Chapter 1162: Might of the Netherworld King
As a wave subsided, another wave rose. The Netherworld King of the underground world kicked up waves once again. As compared to the previous time, the reactions of the various great Factions were extremely intense. Their people had been openly killed at the Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e!
Furthermore, they died very cleanly and were completely annihilated! The cruel methods of the Netherworld King left them with no choice. They had to use blood to cleanse this mess.
The Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e became deserted, and even the Merchant Race, who had good relations with many parties, retreated. Meanwhile, all the creatures from the underground world were waiting for the arrival of this battle.
The Dragon’s Head Pub was still open. Even though it was much more deserted, many people besides those from the Factions remained in the Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e. Some were brave, while many unfortunate ones had settled down with their families here and had no choice but to stay behind and watch this battle. Of course, there were also many opportunistic people who wanted to use this chance to purchase goods at the Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e without restraint.
“Not sure if the Netherworld River Wanderer will still come and trade…” One of these opportunistic people was drinking wine and finding a topic to talk about out of boredom.
“He is no longer a Wanderer, but a reincarnation of the Netherworld King. However, how can he possibly defeat the experts from the Factions by standing on the sh.o.r.e?” Haiyeh spoke with fervor. He was an outstanding figure among the opportunistic mob and was skilled at finding opportunities among danger. He then turned to the boss of the pub. “Boss, how does it sound? The price that I proposed is already very fair.”
“Heh heh, astute Haiyeh, you’re not the only one with the spirit of adventure.”
“Aren’t you worried that the Factions will eventually take away your shop in the end? Do you think that the Factions will allow this place to freely develop after such a big move? You know that I am not taking this shop for myself. After all, I’m already earning money from my other endeavors.”
“Are you sure that the Factions will win?” The boss refuted him unwillingly.
“I understand yours and everyone’s feelings. You’ve invested almost everything here. But, you see, how could the Factions possibly lose? Before they were serious, the alliance of Factions was already terrifying enough. Furthermore, the Factions are furious! Previously, they activated a half-Gold Core. What do you think they will do this time?”
Haiyeh shook his head. He was not lying and was stepping forth on behalf of a great figure from a great Faction. He received extremely accurate information that there was an emergency at the Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e. The dearest grandchild of an almighty figure had died in the hands of the Netherworld King.
“You mean…”
“Shh! That’s right. That almighty figure is now here.” Haiyeh nodded his head. He enjoyed this moment greatly as his news had shocked the entire pub. He knew that after this, his purchase would be successful…
BAM…
A violent vibration disrupted Haiyeh’s joy. Everyone trembled as they sensed the terrifying aura from the vibrations in the air.
A Gold Core!
That almighty Gold Core had taken action!
“Glug…” Haiyeh wanted to speak, but when he opened his mouth, he found that he could not even utter a word. It was as if his throat was stuck. Air flowed in and out of his mouth, but he could not make his throat produce any sounds. He could only continuously swallow his saliva.
Fear spread in the air, and almost no one dared to move. However, there was always someone who was brave enough. They moved their body and struggled free from the terrifying Gold Core aura. Then, they rushed out of the pub, wanting to witness this battle. If they were able to see a Gold Core expert take action, even if they had invested everything in this place that could soon be destroyed, it would not be much of a loss to them.
Haiyeh also rushed out while panting heavily.
The boss followed him and tightly furrowed his eyebrows but did not say anything.
Very quickly, they saw the sh.o.r.e of the Netherworld River. In the distance, hundreds of experts from the Factions surrounded a baldie.
“It’s the Netherworld Faction!”
“That’s…”
Several dozen experts stood in midair. An elder with a white beard and white hair was holding a long spear. He was the one who had radiated the aura that caused the air to tremble.
“That’s Elder Musin from the Underworld Faction!”
“He’s real!”
The boss was dumbfounded as he looked at Musin, who was in midair. It was as if all the power in the boss’s body had been sucked out. He could already predict that the pub he had spent everything on would become the personal property of the Underworld Faction. Once again, he would have nothing left.
“That’s the Netherworld King? That baldie?”
“That’s the Netherworld River Wanderer.”
“Fool, the Netherworld River Wanderer is the Netherworld King!”
“From the previous murder at the Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e, the strength of the Netherworld King should approximately be that of a Solid Core. Tsk. As expected of the Three Great Factions, a Gold Core expert is personally attending to this matter. They are not giving the Netherworld King any chance of survival.”
