The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 150

Chapter 2: The Five Poles

A sudden burst of Yin Fire blazed skyward, enveloping the Azure Luan. A flash of crimson light shone as the Demon Phoenix broke through the curtain of flames and swooped down upon the altar.

The Demon Phoenix remained in mid-air, and the Divine Lord Youli appeared with a sneer, “Don’t you wish to witness this once-in-a-millennium spectacle again, Yuanjun?”

The Demon Phoenix responded with a palm and a flicker of flame. Youli didn’t dodge, raising her left arm and sending half her body surging with dark green Yin Fire, blocking the Demon Phoenix’s attack.

A crimson glow swirled in the Demon Phoenix’s eyes, a piercing divine light.

Youli’s eyelids twitched, and as she gathered her strength to resist, she suddenly felt crimson waves of light suddenly erupt from her ribs, stretching across the air for several feet. It was as if wings had sprouted from her ribs, pulsing with wind and thunder.

The surging Yin Qi around her was swept aside by the light waves. In this moment, the Demon Phoenix roared, gathering its voice, and before Youli

could react, it crashed onto the altar. Visible ripples appeared in the air, and the altar seemed to be distorted, everything around it distorted into strange shapes. Even the Hellfire Yama was no exception.

Just as Netherfire Yama Luo opened his mouth to cry out, the overwhelming pressure struck him like a sledgehammer in the throat.

Netherfire’s sunken eyes bulged, his face swollen purple, veins stretched, and his already fragile flesh, unable to withstand the pressure from both within and without, instantly burst open in dozens of cracks. From this, a bluish-gray-black liquid spurted out.

His established rhythm was completely disrupted. Though Netherfire’s mouth opened wide, only a short “hehe” uttered. Youli, in a moment of hustle and bustle, turned back and cursed, “Netherfire, you pig!”

The demon phoenix gave him no time to breathe. Its wings trembled, and the void before it responded in kind. Three waves of flaming light rippled forward, one after another, like a wall pressing down on him.

The flames slashed through the void, interweaving golden and red lines of fire, scraping away a layer of the cracked ground. Everything it touched was instantly reduced to ash. Its technique was extremely powerful.

Its speed was not fast. Yet, she pressed down with majestic force, anticipating Youli’s intention to defend the altar. She instantly blocked the opponent’s signature Shadow Devourer 8888 move, forcing Youli into a fierce confrontation.

With a snort, Youli flew backward, and in a flash, reached the small island where the altar sat.

Ripples of flames followed her like a shadow, rolling over wherever they passed. Bubbles billowed from Ghost Gate Lake, and white steam rose from the surface, revealing the “Five Escape Barriers” beneath the surface.

Undeterred by the consequences of the previous attack, the demonic phoenix flapped its wings again, calming the roaring yin energy around it. Su Bai’s fingers gently traced the air above her chest.

Her movements were unhurried, yet possessed a sense of solemnity and heaviness. Li Xun, watching nearby, felt his scalp throb. What a terrifying scene it would be to be able to allow the demonic phoenix to partially reveal its form, conjuring talismans and casting spells?

As soon as Youli’s toes touched the ground beneath the altar, he spun around with a few “bang bang” kicks, sending the limp elders flying. Ming Xi and the others, still conscious nearby, weren’t fools after all. Seeing this, they didn’t even utter a word and chased after their fellow disciples, carrying them away and running. As

they slipped off the island, Youli roared again, “Hundred Ghosts, are you fucking stupid?”

At the same time, Qingluan’s eyes pierced him like a knife, his expression stern.

At this delicate juncture, Li Xun’s mind raced hundreds of times, though he couldn’t form a coherent thought. But he knew perfectly well that at this moment, all calculations of self-interest were illusory; only the position chosen intuitively was the most realistic.

A dead end!

Even before Youli’s roar faded, Li Xun had already made his move.

