Divine King Jiang Taixu

Suddenly, there was a sound of wings beating ahead. It was as if a huge swarm of bats was charging toward Ji Hao. Focusing his gaze, he saw a humanoid creature roughly two meters tall, with a wingspan of four meters. It had gray beast fur and fleshy wings, like a giant humanoid bat. It swept past him, seemingly not noticing him at all.

"This compass is pretty useful."

Ji Hao did not speak until the swarm of Demon Bats had flown away.

These were descendants of a powerful bat species, known as Demon Bats. They were not particularly strong, but wherever such Demon Bats appeared was undoubtedly an extremely dangerous place.

Ji Hao's heart stirred. He activated his Martial Dao Heavenly Eyes and continued onward. He did not use the Great Void Technique. After walking more than ten li, he encountered quite a few Demon Bats one after another. They flew their way, and Ji Hao walked his way, as though they belonged to two different worlds.

Ji Hao advanced another seven or eight li at an unhurried pace, still in the mood to inspect Purple Mountain's surroundings.

"Purple Mountain is way too gloomy. One-star review!"

"Wu Shi didn't even bother cleaning it up. Sigh, it's fallen into disrepair over the years."

"Nine dragons guarding a single pearl only has some symbolic value. There's no real divine intent to it. It can't compare to Kunlun."

"The essence energy is too thin, and it's all baleful aura. The environment is even worse—there isn't even a single potted plant."

There were many stone carvings on the cave walls, all left behind by the blades and axes of ancient people.

"These count as murals? Can't appreciate them. One-star review!"

After Ji Hao glanced at them, a gust of sinister wind blew over, interrupting his complaints. Following a moment of silence, he stopped talking and continued forward.

"Enough. Finding the Divine King is more important."

After advancing another forty-odd li, the soil beneath his feet suddenly became soft. Looking closely, he found that it was actually formed from ashes.

Moreover, as he went deeper, the place grew increasingly icy and bone-chilling. Strands of baleful aura gathered together, and the surroundings became stranger and more terrifying. After passing the ash heaps, he found piles of dry bones in their place.

"I told you this place wasn't fit to be a Great Emperor's residence. This is ridiculous!"

Crack!

Ji Hao crushed a section of dry bone beneath his foot, and his body instantly stiffened. He feared neither Heaven nor Earth, but he was rather afraid of ghosts and other yin spirits. Sinister winds howled, shadows flickered, and hazy figures appeared one after another.

The Martial Dao Heavenly Eyes shone brilliantly, with glassy flames burning within them.

Once he saw clearly that they were not ghosts, Ji Hao stopped being afraid. A skilled man was naturally bold. Even if they were ghosts, the three Quasi-Emperor Weapons in his Sea of Bitterness would teach them a lesson—no, teach them how to be ghosts. Ji Hao loosely clenched his hand, ready to draw the Xuanyuan Sword at any moment. Those yin spirits seemed to sense the danger—or perhaps sensed nothing at all—and quickly retreated.

After proceeding several more li, the ancient mine was no longer dark. Gentle radiance flowed through it, carrying a faint sense of peace.

He arrived at a place dense with spiritual energy, where two great holes had appeared. One surged with spiritual energy, while the other surged with baleful aura!

"Yin-Yang Eye!"

Around the hole that emitted Source energy lay skeletal fossils everywhere, filled with grim baleful aura. Yet around the hole that shot out baleful aura, radiant light shimmered, and Source stones covered the ground.

Yin embraced yang, and yang embraced yin. This was a completely natural Tai Chi Diagram—not something carved by human hands, but naturally formed!

"I wonder whether this Yin-Yang Eye can be used for forging weapons. It would match the Tai Chi Diagram perfectly."

Ji Hao examined it from top to bottom.

"And the baleful aura inside can be used to nurture a sword."

He was not afraid of excessive killing intent, only of not being strong enough. No one understood better than him what the future held.

