Chapter 1179: Falling into the Netherworld River
There was a strange sound. Then, the Netherworld aura in their surroundings suddenly grew several times stronger and strengthened the black barrier.
Bang bang bang bang…
The terrifying collision still continued, but Elder Hades’s bent back was slowly straightening again. In the end, he was not forced to retreat.
w.a.n.g Zhong still seemed to be attacking, but regardless of whether it was in terms of power or might, the attack was nothing compared to before. w.a.n.g Zhong was simply reaching the limits of his strength. The surprised expression on Elder Hades’s expression had vanished and was replaced with rich killing intent. He had almost been defeated by a mere Void Core. Even if it had only almost succeeded, he felt that he had lost face.
“Little fellow, you’ve used your three attacks.” A low voice was transmitted from Elder Hades’s mouth. “Your time of death has arrived!”
He stretched out his dried black claw. Then, the ma.s.sive Netherworld Ghostly Claw swept past and completely shattered all the remaining sword images as easily as trampling on weeds!
However, when the sword images that filled the sky disappeared, he discovered that he had lost his target, who was supposed to be waiting for his death in despair.
Zeng!
A golden figure had rapidly charged into the distance.
If he could not defeat his enemy, then he would run. Lao w.a.n.g had experienced many battles and did not think that his opponent would keep his promise. After all, this was the underground world.
w.a.n.g Zhong did not hesitate at all. When he sensed that his sword images were ineffective, he started to flee. At that moment, he had rapidly fled several dozen kilometers away. If he had a dozen more seconds, he might be able to escape from the range that his opponent’s divine sense could reach. With w.a.n.g Zhong’s hiding abilities, he might even be able to escape this situation. However, when Sword Three lost the support of his spiritual power, it lasted for only a very short time. In the blink of an eye, the remaining power of Sword Three was destroyed, and his opponent’s unavoidable divine sense had locked onto w.a.n.g Zhong.
“Do you think you can escape?” Elder Hades’s voice sounded from the distance. However, before he even finished speaking, his voice was already several dozen meters behind w.a.n.g Zhong! Right after, the ma.s.sive Netherworld Ghostly Claw had descended from the sky. It contained a fatal Netherworld aura and a wave of dense bloodthirstiness. Then, the open palm turned into a claw, as if it was about to catch w.a.n.g Zhong alive.
It was too fast! Lao w.a.n.g was already desperately fleeing using his dragon’s breath true form and his energy wings. He had even put a distance of several dozen kilometers between them, but his opponent had caught up in the blink of an eye.
Not only was there a difference in their basic fundamentals, such as their spiritual power, physical body, and speed, but the Will of the world also acknowledged such almighty Gold Core experts and would give them a certain level of respect. Thus, some natural rules would naturally be dispersed in the area surrounding Gold Core experts, and as a result, Gold Core experts could cause the rules to follow their words to a certain extent. They could not randomly sentence a pa.s.ser-by to death with their words, but if they wanted a favorable wind, then they could have it. If they wanted gravity, spiritual pressure, or other factors, they could achieve these with just a few words. One did not actually need to comprehend and master these rules, as disrupting the simple rules surrounding them took no more than a single thought.
Pa!
In an instant, the five claws had caught up and captured him! He did not sense the actual Netherworld Ghostly Claws. Instead, boundless darkness and bloodthirstiness rapidly surrounded w.a.n.g Zhong in all directions.
Rise of the Dragon!
There was no time for w.a.n.g Zhong to think carefully. A dragon imprint formed in his mind and integrated with the dragon’s breath that was circulated throughout his body. Then, the Rise of the Dragon was born. He drew back his left fist and turned into a beam of golden light. Thereafter, he charged into the ma.s.sive Ghostly Claws head-first.
The Rise of the Dragon, which seemed invincible ever since its appearance, was pressed down before it could even fully stretch out its body.
Pa!
The Netherworld Ghostly Claws were completely closed. However, closely after, they suddenly spread open subconsciously, as if they had been stung by bees. Then, a dim golden light mixed with black Netherworld aura fell out from the palm and rapidly fell downwards. In the blink of an eye…
Plop.
The dim golden light simply fell into the Netherworld River and caused a splash that was neither large nor small.
“Hiss!” Elder Hades furrowed his eyebrows slightly. The Netherworld Ghostly Claws was connected to his own body, and at that moment, it actually felt as if his palm had been fiercely stung. As a result, he could not help but subconsciously open his palm.
Such peculiar spiritual power, such a peculiar soul!
