I was the Heavenly Emperor in ancient times

Chapter 40 Reaching the Underworld

"call!"

Li Jun flew over the entire city, continuously venturing deeper into the darkness.

It got colder and colder as we went further, and it started to snow.

But in the end, the snow disappeared, leaving only darkness like water and something wriggling like a reflection in the water.

Li Jun swooped down, close to the darkness, took out a peach branch, opened the door, and rushed inside.

"what!"

A large number of ghosts were also attracted, each emitting shrieks, trying to follow Li Jun inside.

However, this time was different from the last; Li Jun had made some preparations.

The peach branch fell and immediately transformed into a tree shadow, blocking the ghostly figures.

"Boom!"

The vast horde of ghostly figures followed, as if they had crashed into a wall, squeezing into a huge mass.

Gradually, as the peach blossoms faded, the door closed.

Zhangweishan himself does not seem to have changed much.

Li Junfei was at a high place and didn't know his exact location when he entered.

But the aurora borealis overhead, which resembled an eye, remained, and the undulating black mountain ranges, like dragons, did not change much.

As Li Jun flew, he made a discovery.

"Ok?"

Below, a figure dressed in a Taoist robe but carrying a detection device was walking through the dark and eerie mountains.

The person seemed to be surveying the terrain, and was also carrying a soul sealing device produced by the Soul Research Institute of Dushuo City.

However, Li Jun couldn't see very clearly from his high vantage point in the dark; he only vaguely made out a figure.

Li Jun didn't initially consider the other party to be a living person. After all, he had seen some shadows in the mountains along the way. Besides the possible existence of ghosts, there were also some shadows that looked like animals transformed into spirits. They seemed to be beast souls, but in this mountain range, they were not much different from living things.

Li Jun circled twice at a high altitude to confirm his location and obtain more information about the interior of Zhangwei Mountain.

At this moment.

The man in the mountains captured the spirit of a wild beast. He took out the device that sealed the spirit and covered it, and the beast immediately revealed its form.

As the device slowly squeezed towards the center, the spirit grew smaller and smaller until it was finally placed into something that looked like a lantern, which the person held in their hand.

The different surfaces of the diamond-shaped lampshade project one black leopard shadow after another, each with a different appearance depending on the angle.

Throughout the entire process, he basically used a set of electrical equipment, but he pretended to be mysterious by pointing his sword and chanting incantations.

At the same time, he also caught a glimpse of the distant sky out of the corner of his eye.

"Is something flying?"

This person also noticed the thing above his head. After all, there was almost nothing in the sky in this ghostly place, but because there was no light in the sky, he couldn't see what was hovering above his head at all.

He guessed it was probably a bird, but the spirit of a bird was a rare thing in this Zhangwei Mountain; no one had ever seen it or sealed it away.

The man thought to himself, "Could this be my lucky break?"

Li Jun flew in the sky, and the Taoist priest chased after him on the ground.

Li Jun was observing whether this person was alive or dead, and what his background was.

The man was also observing Li Jun, wondering whether he faced a crisis or an opportunity.

The two walked almost side by side in the sky and on the ground, and finally came out of the forest into an open area. The distance between them grew closer and closer, and they were finally able to see each other clearly.

"Ok!"

"what?"

A surge of joy welled up in Li Jun's heart as soon as he saw the other party clearly. This was a Taoist priest from the Changsheng Temple, probably an outer disciple.

When the Taoist priest saw Li Jun's appearance clearly, he was so frightened that he almost lost his soul.

He shouted: "Li Jun with double pupils!"

He turned around and tried to escape back into the forest. This person was incredibly fast and was also a superhuman. After entering the forest, he turned into a shadow and disappeared.

Seeing this, Li Jun felt even more joy.

"He's also an extraordinary being."

The Taoist priest entered the forest and fled far away in one breath. The endless mountains and the darkness of the eerie black forest had originally annoyed him, but now he felt a sense of security.

The Taoist thought to himself, "My shadow blends into this darkness, mixed among countless other shadows. Let's see how you manage to catch me."

However, Li Jun now has a certain understanding of these extraordinary individuals from the Candle Dragon system who have obtained one-third, and more or less, of the power.

"Shh!"

Li Jun flew across the sky, instantly unleashing streaks of light that traced shadows in the darkness as they fell from the heavens.

The feathers of light fell from all directions, some skimming the ground and others circling in the forest, before immediately pinning the fleeing shadow to the ground.

Then, the light feathers lit up and formed an array based on the same principle as the Soul Research Institute, trapping the opponent from all directions.

In the blink of an eye, he captured this outer disciple of the Longevity Temple in his own way.

"Have mercy, have mercy."

The Taoist priest screamed in agony, then revealed his true form on the ground.
He never imagined that the very method he had used to seal and capture the spirits of beasts would now fall upon himself.

From this perspective, he, this extraordinary being, and that beast seem to be not so different.

The Taoist priest wanted to escape, but after the "sealing formation" was completed, he realized that he was really in danger this time.

At that moment, the "divine bird" in the sky gradually descended.

