This monster looked somewhat like a Pixiu, yet it clearly wasn’t one. Its entire body was jet black, as bulky as a hippopotamus, and stood lazily swaying its tail in contentment, clearly disinclined to move.
At first glance, one might easily associate this creature with Dizang, the Buddhist ruler of hell, and his mythical mount, the Di Hearing Beast.
Yet instinctively, this creature seemed like nothing more than a lazybones or perhaps some kind of hybrid demon beast.
Who exactly were this monk and his beast companion?
After examining them both carefully, Shui Miao lightly clasped his fists together and squinted while asking, “Master, could it be that you’ve mistaken me for someone else?”
“Are you the one who broke the Black and White Yama Twin Demon Formation?”
The large monk raised his head, his eyes wide and piercing as he stared intensely at Shui Miao.
“That was me. Master, what can I do for you?”
Shui Miao secretly activated his magical treasures, remaining cautiously vigilant and ready for action at any moment.
“It seems I haven’t mistaken you after all.” The monk nodded at Shui Miao. “Friend, I am the demon-subduing monk stationed at the entrance to the ancient abyss in the deepest regions of hell, assigned there by Dizang Bodhisattva. I have come here today because I need to discuss an important matter with you. Would you be so kind as to grant me the courtesy of stepping aside for a moment to talk?”
Shui Miao looked at the monk and felt an uneasy sensation creep over him. “Master, I’m quite busy. If you have something to say, please just say it plainly.”
“This…”
The monk furrowed his brow, paused for a moment, and then looked around before suddenly transmitting his voice directly into Shui Miao’s mind, “The Underworld is about to face a major crisis, and the order of the Three Realms will be thrown into chaos. It’s all my fault—I accidentally let the Ancient Demon King escape. I came to find you because I need your help repairing a magical treasure so that I can use it to recapture the Ancient Demon King.”
“Repair a magical treasure?”
Shui Miao felt a flicker of surprise. Why would a disciple of Dizang Bodhisattva, after such a serious incident, come to him instead of seeking help from his master?
The monk nodded. “Yes, yes, exactly that—repairing a magical treasure. I was negligent in my duties and allowed the Ancient Demon King to escape, and I dare not let the Bodhisattva find out. So I hurriedly came out seeking assistance from powerful experts. By chance, I met the Black and White Yama spirits, who told me that you, my friend, are the Saint King of Yin-Yang Forging. That’s why I came especially to ask for your help. I’ve already prepared all the required materials. If you agree to help me, I will even give you this Di Hearing beast as a gift.”
The monk appeared extremely anxious, clearly desperate and at his wits’ end.
Shui Miao was slightly convinced. “Alright then. Show me the magical treasure. Do you have any blueprints or diagrams for formations?”
“Yes, yes, yes! I have everything that’s needed…”
Looking around nervously, the monk said with difficulty, “Friend, it’s really too inconvenient to talk here. Why don’t we move somewhere else?”
“Fine. Follow me…”
Still suspicious, Shui Miao didn’t choose to go with the monk’s suggestion but instead led him to the northern part of the Yellow Spring Ghost Sect’s former territory—the Yellow Spring Swamp.
This place was very safe, inhabited only by some weak ghosts and minor monsters, with no powerful beings around.
The monk took out a pitch-black coffin from his robe.
“This is it?”
The monk quickly pulled out many other materials.
“…”
Shui Miao was somewhat taken aback. Was this magical treasure really a coffin?
Rather than immediately inspecting the coffin, Shui Miao first examined the materials. They were all top-grade forging materials, but they were too disorganized for him to determine what formation needed repairing.
“Please, please…”
The monk bowed repeatedly, his expression full of entreaty.
Shui Miao blinked, activating his time-protecting magical treasure and his life-bound supreme treasure while simultaneously extending his divine senses to probe the coffin. Unexpectedly, as soon as his divine consciousness touched the coffin, a powerful suction force emerged from within, violently pulling Shui Miao’s soul into the coffin. Fortunately, Shui Miao was prepared. He quickly activated the power of his supreme treasure, wrenching his consciousness free from the coffin’s grasp.
Turning his head, he saw that the monk had transformed into a demon with long, matted beard and hair, as if he had been imprisoned for thousands of years. The demon lunged at Shui Miao, wrapping his body tightly and attempting to drag him into the coffin.
Shui Miao’s life-bound supreme treasure was extremely powerful. Two spirit guardians at the Immortal Emperor level immediately protected him, successfully resisting the monk’s sudden attack.
Seeing that Shui Miao was still resisting fiercely, the monk tightened his grip while activating the coffin, directly pulling Shui Miao inside.
“Hahaha! Young man, now you can’t escape. Come with me as my guest to the ancient abyss!”
Overjoyed at capturing Shui Miao, the monk was beside himself with triumph.
“Who exactly are you? We have no enmity between us. Why would you do this to me?” Shui Miao desperately activated his magical powers, unleashing his Soul Devouring Force and dark Immortal energy in a frenzied attack against the monk. However, the coffin was filled with an overwhelming amount of evil energy, so potent that even the bright Immortal energy that had defeated the Black and White Yama spirits was being devoured by the dark force.
“I am the Ancient Demon King! I’m not trying to harm you—I’m inviting you to join me in devising a grand plan to conquer the Three Realms together!”
With a wave of his hand, the monk sent all the forging materials flying into the coffin, preparing to shut the lid.
“Bang!”
Just as the coffin lid was about to close, a flash of blade light shot into the coffin, directly slashing toward the monk’s head while simultaneously knocking the coffin lid away with immense force. “Ancient Demon King, I’ve been tracking you for a long time. This time, you won’t escape capture!”
It was Wu Chang Yi Dao (the One Slash of Yama).
“Kill him! Capture the Ancient Demon King—he’s wanted by King Yama!”
“Kill!”
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Wu Chang Yi Dao wasn’t alone. The most elite ghost hunters of the Underworld had all arrived.
Their target was none other than this Ancient Demon King.
“You insignificant pests! Do you really think you can capture me? Just watch me wipe you all out!”
The Ancient Demon King suddenly struck Shui Miao’s back, causing him to become dizzy and lurch forward, falling into the coffin and being immediately enveloped by endless evil energy. Then, the Demon King turned to attack, unleashing boundless demonic energy toward the ghost hunters. This demonic force was several times more terrifying than Shui Miao’s Soul Devouring Force. Upon contact with the ghost hunters’ bodies, it immediately began corroding them.
Outmatched, the ghost hunters panicked and hastily retreated.
Wu Chang Yi Dao gritted his teeth, fully activating the Time Bead, and launched a furious assault against the Ancient Demon King.
“This evil energy is too terrifying. Am I going to die?”
“No! I cannot die! I absolutely cannot die!”
Trapped inside the coffin, Shui Miao felt an unprecedented sense of danger, as if an immense mountain were pressing down on him, making it impossible to resist. His intense will to survive suddenly reminded him of the Purple Fortune Energy. With a determined thought, he immediately began drawing vast amounts of Purple Fortune Energy from his spiritual planet.
“Boom!”
“Boom! Boom! Boom!”
As the Purple Fortune Energy was drawn from his spiritual planet, many areas of it suddenly collapsed. Vast amounts of destructive energy rapidly spread from the depths of the spiritual planet…
Misfortune had suddenly arrived!
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