Jiang Liu left Yinshan to suppress the underworld, and granted Zhong Kui and Nie Xiaoqian full authority to build the underworld, which was nothing more than imitating the structure of the underworld in "Journey to the West".
Yama is naturally Nie Xiaoqian. The three-headed corpses transformed into peerless warriors, submitting to Nie Xiaoqian. As for the Ox-Head and Horse-Face, Black and White Impermanence, and other ghost soldiers, they were all assigned to the Yin soldiers and ghost generals who were converted by Jiang Liu's "Life-Taking Brahma Sound".
The actual positions of power in the underworld, such as the Northern Yin Fengdu Emperor, the Five Ghost Emperors, and the Ten Kings of Hell, remain vacant and await further instructions.
Compared to the underworld in "Journey to the West," the ghost world in "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" is quite incomplete; the existence of a Yama (King of Hell) is enough to control the ghost world.
As for the Book of Life and Death, the Judge's Pen, and other treasures of the underworld, there are none of them.
The underworld was in its infancy, and everything was rudimentary. But it was a first step, occupying the netherworld and possessing the authority to open and close the gates of hell. The entire underworld was now under the submission of all ghosts.
Greatness originates from smallness. This is the first step in a long journey. How far it can grow in the future depends on how the river flows and devours the way of heaven.
For Jiang Liu, cultivation techniques, supernatural powers, magical treasures, and spiritual artifacts are no longer his top priority. The ultimate goal of supernatural powers, magical treasures, and techniques lies in the Heavenly Dao, in whether the "Escaped One" can devour the Heavenly Dao.
Although this world is no match for the "Journey to the West" world, if Jiang Liu successfully devours the Heavenly Dao, it will be enough to bring him a great harvest.
Chapter 389 The Slaughter of Heaven Begins
In the early days of the Underworld, there were no true masters of the Ghost Path. Zhong Kui and Nie Xiaoqian were merely Earth Immortals, barely qualified as ghost messengers in the Journey to the West world, like the Black and White Impermanence, Ox-Head and Horse-Face.
But with no tiger in the mountains, only these two could control the operation of the underworld and succeed as Yama, the King of Hell, in the City of the Wrongfully Dead. Fortunately, the level of this "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" world is not high, barely enough to suppress the ghosts.
The three Heavenly Paths of "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" are the Human Path, the Ghost Path, and the Demon Path. If Jiang Liu were to choose a breakthrough point to devour, he would naturally choose the "Human Path." The Azure Emperor has devoted all his efforts to setting up the Faith Kingdom, which radiates outwards from the capital and is growing rapidly at a snowball rate, already covering the entire human realm.
In this world of widespread suffering and chaos, the emergence of a religion that truly cared for the toiling masses naturally drew people in, making them believers of the Green Emperor. It's important to understand that the Green Emperor's teachings were neither Buddhist practices of seeking the afterlife nor the brainwashing of cults; rather, they were genuine manifestations of supernatural powers, enabling people to fill their stomachs and be free from the suffering of disease.
Half a year later, the Azure Emperor, seated in the Qianlong Temple in the capital, had gathered the incense and faith of countless people, accumulating inexhaustible power. Although he had not undergone a qualitative change and reached the realm of a Celestial Immortal, the faith provided by millions of believers every day was enough to give him endless energy. As long as these millions of people did not die or betray him, he could continuously draw power from them.
"Master, let's begin! The cultivation sects in the mountains of Sichuan, the Taoist sects in the Kunlun Mountains, the cultivators in the immortal mountains of the East Sea—Taoists, Buddhists, sword cultivators… they will either submit or be annihilated, achieving near unification. As for the barbaric lands, the shamans and sorcerers of those tribes have all been forcibly converted. Even if some remain, they won't pose a significant threat to us!" The Azure Emperor was no longer a seven or eight-year-old child, but a handsome young man of fourteen or fifteen, with a refined and elegant demeanor, exuding a mysterious and vast aura, and holding the lives and deaths of nearly ten million believers in his hands.
Jiang Liu stood on the altar for the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, looking up at the sky. In the capital of the human world, only the emperor could ascend this altar to offer sacrifices to Heaven. He said, "Everything is ready, so let's begin!"
