If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1252 The Five Decline of Heaven and Man
Before entering the underground cave, Nezha had already witnessed the horrific scene on the ground.

When he entered the underground cave, he was already prepared to see an even worse scene.

Unexpectedly, after sinking into the pit, he felt that the surrounding energy had become much more orderly and gentle.

Above ground, the Yin energy was chaotic and turbid, like a large iron pot boiling water.

Inside the underground cave, the deeper one goes, the closer one gets to the earth's veins, and the earth's evil energy and the yin energy of the nine netherworlds are actually drawn back into the earth's veins.

Nezha followed and burrowed into the earth's veins, immediately discovering that the veins had come back to life.

Like the veins and blood vessels of a giant beast.

The behemoth is now injured and recovering. The blood vessels at the wound site are slowly pulsating, regrowing, and connecting together to reconstruct its life system.

The earthly evil and yin energy inhaled into the "blood vessels" are also filtered and diverted deep within the earth's veins.

The earthly evil energy enters the mountain's veins, while the yin energy of the nine netherworlds enters the "Black Mountain" mountain range in the underworld, and everything becomes very orderly.

"Who is it?" Suddenly, a violent yet weak shout came from the corner in front of the ley line.

Even if there are unknown demons and monsters, Nezha is not afraid.

Moreover, he vaguely felt that the voice and the aura of divine power were somewhat familiar.

"Is it the Heavenly King?" Nezha exclaimed.

There was a moment of silence on the other end, then a sigh came out: "Third Prince? What brings you here?"

Nezha flew over quickly and saw Chong Heihu struggling to stand up from a broken throne.

"Dao Ancestor above, Heavenly King, what's wrong with you?"

Even when faced with terrifying monsters that have escaped from the depths of the underworld, Nezha wouldn't even flinch.

Upon seeing his old friends and comrades-in-arms who had become estranged from him, he gasped in surprise and even involuntarily took a step back.

Black Tiger's current condition is truly terrifying.

The towering divine body was covered in cracks, as if it had been cut thousands of times horizontally and then thousands of times vertically.

Each cut was irregular, the knife marks were crooked and twisted.

The skin and muscles of the whole body were cut into pieces horizontally and vertically.

Now, pieces of skin and flesh are peeling off, like layers of a pancake.

Some parts have fallen off very deeply, revealing the bones and organs inside; others have fallen off more superficially, only exposing the bleeding red flesh.

There were still chunks of meat that hadn't completely fallen off, hanging on his body, swaying back and forth as the black tiger moved.

If that were all, Nezha, who was used to seeing immortals being brutally dismembered at the Slaughtering Platform, wouldn't have cried out in shock.

The detached pieces of flesh were still rotting and infested with maggots; pus oozed from the wounds, emanating an aura that terrified him.

He was used to being lawless and felt no fear. But his lotus-shaped divine body was instinctively terrified.

It's as if being tainted by those scents will bring misfortune.

"I have been punished by the heavens. Heavenly calamity, divine punishment, earthly calamity, and the five signs of decay of the celestial beings—all kinds of tribulations have happened to me at once. I'm afraid I won't make it!"

Black Tiger's face was incomplete, so his expression was unreadable; only his tone revealed immense pain and resentment.

"Why did it have to come to this? Why did it have to come to this?" Nezha murmured.

He understood somewhat; the aura that terrified his divine body was the five signs of decay of a celestial being.

Compared to the Five Signs of Decay of Heaven and Man, the Three Calamities and Five Tribulations that terrify countless cultivators are nothing but a drop in the ocean.

He will not die from exhaustion after being tainted by the "aura of decay," but he will certainly fall seriously ill.

Immortals rarely fall ill, but once they do, they rarely recover completely. Once their very essence is damaged, it will affect them for life.

Black Tiger said, "When the Heavenly Pillar of Hengshan collapsed and the Divine Palace shattered, I suffered divine retribution."

Then Mount Heng completely shattered; the mountain's roots and mountain ranges buried underground were also destroyed. One calamity after another befell me, and I knew I was doomed.

