Maha studied Kan Hua, covered in blood, standing upon the Blazing Golden Lotus which emitted a dazzling, ten-thousand-foot radiance, and calculated his next move.

"Then we must restore our mana as quickly as possible."

Borana glanced at Kan Hua, sat down cross-legged, and released a brilliant light from within his body, quietly absorbing the spiritual energy of the surrounding heaven and earth to replenish his depleted mana reserves. Fearing his recovery would be too slow, he stuffed three spiritual elixirs—gifts from the old monk in the Abyss of No Return—into his mouth.

Maha nodded. He formed a hand seal toward the distant area where demonic flames billowed, then sat down cross-legged next to Borana, connecting his hands with Borana's. Vitality and Death Qi rapidly cycled and surged within the brothers; the energies of life and death rose ceaselessly, and newly generated mana flowed slowly throughout their bodies, filling vessels that were nearly utterly empty.

Although the mana of a Grand Unity Golden Immortal was nearly inexhaustible, the concern Maha and Borana held for Kan Hua’s perilous situation—forcing their way with over a hundred people, tearing through the void non-stop from the Paramita Nirvana Heaven to the Blade Wheel Hell—had exacted too great a cost, leaving their mana almost entirely spent.

The Blade Wheel Hell, much like the Ice Hell, was saturated with extremely dense Water-attribute spiritual energy, manifesting as an unbearable, extreme cold and frigid air. In contrast, the Blade Wheel Hell was overflowing with massive quantities of Geng Metal-attribute spiritual energy; even the soil seemed like sharp blades, and falling onto such ground would inflict countless lacerations upon one's body.

Geng Metal-attribute spiritual energy permeated the Blade Wheel Hell; spiritual energies of other attributes in the air were practically negligible.

Consequently, the native creatures of the Blade Wheel Hell resembled puppets cast from metal, possessing bodies of extreme fortitude; a casual strike felt like a heavy cleaver chopping down, infinitely sharp and extraordinarily tough. Furthermore, after cultivating various demonic arts and heretical practices, these native beings were even more ferocious and valiant.

Kan Hua, currently flying wildly amidst the demonic flames and lightning while embracing the young maiden, was not only assailed by the rain of demonic flames and heavenly lightning but was also attacked in rotation by dozens of bizarre, monstrous beasts hidden within the dark clouds of demonic fire. These beasts were shaped like leopards but possessed the head of a lizard, a ridge bristling with rows of impossibly sharp spines, and claws and teeth that were incredibly keen. Their tails were nothing less than soft swords; when waved, they produced ear-piercing sounds of metallic blades slicing through the air.

That harsh, venomous curse uttered just moments ago had greatly enraged a certain figure hidden within the demonic fire clouds. He berated the bizarre beasts, commanding them to attack Kan Hua frantically. These strange creatures lunged at Kan Hua as if maddened, utterly disregarding their own safety, merely rushing him in a suicidal frenzy to tear and bite.

Caught off guard, Kan Hua’s chest was diagonally grazed by the tail of one beast. The light radiating from the Blazing Golden Lotus flickered momentarily; the beast’s tail actually managed to pierce the protective aura of light emitted by the Blazing Golden Lotus, tearing a bloody gash over two feet long across Kan Hua’s chest, which was harder than refined steel.

Great torrents of blood sprayed out, causing Kan Hua’s facial muscles to twitch in agony. He roared toward the sky, channeling the little remaining mana into the Blazing Golden Lotus, spurring its light to fiercely protect his body. Just as the beast that wounded him prepared to retreat, Kan Hua, wielding the Star Sword, struck out with lightning speed, trailing a sword-light more than three feet long that swept across the beast’s head, severing its water-vat-sized head in a single blow.

