Lord of the night.

Chapter 1452 A Moment of Life and Death [Part Two]

After entering the underworld.

Along the way, Yan Beihan actually brought people along and traveled around.

I visited the Blood River, the Eighteen Hells, the Longing for Home Terrace, and the Three Lives Stone.

In particular, he stopped in front of the Three Lives Stone and touched it.

"This stone is extraordinary."

The road is covered in ice and snow.

Yan Beihan nodded: "I like the name, not whether it's 'ordinary' or 'unusual'. Aunt Bing, thank you for your trouble when you leave."

"Do not worry."

Bing Tianxue smiled faintly: "When I leave, I'll pull this rock out and carry it with me!"

The group appeared to be in high spirits, proceeding at a leisurely pace.

The main hall of the underworld.

A group of high-ranking officials from the underworld were present, each with a somewhat gloomy expression.

"Elder, elders, Yan Beihan has arrived and has been welcomed in."

Yin Youdao, the Supreme Elder of the Underworld, had a head of white hair and sat on a black and gold chair. His face was ruddy and his gaze was gentle.

He had already damaged his essence during the last reversal of fortune, but now, judging from his condition, he has fully recovered.

"How many people came?"

"It's still the same people from the intelligence report, led by Yan Beihan and Bing Tianxue, and there are quite a few experts. But it's still Yan Beihan's split team, and there's no old-time vice-leader of the Sovereign Sect."

"Not timid."

Yin Youdao gave a faint hum.

The others in the underworld also gave a cold snort.

To be fair, the people Yan Beihan brought were undoubtedly much weaker compared to the overall strength of the Underworld.

If the underworld truly harbors malicious intent, keeping these people here would not be difficult for them.

However, things cannot be said that way. Firstly, behind Yan Beihan and the others is the powerful Weiwo Zhengjiao (Supreme Self Righteous Sect); secondly, Yan Beihan brought the original group into the Underworld this time, which itself carries an attitude: he has no ill intentions towards the Underworld!
We are not here to destroy the underworld!

Because these forces are simply not enough!

This is a delicate period of contact between the two sides.

"Settle them in a guesthouse. No matter what, they are guests from afar, so we should treat them well."

Yin Youdao gave the instructions.

"Yes."

Two people responded and came out.

After they went outside, a middle-aged man next to him said in a low voice, "I don't think what the Grand Elder said is appropriate."

"What does the Third Elder find inappropriate?"

“What the guest said is inappropriate.” The Third Elder said calmly, “Yan Beihan’s purpose is very clear: to completely split up the secluded sect, and the Heavenly Palace and the Underworld are her last two stops. So her ultimate goal is to wipe the Underworld off this world.”

"Even if they are guests, they are unwelcome guests."

"Now, they are being allowed to enter the Underworld openly. This has never happened in ten thousand years. The Grand Elder says it's an exception, a gesture, a temporary measure. But in my view, it's forgetting our roots, betrayal, rebellion! It's forgetting our origins!"

"The Underworld should not be entered by outsiders! We should resolutely abide by this ironclad rule. I still oppose the Grand Elder's decision to allow Yan Beihan and others to enter the Underworld! I firmly oppose it!"

The Third Elder's words were very stern.

A sharp killing intent flashed in the Grand Elder's eyes, and he said calmly, "Only our righteous sect has this kind of face. As for why we let people in, I have already said it many times before, and I don't want to say it again."

"The True Sect has already reached the gate; the Underworld is right here. This means that the exact location of the Underworld is no longer a secret to them. Why cling to a ridiculous notion of mystery and pretend that others don't know? Why not lay everything bare and negotiate a solution to the problem, as well as how things will proceed afterward?"

"You won't let them in? With the strength of the righteous sect, you think they can't get in?"

"If we wait for the Righteous Sect to forcibly break through the mountain gates and enter, the feud between the two sides will become irreconcilable. At that time, it will be a bloodbath!"

"Now, from any perspective, Yan Beihan's entry into the negotiations is just that—negotiation. Our Underworld still holds the initiative, and we can attack or defend as we please!"

"Is it meaningful to block people out and cause war and conflict, risking the lives of millions or even hundreds of millions of people in the underworld to gamble with a dignity that we have not yet lost?"