He raised three fingers of his left hand, his true energy emanating like a snake, darting through the yin vacuum created by the demonic phoenix, connecting to something in the lake and exerting a powerful force.

Amidst a roar, the Five Elements Barrier, suspended in the lake, soared upward, rising several feet. The solid wall loomed between the altar and the island in the center of the lake. Instantly, the demonic phoenix’s flaming waves pressed against it.

A layer of grayish-white mist suddenly rose from the dark wall, emanating from the lake’s surface for nearly a hundred miles. A humming sound suddenly rose. Yin-flame flames erupted from the lakebed like a volcanic eruption,

stirring the surrounding space. The surging Yin energy in the surrounding space responded in a flurry, colliding with each other and roaring, fiercely attacking the independent realm created by the demonic phoenix.

Knowing that Li Xun was behind this, the demonic phoenix didn’t even turn around, still calmly drawing talismans. However, its wings spread out behind it, and a fourth wave of flaming light, far more penetrating than the previous three, broke through the Yin-flame flames and pressed in front of the Five Elements Barrier as soon as it took shape.

The gap in the lake surface created by the flaming waves had not yet closed when the solid wall’s luminous mist suddenly subsided. Then, a brilliant red light flashed before the people’s eyes. As the light faded slightly, a vast wall vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.

The elders, including You Xi, had just landed on the other side.

Behind the vaporized wall, You Li’s ferocious, hideous face emerged; on the altar, Netherfire Yama, his mouth wide open, struggling to force the syllables through his Adam’s apple, which had twisted into a rotten flesh. “Great… power…” He had barely uttered two words when a sudden grin broke out. The skin on Netherfire’s neck cracked again, and a bluish-gray fluid splattered out, coating the next two completely distorted syllables. At that moment, his mouth twisted into a twisted smile. His throat stopped moving, and his belly swelled. Even through his loose ritual robes, people could see the distinct rise and fall of his chest and abdomen.

Amidst the rumbling explosions on all sides, the deeper the tone, at first hearing it, sounded like the chorus of needles and flesh cracking all over his body: “Great force collapses… The Dark Chains open!”

The three words were pronounced with a powerful rhythm, and the Dark Fire’s entire body swelled, a sound like an explosion rising from the tailbone. Before the final note had died down, blood suddenly spurted from all seven orifices, and his belly burst open. Beyond a cavity of bodily fluids, nothing but his intestines, dried as stone, sprang out.

Everything hadn’t yet touched the ground, but it spontaneously combusted into a cloud of ash. The scene was horrifying.

At this sight, the hairs on the back of Li Xun’s neck stood on end in shock. The Dark Fire, abandoning its throat and tongue and instead channeling its abdominal sounds and true breath, had a completely different effect, but the price it paid was also terrifying. This also made the changes in the Qi it controlled more clearly apparent.

At this moment, Li Xun’s vision of the Qi structure surrounding Ghost Gate Lake resembled a vast palace. The Yin Eyes and the Phantom Fences in front of the building were invisible, capable of yanking out the temple’s beams and pillars, causing them to collapse, and simply removing the ground beneath, obliterating even the possibility of reconstruction.

The term “palace” merely describes the consequences of removing the beams and foundations. It wasn’t just a collapse.

In reality, it was causing the space within a hundred miles to distort and deform, even completely collapse. It was like the supreme divine power that opened up a “cave paradise,” but in reverse. {

But… this place was right next to the Nine Netherworlds.

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In this moment of distraction, there was a loud rumbling outside. The vast jungle on the west bank of Ghost Gate Lake collapsed in a neat, unbroken pattern, as if a bottomless abyss lay beneath. In the blink of an eye, a vast void stretching several miles in radius filled the view.

Li Xun’s eyes briefly scanned the hollow before returning to the altar.

Through the swaying curtain of Yin Fire, he saw Just above the Huayin Pool, a fissure that should have diminished and shrank reappeared as this world’s space collapsed.

The pitch-black reflection of the fissure, reflected in Li Xun’s dilated pupils, captivated him.

