Netherworld Painted Skin Scroll

Chapter 354 The Number One in the World, Majestic and Powerful
Tong Xu and Xie Qi fell silent for a moment, then Tong Xu spoke first: "Yes... Divine Lord, you are indeed unparalleled in this world."

She wasn't afraid of Li Wuxiang before because of the Taiyi Sect. In this world, at least in the Central Continent, no one could do as they pleased. Above Li Wuxiang was Mei Qiulu, and she had heard of Mei Qiulu's character—although she had a slightly unruly reputation among swordsmen, compared to other cultivators in the world, swordsmen could be considered gentlemen.

Since Li Wuxiang has gained her trust and favor, even if we can't say whether he is kind-hearted or not, he must at least have some gentlemanly conduct. A gentleman can be deceived by principles, and in the past, these "principles" referred to the struggle between the Taiyi Sect and the Blood God Sect, and the situation outside the Six Divisions.

But now Li Wuxiang is obsessed. He feels that he used to be the Demon King of the Eastern Continent... or, Tong Xu is really hard to say now... or, he really was originally?
Whether he was engrossed or remembered, he should no longer be bound by the constraints of the Taiyi Sect and have become similar to Xu Zhen.

When faced with Li Wuxiang like this, Tong Xu really had no confidence at all!
Xie Qi spoke up after her: "Yes, what the Divine Lord says is true. Sigh, Divine Lord, what are we going to do from now on?"

"That old man Xie Qi is good in every way, except he's too weak-willed and always sighing," Li Wuxiang thought to himself.

He knew what the two people in front of him were thinking—they probably still thought he was crazy, but were afraid of angering him. However, they weren't wrong to think that way. These people from the Central Continent were all despicable. For example, this Tong Xu, before he remembered his past in the Eastern Continent, she was very arrogant and smug. But now she had learned to be opportunistic and immediately became obedient.

Do these two scoundrels think they're bragging when they just said "the best in the world"?
Ha, they just don't know one thing—

Li Ye once said that he would become a Golden Immortal in the future!

Few in the world know what kind of supernatural powers one would possess upon attaining the Golden Immortal realm. But he did know—that at that time, he would certainly be able to rewind time and cause and effect, moving freely between the "present" and the "past."

Therefore, if the present self hasn't seen the future self, there's only one possibility: everything will go extremely smoothly, and the future self won't need to come to save them!
He looked at Tong Xu and frowned: "Stop talking nonsense. What did you say you wanted? Oh, no, first tell me why you insisted on going against me before—I guessed it was for love, wasn't it?"

Tong Xu hesitated for a moment, glanced at Xie Qi, and said, "This matter... is actually all about the same thing."

She spoke in a proper and respectful manner, lowering her voice to recount her past—Mu Tieshan, Mu Jinchuan, and the Juque School.

Li Wuxiang sneered after hearing this: "Oh, so I killed your son first, and then your husband. What, are you angry now? If you're really angry, I can make sure your family is reunited."

Xie Qi felt a chill run down his spine... Li Wuxiang seemed to be in a state of lucid trance—he remembered everything, though some details were mixed up. But even those mixed-up things had changed his temperament!

Despite the chill in the air, seeing Tong Xu's expression—a mixture of panic and helplessness—did actually bring a strange sense of satisfaction.

Tong Xu quickly whispered, "My Lord, you've misunderstood. As a cultivator, this kind of thing... sigh, sometimes I don't even remember that I have a son."

Li Wuxiang laughed again, but this time it was no longer a cold laugh. Instead, he looked at her kindly and said, "Don't be afraid, I was just joking. I am, after all, a swordsman. How could I kill indiscriminately? Sect Leader Tong, you've finally come to your senses. I'm overjoyed. If it's not because of this, then what is it?"

Tong Xu carefully chose his words: "It was during the Great Calamity of the Mountain Fire."

"During the Great Cataclysm Mountain Fire, I felt like I sensed something. I can't say whether it was a place, a person, or something else. In short, I felt that the place was both empty and free, as if there was nothing there, and as if there was everything... I can't say for sure, but I liked it very much."

“I asked the people of the Xuan Sect about this matter… I asked the people of the Taiyin Sect, and they said they knew about it. But they would only tell me after I helped them accomplish something and their thirty-year agreement with Sect Leader Mei expired.”