Nezha didn't know how to comfort him.

In fact, when the Divine Palace shattered, the Heavenly King was already beyond saving.

The Divine Palace is the foundation of the Hengshan pantheon and also the foundation of the Heavenly King.

As long as the foundation remains, the position of "King of Heaven" will remain.

Even though Chong Heihu was deposed from his divine position, the "King of Heaven" and the Hengshan pantheon can still continue.

Chong Heihu hasn't been deposed yet, but the entire pantheon is gone. How can he, the "Lord of Hengshan Divine Path," survive?
I fear that the divine status of the "Heavenly King" has already shattered.

From Black Tiger's current condition, one can understand why the Jade Emperor attaches great importance to the "Case of the Celestial Master Who Broke His Oath".

The "Betrayal of the Oath Master Case" could sever the faith in Shintoism, and the side effects are not temporary, but permanent.

This has already shaken the foundation of the Divine Court.

Expanding the "Hengshan Divine Path" to the "Pangu Divine Path," the fate of Chong Heihu at this point mirrors the Jade Emperor's fate after the collapse of the Heavenly Court's divine path.

“The Five Sacred Mountains are of one spirit and connected branches. Why don’t the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak and the other three Heavenly Kings help the Heavenly Kings share the burden?” Nezha asked.

Black Tiger said painfully, "How could there be no sharing? My brothers are also on the verge of collapse, just like me, and are recuperating in their respective divine palaces."

"Mount Heng collapsed, plunging the Central Plains into chaos. They must use the divine power of the Five Sacred Mountains to protect the land from shattering."

Nezha's eyes showed even more pity and reluctance. He said, "At least the Heavenly King is not dead yet. Why don't we go to Hengshan Prefecture and find a Yue Temple with many believers to recuperate properly? This place is no longer a good place and is not suitable for healing."

In large cities, there are enough believers to project a divine realm into the underworld corresponding to the Yue Temple.

The divine realm is equivalent to a miniature divine palace. It is insufficient to help Black Tiger rebuild his divine body or resolve the calamity, but it can make him feel much better.

"I'm not patrolling the ley lines to rest. I'm going to find that bastard Yu Fengxian."

Before I die, I want to drag her down with me into the abyss of eternal torment!

Black Tiger gritted his teeth, his voice filled with endless hatred.

"Where is she?" Nezha looked around. "I saw her earlier, her breathing was long and her face was glowing, so I'm afraid her strength hasn't been greatly diminished. If the Heavenly King encounters her now, he probably won't be a match for her."

Black Tiger said, "I can sense that she is nearby, in the Hengshan ley lines, but I can't find her."

After hesitating for a moment, he pleaded, "Brother Nezha, I'm dying. Could you do me one last favor? Just find her location, and I'll take care of the rest."

Nezha sympathized with him and felt sorry for his current tragic situation, but he would not lose his mind like him.

"You're no match for her, so what's the use of finding her? Besides, the catastrophe has already happened, and she's trying to mend the heavens and avert disaster. Yet you're plotting to kill her; even 'God' won't be on your side."

"Your strength is inferior to hers, and destiny is not on your side. What can you do?"

Black Tiger raised his voice, his tone tinged with resentment, "Brother Nezha, all I need is for you to help me find her."

If you don't agree, fine, but don't talk about fate or anything like that. You've never been the type to follow fate anyway.

Nezha was very angry and wanted to leave without saying a word.

But when he thought of the days when they served as military officers under Uncle Jiang, he couldn't bear it.

"King Sitian, you are still the God of Hengshan, and this is Hengshan. Yet you cannot even find her. Your divine authority on Hengshan is less than that of Yu Fengxian."

"I am the master of Hengshan, and I am now!" Black Tiger shouted excitedly. "That bitch has only used a secret technique to hide her identity. Once I discover her whereabouts, I can still use the power of Hengshan to deal with her."

