Chapter 643: Nether Fire True Monarch

Chapter 643 -639: Nether Fire True Monarch

About a dozen meters away from Hong Yu.

A golden flame coalesced into a dazzling golden lotus, a flower composed entirely of fire.

On its blooming petals, streaks of flame patterns slowly writhed.

Like countless Fire Dragons swimming about.

The temperature of the entire space skyrocketed a hundredfold, making it feel like a scorching sun was present. Of course, that was a slight exaggeration.

But Hong Yu was certain that if he dared get any closer, even his Fire Cloud Divine Armor—once a Ninth-Grade Divine Skill—would be melted. The temperature was simply too high.

What truly shocked Hong Yu, however, was the figure seated cross-legged in the center of the golden lotus.

The figure was hunched over, as if advanced in age.

Long golden hair cascaded down its back, and its eyebrows were also golden, shaped like burning flames. Although its eyes were closed, the figure still exuded a terrifying aura.

It was as if, should he open his eyes, scorching flames would shoot out from them.

‘Dammit, is that the Demonic Sound again?’

Hong Yu’s eyes suddenly flew open as trickles of blood flowed from his seven orifices.

This time, the Demonic Sound was too strong.

It was so powerful that it no longer made Hong Yu feel drowsy or tired, but was a direct Mental Shock to his Soul. It felt as if thousands of hands were tearing at his Soul, threatening to rip it apart.

BZZZT!

Fortunately, the Star River Spirit Bone had already fully integrated with his body.

At the critical moment, a clear, blue stream of energy surged from within him, nourishing his entire body and restoring clarity to his beleaguered Soul.

Hong Yu stared uncertainly at the fiery lotus and the old man within it. ‘The Demonic Sound is coming from this old fellow? And the invisible golden flames in the air… are they also from this golden lotus?’

As Hong Yu was observing the fiery lotus, a faint voice suddenly spoke. “Has someone finally arrived?”

“Huh? Who are you?”

Hong Yu was taken aback and asked in a low voice.

But his eyes remained fixed on the old man; after all, there was no one else here.

“To think that after waiting for so many years, the first to arrive would be such a weak little fellow!” The ancient voice held a hint of regret and a sigh.

Hong Yu was a little frustrated, retorting silently, ‘I’m not that weak!’

“Never mind, never mind. This monarch can’t be bothered to wait any longer after all these years. Little fellow, this monarch senses a familiar object on you. It must be fate that you’ve come here.”

The ancient voice muttered to itself before changing the subject. “Since you were able to make it here, this monarch will naturally grant you an opportunity. However, whether or not you can ultimately obtain this seed of the Nine Netherworld Burning World Flame will depend on your own destiny!”

“Nine Netherworld Burning World Flame?”

Hong Yu frowned slightly, but then he understood. The man must be referring to the golden flame.

The ancient voice continued, “After that great war, this monarch fell, and the Nine Netherworld Burning World Flame gradually weakened, losing its former glory. Otherwise, never mind you—this monarch could have incinerated this entire world. Now, all that remains of the Nine Netherworld Burning World Flame is a nascent seed. Little fellow, are you willing to inherit my flame seed and carry on the legacy of the last wisp of the Nine Netherworld Burning World Flame in this world?”

“Senior, what was that great war you just mentioned?”

Hong Yu asked, blinking.

He remembered that Fire Cloud Venerable had also mentioned that great war, and even Little One had occasionally hinted at it.

It was just that…

when he tried to ask for details, Fire Cloud Venerable had already dissipated, and Little One refused to say another word, leaving him incredibly frustrated.

Now, hearing about that great war again, his curiosity was naturally piqued.

Unfortunately, this old fellow was also unwilling to elaborate. “Heh, that great war is in the past. There’s no need to speak of what’s over. Little fellow, if you are willing to inherit this monarch’s seed of the Nine Netherworld Burning World Flame and carry on its legacy, then come forward!”