"The underworld's stance is clear: we remain proactive!"

"Are the people Yan Beihan brought in enough to overturn the Underworld? There's only one peak expert, Bing Tianxue. Is Bing Tianxue invincible in the Underworld? She's not qualified!"

"How come in your mouth, Third Brother, I've become the culprit behind the destruction of the Underworld? Has the Underworld really been destroyed?"

Yin Youdao stood up, letting out an arrogant laugh, and looked around with disdain: "Has the Underworld been destroyed? The Underworld will exist forever! Our history is longer than that of the Sovereign Sect, and our future will certainly be even longer than theirs!"

Immediately, a chorus of agreement rang out: "The Grand Elder is right!"

"Third Elder is overthinking it."

"The underworld will always be the underworld!"

"What can Yan Beihan do with so few people?"

"..."

Those who supported the Grand Elder made up half the people in the hall.

However, those who support the Third Elder also make up a small portion of the population.

The two sides immediately started arguing.

And there are also third parties who remain silent.

Watching the two sides argue, he was eventually dragged into it: "Fifth Brother and Ninth Brother, don't stay silent, give your opinions too."

"We have nothing to say. You are radical on one hand and conservative on the other, so we can't get a word in edgewise. But we have only one prerequisite: the underworld must exist!"

"Under this premise, we will not participate in the dispute."

As soon as Yan Beihan and the others entered the Underworld, the Underworld was already in complete chaos.

"Does the Earthly Venerable know about this matter?"

"The Earthly Venerable is healing his wounds. The injuries from the last battle with the Heavenly Emperor have not yet healed, so it is not advisable to disturb him."

"Such a big matter, can it be decided without the approval of the Earthly Venerable?"

"We want to see the Jizo!"

The people on the Third Elder's side started shouting and making a ruckus at the same time.

"Then let's go see the Earthly Venerable together!"

The elder's face was ashen.

He hadn't seen Di Zun for a long time, and only knew that Di Zun was seriously injured.

This is a good opportunity to find out the truth.

The group set off together towards the place where the Earthly Venerable was in seclusion to heal his injuries.

After descending through multiple guarded gates, we finally arrived at an underground garden.

The flowers here, including their leaves and blossoms, are all black, so black they seem to glow. Below them lies flowing black soil, which appears solid yet also has a liquid-like form.

This is the most precious medicine in the underworld, the Nine Netherworld Lotus.

Doorway.

Two people stopped them.

"The Earthly Venerable is healing his injuries; entry is not permitted."

"We have something extremely urgent!"

"...Please wait a moment, Elder, while I go and inform them."

After a while.

"The Earthly Venerable has just finished his seclusion. He invites all the elders to join him."

Inside the secret room.

The Earth Deity, with his black hair tied up in a crown, sat on a pitch-black lotus throne. His face was rosy and his features were like jade. His eyes were bright and his lips were smiling.

"Lord Earth Master."

Everyone bowed at the same time.

Those present were all of very high status, and some were even of a higher generation than the Earthly Venerable, so there was no need for them to kowtow or anything like that.

"Uncle-Master, you've arrived."

The Earthly Venerable smiled faintly: "Please sit down."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the Third Elder began to explain why this group had come.

The Grand Elder added from the side.

The confrontational stance between the two was extremely obvious.

After listening quietly, the Earthly Venerable said softly, "Now that we're here, let's deal with things as they are. But I reiterate once again, the Underworld must never be divided!"

"We must protect the legacy of our ancestors!"

"This point will not change even if all ten leaders of the Righteous Sect come together! The Underworld would rather be destroyed than accept division!"

"Yes!"

The Earthly Venerable then said, "I still need to heal my injuries during this period, so the Grand Elder can handle all the matters outside."

Yin Youdao could not hide his joy: "Good!"

The Third Elder hesitated, swallowing the words that were on the tip of his tongue, and asked with concern, "How did your injuries become so severe? Haven't you fully recovered yet?"

The Earthly Venerable said calmly, "It won't be long. It has recovered to 80 or 90 percent. Only the last bit is left. Once we get through it, everything will be fine."

"That's fine, that's fine."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and the atmosphere became more relaxed.

