Chapter 156: The Appearance of the Underworld Mark

"Little thief, how dare you!"

A thunderous roar echoed within Baili Feihong's mind.

The Kunpeng demon spirit's body swelled violently, beginning to transform from its current form resembling a kun.

Its wings, which seemed to blot out the sky, continuously expanded.

A terrifying demon-god bloodline was awakening, and wisps of black mist emanated from its body, eroding all the forces binding it.

"Trying to break through? If I let you succeed, what face would I, Baili Feihong, have left?"

Baili Feihong sneered a few times.

A huge cauldron materialized behind him, dark yellow in color, with tens of thousands of primordial cauldron primal energies cascading down to shroud Baili Feihong.

"Suppressing Demon Six Paths Scripture, suppress!"

The colossal cauldron entered from the flaw of the formation. Once inside, it transformed into a towering cauldron of ten thousand zhang, pressing down upon the Kunpeng demon spirit that had bared its sky-covering wings.

"Plunder of All Things!"

The full might of the Demon-Suppressing Stakes converged upon Baili Feihong.

In an instant, tens of thousands of stars in the firmament cascaded downward.

"Supreme Divine Ability: Zhou Tian Stars, Eternal Stars Enter My Body, Slay!"

This was the supreme divine ability recorded within the Suppressing Demon Six Paths Scripture, the one and only supreme technique.

Using his acupoints to draw billions of stars into his body, he harnessed supreme might through his World-Suppressing Dharma Manifestation.

The Cauldron of All Things Returning to Origin was Baili Feihong's Dharma Form of Heaven and Earth.

Though he had not yet reached the Dharma Manifestation Realm, the Cauldron of All Things Returning to Origin, woven from more than a hundred divine ability powers, possessed a quality inferior to no Dharma Manifestation.

As the power of eternal stars entered his body, Baili Feihong's aura continuously rose.

His physique, naturally resilient, could withstand ten times his own bodily strength in stellar energy.

Buzz~~~

In an instant, the entire Demon-Suppressing Array shattered.

The Kunpeng demon spirit was swallowed whole in a single gulp by the massive Cauldron of All Things Returning to Origin.

Streams of stellar fire, stained with bloody flames and using the Cauldron of All Things Returning to Origin as a furnace, began to refine the Kunpeng demon spirit.

East Bin City.

A wisp of white smoke drifted past. She resembled an immortal fairy stepping forth from ancient times, stunningly beautiful yet icy, proud, and peerless.

"The Demon-Suppressing Array has finally broken."

Had it not been for the Demon-Suppressing Array, she would never have suffered such misery.

Of course, this could not be separated from the manipulations of the Divine Inspection Office.

"The Dayuan Empire, the Divine Inspection Office, the Demon-Suppressing Office..."

"Ruining this lady's good deeds—did you really think everything would go your way?"

The Ancient Profound Ice Maiden, Han Su, gazed coldly toward the Demon-Suppressing Tower in East Bin City.

Gongyang Jue had actually managed to cling to life and survive until now.

This petty thief—surely the world knew nothing of his original true face.

The aura conveyed by the Martial Saint's token could not possibly be wrong.

Han Su could sense that familiar aura; even after ten thousand years, it remained repulsive.

It was he who had stolen what originally belonged to her, ultimately causing her death. Had her elder brother not risked his life to pilfer the power of the Yellow Springs to preserve her physical body and will, she would have long since turned to dust.

"However, without the Yellow Springs Bone Flower, you have reached your limit as well."

Han Su wore a playful smile. To obtain the Yellow Springs Bone Flower, one had to venture deep into the Yellow Springs to acquire it.

With a pale, bloodless jade hand, she grasped into the void, gathering countless radiance between her palms.

The mortal Ghost Realm instantly turned to flying ash. For hundreds of years, the wandering spirits and stray ghosts that had failed to enter reincarnation were utterly devoured by her unique Yellow Springs demon physique.

Baili Feihong, who was refining the Kunpeng demon spirit deep underground, underwent a drastic change in expression. With a single step out of the subterranean depths, he appeared on Mount Dali.

"The Ancient Profound Ice Maiden, Han Su!"