The Azure Emperor nodded solemnly, his body radiating bursts of light that surged nine times, ultimately uniting with millions of believers.
Between heaven and earth, between mountains and rivers, millions of people simultaneously chanted the words "Azure Emperor," bowing their heads and praying earnestly before the solemn and majestic Qianlong Temple, before the Azure Emperor's ancestral tablet in their homes, or before the green mountains and rivers in front of them.
Jiang Liu's will had transformed into a figure in a black robe, holding a small bronze cauldron, soaring ninety thousand miles into the sky, an indescribable majesty crashing towards the heavens.
This majesty is that of a god-king who rules over all the heavens, who seeks to suppress all the heavens and to control the way of heaven.
Of course, Jiang Liu is only going to devour the Human Path within the Heavenly Dao right now. As for the other Demon Path and Ghost Path, they may take advantage of the situation or they may join forces to resist Jiang Liu's devouring.
Everyone understands the principle of "if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold".
Although Heaven's ways are often unknowable, it still knows to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune.
In an instant, thunderclaps rang out one after another in the sky.
The rain poured down.
Amidst the dense, dark clouds, silver snakes danced wildly, as if they were about to shake the entire universe to pieces.
This explosion was extremely rare. A sense of sorrow, desolation, and despair permeated the air, followed by snowfall in June, accompanied by falling blood.
"Snow falling in June, blood raining from the sky... such celestial phenomena... carry an overwhelming sense of sorrow! Heaven and earth are weeping... someone is slaughtering the heavens..."
In a prison cell, a middle-aged man with a full beard looked through a small window at the thunder, lightning, snowflakes, and blood rain in the sky, and muttered to himself.
He was none other than Zhuge Wolong, the great Confucian scholar in "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio," whose mind had reached sainthood and who had comprehended the universe, and who had even begun to subtly perceive the signs of humanity.
"A terrible omen! This is a terrible omen! Could it be that the imperial court has been completely destroyed, and demons and ghosts have become the rulers of the world... No, I must go out and see!"
As he spoke, Zhuge Wolong opened the hole dug in a corner of the cell and crawled inside.
"Hmph! The entrance is sealed off, how is this old guy going to get out!" The lizard demon Xiao Yi and Xiao Wei stood outside the cell, watching Zhuge Wolong disappear into the hole. Xiao Yi sneered.
Xiao Wei frowned slightly and said, "Don't be careless. The abbot told us not to kill him yet. We should wait for the world to change, and that person will also change drastically before we kill him. Although we have set up a restriction here, the abbot said that this person will become extremely powerful, so we must be careful! If necessary, we may have to summon Ancestor 'Ba'!"
"Are you sure? You even want to summon Ancestor Ba? That old guy is just an ordinary person, is it really necessary? With our strength, and with the treasures bestowed by the Abbot, we have already dominated the demon realm, why would we be afraid of a mere ordinary old man?" Xiao Yi said with some contempt.
"Be careful, it won't be a big deal!" Xiaowei looked at the blood-red snowflakes with some worry.
At this moment, Jiang Liu stood in the altar for offering sacrifices to Heaven. His soul had already left his body and reached the Nine Heavens, while his physical body was entirely protected by the Azure Emperor.
Dark clouds loomed over the city, threatening to crush it! The dark clouds slowly gathered, pressing down on people's hearts with fear, while the thunder began to dwindle. The clouds pressed down, forming a terrifyingly huge vortex. Upon seeing this, the Azure Emperor's heart tightened. He immediately sensed that this was a process similar to energy concentration, condensing the remaining lightning power into a mere few strikes to release!
Immediately afterwards, a huge bolt of lightning formed the shape of a giant axe and slammed down on them.
Clean and efficient, without any unnecessary delays.
Like the axe that Pangu used to create the world, or like the brilliant light that shone between heaven and earth at the beginning of chaos!
This lightning bolt was just like the most intense thunderbolt during the heavenly tribulation, aiming to kill Jiang Liu, who was slaying the heavens, with a single axe strike!
The Azure Emperor's expression changed! With a swift grab, a crack appeared in the air, and from all directions, a strange and ancient sword burst forth.