“In the underground world, it’s alright if you provoke some small Factions, but if you offend the Three Great Factions, heh. Even the Netherworld King will become an insect to be swatted.”
When they saw Musin in midair, people in the distance stopped to watch this. The Underworld Faction obviously wanted to a.s.sert their dominance in public and did not stop the rising number of people who rushed to the battlefield.
Haiyeh smiled and looked at the boss, wanting to strike the iron while it was hot. Just as he was about to speak, a thunderous sound reverberated from the Netherworld River.
The Netherworld King had taken action!
“You fellow! Die!” Musin shouted angrily and raised his spear into the sky. In an instant, a black whirlpool surged from the spear, and the surrounding spiritual power flowed into the spear. It was as if the entire underground world was swaying at this instant. A Gold Core expert was the limit that the Land could accommodate.
The Underworld Faction disciples standing in the surroundings were fine, but for those who watched the battle and Elder Musin from a distance, it became more and more difficult for them to breathe. It was as if they were in a storm. They swayed and almost fell. This was a Gold Core, who could easily cause the world to s.h.i.+ft. Once one took action, the surrounding spiritual power would turn into a wave of spiritual pressure that acc.u.mulated towards them. Gold Cores would not move easily. However, once they moved, the world would change.
Musin coldly looked at the so-called Netherworld King below him. Fortunately, one of Musin’s distant grandchildren had died at the Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e’s, causing him to pay a huge price for this; thus, he was allowed to break the rules and personally take revenge. However, this was worth it. He would expose the secret of the Netherworld King wandering about the Netherworld River. Perhaps the underground world that had trapped him would obtain freedom because of this secret.
The Netherworld Spear in his hand was now full of spiritual power, which was destroyed and transformed into a long pitch-black snake. At this moment, he saw the baldie suddenly raise his head.
There was a strange smile on the baldie’s head. His opened lips exposed two rows of snow-white teeth.
Boom…
It was like a clap of thunder, but it also seemed as if Chaos from the ancient times had broken free. Then, the smile that Musin saw turned into a terrifying existence.
“Die!”
Crash.
The Netherworld Spear transformed into a ma.s.sive devouring python that leaped out.
However, a hand slightly tapped the sky, and the swift python suddenly trembled and curled up before rapidly shrinking. Then, it fell between two fingers like a small insect.
“I killed it.”
Musin’s expression turned dark, and he suddenly let out a long cry. Then, the several hundred Underworld Faction disciples, who had not understood the situation, shouted out in unison and raised the weapons in their hands. Spiritual power rose from their hands as countless techniques were being prepared.
The Netherworld King tilted his head, but the smile on his face was unchanged. A voice emerged from between his lips and tongue. “Punish them.”
BAM…
They all turned into dust!
In the distance, the observers shrieked in fright.
Haiyeh’s entire body was trembling, while the boss beside him was in an even worse state. He was sitting on the ground in fright as he muttered, “We’re dead, we’re dead. We’re done for!”
They had never seen such a sight before. This was unimaginable and unbelievable! Those were several hundred experts from the Underworld Faction! They had even made a formation to resist the enemy. When faced with such a formation, even a Gold Core… or the Ten Great Kings in the Land would have to spend some time to personally eliminate it. Furthermore, a true Gold Core expert, Elder Musin, was at its center!
However, all of these were useless. The several dozen Underworld Faction experts in the air and 100 of its disciples on the ground had all turned into shadows the moment the Netherworld King said the words “punish them”. They disappeared in the air like smoke.
Only Gold Core Musin was still in the air. However, his state was extremely miserable. His robe was ripped into pieces, and scars densely covered his skin as if he had experienced countless slashes.
“Gold Core true form, protect me and make me invincible!” Musin roared in shock, and a golden light burst forth from his body. His true body instantly broke out of his humanoid form. Then, an aura that was 10 times more powerful than before burst forth from his true form like an explosion.
In the distance, Haiyeh hurriedly clutched his neck. This time, he could not breathe at all as spiritual pressure ripped through the air. Spiritual power was sucked up and turned into pressure, causing the surrounding air to turn as solid as stone. This was Elder Musin’s Gold Core true form! The world seemed to have become an unbreathable s.p.a.ce because of his strength.
However, the Netherworld King was an exception. He looked up at Musin and furrowed his eyebrows. “I don’t like looking up to talk to people who only shout loudly.”
