In the instant that the longma appeared, all of the living humans in Cathay were struck by an indescribable sense of fear and repulsion.
Above Zhuolu, the four Yama-Kings drew a sharp breath in unison. The two longmas raised their heads and neighed with elation as they galloped joyfully around the inner demon at the top of the Myriad Soul Pagoda. The two sections of the corpse that were attached to their tails had already been reduced to skeletons, but right at this moment, a speck of golden soulfire ignited within the skull's eye sockets!
At the time of Chiyou's death, Hell didn't exist yet, so its soul couldn't enter the six paths of reincarnation. Thus, the only way to ensure that he couldn't resurrect himself was by physically separating his body. However, having been separated for thousands of years, the two sections of his body had finally been reunited!
His fingers twitched slightly, and the movement was extremely slight, but in the next instant, all of the clouds in the sky turned dark as day transitioned into night, and a terrifying scarlet color slowly began to appear behind the clouds.
He was still alive...
He had been waiting for thousands of years for the opportunity to make a triumphant return!
"Fuck..." Even Zhao Yun could only curse out loud upon seeing this.
Who could've imagined that the inner demon would've possessed the keeper of the longmas all those years ago?
Only a being as powerful as the inner demon could've done something like this right under the Yellow Emperor's nose!
Gusts of fierce crimson wind suddenly began to sweep through the area, causing Zhao Yun's armor to clink and clang incessantly. All of a sudden, he charged directly toward the top of the pagoda as a stream of silver light that was giving off incredible killing intent.
Qin Ye, Arakshasa, and the Harken followed along right behind him as three gusts of Yin wind, attacking the Myriad Soul Pagoda at full speed.
A burst of golden light flashed as Qin Ye's longsword was drawn from its scabbard, slashing a bright crescent through the air. This was accompanied by the Yin energy of the Harken and Arthis's Soul Shackles, all of which were aimed directly at the inner demon.
"What a powerful spear," the inner demon mused with a faint smile. "Unfortunately, you're a little too late."
In the next instant, he abruptly tightened his grip around the necks of the longmas that he was stroking, and the two longmas were decapitated in unison. The cross-sections of their wounds were as smooth as mirrors, and two plumes of crimson mist rose up into the sky from their wounds!
At the same time, the four Yama-Kings that were doubting the inner demon just a moment ago positioned themselves in front of the inner demon as shields in unison.
"Let there be wind!" Insanity's vessel was in the form of a thin middle-aged man, and his voice was like a gust of frosty wind sweeping through a valley.
Fierce wind immediately began to howl from all directions, and the wind was so strong that the arts unleashed by the three Yama-Kings were blown slightly off their original course.
However, it was unable to stop Zhao Yun's spear.
Right as Zhao Yun entered a 100-meter range of the Myriad Soul Pagoda, the tip of his spear crashed into an invisible barrier, and due to the excessive force behind the attack, his Courage of Dragons Silver Spear began to bend. Zhao Yun let loose a loud roar as the spear slipped out of his hand, following which he reached his right hand out toward his waist to draw his longsword.
However, before he had a chance to lash out with the longsword, a faint thump rang out across heaven and earth, and at the same time, a faint golden light barrier abruptly appeared in front of Zhao Yun.
The light barrier was so faint that it was barely visible, but upon close inspection, one would be able to see countless antiquated designs revolving incessantly all over its surface.
Zhao Yun faltered slightly upon seeing this, then heaved a long sight as he slid his sword back into its scabbard. In the next instant, he was joined by the three Yama-Kings of Hell.
Qin Ye reached out a hand with a grim expression to gently stroke the light barrier as he asked, "Did you hear that just now?"
The Harken gritted its teeth as it replied, "It was the sound of a heartbeat. Chiyou's body has been restored, and he's already beginning to return to life!"
Qin Ye pursed his lips as he cast his gaze toward the light barrier up ahead, and before he had a chance to ask, Zhao Yun shook his head as he said, "This is a barrier formed by fortune and faith. Chiyou was the only one who was capable of competing with the Yellow Emperor back then, and whoever came out on top would've created history. The fortune that Chiyou possesses is immense, and it's already encompassed the entirety of the Myriad Soul Pagoda. The only place we can exploit is..."
The four of them turned toward that slope.
Aside from that part, the Myriad Soul Pagoda was devoid of any weaknesses!
Of course, the enemy was also aware that the slope was the only vulnerable section of the pagoda.
From that slope, any level of the pagoda could be accessed, and at the top of the slope, the four Yama-Kings on the inner demon's side were assembled together, looking out at Hell's army with resolute expressions.
This was the sequel to the battle between gods and demons that had taken place thousands of years ago, and it was going to decide the final ruler of Cathay!
In the face of the enemy's unadulterated battle intent, Qin Ye raised his hand as he ordered, "Everyone, get into formation! In one hour, we launch an all-out attack!"
If you want a battle, then Hell will give you a battle! The Cathayan Underworld has never been afraid of a fight!
…………………………
40 minutes later.