Having just slain that beast, four other monsters lunged in simultaneously from all directions. At that moment, Kan Hua’s legs suddenly weakened, and his body staggered violently. The Blazing Golden Lotus beneath his feet dimmed abruptly, and a viscous, pale-gold liquid was faintly visible clinging to it, constantly draining the light emitted by the lotus. The Primordial Supreme Treasure, the Blazing Golden Lotus, had its radiance completely suppressed by that pale-gold viscous fluid.

Kan Hua forcefully swung the Star Sword to guard against the onslaught from all sides. The clang of metal meeting metal intensified, knocking his sword flying. Over a dozen wounds simultaneously appeared on Kan Hua’s body. The four beasts tore at him with all their might; every wound shredded flesh and broke bone, and several gashes pierced directly through to his internal organs, nearly ripping several vital organs to shreds.

The young maiden, whom Kan Hua had cautiously shielded behind him all this time, cried out in alarm. She raised her delicate, fair hands, trying to cover Kan Hua’s wounds, but it was futile. Blood Qi surged violently from Kan Hua’s body; blood erupted as if from a tide, though no one knew where a millennia-old zombie like him could possess so much blood to shed.

A sharp shriek echoed from amidst the distant demonic flames. A massive hand composed of viscous, crimson Corpse Fire swept over, grasping all dozens of the beasts from afar. The hand merely squeezed gently, crushing the dozens of monsters into dust.

Kan Hua gave a bitter smile, and his body abruptly plummeted downward, carrying the maiden heavily toward the ground.

“Bai Zhu’er, Bai Zhu’er, Big Brother can’t protect you anymore!”

Kan Hua laughed bitterly, then suddenly roared at the sky, “You two thieving monks! If you don’t get here soon, you’ll be the death of me! If I die, I curse your descendants for all generations to be nuns, and your daughters for all generations to be monks—all of you, sex-changers!”

A tremendous boom suddenly ripped through the void. Countless orbs of crimson Corpse God Immortal Slaying Lightning flew wildly in all directions, blasting huge holes through the dark clouds of demonic fire. Through these breaches, a figure clad in red, her whole body seething with blood-light—a Hanba—could be seen grappling fiercely with a demonic god towering ten thousand feet high, fighting so intensely that the surrounding void was on the verge of collapsing.

The demonic god was formed entirely of metal, possessing a hideous and savage appearance. Though roughly humanoid, its head, sharp claws, feet, and the long tail extending from its spine displayed distinct bestial characteristics. The colossal demon god constantly spewed viscous black flames and winds as sharp as blades, wrapping the boundless clouds around the Hanba, preventing her from breaking through the barrier of demonic fire clouds no matter how wildly she unleashed the Corpse God Immortal Slaying Lightning everywhere.

From the forty-two demonic banners, each spat out a skull several feet in diameter, composed of black clouds and black flames, shrieking as they hurtled toward Kan Hua. Each skull laughed maniacally as it passed through Kan Hua’s body, and with every skull that pierced him, Kan Hua’s body shriveled a little more. These skulls were like the specialized knives butchers use to pare flesh from bone, furiously devouring Kan Hua’s vital essence.

In just a few short breaths, Kan Hua became withered and inhumanly gaunt. Apart from his two large, bright eyes, his entire body was shriveled like a dehydrated rotten apple, looking as hideous as possible. The maiden beside him cried out his name, ceaselessly blasting the skulls with faint palm-thunder strikes.

However, the maiden’s cultivation level was perhaps only at the early stage of the Void Realm; the power of the lightning strikes was extremely feeble and could not harm the skulls in the slightest.

Accompanied by piercing, sharp laughter, a Demon Immortal, clad entirely in pale-purple metallic armor—even his eyes covered by thick, transparent crystal—emerged slowly from the demonic flames. The armor was styled like a fierce tiger, and demonic fire raged around him.

This Demon Immortal held a single-edged sword, eight feet and one inch long, as thin as an eyebrow. He gloated triumphantly, sneering at Kan Hua and laughing heartily.

“Night Yaksha Demon King, if you had surrendered to me earlier, how could you have met this terrible fate today?”

