Zhang Kui Asks the Way in Investiture of the Gods

As Lady Pingxin gently waved her jade hand, Zhang Kui felt the surrounding space ripple and twist like water once again.

The ancient and desolate scene of the Pangu Temple before his eyes quickly faded away. When his vision refocused, he found himself once again in the spacious, solemn Fengdu Mountain Hall, where only a sixteen-foot-tall statue of a deity stood in the center.

The statue of the Fengdu Emperor, wearing a twelve-tassel crown and a black and white robe of reincarnation, still stands there in solitude, as if it has been so since time immemorial, bearing the order and majesty of the entire underworld.

"Are you ready, Zhang Kui?" Empress Pingxin's voice rang out in the empty hall.

Zhang Kui stood in the hall, looking up at the statue that was about to merge with him. He took a deep breath to calm the turmoil in his heart.

His golden core slowly rotated within his body, his blood and qi surging. He adjusted himself to his optimal state, his eyes hardening, and he replied in a deep voice, "Junior, I'm ready!"

However, before he could finish speaking, Consort Pingxin had already made her move, leaving him no room to react or back down.

A swift, jade-like hand shot out and precisely grabbed the back of his collar. An irresistible force descended instantly, not only sealing off Zhang Kui's surging magical power and blood energy, but also rendering him immobile, like a flying insect frozen in amber.

"Senior, you...!" Zhang Kui only had time to exclaim half a sentence before he was thrown like a stone from a catapult, turning into an uncontrollable parabola, and was casually flung by Lady Pingxin towards the majestic statue of the Fengdu Emperor.

"Ah!" The intense feeling of weightlessness made Zhang Kui cry out, and he subconsciously tensed all his muscles, preparing to meet the violent collision with the hard statue.

But the expected excruciating pain and impact did not occur.

The moment his body touched the statue, something strange happened.

The seemingly indestructible surface of the statue rippled like water, generating a powerful yet gentle suction. Zhang Kui felt as if he had become a drop of water merging into the ocean, slowly and effortlessly "sinking" into the statue.

The scene before him was quickly replaced by a chaotic darkness, with only the vast, star-like Netherworld Origin and the power of reincarnation contained within the statue enveloping him like a warm tide.

Before Zhang Kui could even adjust his mindset from this bizarre "fusion" process, an indescribable, intense pain originating from the deepest part of his soul suddenly erupted.

"Ugh!"

This pain was far more terrifying than the physical reshaping he had endured in the Witch Pool. It was as if an invisible hand had penetrated his sea of ​​consciousness, seized his soul's essence, and then mercilessly and forcefully torn and peeled it away.

This pain directly affects the soul, far more profoundly than physical injury. Zhang Kui felt his consciousness becoming blurred and scattered under this tearing sensation.

Just as he was on the verge of losing consciousness, a strange shift in perspective occurred again. In a daze, he "saw" himself. His conscious mind was still struggling to stay awake, while another part of his divine soul, which carried a large number of his memories, emotions, and will imprints, was forcibly pulled out by a mysterious force. It transformed into a hazy light and shadow that was identical to his true self, detached from his body, and converged towards the core of the divine statue's spiritual light.

That was the most primordial divine light left behind by the Emperor of Fengdu.

"No, this is my soul!" Zhang Kui roared inwardly, his strong instincts driving him to reclaim the part of his soul that had been stripped away. But his remaining reason told him that this was a necessary process in refining his avatar, and that Lady Pingxin would not harm him.

He could only desperately hold onto the last bit of clarity in his mind, enduring the inhuman pain of his soul being torn apart with unwavering willpower, watching helplessly as that part of "himself" completely merged with the spiritual light of the Fengdu Emperor.

The moment that part of the divine soul completely merged with the core spiritual light of the divine statue, the entire Luofeng Mountain, and even the entire Netherworld, trembled slightly.

Inside the main hall of Fengdu Mountain, the statue of a deity that had been silent for millennia suddenly erupted with boundless power. Divine light in black and white shot into the sky, piercing through the roof and illuminating the entire underworld sky with flickering light.

The Six Paths of Reincarnation diagram on the deity's robes spun wildly, resonating with the reincarnation laws of the entire underworld. A vast, majestic, and all-encompassing aura, controlling life and death and defining yin and yang, swept through every corner of the netherworld, centered on Mount Luofeng, like a primordial beast awakening from its slumber.

The Great Emperor of Fengdu in the Northern Underworld has descended upon the netherworld once more after ten thousand years.

This sudden, familiar, and chilling aura of majesty instantly startled an ancient powerhouse deep within the Netherworld Blood Sea.

Blood Sea, Asura Palace

Endless waves of blood surged outside the palace, accompanied by the incessant wails of vengeful spirits. On the throne in the main hall, an old man dressed in a blood-red Taoist robe, with a sinister face and surrounded by endless killing intent and malevolent energy, suddenly awoke from his meditation and opened his eyes.

A flicker of disbelief first crossed his scarlet eyes, then was replaced by overwhelming killing intent.