Baili Feihong was slightly astonished.

The breathtaking beauty standing before him was none other than the old acquaintance Baili Feihong was familiar with—the Ancient Profound Ice Maiden Han Su whom he had discovered in the Fu family's ancestral residence.

"I remember you."

The Ancient Profound Ice Maiden absorbed the Yellow Springs imprint into her body. The convergence of ten thousand ghosts' qi made her appear even more unfathomable.

This caused Baili Feihong's expression to sink slightly; she was a formidable opponent.

It seemed he would have to break through his realm this time.

"At the time, you were merely an insignificant Body Tempering Realm cultivator, yet you have already cultivated eighteen blood refinements. In such a short span of a year, even placed within the ancient sects, no one could compare to you."

The Ancient Profound Ice Maiden Han Su sighed in admiration, yet silently took a few steps backward.

The opponent's blood qi restrained her demonic physique.

"Leave the Yellow Springs imprint, and you may leave."

Baili Feihong's expression sank. Letting the Yellow Springs imprint fall into the hands of the Ancient Profound Ice Maiden was by no means a good thing.

"Left Protector, I leave this person to you."

The Ancient Profound Ice Maiden Han Su smiled faintly.

A phantom image materialized in the void, its body existing between illusory and real states. Behind the illusion lay a gloomy, desolate world.

The Underworld's Left Protector, tenth on the Demon-Suppressing Office's wanted list.

"I may not be able to deal with your eighteen blood refinements, but before you defeat me, I can strip away half the lives in East Bin City."

With his face obscured by hazy mist, the Left Protector stated a simple matter with a relaxed tone.

The Ancient Profound Ice Maiden Han Su cast an approving glance at the Left Protector.

"Grand Patriarch, please take your leave first."

The Underworld Left Protector's gaze remained fixed on East Bin City.

Baili Feihong sighed inwardly. In truth, even if the two of them joined forces, he might not necessarily emerge victorious.

Now that the opponent was threatening him with the ordinary citizens within the city, his hands and feet were tied.

Having crossed paths multiple times, the people of the Underworld had already figured out his background.

His surface background, at least.

Yet for safety's sake, they seized upon his weakness in character to threaten him.

"People of the Underworld, evacuate East Bin City completely."

Baili Feihong glared fiercely at the Underworld Left Protector.

"Very well, and for the next century, we shall not set foot in East Bin."

The Ancient Profound Ice Maiden Han Su added, "Your name is Baili Feihong, right? I remember you. Until we meet again."

Light as a swallow, she vanished in the blink of an eye.

Suddenly, Baili Feihong's expression shifted slightly.

The Kunpeng demon spirit suppressed within his body began to act up.

"It seems the Defender Baili still has matters to attend to. I shall not disturb Lord Defender any longer; this Zuo takes his leave."

The Underworld Left Protector stepped into the illusory world and vanished without a trace.

He glanced at Mount Dali; it was still a mountain, yet no longer the same mountain as before.

Clear waters and lush mountains, a place favored by spiritual energy.

Undeniably, Mount Dali was a precious land.

With a single step, he sat cross-legged and began to refine the Kunpeng demon spirit.

The Yellow Springs imprint had been acquired by the Underworld, so the crisis in East Bin City was temporarily resolved.

Ultimately, things did not go as Baili Feihong wished; the Underworld had paid hundreds of years of effort to obtain what they desired.

"Even without the Yellow Springs imprint, with the Yellow Springs secret arts mastered by the Ancient Profound Ice Maiden, it wouldn't be difficult for them to open the Gate of Yellow Springs."

"To have the Yellow Springs imprint snatched away by the people of the Underworld just like that is truly infuriating."

This surge of anger could only be vented upon the Kunpeng demon spirit.

The garrison commanders who had not yet traveled far clearly witnessed all of this.

"Baili Feihong doesn't care about the Gate of Yellow Springs at all; his only concern is the safety of East Bin City."

Guliang Yunmeng gritted her teeth, her hatred for Baili Feihong deepening.

"It is extremely difficult for us to open the Gate of Yellow Springs. The imperial family should understand that aside from the second-generation Chief Inspector, Han Su is the most likely person to open the Gate of Yellow Springs."