“If you had been sensible and ignored my warnings, your Night Yaksha Gate would not be facing annihilation today.”

“Is it worth it for a lowly woman like Bai Zhu’er?”

“You are a rare genius, cultivating from the initial stage of a Grand Unity Golden Immortal to the high stage in just a few thousand years. Truly… If you had submitted to me and allowed me to imprison your primordial spirit, becoming my subordinate obediently, you wouldn’t have to die today!”

Kan Hua spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm. He looked at the Demon Immortal and laughed strangely, “Little Samsara Holy King, you rely solely on the influence of your father, the Netherworld Grand Revolving King. You aren't even worth a single hair on Grandfather Kan Hua’s head! Heh heh, be my subordinate? Why don’t you call me ‘Daddy’ first, and let me hear it?”

The Little Samsara Holy King sighed lightly. With a casual sweep of his single-edged sword, a deep wound was sliced open on Kan Hua, running from beneath his jaw to his lower abdomen. The flesh on either side of the wound flipped open, exposing Kan Hua’s slightly twitching internal organs.

The Little Samsara Holy King spoke in a strange tone, “A mere zombie, able to cultivate a body as lifelike as a mortal’s—how much hardship did you endure? And now you shall turn to dust like this. Why bother? Why suffer so much? Be my dog obediently. Given your high-grade Grand Unity Golden Immortal cultivation, Bai Zhu’er can play with me for a few days, and I’ll return her to you. It costs nothing, so why not enjoy it?”

Kan Hua spat blood again, as if he had heard the most absurd joke in the world.

He gazed deeply at the despairing Bai Zhu’er beside him, forcing a dry laugh, “How about you let your old mother spend three days with me?”

The single-edged sword flashed once more, inflicting several more excruciating wounds upon Kan Hua’s body. The Little Samsara Holy King snarled viciously, “Insolent fool who doesn't know death! You still dare to be stubborn now? Fine, I shall do it right in front of you—” Suddenly, Bai Zhu’er, who was beside Kan Hua, flew up and shielded him. She raised her small face and coldly addressed the Little Samsara Holy King, “Spare Brother Kan Hua. Whatever you want to do to me, I will agree to it. Spare him, and spare the members and disciples of the Night Yaksha Gate.”

Dozens of shrill screams erupted from the demonic fire clouds below, immediately followed by six Demon Immortals, all encased in pale-silver metallic armor shaped like giant wolves, their bodies radiating surging demonic energy, breaking through the clouds and rushing toward the high sky atop their swirling mists.

The six Demon Immortals rapidly flew to the Little Samsara Holy King’s side and respectfully lined up before him, cupping their hands with extreme deference. “Reporting to the Holy King, all members of the Night Yaksha Gate have been completely wiped out. May we ask if the Holy King has any further orders?”

The Little Samsara Holy King laughed wildly upon hearing the six Demon Immortals’ report. “Well done, Hong Ya. You brothers are truly capable. This matter is settled; I shall surely reward you handsomely when we return! Heh heh, first, take Bai Zhu’er aside.”

The six Demon Immortals let out a chorus of strange laughter. One of them waved his hand, and the over a million demon immortals below immediately submerged into the demonic fire and evil clouds. They then swooped over, binding Bai Zhu’er securely with ropes in a few quick movements, stuffing a white cloth into her small mouth, and forcibly carrying her toward the rear of the Little Samsara Holy King.

Sighing deeply, the Little Samsara Holy King reached out to gently stroke Bai Zhu’er’s long, soft hair, then smiled very casually at Kan Hua. “Night Yaksha Demon King, your Night Yaksha Gate has been utterly destroyed, and your woman is now in my grasp. Whom can you expect to save you now?”

He coughed a few times, and the Little Samsara Holy King slowly removed his armor, stripped off all his clothing, revealing an extremely well-built physique. He clapped his hands proudly, then waved his hand, causing several hundred strangely shaped implements—small knives, small hooks, small forks, and similar objects—to appear before him.