As the thing drew closer and closer, the Taoist, being a disciple of the Changsheng Temple, naturally recognized what it was. This was the first time he had come face to face with the legendary Li Jun with double pupils, and he was so frightened that he was covered in sweat, and half of his Taoist robe was soaked.

His body twisted and swayed as he begged for mercy from the "divine bird" high above, knowing that it could hear him.

"Don't kill me, don't kill me! I'm just someone sent to investigate Zhangwei Mountain. I still have a purpose."

At this moment, the streaks of green feathers that had been pinning him down like nails gradually disappeared as the light faded.

However, the Taoist priest still didn't dare to move and knelt down on the ground.

If the other party can catch him once, they can naturally catch him a second time.

But when he looked up at the sky again, he was shocked to find that the divine bird had disappeared.

But he quickly looked around and saw a figure standing behind him.

He knelt on the ground, turned around, and kowtowed repeatedly to the figure. At this moment, he showed none of the arrogance of a disciple of the Longevity Temple, nor the superiority of a transcendent being.

At that moment, all he wanted was to save his life.

Li Jun was very direct and asked him.

"Tell me about it!"

To be honest, Li Jun's question wasn't really a question at all. He told the other person to talk about it, but how could the other person know what he wanted to know, or what he should say?

However, this was also intentional on Li Jun's part. Because he didn't know what to say, the other party would bring out the most important thing to say in order to save his life.

This Taoist priest was quite perceptive. He didn't ask any questions and immediately revealed all the important secrets he knew, including his identity and background, leaving nothing out.

"I am an outer disciple of the Changsheng Temple, with the Daoist name Yuanlong, and I rank third among the outer disciples."

"I received the decree from the Immortal Venerable to come here to explore the terrain of Zhangwei Mountain and collect the spirits of various birds and beasts."

"There were two others who received this decree with me. However, in addition to this task, the Immortal Venerable also gave us another important task: to find traces of the birth of the Black Water and, ideally, bring back a portion of it."

At this point, Li Jun finally spoke.

"Tell me about Blackwater."

Yuanlong Daoist didn't know how much Li Jun knew, so he pretended that Li Jun knew nothing and started from the beginning.

"I heard from the Immortal Venerable that the Blackwater is a sign of the manifestation of a deity deep within Zhangwei Mountain. I have heard that the deity's name is Yujiang, and he should be a great shaman who became a god in ancient times."

Li Jun: "Why are you looking for Blackwater?"

Yuanlong Daoist: "A few days ago, the Immortal Venerable performed an ancient sacrifice to Heaven and Earth, which is said to have awakened a certain demon god from the ancient Great Wilderness. According to the Immortal Venerable, this demon god was able to transform all matter into something like black water, which was used to create the Northern Sea in ancient times, the final resting place of all things in the world."

"It is said that in ancient times, the underworld and reincarnation were not yet perfect, and all living things would go to the Northern Underworld after death."

"..."

Yuanlong Daoist felt he had said everything he needed to say, and Li Jun didn't ask any more questions, but simply took a step forward.

As soon as he made that move, the Taoist priest shouted.

"I am willing to convert."

"This disciple wishes to take refuge in you."

After saying that, the Taoist priest took out his phone and handed it to Li Jun.

"Here I have collected a lot of information about the Temple of Longevity, as well as the roster of the temple."

"There is also a Black Water True Dragon Scripture inside, which was passed down to me by the Immortal Venerable. The rituals, incantations, and visualizations are all inside."

"Please accept this, Immortal Venerable Li."

Li Jun took the phone. It was indeed very useful. Compared to Li Jun's crude and primitive methods, Zhou Shentong had clearly received some kind of inheritance from somewhere.

If we obtain Zhou Shentong's inheritance and technology, at least we will be able to mass-produce extraordinary individuals, just like the Changsheng Temple.

However, holding a phone in one hand while listening to the Taoist priest chanting terms like "Immortal Venerable," "Heaven and Earth," "All Things in the World," and "Black Water True Dragon Scripture" still felt somewhat strange.

Upon hearing this, the Taoist immediately changed how he addressed Zhou Shentong.

"Immortal Li is unaware!"

“Inside the Changsheng Temple, Zhou Shentong does whatever he wants, setting up all sorts of rules and making us play along with him.”

"If you break the rules, you will be punished in various ways, and in severe cases, your soul will be extracted and used to light a magic lamp, making you wish you were dead."

"This disciple has long wanted to leave the Temple of Longevity, if it weren't for..."

This Taoist Yuanlong made a series of accusations, portraying him as an innocent white lotus, but Li Jun noticed that he had seemed quite happy and immersed in his role before.

However, Li Jun also obtained more information about the Changsheng Temple from Yuanlong Daoist. Only then did Li Jun learn about one of the channels through which the Changsheng Temple obtained the power of the Zhulong system.

"Yu Jiang, an ancient great shaman."

He guessed that Yu Jiang was just a ghost god, and that there should be another source of his power, probably one of the three parts that Zhu Long had after his death.

"It shouldn't be the Yellow Springs."