The hundreds of thousands of troops of Hell's army had gathered around the Myriad Soul Pagoda, forming a formidable inky-black wave that was brimming with battle intent. At the center of the army, the Myriad Soul Pagoda was like a lone island in a hostile sea, waiting to be assaulted by the powerful waves to come.
This was the final showdown, and the army of Hell was completely assembled!
Warhorses were raring to go, while Yin soldiers were brandishing their weapons and flags. Amid the tense atmosphere, Qin Ye rose up into the sky, then looked down at the army as he declared, "Throughout the entire history of the Cathayan Underworld, not once has there been a battle that we've lost!"
A reminiscent look appeared in his eyes as he thought back to the days when he was all alone, facing and transcending all types of trials and tribulations to develop Hell to its current state.
There were so many things that he wanted to say. He wanted to motivate his troops, but as all those past memories flashed through his mind, he was suddenly overcome by a myriad of emotions, and he roared in a deafening voice, "We cannot hand over everything that we've built to someone else! Hell's history will not come to an end on this day, regardless of who tries to strike it down!"
He cast his gaze toward the Myriad Soul Pagoda as he continued, "If you want a battle, then Hell will give you a battle! Regardless of what you do, the outcome will always be the same! Attack!"
The sound of pounding war drums rang out, and Ban Chao's face was slightly flushed. It had been far too long since he had witnessed something that made his blood boil like this.
No one could oppose the Cathayan Underworld!
He raised his longsword as he roared, "Charge!"
Directly ahead of him, the inky-black wave of Yin soldiers immediately sprang into action, resembling a black dragon that had awoken from a long slumber, charging directly toward the Myriad Soul Pagoda!
At the forefront were still the heavy cavalry units. They formed the spearhead of the wave of destruction that was crashing violently toward the Myriad Soul Pagoda.
BOOM!!
A resounding boom rang out as the Yin soldiers clashed with the Myriad Soul Pagoda. However, in the instant that they did so, the sound of a vigorous heartbeat suddenly erupted.
It was like the sound of a pounding drum, and it was audible across all corners of the battlefield. The first Yin soldiers who charged into the slope were greeted by the sight of a scene from a primitive era over 5,000 years in the past. They were witnessing a burly and imposing figure, presiding over the battlefield like an invincible deity.
The sound of the heartbeat rang out once again, and the sound went against all laws of physics and nature. In this instant, that same heartbeat was heard by everyone across the entirety of Cathay!
The heartbeat rang out yet again, and it was as if some type switch had been turned on. As soon as the Yin soldiers set foot into the pagoda, a violent reaction was triggered in the sky, and a series of ripples suddenly appeared over the four corners of the Myriad Soul Pagoda.
The sound of metal clashing and grinding against itself rang out, and four thick chains descended from the heavens amid the ripples. The chains were emerging out of space bit by bit, as if they were drawn by a brush, and in the end, the chains were stretched taut as they locked themselves firmly to the Myriad Soul Pagoda.
The chains weren't spectacular to behold, and they were formed by black and white interchanging links. Surrounding each chain was an ever-shifting aura, taking on different forms such as different types of flora and fauna, or various types of scenery.
This was profound bipolar metal!
Profound bipolar metal was a legendary material that hadn't been seen even since ancient times. It existed somewhere between illusion and reality, and it was extremely difficult to forge, capable of locking onto all things either with form or devoid of form.
In addition to that, these chains were riddled with countless names, and just the mere sight of these names was enough to evoke within the beholder a sense of awe and veneration.
There was the Gongsun Xuanyuan, Geng Chen, Chi Songzi, Chong Li, Yao Chonghua, Si Wenming...
All of these names belonged to extremely renowned figures in history!
Countless names that had appeared in myths and legends throughout history were etched in glowing text onto these four chains!
……………………………………………………
At the top of the pagoda, the inner demon was standing on the ground, holding a brush that was dripping with blood. The shaft of the brush was fashioned from a white bone, and the inner demon was inspecting its surroundings with a wary expression.
Four statues had appeared between the profound bipolar metal chains, depicting the Azure Dragon, the Vermilion Bird, the White Tiger, and the Xuanwu Turtle, and these statues were overlooking the entire Myriad Soul Pagoda.
Above the Azure Dragon statue, a flame that was around a meter in thickness slowly lit up, but it was also gradually fading.
"Eight hours..." The inner demon turned toward Chiyou's remnant forces with a serious expression. "All you need to do is hold back Hell's army for eight hours, and the initial stage of your king's resurrection will be complete! During this time, he will be able to instinctively react to danger, and all you have to do is keep Hell's army at bay!"
The inner demon set the tip of its brush down onto the ground, inscribing the first rune onto the pagoda.
As the brush came into contact with the Myriad Soul Pagoda, invisible ripples instantly surged throughout the interior of the entire pagoda.
At the same time, the sound of Chiyou's heartbeat rang out once again, and a vast sea of black mist descended from the heavens like a tsunami, instantly encompassing an area with a radius of several hundred kilometers.
"Stop them!"
"Keep the enemy at bay, even if it costs you your lives!"
The four Yama-Kings who were allied with the inner demon instantly shot forth as four streaks of light hurtling down from above, while several hundred streaks of light filled the entire sky like a shower of shooting stars!
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