Chapter 208: Divine Statue of the Emperor, Jiang Zhiwei

Lu Yan remained silent.

In the Apocalypse Version, he had begun by wielding the Soul Banner to harvest tens of millions of zombies, continuously strengthening the Underworld Army and its many ghostly generals, eventually becoming unmatched among Golden Core cultivators.

The overwhelming surge in strength, coupled with the looming threat of the Longevity Version, led Lu Yan to abandon his usual cautious ways and begin a ruthless killing spree.

Just the number of Golden Core Zombie Kings he slaughtered exceeded twenty, not to mention more than a dozen Ninth-Rank Transcendents.

Those Zombie Kings and Transcendents, who had once been limited to early Golden Core strength due to the Apocalypse Version’s power cap, transformed into Nascent Soul Demon Kings ruling over demon cities and Nascent Soul Devil Cultivators of the heretical paths once the Cultivation Version came online.

And these fearsome beings—each one capable of dominating a region—had all been slaughtered by Lu Yan and the Underworld Army, many of them in full view of witnesses.

After all, in the Cultivation Version, anyone who had reached the Nascent Soul stage was a peerless powerhouse with long lifespans and deep heritage—existences who could witness the changing of eras.

Nascent Soul cultivators were the pinnacle of conventional combat power in the Cultivation Version. If Lu Yan hadn’t confirmed through various sources that beings beyond Nascent Soul existed—true Immortals—he might’ve believed that Soul Transformation marked the version’s power ceiling.

To have dozens of Nascent Soul cultivators fall in a mere six months was, even by Cultivation Version standards, an earthshaking event.

That alone was enough to stir the Ten Great Orthodox Sects and make countless medium and small sects tremble in awe and pledge allegiance.

If Lu Yan had been able to maintain this momentum and use Nine Nether Immortal City as his base, he might have established a mighty empire in the Cultivation Version, creating a force second only to the Ten Great Orthodox Sects and the top demonic sects.

But…

Lu Yan didn’t dare.

With the update from Apocalypse to Cultivation, the power level of the entire world had increased severalfold. What was once Foundation Establishment had now become Golden Core, and Golden Core Zombie Kings had evolved into Nascent Soul experts.

Only Lu Yan had remained unchanged.

He wasn’t even in a position to freely wield the Human Emperor Banner. And even if he could, it would only bring his power to the peak of Golden Core.

If he upgraded all of the ghost generals and soldiers to Foundation Establishment, perhaps he could pressure some early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators—but that was the limit.

His deeds in the Apocalypse Version had already stirred dozens of minor and medium-sized factions.

Some came to worship, but others would undoubtedly harbor hatred.

Those heretical sects whose Nascent Soul elders had been slain and whose pride had been trampled beneath his feet would never forget.

Once his true current strength was exposed, those accumulated grudges from demons and rogue sects alike would come pouring in.

If even two or more Nascent Soul cultivators came after him, Lu Yan would have no chance of survival.

“No matter how abundant Nine Nether Immortal City’s resources are, you still need to be alive to enjoy them.”

Countless thoughts flashed through Lu Yan’s mind before he decisively turned and left without a second glance.

The sight stunned the green-robed Qi Refining cultivator, who immediately shouted, “Senior! Senior!”

But Lu Yan ignored him entirely, flying off as a streak of escape light, diving into the depths of the Wushan Mountains.

At the same time, atop the walls of Nine Nether Immortal City, City Lord Li Hao—dressed in deep blue robes—was currently entertaining over a dozen Golden Core Realm cultivators from various factions.

There were three peak Golden Core cultivators and eleven at early-stage. This powerful lineup could easily flatten the newly built Nine Nether Immortal City.

And these people weren’t acting alone—they represented three Nascent Soul sects and eleven Golden Core sects.

Any one of those sects could already overshadow Nine Nether Immortal City.

Yet before Li Hao, these powerful cultivators all behaved with utmost humility. Even the three peak Golden Core elders respectfully stood half a step behind him.

A peak Golden Core elder from the Clear River Sect smiled and said, “City Lord Li, I heard just now… that the Lord has emerged from seclusion?”