Li Jun looked up at the "Aurora Eye" in the sky and thought of the Yellow Springs again. Behind Yujiang should be the last one.

Li Jun then asked, "What do you know about the Yellow Springs?"

Yuanlong Daoist said, "Most of the power obtained by the disciples of Changsheng Temple is the power of Yujiang. Two others obtained part of the power of Shentu and Yulei, but we don't know much about Huangquan. It is said that there is a group of people in Dushuo City outside that are researching it, but I heard that they have not made any progress."

Li Jun was somewhat disappointed. The plan to separate heaven and earth definitely required the power of the Yellow Springs. If they couldn't obtain it from the Longevity Temple, the next step of implementation would be very troublesome.

At this moment, Li Jun spoke up.

"Do me a favor."

This Daoist Yuanlong is quite an interesting person; he seems rather happy.

"I will do my best, please rest assured."

However, Li Jun was not afraid of him turning against him; he had ways to control him. But at this moment, he first mentioned the mission.

"The first thing to do is to find out Zhou Shentong's exact location and where he will be offering sacrifices to Yu Jiang next."

Li Jun estimated that Shen Tu and Yu Lei must have joined forces with Yu Jiang. In the ancient mythological era, these two great peach demons took some of the things from the living, and transferred the rest to Yu Jiang.

They controlled life and death and established the oldest system of reincarnation, which is the ancient Northern Darkness Land.

"The second thing is to take me to the place where the Gates of the Underworld are located."

After saying that, Li Jun unleashed his power.

A burst of light appeared behind him, and a huge peach tree faintly appeared, from which a shadow emerged.

"go with!"

Li Jun used the power of the Peach Demoness to place a substitute curse on Yuan Long.

However, the strangeness of these supernatural powers and spells frightened Yuanlong Daoist.

As soon as Li Jun made his move, a shadowy figure opened Yuan Long's head and took out his brain.

"Don't, don't, don't..."

"Do not kill me!"

"my head!"

Then his mind instantly turned to wood, and gradually transformed into a small wooden figure, which Li Jun held in his hand. It was the very image of Daoist Yuanlong.

However, after his initial shock, Yuanlong Daoist discovered that he was still alive.

"I'm not dead?"

He shook his head and felt that his brain hadn't disappeared. Although it wasn't inside his head, it was still connected to him in another place.

Li Jun held onto the wooden figure, knowing that if Yuan Long betrayed him, he could capture him.

If Yuanlong finds something or has any important information, Li Jun can also replace it.

However, spells and the ability to manipulate others become less threatening when explained clearly, and may even make the other party try every means to get rid of them.

Li Jun cast a spell, but didn't say what the spell was.

He only said, "I don't know if Zhou Shentong can make you wish you were dead, but..."

Yuanlong Daoist was completely astonished by this bizarre scene and no longer had any doubts about Li Jun's "great supernatural powers".

"Immortal Li will surely make me wish I were dead, but please rest assured, Immortal Li, how could a mortal like me be worthy of your great supernatural powers? Wouldn't that be like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, or a cannon to kill a mosquito?"

Li Jun ignored him and told him to get up and lead the way to the location of the Gate of the Underworld.

The base of Changsheng Temple in Zhangwei Mountain is located right in front of the Gate of the Underworld.

In the distance was a void.

This is a boundary point of Zhangwei Mountain. A large group of wooden palaces and temples suddenly appeared on the edge of the steep cliff, as if they had appeared overnight.

With a lantern sealed with a ghost hanging from his waist, Daoist Yuanlong returned to the Daoist Palace and paid his respects to the eldest disciple of the outer sect, whose Daoist name was Yuanqing.

In reality, only a few disciples of the Changsheng Temple were given Taoist names; most others still used their original names.

Daoist Yuanqing: "Did you find anything on this trip?"

At this moment, Yuanlong Daoist almost burst into tears. He had just run into Li Jun with double pupils, which was no different from encountering the King of Hell. He had escaped death.

Even though I was perfectly fine when I went out, my head felt much lighter when I came back.

The head on top feels hollow when it shakes, while the feet on the bottom always feel like a roly-poly toy when it walks.

However, at this moment, Daoist Yuanlong simply smiled and said...

"Everything went smoothly, and we collected quite a few spirits, but we still haven't found the Black Water."

Daoist Yuanqing snorted coldly, and then said.

"You don't need to look anymore, your second senior brother has already brought it back."

"I have already burned incense and made a petition to the Immortal Venerable. Once the Immortal Venerable is ready, we will begin the cycle of life and death."

"Your second senior brother's reward will be coming soon; you're not destined for it."

Yuanlong Daoist was not annoyed and nodded repeatedly.

"Yes Yes Yes!"

In his view, Li Jun, this god of death, has come here and is offering no reward. These guys are probably going to be in big trouble.

Meanwhile, Yuanlong Daoist entered the depths of the Taoist temple and looked across the long corridor at the high slope on the other side of the river, where a massive project was underway.

However, the Changsheng Temple had sealed off all four sides, and a black cloth had been temporarily covered the dome, indicating that the construction here was being carried out in a very secretive manner.

