Defending the Netherworld

Humongous hordes of entities entered the Netherworld and immediately identified what they needed to attack. The illusionary disc taking form was anything but discreet to begin with. Only, these devils had to get pass hordes of immortal cultivators who'd taken up defensive positions surrounding the burgeoning reincarnation disc.

At the helm of it all, the 12 Petals Black Lotus of Destruction spun ominously. It released gas clouds that seemingly disintegrated anything that came within its vicinity. As if the concept something existing was removed from its being.

The fact that Luofu appeared so decisively made everyone but a few take a step back. Previously, he'd only been to one battle. So even though everyone knew in the back of their minds that he was the head of the Devilish Dao, the memory of this godfiend became foreign.

But the moment he appeared, a fear was ignited in the hearts of numerous.

As if to answer the presence of a Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal, the three sovereigns who led the alliance manifested their true forms. Their aura blanketed the reincarnation disc forming an impenetrable wall.

Zulong, Zufeng, and Qi An have all seen Luohu fight before and knew what to expect. None of them were afraid to confront him head on.

"Annoying insects. Do me a favour and kill yourselves!"

His voice resonated throughout the Netherworld causing violent storms to erupt. The temperature dropped even further, nearly plunging the already frigid Netherworld into an ice age.

The courage of numerous cultivators were quickly fading. Luohu's commands seemed like the only thing in their minds as their hands reached for their own hearts.

Suddenly, from admits the crowds of immortal cultivators rose a brilliant light. Fire blazed across in front of the three sovereigns before converging into the shape of an avian.

Luohu narrowed his gaze, this shape was wholly different from the phoenix. This bird was less elegant and much more muscular in stature. The aura it gave off was not balanced in all aspects, but tremendously hot in yang.

"Sun crow Di Jun," Luohu said aloud, twirling the God Skilling Spear. "An overconfident little brat."

Di Jun appeared every bit as regal as Zulong or Zufeng. His cultivation had risen to the apex of his path thus becoming a truth, a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal in terms of raw insight in his Dao. His face tightened as his strongest followers appeared to stand with him on the forefront.

He'd organized the greatest experts of his new Heavenly Demon Empire to a small group. Ten Demonic Grand Sages led by the rogue cultivator Baize. Each of them had faced off and killed numerous devils. All of whom were either ancient ancestral clan chiefs or immensely powerful experts that he'd tamed.

Di Junior glanced at the other rulers of the Primitive World, Zulong and Zufeng. Neither of the two were paying him attention as their gazes were locked on Luohu. Not only Luohu, but at Mara who followed closely behind the Devil Ancestor.

"Luohu you old villain. You've committed an unforgivable sin against your own homeland," Di Jun announced. "I cannot imagine…"

Luohu tuned the innate god out out of sheer bafflement. Why was the sun crow talking so much? Did he think he could buy time by yapping?

Neither the dragon, phoenix, nor the qilin were doing so. Not even the eight headed serpent who was eying him at the back.

How could he forget Da Hai? The man who stole his place as first amongst the godfiends to reach Limitless Supreme. The man lead by an obsessive hate so large, it may've well been his identity.

Even now, Luohu identified him as the priority target to kill. Not only was he heading the ritual, he was also the strongest person present.

"There is no room for talks," Luohu spoke out. "Kill them all! Crush that thing at once!"

Di Jun flattened his lips in anger. He drew the Sun Chakram from his possession and ignited it into a ring of fire in preparation. "Taiyi, Xihe, with me. Baize, take half the sages. Zhu Jiang, you lead the rest. Victory will be assured as long as the ritual is. "

"Yes your majesty!"

Luohu pointed the God Killing Spear at the enemy to signal his devil followers to attack. He felt millions of uneasy gazes at his back but deemed them unimportant. Most importantly of all, Mara and Hundun were gearing to attack.

Taping his black lotus flower, he began an offence by attempting to turn the Netherworld into a sea of destruction. His own true form flashed in an illusionary image behind him while the natural yin aligned air began distorting.

Normally, the Heavenly Dao would probably try to mitigate the affects of his spell. Unfortunately, that child was invalid.

