The Pact with the Underworld, the Temple of Lu Ya

The Xie Household truly lives up to its reputation as Aristocratic Clan. Although it is called the Xie Household mansion, it is actually a city within a city, a country within a country.

North Mountain Commandery is the largest county town in Northern Plains, covering an area of over a hundred square kilometers, and the Xie Household's "main residence" occupies two-thirds of the entire county town.

Those living on the outskirts were mostly martial artists and relatives of the Xie Household.

Looking down from the Yu Tunzhou, one can see the glint of light between the eaves and brackets, and the pavilions, towers, corridors, bridges, and waterside terraces all exuding extraordinary cultural heritage and grandeur.

Unfortunately, all of this is about to become ruins.

Yu Tunzhou broke through the great formation and landed alone inside the Xie Household.

"Yu Tunzhou!"

Yu Tunzhou paused slightly, looking in the direction of the sound. The newcomer appeared to be around twenty years old, dressed in a snow-white brocade robe. He had a handsome face and an air of pampered nobility and arrogance between his brows.

This person was none other than Xie Linxue, who had been defeated by Yu Tunzhou at Dragon Gate in the past.

He approached, sword in hand, his voice sharp and hoarse with intense hatred. "I, Xie Linxue, am utterly incompetent. I failed to slay you at Dragon Gate that day, which has led to this beast destroying the very foundation of my Xie Household!"

Yu Tunzhou glanced at the other person twice.

It looks somewhat familiar.

He thought for a moment; the other party did indeed seem to have appeared in Dragon Gate before. He forgot their name, only remembering that their strength was average. And now—

It's become even more ordinary.

"You abandoned Martial Dao and switched to another path?"

Yu Tunzhou looked over in surprise and shook his head.

How unwise!

In the battle in Heavenly Court not long ago, Xuandu's remains demonstrated to him the true meaning of "Redefining Dao and Virtue".

He single-handedly wielded the Highest Purity Four Slaughter Swords, fusing the four swords into the [root of Sword Dao]. At that time, Xuandu unleashed was not sword light, but the very essence of Sword Dao!

This is the true meaning of "Redefining Dao and Virtue," where a single word can alter the fundamental principles of the universe and establish laws within one's field of vision.

Wherever they go, it's their home turf.

Therefore, when he reaches that point in the future, he will inevitably establish Martial Dao as the main path of the world.

Even if the Immortal Dao revives at that time, it will still be subordinate to the Martial Dao.

Under such circumstances, very few powerful individuals can break free from the suppression and constraints of the Great Dao.

The person before me, abandoning martial Immortal Dao for the path of immortality, has a future that seems utterly bleak.

I almost forgot.

This person has no future.

Xie Linxue suddenly took a step forward and drew her sword at that moment!

The sword light was as white as snow, its cold gleam suddenly rising, carrying an extremely resolute sharpness, aimed straight at Yu Tunzhou's heart.

That sword strike was indeed remarkable.

At least within the Divine Ability Realm, he is already considered among the top tier.

That unwavering Sword Intent, determined to fight to the death, had already touched upon the meaning of the External Scenery.

But Yu Tunzhou only extended one finger, placing it against the point where the sword tip would fall, and the longsword suddenly arched upwards, unable to advance an inch.

All the Sword Intent, killing intent, and determination vanished without a trace in that instant, like a mud ox sinking into the sea.

Then, with a crisp snapping sound, the longsword, which had been drawn to its fullest extent, broke in two.

Xie Linxue was thrown backward by the shock, her tiger's mouth torn open, and her body crashed heavily into the corridor pillar behind her, spitting out a mouthful of blood. She was already seriously injured.

"That sword strike just now was quite interesting. If I had been in Dragon Gate earlier this year and witnessed it, I would have remembered your name."

"What a pity."

Considering that this sword strike still retained the spirit of a martial artist, Yu Tunzhou left behind his last three words and turned to chase after Xie Tao.

To catch a thief, first catch his king. If we capture Xie Tao, we can dig out the Xie Household's fundamental secrets from his Primordial Spirit.

As for the others...

Yu Tunzhou didn't even bother to glance at it.

A swarm of grasshoppers in late autumn—how long can they keep hopping around, even if left unattended?

Yu Tunzhou suddenly looked down at the ground.

Under his lock, Xie Tao's presence vanished below.

"A tunnel? Or a secret location belonging to the Xie Household?"

Yu Tunzhou paused in his tracks.

After all, this is the stronghold of a millennia-old Lineage. Who would believe they have no hidden cards or restrictions?

Yu Tunzhou glanced around, then suddenly sneered. Knowing there was danger involved, he naturally didn't want to put himself in risk, so he would force Xie Tao to come out!

