Chapter 1886: The Underworld King's Sealed Land
With a thud, the headless corpse of Baihuan Divine Son crashed heavily to the ground.
Zhang Ruochen retracted the Azure Sky Floating Pagoda, then took out the Life Spring and dripped a single drop onto Shi Ren's head.
Shi Ren's body was enveloped in the light of life, and his injuries healed rapidly.
Next, Zhang Ruochen walked toward Bao Lie and Bao Xinghun, saying, "Xinghun's injuries are severe. I have Life Spring, which might help him recover quickly."
Bao Lie did not refuse Zhang Ruochen's kindness. He said, "A single Abyssal Ancient Sword is not enough to prove your identity."
Zhang Ruochen understood Bao Lie's meaning. He nodded slightly, walked over to Bao Xinghun, sprinkled a drop of Life Spring on him, and then took out the Eight Dragon Umbrella and the Nine Dragon Chariot.
"The Eight Dragon Umbrella and the Nine Dragon Chariot are both sacred artifacts once used by my father. Only a direct descendant of the Sacred Bright Zhang Clan can command their artifact spirits. If Third Senior Brother still does not believe me, I can take you to a place," Zhang Ruochen said.
Upon seeing the Eight Dragon Umbrella and the Nine Dragon Chariot, Bao Lie was already half-convinced. His burly frame trembled slightly.
But how could the long-dead Little Junior Brother have come back to life?
It was too unbelievable.
Bao Lie asked, "What place?"
Zhang Ruochen waved his arm, and the World Gate of the Qiankun Realm opened. "Please."
With his profound cultivation, Bao Lie feared nothing and strode straight in.
Entering the Qiankun Realm, Zhang Ruochen first took Bao Lie to the Royal Clan Burial Forest and the Ancestral Hall of the Emperors, then went to meet the descendants of the former ministers of the Holy Bright Central Empire.
Zhang Ruochen could feel Bao Lie's resistance and rejection weakening.
Beneath the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree, Bao Lie let out a long breath and said, "Little Junior Brother, tell me your story. What have you experienced in these eight hundred years?"
A bitter smile appeared on Zhang Ruochen's face. He sat down on the ground and began to narrate.
Time passed minute by minute. The suspicion and hostility in Bao Lie's eyes completely vanished as he became fully immersed in Zhang Ruochen's tale. He said angrily, "Princess Chi Yao has become a god?"
"Yes," Zhang Ruochen replied.
Bao Lie then deflated like a punctured ball, also sitting down on the ground. He said gloomily, "In the Nether Prison, I've been training hard, wanting to break out, fight Princess Chi Yao again, and avenge our grudge. Damn it, who would have thought that the former Princess Chi Yao has become an empress and cultivated into a god? How can we fight that?"
Zhang Ruochen stood up, patted Bao Lie on the shoulder, and said, "The cultivation resources in the Nether Prison are scarce. For you to have reached your current level of cultivation, Senior Brother, is already quite remarkable."
"Besides, Chi Yao possesses the Heavenly Wheel Seal, granting her thirty times the cultivation speed."
"Now that the Kunlun Realm is beginning to recover and the Heavenly and Earthly Rules are no longer incomplete, the cultivation speed of all cultivators has greatly increased. This is truly the best of times."
"However, with the large-scale invasion of the Hell Realm and the various mortal realms of the Heavenly Court plundering resources everywhere in the Kunlun Realm, saint-level wars are breaking out everywhere, causing panic and chaos across the world. This is also the worst of times."
"Third Senior Brother, this era needs you. Come with me out of the Nether Prison and conquer the world. What do you say?"
In Zhang Ruochen, Bao Lie saw the shadow of the former Ming Emperor. He was momentarily dazed, then also stood up and said, "As if your senior brother wants to stay in this godforsaken place. Let's go. Right now. I want to see what kind of experts the Hell Realm and the Heavenly Court Realm have. I'm itching for a good fight."
"No need to be so hasty. I have another important matter to attend to in the Punishment Prison Realm. Let's leave the Qiankun Realm first, and I'll explain slowly."
As Bao Lie stepped out of the Qiankun Realm, he heard Bao Xinghun's roar: "Where is my father? What have you done to him?"
"Xinghun, what are you yelling about?" Bao Lie glared at him sternly.
Bao Xinghun was clearly afraid of Bao Lie. He put away his war spear and said in a low voice, "Father, where did you go just now?"
"Don't ask about this. It's not time for you to know yet."
Bao Lie pointed at Zhang Ruochen and said, "This is your uncle-master. Go over and kowtow to pay your respects."
"Uncle-master?" Bao Xinghun was stunned.
Zhang Ruochen stood with his hands behind his back, smiling and nodding at him.
Bao Lie kicked Bao Xinghun in the leg and scolded, "What are you dawdling for? Your uncle-master has a higher seniority than you and stronger cultivation. Is it too much to ask you to go over and bow?"
Bao Xinghun was speechless. He was now a Five-Step Saint King and the king of a prison realm. Why was he still being treated like a little brat who hadn't grown up?
But having been beaten by Bao Lie since childhood, Bao Xinghun still harbored some fear and dared not defy his father's will.
"Greetings... Uncle-master." Bao Xinghun clasped his hands and bowed.
"Little Bao, no need to be so polite."
Zhang Ruochen smiled and took out a golden war spear of the Seven-Luminance Ten-Thousand-Pattern Sacred Artifact level, handing it over.
Bao Xinghun was startled, not knowing what Zhang Ruochen intended.
"Since you've paid your respects, how can your uncle-master not give you a meeting gift? This war spear was taken from a Divine Son of the Heavenly Court Realm. It should be of a much higher grade than the one in your hand."