When one reached Elder Hades’s level, it was very difficult for ordinary power to harm him, let alone make him feel a piercing pain. The golden light emitted by that Earthling seemed to have a natural resistance against his Netherworld aura. He did not sense this when w.a.n.g Zhong had charged directly towards him at full strength. After all, w.a.n.g Zhong was only a Void Core. However, at the very end, when everything easily fell within his control, his natural relaxation and w.a.n.g Zhong’s desperate final strike at that moment had tricked him, allowing the Earthling to “escape”.
Elder Hades turned his gaze to look towards the Netherworld River. The rapidly surging river continued to rumble, and w.a.n.g Zhong did not emerge after falling in.
“Great Hades!” Several Blood Demons hurriedly flew over from the distance.
“He was struck by my Netherworld Ghostly Claws and fell into the Netherworld River. He was attacked by the Netherworld aura twice and is definitely dead. You can go back and report that this task is complete.”
The expressions on the Blood Demons changed, and they looked at one another helplessly.
Even though these people understood Elder Hades’s methods very well and had personally seen w.a.n.g Zhong being severely injured and falling into the Netherworld River, the words of their ancestor rang in their ears. If w.a.n.g Zhong was alive, they would have to bring him back; if w.a.n.g Zhong was dead, they would have to bring back his corpse. But what about if he fell into the Netherworld River?
They looked at the Netherworld River. They wanted to fish up the corpse, but with the strength of these Solid Cores, they needed to rely on Yin and Yang Pills just to ensure that their bodies were not attacked and disrupted by the aura of the Netherworld River when only standing above it. What about diving into the Netherworld River to look for w.a.n.g Zhong? Even though this was an ordinary part of the Netherworld River and was not as terrifying as the source of the Netherworld River, it was not an area that Solid Cores like them could go into.
The Blood Demons could not help but turn to look at Elder Hades. The only one who had the ability to fish w.a.n.g Zhong’s corpse out of the Netherworld River was Elder Hades. However, at that moment, looking at Elder Hades’s sunken expression, he was obviously not in a good mood. Furthermore, on top of his scolding towards the Blood Demons, if they wanted to salvage the corpse, which of the Blood Demons would dare to ask him to do so?
They could only hope… that he was truly dead… He was definitely dead. He was severely injured by a Gold Core and had fallen into the Netherworld River. His corpse should no longer even exist.
Whoosh…
A small boat that was shrouded in fog stopped by the riverside, and two young people walked off the boat. The baldie stretched out his hand and made a beckoning gesture. Then the gray fog surrounding the small boat on the river dispersed, revealing the actual appearance of the boat. Actually, it was a rectangular coffin. The baldie touched the edges of the coffin, and the gray fog turned into two shoulder straps. To the Netherworld King, rebuilding the Life and Death Coffin was not a difficult matter.
Hua…
He easily picked up the coffin from the Netherworld River and wore it on his back. Some Netherworld River water, whose odor caused many to change their expressions upon smelling it, splashed on his body. However, the pitch-black Netherworld River water instantly turned white and transparent. It was as if the water had been cleansed or sucked dry of its Netherworld aura the moment it came into contact with his body, turning into ordinary water droplets that dripped on the ground and moistening it.
“Grai…” The baldie packed up his coffin and turned around before saying, “Would you like to have a drink? I heard that the beer at Black Gold Town is not bad. They also have the Gugu Wine that is carbonated. It tastes very similar to cola.”
Grai smiled as Mu Zi seemed to be in a good mood. He had not seen Mu Zi so relaxed in a very long time. He actually suggested that they drink the copycat “cola” at Black Gold Town. At the very least, this proved that the current Mu Zi was the true Mu Zi.
“Sure. At the same time, let’s go and investigate,” replied Grai. Heading to Black Gold Town before changing their trade location was part of his plan. “It’s best if we no longer go to the Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e. In the future, we have to change locations every two or three trades.”
“It doesn’t have to be that troublesome.” Mu Zi smiled and then said, “After the incident with the Three Great Factions, they should not dare to act rashly again.”
“I’m just afraid that there will be some foolish people…” Grai said. “If they are lying in ambush at the Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e, even though we are not afraid of them, that would still be an inconvenience.”
Mu Zi smiled. They knew one another well, and he knew what Grai was worried about. In truth, both of them were merely Void Cores. Even though their improvement was rapid, if they were to challenge the Three Great Factions, it would simply be impossible if they did not borrow the power of the Netherworld King. However, every time he borrowed the power of the Netherworld King, his control over his body would become weaker. As a result, the infiltration of the Netherworld King’s will was even more severe. This was not an inconvenience, but a fatal move!