After discussing how to negotiate with Yan Beihan of the Weiwo Zhengjiao, the questions raised by the Grand Elder became increasingly specific.

This takes up more and more time.

The Earthly Venerable smiled calmly, his demeanor composed and dignified. He patiently answered all the questions.

Everyone felt that the Grand Elder seemed to have a lot of problems today.

The Third Elder's eyes flickered, and he suddenly said, "The Qi Luck Furnace suffered a backlash some time ago..."

The First Elder immediately smiled and said, "Third Brother, you don't need to worry about that. The Qi Luck Furnace has almost recovered. It's still some distance from its peak, but for now, it's quite stable."

The Earthly Venerable frowned, asking suspiciously, "What kind of Qi Luck Furnace?"

The Grand Elder chuckled and downplayed the matter, saying, "It's a minor issue, but I've been in seclusion by the Qi Fortune Furnace for some time now, and it's completely stabilized! Moreover, the path of the Qi Fortune Star's bright lines is showing faint signs of emerging, proving that the Qi Fortune Furnace is on the verge of transformation. Once your injuries have healed, we'll go to the Qi Fortune Furnace to take a look, and then discuss whether to accelerate the transformation."

The Earthly Venerable was overjoyed: "The bright lines of the Qi Luck Star have already shown signs? This is an extremely good thing."

The Grand Elder stroked his beard and said smugly, "I never expected that after all this turmoil, there would actually be signs of turning misfortune into blessing, hahaha..."

He smiled smugly.

The Earth God was also very pleased.

However, the conversation had clearly gone on for a while, and the Earthly Venerable's face turned slightly pale, and his eyes suddenly turned ashen.

He immediately recovered without making a sound.

These are all extremely minor manifestations.

He then said, "If there's nothing else, you can all go out and do your own things. Uncle-Master, please take good care of Yan Beihan and don't fall into their trap. Keep a close eye on the Qi Luck Furnace. I should be fully recovered and ready to leave in a month at the latest. We can make some plans then. If the Qi Luck Starline can be successfully lit up, then our Underworld... hahaha..."

Everyone laughed.

The atmosphere was relaxed.

The elder and the others then took their leave.

The others followed them out.

Then the Earthly Venerable said, "Third Elder, Fifth Elder, Ninth Elder, please stay behind." "Alright."

The three stayed behind.

The others followed the elder out.

The Grand Elder, beaming with smiles, said, "The Earthly Venerable is about to be restored; this is a great thing. As long as the Earthly Venerable is restored, what is there to fear regarding the division within our righteous sect?"

Everyone was all smiles.

After leaving, everyone returned to their respective places, with the Grand Elder going back to his study.

Then someone knocked on the door. The dozen or so people who had gone in together earlier gathered around the elder.

"Well? Did you figure anything out?" the elder asked with a sinister look in his eyes.

"Lord Earthly Venerable's injuries have not healed at all, and are even continuing to worsen. He was just putting on a brave face just now," one of them said sinisterly.

We need to think of a solution quickly.

Another person said with a worried expression, "The Qi Furnace is almost extinguished... If the Earthly Venerable comes out, or if the Third Elder and the others insist on going to check... we'll be exposed immediately... This, this..."

The First Elder, Yin Youdao, said with a gloomy face: "I also feel that the Earthly Venerable is a bit off. This time, he sat too upright and his attitude was too amiable. Although his voice was very strong, I saw that during the two-hour conversation, his lips turned white once, his eyes turned gray once, and his face changed once in the latter half."

His hawk-like gaze swept out: "Is that so?"

"Yes! I saw his face and the rims in his eyes."

“I see lips.”

"I saw……"

The last person said, "And have you noticed that although the Earthly Venerable's hair is neat and tidy, and looks unchanged, it's actually a little thinner than before... I can see his scalp from his temples. It wasn't so obvious before!"

"..."

Everyone was immediately shocked.

Everyone knows one thing: if it's just abnormalities in the complexion and lips, it's an internal injury, but it can be treated. However, if someone at this level of cultivation is experiencing excessive hair loss, it proves that the injury is irreversible and uncontrollable!
"Did you look carefully?" Yin Youdao's gaze sharpened even more.