Zulong immediately responded by roaring, Zufeng flapped her wings to ignite an ocean of flames. Qi An's head glowed as he reversed causality to eliminate Luohu's destruction from happening in the first place.

"Brother, be wary of that one," Mara warned. "His karmic techniques are capable of dragging out old events and harming you in the present."

"I'm aware."

Devils gathered from across the world as well as ghost devils forcibly brought back to their birthplace rushed ahead in massive lines.

As instructed, while living devils utilized their own power. Ghost devils pooled together their own in formations in order to bridge their lack of power in the same realm. It was shameful for these prideful beings, especially Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal ghost devils.

On the anti-devil alliance's side, nine flag poles rose up and a circular formation took form. The nine princes of the four seas hurled their might to begin slaughtering devils.

"KILL!" Qiu Niu commanded at the head of his siblings.

Di Jiang led countless divinities to battle on land where it suited them best. Their massive physique made it incredibly difficult for devils to deal. These fleshy bodies were formed from the laws of the Primitive World making them next to impossible to damage for the average cultivator. Even though their magical means were drastically weaker in comparison, they were the perfect walls for other cultivators to attack from behind.

…

When Di Jun started speaking, Da Hai couldn't help but listen in. Even as he worked in integrating karma's judgement function into the reincarnation system.

"What a natural. You'd just wanna die for the guy," he thought aloud.

"Certainly a way with words. No wonder he got those guys to join up."

"Mhm."

He wasn't surprised Zulong heard him despite the commotion, his disciple's ears were sharp. Zulong's own opinions of Di Jun were more complex however.

He did feel threatened by the sun crow as any faction leader would, but to say he was envious or hateful was wrong. Da Hai would wager his ambitious fire for conquest died long ago. It may be conjecture at best, but the way he acted in the past only fuelled this thought process.

Da Hai cannot say he wasn't unhappy by this revelation. If only it'd come sooner. But as always, events have progressed too far now to change. As a master, he was also concerned wether Zulong's Dao heart would collapse.

For cultivators who'd reached this stage, the Dao fruit was key. Being grown from a sprout before manifesting as an actualized object, a strong Dao heart was crucial. A Dao heart was one's drive to seek the Dao, determination on the path of immortal cultivation, desire to study the truth, stubbornness to not give up, boneheadedness to not see another way.

That last part may seem like a detriment, but if doubts clouds the mind, or if ideas and methods that you accept as disproving your own cultivated Dao. Then that Dao would begin to weaken until it collapses. It was a symbiotic relationship that feeds into one another.

Da Hai's mind often wondered to what ifs such as this. If Zulong was to suffer like this, he didn't know what he'd do. He glanced up as the battle began to dissolve these distracting thoughts.

On the foot soldiers' side, the anti-devil alliance was superior. But despite this, Luohu quickly changed things. After his first attack, he grabbed hold of his spear and rocketed for him. Da Hai's gaze erupted into hatred as Zulong and Qi An went to confront the devil.

Zufeng had started brawling with Mara but her battle was much more defensive as a head on clash of power will inevitably result in her demise. 'The phoenix actually got stronger?' Da Hai couldn't help but acknowledge.

Zufeng's light reminded him too much of Huoyun. Not like the memories he had shared with the man when he was young. But of the godfiend who roamed the Chaos Sea with Tian Hai and Yang Mei. It seemed as if the building blocks of life as defined by the Five Elements was encompassed within each flap of her wings.

From her, celestial phenomena emerged in five sequences to attack the six armed Mara. Zufeng's body gave off equal reserves of yin and yang which emerged as spiralling patterns on her beak. She opened her beak and fired off lasers from that pattern.

The sound was so loud that it eclipsed all the other fighting going on. From Da Hai's eyes, it was a nauseating sight.

"That should've been Huoyun, not some feathered beast who stole your legacy."

"Senior, please pay attention!" Yuanshi's urgent cry got to him. "We need to hurry this!"

"I know, I know." Da Hai felt embarrassed for letting himself wonder again. Houtu, Yuanshi, Minghe, Yanluo were integrating their own roles yet Da Hai was delayed.