He threw a punch, and a main hall in front of him collapsed with a crash. The force of the punch went straight through, directly splitting the Xie Household in two.

"Xie Tao, as the head of the Xie Household, do you not even have the courage to face me, Yu?"

Yu Tunzhou's voice was like thunder, rolling throughout the entire North Mountain Commandery.

"That fish, today, I will make the entire Xie Household pay for your death!"

With a backhand slap, several more magnificent and elegant pavilions were swept into dust by the force of his palm strike.

He suddenly lifted his foot, stomped down, leaped up, and stood on high ground looking down. He quickly found a special spot.

That's where the Xie Household's ancestral hall is located!

"I'd like to see just how composed you, Xie Tao, can be!"

As he stomped down, the earth trembled, the vibrations reaching the ground, along with his shout.

In the underground ancestral hall.

"That little bastard didn't fall for it!"

A hoarse and frantic voice rang out.

It was Xie Tao.

He and Xie Shanqin stood in front of a small temple deep underground in the heart of the Xie Household compound, but Yu Tunzhou, who had been chasing them relentlessly, did not appear.

The ancestral hall beneath their feet does not enshrine the ancestors of the Xie Household, but rather the immortal ancestors.

This place is also protected by a restriction, and it is located far above the killing array outside. It was personally set up by the Immortal Ancestor ten thousand years ago, just to protect the statue in the temple and to prepare for his future visit to the Central Plains.

They had intended to lure Yu Tunzhou here to ambush him, but they never expected him to be so cautious. He didn't fall for their trap at all and instead caused a great deal of destruction on the boat, forcing them to appear.

As the mournful sounds of collapsing buildings filled their ears, Xie Tao and his companion's expressions grew increasingly grim.

But they knew very well that going up meant certain death!

Nowadays, no one in the Xie Household can stop Yu Tunzhou!

"Xie Tao, is there no one to guard your Xie Household hall?"

A sneer came from above.

"This little beast actually tried to destroy our ancestral temple!! How dare he humiliate us like this!!" Xie Tao trembled with hatred, his eyes bloodshot.

At this moment, his voice was filled with overwhelming hatred and twisted resentment, as if he had been driven to a dead end, and the one who had driven him to this dead end had not left him even the slightest chance of survival.

The ancestral hall above is a place to worship the ancestors of the Xie Household. If it is destroyed today, even if the Xie Household rises again in the future, this history will be forever engraved on the pillar of shame.

How long until the Ancestor Shanhe returns?

Xie Tao turned around abruptly. This was the Xie Household's last hope. If the Ancestor Shanhe couldn't return in time, then the only path before them would be—

The last one!

If given a choice, Xie Tao would rather die on the spot than take this path.

"Shanhe should be on his way back."

"Since we lost contact with the Immortal Ancestor, he has been following the instructions left behind by the Immortal Ancestor to visit the Demon Race overseas and activate the contingency plan left by the Immortal Ancestor. We sent him a message two days ago, and judging by the time, he should be on his way."

That's what he said, but Xie Shanqin's expression remained grim, showing no sign of improvement.

Based on his understanding of Xie Shanhe, he knew that Xie Shanhe would definitely prioritize the Immortal Ancestor!

The matter concerning the Demon Race involves the safety of the Immortal Ancestor. If the matter with the Demon Race race is not resolved, even if the Xie Household is destroyed, he will never return.

In Xie Shanhe's eyes, the true foundation of the Xie Household lies with the Immortal Ancestor. As long as the Immortal Ancestor is still alive, even if the Xie Household experiences many twists and turns, it will still be able to return to its peak.

Conversely, if the Immortal Ancestor were no longer around, the destruction of the Xie Household would be inevitable.

Therefore, in Xie Shanqin's view, Xie Shanhe is most likely not going to make it back in time.

Xie Tao took a deep breath, trying to suppress his manic and frantic thoughts, his eyes repeatedly shifting between crimson and clear.

This loss was too devastating and too severe, causing him immense pain. Even though he had long since entered Pure Land, he still could not shake off all the chaos and madness within him.

No one expected things to develop to this point, let alone at such a rapid pace.

That insignificant figure they had once disregarded, a young man, stood before them with unparalleled prowess, leaving the Xie Household, who had dominated the Northern Plains for millennia, utterly powerless to resist.

"Activate—the last resort."

When Xie Tao said those words, his body went limp, and he had no more strength left, so he knelt down in the ancestral hall.

Making this decision means he will become the biggest sinner in the Xie Household's history, forever etched on the Xie Household's pillar of shame.