"This matter concerns Xu Zhen—he came to the Central Continent with them…your demon race's 'Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique,' saying that this technique can be practiced by the Blood God Sect. They want me to help Xu Zhen offer this technique to the Blood God Sect, that's the matter. Oh, and also, I need to help Xu Zhen accomplish what he…your demon race wants to do. I'm not entirely sure what that is—but since you remember everything now, Divine Lord, you can tell me, and I will serve you faithfully."

When she spoke, Li Wuxiang's posture was like this—

He sat cross-legged beside them, but closer to Tong Xu. Leaning slightly forward, he turned to look at her intently, his expression vivid. When Tong Xu described her experience with the Great Calamity Earth Fire, his eyes widened slightly, his mouth opened slightly, and he nodded, seemingly finding it astounding as well. When Tong Xu mentioned what the Taiyin Sect had asked her to do, he frowned slightly and nodded, as if deep in thought.

When Tong Xu uttered her last words, saying she was willing to serve him like a dog or horse, Li Wuxiang leaned back slightly, a smile appearing on his face. He looked at Tong Xu with that smile for a while, and when he saw her eyelids twitch slightly, he said, "Sect Leader Tong, you're courting death."

Tong Xu trembled: "My Lord, I am doing this for your Eastern Continent demon race—"

Li Wuxiang just smiled and stared at her: "Think about it again?"

"I...I...I really am..."

“Look, here I am. I’ll count to three,” Li Wuxiang said. “After I’ve counted to three, if what you say still doesn’t satisfy me, it’s because of two things. Either you’re too stupid—what use is a stupid person to me? Or you’re still looking for death. Either way, I’ll grant your wish immediately. One, two—”

Tong Xu changed from sitting to kneeling, and without the slightest hesitation kowtowed, saying in one breath, "I just said that I wanted you, Divine Lord, to tell me what you want to do in the Central Plains so that I can serve you like a dog or a horse—but I still don't believe your words, Divine Lord, and I'm testing whether you know or not!"

Her kneeling startled Xie Qi, who dared not sit next to Li Wuxiang any longer and quickly stood up, bowing slightly.

Li Wuxiang then stopped laughing. He waved to Xie Qi, "Elder Xie, please sit down. You're an honest man, and we have a good relationship. What are you afraid of? Isn't this just hurting my feelings?"

Then look at Tong Xu: "It seems you're not stupid, but to be honest, you're not very smart either. From now on, don't try to show off your cleverness in front of me. If you do it again, you'll be asking for death, understand?"

Tong Xu knelt on the ground: "I understand."

"Alright, then stop kowtowing. Elder Xie, what are you still standing there for?"

Tong Xu and Xie Qi had no choice but to sit down again. Li Wuxiang remained silent in the darkness for a while: "Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique... Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique... Sect Leader Tong, is this technique very powerful?"

Tong Xu was nearly driven mad. She already thought Xu Zhen was difficult enough to handle, but now Li Wu was even more difficult to deal with! He had just told her not to test whether he was truly obsessed, and now he was asking her if the demon race's Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique was "very powerful"—what was a self-proclaimed demon king of the Eastern Continent asking me?! How should I know?!
"I……"

Li Wuxiang sighed, "Never mind, Xu Zhen probably didn't tell you. He didn't tell me either. Not everyone in the Eastern Continent practices this technique; only he knows about it. But I don't care for it. Compared to the Great Calamity Sword Scripture, it's nothing." The Great Calamity Sword Scripture!?
Tong Xu and Xie Qi exchanged a glance, both stunned—Li Wuxiang originally cultivated the Great Calamity Sword Scripture?!
Li Wuxiang ignored the two and remained silent in the darkness, deep in thought. After a while, he suddenly chuckled to himself, "Hehe...haha, I know what Xu Zhen came here for. But it's too late. He probably didn't expect my younger brother to be so capable. But there's a lot he doesn't know. Ah...right, about that feeling you mentioned—"

He looked at Tong Xu: "I think I know what you're talking about—it seems like it has everything, and it seems like it has nothing; it seems like there are rules, and it seems like there are no rules?"

"...Yes, I guess so."

"Was it during the Great Cataclysmic Mountain Fire?"

"Ah."

