The emperor’s study, Xuanyuan City, Huang Heavenly Dynasty:
Emperor Kong said incredibly respectfully, “Your Holy Eminence, rest assured. With Mister Cangjie divining his position, this official will bring Gu Tang’s souls back.”
Ji Dihong looked at Emperor Kong and nodded. “Back then, Jiang Gautama reincarnated as Jiang Lianshan’s son as a sign of loyalty. He had handed many things to Jiang Lianshan. The Reincarnation Lotus was one of them, and Jiang Lianshan gave some to us. You can use them.”
“Yes! This official can use the Reincarnation Lotus to come out, but how would this official enter the eighteen layers of hell?” Emperor Kong asked worriedly.
“Don’t worry. We will send you in,” Ji Dihong said confidently.
“Yes!” Emperor Kong stopped asking questions.
“However, now that the Divine Demon Army has occupied the Spirit Mountain Holy Land, Gu Hai will immediately enter the eighteen layers of hell. We worry about sending you alone.” Ji Dihong surveyed his officials.
As Ji Dihong looked around, he noticed an azure-clad man with a slightly protuberant forehead. This person showed a ferocious gaze.
“Dragon Ying!” Ji Dihong called out.
“Ao Ying is present!” the azure-clad man answered respectfully.
“You have received the ancestor dragon’s corpse and resentful spirit. How goes your recovery?” Ji Dihong asked.
“Many thanks for Your Holy Eminence’s grace. This official has only just recovered fully. With the ancestor dragon’s corpse and resentful spirit, my cultivation has indeed grown further, showing signs of consummation!” Ao Ying replied.
Consummation?
This caused a commotion among the officials. When Ao Ying said consummation, he naturally meant the consummation of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm—the cultivation everyone dreamed of. Everyone’s gaze towards Ao Ying immediately changed.
“You have managed the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace for many years, and your injuries were because of us in the first place. We are gratified that you can recover. Can I trouble you to go with Emperor Kong this time? Do your best to capture Gu Tang’s souls silently,” Ji Dihong said.
“This official obeys!” the Eastern Sea Dragon King, Ao Ying, answered.
“Alright. There will just be you two. Go quickly and return quickly,” Ji Dihong said.
“Yes!” the two answered.
Just at this moment, a voice rang out from the last row of officials in the study. “I petition Your Holy Eminence!”
Everyone looked over.
“Mister Starless?” Emperor Kong said in confusion.
“Your Holy Eminence, this official would like to follow them to the eighteen layers of hell!” Mister Starless said respectfully.
“Oh?” Ji Dihong appeared curious.
“The eighteen layers of hell are replete with danger. This official can pursue good fortune, avoid disaster, and discover dangers in advance. I can help Emperor Kong and Ao Ying leave safely,” Mister Starless said respectfully.
Ji Dihong looked at Mister Starless with a sliver of suspicion in his eyes. After some silence, he eventually nodded. “Alright. The three of you, then. Be careful.”
“Yes!” the three answered.
------
The eighteen layers of hell:
The five Jiang Gautamas stood in the air, appearing stern and dignified as they held their palms together and looked coldly at Gu Hai.
Gu Hai stood with his hands behind his back, evincing no fear.
“Mister Gu, it looks like these five are the ones who attacked me when I entered from the Reincarnation Pool in pursuit of Jiang Gautama!” A voice suddenly rang out behind Gu Hai.
Vairocana had received word and entered the eighteen layers of hell.
“Jiang Gautama used the divine blood replication on himself. Haha! The shaman race’s secret techniques are truly bizarre!” Gu Hai said, still shocked.
“How excellent of the divine blood replication! Five Jiang Gautamas! Based on their auras, while they are not at the consummation of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm, they are close. If I had not kept my guard up, I might have died when they sneak-attacked me!” Vairocana’s expression turned serious.
“I believe there are only these fives in the first layer. Vairocana, can I trouble you to deal with them?” Gu Hai asked.