Then, he snapped his fingers.
Boom!
Musin could not believe this as he stretched out his fragmenting body. With his strength as a Gold Core, his soul could keep him in place. However, very quickly, he realized that his body was controllably flying towards that terrifying existence. The Netherworld King could devour souls!
Intense fear shrouded his mind. This was equivalent to completely murdering him…
However, Musin did not leave anything behind or even resist. He could only become a supplement for the Netherworld King.
Haiyeh instantly panted heavily. The spiritual pressure in the surroundings went back to normal, as if nothing had happened at all. Then, he saw the baldie standing in front of him.
Haiyeh’s face instantly turned ghastly pale. He looked past the baldie and looked at the sky.
There was nothing. Elder Musin was gone.
Pa!
A sound pulled back Haiyeh’s frightened mind. He saw the pub boss kneeling in front of the Netherworld King. His head was on the ground as he let out a prayer that sounded like a whimper. “Great Netherworld King, I am willing to offer everything to you!”
Mu Zi blinked and looked at the burly man who had curled up into a small ball in front of him. He stretched out his hand and held the boss, causing the boss to float. “You are very smart and very lucky.”
Haiyeh was dumbfounded as he looked at the pub boss, who was hovering in midair. A black ray of light circulated around the boss’s body. Haiyeh could sense that the boss’s aura was growing stronger and stronger from the stimulation of this light!
BAM…
The boss revealed his true form as a member of the Bear Race. There was a snow-white half-moon on his pitch-black chest, which meant that he was ordinary. But now, this snow-white half-moon split, and a second moon mark appeared on his chest.
“You truly believe in me, so I will bestow you with evolution.” Mu Zi stretched out his hand and pressed lightly against the boss’s forehead. A strange vein was imprinted on the Bear person’s fur, and it disappeared into his skin.
Then, Mu Zi turned to look at Haiyeh.
Bang.
Haiyeh knelt down as he looked at Mu Zi, while his heart palpitated in fear. “Netherworld King, please accept my faith.”
Mu Zi looked at his gaze and smiled. “Your belief is full of doubt. This is a capital crime, but I am very happy today, so I will give you a chance.”
Whoos.h.!.+
The Netherworld Snake Spear that Elder Musin had used flew in front of Haiyeh. At that moment, it was no longer a spear, but an agile Netherworld snake. “I will bestow you with power.”
Bang.
The Netherworld snake went into Haiyeh’s body. In an instant, his body suddenly exploded and revealed his Sea Dragon Race true form, allowing him to spread a pair of wings. However, at this moment, pitch-black Netherworld-snake lightning circulated around his wings, and great power surged into his body.
Haiyeh simply felt his ears ringing and his eyes flas.h.i.+ng. After a long time, he finally became sober. He immediately learned from the pub boss and placed his head on the ground, cracking the ground before Mu Zi’s feet. “Master, whatever you want me to propagate, I will propagate it to the ears of every creature in this world.”
“Tell them what happened here. Also…” Mu Zi paused slightly. The smile on his face deepened by 30%. “I’m from the Earth.”
The entire Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e and the entire underground world would change because of this battle.
‘Mu Zi, look. My method was correct. We are one. If you are an Earthling, then I am an Earthling as well.’
The response was silence from the other soul…
…
At that moment, there was no one in the sword refinery room at the Creation Star Ring. Senior Lavel was not waiting for him in the room, but the flames in the furnace were fired up. Meanwhile, the forged second-stage Soul Steel was quietly lying on the table of tools.
“You’re here?” Senior Lavel’s voice sounded behind him. There was a slight hint of fatigue in her voice. It was obvious that she definitely had not rested for the past few days in order to accelerate the speed of the sword refining.
“Senior Sister.”
Lavel nodded her head. He could see some water droplets on her face, as if she had just cleaned the other side of the room. She did not talk about the Life and Death Arena incident and simply pointed at the Soul Steel at the side. “The third stage of forging the sword needs your a.s.sistance throughout the whole process. The process of forging is also a process of nurturing. Integrate your blood with it. The individual aura is thickest in the blood. If your Soul Power waveband is the soul of your sword spirit, then your blood and aura will form the body that contains the soul. Not a single one is dispensable.”
Lao w.a.n.g was somewhat touched. Just by looking at Lavel’s att.i.tude, he knew that this was not the time to blabber on. He walked over and picked up the Soul Steel.