After pondering for a while, Ji Hao sat down cross-legged. The Compass Sacred Weapon emitted divine light and protected him. His divine sense transformed into a tiny figure, wrapped in the Tai Chi Diagram and clutching a sword embryo as it leaped into the Lihuo Divine Furnace.

Meanwhile, Ji Hao threw the Lihuo Divine Furnace into the natural formation created by the Yin-Yang Eye.

"If I don't go mad, I won't survive. I must seize every opportunity to transform!"

One yin and one yang alternated between black and white. The tiny divine-sense figure endured the agony brought by the alternating yin and yang. The Tai Chi Diagram continually transformed and offset them, neutralizing the danger brought by the yin-yang baleful aura. Spiritual energy was absorbed by his divine sense, while the sword embryo absorbed the baleful aura.

The Lihuo Divine Furnace released divine radiance, resisting the killing force of the Yin-Yang Eye while also absorbing its yin-yang power and sheltering the tiny divine-sense figure.

The tiny divine-sense figure continuously expanded. Layer after layer of debris-like matter was expelled from its body—those were impurities. His divine sense became increasingly pure and powerful, and the tiny figure transformed into a great sun, growing ever more dazzling.

In a daze, he seemed to see Heaven and Earth being opened, all phenomena and living things emerging. He continued tracing backward, arriving at the moment before Heaven and Earth were divided, when primordial chaos had just begun.

The Dao gave birth to One, One gave birth to Two. Endless chaos was cleaved apart and evolved into the two energies of yin and yang. Then all things in Heaven and Earth appeared, and the universe was born.

After an unknown number of years, the yin and yang energies appeared again. This time, however, they brought destruction. Yin and yang alternated, all things returned to one, creation and destruction cycled, eras changed, and the supreme principles of Heaven and Earth revealed themselves!

"Cha!"

The tiny divine-sense figure let out a sharp cry and leaped out of the Yin-Yang Eye, revealing its current form.

Its entire body seemed forged from Dao Tribulation Gold. An aura of indestructibility through countless tribulations emerged on its surface—extremely faint, yet truly present.

"Open!"

Ji Hao murmured. Before him, the yin and yang energies alternated, continuously merging and intertwining, as though seeking the balance between them.

Very quickly, the Taiji Dao Diagram took shape, revolving endlessly behind him and layering upon itself with every rotation.

Boom!

A gateway opened!

Source energy and baleful aura formed a point of balance. The dangerously powerful Tai Chi Diagram had actually become incomparably tranquil at this moment.

Just now, Ji Hao had successfully glimpsed part of the Yin-Yang Eye's mysteries. Using his Heavenly Eye, he had perceived the point where they blended together and brought them into balance.

Holding the Lihuo Divine Furnace, Ji Hao entered the Yin-Yang Eye. The furnace emitted glassy divine light, forming a shield that tightly protected him.

Steady.

Ahead, green jade formed the steps and white jade formed the gates, revealing a vast and majestic complex of buildings.

This palace complex was entirely carved from ancient jade, divine radiance glittering from it. It was extraordinarily impressive. Yet at the end of the structures stood more than ten steps of blood jade, leading into a deep and secluded cave abode.

"Now this has some of the style a Great Emperor's residence ought to have."

Ji Hao continued onward and saw that many words had already been inscribed on the purple stone walls: Divine King Jiang Taixu, Gu Tianshu, Yaochi Saintess Yang Yi entered Demon Mountain.

"So-and-so was here. Looks like this is an old tradition."

"Should I leave my name too?"

"Forget it. It seems everyone who left their name never made it out of Purple Mountain. Bad omen."

Suddenly, Ji Hao's heart jolted. It seemed that a demonic voice was calling beside his ear, trying to make him walk in a certain direction!

Ji Hao held the Lihuo Divine Furnace in his arms and strode forward. The two pieces of Emperor Jade in his hand gave off faint light, counteracting the demonic voice.

"Descendant of the Jiang Family."

The abrupt voice suddenly sounded beside Ji Hao's ear. Even though he knew it was Divine King Jiang Taixu speaking, it still gave him a fright.

"Senior, don't you know that people can be scared to death by other people?"