“Excellent!” Vairocana nodded.
The faces of the five Jiang Gautamas sank. However, they did not bother saying anything, instantly executing the Gautama Divine Palm.
Five Gautama Divine Palms rushed over, tearing space.
“The Gautama Divine Palm? Unfortunately, you are not the true Jiang Gautama!” Vairocana said coldly.
Boom!
Vairocana executed the Gautama Divine Palm, causing space to explode.
Gu Hai and Kong Xuan immediately moved away.
“Your Reverence!” Kong Xuan said somewhat worriedly.
“It’s fine. Leave this to Vairocana. We will block off the entrance of the second layer first,” Gu Hai said.
“Yes!”
Whoosh!
The two turned into beams of light, shooting to the distant Yama Palace.
After finding the location, everything was simple. With the two’s speed, they reached the Yama Palace after a while.
The entrance to the second layer of hell was near the Yama Palace, and the two soon arrived there.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Now, many of the distant Divine Demon Army rushed over.
“How bold! Who are you?!” countless ghost soldiers shouted.
Clearly, these were a new batch of ghost soldiers, as most of them did not recognize Gu Hai and Kong Xuan; however, some of the ghost soldiers did, immediately showing shocked expressions.
“Demons! It’s them!” someone exclaimed.
“Capture these ghost soldiers!” Gu Hai commanded.
“Yes!” the Divine Demon Army soldiers answered.
The Divine Demon Army soldiers took action, restraining all the ghost soldiers.
“Interrogate them for information on Gu Tang. Also, find the replicas that look like us!” Gu Hai commanded.
“Yes!”
Many Divine Demon Army soldiers quickly moved.
The two hundred thousand Divine Demon Army soldiers were at least in the Lower Heavenly Palace Realm; some had even reached the Middle Heavenly Palace Realm. Now, they did not have to worry about Jiang Gautama as they swept through the place.
Gu Hai immediately gained control over the entire first layer. Kong Xuan stood guard at the entrance to the second layer.
Gu Hai did not rush to enter the second layer of hell. Instead, he coldly eyed the surroundings. He wanted to understand the situation in the eighteen layers of hell first.
The two hundred thousand Divine Demon Army soldiers caused a huge commotion. If Gu Tang’s souls were in the first layer of hell, Gu Tang would have seen it by now.
Gu Hai waited, hoping Gu Tang had already fled to the first layer.
Unfortunately, Gu Tang was not in the first layer.
Now, three figures watched from a distance not far from the Yama Palace.
These were the Huang Heavenly Dynasty’s Ao Ying, Emperor Kong, and Mister Starless.
“We were one step too late? Gu Hai has already sealed the entrance to the second layer of hell.” Emperor Kong’s face sank.
“That’s Kong Xuan. We can just barge in,” Ao Ying said confidently.
“Barge?” Emperor Kong appeared slightly uncertain.
“Look there. The five Jiang Gautama replicas will lose soon. Time is running out. Huh? That’s not right. Vairocana is going easy on them?” Ao Ying exclaimed in shock.
“Going easy? Why?” Emperor Kong said in surprise.
“Jiang Gautama is capable of more than just the Gautama Divine Palm; he has many other moves he has yet to reveal. These replicas can help Vairocana understand Jiang Gautama better. Haha! Jiang Gautama is just smashing his own foot with a rock!” Ao Ying said coldly.
Emperor Kong looked at Mister Starless. “Mister Starless, you can read omens and determine if they are auspicious or ominous. Which does our trip fall under?”
Mister Starless frowned slightly. “It is greatly ominous!”
“Greatly ominous?” Emperor Kong and Ao Ying narrowed their eyes slightly.
“That’s right.”
“Greatly ominous means it will be extremely dangerous. Should we still go in?” Emperor Kong said worriedly.
“Greatly ominous only means it is dangerous, not a guaranteed death, right?” Ao Ying said.