This felt completely different from when he had nurtured the Soul Steel for the first time. Back then, the Soul Steel felt like a piece of material and a non-living object in his hands. But right now, the Soul Steel felt like an egg in his hands that was nurturing a flouris.h.i.+ng vitality and went beyond the definition of a material or a non-living thing.
Furthermore, its outer sh.e.l.l was extremely hard, and its material density was very high. It was only large enough to be held in his hands, but with Lao w.a.n.g’s current strength, he had to put in some effort to hold it. It was heavy and pressed against his hand, and seemed several times heavier than the Falling Star heavy sword he had exchanged.
Lao w.a.n.g silently admired this but did not stop his actions. He lightly swept his left index finger across his wrist, and blood surged forth, flowing onto the Soul Steel.
The extremely st.u.r.dy metal material that covered the surface of the Soul Steel rapidly “boiled”, as if w.a.n.g Zhong’s blood was scalding lava. As a result, the surface of the metal was so hot that it changed shape, and ma.s.sive bubbles appeared.
The insides of the Soul Steel then greedily absorbed all his blood without wasting a drop. His blood simply “flew” into the Soul Steel. Meanwhile, the extremely active life inside the Soul Steel flourished even more. w.a.n.g Zhong even felt as if he could faintly hear the immature squeaking sound of the strange lifeform.
“That’s enough.” Senior Lavel measured the amount for him. “Stop dripping your blood and switch to channeling your Soul Power waveband. The change in frequency must be rapid, and the peaks should be lengthened as much as possible.”
w.a.n.g Zhong followed her instructions exactly. When he channeled his spiritual power, the flouris.h.i.+ng life in the Soul Steel was somewhat shocked and furious. Lao w.a.n.g could sense these feelings. The unconscious Soul Steel life had some conflict with his spiritual power and aura.
“Don’t care about that. Stabilize your Soul Power waveband frequency, and do not change your rhythm,” Lavel immediately reminded him.
w.a.n.g Zhong nodded his head and continued to balance the channeling of his spiritual power. The rhythm of his Soul Power frequency, including the rapidly changing frequency and the lengthened peaks, caused the Soul Steel life to feel very uncomfortable. This was very normal. Anyone who was leisurely drinking coffee and reading a book in their home would feel unhappy if a group of brats suddenly came to their door and made a commotion outside, or even inside, one’s house.
Lao w.a.n.g could feel the Soul Steel life forcibly resisting this out of instinct. It was rejecting w.a.n.g Zhong’s insertion of spiritual power and was trying to break the rhythm of his spiritual power frequency.
At first, this resistance was rather immature. After all, it was a vague instinct and consciousness that had just been born. However, it learned very quickly. In the short span of three to five seconds, this resistance was so intense that it was difficult for Lao w.a.n.g to dominate the situation. There were many times when his spiritual power frequency was unstable, and it was much harder for him to channel his spiritual power. It was as if the life of the Soul Steel had actively sealed itself off, making it very difficult for w.a.n.g Zhong’s spiritual power to pa.s.s through its material surface and enter its internal body.
The final step of forging and nurturing a sword did not allow any regrets or mistakes. A small error would cause the entire process to fail. He continued to increase his spiritual power when he sensed the resistance from the consciousness of the Soul Steel, but Lao w.a.n.g was slightly worried. He looked towards Lavel, who was beside him, with a questioning gaze.
This had obviously gone beyond the difficulty level of refining a personal piece of equipment.
Since he was going to refine personal equipment, Lavel had looked up on some general refining knowledge regarding advanced personal equipment in the library. The difficulty of forging the equipment lay with the forger, not the client. Even though forming the equipment spirit was the client’s job, this was a very simple process. As long as the forger made a small rune, this could suppress the consciousness of the equipment spirit, preventing it from resisting. There was no need to test the strength of the client. Furthermore, with Senior Lavel’s equipment refinery experience, it was obvious that she could not possibly not know such general knowledge. However, she had skipped out on this step…
“As its owner, you must depend on yourself to conquer the birth of the equipment spirit.” Lavel seemingly had no intention of providing any help.
Her voice faintly sounded beside his ear. “If you cannot even overcome this, then you have no qualifications to use this level-4 equipment. You should go home while it’s still early.”
Lao w.a.n.g felt a chill in his heart. He instantly understood what Lavel meant.