This sword is actually square, perfectly straight, much straighter than a ruler, seemingly the most upright sword in the world.
One side of this sword represents mountains, rivers, plants, and trees; the other side represents the sun, moon, and stars; one side represents human ethics and moral education; and the other side represents fishing, animal husbandry, and agriculture.
Having usurped the authority of humanity, the Azure Emperor responded in kind with humanity.
In an instant, the sword clashed with the heavenly tribulation, the main beams of the surrounding halls all broke, the houses exploded, leaving only rubble.
Those who slay the heavens will naturally suffer heavenly tribulations. Jiang Liu's soul has already left his body; if his true form is severely injured or killed by the heavenly tribulation, then his act of slaying the heavens will become a laughing stock.
But within this great danger lies boundless opportunity. Successfully slaying the heavens will bring immeasurable benefits!
Chapter 390 Tribulation Punishment
High above, the Milky Way glitters like a vast cascade, and Jiang Liu stands alone beneath it, surrounded by starlight.
He held the small bronze cauldron in one hand, piercing through the void to reveal a large, pitch-black hole from which streaks of blood flowed, a horrifying sight.
The sky is bleeding!
This was a shocking scene, and it was imprinted in the minds of all mankind. However, most people became believers of the Azure Emperor, and their images were subsequently altered to depict the collapse of the heavens and the Azure Emperor mending the sky.
This encourages believers to pray even more earnestly.
Jiang Liu, with his thick black hair, was like a god or a demon, his starlight shining in the sky. He stood tall in the heavens, severely damaging the heavens, and was about to completely devour them and merge them into his own "Escaped One".
An incredible scene unfolded, as if time had frozen at that moment.
Humanity was wailing, its cries filled with an unbearable sorrow. The entire world seemed to rumble, and all sorts of celestial patterns appeared, as if immortality, eternity, and eternity were about to be shattered.
The first lightning tribulation was blocked by the Humanity Holy Sword in the Azure Emperor's hand. Immediately afterwards, a huge light once again illuminated the entire night sky. All living beings on the ground could see another lightning tribulation brewing in the huge vortex simply by looking up.
Under a sky thick with dark clouds, lightning once again appeared within a terrifying vortex, this time coalescing into a gigantic spear! The spear gleamed with a metallic sheen, its tip flashing with a dazzling, cold light, crackling with electric snakes. A single glance at it was enough to pierce the eyes and penetrate the sea of consciousness, unleashing boundless pressure. If the giant thunder axe represented power, this spear represented speed.
Then the heavens and earth roared, and that tribulation lightning struck down with a deafening roar!
We must pierce through the river and kill the Heaven-Slayer!
This was no challenge for the Azure Emperor either. His faith was strong enough to reach the state of "returning to oneness," making his soul immortal. He unleashed the Vacuum Great Handprint, easily withstanding this heavenly tribulation.
The tribulation lightning was still brewing in the dark clouds.
When humanity is dying, it will inevitably deliver a final, desperate blow.
At this moment, judging solely from the terrifying power of the lightning, the previous axe and spear attacks seemed like child's play compared to it. A gigantic serpent materialized from the terrifying vortex of thunderclouds, its eyes cold and ruthless, its forked tongue flickering, its body coiled, blotting out the sky. The axe and spear were weapons, inanimate objects, but the serpent conjured by the lightning seemed alive. Even more strangely, eerie breathing sounds echoed in the air, heavy and drawn-out, and the thundercloud itself seemed to expand and contract slowly with its breaths.
Suddenly, the giant serpent opened its massive jaws and swallowed Jiang Liu whole. Thunderclouds filled its mouth, and lightning crackled around it. Hidden within was a boundless, domineering, and all-consuming consciousness—the will of heaven and earth!
A snake can swallow an elephant, so a giant snake born from the tribulations of heaven and earth can naturally devour everything.
Nine layers of light emanated from the Azure Emperor, covering the river layer by layer. Suddenly, the prayers of tens of thousands of believers ceased abruptly. Although they remained kneeling on the ground, their breaths had vanished, and two long, milky-white snot streamed from their drooping heads and noses, hanging down to a foot or more. Combined with their serene expressions, there was a truly sacred atmosphere.