Truth be told, he wanted to retrieve his sword and go carve out Luohu's heart this instant. He cursed Zhunti for his disappearance and even Taishang who was also missing.

BOOM!

Zulong was using his sword to clash against Luohu's spear. Both weapons emitted dangerous destructive qi stemming from Pangu's power. Their blades caused ripples throughout the Netherworld.

In terms of channeling Chaotic Sword Qi, the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword was actually superior since it was built specifically for that. But the God Killing Spear was a Chaos Treasure and once the stem of the 36 Petals Chaos Green Lotus. It was better as a weapon.

Zulong held the blade with his right hind leg. His upper body attack with his claws while the Dragon Pearl and Twenty Four Sea Calming Pearls worked together to resist the 12 Petals Black Lotus of Destruction.

Each clash caused so much damage in the air that Da Hai felt it rippling across his fleshy body.

Qi An flew alongside Zulong using his own means to attack. But comparatively, Zulong was hard carrying the fight. His sword clashed against Luohu's spear with lethal intent. Memories of the suffering from the war flashes through the ruler's mind.

'Okay, this piece involves the recording of the past. Connecting to the lure from Minghe into the structure of Yuanshi's making.' Da Hai half glanced Zulong's way even as he worked.

"Luohu hasn't activated the Immortal Extermination Four Swords?" He murmured.

But as he watched blows being traded, he saw Luohu be pushed down by Zulong's sword strike. Da Hai's eyes widened as he saw swirling blade like qi emerging from the Devil Ancestor's body.

"Zulong, get out of there, he wants to trap you in the formation!"

The Dragon Sovereign did not hesitate to teleport himself immediately. In the heat of the moment, Qi An jumped back in startlement as well.

THOOM!

Piercing rays of light slashed in four directions faster than one could blink. Zulong's elongated body appeared further away just barely touching a spherical mass of sword light that appeared without warning.

"So quick?" He gasped.

Within the Immortal Extermination Four Swords, numerous living beings suddenly found themselves within a killing array. This was as Luohu had came closer to the ground during his clash against Zulong. Even Qi An found himself within the area of the formation.

"What is?" Immortal experts who found themselves trapped were momentarily confused. They'd been fighting the horde of devils when all of a sudden, the Netherworld changed into a sword world. Even the devils within were surprised.

But that short time was enough for Luohu to activate his move. The sword environment turned deadly. Streams of sword light flowing across the formation's interior turned inwards and outwards. They zigzagged throughout in a slaughter frenzy.

"NO!"

Numerous cultivators of weaker realms who did not have sufficient defences were made into mince meat. Immortals and devils alike suffered, dying by the millions. Even Chaos Immortal elders were not spared.

Newly ascended Chaos Immortals, or just those without good body techniques and couldn't react in time. They too suffered tens of thousands of stabs. Regeneration could only go so far, and for some this meant they perished along with their Dao fruits.

"Luohu you think such measly attacks can harm my body?" Qi An roared. The strikes killing others were bouncing off his scales like nothing. He did not make an effort to attack, rather to collect whoever he could and flee.

Luohu smirked at the qilin and launched his own moves at the Chaos Immortal. Luohu being Luohu, his powerful strikes were so strong that Qi An had to give up the few immortals who held onto his body for shelter in order to survive.

"Sovereign hel…" the speaking cultivator was obliterated before Qi An could even get a good look.

"So fast too? I need to regroup with the dragon. Four equal individuals need to work together to even survive this thing!"

"Scaled horse, don't think you can just run away like that!" Luohu cried out. He still had all his treasures on him and was soon upon Qi An like a frenzied beast.

With himself alone, he could do little but wait for his death. He knew that unless someone helps him soon, his life would be forfeit. Luohu can kill him, but he couldn't so much as even touch him.

By catching so many in his killing array, Luohu wiped out so many lives that Da Hai didn't even bother counting.

Streams of souls was released from the deceased devils. They all flew downwards towards streams of silver light where agonizing cries were heard. High above, Mara turned around him Zufeng's flames to start chanting.