At that moment, the demon phoenix finished the final stroke of the intricate talisman. The luminous wings behind her suddenly shifted from a state of uncertainty to a state of solidity. Qingluan suddenly stepped forward, shielding Wuyou behind her. A protective aura condensed like a green osmanthus spiritual barrier, repelling all external forces.

On the other side of the river, Youxi and three other elders were dragging their half-dead companions, attempting to fly away. However, the surge of Yin energy suppressed by the demon phoenix was so rampant that it was difficult to move freely within it. They could only gather together, gazing anxiously at the altar.

Li Xun reluctantly glanced back through the spatial rift, suddenly feeling completely excluded, with no room for intervention.

At the altar, the Five-Way Barrier blocked the demon phoenix’s initial attack, saving You Li considerable energy. His small body was pinned to the ground, facing the demon phoenix’s unfathomable talismans. Behind him, the Netherfire Yama, his stomach and intestines ruptured, swayed a few times before suddenly raising his hands, his face turned skyward, and chanting a sacrificial sermon.

Although his voice box was broken, and even his abdominal sounds were unavailable after his stomach was ruptured, the pale Yin Fire pulsing through his body drove his muscles and bones to wriggle, slowly merging the countless strange and bizarre murmurs into a clear, coherent sentence.

The bizarre scene was so shocking that Li Xun gritted his teeth. Suddenly, he remembered the four surnames Yin, You, Yan, and Ming in the previous four sentences. Then…

he had a vague idea, but his impatience had blurred it. He wanted to bang his head with his fist. He had read so many classics, but now he couldn’t remember how to use them.

The demonic phoenix’s long wings gently fluttered, a gentle breeze caressing Li Xun’s face. Its feathers reflected the chaotic light around it, a magnificent sight beyond compare. Yet, Li Xun could see through its radiant beauty the terrifying storm brewing within.

With a long, drawn-out “wei” sound, steam once again filled the space between the island in the center of the lake and the altar. The lake surface was descending at a visible speed, and the “Five Barriers” within it were no longer able to maintain their proper arrangement. They clanged and collided, becoming nothing more than scrap.

The demonic phoenix bent its arms, palms facing outward, its thumbs and index fingers bent and intertwined to form a perfect circle. A faint blue flame, like a pearly string, swirled between its palms and fingers, its color gradually fading to a turquoise.

Though the outside world was in turmoil, the space around her seemed frozen, slowly spreading.

You Li’s face was stern, her true energy surging through her, and her figure was eager to move, as if ready to charge at any moment, engaging in battle with the demonic phoenix.

His expression shifted several times in a matter of seconds, each change becoming uglier than the last. By the end, his scarred face was distorted beyond recognition. The sweat that had just begun to seep from his forehead was almost completely evaporated by the swirling dark green flames.

At that moment, the clashing of flesh and bones finally coalesced into a few relatively clear words. Amidst the rumbling cacophony, everyone could hear them clearly.

“Life… Death…”

With just two words, his flesh and blood exploded repeatedly, swirling into a thin gray mist that enveloped the surroundings, creating a horrifying scene.

The demonic phoenix responded with a long, clear, and distant cry, instantly suppressing the words that had been painstakingly formed by the Dark Fire Yama.

Simultaneously, You Li roared, and his left arm, the “Sichen Model Iron,” shattered piece by piece with a bang. Dark green flames poured into his body, and the meridians within his body vibrated with a zigzag sound.

The glint in his eyes faded, and he charged forward with a fierce force. He took one step before disappearing completely.

The demon phoenix merely shouted a single, short syllable in response.

“Seal!”

You Li, who had been dormant, emerged at the shout and paused a few feet in front of the demon phoenix. He leaned forward, his impact originally like a powerful arrow, but now it slid with an indescribable, ridiculous rhythm.

With a resounding “hum,” the air resonated. From afar, Qing Luan slashed with a blade, a sharp, cold aura piercing the air, threatening to split You Li in two.

