Chapter 1021: Wuchen Zhenjun Takes Action

Jind's vital blood spurted out, instantly coalescing into a blood-red talisman in the air. This talisman, imbued with a potent demonic aura, surged towards Tud.

Tud's expression remained unchanged. He struck out with a palm, his Primordial Qi condensing into a five-colored giant hand, blocking Jind's vital blood demonic talisman. However, at the moment of contact, the demonic talisman suddenly transformed into a blood-red vortex, devouring strands of Primordial Qi.

"Oh?" Tud's face showed surprise and doubt, but he immediately mobilized the power of his Primordial Dao Fruit. A colossal One-Origin Dao Body also manifested behind him, suppressing the blood-red vortex that had appeared out of thin air.

Boom! At this moment, Jind seized the opportunity to break free from the suppression and restraint of the Violet Splendor Sword Intent. His entire body shimmered with golden lightning bolts as he swiftly departed the One-Origin Hall.

Having intentionally held back, Chen Mobai stood aside, ready to observe.

"Jind," Tud said, "the entire Five Emperors Mountain is within my grasp. Where can you possibly escape to?" Tud shook his head, saying this after annihilating the blood-red vortex with his Primordial Qi and activating the power of the mountain protection array.

Accompanied by a resounding clang, Jind's pained cry echoed from outside the main hall. Tud and the other two immediately flew out, with Chen Mobai following, curious to see what was happening. At the moment the blood-red vortex appeared earlier, Chen Mobai, being in the Earth-Responding Spirit realm, sensed a slight fluctuation in the auras of Shenxi and Ni Yuanzhong. After confirming Jind's collusion with the demonic path, Tud had successfully shifted all blame from himself.

Outside the main hall, Chen Mobai saw Jind collapse before the statue of True Monarch One-Origin, constantly coughing up blood. In the sky above Five Emperors Mountain, a black line resembling a fissure had appeared, with strands of golden lightning still lingering around it.

"The array's loophole... it was fake?" Jind looked at the approaching Tud in disbelief and asked.

"Junior Brother," Tud said calmly, "how could the grand array set up by our Patriarch have a flaw? That was all a trick from me, so that you would believe you had an escape route from Five Emperors Mountain." Tud's calm words caused Jind's face to flush crimson; he nearly choked with rage and almost died from anger.

While Tud was in seclusion, the grand array of Five Emperors Mountain was jointly managed by the various mountain masters in rotation. During Jind's turn, he had continuously probed, believing he had found a loophole he could use to leave at any time. Little did he know, it was Tud's bait all along.

"Jind," Tud continued, "for the sake of our many years as fellow disciples, honestly confess everything about your collusion with the demonic path. I will leave your corpse intact and give you a chance to be reborn in the cycle of reincarnation." As Tud spoke, he subtly glanced at the black line in the sky formed by the array. Jind keenly noticed this, and an idea flashed through his mind: the array's flaw truly existed; it was just that his strength was insufficient, or Tud had compensated for it with the power of his Primordial Dao Fruit, which was why he couldn't break through and escape.

Seeing Tud and the others closing in on him from nearby, Jind no longer hesitated. He spat out a pitch-black bead, which violently exploded. The moment the bead appeared, Chen Mobai, being in the Earth-Responding Spirit realm, felt an inexpressible sense of dread surging from the earth and mountains, as if they had encountered their nemesis.

"Vein-Shattering Bead!" Tud, however, recognized it at a glance, and his expression drastically changed. If this object were to fully detonate above Five Emperors Mountain, even with the Primordial Bell suppressing it, a portion of the Dao Palace's spiritual veins would be contaminated.

"Stop!" After Mud and Shuid saw it, their expressions also changed drastically, and they simultaneously made their move.

"You are courting death!" Tud's voice carried a hint of anger; he no longer cared about plans like luring the snake out of its hole and directly activated his Primordial Dao Fruit. It was then that Tud displayed his true strength. He reached out and clenched his hand in the air. The Vein-Shattering Bead Jind had spat out and detonated was forcefully grasped by his One-Origin Dao Body. Even the poisonous gas that had permeated the earth was forcibly extracted by him and suspended in a pocket of void, preventing its spread. Chen Mobai felt that the One-Origin Dao Body Tud was manifesting at this moment was three parts stronger than when they had fought. This was likely due to a geographical advantage, specifically being on Five Emperors Mountain.

But at this moment, Jind burst into laughter. While they were dealing with the Vein-Shattering Bead, he grasped a pitch-black disc with both hands, spun it violently, and flung it towards the black line of the grand array. Chen Mobai sensed that a strange space was suddenly forced into Five Emperors Mountain. The disc then expanded, truly cutting open a fissure in the grand array, forming a circular portal.