The dense aura of bloodlust within the hall boiled and roared due to his emotional fluctuations.

"Fengdu..." The Styx Ancestor spat out these two words through gritted teeth, his voice icy and chilling, containing millennia of accumulated hatred and dread. "You actually... have been resurrected? No, this aura isn't entirely his. Who is it? Who dares to usurp the throne of the Netherworld and lay eyes on my personal domain?"

As Styx sensed the aura permeating the entire Netherworld, it felt as if he had returned to the fierce battle ten thousand years ago that had caused him to fail and forced him to lie dormant in the sea of ​​blood.

The emergence of a new Emperor of Fengdu means that the Styx Ancestor's plan to control reincarnation and establish his rule over the Netherworld will face enormous uncertainties.

"No matter who you are, if you dare to block the path of the Ancestor..." The Styx Ancestor's eyes flashed with bloodlust, "then you will not return, and your soul will be scattered."

……

Fengdu Mountain Grand Hall

As the fragmented part of the divine soul completely merged with the statue, the supreme majesty of the Fengdu Emperor erupted. Most of Zhang Kui's divine soul and consciousness were also gently "pushed" out of the statue and returned to his original body.

As his soul returned to its place, Zhang Kui staggered a step, his face as pale as paper, cold sweat pouring down his forehead—the inevitable weakness caused by the tearing of his soul.

But he couldn't care less about that at the moment, because he clearly felt that through that part of his fused soul, he had established an incomparably mysterious connection with that majestic statue—no, it should now be said that it was his incarnation as the Emperor of Fengdu.

Zhang Kui could sense the vast and abyss-like Netherworld divine power within the avatar, which far surpassed his original self by hundreds of times. He could also perceive its clear control over the laws of reincarnation, a powerful force that governs all things and represents both the end and the beginning.

With a thought, he can "see" many scenes of the underworld through the perspective of his avatar, and even mobilize the power of the underworld to a certain extent.

This power was so real, so powerful, that it filled him with awe.

He steadied himself, straightened his clothes which were slightly disheveled from the earlier commotion, and with a solemn expression, faced the statue of the Fengdu Emperor and respectfully performed the three kneelings and nine kowtows.

This salute is not only a tribute to the achievements of the former Emperor Fengdu in protecting the Netherworld and his own demise, but also a solemn declaration of my own good fortune in undertaking this important task, and a token of my gratitude for this unparalleled opportunity.

"Interesting, little one." Empress Pingxin watched from the side and couldn't help but smile, teasing, "You're practically kowtowing to yourself! That's unprecedented!"

Indeed, worshipping oneself is a rather strange feeling.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Kui couldn't help but show a strange expression, which diluted the solemn atmosphere from before.

Soon after, the divine light flowing across the surface of the statue gradually receded, and the majestic imperial might also subsided, no longer radiating recklessly, but instead hiding like the deep sea.

The face of the statue was now completely clear, bearing a seven or eight-tenths resemblance to Zhang Kui himself, only more majestic and ancient, with a restrained divine light in his eyes, carrying the vicissitudes and indifference of having seen through countless reincarnations, solemn and dignified, already a true dharma form of the ruler of the underworld.

Empress Pingxin stepped forward, carefully sensing the incarnation's condition, and nodded in satisfaction: "Very good, the initial fusion went very smoothly. However, the complete fusion of the soul, divine essence, and authority still requires a period of nurturing and adjustment. During this time, you can use the incarnation's underworld authority to nourish yourself and recover from the injuries caused by the splitting of your soul earlier."

Under the guidance of Lady Pingxin, Zhang Kui sat cross-legged and immersed himself in the connection with his avatar. He guided the avatar's vast Netherworld authority to begin gathering the pure Netherworld energy from the entire Luofeng Mountain and even the surrounding area.

Inside the main hall, the rich and pure spiritual energy seemed to be summoned, transforming into visible black currents that continuously flowed into Zhang Kui's body.

Filtered by the laws of reincarnation, this nether energy became gentle and full of vitality. It not only did not erode his masculine body, but instead, like the most nourishing rain, silently nourished his damaged and weakened soul caused by the split. At the same time, he circulated his Nine Breaths Qi, harmonizing Yin and Yang, and absorbed this pure spiritual energy into his body.

With the support of the incarnation of the Fengdu Emperor, the soul wounds that would normally take a long time to heal are now healing at an astonishing speed.

The excruciating pain at the tearing point quickly subsided, and the feeling of weakness receded like the tide. Not only did his soul recover completely, but because of the tearing and reshaping process, as well as the nourishment from the Netherworld Origin, it became more refined and resilient, faintly exuding a profound aura of immortality.

Zhang Kui slowly opened his eyes, his gaze bright and clear. His previous weakness and paleness vanished, and his spirits were high once again.

He felt the abundant power within his body, and the enormous avatar that sat guarding Mount Luofeng and was connected to his mind. An unprecedented sense of confidence rose within him.

Zhang Kui has now firmly secured his position as the Netherworld Emperor...