Chapter 341

"Hehe, I will wait for you in the future. Your name is Lin Yi, right? I will remember this name, hehe——"

The Blood God did not forget to make a threat before this body died.

"No, you won't live to see the future."

Lin Yi shook his head, and before the Blood God could say anything else, the massive snake body before him had already been crushed into pure spiritual energy.

This spiritual energy merged into the lake. In the future, this place might truly become a spiritual land, and perhaps, by that time, a Sect might even be born here.

Above Lin Yi's palm, a speck of blood light floated, wrapped in his spiritual energy. He glanced at it; this was a Blood God Child, the same thing as the object inside Su Qingshan's body. Although the snake body had been erased, this Clone of the Blood God was not yet dead. The Blood God Child was the true main body, much like a fungus parasitic on a tree.

Lin Yi transformed into a stream of light and flew high into the sky. Ever since he had shrouded the Human Realm with his Divine Sense, suppressed everything, and thoroughly exposed himself, he had little time left. It would not be long before those Immortal Kings and Demon Sovereigns arrived outside the Human Realm.

Through the heart of the Divine Tree, he could perceive that those Immortal Kings and Demon Sovereigns were attempting to descend into this world via the Xun Wood, one of the four Dao Trees. He shook his head, moved his mind slightly, and thus…

In the boundless Void Realm, four massive, towering ancient trees were deeply rooted. Their branches swayed with an unknown rhythm, and whenever they trembled slightly, they stirred up countless ripples in the Void Realm. Each ripple was capable of obliterating a Half-step Dao Synthesis Cultivator.

Only a Dao Harmonizer could barely maintain their existence within these ripples, but if the ripples were too large, those Dao Harmonizers with little Essence of Reason would also perish and have their Dao extinguished.

Time passed slowly. Seemingly receiving some kind of message, the roots of the four ancient trees slowly tightened, surrounding the massive world located at the center. The branches and roots plunged into the world, binding the other two Small Worlds surrounding the Human Realm, dividing them into three parts.

Consequently, those Immortal Kings and Demon Sovereigns who had attempted to descend via the Ruomu were cast out by the ancient trees like refuse. They were bewildered and at a loss, looking at the surrounding Void Realm and then at each other.

At this moment, they could not even return to their own worlds; they had no choice but to break through the boundary of the Yueming Domain, step into the nothingness, and then return to the Immortal Realm and the Netherworld by entering other domains and using the domain rifts as passages.

"Tai Hao? Shao Hao? Why is it just the two of you?"

Huang Tu stood in the Void Realm, looking doubtfully at the two Immortal Kings who had been cast out just like him.

"It was Tai Yi's order."

Shao Hao had tried to use brute force to enter the Human Realm, but unsurprisingly, he failed. He was in no mood to joke, his tone icy.

Tai Hao silently watched the ancient Dao Tree with its tangled branches and vast, primitive aura. He tried to bring his power closer, but was repelled. If he hadn't been quick to discard that power, the backlash from the Dao Tree might have given him quite a hard time.

Although his injuries were lighter than those of Si Zhong and Si Ming and he had recovered quite easily, he was not fully healed. There were still some defects in his Essence of Reason. If he were to suffer this backlash, he would likely end up like Si Ming and the others…

"They hadn't fully healed from their injuries, yet they sent us here."

Tai Hao withdrew his gaze and looked at the five Demon Sovereigns opposite him. His voice was soft and carried a hint of peace. "The five of you also suffered significant injuries back then. What? Did that person not show any compassion?"

"Hehe——"

Hearing this, the Calamity Ghost bared its fangs, wanting to pounce directly. Seeing this, Shao Hao frowned and flew to stand beside Tai Hao.

"Enough, Calamity Ghost."

Huang Tu reached out to stop Hanba. Just a moment ago, it had clearly been in a violent state, but now it showed some wisdom and rationality.

The Lord of the Underworld and the others silently watched Tai Hao and Shao Hao opposite them. They all understood that among the two Immortal Kings, Tai Hao was the most difficult one to deal with. With just a single sentence, he wanted to sow discord between them and Jiuku, wanting to make them descend into internal chaos.

"Hehe, where is Chang Yi? Did you completely infuriate her?"

