Outside the Witch Ghost Secret Realm, in the sky above Skull Mountain. The void cracked open, and the Heaven Mending Peak Master and Daoist Hongyun strolled out one after the other. Their Foundation Establishment gazes looked down, instantly sweeping across the entirety of Skull Mountain.
In an instant, the originally cloudless sky was now covered with dark, oppressive clouds. Streaks of lightning shuttled through the clouds like silver snakes dancing wildly, illuminating half the firmament.
The spiritual sense belonging to a Foundation Establishment Daoist Master, even if it only swept past unintentionally, was enough to make the Rogue Cultivators, demons, and ghosts on the mountain reveal looks of fear.
"This is the place."
Although his spiritual sense probe found nothing, the Heaven Mending Peak Master couldn't help but reveal a smile. To think that with his spiritual sense, he didn't find the target right away. This meant the other party's hiding place was very high-level!
"I didn't expect an unexpected gain, a secret realm."
Thinking that this time's harvest was so great, the Heaven Mending Peak Master couldn't help but hum lightly. The next second, he formed a hand seal and began to calculate, wanting to see what kind of secret realm it was. The result, however, was that it was just an ordinary, unknown little secret realm.
"Whatever, I'll know once I go inside and take a look."
The Heaven Mending Peak Master was very confident. As the master of one of the Saint Sect's four peaks, his cultivation level was already at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, only a step away from the late stage. Looking across the entire world, besides what was left behind by a True Monarch, who could kill me?
Thinking of this, the Heaven Mending Peak Master immediately formed a hand seal and cast a "Heaven-Searching Earth-Netting Art." He quickly locked onto the entrance of the Witch Ghost Secret Realm.
"Found it."
The Heaven Mending Peak Master smiled grimly, then took a step forward, walking towards the secret realm. However, on the other side, when Daoist Hongyun saw this, not only was he not anxious, he even showed a strange expression.
"This secret realm... something doesn't seem right!"
His name was Hongyun, so naturally, he was proficient in the Dao of fortune. And just as he was about to follow the Heaven Mending Peak Master into the secret realm, he suddenly had a premonition, feeling his heart pound in alarm. This made him decisively halt his steps.
After all, with his current cultivation level, what could possibly make him feel a sense of crisis?
"This is getting interesting."
Thinking of this, Daoist Hongyun suddenly gave a cold smile. He watched with great interest as the Heaven Mending Peak Master entered the secret realm, a hint of schadenfreude in his eyes. The next second— Boom!!!
A loud bang was heard coming from within the secret realm. Then, a spiritual light shot up into the sky, stirring the eight hundred li of Skull Mountain's spiritual veins and revealing its true appearance. Due to the Heaven Mending Peak Master's forceful intrusion, the Witch Ghost Secret Realm could no longer remain hidden and was completely exposed.
And what was also exposed before the world's eyes was a streak of world-shocking sword qi located at the very top of the secret realm, hanging high in the heavens. It was like the heavenly river in the sky, like mountains and seas suspended upside down, magnificent and peerless!
Beneath the sword qi was the Heaven Mending Peak Master, fleeing for his life.
"Shameless junior! Cunning villain! I..."
The Heaven Mending Peak Master could be seen cursing loudly as he fled. His earlier composure had completely vanished, leaving only the anger and impatience that came from having his defenses breached. A streak of Golden Core sword qi!
The Heaven Mending Peak Master had never imagined that within the secret realm he had considered to be in the palm of his hand, there was actually a streak of sword qi left behind by a Golden Core True Monarch! This was like having a shark mixed into a fish pond!
"Lu Yang... who on earth are you!?"
Because the divine talisman had concealed the karma of the Witch Ghost Secret Realm, Lu Yang himself lost that protection. As a result, he was naturally figured out clearly by the Heaven Mending Peak Master's calculations. However, even after figuring it out, the Heaven Mending Peak Master didn't dare to believe it.
Because according to his divination, Lu Yang had been cultivating for less than a year, and had not only reached the Perfection of Qi Refining, but had also mastered a secret true art of the Saint Sect like The Sage's Theft.
Not to mention, there were also Great Divine Abilities of the Saint Sect like the Supreme Yin Corpse-Shedding Form Transformation True Art, the Secret of the Heavenly Silkworm by Severing Thoughts to See the Self, and so on. These were all standard for True Disciples. But in reality?
Lu Yang had just entered the sect! How could the Heaven Mending Peak Master believe this? It had to be fake.
He had been deceived by karma again! He even suspected that Lu Yang was the reincarnation of some Daoist Master from the Saint Sect.
"No, with such an insidious and vicious style, there's no doubt, he must be the reincarnation of a Daoist Master from my Saint Sect."
The Heaven Mending Peak Master's thoughts raced. However, the sword qi above his head forced him to quickly cast aside these distracting thoughts. He tore through the air, fleeing, wanting to evade the sword qi's lock.
However, it was all in vain. The next second, the Heaven Mending Peak Master suddenly stopped in his tracks, his expression ugly. It was because fleeing any further was useless; the sword qi had already locked onto his karma!
A clear voice descended from the heavens: "Those of the demonic path must be slain!" Before the words had even faded, the sword qi slashed down! The Heaven Mending Peak Master was completely unable to resist.
However, a jade token at his waist activated on its own, flying in front of him to block the sword qi's path. In an instant, even the turning of heaven and earth seemed to slow down.
