked at Xie Yun Shen, he couldn't help but smile. Indeed, the National Tutor was still the National Tutor he knew, confident, a strategist, and a master of the situation.

Xie Yun Shen turned, his coat fluttering, and said, "Elder Dragon, I am trusted by His Majesty. With a mortal body, I restrain the eleven Divine Sects of Great Jing, and I am deeply trusted by His Majesty, and I have been granted the opportunity to nurture Great Jing's fortune and golden lotus..."

"His Majesty trusts me."

"Elder, why don't you trust me?!"

Xie Yun Shen's voice was low and steady, and his entire being seemed to exude an incredibly strong confidence.

"Good, Elder Dragon, I trust you."

A smile blossomed on Xie Yun Shen's serious face. "Elder, rest assured. If we are to attack the Mountain and destroy the Sect, your powerful strength is indispensable."

"Soon, Elder, rest assured..."

Xie Yun Shen's words made the Elder Dragon God's heart slightly heavy. Although he had asked Xie Yun Shen many times, he had always been evaded.

But this time, Xie Yun Shen's determined attitude was indeed rare.

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The tent's smile remained, never fading.

Soon.

You, Elder Dragon God, want to conquer the Divine Origin Divine City before the Heaven City's inheritance is opened...

But the Lord is also anxious.

The Lord is also close.

...

...

Divine Origin Divine City.

The wind was turbulent.

Lu Taibai, after receiving Li Che's request, asked the Netherworld's pill master to refine a Wind Tribulation Pill. After entering closed-door cultivation, he went to the strange temple of the Three-Eyed True Monarch of the Mysterious Dao Manifestation on Plum Mountain to try and break through his cultivation."

Lu Qiankun personally guarded him.

Lu Taibai's attempt to break through his cultivation was almost completely blocked, and there were hardly any who knew about it.

So, the entire Divine Origin Divine City's atmosphere was better than before, as the court and the Divine Origin Divine City were in a stalemate. In a short time, it seemed like they wouldn't fight, allowing many to relax their minds.

In the study room.

Li Che's upcoming days became extremely regular.

Besides cultivating the Divine Essence Crystal, he also added entering the Tribulation Space to endure the tribulation.

To endure more tribulation.

[Tribulation: Primordial Dragon Elephant Flame (2%)]



However, the improvement of the Primordial Dragon Elephant Flame was more difficult than he had imagined.

After obtaining a strand of the Primordial Dragon Elephant Flame last time, becoming the Ghost Fire, and incarnating as the Netherworld King, Li Che spent a lot of time each day on enduring the tribulation, and he had just barely increased his progress by 1%.

The main reason was still the Martial Immortal Body's endurance, which was quite burdensome.

Li Che tried to merge the Primordial Dragon Elephant Flame into the Dragon Spine's Eight Mystic Gates, but this was also an extremely difficult process.

Li Che's idea was simple. If the Primordial Dragon Elephant Flame could be like blood, exploding through the Eight Mystic Gates for a multiplied increase, it would also greatly help his strength.

Hum—

With a flick of his finger.

A black Bound Deity Chess Piece instantly appeared in the study room.

It slowly twisted into a human form, and Xie Yun Shen gently shook his feather fan, and a Bound Deity emerged, as if bathed in spring breeze.

Xie Yun Shen respectfully bowed.

"Your subordinate, Xie Yun Shen, greets the Lord."

Xie Yun Shen smiled as he spoke. He got straight to the point, simply stating the Elder Dragon God's reason for seeking him out, and also relaying the Divine Capital's situation, where even the Emperor was becoming quite anxious.

"The Emperor is anxious, and the Elder Dragon God is anxious..."

"The Elder Dragon God's anxiety is understandable. He wants to resolve all worries before the Heaven City's inheritance is opened. But why is the Emperor anxious?"

"The Heaven City's inheritance won't affect the Emperor... So what is he anxious about?"

Li Che couldn't help but feel a little puzzled. Perhaps the Emperor knew some secret within the Secret Realm.

It was also possible that the Emperor couldn't wait to obtain the Gathering Immortal Flag in his possession.

Speaking of the Gathering Immortal Flag, Li Che couldn't help but think of the Emperor's Gathering Immortal Flag. There were eight in total, and Li Che only had one, still far from enough. The effect of the Gathering Immortal Yellow Flag was also quite ordinary.

Li Che exhaled.

Xie Yun Shen gently shook his feather fan, but he smiled and said, "Lord, there are too many good things in the Divine Capital. There's the Heaven and Earth Kunlun Mirror, the Gathering Immortal Flag... These Three Pure Ones Divine Weapons are all good things."

Xie Yun Shen gently shook his feather fan, but he smiled and said, "Lord, you and the Emperor have fallen out. Isn't this a good opportunity?"

"Lian Gonggong is trusted by the Emperor, deeply trusted by him. If you can win over Lian Gonggong, it will be easier for me to handle matters in the future."

Xie Yun Shen spoke with tact.

But Li Che immediately understood Xie Yun Shen's intention.

Action: His eyes widened, filled with shock, as he was immobilized under the suppression of the Yellow Eyebrow Grand Mage.

Despair and horror filled his gaze as the figure from the Ink City of the Netherworld emerged from the shadows, slowly solidifying in his vision.

It was... it was a person?! A black robe billowed, its sleeves whipped the air, striking the void like a swinging blade.

And yet, atop that skull, a purple flame burned, distorting space and incinerating the heavens and earth, as if determined to burn away all the sins of this world.

But within that purple fire, a golden skull emerged!

What kind of flame was this? Just a glance made him feel as if his soul would be extinguished and his spirit would wither...

Even the Divine Tribulation Cultivators, like Lian Gonggong, had never witnessed such a sight! Zhao Beidou of the Dragon Tiger Divine Sect had visited the Imperial Palace's temple on multiple occasions, and Lian Gonggong had been fortunate enough to witness his terrifying and chilling White Calamity Tribulation Fire...

But this purple flame far surpassed the White Calamity Tribulation Fire, seemingly harboring an even greater terror! Who was this person?!

The Ink City of the Netherworld, with its purple fire, revealed a terrifying and formidable figure. Behind the dark gate, countless wailing souls seemed to echo, as if the Gates of Hell had opened, releasing an endless torrent of ghostly auras.

The Netherworld King, Ox Demon, Horse-Faced Demon, and Monkey Demon... One by one, these Netherworld Fiends twisted and contorted, resembling evil spirits emerging from the depths of hell.

Lian Gonggong's entire body trembled as he then saw Xie Yun Shen and the Yellow Eyebrow Grand Mage. Their bodies were contorted, their flesh torn, their appearances hideous, as if they had transformed into hellish demons!

Xie Yun Shen and the Yellow Eyebrow Grand Mage bowed deeply, their respect evident.

"Xie Yun Shen of the Netherworld!"

"Yellow Eyebrow of the Netherworld!"

"Greetings, Netherworld King!"

Lian Gonggong collapsed to the ground.

He had witnessed the existence above even the Netherworld King within the Netherworld...

A realization that left him speechless.

What had he done to deserve such a sight? What had he done to witness such a spectacle?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end