Heaven Duke and the Crimson Emperor stared at each other, both caught in a dilemma.
If they don't lend Quinn Shepherd more power, Quinn will likely be unable to withstand the Nether City demon gods. Lowell Yunch has already gone berserk, even opening the Nether City Heaven Gate to summon demon gods from every realm and road to attack Quinn.
Add to that the Disaster God, whose strength is unfathomable, and Quinn's situation is on the brink of disaster.
But if they lend Quinn, the Netherworld Divine Son, more power, he'll be fully demonized, turning into an evil entity even they would fear—making things even harder to control.
"How about..."
Heaven Duke hesitated, "Maybe we wait a bit longer?"
Crimson Emperor nodded, "Yeah, let's wait, just a little longer..."
The two ancient beings grew increasingly uneasy. Heaven Duke pried open a crack in the seal, using Quinn's third eye to peek at the battle outside. After a moment, Crimson Emperor couldn't help but crowd over, pushing him aside.
They had to agree: one would watch for a while, then let the other take a turn peeking.
Outside, Quinn and the Disaster God had already battled up into the skies above Yong River. When the Nether City demon gods surged out of the Heaven Gate to engulf him, Quinn opened his mouth and spat out rolling thunder-light, drowning all the demon gods!
There was an overwhelming number of Nether City demon gods. Even as many were struck and convulsed all over, their bodies suddenly collapsed, clattering down as piles of bones.
Nether City demon gods are different from those of other worlds. Nether City split off from Youdu, retaining some of its traits—it's also a gathering place for souls and Primordial Spirits.
But in Youdu, soul bodies and Primordial Spirits can't preserve a physical body—unless they're demon gods born from Youdu's dark demonic nature, or Heavenly Court gods stationed in Youdu, who can have bodies.
In Nether City, most gods and demons can have physical bodies, but these bodies are unusual.
The physical bodies of Nether City gods and demons are actually their own bones from when they were alive.
When Heavenly Court gods and demons die in battle, they often end up in Nether City. If their bodies remain intact, they can bring them along.
But since the bodies are already dead, decay is inevitable—eventually only bones are left to use. That's why Nether City is filled with armies of skeletal gods and demons.
Besides them, there are also a few with complete bodies, usually Heavenly Court gods sent down, or powerful members of the Yin Heavenly Son's lineage.
Quinn spat out the five types of cloud-thunder and fire-bell divine weapons he'd swallowed but hadn't digested. Demon gods were blasted to pieces by the thunder, their bones raining down. Yet those bones quickly reassembled under the power of their Primordial Spirits, surging toward Quinn in a frenzy.
Meanwhile, the Disaster God rampaged, sending demon gods flying as it closed in on Quinn.
The bones of demon gods knocked flying by the Disaster God often shattered mid-air.
His combat strength was the greatest—even Quinn struggled to match him head-on. If he got close, it would be unimaginably dangerous.
Yet even when ground to dust, these bones could still reassemble. It was truly uncanny—an almost unkillable army of gods and demons.
Lowell Yunch watched the battle anxiously, eyes locked on Quinn surrounded by demon hordes. He saw fragments of bone constantly falling from the sky into the Yong River, only to reassemble and burst out of the water, rejoining the fray.
The Nether City demon gods were utterly fearless—they were already dead. No attack or injury could faze them.
The Yong River was battered until its flow was cut, exposing the dragon vein beneath. Over the years, the dragon vein had grown rapidly, its scales and claws ever more distinct.
The river's waters were smashed into the air, creating a magnificent scene under the moonlight—like moons made of water, reflecting the pure brilliance of the real moon.
Quinn and the demon gods darted among these giant spheres of water, locked in fierce combat. Each collision sent skeletal demon gods flying, and the recoil forced Quinn to keep changing position.
Spheres of water exploded in mid-air, scattering like jade and pearls—dazzling under the moonlight.
The most terrifying of all was the Disaster God. With a single strike, its divine power pierced through dozens of massive water spheres, shredding them into the finest mist.
