This assassin is upright

Chapter 373 The Primal Demon
As Yu Zhun finished speaking, the room fell silent.

Helmod and the others stared in astonishment at the corpse sitting cross-legged, their eyes filled with deep horror.

A powerful figure who perished before the Netherworld appeared?
If that's the case, the origin of this corpse is probably even more terrifying than they imagined.

"What's the basis for this?" Helmod couldn't help but ask.

“Of course.” Yu Zhun nodded slightly and looked at Helmod. “You should know better than anyone what your sacred flame is.”

"That's the power your teacher, the Holy Blessing God Enji, bestowed upon you ahead of time," Yu Zhun said in a deep voice. "It allows you to possess even more powerful abilities in the second stage of advancement, but the price is..."

"When you advance to the third class advancement, you can only choose the pantheon."

Helmod fell silent upon hearing this.

Indeed, the most important reason why he possessed the Sacred Flame after his second job advancement was not the [Special Path Optimization Card] he exchanged, but rather an exclusive item given to him by Enji before he entered the second job advancement trial.

With this item, Helmod, who hadn't even reached the third job advancement, gained some of the special abilities that only divine beings possessed. The price he paid was that he was also branded as a god.

Of course, Helmod never considered choosing the magic system.

So this isn't a disadvantage for him.

Yu Zhun's re-bringing of this old matter now is clearly pointed at something.

"What do you mean?" Helmod asked slowly.

“The divine and the demonic are opposing paths,” Yu Zhun said quietly. “The Holy Flame possesses a trace of divine power, so when it truly encounters a powerful demonic being, some special changes will occur.”

"That is, the feeling of rejection you just mentioned."

“This change in the corpse indicates that the corpse was a powerful demonic being in life,” Yu Zhun said, looking at the corpse before him.

"Wait, I'm a little confused." Lu Wen rubbed his head and couldn't help but ask, "Could it be that the one we encountered before wasn't a demonic powerhouse?"

“Of course not.” Yu Zhun gave Lu Wen a strange look. “What we encountered was a powerful demon.”

"A single word can make all the difference in meaning."

Seeing that the others still didn't understand, Yu Zhun changed the subject, "Let me put it another way, we can now be considered to have the strength of the third stage."

Do you think we are now a divine or demonic race?

“Of course it’s the demon…” Lu Wen was about to speak subconsciously, but then he frowned deeply.

A powerful demon?
No, they aren't at all.

Because they did not undergo the third stage of the trial, they also lacked the ability of demonic powerhouses to absorb the power of others after killing them.

The round bead after the demon died?
That's just a rule that naturally arises from the Netherworld simulating the process of powerful demons devouring power.

A true demonic powerhouse grants immediate power upon defeat!
So strictly speaking, they can't be considered demonic powerhouses at this moment, nor can they be divine powerhouses.

"Never forget that our breakthrough is fake," Yu Zhun said in a deep voice. "In essence, we are just second-tier powerhouses with amplified strength, not third-tier powerhouses."

"We are like this, and so are the demons here."

"Therefore, Helmod didn't experience any special sense of rejection when he used the Holy Fire to kill the demons here."

"Because all of these powerful demons originally came from the first level of the Netherworld."

"They aren't true third-tier cultivators either!"

Upon hearing Yu Zhun's words, everyone's pupils contracted simultaneously, and then they showed expressions of sudden realization.

Yes, back in the first level of the Netherworld, they kept telling themselves that the enhancements they gained there were illusory.

However, as they progressed and constantly fought against powerful demons who had reached the third level of cultivation, this idea gradually faded from their minds.

“I thought the demons here would be different from us,” Helmod said in a deep voice, his brows furrowed. “So, it seems they, like us, are only at the fake third-tier strength?”

“That’s right.” Yu Zhun nodded slightly. “All the demons come from the first level of the Netherworld. They all descended step by step.”

"The Netherworld must have undergone a very long process of evolution and change before it finally took shape as it is today."

"As for where the demons on the first level came from..." Yu Zhun pondered for a moment, "If I'm not mistaken, it should be because the Netherworld continuously corrupted worlds and then released the transformed demons here."

"These demons, through constant battles, ventured deeper into the Netherworld, their strength increasing while forgetting their past."

"It's like we almost forgot we were still second-tier students."

