Gods of the Nation: You worship the God of Longevity, I worship the King of Hell!

Chapter 171 A Sixth-Rank Ghost King! The Four Great Immortal Families! This mission is a joke!

A towering, ghostly figure, three zhang tall, stood majestically, shattering the dust and smoke.

His entire body was covered in dark gold armor, which was engraved with ferocious ghost patterns;

The helmet covered most of his face, revealing only his dark blue skin and sharp white teeth, with eerie green flames flickering in his eye sockets.

Each breath stirred up a chilling wind, causing the grass on the surrounding graves to sway wildly and lie flat on the ground.

He was just standing there.

That intimidating presence alone is enough to send chills down one's spine and set off alarm bells!
"This...this isn't a fifth-grade Fierce Demon...it's a sixth-grade Ghost King?!"

Upon encountering this terrifying being.

At this moment, even the four great underworld messengers suddenly changed color.

Lu Chen's eyes widened in surprise.

—Fuck you!
A sixth-rank ghost king?!

This mere ghost realm actually harbors such a thing!

“Ouch——!!!”

The ghost king let out a long howl, and boundless pressure swept over like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing down.

In just one exchange, the nearly one hundred plague demons at the forefront were roared away and their souls were scattered!
The lingering effects continue!

Even though the four underworld messengers worked together to block, they were still shaken and staggered backward.

The hundred personal guards were scattered and their formation collapsed.

"General, run!!!"

Without saying a word, Lu Chen turned and ran!
With a single roll of the Plague Emperor Banner, all the remaining plague demons were recalled.

"Damn it, I was just getting excited when one yell took away a quarter of my health. What a huge loss!!"

They saw Lu Chen and his group fleeing frantically.

The ghost king remained standing still, but a giant blade suddenly appeared in his hand. He then held the blade with both hands and twisted his body.

Like playing golf, a single, decisive strike with the sword!
--boom! ! !

A terrifying blade swept past with the force of destroying cities and fortresses, and even the air seemed to groan in its wake. In the blink of an eye, it had caught up with Lu Chen.

Seeing this, the four underworld messengers knew there was no way to retreat, so they gritted their teeth and prepared to sacrifice themselves to resist.

In a flash, Lu Chen gritted his teeth, and the Yama's Decree in his hand shone brightly red, sending all four underworld messengers and underworld soldiers back to the underworld.

"General!!!"

Xie Qingyi and Fan Rusong's exclamations still echoed in my ears.

--boom! ! !

The blade slashed fiercely at Lu Chen, but at that moment, something strange happened!

A divine light suddenly emerged from his body, instantly neutralizing the force of the blade.

"As expected—the immortals!!"

Lu Chen's mind raced, and he was secretly astonished!
He actually made the right bet this time!
Otherwise, based on that sheer power just now, the four underworld messengers would probably have perished here!
Although he managed to block the fatal blow, Lu Chen was still shaken by the residual force, causing his blood to churn and spit out a mouthful of blood. He was already seriously injured.

"run!!!"

He mustered his magical power and ran frantically toward the entrance.

"Wow——!"

The Ghost King's second blade slashed down again!
Just as he was about to touch her body, Lu Chen leaped into the air and finally broke free of the mass grave's ghostly domain.

……

Meanwhile, outside the mass grave.

"Wow, this guy's really something, he's been in there for almost half an hour!"

Seeing that Lu Chen had been inside for a long time and hadn't come out yet.

The young men from all the major families were dumbfounded.

The last person to stay for so long was that fourth-rank noble family head who was famous for his thunder magic.

The others would not last more than two minutes before being routed.

After all, anyone who's been inside knows just how high-level the hell is.

"Who just said my friend wouldn't last a minute? How about now? Keep talking."

Xinyao retaliated without hesitation against the people who had been discussing the matter earlier.

The men looked embarrassed, but because of her status as a member of a prominent family, they didn't dare to say anything more.

"No, we've been inside for too long, I have to go check on things!"

With a flash of light, Sun Yourong's Xuanhua axe was already in her hand.

"Don't worry, I've been in there three times already, and I'm perfectly fine."

While offering words of comfort, Xin Yao's gaze kept drifting towards the inside of the barrier.