"At this rate, taking him down won't be difficult."
Lowell Yunch finally breathed a sigh of relief. But just then, a chill ran down his back. He turned quickly and saw, behind his Nether City Heaven Gate, a figure slowly emerging from the darkness of Nether City. The moonlight of Everpeace illuminated a handsome face.
"Master!"
Startled, Lowell was about to salute when he saw Prince Umbral raise a finger to his lips, signaling silence. Smiling, he gazed at Quinn through the underworld.
Lowell was puzzled and uneasy. "Master is personally watching this battle—does that mean the Netherworld Divine Son is really so important? His strength is impressive, but not as overwhelming as the legends say. Why is Master so interested?"
Prince Umbral's eyes were deep and focused, locked on Quinn as he fought the army of skeletal demon gods, tracking his every movement.
"So it's him."
Prince Umbral mused, "We met in Youdu before—I thought he was Tanner Shue's disciple. Looks like this brat was fooling me. He played the part so well..."
The skeletal demon gods of Nether City are all dead, but Prince Umbral is a living god. The dead can enter Everpeace through the Nether City Heaven Gate, but he cannot.
—Nether City was once part of Youdu, inheriting some of its traits, but it's not complete.
That's why, if Lowell Yunch and the others want to enter Everpeace, they have to ride the Phoenix Treasure Ship of Southern Heaven's Crimson Emperor Qi Xiayu.
"He still hasn't returned to his peak state. Is it because my Nether City Jade Specter Mirror is suppressing him?"
He didn't know that Fenix Greenwood Keane and Quinn Shepherd were two souls sharing one body, so he was a bit confused.
At that moment, both Prince Umbral, spying from Nether City, and Heaven Duke and the Crimson Emperor, hidden in the brow-continent, witnessed a terrifying scene.
After a long stalemate, Quinn suddenly opened his mouth and took a deep breath—the air above the Yong River nearly vanished!
—This chapter isn't over yet~ Please click 'Next Page' to continue reading!
All the skeletal demon gods were frozen in mid-air, straining to hold their forms, but a mysterious, unfathomable force began tearing the Primordial Spirits from their bones!
The skeletal demon gods resisted with all their might, but some still had their Primordial Spirits forcibly ripped from their bodies, flying helplessly toward Quinn's mouth.
For the first time since their deaths, they felt primal terror.
It was a natural suppression—a higher-order life form overwhelming a lesser one, making them feel soul-deep fear!
Even the Disaster God was caught by Quinn's divine art, straining to resist the pull targeting his Primordial Spirit and soul.
His cultivation was incredibly fierce and domineering—by sheer cultivation alone, he even surpassed Quinn and Lowell at this moment. Yet his Primordial Spirit was still yanked from his body again and again, forcing him to use all his power just to resist, unable to attack Quinn.
"Is this the power of the Netherworld Divine Son?" Lowell was chilled to the bone.
His Primordial Spirit left his battered body, and at that moment, even his spirit felt inexplicable fear—Quinn now seemed like his natural nemesis!
Heaven Duke and the Crimson Emperor, hidden in the brow-continent, felt a chill as well. Heaven Duke whispered, "Tu Bo's power... Tu Bo's power unbound by Youdu's rules..."
The Crimson Emperor's heart trembled—he understood what Heaven Duke meant. The power Quinn wielded now was like Tu Bo's, but not the same.
Tu Bo is a god born of heaven and earth; from birth, he must follow Youdu's rules. Though he possesses unimaginable power, he must act within those rules.
The Netherworld Divine Son's power is similar to Tu Bo's, but it lies outside Youdu's restrictions—it can be unleashed without restraint!
That's why Youdu's giants fear Quinn, and why so many schemers covet him.
Heaven Duke murmured, "Tu Bo's power, unbound by Youdu's rules—that's the truly terrifying power."
"This is the power I've been searching for all along."
From within the Nether City Heaven Gate, Prince Umbral’s voice echoed faintly: "I have always sought a path to surpass Tu Bo, but have never found the method. Tu Bo is far too powerful—even after reaching the Emperor’s Throne, I could not catch up, let alone surpass him. But now, the way forward is right before my eyes."