The rumbling machinery continued to dig, but the more they dug, the stranger things became.

"Clang clang clang clang..."

"Dong dong dong dong."

Yuanlong Daoist's gaze pierced through the lamplight, looking at the Yellow Springs Gate, which had been completely excavated.

"What the hell is this?"

This one sentence also made him seem less like an ancient person, and even his dialect revealed where in the Eastern country he came from.

the other side.

Li Jun also saw the Gate to the Underworld through Yuanlong Daoist, and understood why Yuanlong Daoist spoke the way he did when he saw the gate.

Because after a large amount of machinery had hollowed out the area around and below the Gate of the Underworld, nothing was found, and the Gate of the Underworld did not fall down, but remained suspended in mid-air.

All around, one could see people dressed in Taoist robes, carrying various instruments and equipment, trying to break the Gate of the Underworld, but they could not damage it in the slightest, let alone open it.

Only when the ghostly shadow of the candle gets close will it be immediately sucked in.

Li Jun watched it quietly.

At that moment, another sound came from the other end. Li Jun sensed that Zhao Nange had successfully found Zheng Shiliang.

He turned his head and looked in the direction of the "Aurora Eye," where Dushuo City was roughly located.

"It's done."

The ceremony, altar, sacrificial jade, and candidates are all in place, and the gate to the underworld has been found. Next, we can at least try to inherit the contract made by Zhuyin and Zhulong in ancient times.

Li Jun remembered that even though Zhulong died and Zhuyin was stripped of everything and entered the Yellow Springs, the ancient contract that Zhuyin had initiated and forged continued to operate thereafter.

The Taoist temple Xuangong on Zhangwei Mountain.

There was no distinction between day and night here, but as soon as a bell rang, all the Taoists came out in unison, quickly assembling as if afraid that the bell would stop ringing.

In the main hall at the top, the Taoist priests were arranged in order, appearing to be of high and low status with a clear hierarchy.

As the bell tolled, a hazy, auspicious light enveloped the depths of the hall, and a shadow gradually descended upon it.

Zhou Shentong "appeared," but it was clear that it was a projection device, projecting onto the high altar as if a deity were sitting on a cloud bed.

Technology and magic have strangely merged together here.

"Li Jun has come in."

"It's right here at Zhangwei Mountain."

As soon as Zhou Shentong "appeared," he glanced at the disciples below and then said these two sentences.

Among the Taoists standing in the front row, Yuanlong's back muscles tensed instantly, fearing that Zhou Shentong's next words would be, "There is a traitor among you."

But on his face, he wore a surprised expression, and he and the others looked at each other.

"what?"

Zhou Shentong first delivered some bad news, and then summarized his thoughts.

“This Li Jun is ungrateful. Since I have made him who he is, I can also destroy him.”

Even now, Zhou Shentong still believes that he is the one who made Li Jun who he is today, or at least that he was the one who awakened Li Jun from the dust of reincarnation.

He then issued what he called a decree.

"I have found the Black Water and will soon prepare to offer sacrifices to Yu Jiang to reopen the ancient cycle of life and death."

"Of course, this cycle of life and death is different from that of ancient times, and we will reshape it."

"Now that everything is ready, we must not allow any accidents to happen. I want you to go to Zhangwei Mountain and find Li Jun."

“This person is determined to oppose our Changsheng Temple. He is your mortal enemy. You must remember this.”

After Zhou Shentong finished speaking, everyone bowed in unison.

"Yes!"

"Disciple receives the decree."

But despite saying that, when they lowered their heads and looked at each other, the disciples' eyes were filled with astonishment.

The gist of what's being conveyed is: "Should I go and fight Li Jun?"

The projection is over.

Zhou Shentong's shadow disappeared.

The Taoist priest Yuan Qing, who was on the far left of the first row, was the first to stand up. When he turned around, he saw that all eyes were on him.

Unlike before, this time everyone's attention was focused on Yuan Qing, the eldest disciple of the outer sect. This had another meaning: when the sky falls, the tall ones hold it up.

You've always been the one to bully others; now it's your turn to step in.

"Go, Senior Brother Yuanqing."

Upon seeing the expressions on everyone's faces, Yuan Qing immediately understood what they meant and began to shift the focus of the conflict.

"Do you think Li Jun is crazy? Why would he give up being a perfectly good immortal and make trouble for us?"

"If we restart the cycle of life and death and welcome the ancient immortals and gods back to their positions, wouldn't he be able to reap the benefits without lifting a finger?"

“We’re doing this for his own good, but he doesn’t appreciate it. I’d say he’s a lunatic.”

These words resonated with many, and everyone began to curse Li Jun.

At this moment, Yuanlong Daoist was caught in the crowd. He dared not actually join in the cursing, nor did he dare to act like a traitor.

He could only look around with his empty head, nodding repeatedly as if to say, "You're absolutely right," responding to every gaze directed at him. "Yes, yes, yes..."

This Daoist named Yuanqing was originally a well-known figure in reality. His real name was Qi Desheng, and he was in the overseas logistics and transportation business. He was taken in by Zhou Shentong.