As they were talking, a figure rushed out from inside the barrier. Due to the speed of the rush, it only stopped staggering a dozen meters away.

He had barely stood up when he vomited a mouthful of blood.

"Lu Chen!!!"

Upon seeing this, Sun Yourong's face turned pale.

The crowd immediately gathered around.

"Are you OK?!"

"It's nothing, just a minor injury."

Lu Chen wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

Actually, he was seriously injured by that knife just now.

However, with the restorative powers of the [Dragon King of the Wei River], it is believed that it will not be long before he is fully recovered.

"Dude, you're amazing! You managed to hold out for so long?!"

He Xun looked completely incredulous.

In terms of cultivation, Lu Chen is still inferior to him.

He had already reached the fourth rank, but he couldn't even last two minutes.

"What...did you encounter inside?"

He Xun's question made everyone present instinctively prick up their ears.

Xin Yao immediately said alertly, "Let's go, let's find somewhere else to talk!"

Having said that, he unleashed his supernatural power, a whirlwind enveloping Lu Chen and Sun Yourong, and they vanished from their spot in the blink of an eye, rushing down the mountain.

A moment later, under an old tree in Caomiao Village.

Several people revealed themselves.

"You should adjust your breathing first," Sun Yourong said with concern.

Lu Chen waved his hand: "It's alright."

"So... what's going on inside?" Xin Yao was itching with curiosity.

Lu Chen's voice was low and deep, emphasizing each word:
"A sixth-rank Ghost King." "What?!?!"

Xin Yao and Sun You Rong both froze.

Xin Yao's voice trembled: "A...a sixth-rank Ghost King? Are you sure?"

Lu Chen looked up: "If you don't believe me, go in and see for yourself."

--hiss!

Xin Yao gasped, "My God!!! No wonder that fifth-grade spiritualist ran away without looking back after waking up... It turns out there's a sixth-grade ghost king guarding it. How can we possibly get through? I really don't know what treasures are hidden in the secret realm!"

Sun Yourong's face also turned pale, and she frowned, saying, "It seems we have no choice but to abandon this mission."

Lu Chen was still shaken.

To be honest, it's fortunate that the "no one dies" rule is in place.

Otherwise, that stab would have already killed him.

"So what do we do next?" Sun Yourong asked him.

A sixth-rank ghost king is definitely not something that spiritual practitioners of their level can handle.

Even if a prestigious family were to come in person, they would probably be helpless.

Lu Chen hesitated for a moment, then said, "Sister Sun, you should go back first. We'll split up from here on out."

"It's alright, we'll stay a little longer, you go about your business." Sun Yourong could easily guess that Lu Chen was planning to summon the gods again.

"Alright. I'll get back to work now. Oh, and whatever you do, don't go back in. Even though no one will die, a casual strike from a sixth-rank Ghost King is enough to seriously injure someone. Don't take the risk."

"Understood, go ahead."

Lu Chen nodded, and then planned to leave Caomiao Village to find the Earth God Temple or Earth God Shrine.

If he had some doubts about the "divine arrangement" before, he was now completely convinced.

But this god dared to defy the rules of heaven by setting up a barrier in the mortal realm, and even commanded a sixth-rank ghost king to guard it...

Those who meet these conditions are either deities with extraordinary magical power or those with abundant incense offerings and vast divine power.

Regardless of which category it falls into, it means that the person behind the scenes is no ordinary individual.

Lu Chen had a premonition that this would probably be the most difficult mission he had ever encountered.

Watching his departing figure, Xinyao couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Rongrong, where is he going alone? Could it be that he really has a way to get past this sixth-rank ghost king?"

Sun Yourong was silent for a moment, then said softly, "Perhaps... he really does have a way."

"Don't let your emotions cloud your judgment, my dear sister! He's a third-rank official, while she's a sixth-rank official—that's a huge difference..."

Sun Yourong shook her head: "You don't understand him. For you and me, this mission is over. But for him... it's just beginning."

"Oh?" Xin Yao's eyes flickered as she looked again at the receding figure. "He... is he really that powerful?!"

……

the other side.

After leaving Caomiao Village, Lu Chen searched everywhere for the location of the Earth God's temple or shrine.

After much difficulty, I finally learned the location of a local shrine from a passing villager.