“But Senior, this flame is too powerful! I don’t dare get any closer!” Hong Yu said with a wry smile.

The name “Nine Netherworld Burning World Flame” alone sounded incredibly badass.

Plus, after the torment of walking through the scorching golden flames to get here, he had a very clear understanding of its power.

Reaching this point was already his limit. If he went any further, he really couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t be roasted alive.

Hong Yu didn’t dare act rashly and risk his life.

The old man chuckled faintly. “Rest assured, it will not harm you if you come over now.”

“Alright!”

Hong Yu hesitated for a moment, then steeled himself and walked forward.

This time, he discovered that the golden flame indeed no longer targeted him. He didn’t let his guard down, however, and cautiously approached the Golden Lotus.

“You have a cautious nature. That’s good. If this monarch had been as careful as you back then, I wouldn’t have ended up in this state.”

The old man sighed faintly, a hint of sorrow in his voice. Then he said, “Little fellow, to make the Nine Netherworld Burning World Flame accept you as its master, you must first gain its acceptance. This monarch is named Nether Fire True Monarch. I will now impart a mantra to you. Follow the mantra to absorb this World-Burning Golden Lotus. As long as you refine it, you will naturally obtain the Nine Netherworld Burning World Flame!”

“Okay!”

Hong Yu nodded.

‘This is my only chance to leave this godforsaken place. Besides, the Nine Netherworld Burning World Flame sounds badass. If I could obtain it as an asset…’

‘…once I leave this underground cavern and find Snake King and Chrysanthemum King, I’ll kill any god or buddha who stands in my way!’

The mantra wasn’t hard to remember. Hong Yu recited it silently a few times, then cautiously used his Shadow Martial Space to run a simulation.

After confirming there were no issues, he finally began his cultivation.

“Heaven and Earth are unkind, treating the myriad creatures as straw dogs; the world is fickle, wielding human nature as a blade… Netherworld of the Nine Netherworld, Flame that Burns the World, incinerate everything, slay the gods and vanquish the Demons…”

Hong Yu chanted the mantra and pressed his right hand onto the World-Burning Golden Lotus.

BZZZT!

A scorching heat surged into his body.

It nearly sent Hong Yu into a frenzy. The temperature was so high it almost incinerated his meridians.

Fortunately, as he circulated the mantra, strange Runes condensed and branded themselves onto his bones and meridians. As the mantra took effect, a terrifying energy began to flow from the World-Burning Golden Lotus.

This energy was incredibly turbulent as it entered his body.

It darted about chaotically.

It seemed to want to tear through his body and escape.

Thankfully, the Runes condensed from the mantra contained it within his body and guided it toward his Dantian.

BZZZT!

Inside his Dantian, the Infinite Primordial Embryo trembled slightly.

It seemed utterly enraged that a mere flame would dare to violate its majesty.

Like one of the Deities that ruled heaven and earth, it radiated a terrifying power, blocking the energy of the World-Burning Golden Lotus from entering the Dantian.

“Holy crap…”

Hong Yu’s eyes widened.

Because the World-Burning Golden Lotus’s energy couldn’t enter his Dantian, it flooded his meridians. More and more of it accumulated, bloating Hong Yu until he was in excruciating pain. It felt as if his meridians could shatter at any moment.

‘Wh-what’s going on? Why is my Infinite Primordial Embryo resisting the Nine Netherworld Burning World Flame so fiercely?’

Horrified, Hong Yu looked toward the Nether Fire True Monarch.

But the Nether Fire True Monarch’s eyes remained closed. He was merely an existence that had been dead for who knows how many ages.

It was as if, apart from guiding Hong Yu to accept the inheritance of the Nine Netherworld Burning World Flame, his True Spirit had already scattered.

‘Dammit, if I don’t figure something out, I’m going to explode!’

Hong Yu was utterly frustrated.