When he had used the power of the Netherworld King to slaughter Elder Musin, it only took a few seconds, but he had to spend a full two months challenging the will of the Netherworld King that tried to invade his mind. Every day, he was confused, dazed, and talked to himself. After that, even in the depths of the Netherworld River where it was most dangerous, he did not use the power of the Netherworld King. He relied on the help from Grai and the Life and Death Coffin to come this way… As a result, he finally felt that his will had become slightly clearer over the past two days. The nagging voice of the Netherworld King in his mind had become much softer, and his influence on Mu Zi had also weakened. Having a complete self and being able to think about the copycat “cola” from Black Gold Town today were things that he could not have even imagined two months ago.
When he did not use the power of the Netherworld King, his aura did not linger in Mu Zi’s body. Thus, the will of the Netherworld King weakened. Of course, it was impossible to completely eliminate his will as Mu Zi could still sense it. For example, he could now hear the cruel and strange laughter in his mind.
‘Mu Zi, suppressing your nature is a very painful thing. You are a judge who controls life and death. Is that something the so-called Three Great Factions can affect? As long as you completely open your heart, you will obtain my power. Destroying those level-8 civilizations in the Land can be done with a snap of your fingers, let alone the Three Great Factions! Regardless of whether it is you, the Earth behind you, or the people you want to protect, they can all live in pleasure. Why do you have to be so petty and bitter?’
Mu Zi smiled but did not respond. He had heard far too many temptations from the Netherworld King and could almost memorize them.
‘There’s no use not paying attention to me…’ the Netherworld King continued to “speak”, as if he was teasing Mu Zi. Furthermore, he never got tired of it. Ever since he integrated with the world of the living, he felt as if he had wasted his past. This was the value of living. If not, what difference was there between this and death? Thus, he desired Mu Zi’s body. ‘You want to resist, and you think that I am tempting you, but I am just saying what you think in your heart. Why must you resist? I am you, and you are me. We have the same soul and mission. Why do you have to live such a lowly life?’
This time, Mu Zi did not even pay attention to this voice. He was even slightly gratified that this voice simply sounded in his head. Mu Zi could clearly sense that “he” did not speak using his body. Over the past month, speaking to himself after his body was controlled simply happened too frequently.
He simply turned and smiled at Grai. “Yes, it’s inconvenient.”
The two of them intentionally did not mention the Netherworld King even though both of them knew that their “fear of inconvenience” was simply an excuse.
“Let me disguise myself.” He casually tapped the lid of the Life and Death Coffin lightly, and gray fog surged from within the coffin. Two clouds of gray fog then shrouded Grai and Mu Zi’s bodies respectively, making them seem hazy. They resembled pa.s.sers-by that one always glanced at out of the corner of one’s eye. Others could not see them clearly or remember their appearances and did not pay them any attention. Meanwhile, the remaining fog shrouded the Life and Death Coffin, making it seem like the small boat it had transformed into before. The fog could allow others to easily ignore the existence of the Life and Death Coffin and had illusory effects. Even if people carefully looked at it, it would seem as if a ma.s.sive cloth bag was on Mu Zi’s back. There would be nothing special about it.
However, the voice of the Netherworld King reverberated in his mind once again. ‘Tsk tsk tsk, you change yourself just to hide from the ordinary eye. Mu Zi, your life is too difficult. Even I can’t help but feel distressed.’
“Let’s go.” However, Mu Zi did not listen to him. He simply smiled at Grai and said, “Black Gold Town. It’s been a long time since I tasted cola or beer. I hope that the boss of the Black Gold Bar will not dilute the drinks.”
However, this wish was destined to fall through. In the entire underground world, not just in Black Gold Town, and besides some particularly high-end places, almost all the food that could be sold and bought in most places were fake or expired. Even the Gugu Wine that was said to be very similar to cola looked dusty and muddy. When Grai tried it, there was a sweet taste of saccharin that was mixed with a sour taste. Even in Black Gold Town, only a few people were used to this taste as it was simply hard to ingest. As compared to the cola on Earth, this drink truly humiliated cola.
However, Mu Zi drank with great pleasure. He narrowed his eyes, as if he was slowly recalling something.