Seeing that Li Jun's "evil deeds" had aroused the anger of the crowd, he immediately continued.

"Therefore, Li Jun is a great enemy of our Changsheng Temple. You and I should work together to fight him."

This meant that the task was suddenly shifted from his shoulders to everyone else's.

Upon hearing this, the previously lively debate against Li Jun instantly fell silent. Everyone turned to look at Yuan Qing, and no one spoke again.

We can talk, since Li Jun can't hear us anyway, but don't actually do it.

Yuan Qing knew exactly what his fellow disciples were like, so he immediately changed his tune and lowered his demands.

"I didn't send you to deal with Li Jun. Do you even know what you're capable of? Are you even qualified to be a dish?"

"But we must find a way to locate Li Jun."

"Now that we know Li Jun's whereabouts, the Immortal Venerable will deal with him."

These words left everyone in a difficult position.

“This Zhangwei Mountain is at least one or two thousand miles long, and that’s just the straight line. If you count the twists and turns, it’s several times longer. Where are we supposed to find it?”

"That Li Jun can fly, and he also has the supernatural powers of that Peach Demon."

With more people involved, some people naturally come up with some reliable ideas.

"Li Jun usually likes to transform into an ancient winged being and fly in the sky. We can use radar to search for him; that should work."

"Also, it can detect the surrounding light. Places with abnormal light might be where Li Jun is."

"good……"

Indeed, they did come up with some solutions.

What no one expected was that there was a traitor among them who was listening intently.

This person doesn't offer opinions, but provides a strong emotional reward to everyone who does.

"(Senior brother) Junior brother's method is really good."

"Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful."

"Even if Li Jun is incredibly powerful, how can he compare to the superior wisdom of his fellow disciples?"

"it is good……"

After everyone had rested, Daoist Yuanlong left the Xuan Palace of the Daoist Temple, carrying more items he had taken from the temple, intending to hand them over to Li Jun.

At the same time, there was a small notebook recording everyone's strategies for dealing with Li Jun. Whether intentionally or not, he even wrote down their names.

Li Jun sat cross-legged on a rock, as if he were resting.

Yuanlong Daoist walked through the dark forest and climbed up to a high place little by little. From his perspective, Li Jun was sitting cross-legged on the high place, with the aurora in the sky shimmering behind him, just like a halo behind his head.

"Immortal Li".

"The disciple has arrived."

Yuanlong Daoist immediately fell to the ground and shouted loudly.

"Immortal Li, your disciple has returned successfully and has important matters to report."

Perhaps it was because he was in another world, or perhaps it was because of the atmosphere of the Taoist palace, the Taoist robes, and the wild forest, but Li Jun had actually gotten used to Yuanlong Daoist's ancient-style conversations and pretentious manner.

Li Jun: "Go on."

This time, Yuanlong Daoist spoke with great passion, as if he had truly been possessed by some kind of righteous person who had abandoned darkness for light.

The Taoist priest recounted all of Zhou Shentong's previous conversations in the temple in great detail, including the discovery of the Black Water and the notification that Zhou Shentong might be about to conduct another sacrificial ceremony.

And Yuanlong Daoist told Li Jun in detail that Zhou Shentong already knew Li Jun had arrived and was preparing to deal with him.

Li Jun seemed to be resting with his eyes closed, as if he were asleep.

Yuanlong Daoist spoke for a long time, kneeling on the ground and waiting for a response without moving. But there was no response for a long time. Then he vaguely raised his head and glanced at Li Jun, as if to confirm whether he was really asleep.

At that time, Li Jun finally made a decision.

He planned to take advantage of Zhou Shentong's sacrifice to approach the Gate of the Underworld and assist Zheng Shiliang in obtaining the Ancient Contract of Zhuyin, in order to prepare for the upcoming Battle of Heaven and Earth.

Zhou Shentong wanted to do his thing, and Li Jun also decided to do his own thing.

After figuring out these key points, Li Jun raised his head and spoke to Yuan Daoren.

“I will appear tonight and fly northwest. Have them use radar to find me.”

Yuanlong Daoist: "The northwest is where Zhou Shentong's altar for worshipping the ancient god Yujiang is located."

Li Jun said, "That's right, you make sure they see me flying through the sky in the form of a winged person."

Yuanlong Daoist was well-versed in human relationships and quickly understood what Li Jun wanted to do.
He kowtowed and said, "Rest assured, Immortal Li, I will definitely deliver the message."

He understood that Li Jun was trying to lure the snake out of its hole.

However, there were also things he didn't understand: was Li Jun really going to fight Zhou Shentong to the death, or was it just a feint?
-
Northwest of Zhangwei Mountain.

Zhou Shentong was in a house next to an altar that was being hastily constructed.

He seemed to be in worse physical condition. To this day, he still didn't understand what Shen Tu and Yu Lei had taken from his body, but he felt that death was approaching step by step.

He had to do something, otherwise, this being who claimed to be a reincarnation of a god would perish on the path to immortality before he could truly become a god.

"I must find a way to achieve immortality," Zhou Shentong thought.