"If I obtain it, I could take his place..." he murmured softly.
Lowell Yunch’s heart trembled, pretending not to hear Prince Umbral’s words.
Prince Umbral’s words were truly terrifying. Even though Nether City had split off from Youdu, the notion of overthrowing Tu Bo and taking his place was still utterly shocking. What kind of existence was Tu Bo?
Whether it was Youdu, Fengdu, or the former realms like Dark City or Black Fortress—all were places akin to Youdu, established from fragments of Tu Bo’s horn.
Just the shards of Tu Bo’s horn could create such magnificent and uncanny afterlife worlds; it was clear how terrifying Tu Bo’s true power was.
To take his place—Lowell Yunch didn’t even dare imagine it.
But Prince Umbral dared.
"If I let him devour my Nether City demon gods, then the Black Emperor of Nether City will have nowhere to save face."
Within Nether City, a massive vortex suddenly formed behind Prince Umbral. From the swirling void, a bizarre eye opened, casting a dim light from Nether City all the way to Everpeace, shining over the skeleton demon gods whose Primordial Spirits had been pulled out above the Yong River.
The demon gods’ Primordial Spirits touched by that light instantly broke free of Quinn’s suction, flying helplessly toward Lowell Yunch’s Nether City Heaven Gate, trying to return to Youdu.
Just then, the third eye on Quinn’s brow flared with light. Butterfly-wing patterns spread wider and wider, enveloping the area; before those demon gods’ Primordial Spirits could escape back to Nether City, they were frozen in place, struggling weakly as they drifted backward.
Prince Umbral gave a soft ‘hmm’ and frowned slightly. The vortex behind him grew larger, and the strange eye within it slowly opened wider, its light shifting from dim to bright.
This eye within the vortex resembled the vertical eye on Quinn’s brow, but was subtly different—it was a divine art modeled after Tu Bo’s brow-eye.
Yet facing Quinn’s third eye, his divine art was actually being suppressed!
Quinn was actually overpowering his divine art!
"The power of the Netherworld Divine Son really is extraordinary!"
Prince Umbral was both alarmed and delighted, unable to contain his excitement: "If I could claim this power for myself, all of Youdu would become my domain—what need to fear Tu Bo, or the Heavenly Emperor? Open!"
The vortex behind him surged forward and, with a swish, branded itself onto his brow, forming a third eye.
Prince Umbral channeled his own power through this new eye, instantly overpowering Quinn’s third eye. But at that moment, Quinn’s mouth rang out with obscure, ancient Youdu tongue—deep, sonorous, rising and falling in strange cadence.
Prince Umbral looked bewildered, feeling a formless power invade Nether City, searching for souls and spirits.
"Soul-Calling Rite! He’s trying to..."
Just as he realized this, the light from Quinn’s third eye swept past Lowell Yunch, buzzing through his Nether City Heaven Gate and into Nether City itself, shining directly onto Prince Umbral.
Prince Umbral’s Primordial Spirit shuddered, nearly tearing itself free from his body.
"The Soul-Calling Rite can be used like this?"
Prince Umbral grew even more perplexed. The Soul-Calling Rite was meant for summoning the dead back to life, yet Quinn was trying to forcibly drag his Primordial Spirit out of Nether City!
Quinn currently possessed only about one percent of the Netherworld Divine Son’s power, so he couldn’t actually pull Prince Umbral’s Primordial Spirit out by force. But the technique’s application was startling, leaving Prince Umbral troubled and wary.
Yet just as his Primordial Spirit was jolted by the Soul-Calling Rite, a sudden change erupted.
A ram-horned, wine-reeking war god burst in wielding a long saber, laughing boisterously as he charged through Lowell Yunch’s Nether City Heaven Gate into Nether City itself, slashing straight for Prince Umbral’s brow!
"Nether City Black Emperor, I’ve come to thank you for the wine!"
——Spent today holed up in a hotel, writing and writing!