Fierce, savage flames erupted from his eyes. The Little Samsara Holy King stared at the strangely pale Kan Hua and chuckled wickedly, “It seems you refuse to submit to me. But that’s fine. Since you won’t submit, I plan to skin you, pick out your bones, and slowly subject you to a thousand cuts, letting you suffer every agony before you die!”

Rubbing his hands excitedly, the Little Samsara Holy King closed his eyes in anticipation, his hands slowly reaching toward Kan Hua’s body.

“Such a volatile sensation! To torture a high-grade Grand Unity Golden Immortal like this—it’s truly too exciting!”

“You must last a while longer. Don't die too quickly.”

Laughing strangely, the Little Samsara Holy King shook his head with profound sentimentality and sighed, “Of course, with my marvelous arts protecting your life force, you won’t be able to die quickly even if you wish to! Enjoy it to the fullest. I will let you know what true hell is!”

As the word ‘Hell’ left his lips, six gleaming long spears pierced the Little Samsara Holy King’s robust body almost simultaneously.

One spear tip pierced through his brow.

One spear tip pierced through his throat.

One spear tip struck and pierced his heart.

One spear tip shot through his Dantian.

The other two spear tips pierced his body in an ‘X’ shape, one left and one right, exiting through his left and right ribs after penetrating his internal organs.

A cold gleam flashed across the six long spears. Intense demonic energy surged forth, and streaks of demonic lightning shot out, exploding the Little Samsara Holy King’s flesh everywhere, spraying countless pieces of meat. The Little Samsara Holy King screamed in agony, his body twisting and convulsing, howling until his voice was nearly broken.

“Six Great Heavenly Wolf Kings, are you mad? What… what are you trying to do?”

The six Demon Immortals simultaneously released the spear shafts and unleashed six sword-lights, dazzling like rainbows, all striking the Little Samsara Holy King’s body.

The Little Samsara Holy King’s four limbs and head were severed, and his waist was also cut in half. Blood immediately gushed from his body, and his mangled limbs rapidly plummeted toward the ground.

A streak of sharp light burst forth from within the Little Samsara Holy King, transforming into a hazy silhouette that fled rapidly toward the massive demonic god in the distance. As it fled, the Little Samsara Holy King’s primordial spirit shrieked, ‘Father King, save me!’

But where was the space for him to escape?

Two beams of Buddhist light shot in from the side. Maha grabbed the Little Samsara Holy King’s primordial spirit in one hand and threw him toward Kan Hua with the other.

Kan Hua, whose vital essence had been almost entirely drained, roared madly at the sky. He opened his mouth and swallowed the Little Samsara Holy King whole.

Vast amounts of blood essence surged out from Kan Hua’s body; his drained vital essence was rapidly recovering.

Kan Hua’s body pulsed with blood-light, flickering continuously. Gradually, the rich, fishy smell of his blood-qi began to merge with the surrounding void; his blood-qi became increasingly unfathomable, practically fusing with the surrounding space.

Kan Hua raised his head, his eyes fixed rigidly on a certain point in the void. Suddenly, he laughed wildly.

“The true meaning of Luo Kun Star Lord’s Life and Death Annihilation—so this is it! Born to die, die to be born; life is the beginning of death, and death is the source of life!”

“The Zombie Body is the barrier between life and death, the natural bridge connecting the laws of life and death!”

“The Dao of the Zombie is Taiji—it is that single line between Yin and Yang!” The void abruptly trembled, and Kan Hua’s face became hazy and indistinct.

The spiritual energy of the surrounding heaven and earth poured continuously into his body; his form gradually etherealized, and the massive oppressive aura forced the dark clouds of demonic fire to recede constantly.

A shriek of piercing resentment and malice drifted over from afar.

“Who killed my child?”

“All of you must die today!” (To be continued. For the next part of the story, please visit u^,,F)