Yinsi smiled eerily and quietly appeared behind Tai Hao and Shao Hao. Its voice was ghostly, making Shao Hao unable to help but draw a ceremonial sword. The golden blade scattered endless radiance as he slashed directly at Yinsi.

Yinsi quietly vanished from its spot again. When it reappeared, it was behind Huang Tu and the others, causing Shao Hao's strike to land on empty space, merely stirring up countless ripples in the Void Realm.

Yinsi was really touching a sore spot. Under Tai Yi's instructions, Chang Yi had been spending her time clearing out the remnants of Immortal Emperor Qiming's forces. Upon returning, she learned that Fairy Yue had fallen into the Human Realm and that the Taiyin had been lost… Heaven knows how terrifying the Immortal Realm was that day. If Tai Yi hadn't intervened, she likely would have turned the entire Immortal Realm into ruins.

"Gu——"

Tu Bo gnashed its teeth, glaring covetously at Tai Hao and Shao Hao opposite.

"Do you want to fight? Hehehehe, I'm not good at fighting. You guys go ahead."

Although it said that, the Lord of the Underworld still mobilized its Essence of Reason. A Nether Moon rose behind it, illuminating the Void Realm, with materialized Essence of Reason surging within the Nether Moon behind its head.

"Hehe——"

The Calamity Ghost also slightly crouched, its body wreathed in visible Essence of Reason. The Void Realm reflected a crimson earth, which surged toward the opposite side in layer upon layer.

"Fight! Fight!! Fight!!"

Yinsi floated uncertainly, whispering in everyone's ears.

The atmosphere between them had reached an extremely tense level. If someone were to truly make a move, they would likely start infighting right here before they even found that Dao Harmonizer of the Human Realm, right?

Shao Hao frowned and also mobilized his Essence of Reason, wrapping it around his ceremonial sword. The golden blade flickered with a phantom image, resembling an emperor.

Chapter 454: You Probably Won't Be Able to Go Back.

"Tai Hao?"

Shao Hao turned slightly, using his peripheral vision to observe Tai Hao's expression. If there was even the slightest sign of intent from him, even if he were facing five Demon Sovereigns, some of whom were superior to himself, he would dare to charge forward and use his sword to carve out a victorious future.

Tai Hao's expression was calm, seemingly blind to this tense standoff. "Enough, we are all working for that Lord. Perhaps you do not fear Tai Yi, but I think, when the time comes, you won't be able to get past Goddess of Salvation, will you?"

"Hehe——"

The Calamity Ghost's expression became increasingly ferocious, and the crimson earth behind it began to boil. It paid no heed to Tai Hao's threat, but seeing that its colleagues beside it hadn't moved, it had no choice but to stand its ground.

"Gu?"

Tu Bo looked toward the Lord of the Underworld and Huang Tu. If they said it was okay to attack, it wouldn't care. Anyway, if they were to be punished, all five of them would be punished together, so it didn't fear anything.

As for Yinsi, who was still chattering away and stoking the fire… Huang Tu threw a punch that scattered the dense Yin Qi of Yinsi's Incarnation, finally bringing some peace to his ears. The other Demon Sovereigns didn't care about this matter, and Tai Hao and Shao Hao opposite also ignored it.

The Lord of the Underworld's Nether Moon suddenly dissipated, and its stern face also became amiable, though it still looked somewhat sinister. "Alright, alright, Tai Hao is right. We are all working for that Lord. Putting on an act in daily life is fine, but now that we are here for the same matter, how can we fight amongst ourselves?"

"Hmm? Isn't it said that this is all their doing?"

Yinsi seemed quite surprised, appearing beside the Lord of the Underworld in a flash, moving away from Huang Tu, who had just punched it.

The Lord of the Underworld gave Yinsi a helpless look. We are all old foxes who have lived for thousands or tens of thousands of years; what kind of tricks are you trying to play with me? What was said before was just talk, but no one knew the specific situation. The words Tai Hao just spoke already implied that this matter had nothing to do with them.