Qi Yuntian directly pointed out the core of the issue. The Guliang imperial family desired to obtain the Gate of Yellow Springs and enter the Yellow Springs Road more than anyone else.

The Ancient Profound Ice Maiden Han Su had already acquired the Yellow Springs imprint, and next, the Underworld would attempt to open the Gate of Yellow Springs.

If he were a high-ranking member of the Underworld, he would choose to open the Gate of Yellow Springs in a foreign land.

If they could monitor the Underworld's actions and find the location where they opened the Gate of Yellow Springs, wouldn't that mean the Guliang imperial family would have the opportunity to enter the Yellow Springs Road and step into the mysterious and unknown world of the dead?

Qi Yuntian suddenly realized: if he could think of this method, how could the seniors of the Demon-Suppressing Office, the Divine Inspection Office, and the Guliang imperial family fail to think of it?

"The prophecy has been broken. Although East Bin City lost hundreds of thousands of lives to the demon-god skin mask, it was ultimately preserved. This is a monumental merit."

Qi Yuntian stopped mentioning the Yellow Springs Road and broke into a brilliant smile.

The rest of them smiled bitterly and helplessly.

Indeed, not only had this group of people failed to help, but they had also nearly been completely wiped out.

"Let's go, let the Grand Commander worry about this headache."

After they departed, the figure of Heavenly Guardian Leiyu revealed itself.

"Gongyang Xi, Qi Yuntian is a demon-suppressing seed of the Demon-Suppressing Office. You had better not harbor any designs on him."

Gongyang Xi's figure had unknowingly appeared right behind Heavenly Guardian Leiyu.

"Compared to Baili Feihong, what is Qi Yuntian?"

Gongyang Xi narrowed his eyes, beaming with genuine happiness.

"Giving Gongyang Yan such a hard time—are you testing Baili Feihong's attitude?"

"Hardships reveal true feelings. Yan girl resists everyone internally and is purely devoted to the Dao of the Blade. With the appearance of Baili Feihong, I only hope he doesn't walk the old path of our ancestors. After all, the Heart-Severing Heavenly Blade is no pleasant toy."

Gongyang Xi's words left Leiyu utterly stunned.

The current Gongyang Xi and the Gongyang Xi from just moments ago were practically two different people.

"What are you looking at? I am simply viewing people and matters from the perspective of the family's interests. Jinghong is still too young, and the sects are ultimately not of the same path as us. His starting point is good, but it does not align with our interests."

"Our?"

Leiyu quickly came to his senses. The Guliang imperial family had been able to seize the empire because numerous great clans and noble families supported them from behind, bringing an end to the sects' monopoly over imperial power.

Many of the ancestors of those noble families who had fought for the empire back then were still rumored to be alive.

"This world was won by the blood and sweat of our ancestors. How could we easily yield it? Very well, with Jinghong's talent, after going through this trial, his temperament will gradually mature. For him to act as this short-lived emperor is a complete waste of his talent; if he cannot even see through this, he naturally deserves to suffer a loss."

Gongyang Xi spoke with amiable warmth.

This left Heavenly Guardian Leiyu feeling very unaccustomed.

"If I didn't know you, Elder Xi, I would have been startled by your sudden change. Your so-called family interests—is this because Gongyang Yan was unwilling to marry the Eighteenth Prince, and you saw Baili Feihong's immense talent and potential, that you changed your tune? Truly, family interests supersede everything else."

Heavenly Guardian Leiyu sarcastically remarked.

"You can't pull the wool over Heavenly Guardian Leiyu's fiery golden eyes. Seventeen years old, eighteen blood refinements—this isn't a genius; this is a monster. More importantly, he has no relatives or ties. If he can marry into our Gongyang family as a matrilocal husband, our Gongyang family will rest easy for the next thousand years."

Gongyang Xi stripped away his mask and said happily.

Heavenly Guardian Leiyu shook his head.

This fellow had likely miscalculated.

Baili Feihong would absolutely never marry into the Gongyang family as a matrilocal husband.

Nor did Gongyang Yan have any interest in romantic entanglements.