The Southern Frontier was under the jurisdiction of one of the Ten Great Orthodox Sects—the Green Wutong Sect. Normally, Nascent Soul cultivators weren’t allowed to establish sects independently in this region.

Thus, Clear River Sect was based not in the Southern Frontier, but in the Southern Wastes, an area beyond its borders known for its dense population of sects. Within it, Clear River Sect boasted three Nascent Soul cultivators—strong enough to be considered top-tier.

The Underworld Emissary and the Underworld Army had once appeared in the Southern Wastes, executing multiple Nascent Soul Demon Kings and three Nascent Soul cultivators.

One of Clear River Sect’s own Golden Core elders had participated in that attempted hunt for the emissary but later defected to protect the sect after realizing the danger.

The sect thought he was doomed.

Yet about a month ago, he suddenly returned, claiming to have information for the Grand Elder.

After some questioning, he recounted a secret war in the Southern Wastes.

Seven Nascent Soul cultivators had conspired with seven Nascent Soul Demon Kings and tens of thousands of beasts to ambush the Underworld Emissary.

Some righteous cultivators opposed cooperating with the demon race and were nearly executed.

Then, the hidden Underworld Emissary struck.

What followed was a war of apocalyptic scale involving more than a dozen Nascent Soul cultivators and dozens of Golden Core experts.

Some participants were at peak Nascent Soul, one step away from Soul Transformation.

Yet even such a lineup was decimated.

In the war’s final stages, a terrifying figure emerged beside the emissary, warping the very rules of heaven and earth—like a ghost god from myth.

On the demon side, even a Divine Will fragment from a Demon God above Soul Transformation descended to destroy the emissary.

No one could recall what happened next.

The moment the Demon God’s will descended, everyone’s memory was wiped—as though that span of time had never existed. Even the world’s karmic threads carried no trace.

All anyone knew was that both human and demon Nascent Soul experts had been wiped out.

Even the Demon God’s will was captured by the emissary’s treasure.

Only a few righteous Golden Core cultivators survived—Clear River Sect’s elder among them.

Compared to that battle, the beast tide that followed, though massive in scale, lacked powerhouses.

Before this, the Underworld’s reputation was well-known, but its strength remained unverified. Some had even joked about the emissary being hunted down.

But after that war, the Underworld Army hunted down the perpetrators and slaughtered Nascent Souls like livestock.

Such feats could not be faked. Naturally, Clear River Sect was eager to form a connection.

Hence, they sent a peak Golden Core transmission elder to visit and pay respects, hoping to establish ties with the legendary Underworld.

The other sects present had come for the same reason.

Unfortunately, after the emissary entered Nine Nether Immortal City, he went into seclusion, and none had the fortune of meeting him.

Hearing the Clear River elder’s words, the other cultivators turned their eyes toward Li Hao.

Li Hao frowned slightly, glancing at the elder with a hint of displeasure. “Elder Gu, you seem quite well-informed. Even the news of the emissary’s emergence is known to you.”

Elder Gu’s face stiffened.

As a peak Golden Core expert only a step away from Nascent Soul, he held a high status within Clear River Sect.

Had any other early Golden Core cultivator dared speak to him this way, he’d have taught them a lesson.

But this was Li Hao, Nine Nether City Lord, and the emissary’s acknowledged subordinate.

The emissary had once slain two Nascent Soul cultivators for Li Hao’s sake.

What was a Clear River elder compared to that?

Just as Elder Gu’s expression turned awkward, Li Hao suddenly broke into hearty laughter and patted his shoulder.

“No need to be so tense, Elder Gu. I was only joking.

“The Lord’s emergence is a major event in our city. It’s perfectly reasonable that someone might catch wind of it.”

The other sect representatives finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“But though the emissary has emerged from seclusion, he didn’t linger. He left the city shortly afterward.”

The moment those words fell, everyone tensed up again.

They hadn’t forgotten that the emissary’s last little ‘stroll’ had ended with the massacre of hundreds of high-ranking cultivators.

Who knew what would happen this time?

Many of them wanted to send messages back immediately, but with Li Hao present, they dared not make any rash moves.

Li Hao, watching their reactions, appeared completely calm.

