Chapter 47: Nine Netherworld Fire Tribulation
Lu Qingyang stepped on the Xuan Yin stones at the edge of the Nine Netherworld Fissure, the fiery array patterns on the soles of his boots leaving spiderweb-like scorch marks on the ink-jade-like ground. The Nine Netherworld Fire surging from the abyss carried a thousand years of Evil Qi, and the blood coral king's faint glow on the surface of the qingmu spirit pearl flowed, subtly resonating with the mottled remnants of the 'Prison Suppressing Stele' on the rock wall. The blood coral essence he had consumed three days prior had condensed into crimson patterns on the surface of his Golden Core, now flickering between bright and dim with the scorching of the Nine Netherworld Fire, like a jumping spirit flame in an Artifact Refining furnace.
"This ghost fire of the Nine Netherworld is even three times hotter than the Drunken Immortal Pavilion's underground Dragon warm chamber." He flicked an 陰骨藤 growing from a rock crevice. The black blood seeping from the broken vine instantly condensed into a 'Soul Burning Charm' in mid-air. Su Li's Puppet Silk wrapped around a falling scorched leaf. The moment a silver needle pierced the charm's 脈絡 , the entire fissure suddenly trembled as if a giant beast was turning over.
Yinghuo's silver bell cord swept away splashing lava, and chensha stones shattered the Fire Puppets attacking from the shadows. Nine corpse soldiers, clad in scorched black armor, crawled out of the Spiritual Vein fissure. Their exposed spines were wrapped in bronze chains, and the scorch marks on the chain links were identical to the cracks on the qingmu spirit pearl. "Ye Wuchen treats the Nine Netherworld like his own kitchen." Lu Qingyang used two fingers to split open the chest plate of one corpse soldier, digging out a pigeon-egg-sized Nine Netherworld Fire crystal. "This crystal, on the black market..."
Before he could finish, the 'Nine Netherworld Purgatory Map' on the rock wall suddenly peeled off. The bronze chains erupted, condensing into a Rakshasa phantom. The Nine Netherworld Fire pierced by its steel trident actually burned scorched cracks into the crimson patterns on his Golden Core. Lu Qingyang moved, stepping on the collapsing Xuan Yin stones. The array patterns on his boots clashed with the Nine Netherworld Fire, imprinting a partial array diagram of the 'Tai Xu Swallowing Sky Skill' on the ground. The blood coral king suddenly burst forth with a faint glow, solidifying the approaching Nine Netherworld Fire into blood-colored glaze.
"Gen Palace shifts, Dui Lake suppresses the abyss!"
Yinghuo's chensha array temporarily repelled the Rakshasa. Lu Qingyang seized the opportunity to dart towards the core of the Spiritual Vein. The qingmu spirit pearl reflected the black iron coffin at the bottom of the altar. The coffin lid was not carved with runes, but with a 'Myriad Ghosts Homage' painting. The ghost king in the main position held a Seal in a gesture seven-tenths similar to Ye Wuchen's spell. He scoffed, prying open the coffin nails: "Ye Laozei's painter must have secretly seen the 'Yin Fu Jing'..."
What surged from inside the coffin was not Corpse Qi, but the solidified Nine Netherworld Evil Fire. The moment the Evil Fire touched the coral king, the crimson patterns on the Golden Core's surface suddenly flared up, and in their struggle with the Dragon Emperor Dao patterns, they actually condensed into an ancient Zhurong phantom. Su Li's Puppet Silk wrapped around his wrist: "Evil Fire burning the Golden Core!"
"Burning the Golden Core?" Lu Qingyang shook off the silk threads, his pupils glowing with lava-like gold. "Back then, to break the cold poison, Mr. Lu swallowed a Southern Bright Fire Seed..." His voice abruptly stopped. He suddenly froze on the spot—at the bottom of the coffin lay half a scroll of the 'Nine Netherworld Fire Annotations', and between its pages was not a talisman paper, but a piece of scorched bone from the same source as the coral king.
At midnight, when the Nine Netherworld Fire was at its peak, the roar of war drums came from deep within the Spiritual Vein. Lu Qingyang stepped on the fire waves condensed by the Rakshasa phantom and leaped towards the epicenter. The qingmu spirit pearl reflected the Soul Burning Furnace in the fissure at the bottom of the abyss. Floating inside the furnace were three hundred remnants of Cultivator souls, each soul's glabella embedded with a Nine Netherworld Fire seed, its flame core swaying with the unique green lotus mark of the Taiyi Pavilion.
"Li Palace returns to its position, Kan Water Seals the furnace!"
The moment the chensha stone shattered the furnace lid's Seal, the Soul Burning Furnace suddenly erupted. The Nine Netherworld Fire within the furnace condensed into myriad fire crows and swooped over. The crow feathers, touching the coral king's faint glow, actually pieced together half of the 'Nine Netherworld Spiritual Vein Map' in mid-air. Lu Qingyang stepped on the fire crows' backs and leaped towards the furnace core. The Zhurong phantom on the Golden Core's surface suddenly opened its eyes, exhaling a wisp of Divine Sense mixed with alcohol: "Nine Netherworld Fire essence can temper the Golden Core."
At the fifth watch, the Spiritual Vein trembled, and the clang of swords came from deep within the Soul Burning Furnace. Lu Qingyang found half a scorched Prison Suppressing Token in the furnace core. The Evil Qi remaining on the token suddenly came alive, manifesting in his Sea of Consciousness the secret of Taiyi Pavilion melting Cultivator souls to nourish the Spiritual Vein. Yinghuo's silver bell cord wrapped around a stream of magma. The three of them used the force to rush out of the Soul Burning Furnace.
At dawn, Lu Qingyang stood on the scorched cliff overlooking the Nine Netherworld Sea of Fire. The qingmu spirit pearl reflected the Soul Summoning Banner drifting deep within the fire waves. Embedded in the forehead of the Zhurong embroidered on the banner was a Nine Netherworld Fire essence that perfectly matched the coral king. The heat wave swept over his right arm, which was covered in fire patterns. The Zhurong phantom on the Golden Core's surface was slowly undergoing Fusion with the Sea God Dao patterns.
"The time is right." He flicked his finger, shattering the fire-eating ants attempting to climb onto his bracer, and squinted at the thunderclouds surging deep within the Sea of Fire. "The Cauldron that Ye Laozei has nurtured in the Nine Netherworld for eight hundred years, it's time to open the lid and inspect the goods..."