He felt that his strength was enough for the time being, even if it was borrowed, but now he needed to maintain this strength for a long time.

That is why Zhou Shentong has been trying his best to avoid conflict with Li Jun recently.

Li Jun, that madman, spared no effort in using his strength, flying all over the world and showing off. Zhou Shentong couldn't compare to him.

Ironically, Zhou Shentong, who was immature and reckless and didn't care about the world, didn't think he was ostentatious. On the contrary, he thought Li Jun was even more ostentatious than himself, and he really thought so.

Perhaps in Zhou Shentong's view, his ostentatious behavior in the face of mortals and his wanton actions in front of ordinary people all over the world was a normal state that he, as a god, should have.

Unlike Li Jun, the other party is so flamboyant in the extraordinary world, trying every means to oppose the extraordinary and him, that is true arrogance.

Therefore, when Zhou Shentong learned that Li Junzhen had entered Zhangwei Mountain and was heading towards the place where he was performing sacrifices, he was furious.

"what?"

How did he know where we were performing the sacrifice?

Zhou Shentong once again used a projection device and camera to communicate with the disciples of the Yellow Springs Gate Dao Palace.

On the altar, his cold gaze swept over everyone below.

This time, his gaze and his words made it clear that there was a traitor among us.

Zhou Shentong was shocked and furious, while the disciples of the Changsheng Temple below were even more panicked.

At this moment, Yuan Qing stepped forward and said...

"Immortal Venerable!"

"Even if Li Jun comes, he'll only be one person."

"Moreover, he has no understanding of the power of Zhangwei Mountain. This is not their territory at all, but our home ground. We have the power of Shen Tu, Yu Lei, and Yu Jiang. Why should we be afraid of him?"

At this moment, Daoist Yuanqing knelt down and bowed, raising his head and speaking with his chest out.

"Since he didn't come, we will still offer him our respectful sacrifices."

“If he comes, we will use the combined power of Shen Tu, Yu Lei, and Yu Jiang to keep him here.”

"He finally got out of Taoshan Island's territory, and this is our opportunity."

"If we take this opportunity to kill him here, we can not only eliminate our biggest threat, but also take away his double pupils."

Upon hearing that his double pupils had been taken away, Zhou Shentong and all the other disciples' eyes lit up.

In reality, neither the Changshengguan sect nor anyone else knew much about the power of double pupils, and even Zhou Shentong himself didn't know much about it.

Zhou Shentong knew that having double pupils gave him greater control over the power of ghosts and gods, and at a lower cost.

He even knew that those with double pupils possessed the power to control demons.

However, aside from the reason why Li Jun was able to control the Azure Bird Divine Power, it seems that the demon that Zhou Shentong's dual pupils could control has not yet appeared. He doesn't even know what demon his dual pupils corresponded to in ancient times.

But everyone knows that double pupils represent strength and power.

"well."

Finally, Zhou Shentong made up his mind.

"In that case, let's go all out there, set up the altar and the great formation, and wait for him."

Li Jun was a different kind of being to Zhou Shentong. He originally thought that Li Jun was his kind, that they were both reincarnations of ancient immortals and gods, and that Li Jun could even become an aid to his grand plan.

But now, Li Jun has become his biggest obstacle.

On the spot, Zhou Shentong set the time for the sacrifice to Yu Jiang, and in his words he also revealed some secrets about Shen Tu, Yu Lei and Yu Jiang, which mobilized the entire Changsheng Temple.

Most of the disciples here, along with everyone in Zhangwei Mountain, will be mobilized to the altar. Yuan Qing will leave some disciples and armed forces to guard the Gate of the Underworld.

They were going to fight Li Jun to the death at the altar and destroy their greatest enemy. Once they destroyed Li Jun, the whole world would be under their control, and they would become supreme beings who held the reincarnation of life and death, high and mighty gods.

Of course, everyone still remembered what Yuan Qing had said earlier.

That was: "To steal Li Jun's double pupils."

The grand meeting in the main hall of the Taoist temple was drawing to a close when Zhou Shentong changed the subject, flicked his whisk, and looked down at Yuan Qing.

"Bring that piece of trash up here."

With a wave of his hand, Yuan Qing sent a "person" being pushed up, slowly making his way down the steps to the front of the main hall.

Everyone who saw this person gasped in surprise.

"Zhang You?"

This sacrificial ceremony targeting Yu Jiang is crucial for Changsheng Temple and Zhou Shentong, and it differs from previous sacrifices to ghosts and gods.

What they wanted was not just Yu Jiang's power, but the ancient divine contract that could initiate the cycle of life and death.

This is related to Zhou Shentong's immortality, and their entire concept of immortality controls the power of life and death and reincarnation of mortals. If they succeed, they will possess the entire world.

Zhang You was brought up in an exceptionally tragic manner; his body was torn to pieces and sealed inside a glass enclosure, as if he were some kind of terrifying demon or monster.

He was no longer human, but at this moment he was not being treated as a god.

Zhang You was carried up inside a cage by several people who held him down tightly, as if afraid he might do something shameful out of desperation.

