Leaving the Underworld, Master of the Demonic Cultivation Method

Escaping the Underworld's control so easily was beyond Zhang Huan's expectations. He had thought the Underworld would impose some restrictions, but they made no move in that regard even during the teleportation.

"Is it overconfidence, or do they have something to rely on?"

Zhang Huan didn't know the specific reason, but since he had the chance to get something for free from the Underworld, he wouldn't hesitate.

He traversed the starry sea, crossing through empty space where no one resided. As he neared the midpoint of his journey, determination filled Zhang Huan's eyes, and his sharp aura began to climb.

"Boom!"

An aura of the Supreme Dao pressed down on the universe, affecting countless star fields. Even the teleportation was disrupted, space bending as if a mountain had been placed upon the group.

"What is this? How can there be Supreme Dao fluctuations?"

"Does anyone have a way to stop the teleportation? The Supreme Dao fluctuations are coming from the other shore where we're being teleported."

Panic spread through the crowd, everyone filled with dread. Amidst the sudden Supreme Dao fluctuations, Zhang Huan's rising aura was overlooked.

He hadn't even used the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Jar yet, and Supreme Dao laws had already appeared, emanating from the battlefield they were about to be teleported to.

"The battlefield is likely undergoing a change, with Supreme Dao forces involved."

The cause was a single Immortal Treasure, the Demon God Flower. Such a massive disturbance suggested it was nearing maturity, and these people couldn't wait to get involved.

Zhang Huan quickly deduced the general situation.

Just as everyone was in a panic, trying to halt the teleportation, an old man in the Saint realm remained unusually calm. He muttered to himself.

"I knew these forces wouldn't be able to sit still. I didn't expect to be a step too late."

He sighed with regret and looked towards the other end, from where the Supreme Dao fluctuations were erupting. He then took out a battle halberd.

Its surface was covered in dense red patterns, emanating a fierce aura, and supreme laws surged from it. This was, in fact, also a Supreme Emperor Weapon.

The Emperor Weapon, possessing a spirit, flew directly towards the other shore to reinforce the battlefield, leaving the old man alone.

The teleportation failed under the pressure of this aura, and everyone fell into the boundless void.

Looking at the crowd present, the old man shook his head, a look of sorrow on his face.

"I had intended for you all to die in that place, but I can't afford to be so concerned now. I'll grant you a quicker release."

Ignoring the astonished crowd, a murderous glint flashed in the old man's eyes. His realm surged, leaping past Saint King and Great Saint until it stabilized at the Quasi-Emperor level.

He had been hiding his cultivation with a secret technique all along, and no one on the scene had noticed.

He unleashed a divine art, and several black hands appeared on his body, rapidly reaching out to grab the others. Those caught trembled violently, their eyes turning white as their souls were snatched from the crowns of their heads and absorbed into the old man's mouth.

He intended to execute these outer Saints immediately and quickly support the battlefield on the other side.

The black hands descended, quickly killing many Saints. The remaining ones lost the will to resist and were slaughtered at the Quasi-Emperor's whim. In just a moment, only Zhang Huan was left.

"To have your souls taken and bodies left behind, to become slaves of our Underworld, is your honor."

The old man cackled, his tone sinister, and turned to look at Zhang Huan.

"You're quite lucky. You didn't break through to Quasi-Emperor, so you've lived a little longer. Unfortunately, fate is not on your side, and you've caught this trip. Whether it's good fortune or misfortune."

Several black hands attacked simultaneously, carrying Quasi-Emperor pressure. The old man was certain Zhang Huan couldn't possibly resist and spoke leisurely.

He had seen Zhang Huan's Quasi-Emperor tribulation before. It had started strong but ended weakly, concluding without even half of it being overcome, far from a true Quasi-Emperor, barely taking half a step.

At this level, in front of him, he was no different from the others who had just been killed. The Quasi-Emperor laws descended, scattering their souls.

The old man, full of confidence, intended to claim the body.

But an unexpected scene unfolded. A light screen emerged, impervious to laws. The black hands couldn't break through the defense and exploded before his eyes.