Xie Shanqin's expression suddenly changed, his breathing became rapid, and he said in a low voice, "The situation hasn't reached that point yet. Even if Yu Tunzhou were to go on a killing spree, given his nature, he would never actually do so. The only ones who need to escape are important clansmen at the Divine Ability or Outer External Scenery levels."

Xie Tao coldly replied, "Yu Tunzhou can't do it, then what about the other Lineage in Northern Plains?"

Xie Shanqin was speechless.

They have completely broken ties with the other aristocratic families in Northern Plains. Although most Lineage have submitted to the Xie Household, it is only a facade created by coercion.

They knew all too well what methods were used.

If the Xie Household continues to maintain its peak performance, it will naturally have nothing to fear.

But now----

This group will inevitably seize the opportunity to launch a counterattack and kick someone when they're down!

Xie Shanqin's voice was hoarse as he painfully closed his eyes and said, "But if we really do that, my Xie Household will truly have no hope left. Ten thousand years of planning and accumulation will all be destroyed in an instant!"

Xie Tao remained silent for a long time, but the rumbling sounds from above continued, forcing him to make a final decision.

He smiled sadly and said, "If this boy is still in the Central Plains, we will have no chance!"

"Back on the city wall, I ordered the remaining elders of the External Scenery to flee in all directions, hoping they could survive and become the last seed of the Xie Household in the Central Plains."

Yu Tunzhou threw a punch, dense cracks appeared in the protective barrier surrounding the ancestral hall.

When the second punch was delivered, the entire Xie Household trembled violently, as if the ancestral hall was connected to the earth's veins of the entire Xie Household.

The barrier shattered with a crash, revealing the Xie Household hall before them, now completely unobstructed.

Just as Yu Tunzhou raised his hand, about to obliterate the symbol of the Xie Household with a single punch, he said, "Wait!"

A voice came from the Void.

Unhurried and gentle, calm and peaceful.

A middle-aged Daoist priest emerged from the Void, dressed in an apricot-yellow Daoist robe. His face was thin and refined, and his eyes and brows exuded an otherworldly air. He lightly rested his whisk on his arm.

"But is it Fellow Daoist Yu from the Daode Lineage?"

The Daoist priest spoke with a smile, his tone as gentle as a spring breeze.

Yu Tunzhou narrowed his eyes. This person stood there, his aura seemingly faint, yet more like one with heaven and earth, indicating he was no ordinary person.

Another Grandmaster.

Extraterrestrial visitors?

This person is most likely not a remnant soul of an immortal Immortals and Gods, but rather Peak External Scenery from beyond the heavens who fell from the Heavenly Court Mortal Realm the Central Plains.

"Who are you?"

"I am Qingsongzi, Five Villages Temple."

The Daoist priest smiled and bowed, his posture humble.

"Five Villages Temple?" Yu Tunzhou frowned slightly.

This is the Daoist temple of Great Immortal Zhenyuan, and that Zhenyuanzi is known as one of the Five Immortals, the Ancestor of Earth Immortal, and is of considerable seniority, said to be on par with the Three...

They were friends with their peers.

In the Heavenly Court, he also encountered a high- Five Villages Temple, but ultimately died tragically in the Heavenly Tribulation.

"Heaven cherishes life." Qingsongzi's eyes were filled with compassion. "Today, Fellow Daoist Yu has completely destroyed the Xie Household's grand formation, beheaded their Grandmaster, and annihilated dozens of their External Scenery cultivators. I dare to ask Fellow Daoist Yu to spare a way out."

Upon hearing the last sentence, Yu Tunzhou immediately withdrew his gaze, took a step forward, and said calmly, "Fellow Daoist, it would be best to be more conservative and cautious. Avoid being reckless in the future; this time, you were a bit too bold."

His martial Martial Intention surged like a raging tide. Without the protection of the restrictions, the Xie Household hall was like a small boat on a stormy sea, bobbing up and down without any power to resist.

"If you don't want to be my enemy, then get lost! If you do want to be my enemy, then don't blame me for not warning you." Qingsongzi's expression changed slightly, and he subconsciously raised his whisk, but before he could make a move, Yu Tunzhou's fist had already arrived.

With one punch, the entire Xie Household hall was reduced to ashes!

"Are all the Xie Household members cowards?!" Yu Tunzhou laughed loudly. "Our own ancestral hall, not only can't it be defended, but there's not a single person guarding it. Aren't they afraid of being ridiculed by the world?!"

Beside him, Qingsongzi's expression shifted several times before he finally sighed, flicked his whisk, and turned to leave, leaving only the words, "Fellow Daoist Yu, take care of yourself."

Yu Tunzhou completely ignored him.