I'm going to drag her down with me and cause her to self-destruct, so she can experience the five signs of decay!

Nezha was somewhat speechless and impatient. "Heavenly King, wake up! The Milky Way is currently overflowing into the human world. If you still have the strength, do your best to repair the Hengshan Mountains and prepare to welcome the endless river water falling from the sky."

Doing more remedial work might earn you merit and help you dissolve your negative karma.

Black Tiger shook his head and said, "Such a huge event as the collapse of the heavens must have already alarmed the great powers of the Three Realms."

With them around, it's not my turn to step forward.

Why not hurry up and make things difficult for Yu Fengxian as well?

At the very least, we cannot allow her to easily accumulate merit from heaven and earth to cleanse her sins.

I'm certain that she channeled the earth's ley lines to Hengshan, causing a massive earthquake that destroyed my Hengshan Divine Palace. She is now utterly wicked and burdened with sins.

"You scoundrel, you still haven't learned your lesson. You're hopeless."

Without any warning, Grand Tutor Yu's mocking voice came from above, below, and in all directions.

Black Tiger has no face, so it's impossible to see any changes in his expression.

Nezha's expression changed slightly, his eyes flashed with a spiritual light, and he looked around but found nothing.

"Yu Fengxian, come out and see me!" Black Tiger roared hatefully.

"I'm right in front of you, can't you see me, or can't you recognize me?"

The voice of Grand Tutor Yu could still be heard from all directions.

Upon closer inspection, it seemed that Grand Tutor Yu's presence emanated from every direction. In my spiritual perception, it was as if Grand Tutor Yu was everywhere. It was as if they were in a "Grand Tutor Yu's World."

"Yu Fengxian, don't try to fool me. I am the Lord of Hengshan, you can't fool me!"

Black Tiger seemed to sense something and roared loudly, but his voice was filled with obvious shock, anger and disbelief.

Nezha seemed to realize something, "Yu Fengxian, could it be that you have transformed into an earth vein?"

“I am Hengshan, I am the earth, and the earth veins where you are are merely a meridian in my body.”

You are as insignificant as ants within my body. Cough cough, Third Prince, don't get agitated, put down the Fire-Tipped Spear first. This isn't directed at you, it's only at Chong Heihu.

Chong Heihu, I'm ignoring you not because I feel I'm in the wrong.

What do I have to do wrong? Damn it, the reason I'm tainted with sin is all because of you.

You idiot! Not only have you neglected your duties, but you also have absolutely no ability to serve as the Lord of Hengshan.

You lack both talent and character!
Having served as the god of Hengshan for 300,000 years and built the Hengshan Divine Palace for 300,000 years, the Hengshan Divine Palace remains as fragile as paper.

You're not cut out to be one of the Five Sacred Mountains Gods at all. With your abilities, the best you can get is a minor local deity.

Jiang Ziya appointed you as one of the Five Sacred Mountains Gods, which was definitely out of personal motives; he used connections to help you.

You are foolish and incompetent, and even your most capable generals are a bunch of good-for-nothings.

Even with advance notice of a minor earthquake, you still couldn't withstand it.

You guys are so useless, it's beyond my comprehension. I was caught off guard and suffered a great calamity.

I didn't blame you, nor did I stand in front of you and point my finger at you while cursing you. It's all because I have high self-control and the awareness to accept defeat.

You damned old swindler, you still stubbornly believe the fault lies with me, and you're determined to drag me down with you even in death.

"You unreasonable old fool, you've truly lost all shame."

It's no wonder that Grand Tutor Yu used all sorts of vulgar and unsophisticated language to constantly curse.

She was really holding back her anger.

When Yangli Daotong returned from exchanging divine positions at the South Heavenly Gate, he saw Grand Master Yu intently watching the "General Map of the Landscape of China".

At that time, she responded to the provocation of the Five Sacred Mountains by causing an earthquake that made the other sacred sites outside of Mount Tai feel pain.