“Yes!” Mister Starless nodded with a bitter smile.
“Mister Cangjie has already divined the location of Gu Tang’s souls. How can we give up on them? We have to go deeper into hell,” Ao Ying said.
Emperor Kong remained silent for a while. Eventually, he nodded.
Mister Starless looked into the distance. “Although the Divine Demon Army is strong, the three of us can barge past them. Prime Ao Ying, you deal with Kong Xuan. I’ll deal with Gu Hai. Emperor Kong, you go to the next layer and look for Gu Tang’s souls. Move fast!”
“I’ll go down, and you will block Gu Hai?” Emperor Kong said in shock.
“That’s right. You know the position. Prime Ao Ying and I will block the entrance to the second layer. Go in quickly, retrieve Gu Tang’s souls, return and meet with us, and we will immediately return to the capital,” Mister Starless said gravely.
“That is our only option.” Ao Ying nodded.
However, Emperor Kong gave Mister Starless a slightly strange look.
Before coming here, Ji Dihong had given Emperor Kong specific instructions to monitor Mister Starless to see if Mister Starless was loyal. After all, Mister Starless had not joined the Huang Heavenly Dynasty for long. Although he was capable, it would be hard to avoid doubting him. However, Ji Dihong could not openly say that before his officials.
Unexpectedly, Mister Starless had volunteered to help find Gu Tang’s souls. This was not his style.
Ji Dihong had told Emperor Kong to be careful, worrying that Mister Starless might serve two masters. Given this situation, perhaps Ji Dihong had overthought.
Mister Starless volunteered to block Gu Hai, letting Emperor Kong go to retrieve Gu Tang’s souls. How could he be serving two masters?
“Alright. I’ll trouble Mister Starless with this, then,” Emperor Kong answered.
“Each layer of the eighteen layers of hell has its time dilated compared to the previous layer, so you won’t use much time down there. Be careful,” Ao Ying said.
“Excellent!” Emperor Kong answered.
“Let’s go!” Ao Ying shouted.
Whoosh!
Ao Ying immediately carried Emperor Kong and Mister Starless towards the entrance of the second layer.
“What?!” Kong Xuan’s expression changed.
“Roar!”
A large dragon claw suddenly rushed at Kong Xuan.
“You bastard!” Kong Xuan immediately threw a palm strike to meet the dragon claw, manifesting a peacock claw.
Boom!
The two claws clashed in the air, shattering space. Neither side had the upper hand.
“Who is it?” The nearby Gu Hai, who was interrogating the ghosts, walked over with a cold expression.
Coo!
Kong Xuan cried ferociously, filling the sky with bright azure light. Ten thousand Kong Xuans immediately appeared amid the azure light.
When Kong Xuan’s azure light appeared, another kind of azure light spread out. Ao Ying, who clashed palms with Kong Xuan, suddenly split into ten thousand clones too. Simultaneously, an azure dragon image appeared in front of the peacock deity image in the sky.
“The azure dragon domain? You are the Eastern Sea Dragon King, Ao Ying!” Kong Xuan’s expression changed.
Boom!
Two sets of ten thousand divine Dao clones clashed.
Gu Hai also instantly approached.
Millions of stars appeared in the sky above, generating a shredding force, which locked on Gu Hai.
“Oh?” Gu Hai’s face sank as he extended his hand, took out the Life Executioner Saber, and swung it.
The manifested saber soared into the sky, but a saber of stars formed amid the many stars and swung down.
Boom!
The saber of stars and the Life Executioner Saber’s manifested saber clashed. Then Gu Hai saw Mister Starless, who stood among the stars.
When Gu Hai saw Mister Starless, his pupils constricted, betraying some shock. He nearly called out. This…this was his fourth son, Gu Ming.
“Emperor Kong, hurry!” Mister Starless yelled.
Whoosh!
Emperor Kong instantly entered the second layer of hell.
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