He suddenly looked towards the depths of the Xie Household's residence.

A series of muffled rumbling sounds emanated from beneath the Xie Household's underground residence, as if something was turning over.

He leaped into the air and looked down, only to discover that the entire Xie Household was sinking!

A series of muffled rumbling sounds came from deep underground, and the earth within a radius of dozens of miles trembled. Many buildings on the outskirts were already tilted and collapsed, but the palace in the core area sank very steadily.

This subsidence was not due to underground collapse or cracks, but rather it was quite orderly. With a stable foundation, pavilions and towers gradually sank into the ground, one by one.

Yu Tunzhou quickly noticed a detail: the clansmen hidden in various parts of the Xie Household did not flee.

"The Xie Household has this trick up their sleeve!" Huntian exclaimed in surprise upon recognizing the method. "These guys are really willing to go to such lengths! Countless Immortals and Gods have gone through countless hardships to ascend to the Central Plains, and they're actually willing to exile themselves to the mortal realm?"

"Self-exile to the lower realms?"

Just from the literal meaning, Yu Tunzhou instantly understood what these guys were up to. His eyes flashed. "The Xie Household has been laying out plans in the Central Plains for ten thousand years. Now they've exiled themselves to the lower realm. Wouldn't all their previous efforts be in vain?"

"It seems that the Xie Household Immortals and Gods is truly not coming back!"

Yu Tunzhou with absolute certainty.

Only in this way could Xie Tao and the others be so ruthless as to banish the entire Xie Household to the mortal realm.

It's better than the entire clan dying.

"Can I leave them here?" Yu Tunzhou asked.

Huntian shook his head. "This is a method that only Dao Lord possess. It should have been left behind by Lu Ya back then. The exile has already begun, and I do not recommend that you touch it, otherwise you may very well be dragged down to the lower realm, which would be a great loss."

Yu Tunzhou frowned, then relaxed.

All three Grandmaster of the Xie Household died at his hands.

Of the many External Scenery filmed, more than 80% were killed directly or indirectly by him.

With that Xie Household Immortals and Gods gone, the Xie Household was completely ruined.

The rest were all elderly, weak, sick, or disabled.

Yu Tunzhou hovered in mid-air, watching helplessly as the entire Xie Household mansion inch by inch sank into the ground, without making another move.

He would only drag himself down to the lower realm with the methods of Dao Lord level. The Xie Household was not worth the risk.

risk.

The underground roared like thunder, lasting for about half a cup of tea's time.

The entire main house has sunk dozens of feet underground and is gradually disappearing.

Looking down from the sky, a huge crater covering tens of square kilometers appeared on the ground.

Suddenly.

Yu Tunzhou's gaze sharpened as he looked down.

Dozens of feet underground.

A small temple with blue tiles and gray walls, without a plaque, stands here all alone.

It did not flee with the entire Xie Household.

In front of the temple gate, a figure knelt.

That's Xie Tao.

In just a short while, he had withered like a piece of dead wood, his hair turned completely white, and his eyes were sunken. This was a sign of severe depletion of his Essence Blood. He was vastly different from the Xie Household who had been on the city wall not long ago; they were like two completely different people.

"The place where this guy is kneeling seems to be the center of the great formation?" Huntian noticed something amiss. "It seems this banishment formation still..."

A sacrifice is needed.

"Fellow Daoist, if you had continued chasing after them, they might have exiled not the entire Xie Household, but you."

Yu Tunzhou felt a slight chill run down his spine.

Below.

Xie Tao slowly raised his head.

His gaze was fixed on Yu Tunzhou.

A look of madness crept across his withered face, but he had lost all strength and could only mutter, "Yu Tunzhou —the Immortal Ancestor will return— the Ancestor Shanhe will also come to find you—I'm in the Underworld —waiting for you—"

As he uttered the last word, he seemed to have exhausted all his strength, and his body turned to ashes in an instant.

Yu Tunzhou glanced at Flying Ash.

Underworld?

He really planned to go to the Underworld after advancing to the External Scenery Fourth Layer.

According to Youyin Rogue Person, the "market" in the Underworld is extremely bad these days.

You, surnamed Xie, you better really wait for me in the Underworld.

Then, the Yu Tunzhou slowly landed and looked at the small temple in front of it.

The entire Xie Household sank underground and was banished to the mortal realm, but this small temple remained.

With its blue tiles and gray walls, and no plaque above the door, it maintains a detached tranquility, as if the earth-shattering subsidence that just occurred had nothing to do with it.

If I'm not mistaken.

This was likely the last "trap" Xie Tao left for himself before his death.

This was also a contingency plan left behind by Lu Ya in the Central Plains.