He saw that his meridians were already stretched as thick as his fingers. Some, close to his skin, were bulging like great snakes slithering through his body, and they were still expanding. He was on the verge of bursting.

“Fuck it, I don’t care anymore!”

At this critical moment, a ruthless glint flashed in Hong Yu’s eyes.

He circulated the mantra, guiding the energy of the World-Burning Golden Lotus into the Luo Rune Seal in his palm. The Luo Rune Seal was extremely strange; it had been automatically absorbing the Nine Netherworld Burning World Flame before, but now it was completely inert.

Under Hong Yu’s direction, countless streams of energy surged madly toward the Luo Rune Seal.

“Ma Le Gobi!”

But the result made Hong Yu curse out loud. The Luo Rune Seal was also resisting the energy of the World-Burning Golden Lotus, making it impossible to guide.

‘Son of a bitch, it’s better for the Luo Rune Seal to explode than for my whole body to blow up.’ Hong Yu was not an indecisive person. He decided he would rather sacrifice the Luo Rune Seal to save his own life.

He then frantically pushed the energy, and with a series of ROARS, it slammed into the Luo Rune Seal like thousands of Fierce Beasts.

BZZT! BZZT!

The black light of the Luo Rune Seal pulsed, resisting frantically.

This process lasted for three full days and nights. Hong Yu was utterly exhausted, his mental and physical energy pushed to their absolute limits.

He could barely keep his eyes open, but he persisted, muttering, “I… I refuse to believe… I can’t… overcome you…”

Hong Yu continued to persevere.

「Meanwhile…」

「In the valley.」

Snake King and Chrysanthemum King had already used a Profound Skill to regrow their hair and were now staring anxiously at the horizon.

“Snake King, are you sure they’ll arrive today?” Chrysanthemum King asked with a frown.

Snake King nodded. “This king has some history with the Fire-Devouring King. He used a Communication Jade Order to inform me that he would definitely arrive today. As for the Netherworld Race, this king is less certain. And even if they do arrive, we must be on our guard. ‘Those not of our kind are sure to have different hearts!'”

“Don’t worry. If those bastards from the War Race try any tricks, this king will annihilate them!” Chrysanthemum King said viciously.

He glanced at his left hand, wrapped in his sleeve, his expression full of venom. “My chrysanthemum sense is still active; that little bastard is still alive. As soon as the Netherworld Race and the Fire-Devouring King arrive, we’ll go find him immediately. The moment we find Hong Yu, I’ll wring his head off…”

“Hmph!”

Snake King’s gaze was also incredibly dark.

He had dominated the True Dragon Battlefield for years and had never been so humiliated, having his left hand crippled by a newcomer True Dragon.

This was an indignity he could not bear!

As the two waited anxiously, several figures suddenly flew in from the horizon.

The first to arrive was a red-haired, powerfully built young man who exuded a fiery aura. Scorching hot air spewed from his seven orifices. This was the Third Divine King of Eastern Divine City, the Fire-Devouring King!

Besides the experts from Eastern Divine City, the powerhouses of the Netherworld Battle Clan also arrived one after another.

“It’s him from the Netherworld Battle Clan this time?” Snake King and Chrysanthemum King exchanged a look, seeing the gravity in each other’s eyes.

At the forefront of the Netherworld Battle Clan was a young man with skin as black as ink and two golden horns on his head. On his back, two wings of black flame were beating.

This person’s strength was immense.

He was the Young Master of the Netherworld Battle Clan, Tan Tianhuo!

“Fire-Devouring King, Young Master Tan!”

Snake King and Chrysanthemum King clasped their fists. “We’ve already explained the situation in the Communication Jade Order. I wonder if the two of you have a way to deal with the Nine Netherworld Burning World Flame!”

The Fire-Devouring King and Tan Tianhuo glanced at each other, both breaking into confident smiles…

“Rest assured. With the two of us here, Hong Yu is as good as dead!”