As soon as Zhang You entered the main hall, he saw Zhou Shentong above and immediately shouted.

"Immortal Venerable!"

"Immortal Venerable!"

“Even if I haven’t done anything particularly meritorious, I have still put in a lot of hard work. I’ve done so much before, you can’t just abandon me like this.”

"Spare my life, I can still do things for you, I can still do many things."

Zhou Shentong draped his whisk over his shoulder and looked at Zhang You as he spoke.

“Indeed, you can do one more thing for me: guide me through the ancient myth of the cycle of life and death at the Temple of Longevity.”

Upon hearing Zhou Shentong's words, Zhang You's face instantly turned deathly pale.

He knew that Zhou Shentong intended to offer it as a sacrifice to his ancient deities.

Indeed, Zhang You has caused quite a mess this time.

Not only did he fail to accomplish his goal, but he also only opened half of the Gate of Hell, which meant that Zhou Shentong's plan was only half completed.

Moreover, he acted inappropriately when facing Li Jun. If he had managed to extract some of Li Jun's plans from Luo Zhen, he might have been able to redeem himself. However, Luo Zhen ultimately committed suicide.

It was this incident that made Zhang You appear even more useless in Zhou Shentong's eyes.

of course.

And most importantly, he was also seriously injured.

The injury was so severe that it seemed unlikely to heal, and perhaps Zhou Shentong didn't think it was worth saving him anymore.

With all these factors combined, plus the fact that Zhang You also possessed some of the power of the Yujiang Origin, it was only natural that he became a sacrifice.

However, at this moment, Zhang You felt that all of this was more like something Zhou Shentong had arranged long ago.

The other party bestowed upon him the power of Yujiang's origin, only to wait for the final moment to sacrifice him.

Even so, Zhang You wouldn't dare say that in front of Zhou Shentong.
After Zhou Shentong finished the meeting, he ordered Zhang You to be taken away. At this time, Zhang You was still begging for mercy, hoping to get a chance to live.

He shouted, "Immortal Venerable, I'm still useful! I'm still useful!"

"Don't treat me like this. I can still do a lot. I can help you achieve all your plans."

"We can combine technology, the internet, and magic to create a more perfect world in another way. I have a more perfect plan..."

“Listen to this, please listen to this.”

But the voices faded into the distance, and eventually nothing could be heard at all.
-
When Li Jun appeared above the Taoist temple, the aurora borealis stretched into a long, narrow beam of light.

But the central halo appeared increasingly bright, as if that eye was staring intently at something on the ground.

Li Jun looked up at it, as if he were gazing at it across millennia.

"Ten thousand years ago, I was able to kill it using the power of the Emperor's body and the divine stone. If it were the real me, could I really kill such a being?"

Meanwhile, those remaining inside the Taoist temple's Xuan Palace below seemed to have relaxed and become complacent.

The Taoist priests were playing chess, sipping tea, or practicing calligraphy.

"Do you think the Immortal Venerable's grand plan can succeed?"

"There will definitely be no problems; everything is under our control."

"If it succeeds, then the life and death of everyone in the world will be in our hands. Will we never have to die again? Even if we do die, will we be able to be rescued from the cycle of reincarnation?"

"When the Immortal Venerable attains the Great Dao, you and I will ascend together."

"How about we create a Book of Life and Death, where we mark someone's name with a line and they die? And then we can create an animal realm, where people are reincarnated into whatever they are, and that's what they have to be reincarnated into?"

"The city of Nadushuo sent another batch of souls today. While there's no one in the temple to compete with us, why don't you come with me to choose some and practice your magic?"

"Haha, this is definitely interesting, let's have a drink, let's have a drink."

In their view, Li Jun had already headed towards the altar.

Li Jun may not know that they have already detected his whereabouts through radar and have seen through his "plan".

At this very moment, a deadly trap has been set up there, and Zhou Shentong, the "strongest man in the world," is waiting for him to seek his own death.

And in the end, they will be the victors.

They had complete control over life and death, and when one person achieved immortality, the others would ascend to heaven with him.

Taoist Yuanqing stood in the long corridor.

He held a wine jug in one hand, gazing drunkenly at the Gates of the Underworld.

He seemed to see wave after wave of people passing through this door, while he sat on the river, watching the endless cycle of life and death, and laughed loudly.

"The old spirits on the Stone of Three Lives, let us not discuss them while appreciating the moon and reciting poems in the wind."

At first glance, everyone in the Taoist temple has an air of otherworldly elegance, and each person possesses an extraordinary and refined temperament.

Then a sound like a bird's cry came from above, and then a strong wind swept through the entire Taoist temple.

Inside the Taoist temple, numerous electric lights mimicking candles were lit. When a strong wind swept through, the simulated flames made of plastic swayed violently, casting shadows that moved more intensely than real flames.

One by one, people stood up, as if they sensed that something was wrong.

"What kind of strange wind is this?"

"This wind is strange, where is it coming from?"

"Look, there's something in the sky. He rolled it up."

Only then did everyone see the divine bird in the sky.