"The stronger a demon's talent and strength, the further he/she has the chance to go, and eventually enter the ultimate place below the thirty-third level of the Netherworld."

"They are like Gu worms raised in captivity. Only the 'Gu King' who eventually reaches the ultimate place is truly valuable to the Netherworld."

“If I’m not mistaken…” Yu Zhun’s eyes deepened, “The power gained in the Netherworld is illusory, but if we truly enter the ultimate realm, there is hope of turning the illusory into the real!”

boom! ! !
It was as if thunder had struck everyone's minds; they all stared wide-eyed at Yu Zhun.

If I remember correctly, the guy from the Maha Abyss I met before said that the ultimate land corresponds to the nine stages of divinity.

If we could turn falsehood into reality…

Wouldn't that mean directly possessing the power of a true ninth-stage deity?!
What is the concept of "Nine Stages of Divine Transformation"?
That is a power that only the strongest in the top three divine regions can possess. It is because the top three divine regions have such strong individuals that they have been able to partially break free from the control of the God and Demon Palace and have the right to communicate with the master of the God and Demon Palace.

Such a powerful figure would be a pillar of strength even within a super-powerful organization like the God and Demon Palace, holding a very high position.

If they can gain that power by entering the ultimate realm…

"Don't even think about it." Seeing the others' excited expressions, Yu Zhun rolled his eyes and couldn't help but pour cold water on their enthusiasm.

Whether it can be transformed into reality depends on the Netherworld.

"But we are here to conquer the Netherworld."

"Even if we really reach the final destination, the Netherworld wouldn't give us such great benefits. We should be grateful that it didn't kill us."

"Unless we turn to the underworld and accept His call."

"But even if we do that, the master of the God and Demon Palace will still kill us. Not only us, but our world will also suffer."

Upon hearing this, everyone instantly calmed down.

Indeed, all their power is under the control of the master of the God and Demon Palace. How could Youming possibly give them his power?

"We've gotten a bit off-topic." Yu Zhun coughed lightly, bringing the subject back on track, and pointed to the corpse in front of him. "Now you should understand why I believe this corpse dates back to before the Netherworld appeared, right?"

"Because He is a true demonic powerhouse."

"Then why did the Underworld leave Him here?" Helmod asked in a deep voice. "Does He serve some other purpose?"

Yu Zhun frowned slightly upon hearing this.

He doesn't have an answer to the question Helmod asked.

He wasn't omniscient or omnipotent; being able to deduce those things from before was already the limit of what he could get based on the existing clues.

After a moment of contemplation, Yu Zhun shook his head slightly.

"do not know."

"But if nothing unexpected happens, this is Void Lord's scheme."
-
"Lord Void...why is he doing this?"

In an empty hall, Bai Huijun sat cross-legged, his brows furrowed, a thoughtful expression constantly appearing in his eyes.

After parting ways with Yu Zhun and Yu Zhu, he didn't immediately travel far to investigate. Instead, he returned to his palace and remained silent. He knew very well that since the Void Lord was keeping an eye on Yu Zhun and the others, he, who had been in contact with them, would also be targeted.

Any unusual behavior on one's part within a short period of time will arouse suspicion.

The best option is to remain inactive.

However, Bai Huijun did not waste this time.

He searched every corner of his memory, trying to deduce Void Lord's possible schemes based on clues.

Why would Void Lord, the third of the Nine Lords, orchestrate such a grand scheme?
Is it to target the two people ahead of him?
If that's the case, the simplest thing for Void Lord to do would be to kill the other nine Lords and absorb their power to secretly become stronger.

However, he was not killed by Void Lord. The other party was just pretending to be Yu Zhun and others, playing a trick on him.

This led Bai Huijun to speculate further.

What is there worth plotting in the sixth level of the Netherworld?
Could it be... Nightmare Valley?

Upon considering this possibility, Bai Huijun's pupils contracted slightly.

Yes, Nightmare Valley was secretly protected by Void Lord.

It's not impossible for him to take action against Nightmare Valley if he wants to.

According to the leader of the Nine Lords, the primordial demons in Nightmare Valley are key to maintaining order in the fourth, fifth, and sixth levels, and absolutely cannot be allowed to have problems. This is also the reason why the Void Lord is stationed there and why the Nine Lords are also unable to enter.

