Light Fortress

Chapter 1879: Chapter 462: Tonight, the Dead Sea (2)

Although they had never met face to face.

But...

Gu Shen had already met "him" many times.

In this world, it doesn’t have to be seen with one’s own eyes to count as an encounter.

The calamities and omens remaining in the Netherworld King’s Spark were all the handiwork of the "former Netherworld King". Earlier, in the cemetery, when Gu Shen borrowed Bai Shu’s [Reverse Flow] to revoke the refining of the spark, he had been trying to find a way to remove these calamities...

Now, he no longer needed to search.

The former Netherworld King descended, through the residual calamities in the spark, in the form of Spirit!

The originally snow‑white void was half‑stained black the instant the Netherworld King’s consciousness arrived—

Moreover, this Netherworld King’s mental state was extremely unstable; a dangerous aura surged from his entire being!

Gu Shen’s spiritual vigilance was raised to the extreme!

According to Turing... the former Netherworld King had set his eye on him long ago and wanted him to inherit the Netherworld King’s Spark.

But now, this wisp of shadow he encountered during the refining of the spark was, in all likelihood, the remnant consciousness of the Netherworld King after "losing control". This was absolutely not some ally come to help!

As expected!

The shadow had barely condensed into a body before launching a direct attack at him!

"Roar—"

The shadow stomped atop a sky‑filling miasma of calamity and slaughter, charging straight at Gu Shen.

Gu Shen did not hesitate in the slightest, swinging his fist straight at the former Netherworld King—

This was the Spiritual World!

He feared no battle here!

It was obvious... to refine Netherworld Fire, he had to defeat the Netherworld King’s residual consciousness!

"Bang!"

A jet‑black spiritual ripple spread through the void as two fists smashed viciously together. Gu Shen unleashed his Great Success "Life‑Death Domain", but this wisp of the Netherworld King’s shadow was completely unaffected!

The Netherworld King was, after all, the Divine Throne who ruled over life and death!

Even if it was only a remnant wisp of consciousness—

It was still enough to be immune to the Life‑Death Domain’s suppression!

Hundreds of exchange blows erupted in the void in an instant. The jet‑black shadow was incredibly fast, its offense vicious; with every punch, massive amounts of calamity and ill‑omen were driven into Gu Shen’s body... This round of "refining" was more than twice as difficult as the last.

The former Netherworld King’s evil consciousness had always been lurking inside the spark!

Waiting for the very moment he truly began refining—

Fortunately, the one thousand six hundred and forty‑seven Souls of the Ancient Literature Society were there to share the ill‑omen for Gu Shen. Gu Shen’s Soul had remained "Immaculate" from beginning to end; the moment those pitch‑black calamities entered his body, they were immediately siphoned away!

After hundreds of head‑on exchanges, Gu Shen realized that the evil Spirit before him possessed an almost inexhaustible stock of calamity.

If they kept grinding away in a stalemate, there was only one outcome waiting for him.

To be devoured by a massive tide of ill‑omen!

"Buzz—"

Gu Shen widened the distance, summoned [Truth], drew the bow and nocked an arrow, and took out the Extinguishing Candle.

A thunderous arrow! Clean and decisive!

This arrow directly pierced through the former Netherworld King’s spiritual chest—

The Divine Miracle domain of Achilles’ Heel directly tore apart the "heart" of this evil shadow.

But in the next moment, that pitch‑black hollow was instantly filled with dark flames.

The heart of the dead had long since ceased to beat; even if you split their chest open, it would not cause any substantial harm.

Gu Shen loosed three arrows in a row, using the Pure Land to dissolve the backlash from the summoned Truth, but the effect of these three shots was not ideal. The former Netherworld King’s evil Spirit was only forced to stagger back, steps stumbling, but did not suffer a truly fatal blow... Under these circumstances, continuing to shoot was not the best plan.

So Gu Shen recalled the Truth Extinguishing Candle and took out the Painted Stone Jade Ring—

His fingers rubbed against the Painted Stone Jade Ring, and just as he was about to throw it, he fell into contemplation.

Painted Stone could suppress all Spirit!

Last time, when he subdued ill‑omen, he had used this very jade ring.

But...

Refining Netherworld Fire was something he had to rely on himself to do.

Even among the Seven Gods, there were strengths and weaknesses. The truly strong were never those who only knew how to lean on external objects.

For example... Gu Changzhi.

Back then, when Gu Changzhi achieved Battle, all he relied on was a pair of plain, unadorned fists. With those fists he defeated the tens of millions of Changye, sweeping through West Continent Light City.

Back then, Bai Shu, empowered by the Reverse Flow bloodline of the entire Bai Family, had still not been a match for Gu Changzhi.

Precisely because of this, when Gu Changzhi refined the Battle Fire, he was given the title of War God of the East Continent!

This wisp of "Spirit" left behind by the former Netherworld King looked extremely evil, every move aimed to kill him... yet in truth, the existence of this shadow was, precisely, a reminder.

If you want to become the Netherworld King, you must be mentally prepared.

At every moment, from dawn to dusk, you must walk side by side with calamity and ill‑omen.

Calamity will always accompany you.

"Hoo..."

Gu Shen clenched the ring in his palm, took a deep breath, and stared coldly at the Netherworld King’s shadow before him.

He put the Painted Stone away again.

The radiance of Truth also slowly faded.

This battle was his battle with the former Netherworld King, and also his battle with calamity and ill‑omen.

Chi Huo spread and surged, filling the entire void.

At this moment, Gu Shen decided to no longer borrow any external force; he would rely on his own "Chi Huo" to vie with Netherworld Fire.

In this battle, what he wanted was not merely to refine, but to conquer!

If... Chi Huo could break the rules to draw in source‑essence and reshape order.

Then be it calamity or ill‑omen.

Chi Huo could devour them all the same!

...

...

The Pure Land World was in the midst of an unprecedented upheaval.

The originally clear Heavenly Curtain was, at this moment, stained with a layer of pitch black. This darkness was not the long night—

It was more like someone had poured out a layer of ink.