"Then what you sensed was probably the divine power and authority of Donghuang Taiyi. Sect Leader Tong, what you sensed was not only the present world, but also the past. The past may exist, it may not exist, or it may change. If you had only told me about this, I might not have been sure. But since you told the people of the Taiyin Sect, and they said they knew, I can be sure."

Li Wuxiang straightened up and smiled slightly: "No one in the world understands matters of power and supernatural abilities better than me. I can only think of this one explanation, which is this—because of some fortuitous opportunity, you were able to glimpse the secrets of heaven."

Li Wuxiang looked at Tong Xu with a smug and confident expression. Tong Xu knew that if she said "no" now, Li Wuxiang would probably get angry. So she could only nod, making sure her expression was sincere and her tone was full of emotion: "So that's how it is... then I guess I'm... I guess I'm destined for this. Alas, if I had known this earlier, if I had met you, Divine Lord, I wouldn't have gone astray—"

"Shut up," Li Wuxiang suddenly said, his face turning cold.

Tong Xu was startled and immediately shut her mouth and lowered her eyes.

"I know everything."

"Yes, yes, the Divine Lord naturally knows everything..."

"Haha, Sect Leader Tong, you've learned to say nice things now." Li Wuxiang's expression changed again, and a kind smile appeared on his face.

Tong Xu inwardly groaned, but could only force a smile. But the smile vanished as he saw Li Wuxiang's expression change again, and he said fiercely, "Shut up."

Tong Xu was stunned for a moment, and was about to speak when she saw Xie Qi sitting on the other side of Li Wuxiang, giving her a series of winks.

Regardless of what Li Wuxiang said, Tong Xu, who usually prided herself on being intelligent, only realized at this moment, seeing Xie Qi's expression, that she had been so terrified that her mind was clouded.

Li Wuxiang wasn't telling himself to "shut up." He was talking to himself, talking to someone or to himself, without realizing it!
"Who do you think you are? What, you really think you're some kind of old man?"

Li Wuxiang chuckled coldly in the darkness.

"Bullshit! Haven't you ever looked at the necklace around your neck before? Isn't one of them like me? Huh?"

"Tsk tsk tsk, treat you well? People in the Central Plains treat their cats and dogs very well when they're fleeing famine, but what about when they're killing and eating them! When people are desperate, they'll even eat each other!"

"Oh, you really think he treats you like his sister? What a joke, he just sees you as one of his pet cats and dogs!"

"Oh, hahaha, it really is a kitten?"

"Otherwise, why would I call you stupid? Stupid things don't even know who they should hate. Let me tell you, if you want to hate someone, hate my older brother."

"Do I care? Let me tell you, don't cause me any trouble, don't bother me. The first thing I'll do when I become an old man is to tell you all to get out, especially you. I even think you're lowering my IQ."

"Why didn't you say so earlier? Okay, okay, stop bothering me."

"Really? When?" The fierce look on Li Wuxiang's face suddenly vanished, and his eyes widened slightly. After a moment, he laughed again, "I told you so. Haha, I guessed right! He thinks he can outsmart me? What a joke, he's a complete madman—he's still talking to himself over there!"

Li Wuxiang was talking to himself, while Tong Xu and Xie Qi were exchanging frantic glances—Xu Pianpian! He was talking to Xu Pianpian!
Tong Xu never imagined that he would one day be like this—hoping that Li Wuxiang would defeat Xu Zhen!

He really isn't a demon from the Eastern Continent! Xu Pianpian was truly swallowed by him, and she might still retain her consciousness at this moment, perhaps even residing within his body!

The two waited in the darkness for a while, both apprehensive and delighted, before finally seeing Li Wuxiang sway slightly and sigh, "Sect Leader Tong—"

"……exist."

“Since you are a human being and have even forgotten your own son, you should be able to understand what’s going on between me and my elder brother. You have to choose between him and me. You know my character from before, and you can also ask Elder Xie.”

"As for my elder brother, you should know he's unpredictable. So I'll choose for you—you really should serve me faithfully."

To be honest, Tong Xu didn't think Xu Zhen was as scary as Li Wuxiang was now. But after hearing him talking to Xu Pianpian just now, Tong Xu hesitated for a moment and said, "Of course."

“Alright, let’s do it this way—you get the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique from my elder brother, just as the Xuanjiao said. Didn’t the Xuanjiao tell you to send this technique to the Blood God Sect? I’ll do that.”

(End of this chapter)