"Thank you, uncle!"

Lu Chen took out a hundred-yuan bill and stuffed it into the other person's hand. Before he could refuse, he had already disappeared from the spot.

After a while.

About three kilometers away from Caomiao Village, on a small hillside, Lu Chen saw the shrine of the local earth god.

Built of blue bricks and topped with gray tiles, it is old but clean.

There were still unburnt incense sticks in front of the shrine.

"It seems this one is living a more comfortable life than the one in Longhu County."

Lu Chen took out a stick of incense, lit it, and inserted it into the incense burner. Then he closed his eyes and recited the "Invocation of the Earth God".

The incantation had barely finished.

A cloud of white smoke suddenly burst open in front of the shrine with a "bang".

A thin old man in a brown short jacket emerged from the smoke, leaning on a crooked wooden cane, and sleepily called out:

"Who dares to disturb this land's peaceful cultivation?!"

"Secluded cultivation?" Lu Chen glanced at Him and couldn't help but chuckle. "I think you're just taking a nap."

He was too lazy to beat around the bush, so he simply raised the back of his hand and revealed the Yama's Decree.

"I am the mighty and virtuous General of the Underworld, and also the guardian deity of the Plague Department—the Plague Prince. The God of Wealth of the Wealth Department is my sworn brother, and has been personally promised by the Supreme One to become a righteous god of the Underworld, in charge of the wealth of the underworld! Tell me, who am I?"

When this series of titles came crashing down on him, the local earth god froze on the spot.

He stared wide-eyed at the Yama's Decree, which glowed with red light, and then noticed the faintly glowing Tongcai Yuanbao pendant on Lu Chen's chest. He trembled and knelt down with a thud.

"This humble god was blind and unaware of Your Majesty's arrival! I was momentarily confused and spoke nonsense. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me and not hold it against me!"

"Please don't do that, rise quickly." Lu Chen reached out to help you up: "I summoned you here because I have something to ask you."

"Yes, yes! Your Majesty, please give your orders!" The Earth God hurriedly got up, bowed with his hands at his sides, and was extremely respectful.

"Lord Earth God, a strange treasure appeared in Grass Temple Village two weeks ago, causing quite a stir. How much do you know about the inside story?"

Upon hearing this, the Earth God hesitated for a moment before whispering, "To be honest, Your Majesty... this humble god does know a thing or two."

"Oh?" Lu Chen's eyes lit up, and he clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Please enlighten me, Earth God, which great deity from the Heavenly Court set up such a powerful barrier here?"

"It seems that Your Majesty has already entered that 'circle of treacherous schemes,' and has glimpsed some of its secrets through a small part." The Earth God stroked his sparse beard, pondered for a moment, and then solemnly clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute: "Your Majesty... would you mind moving to my humble abode for a chat?"

Lu Chen narrowed his eyes slightly and nodded, saying, "Okay."

"Please, Your Majesty."

The Earth God gently tapped his cane into the air.

Lu Chen's vision suddenly went black, and he felt as if a gentle breeze was lifting him up.

When I opened my eyes again, I was already in a simple farmhouse.

The walls are made of earth and the beams of wood; the furnishings are simple, yet the place is kept very clean.

"My humble abode is simple and unassuming; I have failed you, my lord." The Earth God gestured, "Please sit down, my lord."

"It's alright." Lu Chen sat down on the stool.

With a flick of his sleeve, the Earth God conjured two cups of tea on the table, steaming hot.

He pushed a cup in front of Lu Chen, then lowered his voice and said, "Just now outside, there were many people around, and I was afraid of offending the majesty of Heaven, so I invited Your Majesty here."

Regarding the matter of Grass Temple Village… Your Majesty's guess was correct; it was indeed the work of the celestial beings of Heaven. However, Your Majesty was wrong in one aspect.”

Lu Chen frowned and solemnly clasped his hands in greeting: "I hope the Earth God can give me some guidance."

"I dare not accept such praise!" The Earth God said solemnly, "Actually, it's not just one... there are four immortals who have set up this scheme together!"

"What?!!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen's pupils dilated instantly, and he was so shocked he almost jumped up from his stool: "Four of you?!"

"Exactly!!"

(End of this chapter)