Their coordination was flawless. Although You Li’s hold was only for a split second, by the time he regained his mobility, the blade’s force was upon him, forcing him to sidestep.

With that one delay, he had no chance.

Qing Luan’s ethereal palm strikes, like a violent storm, pinned him to the surface of the lake. Having been restrained by the demon phoenix’s secret technique, he had lost his greatest asset, his “speed,” and now appeared somewhat utterly shaky. In comparison, Qing Luan seemed to be handling the heavy task with ease, her effortless effortlessness.

Without even glancing at him, the demon phoenix’s fingers darted chains of fire through her body, radiating a brilliant light. A gentle breeze blew from her wings, and the mist surrounding Hellfire Yama quickly dissipated, revealing a body riddled with wounds. His shattered, flesh-and-bone husk was nailed to the altar.

However, the deep chasm behind Hellfire Yama continued to widen, revealing a pitch-black backdrop. Only a single vertebra remained of his neck. Now, amid the teeth-grinding crackling of joints, the bones and flesh resonated, once again uttering the same two short words.

“A different… path…”

The demon phoenix’s gaze fixed, and she softly praised, “Truly a hero of his time!”

As the words rang out, the chains of fire intertwined in her palms, leaving a gap in the center. Li Xun, standing nearby, heard a long, creaking sound. Hellfire Yama trembled violently on the altar, his wounds shattering once more, sending a shower of gray dust that was then blown away by the gust of wind.

“Stop her!”

You Li’s distorted roar pierced his eardrums. Li Xun’s brow furrowed, his body reacting instinctively when a rustling wind rustled before him, followed by a clanging sound. A deep, unfathomable crack appeared in the twisted ground beneath his feet.

He stiffened slightly, and looking up, he met Qingluan’s bone-chilling gaze. Li Xun’s expression was pensive for a moment, but that expression lasted less than a breath before fading into a sneer.

Under Qingluan’s furious glare, he leaped, but not at the demonic phoenix. Instead, he imitated Madam Yan’s earlier move. His finger pierced through the air, aiming for Lin Wuyou, who was standing behind Qingluan.

“You’re looking for death!”

With a wave of his hand, he dispersed the bloody light from the Blood God’s Tribulation Finger. For the first time today, Qingluan harbored murderous intent towards Li Xun, but in the moment her mind faltered, Youli, rising above the lake, had seen this opportunity.

With a sharp howl, Youli, reckless and unwavering, with his flesh and blood, withstood four sinew-shattering bladed energy before charging forward.

Read the full-text novel for faster updates! Support literature! Just as Qing Yuan regained consciousness and tried to block it again, Li Xun burst into laughter. A pungent, bloody scent permeated the air. The power of the Burning Blood Essence permeated the air around Qing Luan, scorching the air. The resulting pale red smoke seemed to dissipate with a puff, but the blood-poisoned, resentful spirits within it could be a serious nuisance if touched.

Qing Luan remained indifferent, but she had to worry about Lin Wuyou’s safety. She could no longer afford to distract herself. Meanwhile, You Li continued to charge forward. Blood splattered all around him. Inspired by the Yin Fire, it transformed into mist, drawn by his true energy, forming a thin curtain wall that blocked the demon phoenix.

The demon phoenix raised its eyebrows slightly, but the seals on its hands could no longer be suppressed. With a humming sound, dozens of long chains woven from azure flames emanated from its palms, instantly extending dozens of feet. They continued to expand, seemingly enclosing the altar ahead, and perhaps even the entire island.

Li Xun saw this technique of transforming the void into the real as somewhat similar to Xue Sanren’s Red Weapon Ghost Chain technique. However, the intertwined aura within it was as blazing as the sun moving across the sky, possessing a grandeur unmatched by Xue Sanren.