“It’s absolutely true. As you all know, I’m an extremely meticulous person, and I would never be wrong about this.”

Everyone nodded.

Indeed, this person usually washes his face and hands many times. After the spiritual energy has permeated his entire body, he still washes them several times with clean water, especially his fingernails, nostrils, eyelashes, hair, and so on.

He has a notoriously obsessive-compulsive disorder about cleanliness.

But such people have extremely keen observation skills, so if he said that, then the problem must be like that.

"So, the Earthly Venerable's injuries are real, and extremely serious..."

The Grand Elder murmured.

"Elder...the matter of the Qi Luck Furnace...cannot be delayed any longer."

Anxiety was evident in the eyes of several people.

These people are all staunch supporters of Elder Yin Youdao.

After the Qi Fortune Furnace was pulled back last time, more than half of the Qi Fortune was lost, and the Yin Youdao's origin was almost completely destroyed.

The injury must return to where it came from, so Yin Youdao's recovery must also be based on the concept of Qi and Luck; after returning, he studied it day and night.

The First Elder's injuries must be healed, otherwise, he will be completely overwhelmed by the Third Elder's faction!
As the saying goes, it's either the East Wind prevailing over the West Wind or the West Wind prevailing over the East Wind.

Within a group, there is no such thing as an equal.

For many years, the faction of the Grand Elder has been in the lead, but the Grand Elder's cultivation and combat strength account for a large proportion of the overall strength.

Therefore, the Grand Elder must not be harmed.

Therefore, Yin Youdao ultimately used the Qi Furnace to restore his original essence. He originally planned to restore it in less than 10% of its original state.

But for some reason, the losses in this wave were exceptionally severe.

As soon as the Grand Elder moved, a large portion of the fortune energy within was extracted and evaporated.

If the extracted power is ten, then the power dissipated is at least eight.

Moreover, it disappeared through the same channel that was originally used for extraction.

As a result, once Yin Youdao recovered, the furnace of destiny in the underworld completely collapsed!
Everyone panicked: if the Earthly Venerable finds out about this after he recovers, those who handled this matter will probably be in big trouble!
It could even kill you!

In this situation, we must think of a solution.

The fact that Yan Beihan's split team was able to successfully enter the underworld this time was at least 80% due to the "Fortune Furnace"!
For Yin Youdao and his ilk, the underworld had no choice but to remain unchanged!

Everyone's eyes were fixed on Yin Youdao.

His eyes held not only fear, but also a desperate, reckless greed.

If the Grand Elder becomes the Earthly Venerable, this faction will completely control the power of the Underworld, and everyone present will be able to advance even further!
Not only will the crisis be over, but they will also gain even greater power and influence.

A bright future awaits!
However, to achieve this, the First Elder and others alone are not enough. Faced with the power of the Earthly Venerable lineage and the assistance of the Third Elder and others, although the First Elder's faction is powerful, it is absolutely impossible to crush them—and this is under the premise that the Earthly Venerable must be seriously injured and unable to recover.

If the Earth God recovers, the situation will be reversed instantly!

Therefore, we still need to rely on external forces.

The so-called true religion is an external force.

Yin Youdao pondered for a long time, pacing back and forth several times, somewhat undecided.

"Elder, this time when we went in to see the Earthly Venerable, although the Earthly Venerable said that you would make all the decisions, he left the Third Elder and the others behind after we left!"

"What arrangements will the Earthly Venerable make? What will the Third Elder and the others say?"

"Why is the Earthly Venerable forcing himself to appear unharmed this time? Who is he guarding against?"

"Why is it so clearly stated that you have full authority? Is this to appease you or to show complete trust in you?"

"If the Third Elder and the others suddenly act and discover the Qi-Fueling Furnace... the consequences would be unimaginable."

"If the other side takes the initiative, then we will be on the defensive."

"For today's plan..."

The crowd's eyes were ruthless and bloodshot: "...Strike first!"

"Excuse me for speaking so disrespectfully... but the current Earthly Venerable, Yin Enchou... cannot live! If he lives, we will all die! Now, it is a matter of life and death!"

The man said this through gritted teeth, and everyone's body trembled instantly.

The moment of life and death!

The First Elder, Yin Youdao, suddenly stopped pacing.