The sword qi reflected the image of a handsome youth in a Daoist robe, while a middle-aged man with a grim expression walked out from the jade token. The two pairs of eyes met, and an invisible, great power clashed wildly at a higher level.
Crack.
After a loud crack, the jade token shattered. Correspondingly, ninety-nine percent of the sword qi was also shaved off. Only a tiny wisp passed through the jade token's obstruction and landed on the Heaven Mending Peak Master's body.
Yet even so, the Heaven Mending Peak Master still couldn't withstand it and exploded with a bang! Amidst the scattered flesh and blood, only the Heaven Mending Peak Master's powerful soul remained. His eyes were filled with a towering rage as he looked towards the Witch Ghost Secret Realm.
Inside the secret realm, Lu Yang sighed helplessly at the sight.
"As expected, I didn't kill him."
Just as he had predicted beforehand, the Heaven Mending Peak Master did indeed have a Golden Core level life-saving item, and it did indeed save his life at the critical moment.
"Fortunately, I've succeeded on my end."
Under the Golden Core sword qi, the Heaven Mending Peak Master's physical body was shattered, leaving only a soul. This was equivalent to suffering a grievous injury. The nearby Daoist Hongyun was also watching from the sidelines.
And using this last bit of time bought by the Golden Core sword qi, Lu Yang successfully completed the final step for the Yama Demon Hall. At this moment, the Myriad Spirits Banner swayed. The eight hundred li of Skull Mountain immediately responded.
The magnificent Yama Demon Hall rose from the ground, and the guardian god Sunü was bathed entirely in magical light.
"Master..."
After Sunü gracefully landed beside Lu Yang, she bowed respectfully. She didn't show the slightest thought of resistance despite her own achievement. There was even a hint of fear in the beautiful eyes she turned towards Lu Yang.
Because she was personally refined by Lu Yang using his spiritual sense, Sunü, having become a guardian god, was also influenced. This included an understanding of Lu Yang's temperament. In her opinion, her master could be perfectly described with a single phrase.
Meticulous to a fault! She absolutely could not offend him! Seeing Sunü being so respectful, Lu Yang nodded in satisfaction.
"Come in."
As his voice fell, Sunü immediately agreed softly and obediently entered Lu Yang's Dantian, unreservedly dedicating her entire being to him. The next second, Lu Yang's aura skyrocketed! As he opened and closed his eyes, a divine ability's magical light as brilliant as the rising sun in the sky shone out.
Within it, six talismanic scripts, like dragon and phoenix seal characters, shimmered brilliantly.
[Mysterious Underworld Palace Lord Seizing the Nether] Immediately after, the spiritual veins of the eight hundred li of Skull Mountain erupted.
An invisible empowering force descended, causing three more talismanic scripts to appear out of thin air before the other six. Their name was: Yama Heaven.
[Yama Heaven Mysterious Underworld Palace Lord Seizing the Nether]!
At this very moment, Lu Yang felt as if a warm current was surging throughout his entire body. Sunü was like a handful of sweet dew, watering his Dantian.
With a Foundation Establishment guardian god like this, although he had not yet established his foundation, he could prematurely enjoy the enhancement and benefits that the Foundation Establishment Realm brought to one's own foundation. So much so that in his perception, even the transformation progress of the Corpse-Shedding Immortal had shortened from several decades to just a few months!
Using a Foundation Establishment status to reverse-cultivate a Great Divine Ability would naturally result in progress by leaps and bounds! And if Lu Yang's heart was currently filled with the relief and joy of a great accomplishment, then on the other side, the Heaven Mending Peak Master's mood was not so good.
"How is this possible..."
He was seen staring blankly at the high-spirited Lu Yang, almost unable to believe his eyes.
"A Heavenly Official of Position from East of the River? No! It's similar, yet not the same..."
Before he could figure it out, he saw Lu Yang turn to look at him sideways. In an instant, the Heaven Mending Peak Master felt a chill run through his entire being. He only had his soul left now, and his cultivation level was greatly damaged.
If he fought another Foundation Establishment cultivator, something bad could happen!
"... Go!"
The Heaven Mending Peak Master's decision was nothing short of decisive. His soul immediately transformed into a streak of light and retreated, also throwing out several clone souls to confuse the pursuit. However, upon seeing this, Lu Yang simply formed a hand seal.
He put his palms together, hollowed. His two index fingers and little fingers were bent and placed inside his palms. The next second, a dark light surged out from behind Lu Yang, reflecting a gloomy and eerie world.
Within it were thousands upon thousands of Witch Ghosts, holding up a majestic grand hall and roaring ceaselessly. There were also Impermanence reaping lives, ghost messengers reaping souls, judges bestowing rewards and punishments, and patrol gods inspecting the heavens.
Eight true gods with green faces and long fangs, their bearing fierce yet their expressions solemn, each held golden cangues and silver locks, mourning staffs, and books of life and death, crowding before the majestic grand hall. And at the head of the hall, Lu Yang could be seen laughing magnanimously.
"Senior, you have come from afar, why be in such a hurry to leave?"
The next second, the Yama Demon Hall opened and closed.
"Why not enter my urn, and let me fulfill my duties as a host!"
As his voice fell, the Heaven Mending Peak Master didn't even have time to dodge. He only felt his vision go black, and when he looked back, he had already been locked inside the Yama Demon Hall