If the two of them were thrown together, they could be Dao companions, but as lovers? Forget it, they wouldn't strike any sparks.

From the perspective of Leiyu—the reigning king of the imperial capital's pleasure quarters—Gongyang Xi, this second-hand matchmaker, had miscalculated his target.

"The Underworld has taken the bait. What do you all plan to do now?"

Heavenly Guardian Leiyu cut straight to the chase, questioning Gongyang Xi.

"The Taiyi Sect acted far too ruthlessly, but that old fox has been hiding for hundreds of years; even if we wanted to join forces to deal with him, it would be immensely difficult."

Gongyang Xi's eyes flashed with a cold light: "He severed the Guliang imperial family's dream of longevity, which is a good thing. But he should never, ever have blocked all paths and cut off our path to becoming Human Immortals. Who could endure that?"

"The Ancient Profound Ice Maiden knows many ancient secrets. The last Human Immortal to leave was her elder brother, the Underworld Sovereign."

"We released her, disrupting her Yellow Springs Human Immortal path. If she wishes to restore her physical body, she must step onto the Yellow Springs Road."

"The Underworld has been searching for the Yellow Springs Road all these years because this path is passable. After all, the Underworld Sovereign borrowed the Yellow Springs at the cost of nine deaths, leaving behind this world riddled with holes to pursue the footsteps of the demon gods."

After saying this, Gongyang Xi's internal hatred for the Taiyi Sect had not diminished in the slightest.

Attaining sainthood nowadays was even harder than cultivating into a Human Immortal in ancient times.

And the mastermind behind it all was the Taiyi Sect.

Heavenly Guardian Leiyu was left speechless.

He lowered his head, recalling his original aspiration: to resolve the disaster of demons and monsters within the Dayuan borders.

He remembered when he was seven years old, his family falling prey to the bloody fangs of demons and becoming their feast—a nightmare from which he had yet to awaken.

Only when he stood near the pinnacle of the world did he realize how grandiose his dream had truly been.

The calamity of demons could not be solved merely by killing a single demon.

Rather, something was fundamentally wrong with this heaven and earth.

To resolve the demonic calamity, one had to thoroughly eradicate the lingering poisons of the demon gods and restore clarity to the heaven and earth.

Yet the Sea of Demons enveloping human territory was something even a living Human Immortal would find difficult to purge.

Yet everyone cared only for eternal life, paying no heed to the safety of the common people.

As for the prophecy of Dayuan's collapse, the Guliang imperial family was not at all anxious about losing their empire.

What they truly cared about was their own lifespan.

"Then I wish you success."

Heavenly Guardian Leiyu smiled.

The Yellow Springs Road sounded like a treacherous path from the very name.

He had no desire to get involved.

"The emperor has passed away, and the Martial Ancestor Emperor's funeral is about to begin. You should return to the imperial capital as well."

Gongyang Xi sighed.

Among the Heavenly Guardians, Leiyu possessed talent and strength that ranked among the absolute best.

Even he was not confident he could defeat Leiyu.

If Leiyu chose not to participate, it meant losing the assistance of a powerful expert.

"Old man, make sure you don't die."

Heavenly Guardian Leiyu's figure vanished without a trace.

Gongyang Xi shook his head.

The battle had already begun; how could one shrink back?

Whatever happened in East Bin City was merely child's play; once the commotion ended, it was time for serious business.

The prophecy was warning them to act quickly; delay any further, and they would all die.

He looked up toward East Bin City in the distance.

"As the Defender, you must protect the people well. Because the battles to come will be nothing like the farce in East Bin City."

Her existence was a taboo.

Yet her prophecies were highly instructive. By working backward and extrapolating based on historical traces, they became crucial information for many factions to grasp the future.

Prophesying the future was nothing more than deducing a possibility based on all current cause and effect.

In the eyes of those with extremely high cultivation, prophecies, good or bad, were vital intelligence.

The Daoist Master of the Taiyi Sect must have also known of this prophecy.

Had he sensed certain arrangements and plans made by the Martial Ancestor Emperor?

And thus came to execute a decapitation strike, attempting to halt the momentum of everyone's collective will?