His gaze burned like will-o'-the-wisps.

a long time.

His voice was like a chilling wind emanating from the very depths of hell.

"...Everyone...get ready!"

"Earthly Venerable... since you are the lord of the underworld, you should... go to the true underworld!"

Everyone immediately straightened up.

"Yes!"

Yin Youdao said in a sinister tone, "Secretly contact Yan Beihan. I need to see her and Bing Tianxue!"

"Yes!"

"Top secret!"

"Yes! Rest assured, Elder! Absolutely no mistakes will be made!"

Inside the underground palace.

After the Grand Elder and the others left.

Just as the Third Elder and the others were about to speak, they saw the Earthly Venerable's face suddenly turn deathly pale, as ashen like a corpse.

The sharp light in his eyes suddenly dimmed.

Fine beads of cold sweat kept appearing on his forehead, and his clothes were almost instantly soaked with sweat.

His body was trembling, and he could barely sit up.

"Lord Lord!"

The Third Elder was taken aback. How could this happen so suddenly? He rushed forward to support him: "Earthly Venerable, are you alright? This is..."

The Earthly Venerable trembled, his lips tightly pressed together. It took him a long time to exhale a breath, but a trail of black blood also flowed from the corner of his lips.

"...It's alright for now."

The Earthly Venerable gasped, "Help me lie down..."

The three hurriedly helped the Earth God to the back bedroom to lie down, and then sat down in front of the bed with concern.

"The wounds inflicted on me by the Heavenly Emperor... are currently very difficult to heal."

The Earthly Venerable said weakly, “But the Underworld is unstable now. The three of you must keep an eye on the Grand Elder… Our righteous sect is eyeing us covetously, and the Grand Elder and others have gained considerable power within the sect… Beset by internal and external troubles, this is a time of great uncertainty. The Underworld… must not be allowed to be affected.”

The Earthly Venerable said weakly, "I am now a cripple, and everything depends on you all."

"Rest assured, Earthly Lord."

The Third Elder's eyes were bloodshot: "I would rather be torn to pieces than let the villains succeed! Everything will be alright in the underworld, so you can focus on recovering!"

"it is good."

The Earthly Venerable said in a low voice, "This time, my control was still flawed, and it's possible that something might be noticed... You should be aware of this."

"Understand!"

The Third Elder asked anxiously, "What can heal your injuries? How did they become so severe?"

"Currently, unless the Heavenly Emperor himself comes to heal me... it will take more than 500,000 years for the Yin-Yang Root of my True Soul, which has already completely turned into jade liquid..."

The Earthly Venerable sighed: "There is no other way."

"Can't the Qi-based furnace work?" the Third Elder asked.

"If the Qi-based furnace is intact, then of course it is possible."

The Earthly Venerable closed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "I can sense that the Qi Luck Furnace is probably ruined... What the Grand Elder said is a lie."

"Under these circumstances, if I were to suggest using the Qi-based Furnace to heal the wounds, they would probably take immediate action... so I cannot bring it up."

"what!?"

The Third Elder and the others were shocked, their faces turning deathly pale!

"Lord Earth... how could you know? Did you carry that compass of destiny with you?" the three asked hurriedly.

"No."

The Earthly Venerable closed his eyes: "In the hands of the Great Elder."

He didn't have the ability to sense the Qi Furnace with his own body, but he knew better than anyone else, even more than the Grand Elder Yin Youdao: In the Guardian Headquarters, the Earth Venerable knew far more than others.

"After I leave, I will immediately check the Qi-transfer furnace!"

The Third Elder's eyes seemed to spit blood as he gritted his teeth and said, "Yin Youdao's perverse actions deserve to die!"

"be careful!"

The Earthly Venerable whispered a reminder: "They couldn't possibly be unprepared!"

"I understand. Just wait for news!"

The Third Elder said, "I will send a few more peak Ninth-Rank Saint Lords over later to ensure the safety of this area!"

They discussed the matter with the Earth God for a long time.

Seeing that the Earthly Venerable was exhausted and could not hold on any longer, the three of them finally stood up with great concern: "Earthly Venerable, please rest and recover!"

"Leave the outside world to us!"

(End of this chapter)