Furthermore, they were also here to find the reason, and they had all been slapped out by the Xun Wood together. Now that they were in the same predicament, it was still here sowing discord… The Lord of the Underworld was considering whether to let Goddess of Salvation give Yinsi a good lesson afterward. Playing around in daily life was fine, but it couldn't even control its mouth at such a critical moment…

Tai Hao was well aware of Yin Si's temperament and paid no mind to its words. It was evident that the Lord of the Underworld was the backbone of the opposing group, with the other Demon Venerables gathered around him. "Lord of the Underworld, do you have any clues regarding this?"

"Shouldn't that be our line?" Huang Tu's tone was extremely impolite.

"Show some respect, Huang Tu!" Shao Hao sprang forward, the Ceremonial Sword in his hand, which had yet to dissipate, solidifying once more. He was furious, truly resembling a deity descending from the high heavens.

"Shao Hao." Tai Hao spoke flatly. Shao Hao snorted, glared at Huang Tu, then obediently stood back behind Tai Hao.

"Just a dog raised by Tai Hao." Huang Tu sneered. Unfortunately, this time, Shao Hao on the opposite side ignored him—oh, wait, he didn't ignore him, but after receiving another glance from Tai Hao, he retracted his steps. Hmm, that made him look even more like a pet dog.

"Lord of the Underworld." Tai Hao looked toward the Lord of the Underworld. The Lord of the Underworld sighed and looked at the arrogant-looking Huang Tu. "Huang Tu." There was no such complex relationship between them as there was between Tai Hao and Shao Hao. When the Lord of the Underworld looked over, Huang Tu glared right back, sporting an attitude of 'Heaven is number one, and I am number two.'

However, the Lord of the Underworld still had a way to keep Huang Tu in check. He issued a direct threat: "You have ruined the Goddess's plan and delayed the task she assigned. Let's see how you explain yourself to the Goddess when the time comes!"

Huang Tu's expression stiffened slightly. He had not expected the Lord of the Underworld to actually resort to snitching. How was this any different from a child in the mortal world running to their parents? Oh, wait, this was even more shameless! He could only snort in response and fall silent.

Seeing this, the Lord of the Underworld nodded with satisfaction. Thus, the two parties, already fraught with conflict, finally had time to compare notes. The side of the Immortal Kings was led by Tai Hao, and the side of the Demon Venerables was led by the Lord of the Underworld; they began to discuss countermeasures within the Void Realm.

"I have already transmitted the news from here back to the base. Tai Yi should take some action. This matter… I don't believe it is something those stray dogs could have accomplished." Tai Hao observed the three worlds currently surrounded by the Dao Wood.

"If they possessed such strength, would they still be hiding from us every day? If they had sealed the Immortal Realm back then, preventing us from entering or leaving, why would we be in a situation where we don't even have a place to set foot now?" Huang Tu sneered.

"I have also informed the Goddess of Salvation regarding the unexpected situation here. There has been no word from her side yet, but we cannot sit idly by and wait for death. Who knows what the state of the Human Realm is like right now." The Lord of the Underworld stroked his glossy, black, magnificent beard.

"Heh heh—" The Calamity Ghost jumped out and shook its head affirmatively, indicating that it did not know. "I wasn't talking about you."

Yin Si, perhaps made nervous by the Lord of the Underworld's eerie gaze earlier, now restrained its nature and became slightly more serious. "Since it wasn't done by you, and it wasn't done by us, yet someone is now able to drive these Dao Wood… Could it be that she has returned?"

Once these words were spoken, everyone fell silent. Although Tai Hao and the others had long considered this possibility, having Yin Si voice it aloud still made everyone uneasy. After all, that person was an existence who had suppressed them single-handedly for nearly a hundred thousand years. Even now, after having received cultivation from that Lord, they lacked the desire or courage to resist. If they were to face that Immortal Emperor now… they would surely die, wouldn't they?

"Don't be so dejected. Even if she has made a comeback, her strength cannot possibly be what it was ten thousand years ago. If we face her now, it is not certain that we cannot win." Yin Si offered an awkward smile, its tone impassioned; yet, even though it was being serious now, there was still an indelible hint of instigation in its voice, causing Tai Hao and the others to look at it in silence.

"That is indeed true. Furthermore, if it is her, we can always request that Lord to take action, can we not? That Lord would surely be very interested in her!" The Lord of the Underworld spoke, breaking the silence.