The two long, milky-white strands of snot that hang down are recorded in ancient books and are called "jade tendons." This is an unusual omen that has not appeared for thousands of years and is an extremely auspicious sign, also known as a great rebirth.
This Heavenly Strike not only severely injured the Azure Emperor but also caused the deaths of tens of thousands of believers, demonstrating its immense power.
Even if Jiang Liu's divine soul and will returned, with his Celestial Immortal cultivation and the aid of acquired spiritual treasures, he could only barely manage to resist.
They paid such a high price to withstand the heavenly tribulation.
High above, time itself seemed to collapse, and Jiang Liu, carrying the bronze cauldron, plunged into the black rift in the sky, beginning to devour humanity. A rich radiance flowed into his divine soul, nourishing it!
This is not Hongjun's merging with the Dao, becoming one with the Heavenly Dao, but a complete absorption, using the power of the Heavenly Dao to fulfill himself.
Just like the chosen ones of a plane, they can rapidly increase their strength and become the protagonist of an era by receiving great fortune bestowed by the Heavenly Dao. Now, Jiang Liu is plundering the power of humanity to obtain great fortune and thus master the rules of humanity.
Although the main body had been devoured by "the one that escaped", Jiang Liu was still able to get a share. Not only was his soul cleansed, but his realm was also forcibly raised several levels, directly reaching the fifth level of Refining the Spirit and Returning to Emptiness. Even the bronze cauldron was branded with a restriction, raising it from the twenty-fourth restriction to the twenty-fifth.
The bronze cauldron is a treasure of humanity, and using humanity to refine it is perfectly appropriate. However, the power of humanity in the world of "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" cannot ultimately compare with the vast world of "Journey to the West," and can only enhance the restrictions by one level.
"Fortunately, the Heavenly Dao, lacking great supernatural powers and merging with the Dao, only possesses instinct. The Human Path, the Demon Path, and the Ghost Path, if they fight and do not cultivate, will lead to the collapse of the Human Path. The Demon Path and the Ghost Path only think about getting a share of the spoils and have no intention of providing assistance. Once I have completely dealt with the Human Path, you will be next!"
In the world of "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio," the Heavenly Dao lacks independent world representatives like the will of Orochi, the will of AO, or Gaia. Therefore, the process of devouring humanity is easier than Jiang Liu could have imagined.
Most of the human path was devoured by "the one that escaped" and merged into the river. Some of it was used to refine the bronze cauldron, while some was taken over by the demonic and ghostly paths. A large fragment of the human path was shattered and fell to the human world.
In an instant, a meteor shower fell from the sky, with countless golden threads hanging down in a continuous stream.
Humanity is about to perish completely, but before it does, the remnants of humanity seem to want to do something for "her" last children.
Or rather, "she" hoped that her children could resist the Slayers, so she instinctively responded by bestowing upon them the essence of humanity, propelling the protagonists of the era to grow at an unimaginable speed to resist the Slayers.
Most of the main characters and supporting characters are in the capital, within the divine realm of the Azure Emperor. Some have even become believers in the Azure Emperor, becoming loyal followers of the Hidden Dragon Temple.
A divine object descended from the sky; those rays of light seemed to possess a soul, attempting to penetrate the bodies of the main and supporting characters and urge them to grow.
However, with the Azure Emperor's power of faith covering the area, he absorbed all the rays of light that fell towards the capital, and neither the main characters nor the supporting characters received a single fragment of humanity. Jiang Liu had spent a great deal of effort subduing these main characters and supporting characters one by one, and now it was finally having some effect.
As for those humans who are difficult to capture and who are wary of Qianlong Temple and Qingdi, the only solution is to use force.
For example, Zhuge Wolong, who had been in prison for a long time, had his strength skyrocket after a fragment of humanity entered his body.
Chapter 391 Zhuge Wolong
Humanity has fallen, and the world mourns.
In the pitch-black cave, Zhuge Wolong stared at the massive rock before him, his heart filled with despair. He had prepared this escape route for many years, but now it was blocked. How could his old, frail body possibly move it?
No matter how capable he was in strategizing, no matter how learned he was, he was still a scholar, powerless even to kill a chicken.