Grai watched him and silently shook his head. He knew that Mu Zi was not drinking this “fake cola”, but the one in his memories. Only by accompanying Mu Zi did he understand exactly what kind of conflict Mu Zi fought with the so-called will of the Netherworld King every day. The display of his personality split was too terrifying, and his surprising soliloquies were the mildest sign of this. There were also numerous attempts at self-mutilation and struggle. This was not the struggle and fear of being on the brink of death. After all, when people died, they still had the opportunity to reincarnate, and souls in the Fifth Dimension were not destroyed. However, if his soul was seized by the Netherworld King, he would truly vanish and cease to exist… Grai felt that with this kind of torment and fear, he himself would have collapsed from fright. Only Mu Zi was able to endure this.
He drank a mouthful of alcohol. It still had a sour taste, but at least it was much better than the Gugu Wine.
The will of the Netherworld King… If it was Senior, perhaps he might have a way around this, right?
He could not help but think of w.a.n.g Zhong and was distracted for an instant. Mu Zi had been very tired for the past few days, but Grai, who took care of him, was not much better off.
“It seems to be the Earthling called w.a.n.g Zhong.”
“That can’t be quite possible, right? Isn’t he a great figure from the Celestial Honors Cla.s.s in the Land? The Three Great Factions typically treat these people like G.o.ds, right? Do they dare to attack people from the Heavenly Gates?”
“Shh! Don’t speak so loudly.” The person who came to pa.s.s on the information jumped in shock. “The people from the Ninth Shade Faction are still in the town and have not left. If they hear this, be careful. We might not be able to survive!”
The pub was in an uproar. Meanwhile, some discussions entered Grai and Mu Zi’s ears.
They did not come to the pub and drink to just rest and relax. They had also intended to investigate whether Black Gold Town was truly suitable to replace the Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e. They were also particularly cautious about the discussions in the bar.
Most of the information that they had heard came after the battle with the Three Great Factions, including how exuberant the Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e had become and how jealous Black Gold Town was. Furthermore, it was said that the conditions at Black Gold Town were better than at Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e, and it was also not too far away from Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e. There were many envious voices commenting how great it would have been if the Great Netherworld King had come to Black Gold Town back then. This was within Grai and Mu Zi’s expectations, and they felt that this was rather good. When they communicated through their gazes, they had decided that they would s.h.i.+ft their trading spot to Black Gold Town. However, they never expected to hear w.a.n.g Zhong’s name.
Someone did not believe this. “You must be exaggerating. How could you obtain such cla.s.sified information? Furthermore, why isn’t a great figure from the Celestial Honors Cla.s.s enjoying his life in the Land? What is he doing in the underground world? He even specially came to a troubled spot to be killed by the Three Great Factions?”
Mu Zi’s ears perked up slightly. Grai also put down his gla.s.s and furrowed his eyebrows slightly.
The big mouth who had spread the information was instantly unhappy. He was flushed with anger and said, “What did you say? Am I, Raili, someone who will exaggerate? Why can’t great figures from the Land possibly come to the underground world? He might be here for training. It’s not like this has never happened before. As for the fact that the Ninth Shade Faction killed him, I saw it with my own eyes!”
“Where did you see that?”
“I—I…” That person had spoken too quickly. After saying this, he regretted it. He had exposed the Ninth Shade Faction’s secret business. Even if he kept his mouth shut, he might not be able to survive, let alone if he shouted about it publicly like this. At this moment, his entire face turned red, and he was in a slight dilemma.
Someone beside them mocked, “If you can’t say it, then you’re exaggerating.”
“Heh heh, don’t try to brag. If you expose what the Ninth Shade Faction wants to do, can you still stay alive? There’s a limit to how much you can brag.”
“Bah!” That person was impatient and angrily said, “I’m a miner at the riverbank! Back then, I was—”
Zeng!
He had just started to speak when a blue ray of light suddenly appeared and flew over from the distance!
At the same time, there was a gray glint in Mu Zi’s eyes. He activated his Life and Death Coffin, and a wisp of gray fog instantly appeared in front of that person.
Sssr!
There was a clear sound as the blue light and the gray fog collided with each other and were stuck in a stalemate. It was a blue steel needle artifact. A soundwave spread outwards. In that moment, not only was the artifact unable to deal with the gray fog, it was even being enveloped by it.
At that moment, the blue steel needle did not kill its target but was instead controlled by the gray fog. It buzzed and trembled, but could not escape. Mu Zi snorted coldly, and a glint flashed past his eyes. Then, the gray fog that gripped the needle suddenly chased towards the direction that the needle had shot over from. Following that, the gray fog disappeared with a swis.h.i.+ng sound. Closely after, there was a m.u.f.fled voice coming from a street in the distance. The sound of someone collapsing on the ground could finally be heard.