"This, how is this possible!"

The old man exclaimed, but immediately he sensed an aura identical to his own, also Quasi-Emperor might, causing his eyes to widen.

"Quasi-Emperor body!"

The old man's face darkened. In an instant, numerous possibilities flashed through his mind.

"So that's how it is. I didn't expect you to deliberately avoid breaking through to Quasi-Emperor. Did you know something and have been lying dormant?"

To grasp their intentions so accurately, this person must know a great deal. Regardless of his purpose in infiltrating the Underworld, he absolutely could not be allowed to live.

If he escaped today, losing face would be the least of it. It was possible he could reveal certain secrets the Underworld had been strictly guarding.

The old man grew serious, his face solemn and fierce. A Quasi-Emperor Artifact appeared above his head and flew into the void, hovering above the two of them.

"Just a Quasi-Emperor body, you're not a true Quasi-Emperor yet."

As he spoke, he unleashed killing moves. Even the residual shockwaves tore through large swathes of space, creating cracks. These were true Quasi-Emperor laws; even the void couldn't withstand them.

Zhang Huan knew the gap between himself and a Quasi-Emperor. While the other party was speaking, he laid down several Origin Arts to restrain the Underworld elder and then unleashed the Demonic Box, clashing with the Quasi-Emperor Artifact. The two fought fiercely, neither giving ground.

"Myriad Transformations Saint Art!"

Zhang Huan pointed a divine light, transforming the extraordinary into decay, scattering all the killing moves. He then punched away the remaining Quasi-Emperor pressure, shaking distant star fields.

"You..."

The old man was momentarily speechless, surprised that Zhang Huan could so easily break his killing moves.

"It's not over yet!"

Zhang Huan seized the opportunity, revealing the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Jar from his sleeve. The power he had accumulated poured out, unleashing several supreme dao light waves in quick succession.

To ensure the old man was truly dead, Zhang Huan delivered a few more blows. Once he confirmed the man's life force had completely vanished, he stepped forward and collected the tattered corpse.

With a supreme dao artifact unleashed, even a Quasi-Emperor couldn't contend, falling like dirt chickens and clay dogs.

If the old man had still possessed that war halberd, Zhang Huan wouldn't have considered fighting him. But having lost his supreme dao weapon and being dead-set on taking Zhang Huan's life, he deserved this fate.

Zhang Huan's breath swallowed immense amounts of vital energy, absorbing the energy from the endless void to replenish his depleted Saint Power.

On the other side, seeing Zhang Huan quickly kill the Underworld's Quasi-Emperor, the Demonic Box spat out fragrant words, incessantly shouting.

"Your daddy's gone! Let's see what you've got to fight with! I'll beat you into scrap!"

Looking at the Quasi-Emperor Artifact still entangled with the Demonic Box, with the outcome undecided, Zhang Huan projected the mouth of the jar onto it, immobilizing it. The Demonic Box seized the opportunity and knocked off several large fragments.

Waves of dark light shot out from the jar, entangling its body and dragging it inside. No matter how it struggled, it couldn't break free.

"Hoo."

Calming himself, Zhang Huan let out a sigh of relief and retracted the Demonic Box.

The fifty years spent in the Underworld had come to an end. Although he had experienced much, the conclusion was finally satisfactory, and Zhang Huan had reaped considerable rewards.

He had learned many secrets of the Underworld along the way and, ultimately, hadn't been refined into a war slave, managing to escape. As for the other external Saints, Zhang Huan could only wish them good luck.

From now on, he only needed to focus on forming the Divine Embryo, which made Zhang Huan feel a sense of ease.

Suddenly, a Divine Sense transmitted from a thousand miles away, reaching Zhang Huan's ears.

"Heaven Swallowing Demonic Jar? Are you an Heir of the Ruthless?"

At this level, a thousand miles was no different from being right beside him. Realizing someone had been hiding nearby all along, Zhang Huan was startled. He immediately unleashed a wave of supreme dao power, intending to suppress and kill whoever it was.