Bao Xinghun hesitated but eventually took the golden war spear. After examining it, a look of wild joy appeared on his face: "Seven-Luminance Ten-Thousand-Pattern Sacred Artifact! It's actually a Seven-Luminance Ten-Thousand-Pattern Sacred Artifact! Excellent!"
The resources in the Nether Prison were scarce, and there was a lack of skilled artifact refiners. The weapons used by Bao Xinghun and Bao Lie were naturally not high-grade items.
Hearing the words "Seven-Luminance Ten-Thousand-Pattern Sacred Artifact," even Bao Lie was stunned. He then walked over to Bao Xinghun, snatched the golden war spear away, and said, "What does a child need with such a powerful weapon? With your Five-Step Saint King cultivation, you can't even unleash its full Seven-Luminance power. Let your father keep it safe for you first. When your cultivation reaches the Nine-Step Saint King realm, I'll give it back to you."
Bao Lie toyed with the golden war spear, his eyes burning with excitement.
Bao Xinghun hung his head in defeat. A Seven-Luminance Ten-Thousand-Pattern Sacred Artifact had barely warmed his hands before his father took it away. It was truly a tear-jerking situation.
Zhang Ruochen chuckled: "Third Senior Brother, why are you still so fond of snatching other people's weapons? Didn't you snatch enough from Sixth Senior Brother back in the day?"
"How can you call it snatching? It's just safekeeping."
Bao Lie continued, "Besides, your Sixth Senior Brother is a master artifact refiner. If I don't snatch from him, who else would I snatch? If I don't act fast, the good stuff will fall into the hands of Big Brother and Second Brother."
At this point, Bao Lie's gaze turned inward, and he fell silent. Then he asked, "Little Junior Brother, are Big Brother and Second Brother still alive?"
Zhang Ruochen shook his head and sighed: "I don't know. According to the historical records of the First Central Empire, Big Brother Hong Ya died in a battle against the First War God of the Chiqing Central Empire, Xue Wangchao, in the Yin Burial Mountain Range. Second Brother Chen Daogu was burned to death by Heavenly Fire used by Qing Emperor's senior disciple, Huomo Xiaosheng. As for Third Senior Brother and Fourth Senior Brother, their whereabouts are unknown, and we don't know if they're alive or dead."
"Too many things happened eight hundred years ago. We must investigate personally to uncover the truth. After all, the historical records of the First Central Empire are actually meant to cover up the truth."
Bao Lie clenched his fists, his heart burning with urgency. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go out and investigate now. If they're still alive, we'll drag them out. If they're dead, we'll dig them up. As for Xue Wangchao and Huomo Xiaosheng, murder demands a life for a life."
Zhang Ruochen said, "I also need to find someone in the Punishment Prison Realm."
"Looking for someone in the Punishment Prison Realm? There are hardly any living beings here. Could there be other cultivators?" Bao Lie asked.
Shi Qiankun then conjured the figure and appearance of the former patriarch of the Town Prison Ancient Clan, Shi Mingyuan, presenting it before Bao Lie. He asked, "Senior Bao Lie has been in the Punishment Prison Realm for a long time. Have you ever seen my father?"
Seeing the phantom, a terrifying image flashed through Bao Lie's mind. His leopard-like eyes widened. "It's him? How is that possible?"
"Senior, have you seen my father?"
Joy appeared on the faces of Zhang Ruochen, Shi Qiankun, and Shi Ren.
Bao Lie nodded. "Don't get too excited. The situation might not be as good as you think. In fact, Little Junior Brother, you've already seen him."
Zhang Ruochen's heart stirred, and a look of shock appeared on his face. "Third Senior Brother means... him?"
"That's right, the monster from earlier."
Bao Lie continued, "If he really is the patriarch of the Town Prison Ancient Clan, Shi Mingyuan, then based on my guess, he should have been poisoned by the Underworld King's Blood Poison, or his mind has been controlled by the Underworld King's spiritual will."
"No, absolutely impossible. My father's spiritual power is formidable. How could the Underworld King control him?" Shi Qiankun said.
Bao Lie said, "What if your father was attacked by the Underworld King at a critical moment during his breakthrough?"
"This..." Shi Qiankun was speechless.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Could it be that the Underworld King was never sealed and remains free in the Punishment Prison Realm?"
Hearing this, Shi Ren and Shi Qiankun both felt a chill run down their spines. They involuntarily looked around, afraid that the Underworld King might suddenly appear before them.
"Of course, the Underworld King is sealed. But... the situation is not good. I'll take you to the sealed land, and you'll understand."
Bao Lie glared at Shi Qiankun, Shi Ren, and Bao Xinghun. "Your cultivation and spiritual will are too weak. Don't come. You might be controlled by the Underworld King and become his slave."
Bao Lie and Zhang Ruochen mounted the Golden Step Dragon Chariot and sped forward.
After traveling about tens of thousands of miles, Zhang Ruochen suddenly felt that the rules active between heaven and earth were becoming increasingly scarce. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth disappeared, as if they had entered a forbidden land of cultivation.
The Golden Step Dragon Chariot stopped, and Zhang Ruochen and Bao Lie stepped out.
In this region, the ground was not covered with crystals, only black soil and rocks. There was no sign of life or spiritual energy. It was no different from a dead star in the universe.
Zhang Ruochen looked into the distance and saw six enormous sacred swords, each tens of thousands of feet long, arranged into a sword mountain standing on the horizon, emitting dazzling light.
A corner of the dark sky was illuminated.
One could see dense lightning, heavenly fire, gale winds, icebergs... shuttling between the six sacred swords, producing a deep, rumbling sound.
Bao Lie said, "You are one of the six sword-bearers of the Town Prison Ancient Clan, but what you bear are only the subsidiary swords. The six mother swords are all pressing down on the Underworld King."