Chapter 1923: Rampage

"He's pinned down!"

Few people paid attention to the black misty sea below. Everyone's gaze was still fixed on the Eighth Sword Immortal, surrounded by countless devils in the void. Ignoring the outward appearance of those grotesque devils, Eight Revered had essentially been trapped by layers upon layers of ancestral power.

Is this the end?

"Six breaths. Seven breaths..."

Someone was counting. For a long while, no sound emerged from within that monstrous fleshy mass. But no one was willing to believe that Eight Revered, who had just begun to act, would die at the very first step, suppressed by these grotesque monsters.

When the count reached nine, the void trembled. Everyone's eyes widened, not daring to blink. They saw that while devils continued to rush forward outside, the super-large fleshy mass of devils, already piled up to several miles in radius internally, suddenly emitted a faint golden light from within its crevices.

Initially dim, just a wisp. Then it suddenly brightened, and golden light shot out from all sides of the fleshy mass, like a sun about to explode, illuminating the entire Underworld.

"Buddhist Sun Purifies, Grand Sovereign Sun Departs..."

A familiar voice boomed from within, and the world instantly became a vacuum. In the dead silence, the fleshy mass shattered, and devils flew backward. The inner radiance of the white sun grew brighter, revealing a tall, backlit figure at its center.

"Little Eight..." Moon Palace Slave paused her palm, as if sensing something, and released the sword in her hand. The people in the Underworld then saw, from an unknown origin in the silent expanse, a sword light shoot forth. That light, originating from the distant sky, crossed past the countless scattering devils. Like a counter-current, it instantly entered the white sun that illuminated the Underworld. It landed steadily and securely in the hand of the black figure within.

A deep Buddhist chant broke the dead silence. Outsiders from the Five Domains, watching through their respective scrying methods, couldn't help but hold their breath, feeling their blood gradually heat up.

"A sword comes from the East!"

"Yes, a sword comes from the East, a Sword Immortal! I knew the Eighth Sword Immortal couldn't be... In my opinion, the real show has just begun!"

"Haven't all the swords in the world been consumed by Eight Revered? What kind of sword was that just now? He has so many swords he didn't use, why did he specifically use that one?"

"It looked like a Buddhist sword?"

"Buddhist Sun Purifies, Grand Sovereign Sun Departs, dual cultivation of Buddhism and Taoism, plus a Buddhist sword, could it be..."

Under the watchful eyes of the multitude, the dazzling radiance of the white sun was once again absorbed by Eight Revered into his body. But this time, it wasn't absorbed without consequence; a ripple began. Instead, at the same moment, behind Eight Revered, a brilliant golden light shot up, forming a figure tall enough to reach the heavens. A Buddha, after its power was condensed, manifested an indestructible golden body—a Vajra.

A sudden surge of power! This momentum, it rose too high! Even within the Divine Court's Underworld, bound by countless threads of the Reapers' power, once the momentum surged, it was still enough to contend. Perhaps even more so?

From afar, the Ten Hall Masters, the Black and White Fiends, and the Eight Great Warriors, who were originally close behind the countless devils, were about to make a move. Under the suppressing force, their knees suddenly buckled, their movements interrupted. They nearly prostrated themselves in the air, their faces showing great shock.

They looked up. That Buddha's height and immensity were almost comparable to an entire city. It was unimaginable what terrifying power it must contain within? All the devils required the accumulated power of the Divine Court's Underworld over eons to reach higher levels. Yet, the Vajra formed by Eight Revered was accomplished by him alone?

The Vajra, with its armor half-cracked in reverence, chest expanded, suddenly opened its eyes wide. With one hand, it condensed a towering giant blade, unleashing a grand slaughter. Eight Revered, in his white robes, gracefully swept his sword across the air, a faint fire burning between his brows.

By this point, both ancient sword cultivators and Spirit Refiners with a rudimentary understanding of ancient sword arts discerned something, and cried out in astonishment. Eight Revered uttered a single word. Behind him, the Vajra with its opened eyes swept its massive sword without hesitation, and golden light cleaved half of the Underworld.

With an explosive sound, heaven and earth seemed to be split in two. The devils surrounding him, who had been swept away by the white sun and the suppressing force, couldn't even let out a whimper. The moment they were struck by the Buddhist sword's light, they shattered into pieces with a crackling sound, disintegrating into wisps of black smoke that fell. Along with the subsequent devils that were flying in from all directions like moths to a flame, a massive void appeared after the great sword swept across the sky.

One-third of the countless devils were cleared away by a single sword! Not only those present in the Underworld, but all cultivators in the Five Domains, seeing this scene, felt their scalps tingle and rose in shock. What difference was there between this and a single sword opening up chaos?