The light wave was destructive, piercing through multiple giant stars and its aura extending for several domains. The person hidden in the void also revealed their presence.

"Ouch, you're quite cautious. Very characteristic of that lineage."

A middle-aged man with a sharp, knife-like face and a stern expression appeared. He was also a Quasi-Emperor, even more powerful than the previous Underworld Quasi-Emperor, and he wielded an Emperor Weapon!

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to escape the supreme dao light wave unscathed. The same supreme dao rhythm fluctuated on his body, proving he had also used an Emperor Weapon.

"Are Emperor Weapons so common now? Two appeared on the same battlefield. I followed the aura of a Demonic Cultivation Method and unexpectedly found another one."

The middle-aged man stroked his chin and asked with a look of confusion.

"What Demonic Cultivation Method? I don't know. Don't try to get close."

Zhang Huan's expression remained impassive. He offered no explanation and instead activated the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Jar, speeding away in the opposite direction.

The moment the man mentioned Demonic Cultivation Method, Zhang Huan sensed something was wrong. Moreover, he didn't know how long this person had been watching, hidden in the shadows, and what schemes he might have.

With no intention of engaging, Zhang Huan departed.

Another Divine Sense entered his ears.

"You've cultivated a Young Master's Demonic Cultivation Method, yet you carry the Ruthless Emperor's legacy. This is truly strange."

With that, he formed hand seals, activating some kind of restriction.

The Spirit Siphon Unification trait, long dormant within Zhang Huan, gradually revived. His cultivation surged, and his aura became unstable and fluctuating.

Zhang Huan's expression changed. It was indeed someone from the Demonic Cultivation Method's original owner's side. He felt his cultivation come alive, resisting him uncontrollably and refusing to be suppressed.

His perception indicated the source was the man's restriction.

This person was connected to the true master of the Demonic Cultivation Method.

Zhang Huan concluded, his heart sinking to the bottom.

The cultivation he could wield gradually decreased. At this rate, in less than three quarters of an hour, even his Saint Power would be difficult to use.

The Demonic Cultivation Method's master had indeed left a backdoor. Judging by the man's address of "Young Master," he belonged to a force possessing a Supreme Emperor Weapon.

Zhang Huan stopped, turning to face the man calmly pursuing him.

He directly sealed his cultivation. As time passed, more and more of it would be sealed. If, unknowingly, he were to engage in a fight to the death with an Emperor Weapon, and the opponent did this, it would be an utterly unexpected killing move.

"In my impression, the Supreme Dao forces don't seem to have such a Demonic Cultivation Method. Does that mean you're from a Forbidden Zone?"

Zhang Huan took the initiative to ask.

The combination of a Quasi-Emperor and an Emperor Weapon was nearly insurmountable. Coupled with the opponent's unique perception of Demonic Cultivation Method practitioners, escape was impossible. He could only confront this combination head-on.

The middle-aged man stood before him, a hint of a smile appearing on his stern face.

"What good would it do to tell you? Just obediently go back and be the Young Master's food. Stop with these petty tricks."

As if he had dealt with this many times, the man disdained explaining further, advising Zhang Huan to cease his futile efforts.

"A Demonic Cultivation Method resource like you cannot escape the fate of being devoured. It was sealed the moment you started cultivating it. All your struggles are useless."

His tone was gentle yet firm, and he truly believed it.

Both possessed Emperor Weapons, meaning neither could truly defeat the other. But now, one side's strength was compromised. Dragging it out would inevitably lead to his victory.

This restriction was universally effective against those who had cultivated the Demonic Cultivation Method. Even with an Emperor Weapon in hand, one couldn't resist a problem originating from within themselves.

"You really are arrogant. If I ever get the chance, I truly wish to see you witness the moment I slay the Young Master you speak of."

Zhang Huan's eyes were like ten thousand years of ice, and he scoffed at the Young Master he spoke of.

He had long prepared himself to confront the master of the Demonic Cultivation Method, knowing that he would have to contend with them sooner or later.

