The Old Heavenly Master

"Qiusheng, are you alright?"

Uncle Nine watched his disciple, who had been sent flying by a sudden counterattack, and immediately asked.

"Master, I'm fine. This Corpse King is no simple matter; the corpse qi within him is far too potent. Him being subdued just now was likely nothing more than a facade."

Although Qiusheng's body had been invaded by the corpse qi and he was in immense pain, he forced himself to stand, bracing his frame as he warned Uncle Nine.

"Hmm, I am well aware that a legendary Corpse King would not be so easily executed."

Uncle Nine withdrew his gaze from Qiusheng and spoke calmly, his internal mana surging once more.

Though he did not know why this Corpse King had allowed himself to be subdued so easily, Uncle Nine was desperate to eradicate the evil. He decided to stop overthinking and prepared to unleash his ultimate technique to forcibly slay this rare, world-threatening monster.

"Shangqing Dongxuan, glorious heavenly might, descend divine thunder, purge the evil!"

As his mana flowed frantically, Uncle Nine began Pacing the Dipper, unleashing the secret Maoshan art: the Thunder Summoning Technique!

Qiusheng had used this technique before, but compared to the terrifying power Uncle Nine displayed now, Qiusheng's previous attempt was nothing more than child's play.

The moment the heavenly thunder was summoned, the Corpse King, who had been feigning suppression, finally unleashed his full strength.

Corpse qi erupted from his body like a geyser, shattering the Big Dipper Formation Qiusheng had laid out in mere heartbeats.

That was not all; with a low roar, the Mystic Dao Seal branded upon his face was instantly blasted apart.

Along with it, the Innate Bagua Mirror Uncle Nine had set in place was sent flying into the sky. The bloodstains Uncle Nine had left on the mirror's surface were quickly absorbed into the glass as it spiraled back toward his hand.

Catching the Innate Bagua Mirror, Uncle Nine's expression turned grim as he watched the Corpse King, who now stood proudly beneath the roiling black clouds, waiting for the heavenly thunder to descend.

"Damn it, he did it on purpose. He let me subdue him, giving me time to cast the thunder spell and draw down the tribulation lightning for him."

"He wants to undergo the tribulation!"

Uncle Nine gritted his teeth as he spoke in a low voice, and Qiusheng, standing beside him, felt his skin crawl.

"Master, I remember you saying that once a Corpse King survives the lightning tribulation, he becomes the legendary Golden Armored Corpse King, right?"

"That thing is a terrifying existence that even a Heavenly Master would have to sacrifice their own life just to seal or suppress."

"Facing such a ferocious entity, Master, how much of a chance do you think you have?"

Qiusheng asked in a dry, strained voice as he looked at his master.

"Heh, Golden Armored Corpse King? You really think highly of me, kid."

"I thought I was facing a creature that had only recently ascended to Corpse King status, but who could have guessed that this evil thing has already reached the peak of its power, enough to undergo the tribulation?"

"Let's put it this way: if this Corpse King survives this heavenly tribulation, even if you and I were tied together, we probably wouldn't be enough to fill the gaps between his teeth."

Uncle Nine looked at Qiusheng and said with a strange expression.

Just as Uncle Nine finished speaking, an aged voice drifted slowly toward them.

"The acting sect leader of the Maoshan lineage is being too modest. With the Innate Bagua Mirror and the Mystic Dao Seal in your hands, if you were willing to sacrifice these two heavy treasures, killing a Golden Armored Corpse King shouldn't be a difficult task, should it?"

As the voice faded, an old man with white eyebrows and hair appeared.

Qiusheng looked closely at the old Daoist who had suddenly manifested. The man wore a deep purple Daoist robe that fluttered in the night wind, exuding an ethereal aura that left Qiusheng dazed and mesmerized.

"Junior Lin Jiu pays his respects to the Old Heavenly Master of Longhu Mountain."

Hearing the voice, Uncle Nine immediately shifted his gaze, and upon recognizing the visitor, he bowed at once.

Seeing his master's reaction to the old Daoist, Qiusheng was startled and quickly bowed as well.

"Junior Qiusheng pays his respects to the Old Heavenly Master."

"Haha, what Heavenly Master? I am just an old man who has practiced the Dao for a few more years than you two."

The Old Heavenly Master laughed and gestured for Qiusheng and Uncle Nine to rise, then looked up at the Corpse King being struck by lightning, shaking his head with a sigh.

"Zhou Kun was once a master of Feng Shui, and his cultivation in life reached the peak of an Earth Master. Who would have thought that for the sake of an illusory immortality, he would fall into the path of demons? It is truly unexpected."

Uncle Nine frowned slightly at the Old Heavenly Master's words.

"Old Heavenly Master, do you know him?"

"Heh, I certainly do. We are old acquaintances."

The Old Heavenly Master answered Uncle Nine's question quite directly.

"Oh? Then, Old Heavenly Master, have you come out of seclusion this time to subdue him?"

Seeing the Old Heavenly Master speak so plainly, Uncle Nine's heart stirred, and he asked directly.

"Naturally. Some time ago, I felt my time was drawing near while on Longhu Mountain, so I cast a divination."

"According to the hexagram, I was destined to perish in this very place, so I came."

"I never expected that upon arriving, I would see you, Lin Jiu, locked in a fierce battle with the Corpse King, summoning the heavenly thunder. In that moment, I understood where my final destination lay."

The Old Heavenly Master spoke of life and death with a faint smile, seemingly indifferent to his own safety, leaving both Uncle Nine and Qiusheng filled with awe.

"Lin Jiu, take your young disciple and leave this place. Regardless of whether the one undergoing the tribulation becomes a Golden Armored Corpse King, since I am here, at the very least, I will ensure he is sealed away forever, never to emerge again!"

The Old Heavenly Master's words were calm, yet they left Qiusheng yearning for such greatness.

Of course, if he were asked to face death heroically, he certainly couldn't do it, but that didn't stop him from admiring these predecessors who sacrificed their lives for the greater good.

"In that case, Lin Jiu shall take his unworthy disciple and depart first. Farewell, Heavenly Master."

After these words, Uncle Nine pulled Qiusheng and retreated toward the rear.

"Heh, old friend Zhou Kun, do you still remember Zhang Xianchu?"

Seeing Uncle Nine and Qiusheng moving away, the Heavenly Master flicked the long sleeves of his Daoist robe and called out in a resonant voice.

The moment his voice fell, a furious roar suddenly erupted from the place where the Zombie King stood.

"Zhang Xianchu, you dare to sever my path to immortality!"

No sooner had the roar echoed than an immensely thick bolt of lightning descended from the sky, suppressing the sound of his voice.

"Haha, old friend Zhou Kun, do not panic. Today, I, Zhang Xianchu, invite you to die with me and enter the Netherworld together!"

Hearing Zhou Kun's roar, the Heavenly Master laughed heartily and stepped into the area ahead, which was blanketed by the tribulation lightning.

Following his actions, the thunder in the sky became even more terrifying!