The Hellfire Yama on the altar seemed oblivious to the fact that he was using his already broken limbs. He repeated the simple yet difficult phrase: “Life and death are two separate paths…” You

Li had already pounced above the demon phoenix, his right fist clenched and fiercely slammed into the palm of his left. With a crisp sound, the blood curtain he had previously set exploded, dissolving into a cloud of smoke. Each drop of blood contained a trace of his blood.

Using blood to draw Qi in this dense atmosphere was like pouring water over hot oil. In a blink of an eye, hundreds, even thousands, of dull explosions erupted.

The density of the explosions was so high, not to mention the potential for You Li’s blood essence within them, the spray was equivalent to the most potent poison. Even with the power of the demon phoenix, it dared not block it with purely protective Qi.

Even more fatal was the fact that You Li seemed to have disregarded the Nether Fire and, with the remaining force of the previous attack, pounced down fiercely, seemingly determined to fight the Demon Phoenix to the death.

However, the Demon Phoenix made a decisive decision in an instant.

The demon phoenix’s wings fluttered wildly, stirring up the turbulent current. But then, it retracted, returning to its normal form, darting around in a tiny space. The splattered blood didn’t touch it at all. Instead, You Li was swayed by the turbulent currents stirred by the wings, his body stagnating slightly. As he adjusted, he was faced with the demon phoenix’s pristine white palm. A red glow spread from its center. You

Li’s pupils shrank. He had never expected the demon phoenix to abandon its nearly completed technique without a moment’s delay, mastering both defense and attack with impeccable precision. It was he, however, whose rhythm was disrupted. A hazy cloud of fire

shone from the demon phoenix’s robe sleeves. Its jade-white palm, like tearing through a layer of thin paper, magically penetrated space and crossed paths with You Li’s outstretched arm. The intense friction between their protective vital energy generated countless tiny sparks that darted everywhere.

In an instant, the two were engaged in the most dangerous close combat. Li Xun and Qing Luan separated, their gazes averted, bypassing the fierce battle, toward the altar.

Without the demonic phoenix’s control, the long chain of azure flames, already soaring above the altar, could no longer maintain its form. The sound of crackling ripped through the air. Pure azure flames blazed in all directions, and surrounded by flames, Hellfire Yama seemed poised to be reduced to ash at any moment. Yet, he remained unshaken, merely opening his mouth slightly.

His teeth had completely fallen out, leaving only a sinister cavity. This narrow black hole seemed to connect to the widening chasm behind him. Similarly, the fluid in his eyes had completely dried up, leaving two deep, hollow voids.

The azure flames, now depleted of their source, began their final counterattack. The flames surged upwards by several feet, obscuring the entire island before quickly fading.

When Li Xun saw Hellfire again, his eyes widened.

Hellfire Yama’s face had become fuzzy. A thick darkness spread from his mouth and eye sockets, instantly merging into one. The swiftness of the transformation even obliterated the distinction between reality and illusion. From within the hazy trance, a shockwave erupted, penetrating his very being.

“Ghost Gates Open!”

Li Xun’s senses, orifices, organs, and flesh were completely overwhelmed by a devastating roar. It was the thunderous sound of a torrent of purest Netherworld energy pouring out.

He endured the pressure from the outside world, keeping his eyes open. In his dark red vision, he saw the edge of the crumbling rift expanding at a despairing rate, like an ancient beast with its bloody mouth open to devour the world!

In an instant, the sky darkened completely.

The fiercely engaged demon phoenix and Youli were scattered by the first wave of shockwaves. The overwhelming shockwave was so powerful that it was difficult to discern its form. He felt an overwhelming pressure crashing down on him, filling all his senses.

Li Xun curled up into a ball, barely able to switch his internal energy channels to Netherworld mode before being overwhelmed by the raging Yin energy. The huge impact made him dazed and he felt like he was flying outwards, but the next moment he felt like he was being pulled back and his body was spinning and falling into an unfathomable abyss.

The body’s perception of the outside world was unprecedentedly chaotic. Surrounded by the frenzied Yin Fire, his hair was about to be singed, but his internal organs were icy cold.