An aura of the netherworld, vastly different from the mortal realm, surged from the circular portal. It seemed as if an extremely terrifying entity was about to descend upon Five Emperors Mountain.

"Gate of the Underworld! You truly are a mole for the Nether-Penetrating Demonic Sect!" Mud, seeing this scene, recalled that hundreds of years ago, when Revered Ming descended, it was also through this very divine ability, the Gate of the Underworld. But this divine ability required precise positioning. Thinking about it now, he realized that Jind must have set it up in advance for Revered Ming on Five Emperors Mountain.

"You killed the Palace Lord!" Mud remembered the Palace Lord who, to stop Revered Ming, had been forced to push his Primordial Dao Fruit and One-Origin Dao Body to their limits at the cost of his life. Immediately, killing intent blazed in his eyes. He unleashed his twelve Natal Flying Swords, striking at Jind, who was barely clinging to life.

But from behind the Gate of the Underworld, a pitch-black ghostly hand emerged, its six fingers resembling towering black pillars, slamming down towards Chen Mobai and the others one by one. Mud had no choice but to recall his flying swords, forming a sword array to block the ghostly fingers. One of the ghostly fingers descended onto Jind's head, enveloping him and pulling him towards the Gate of the Underworld in mid-air.

"Audacious demonic cultivator, how dare you act so brazenly on Five Emperors Mountain!" Seeing this, Tud immediately activated his Primordial Dao Fruit, manifesting his One-Origin Dao Body to collide with the massive ghostly hand in mid-air. As two vast and mighty forces spread, Tud's One-Origin Dao Body stood unmoving on the summit of Five Emperors Mountain, while the Gate of the Underworld became slightly more ethereal.

However, Tud's expression was not good. This was because his move had already borrowed the power of the grand array, reaching the most powerful state of the One-Origin Dao Body under normal circumstances. To go further, he would only be able to expend his vital essence to activate the Primordial Bell's enhancement.

"The descendants of One-Origin, each weaker than the last." A chilling voice sounded from behind the Gate of the Underworld, then it seemed to want to step out of the Gate of the Underworld and fully descend upon Five Emperors Mountain.

Clang, clang, clang! At this moment, the Primordial Bell began to chime automatically. Tud felt his connection with the spiritual veins of Five Emperors Mountain grow increasingly tight. He had originally only been able to control a small part of the grand array, but it gradually began to be fully reflected in his mind. With the Primordial Bell's enhancement, Tud's control over his Primordial Dao Fruit became even more precise, and some profound mysteries he had previously been unable to comprehend now surged into his mind. The One-Origin Dao Body behind Tud began to become even more solid and radiant, its power greatly increasing.

Had he known this, he should have forced Jind to rebel a hundred years ago. This was the first thought that came to Tud's mind, as the external threat had suddenly changed the attitude of the Primordial Bell, which had previously been indifferent to him. It clearly regarded him as the only one who could turn the tide in the current situation.

"Audacious demonic cultivator, how dare you run wild on my Five Emperors Mountain!" Tud declared, "Today, I shall let you witness the power of the Primordial Dao Fruit!" With the deep enhancement from the Primordial Bell, Tud was now full of confidence and even wanted to use this demonic invasion to further his control over both the Primordial Dao Fruit and the Primordial Bell. As he spoke, the One-Origin Dao Body behind him soared skyward and flew into the Gate of the Underworld.

Chen Mobai saw this scene and hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back. Accompanied by violent fluctuations of spiritual energy, winds surged and thunder roared across Five Emperors Mountain. Yet amidst it, wisps of pitch-black light began to darken and obscure the heavens and earth. Along with an intense burst of five-colored light, the summit of Five Emperors Mountain was suddenly enveloped by the Gate of the Underworld.

Tud's eyes widened, looking in disbelief at his One-Origin Dao Body, which had been struck down from the air. He had actually lost.

"The Gate of the Underworld is a supreme art of the Nether-Penetrating Demonic Sect," Chen Mobai explained to Tud. "Once cultivated to its highest realm, besides spatial displacement, it can also simulate the power of the Wheel of Reincarnation, opening a passage to the netherworld. By entering, you essentially abandoned your geographical advantage." After Su Zilu came under his command, she had told him various secrets about the Nether-Penetrating Demonic Sect. Information regarding the Wheel of Reincarnation was especially crucial, as Chen Mobai still possessed a Ghost Disc he had seized from one of Revered Ming's avatars.

