Chapter 842 - Creation of the Netherworld

The baleful energy invaded Liu Wuxie's body, coursing through his veins and seamlessly fusing with his blood. He couldn't resist it, let alone expel it. Such was the terrifying might of baleful energy.

Only those at the Earth Profound Realm had the ability to seal off space, preventing external forces from encroaching upon them.

The crimson cloud roared as the black skeletal head turned to look at Lu Funian. This man had ruined its plans by rescuing the woman it had captured.

A terrifying suction force exploded and tore away the surrounding rooftops, revealing the people hiding within. The rooms had been enough to ward off the baleful energy, but with their protection gone, the hidden clansmen were now fully exposed.

The situation grew increasingly dangerous, and everyone was at a risk of perishing under the corruption of baleful energy at any moment.

Liu Wuxie was still struggling, trying every means possible to rip through the crimson cloud, but to no avail.

The black skull turned its attention to Liu Wuxie, its jaws opening wide as it lunged at him. If it succeeded, Liu Wuxie would have no chance of survival.

Liu Wuxie let out a thunderous roar and tilted his head back as dragon scales emerged across his body, giving him a fearsome appearance.

"Great Divine Frost Art!" Instead of using the Frost Ray Seal, he unleashed the Great Divine Frost Art. A boundless chill swept outward, freezing the baleful energy in place, restricted by ice laws.

But his true essence drained at an alarming rate—this was the cost of executing a dao technique.

The Annihilation Fist was a prime example. It had not only consumed all of his true essence but also nearly exhausted his soul energy.

Having just recovered, using a dao technique pushed his limits. One misstep, and he risked severe injury.

If he continued to suffer injuries, even heaven-defying spiritual pills wouldn't be enough to save him.

The black skull remained frozen, unable to advance toward Liu Wuxie. This was the power of a dao technique—capable of sealing space. But it was only a temporary measure, buying him time to deal with the baleful energy invading his body.

He didn’t dare execute the Desolate Devouring Art—it would only accelerate the absorption of the baleful energy. Even with the Heavenly Dao Book open, the sacred light had no effect on the corruption, which had already fused into his bone marrow and become a part of him.

Even the ancient deity's power had proven ineffective, as there was no connection between the Witcher and the Nether Clan. The only true counter to baleful energy was the light element. But how could he possibly comprehend it in such a short time?

He even tested the Ancestral Tree, but it remained dormant—it would only awaken if he refined someone from the divine clan.

As for the True Dragon Physique, it only enhanced his raw strength and provided no defense against baleful energy. Liu Wuxie was at an impasse, forced to watch the baleful energy surge through his body, utterly powerless to resist it.

"Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron, it all depends on you now." Liu Wuxie turned to his ultimate trump card, the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron, in a last desperate bid. If the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron failed, there would be nothing left for him but to await death.

The black skull thrashed violently, struggling to break free from the ice.

Demonic flames erupted from within, and an immense suction force burst from the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron, consuming everything in its path—including the baleful energy in the air.

"I want you to absorb the baleful energy within me, not the baleful energy in the atmosphere!" Liu Wuxie nearly screamed in frustration. Instead of purging the corruption from his body, the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron had begun devouring the external baleful energy—only accelerating his downfall.

Yet, as the suction force intensified, the surrounding baleful energy was nearly wiped out.

In their exposed rooms, the Lu Clan disciples had braced themselves for death. But to their astonishment, the baleful energy suddenly vanished—as if something had devoured it whole.

The black skull's struggles intensified, and losing baleful energy was a significant blow. It had amassed it with great difficulty, but Liu Wuxie had devoured one-third of it.

The suction continued for roughly a minute before Liu Wuxie's vision cleared up with all the crimson baleful energy dissipated.

The black skull encased in the ice finally broke free, but it chose to flee the moment it broke free, which left Liu Wuxie utterly bewildered.

"What's going on?" He had braced himself for a fierce battle, yet the crimson cloud had simply vanished. But he still had yet to resolve his crisis. Even if he had chased the crimson cloud away, the baleful energy still gnawed at him from within.

A mass of red liquid had gathered above the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron, giving off a terrifying aura.

"What's this?" Liu Wuxie gasped. The Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron had previously devoured poison, deathly, and abyssal energies. But now—it had even devoured baleful energy?

Right then, a bold thought began to take shape in Liu Wuxie's mind. Since the desolate world could give birth to the abyssal realm after absorbing abyssal energy and form a poison realm after absorbing poison, he wondered if it would give birth to a netherworld through baleful energy.

He didn’t dare to imagine the consequences, but with his life hanging by a thread, he had no choice but to take the risk. If the Desolate World could give birth to a Netherworld, then the baleful energy consuming him might instead become his nourishment.

Without hesitation, he poured the liquid baleful energy out of the cauldron into the desolate world. Then, a terrifying scene occurred: the world began to tremble.