Among those countless devils, some had clearly received the power of unrighteous Reapers, their defenses notably superior to ordinary beings. But under the Great Buddha's cleaving, they were like serpents trying to shake a tree, utterly vulnerable. Like pearls cracking, porcelain shattering, or rain striking sparse glass.

Beneath the Great Buddha's new sweep, besides the initial booming sound of tearing through the air, all that remained were crisp, pleasant sounds of devils' bodies shattering. Sounds of breaking ripples moved from west to east, composing a beautiful symphony above the Underworld for the people of the Five Domains.

Granny Meng's face was already ghastly pale, with little color. Seeing this, her lips trembled. With a fierce but inwardly terrified wave of her hand, she cried out heartbreakingly, "Charge!!!"

"Tear him apart! Now!"

The Ten Hall Masters, the Black and White Fiends, and the Eight Great Warriors, hearing the command, stirred. Their eyes blazed with light, and the space beneath their feet shattered as they prepared to take flight.

Eight Revered lifted his eyelids, his pupils contracting.

"Kneel!"

The Ten Hall Masters, the Black and White Fiends, and the Eight Great Warriors suddenly twisted their faces, their skin pulling downwards, their spines almost tearing apart. It seemed they were under extreme pressure. Their armor and clothes were on the verge of being ripped apart by invisible sword energy descending from the sky, until finally...

They truly all crumbled.

"Impossible!"

Granny Meng let out a shriek, her face turning from white to green. She clearly felt no pressure herself. She simply couldn't believe that a mere human, Eight Revered, could, with two words, make the numerous great generals of the Underworld all submit.

"Get up!"

"Get up, now..."

Granny Meng, however, stopped abruptly. She still wanted to pull them up one by one, starting with the Eight Great Warriors, but her actions suddenly pulled her, and with disbelief, her gaze slowly shifted towards the distant figure...

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Magnificent currents of air whistled through the high sky. Eight Revered remained still, but a sea of swords flowed out from his shoulders and back. Along with a towering, blood-red killing aura, twelve blood-red sword wings unfurled behind him, covering the sky.

The two words 'Kneel down' had already caused the Underworld generals to collapse, which was shocking enough. This truly formidable 'Wrath of the Great Red God,' condensed from myriad swords, allowed the ancient sword cultivators of the Five Domains to once again witness what it meant for the First and Second Realms to have no upper limit.

"Is 'Absolute Imperial Rule' truly so absolute?"

"Can the Wrath of the Great Red God also be condensed from spirit swords and killing intent, forming a physical entity?"

Granny Meng merely met the distant pair of blood-red eyes, and both of her eyeballs exploded, splattering streams of Reapers' power. She finally understood what the Underworld generals around her had just endured. When Eight Revered looked at her, all that power was concentrated on her. Granny Meng didn't just kneel; from her waist down, even her very concept was pulverized into dust. With a 'pat-pah' sound, she fell into the coffin.

The Life-Urging Judge could no longer stay put. This fat-headed, big-eared monster picked up Granny Meng from the coffin, threw her aside, and then straightened its body. With a resounding rip, it unhesitatingly tore off its divine scroll, and screamed shrilly, "All ten thousand Dao methods, converge to one source, imbue our bodies. All Hell City First-Rank Generals, partake of ancestral divine power, ascend to First Rank, advance!"

The sounds of shattering explosions filled the ears. Above the void, the remaining two-thirds of the devils that originally formed the fleshy wall, having been swept by the Great Buddha's sword, all exploded in response. At that moment, flesh splattered, obscuring vision, and blood poured down like rain. Amidst continuous screams, the Divine Court's Underworld manifested a purgatorial state, filled with the unwilling wails of devils. Distinct sounds of pain, cries of 'ah-ah'...

The numerous Spirit Refiners from the Ghost Buddha Realm, clearly not part of this battle, felt goosebumps erupt all over their bodies upon seeing and hearing this. Intense! Brutal! Unspeakable!

"Bro-brothers, save me..." Crimson Maiden's delicate body trembled violently, her golden apricot charm almost slipping from her grasp, her eyes filled with terror. She had never witnessed such a tragic and magnificent sight. In her original world, the Grand Void was already the peak, and Half-Saints were excessively beyond reach. But upon entering the Divine Court's Underworld, she found her worldview being overturned again and again. Eight Revered's single sword strike displayed such power that she couldn't even explain it.