"Enough! Regardless of whether it is her or not, let us first discuss our current predicament. These are things to be discussed later!" Unable to bear the unsettling atmosphere, Shao Hao waved the Ceremonial Sword in his hand with a hint of aggression. Sword Qi surged, shattering and erasing vast ripples in the Void Realm.

"That is not for us to consider. Let Tai Yi and the others worry about that." Tai Hao reached out and pressed down slightly. "Furthermore, I have attempted a forceful assault, and just as before, the Dao Wood is somewhat resistant."

"What about the method provided by that Lord? Have you tried it?" the Lord of the Underworld asked. Tai Hao nodded. "I have tried it, but it has become ineffective. The Dao Wood refuses to communicate, as if… above us, there is an existence of a higher level that has excluded us."

"That shouldn't be… Did the Lord not say that even if she returned, she would have no way to control the Dao Wood again? Even the Lord can only interfere slightly, unless the Yueming Domain is completely breached…" Yin Si muttered to itself.

"There is no such thing as 'shouldn't be.' If all else fails, let us pool the strength of everyone here and attempt to open a breach. We are already here; it is impossible for us to simply retreat!" There was an aura of slaughter between Shao Hao's brows. Compared to the Lord of the Underworld, he, this Immortal King, seemed more like a Demon Venerable.

"Heh heh—" The Calamity Ghost jumped out, raising both hands in agreement. "Gugu." Tu Bo also jumped out, raising both hands and feet in agreement. Seeing this, the flesh on the Calamity Ghost's body kept bulging and collapsing. Finally, a pair of arms and a pair of feet broke out from behind it. It raised four hands and four feet in agreement. After doing so, it gave Tu Bo a triumphant look. Tu Bo naturally refused to be outdone. And so, before the eyes of the Immortal Kings and Demon Venerables, two monsters capable of stopping a child's midnight crying were quickly formed…

The Lord of the Underworld and the others paid no mind. The two sides exchanged a look and immediately understood each other's intentions. Even Tai Hao and the Lord of the Underworld did not object, deciding to combine the strength of all present to attempt to open a breach in the Human Realm—attacking the Dao Wood would result in a backlash, but surely attacking the boundary of the Human Realm would not result in a backlash, right?

The group acted without delay. The inhuman Calamity Ghost and Tu Bo also returned to their original forms. All seven of them simultaneously channeled their Essence of Reason; some were as glorious as descending Heavenly Gods, others were as gloomy as Ghost Kings descending to the mortal realm; there were manifestations of scorched earth spanning a thousand miles, and scenes of swallowing the Netherworld… The combined power of the seven gathered together and plummeted toward the Human Realm…

Under the watchful eyes of all, this attack, which was sufficient to raze the entire Human Realm to the ground… when it struck the boundary of the Human Realm, it did not stir up a single ripple. In fact, even the ripples in the Void Realm that had been smoothed out by this strike were calmed down.

"How can this be…" Huang Tu was somewhat surprised. Tai Hao also frowned. In the past, they had not been without attempts to break through the barrier of the Three Realms. Even if they acted individually, it would cause some fluctuations in the Three Realms barrier; although slight, it was sufficient. Yet now, having combined the power of all seven, there was not the slightest reaction?

"No, this is wrong!!" Tai Hao's expression shifted slightly. With a wave of his hand, he swept up Shao Hao, who seemed to have not yet reacted, and fled into the depths of the Void Realm. The Lord of the Underworld beside him also sensed something; he simultaneously grabbed Huang Tu and the Calamity Ghost, and followed behind Tai Hao, fleeing into the depths of the Void Realm.

In the instant after the group had departed, a tremendous surge of energy swept past. Several roots of the Dao Wood lashed out from the Void Realm, darting toward the depths of the void, but ultimately failed to capture them, and retreated wearily.

At this moment, the seven Immortal Kings and Demon Venerables finally came to a halt within the Void Realm, their expressions shifting uncertainly as they gazed at the Three Realms in the distance, guarded by the Dao Wood.

"These Dao Wood have protected the Human Realm?" The Lord of the Underworld frowned. Had it not been for Tai Hao's keen perception just now, they would have been struck by the backlash of their own power and captured by those Dao Wood tentacles. While these things did not pose a major problem for them, it would have been embarrassing enough, and had their luck been worse, they might have even been seriously injured.