The final victor was yet unknown, yet this person had already made a judgment, unafraid that a great shark hooked by them might capsize the entire boat.

Although his own cultivation was currently in trouble, it didn't mean he had to meekly offer his head for slaughter.

He still had a Quasi-Emperor clone, held back as a trump card.

Even though most of his origin had been refined into a corpse pill, he was not much different in aura from the nameless Quasi-Emperor before him.

If they wanted him as sustenance, then there was only battle.

The other party specifically captured those who practiced Demonic Cultivation Methods, knew the forbidden incantations of Demonic Cultivation, and possessed an Emperor Weapon. Clearly, they were deeply trusted by the Young Master they spoke of.

Today, he would first sever an arm of that Young Master, and then cut down the other person another day.

Zhang Huan poured the remaining Saint Power into the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Jar. It didn't matter that his cultivation was gone; his Quasi-Emperor body was the best means of killing.

"Oh, still planning to fight to the death? What waves can your Quasi-Emperor body stir up? It's all in vain."

The middle-aged man shook his head, viewing Zhang Huan's actions as the last desperate struggle of a cornered beast. He had seen too much and didn't care.

The response was a head-on collision between Supreme Dao forces. Zhang Huan exhausted his strength, engaging the opponent in a decisive battle in the empty void.

Two laws submerged the vast starry sky, and the potent aura of Supreme Dao spread out, its fluctuations clearly perceived even by a battlefield an unknown distance away.

Battles between Supreme Dao forces were rare in ancient times, and to have two such battles unfolding simultaneously was even rarer. All the powerhouses in the universe felt uneasy, silently awaiting the outcome.

"Boom!"

Dark light devoured the sea of stars, laws surged, while on the other side, there was only the aura of Supreme Dao. That Quasi-Emperor had deliberately hidden the true form of his weapon, preventing identification and showing caution!

"Demonic Box, help me refine the divine essence to supply the Emperor Weapon."

Releasing the Demonic Box, Zhang Huan scattered countless ancient Medicine Kings, divine sources, and other Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.

"Let's risk it all with him!"

The Demonic Box exerted its full effort, grinding the Medicine Kings into powder without pause, transforming them into pure energy that flowed ceaselessly into the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Jar.

This method was a terrible waste, enough to make old monsters jump with anger, but Zhang Huan's foundation was rich, and he didn't care about such losses, deeming it worthwhile even if it was all used up in today's battle.

The Quasi-Emperor on the other side was slightly surprised to see Zhang Huan's extravagance, unhesitatingly using all sorts of rare treasures to fill the void.

Fighting like this, he wouldn't be able to take down Zhang Huan anytime soon. He didn't have as many resources to feed the bottomless pit of the Emperor Weapon, and relying solely on his own cultivation to activate the Emperor Weapon consumed a considerable amount.

"This is truly unexpected. It seems I can't take you down without showing some real skill."

The nameless Quasi-Emperor let out a soft cry, revealing the true form of his Emperor Weapon. Another law began to revive, instantly reversing the situation, and he gained the upper hand.

After all, he was a Quasi-Emperor. If both Emperor Weapons were not fully revived, the energy a Quasi-Emperor could unleash in a short time was far greater than what could be extracted from rare treasures by a Quasi-Emperor Artifact.

He charged at Zhang Huan with all his might. The Demonic Box, startled by this power, desperately supplied energy. Even through the Emperor Weapon's protection, Zhang Huan felt suffocated. The opponent clearly intended to take him down in one go.

As they flew closer, space was compressed, forming a vacuum that could not withstand this power. Zhang Huan desperately controlled the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Jar to resist.

When they were only a few dozen steps apart, Zhang Huan's eyes narrowed. His Quasi-Emperor clone shot out. As it broke free from the Emperor Weapon's protective shield, it activated the Soldier Character Art, severing the opponent's connection with the Emperor Weapon and causing it to go out of control.

Seizing this split-second opportunity, the main body suppressed the Emperor Weapon with the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Jar, while the clone self-destructed before the nameless Quasi-Emperor.