With the emissary as his backer, these Golden Core and even Nascent Soul sects no longer intimidated him.

Even the Ten Great Sects didn’t seem quite as mighty compared to the mythical Underworld.

Still, as a loyal subordinate, he wouldn’t rashly provoke enemies for the emissary.

To those showing goodwill, he remained diplomatic.

“No need to panic, fellow Daoists. The emissary has only left temporarily. He may return at any time.

“When he does, I’ll be sure to inform you immediately.”

Elder Gu still seemed uneasy. “May I ask if City Lord Li knows where the emissary went?”

Li Hao shook his head. “The Lord’s methods are beyond comprehension. With a wave, he opens space itself. How could we know his purpose?”

After a pause, he added, “But it did seem that he flew toward the depths of the Wushan Mountains. It should have nothing to do with the Southern Wastes.”

As he spoke, he casually pointed toward the mountain range beyond the city.

Just then, Li Hao caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye—a familiar silhouette.

He instinctively looked closer.

A streak of light had just flown over the mountains and vanished into the range. For a moment, he was dazed.

That figure—its robes, its aura—seemed incredibly similar to the Underworld Emissary.

Yet… that cultivator had only Foundation Establishment cultivation.

“City Lord Li?” Elder Gu called softly, snapping him out of his daze.

“My apologies. I was momentarily distracted.”

Curious, Elder Gu asked, “What did you see?”

“I thought I saw an old acquaintance. But I must have been mistaken.”

With a shake of his head, and to divert their attention, Li Hao said, “Before he left, the emissary entrusted me with a task. Would you be interested in seeing it?”

All eyes lit up with interest.

“What kind of task?”

“Of course we’d like to see it.”

“Please, lead the way, City Lord Li!”

With polite chatter, Li Hao led them toward the city center.

There, a majestic temple towered skyward—its entire structure forged from black ironstone, engraved with murals of ghosts parading through the night. The hall reached dozens of zhang in height, with nine-tiered eaves jutting like swords into the sky. Countless bronze bells hung from its corners, producing solemn chants in the wind.

The Golden Core elders exchanged surprised glances. They had seen this temple upon arrival.

It was said to enshrine a divine statue of the Underworld Emissary and was frequently visited by pilgrims.

They had been inside before. Other than its rich incense aura, nothing had seemed special.

But today, the temple had been cleared out—no civilians in sight, only Li Hao and the gathered cultivators walking across the plaza.

Once they stepped inside, everything changed.

A wave of solemn, otherworldly pressure washed over them.

Though they had only crossed a threshold, it felt like they had entered another realm—crossing from the living into the underworld.

They looked up.

Their hearts trembled violently.

A towering divine statue sat atop nine tiers of jade stairs, exuding unmatched majesty.

The Emperor wore a coronet with dangling beads forming the constellations. His black imperial robe was embroidered with golden threads, resembling a tapestry of divine laws—a manifestation of the Dao itself.

His face, despite being near, remained elusive—veiled by a mysterious force.

Sometimes clear, sometimes blurred, as if the visage of the Underworld Lord could not be seen by mortals.

Only the eyes shone through—deep and piercing, seeming to see through life and death.

Everyone present was stunned—even Li Hao, though he had overseen the statue’s construction himself.

It had been made from ordinary spiritual wood.

Yet when the final carving was complete, some grand will had descended across time and space.

The plain statue now bore divine presence beyond comprehension.

Just now, seeing that fleeting silhouette outside the city, a trace of unease had stirred in Li Hao’s heart.

Bringing everyone to the newly completed temple was meant to reassert his authority and dispel that unease.

And clearly, it worked.

Sweeping his gaze across the group, Li Hao suddenly blinked.

Somehow… there were now fifteen Golden Core cultivators.

One more than before.

The newcomer was a young man—handsome, dressed in pale white robes, a sword box strapped to his back.

He stood before the nine-tiered altar, gazing at the statue with a faint, intrigued smile.

“You—who are you?!”

Li Hao’s expression changed as he blurted out the question.

The youth slowly retracted his gaze and took a step forward, his figure vanishing like a mirage.

His voice echoed softly:

“I am Jiang Zhiwei.”

(End of Chapter)