The desolate world began to expand as a black world appeared, emerging at the depth of the desolate world.

"Is this... the Netherworld?" Liu Wuxie wondered. It was a black world with nothing visible.

The netherworld began to expand in size, even surpassing the abyssal realm.

For a long time, Liu Wuxie had not encountered any of the Abyssal Race, and without their presence, the Abyssal Realm had weakened—shrinking until it paled in comparison to the five elements.

Suddenly, a new power surged from the depths of the desolate world.

"Laws belonging to baleful energy!" Liu Wuxie murmured. The baleful energy wove through his meridians, merging with the laws before converging deep within the Desolate World.

His cultivation began to rise, reaching the pinnacle of the eighth-level Nascent Transformation Realm. He was only one step away from the ninth level now. He could easily make a breakthrough without any resources if he had time to go into seclusion.

At last, his heart settled. The baleful energy that had threatened his life was now fully assimilated. Liu Wuxie had faced countless perils over the years—abyssal energy, lethal poison—but each time, the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron had brought him back from the brink of death.

When the clouds dissipated, moonlight shone down from the sky once more.

Seeing that the crimson cloud had dissipated, the Lu Clan's disciples came out and looked at the youth hovering in mid-air—he looked familiar.

When Lu Funian saw Liu Wuxie, he staggered, nearly losing his balance. At first, he thought the resemblance was mere coincidence, but the longer he looked, the more unsettled he became. Liu Wuxie's cultivation matched exactly that of the youth he had rescued.

Two people couldn't resemble each other so closely unless they were identical twins, and even then, subtle differences would exist. But this man was identical to the youth he had saved—undeniably the same person.

From the sky, Liu Wuxie gazed at Lu Funian. He clasped his hands and said, "Thank you for saving my life!"

"Y-You're healed?" Lu Funian said, his voice trembling with emotion. He had never imagined that his act of kindness would lead to the salvation of his entire clan. Had it not been for Liu Wuxie, the Lu Clan would have been doomed tonight.

"I recovered yesterday but pretended to be unconscious. I apologize for that," Liu Wuxie said with a bow. He had intended to leave quietly during the night, but fate had drawn him into this event. Now that they had met, leaving without a word would have been disrespectful.

"It's fine. Please, come inside!" Lu Funian said. He held no disregard for Liu Wuxie’s cultivation—after all, he had witnessed his strength firsthand; it was enough to rival a Spirit Profound Realm cultivator.

The group entered the Lu Clan's main hall. It was modest in size yet spacious enough to accommodate several dozen people.

Lu Qiang, Lu Hua, and the deacons stood respectfully on either side.

"Young Master Liu, please have a seat!" Lu Funian said. He had already learned Liu Wuxie's name on the way there but refrained from asking about his origins, which relieved Liu Wuxie—he disliked being questioned about his background.

"Patriarch Lu, after you!" Liu Wuxie gestured, allowing Lu Funian to take a seat first. This was proper etiquette, as Lu Funian was both the host and his lifesaver.

Once both parties were seated, Lu Funian took a moment to observe Liu Wuxie.

"I'm truly impressed by your formidable skills at such a young age. I shudder to think of the consequences had you not been here tonight," Lu Funian said, his tone carrying a hint of flattery.

After all, a fifth-tier clan had no status in the Central Plains.

Judging from Liu Wuxie's demeanor and aura, it wasn't hard to tell that he came from a prestigious background. If they could get on Liu Wuxie's good side, it would only bring immeasurable benefits to the Lu Clan.

Liu Wuxie could easily see through Lu Funian’s intentions, but he would have helped the Lu Clan regardless if it was within his power—flattery was unnecessary.

Meanwhile, Lu Qiang had completely withdrawn his hostility. As he reflected on his previous actions, he felt nothing but relief. Had he killed Liu Wuxie back then, the Lu Clan might have been wiped out tonight.

On the other hand, Lu Hua regarded Liu Wuxie with curiosity. He was two years younger than her, yet his strength was beyond anything she could comprehend.

The crimson cloud had plagued the city for years, and no one had ever found a way to stop them. But tonight, Liu Wuxie had driven it away, and it was nothing short of a miracle.

"Patriarch Lu, you flatter me. I only managed to survive because of your benevolence, and I merely did what was right tonight," Liu Wuxie replied humbly.

There was a cause and effect for every action; the Lu Clan’s kindness had ensured their own salvation.

"Young Master Liu, the crimson cloud has dissipated tonight. Do you think it will return?" Lu Funian asked, his concern evident. Though the crisis had passed for now, the crimson cloud would inevitably return. Liu Wuxie couldn't stay to protect the Lu Clan forever. Once he left, more lives would be lost.

At the mention of the crimson cloud, Liu Wuxie frowned.