In an instant, all transcendence and leisure were shattered, and his otherworldly demeanor was crushed and vanished.

The Taoist priests suddenly panicked, all because of the name they had shouted.

"It's Li Jun with double pupils."

Before the words were finished, the divine bird transformed into a streak of azure light and fell from the sky, just like a bolt of lightning descending from the heavens.

At this moment, Zhou Shentong's eldest outer disciple, Daoist Yuanqing, whether from drinking too much or simply acting on a conditioned reflex, even wanted to resist.

He made sword-like gestures with both hands and began chanting a spell.

His body twisted and contorted, and his head and body gradually transformed into a black shadow, losing their human form.

It resembled a ghost, or a serpent or dragon.

Although Li Jun used the same old moves this time, he didn't just think about unleashing his power recklessly like before. Instead, he restrained himself more, aiming for the greatest destructive power with the least amount of force.

There's another difference: this time, his murderous intent is even stronger.

He wanted to kill everyone in the entire Taoist temple to ensure that Zhou Shentong wouldn't receive any news during this period. He needed to keep the Gate of the Underworld under his control during this time so that Zhao Nange and Zheng Shiliang's sacrifices could be carried out accurately.

The Taoist Yuanqing transformed into a shadow-like serpent-dragon, opened his mouth, and spat out another fire serpent.

The fire serpent's head split into three, and then its body also began to split, transforming into three divine birds that shot up into the sky from various angles and devoured the serpent.

However, Li Jun's power swept across the sky, and the three fire snakes vanished instantly upon passing by.

When Yuan Qing and the others saw their proud spell so easily erased, his conditioned reflex of resistance came to an abrupt halt, and the smug expression on his face instantly turned into extreme terror.

"what!"

He opened his mouth towards the sky, only managing to utter a single "Ah!" before the light that Li Jun had transformed into arrived before him.

As he landed, Li Jun's force erased a corner of the Taoist temple near the long corridor and also smashed Yuan Qing Taoist to pieces.

The shadow of Yuanqing Daoist broke free from the body in an instant, then pieced itself back together after being broken, and then twisted and screamed continuously before finally being absorbed into the gap in the middle of the Yellow Springs Gate.

He wanted to watch all living beings enter the cycle of reincarnation while he himself sat and watched the years pass by, while he himself sank to the deepest part of the underworld first.

Everything happened in a flash of lightning.

The Taoist priests around them had just stood up or had just run to the end of the corridor when they saw this scene.

Watching Yuanqing Daoist vanish into nothingness and fall into the Yellow Springs, the other Daoists at the end of the temple screamed in terror and began to stumble and run away.

"It's Li Jun."

"It's really him."

"How did he end up here?"

"Didn't they say he went towards the altar?"

"Why is he coming to see us? He's going to see the Celestial Venerable! Why is he picking on us insignificant characters?"

Some knocked over lamps, some knocked over tables and chairs, and some even panicked in the darkness and fell off the cliff.

At that moment, Li Jun raised his hand.

He gently rotated his arm clockwise, and streaks of blue feathers danced with his fingertips, lining up neatly behind him like the hands of a clock.

Finally, Li Jun flicked his fingers forward, and the feathers flew forward like arrows.

A streak of blue light flashed through the air, swirling wildly around the entire Dao Palace, much like the sword light of a sword immortal.

Soon, the entire Taoist temple fell silent.

At this moment, Li Jun's expression remained completely unchanged in the face of this situation, and even his heart remained undisturbed.

I don't know when it started, but Li Jun has changed. It's as if he has unknowingly merged with that ancient emperor in part.

Li Jun walked through the deep and quiet Taoist palace and passed through the tall mountain gate.

When passing by a large hall, one could see that the hall was filled with lit lanterns.

Inside the densely packed lamps, shadows were writhing, some seemingly talking to themselves, others emitting strange cries.

The shadows of various colors flowed and swirled, brushing past Li Jun's shadow as he walked by, as if tugging at the hem of his clothes.

Finally, Li Jun arrived at his destination and looked at the ancient stone gate floating in mid-air in front of him.

"The Gates of the Underworld".

It's not vertical, but angled, making it clear that this door leads deep into the earth.

But at this moment, the ground beneath it has been dug out, leaving it suspended in mid-air, making it impossible to know where it leads.

Li Jun walked down the long corridor behind the Taoist temple and onto the low-lying, broken ground.

He didn't look at his feet, but stared straight at the stone gate, at the thousands upon thousands of ancient ancestors, shamans, souls, and dragons.

Watching them kneel and worship, holding up torches, watching the dragons pulling the cart, watching Shao Li's back on the cart frame.

In a daze, the stone carving was no longer a stone carving, but came to life in an instant and became a real scene.

Even the figure whose back no one knew turned around, revealing a face that only he remembered.

After a long while, he muttered to himself,
"It's time to get things done."

After he finished speaking, a light emanated from Li Jun's body.

His figure gradually changed, becoming taller and taller, and he leaped up and landed on the stone gate.

When Li Jun's hand touched the Gate of the Underworld, the ancient door began to tremble.

(End of this chapter)