Tud listened, his face showing sudden realization, "So that's how it is..." In fact, he already knew this, but Tud wanted to put himself in danger to further push the Primordial Bell, hoping to seize the opportunity to fully control this sixth-tier supreme treasure. However, facts proved that the divine ability of the Gate of the Underworld was indeed formidable; the moment his One-Origin Dao Body entered it, the Primordial Bell's enhancement suddenly weakened considerably. To resolve this, the best method would naturally be to throw the Primordial Bell into it. But clearly, the Primordial Bell was unwilling. On Five Emperors Mountain, the Primordial Bell served as the core spiritual pivot, overseeing everything, but if it were to leave, its power would be greatly diminished. As a sixth-tier magical artifact, its sentience was no less than that of a human. After a brief consideration, the Primordial Bell made the safest choice. Seeing his scheme fail, Tud couldn't help but feel fortunate that he had sought out the two great sacred lands beforehand. Otherwise, even if he could repel the entity behind the Gate of the Underworld today, he would likely expend a large amount of his vital essence.

"Thank you, Revered Ming, for your intervention," Jind said from behind the Gate of the Underworld. "My cover has been blown. However, the Five Emperors Mountain's mountain protection array has been opened. From now on, you can freely descend and enter or exit." From behind the Gate of the Underworld, Jind, still coughing up blood, bowed to Revered Ming, who appeared as a young man. His face twisted in pain, and his eyes were fierce. "Please, Revered Ming, unleash your great power to annihilate Five Emperors Mountain and restore the prestige of our demonic path."

The youthful Revered Ming, upon hearing this, subtly frowned and looked towards the head of True Monarch One-Origin's statue.

"Your senses are as sharp as ever..." A serene voice sounded, and a Daoist in plain robes had appeared at some unknown point on the left cheek of True Monarch One-Origin's stone statue, his feet resting on a perfectly round elixir. And as the Daoist in plain robes appeared, a curtain of water parted beside Chen Mobai and the others, revealing the figures of Shenxi and Ni Yuanzhong.

"Today, your esteemed palace has purged demonic obstacles," Shenxi said first. "Even if it means a hundred years of weakness, in the future, it will surely one day be able to restore the prestige of a sacred land." Shuid and Mud clearly recognized him. Seeing him and Ni Yuanzhong appear and recalling the slightly strange conversation between Tud and Chen Mobai today, they probably understood the true purpose of today's events.

"So it was to reveal Jind's true colors," Shuid said first, apologizing to Tud. "I wrongly accused Senior Brother." Tud waved his hand magnanimously, "It was all for the Dao Palace; a momentary misunderstanding is nothing."

"Indeed," Chen Mobai followed, expressing his identity as an orthodox successor of One-Origin, "the legacy of Patriarch One-Origin tolerates not the slightest defilement. Upon learning of this, even though I was far away in the Eastern Barrens, I was extraordinarily concerned..." Mud frowned, about to say something.

But at this moment, True Monarch Wuchen had already transformed into a wisp of green smoke, riding the elixir beneath his feet and stepping into the Gate of the Underworld.

"You are truly bold!" The youthful Revered Ming saw True Monarch Wuchen enter, and his brows furrowed in anger. After all, he was essentially a Spirit Transformation expert, and combined with the divine ability of the Gate of the Underworld, being in the netherworld was akin to being a ghost deity.

"Tuming, you've underestimated me a little." True Monarch Wuchen merely smiled faintly, then took out a purple-gold elixir furnace. Upon opening it, a stream of purple-gold flames shot out, instantly enveloping the youthful Revered Ming. Revered Ming's entire body glowed with pitch-black demonic light and netherworld yin energy, beginning to expand continuously, seemingly about to transform into a malevolent ghost. But True Monarch Wuchen took out an elixir and flicked it out, like a heavy lead pellet, landing on Revered Ming's chest. Accompanied by a cracking sound, the youthful Revered Ming's chest suddenly caved in, and streams of pitch-black blood gushed from his seven orifices. This seemed to dismantle all his resistance; the purple-gold flames completely enveloped him, then pulled him into the elixir furnace.

"I shall return to the sect first," True Monarch Wuchen said to Shenxi's direction. "I leave the matters here to you all." Shenxi gracefully swept his horsetail whisk and bowed towards True Monarch Wuchen, "Yes, Senior Martial Uncle Ancestor."

Ni Yuanzhong, Tud, and the others nearby immediately followed with bows, and Chen Mobai also blended in with the large group and shouted out, "Farewell, True Monarch Wuchen!"

"Junior Brother Tud," Shenxi said, turning to Tud after True Monarch Wuchen left, "although this demonic mole is from your sect, to seek more intelligence about Revered Ming, I need to take him with me." In mid-air, as the youthful Revered Ming was captured, Jind's figure reappeared. Under the spiritual sense lock of so many righteous path experts, he had no possibility of escape. Tud hesitated after hearing this. Although he had already shifted all blame onto Jind, if Jind died, he would be truly clear of everything. However, facing Shenxi, the Sect Master of Morality, he could only nod: "It should be so."