Li Xun had to enter the state of internal breathing. The “Bottomless Dark Ring” in his armpit also expanded and contracted rapidly to resist the strong pressure from the outside world.

It was unknown how much time had passed. The external pressure seemed to gradually weaken. But it still had the strength to block his breathing. Li Xun did not dare to be careless. He stopped for a few breaths and felt that he had gradually adapted to the changes in the outside world before he carefully opened his eyes.

What he saw was still the same world. Whether it was the islands on the lake, the dilapidated buildings or the shattered jungle, there were not many changes. It was just that all the scenery was covered with a thick layer of gray.

It was not the falling dust, but the most natural color of this world, and this color represented the thick The torrent of the Nine Netherworld Qi.

Li Xun finally felt the form of strong pressure. It was like the silent and gloomy seabed. The water was submerged in the endless tide of Yin Qi. Not to mention breathing, even the pores were blocked tightly. He could only rely on the flow of true Qi in his body to maintain his life.

Such pure Nine Netherworld Qi is usually an excellent tonic, but at this concentration, the slightest friction would cause the fire to be more violent than any kerosene.

Even with Li Xun’s courage, he was a little trembling at this time. His whole body was stiff and he dared not make any rash moves. He could only try his best to move his eyes to observe the surrounding situation.

The Yaofeng family had gathered together without knowing when. The two demons were about to clamp Wuyou. The protective spiritual light in the middle intertwined with each other but only touched the skin, no longer able to be stretched out like the previous front screen, and obviously felt the danger at this time.

The elders such as Youxi on the other side were still there, but their complexions were worse and their expressions were more confused; Madam Yan, who had been forgotten for a long time, was injured and had no power to resist the surging tide of Yin Qi. Her body was washed away and fell to the ground in the ruins of the underground palace in the center of the lake, and she didn’t know whether she was alive or dead.

Li Xun hesitated for a moment, but still walked over slowly under the strong pressure, squatted quietly, and put his finger on Madam Yan’s pulse.

In order to resist the thick Nine Nether Earth Qi, the cultivator’s body and the flow of true energy were extremely sensitive. Just the contact of skin made both parties tremble. Li Xun frowned and endured it, while Madam Yan regained consciousness amidst a groan.

The moment she uttered a word, the shift in internal and external pressure caused her to spit blood, and she collapsed to the ground in a state of disarray. She only tilted her head slightly to meet Li Xun’s gaze.

Only then did Li Xun turn his gaze toward the altar. You Li had unknowingly returned to the altar. Against the gloomy background, it was difficult to discern his expression.

The darkness on the altar had already engulfed everything.

As for the Hellfire Yama… Li Xun had assumed that the Pain Ghost would have been pulverized in the instant of the blast. Yet, a nearly intangible shadow still seemed to linger on the altar, twisting in the thick darkness.

“Is he still there?”

Madam Yan whispered, her face translucently pale. She didn’t need to respond. After a breath, her voice trembled until it was hoarse. “Ancestors… He was the one who lifted the Five Extremes Seal. My God, three thousand disciples. How many can still remain?”

Before Li Xun could comprehend what was happening, the other demon phoenix finally spoke. Her

voice was slightly distorted by the surging Yin Qi, but the flavor was there, and her tone was vaguely melancholic: “After ten thousand years, Xuanhai’s old tricks can still reappear in the world.”

Li Xun couldn’t tell whether the demon phoenix’s words contained more emotion or admiration. But soon he heard the demon phoenix’s usual tone: “Unsealing the Five Poles and setting limits with the Nine Netherworld’s Devouring Realm is indeed a remarkable idea. However, will this keep us here?”

For a moment, no one could tell who she was talking to.

However, You Li remained silent, letting the demon phoenix’s voice dissipate. Just as everyone was feeling a little restless, a low voice sounded:

“Since Yuanjun knows the details, there is no need to say more. You can leave.”