Yet, the remaining countless vengeful spirits, after exploding, had their splattered Reapers' power all converge upon the various Underworld generals around the Life-Urging Judge. Their auras, amplified by the Divine Court's Underworld, already felt beyond Half-Saint level from the very beginning. Now, with such immense power added to them, what were they trying to do? Were they creating something insane? Crimson Maiden didn't even dare to think in that direction. Even those from the original Ghost Buddha Realm, now ancient sword cultivators and Spirit Refiners personally standing on the Underworld battlefield, all had expressions of shock on their faces. No matter how unbelievable, it seemed there was only one answer left.

Moon Palace Slave murmured hesitantly, her palms cold and beaded with fine sweat. "Are they truly Sacred Emperors?"

Yu Zhiwen's face paled slightly. Thinking of something, her body tensed. Liu Fuyu was no better off. Hearing this, she gasped. "What exactly is a Sacred Emperor?"

There were only five Sacred Emperor families in total. Half a year ago, the Kunpeng Divine Envoy attained Sacred Emperor status, ascended the heavenly ladder, and fought for fortune, but in the end, couldn't escape death. Counting carefully, the number of Sacred Emperors, both above and below the Sacred Divine Continent, plus the ghost beasts of Void Island, the Sacred Palace's Purple Pet, White Dragon, and a certain Seal King whose destiny was exhausted and served as a mere placeholder, only slightly exceeded ten. Yet here in the Underworld, that fat-headed, big-eared Judge, by tearing a divine scroll, could create twenty of them? There were no more than eighteen Sacred Emperor positions!

"It's not entirely impossible..." This was also the first time Moon Palace Slave had encountered such a situation. However, she had, after all, once been a Sacred Emperor's inheritor, and despite her limited experience, knowing that the Underworld was a perfect Divine Court, she could roughly estimate the situation. Once a Throne Domain opened, even Spirit Refiners unfamiliar with the Way of Space could slightly alter laws; sealing and transference were basic functions. The Sacred Domains of Half-Saints and Sacred Emperors also possessed domain properties, capable of altering more and higher-level laws. The Divine Court was even more so!

Moon Palace Slave gazed intently at the towering figure in the void, her tone filled with solemnity. "The Divine Court had long transcended 'domain limitations,' forming its own laws, its status comparable to the Heavenly Realm. After all, it was the ancestral gods' residence. The Ghost Buddha Realm, merged with the Ancient War God Platform, and its highly evolved laws, provided Hua Changdeng's Divine Court's Underworld with the foundation for perfect power manifestation. The Ghost Ancestor was born eons ago. After its decline, the Divine Court's Underworld never reappeared until it fell into Hua Changdeng's hands, and it had never been fully activated. Over countless years, the ancestral power accumulated within had reached an inestimable level in both quantity and quality."

Moon Palace Slave paused. From the bottom of her heart, she didn't want to admit it, but the truth was such: "To permanently elevate the Eight Great Warriors, Ten Hall Masters, and Black and White Fiends to the Sacred Emperor realm might not be possible, as they lacked Sacred Emperor status. But within the Divine Court's scope, for the Divine Court's master to bestow upon their generals Sacred Emperor battle power for a brief period, or even Ten-Realm Sacred Emperor battle power with ultimate, immense ancestral power..." Moon Palace Slave took a long, deep breath: "It's not 'difficult'; it's 'effortless'!"

"Cluck! Cluck!" Black Rooster jumped out, spreading its wings to shield Little Fish beneath it. It pecked its head forward twice, its fighting-cock eyes shining, as if saying, "Don't be afraid, the Rooster is here, the Rooster will protect you."

Yu Zhiwen pulled Black Rooster back, hugging it to her chest, her palms cold. She could understand, fully understand. Indeed, for those under an ancestral god to possess Sacred Emperor battle power was a very normal occurrence. She only thought of... "Grandpa Yu, back then, had also fought against these monsters' combined power. Was the final result failure?"

The hatred had never vanished; it had merely been suppressed. As Yu Zhiwen thought this, her body trembled slightly, and her hands unconsciously tightened. On her ice-cold, snow-like skin, exquisite scale patterns unconsciously emerged. She almost crushed the Black Rooster in her arms.

Moon Palace Slave and Liu Fuyu both noticed the anomaly simultaneously, and realizing something, their lips barely moved.

"Cluck, cluck." Black Rooster clucked, extending a wing to gently pat Little Fish's head. Yu Zhiwen suddenly awoke, hastily loosening her grip: "Apologies, I..." She stopped, unable to speak further.

A soft sound came from her ear. It was no longer the absurd clucking of a chicken, but Xu Xiaoshou's warm and firm voice. "Don't worry, I can't even find half a reason for that Hua fellow to survive. He is undoubtedly dead."