But she merely concentrated the seismic forces from several different regions into one place, causing it to erupt at Hengshan. Like a giant hammer, it smashed down on the Hengshan Divine Palace.

She had done similar things countless times in the past year.

The land of China remained quiet, without even a slight tremor, because the force of the earthquake had been diverted to Mount Tai. Huang Feihu endured a year of excruciating pain, but the sacred palace of Mount Tai remained "as stable as Mount Tai."

When it came to Chong Heihu, Hengshan Shenfu couldn't even withstand a single move.

She had absolutely no intention of destroying the Hengshan Divine Palace, nor did she have any thought of collapsing the Hengshan Heavenly Pillar.

She's not mentally unstable; how can she live after doing something so heinous?
Because Chong Heihu neglected her duties and failed to guard the divine palace, the palace cracked open and the pillar of heaven broke. She "inexplicably" committed a terrible disaster and was burdened with a huge karmic debt.

How could she not be angry and frustrated?

"I'm stupid and incompetent? Bullshit!"

Grand Tutor Yu was frustrated and furious, while Black Tiger, who had lost everything, was even more grief-stricken.

"My Hengshan Underworld is more powerful and secure than a complete Middle Thousand World."

Could the Middle Thousand Worlds not withstand a Xuan-level earthquake?
To increase the damage, you must have concentrated the power of the earthquake at one point, specifically targeting the weak foundation of the divine palace.

Just like what you did for the underworld of Mount Tai over the past year.”

He guessed right.

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect.

When Yu Taishi first guided the power of the earthquake to impact the Taishan Underworld, he simply treated the evil energy as a torrent and poured it into the Taishan Underworld.

The effort was dispersed, and the effect was "very mediocre".

Afterwards, Grand Tutor Yu attempted to analyze the structure of the Taishan Underworld to find its weak points.

After all, the Five Great Gods have all activated the Great Destroyer!

As she gained more and more control over the land, her grasp of the power of earthquakes became increasingly refined.

The malevolent power of the earth's veins, capable of instantly destroying a city of a million people, was tamed by her like a kitten or puppy.

It can land wherever it is told, without the slightest error; it can even simulate sword energy, a giant flying sword that traverses the earth's veins, crosses thousands of miles, and slashes at the underworld of Mount Tai.

This time, targeting the Hengshan Divine Palace, Grand Master Yu condensed the power of the earthquake into a divine martial arts technique called "Kanglong Wuhui" (meaning "The Dragon Soars Without Regret").

That was incredible! He destroyed the Hengshan Divine Palace, which wasn't guarded by Chong Heihu, in one move.

"You incompetent fool, do you even know that I have done countless things to the Taishan underworld over the past year?"
Why could Mount Tai withstand it, yet you couldn't even withstand a single blow? It directly tore apart the Divine Palace, caused the Eighteen Levels of Hell to collapse, and even broke the Pillar of Heaven?

Even if it's just a crack in my divine palace, I won't be implicated by you, and I won't be tainted by such a great sin.

My biggest mistake was putting you on the same level as Huang Feihu.

He is a qualified Lord of Mount Tai, but you got in through connections.

"Alas, I've been utterly betrayed by Jiang Ziya!" Grand Tutor Yu's cry was still filled with righteous indignation.

"I wasn't in the Divine Palace at the time! My generals had only heard of 'earthquake impact' before, they'd never actually experienced it, how could they possibly withstand it? In the end, it was your reckless actions, your heinous crimes."

Black Tiger roared in hatred and anger, completely unaware that he was in the wrong.

Grand Tutor Yu sneered, "I notified you a few days in advance, but you were not in the Divine Palace. You still have the nerve to shout?"

If I am so wicked, why is it that your divine status is shattered, your divine body cracked, your divine power leaking out, and you are subject to the five signs of decay?
Why am I alive and well, feeling refreshed, with a rosy complexion and bright eyes?
Right and wrong are not something you can decide alone; Heaven sees clearly and will make a just judgment.

Your current predicament clearly demonstrates who the real culprit is!

(End of this chapter)