Chapter 957: Monarch Yan's Battle Armor

Fang Chen's doubts were soon answered. He followed Yun He to the main hall of Monarch Yan's Palace, where at the far end sat a towering figure about 10 feet tall. This figure's skin was dark greenish-black. Just sitting there, it exuded a sense of pressure that made Fang Chen feel uneasy.

Yun He pointed at him and said, "This is Monarch Yan of the Lesser Underworld. Though, he's already dead. That's his remains."

Fang Chen was surprised, carefully examining the towering figure. "Dead...?"

This was the Underworld. With enough Yin Lifespan, a person could live forever. How could he have died?

Could it be...?

He subconsciously glanced at Yun He.

Yun He smiled. "You think I killed him? Tell me, why are you so bold, coming here alone without bringing those two Great Yin Demons you recruited?"

Fang Chen respectfully replied, "I have practiced Three Thousand Dao Art, and I felt something. When I spoke of the Nine Heavens Profound Yin Primordial Spirit, it felt closely aligned with the Underworld in various ways. I always felt this method... was born for the Underworld. Thus, I had some guesses."

Yun He nodded lightly. "You guessed correctly. The Three Thousand Dao Art you are practicing were indeed created by me specifically for this realm."

He glanced at Monarch Yan's remains. "This one is your senior brother. He also practiced the Three Thousand Dao Art."

"Senior brother?" Fang Chen was slightly startled, his expression becoming odd. "Master, did this senior brother of mine die because of lifespan exhaustion? Or... was it some other reason?"

"Both reasons are true. Your senior brother was much like you when he was young. He had his own opportunities as well. In just a few hundred years, he occupied the seat of Monarch Yan of the Lesser Underworld. If it weren't for the overwhelming pressure from the Floating Pagoda Realm, he wouldn't have made a mistake during the transition from the third to the fourth rank of cultivation and thus passed away."

Yun He sighed lightly. "Had he not died, you and I wouldn't be meeting here today. You might not even have walked the Yin Path. I... might not have granted you the Three Thousand Dao Art. Do you understand?"

Fang Chen felt a spark of realization. "Master, you mean that... my senior brother left unfinished business, and I need to finish it?"

This matter was related to the Floating Pagoda Realm.

Yun He said, "You must have heard from others that I am not very good with my mind; I tend to forget things now and then. Perhaps one day I might forget you, or perhaps I'll remember you again. As an anomaly, this small flaw isn't much compared to other anomalies. Remember what I am about to tell you very well and never forget a single word."

Fang Chen's expression became serious. "Master, please speak."

"Your Lesser Underworld is the very heart of the Underworld. In the past, the Monarch Yan of the Underworld faced a great enemy. Before he passed away, he used supreme divine power to divide the Underworld into two parts. One part became the Floating Pagoda Realm that you know of, and the other is this place."

𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Yun He smiled softly. "He used this to preserve part of the Underworld's functions and prevent those others from taking control of this place. You must understand, controlling the Underworld is equivalent to controlling half of the Mortal Realm."

"After the Underworld was divided, this place established its own rules. Those below the level of Loose Immortals walk the Yin Path and can enter the Lesser Underworld. Those above Loose Immortals can only go to the Floating Pagoda Realm. If they wish to come to the Lesser Underworld via the Floating Pagoda Realm, they must break the barrier between the realms."

As he spoke, Yun He slowly walked to the door of the great hall, and Fang Chen followed him.

In the next moment, Fang Chen saw an illusory wall appear before him, covered with countless cracks. Through the cracks, he could vaguely make out several figures standing behind the illusory wall.

"What is this...?"

"The barrier between the two realms. Monarch Yan's Palace is located at the very heart of this barrier. You should now be able to guess what the Monarch Yan of the Lesser Underworld is truly trying to do."

Yun He continued with a faint smile, "The schemes and power struggles in the Lesser Underworld are all trivial matters in the face of this barrier. Let them be. If this barrier breaks, not only will the Underworld undergo a great cleansing, but the nine realms of the mortal world will also be affected, like a landslide or a tsunami, with wide-reaching consequences."

"I have already spent 200,000 years of Yin Lifespan to reinforce the barrier. This should give you about 100 years. After that, you'll be the one to personally reinforce the barrier."

Fang Chen was a bit shocked. "200,000 years of Yin Lifespan..."

His master had used 200,000 years of Yin Lifespan to reinforce the barrier for 100 years. He could almost imagine the kind of pressure the previous Monarch Yan of the Lesser Underworld had to have faced.

Fang Chen's gaze grew serious as he looked at the figures behind the illusory barrier. "Master, who are these people?"

"I don't know. If I knew their origins, I wouldn't have turned into an anomaly and walked the mortal world. The previous Monarch Yan wouldn't have been defeated so suddenly either.

"These guys have quite mysterious backgrounds. I suspect some of them are major figures from the Immortal Realm, and others might be Ninth Rank Wandering Immortals from the Mortal Realm."

Fang Chen was silent for a moment. "I heard rumors that the Three Thousand Dao Sects were destroyed by an existence who came from the Ancient Immortal Path. I wonder if that's true..."

"Is that so?" Yun He appeared somewhat confused. "I seem to have forgotten, though I might have heard of it before."

After a pause, he waved his hand. "That's all ancient history. If I remember it later, I'll tell you about it. But what I told you earlier, did you remember it? In at most 100 years, you'll need to personally reinforce the barrier between the realms again."

As he finished speaking, Yun He casually tapped Fang Chen's forehead. The Day Walker Monarch Battle Armor immediately appeared on Fang Chen. A surge of energy flowed from within Fang Chen, circulating through the armor, and the armor began to change.

The armor now appeared entirely green, with more imposing patterns on its surface. Fang Chen felt that his primordial spirit seemed to be enhanced by the armor, and his strength had unknowingly increased significantly.

Yun He introduced with a faint smile, "This is the Monarch Yan Battle Armor, which I personally refined. When you wear it in the Lesser Underworld, you'll have the strength of a first rank Loose Immortal. This is the highest cultivation level the Lesser Underworld can support. Anything higher would exceed the limits of this realm and wouldn't be able to enter the Lesser Underworld."

Monarch Yan Battle Armor...

Fang Chen quietly felt the power that the armor brought him, and a sense of realization rose within him. It was as though even if an Immortal King stood before him, he could casually suppress them.

Fang Chen felt a bit shaken. "This is the strength of a Loose Immortal..."

He had essentially experienced, ahead of time, the power a Loose Immortal possessed.

Yun He said, "The Monarch Yan Seal inside you doesn't have much use when the two realms are unfused. You can treat this set of Monarch Yan Battle Armor as the Monarch Yan Seal of this realm."

He smiled. "It's getting late, and I think I have an appointment to attend elsewhere. I'll take my leave first."

"Master, who is the Head of the Killing Spiritual Division...?" Fang Chen quickly asked.

However, before he could finish his question, Yun He had already vanished from the hall.

Fang Chen shook his head and laughed bitterly. "Always in such a hurry...."

Then his eyes shifted, and with the power of the Monarch Yan Battle Armor, he sensed a difference within Monarch Yan's Palace.

The next moment, his figure disappeared from his location and reappeared in a stone chamber. The spacious room was filled with countless different sets of armor.

As expected... they represented the heads of the various divisions of the Underworld.