"Charge! Charge! Charge! Charge..."

One dazzling black light after another shot up into the sky. The countless devils of the Underworld's fleshy wall, after exploding, had all their Reapers' power converge upon the numerous generals in front of the Judge. In just an instant, these monsters completed their transformation, their bodies swelling more than tenfold.

The Ten Hall Masters, their black armor radiating light. The Black and White Fiends, their hooks and shields splitting light. The Eight Great Warriors, moreover, became so brawny and formidable that their mere steps could shatter paths and break laws. A full twenty great generals, already impressive in the Divine Court's Underworld home ground. Now, they were further amplified by the immense Reapers' power to an unspeakable degree.

"Ex-treme~"

The Life-Urging Judge, so corpulent he seemed to drip oil, kicked away Granny Meng who was climbing out of the coffin. With a flourish of the large blood-stained brush in his hand, he chuckled and looked over, speaking in a peculiar tone, "Your name is, Eight Revered?"

Eight Revered's back flared with twelve blood-red wings, his Buddhist sword 'Wrathful Immortal' in hand. Yet, at this moment, he didn't even spare a glance for the fat-headed, big-eared monster. He looked down. The black misty sea below, accompanying the Great Buddha's cleaving sword strike, had settled into a liquid ocean, displaying its extraordinary nature. He pondered.

Eight Revered reversed the Buddhist sword in his hand, pressing it downwards. The Vajra with opened eyes behind him did the same; its massive golden greatsword plunged into the ocean of black Reapers' power. The Buddhist sword's purification effect and the Abode of Heaven's abandonment effect worked simultaneously. The black ocean seemed to boil, bubbling and gradually evaporating. As the purification and abandonment began, the boundless ocean stirred, as if gaining sentience, and all of it retracted into the Underworld's depths, flowing towards the nameless.

A thoughtful look flashed in Eight Revered's eyes. He chuckled softly, shook his head, and paid it no mind.

Above, the fat-headed, big-eared monster exploded in a tantrum, stomping its feet frantically, its killing intent soaring to the heavens. Twenty High-Realm Sacred Emperors, and this mere mortal dared to ignore him?

"Eight! Re-vered!" The Life-Urging Judge pointed the blood-stained brush in his hand forward and shrieked fiercely: "Don't blame this Lord for not giving you a chance! If you surrender now, follow me to the capital to meet the Sovereign, this Lord might still spare your dog's life!"

The sound waves swept through the Underworld like a tide. The cultivators of the Ghost Buddha Realm within it unconsciously swallowed their saliva. On one hand, they had never seen an existence more arrogant than the legendary "Eighth Sword Immortal." On the other hand, they had never seen 'twenty Sacred Emperors.' Simply from this number, who wouldn't feel confident enough to be arrogant? "If it were me, I'd dare to be arrogant too! I'd be even more arrogant than that fat lump!"

Eight Revered flicked a finger, and the Buddhist sword 'Wrathful Immortal' transformed into a golden light, reluctantly shooting into space and returning to its original place. He finally lifted his head and looked at the twenty Hell City generals bathed in black light. They were like twenty mad dogs held back by black chains. Anyone could see that with the Life-Urging Judge's command, his subordinates would pour out en masse. Eight Revered surveyed them one by one, a corner of his lip lifting slightly, and he nodded subtly.

The fat-headed, big-eared Judge's brows shot up. His frenzy intensified; he felt insulted. "Is this, affirmation? Who needs your 'affirmation'?!" But the Judge didn't act impulsively. This human had something about him; the twelve blood-red sword wings on his back might possess Sacred Emperor battle power...

Just as he thought of this, Eight Revered's sword wings retracted behind him, instantly re-entering his body. He returned to his calm, ordinary human state, like a still ancient well. He clasped his hands behind his back, took one step forward, and amidst the gentle ripple of his white robes, crossed five more cities. By now, he had walked from the southernmost part of the Underworld to its very center, directly facing the Life-Urging Judge and his twenty chained mad dogs.

"Eight! Re-vered!" The Life-Urging Judge roared, prepared to attack immediately if he disagreed. "Speak!!!"

"Who can't put on a show of bravado?" It didn't believe the other side wasn't afraid. It wanted this human to kneel before him. It wanted to wash away the humiliation of having his head half-burst just now. Only after that would he let his twenty Sacred Emperors tear this damned fellow to shreds!

It seemed his wish would not be granted. Eight Revered stood suspended in the air, his hands clasped behind his back, his voice clear and calm, like stating an undeniable truth. "Then, I too shall give you a chance... Those who bow to me shall live; those who defy me shall die."