If the Void Lord diverts the attention of those two, and then secretly plots against the Primordial Demon...

"Not good!" Bai Huijun's expression suddenly changed, and he stood up abruptly, walking quickly towards the palace entrance.

Just as he was about to step out of the palace gate, a look of intense struggle and hesitation appeared on his face.

After a long while, Bai Huijun gritted his teeth and stepped out of the palace gate.

The next moment, he froze in place.

A razor-sharp blade had already pierced his chest.

"Ugh…"

With a long, drawn-out sigh, Void Lord emerged from the void, looking at White Radiance Lord with regret, "I didn't want to kill you."

"At least not now."

"But you missed your only chance to live."

"Heh..." Blood spilled from Bai Huijun's lips. He felt the power of the Void Lord running rampant through his body, instantly suppressing most of his life force, leaving only a sliver like a candle flickering in the wind.

But there was no despair in his eyes, only a deep sadness.

"Qiongwu, what exactly are you trying to do?"

"Let's do something interesting." Void Lord smiled slightly, but the smile looked rather frightening on his gaunt face.

"You think I'd tell you the truth just because you're about to die?"

"Don't even think about it. You won't even have the chance to inform the other nine lords." As Void Lord finished speaking, another figure slowly emerged from the void.

Upon seeing the powerful figure whose aura was completely identical to that of Void Lord, Bai Huijun's pupils contracted sharply, and a look of deep astonishment appeared in his eyes.

"Your abilities..."

Before Bai Huijun could finish speaking, the second Void Lord had already tightly embraced his body. Amidst a faint scream, the two figures were completely transformed into twisted flesh and blood, merging together.

Once everything calmed down, his flesh and blood returned to the form of Bai Huijun.

Void Lord smiled slightly, "The rest is up to you."

"Don't worry." Bai Huijun grinned, revealing the same smile as Xu Kongjun. "This game of chess isn't over yet."
-
"Click——"

With a crisp sound, Yu Zhun's expression changed, and he took out a jade pendant from his pocket. At this moment, cracks appeared on the jade pendant.

"Whose life tablet is this?" Helmod's face darkened.

“Bai Huijun,” Yu Zhu spoke first, his expression turning solemn, “it seems Bai Huijun is dead.”

“No.” Yu Zhun shook his head slightly, his brows furrowing as he looked at the jade pendant, which was almost completely shattered but not quite.

"Bai Huijun is in a state of near death."

"But this near-death state is different from a normal near-death state."

"The divination tablet indicates that he is dead, but it also indicates that he is still alive, which is why this unusual result has occurred."

At this point, Yu Zhun's expression slowly darkened.

Without a doubt, it was Void Lord who attacked Bai Huijun.

But Yu Zhun had no way of knowing what the other party had done or whether Bai Huijun was alive or dead at this moment.

“We have to make a choice.” Yu Zhun took a deep breath and slowly said, “Bai Huijun’s condition is abnormal.”

"Perhaps, things will not go as we expect."

"If we continue to stay in Nightmare Valley, there may be some changes outside that are beyond our control."

“But if we stay here…” Yu Zhun glanced at the corpses not far away, “we might be able to get closer to the secrets of the Netherworld.”

"How to choose?"

“I think we should stay,” Helmod said in a deep voice. “According to your speculation, this powerful demonic being is part of Void Lord’s scheme, so no matter what, he will eventually come here.”

"We're basically just waiting for the rabbit to run into our trap here."

“I think we should go out.” Lu Wen sat cross-legged on the ground. “If we go out, we can kill a few more lords. Here, we can only stand there dumbfounded.”

“Staying might be a better choice,” Udyr said slowly after a moment of contemplation. “I also agree with staying.”

“I support you.” Yu Zhu looked at Yu Zhun. “Whatever you choose, I will choose.”

"Then let's find a way to leave." Yu Zhun said in a deep voice, "The void in the pillar of demonic energy has not appeared yet, we need to think of other ways."

As he spoke, Yu Zhun couldn't help but look up at the sky and ask, "Just how tall do you think this pillar of demonic energy is?"

Is it possible for us to get off from above it?

“We can give it a try,” Helmod said slowly.

Levitation is no problem for them now.

If you keep flying upwards, there will eventually be a time when you reach the end.

"Let's go, we're just idling here anyway." Yu Zhun stomped his foot and soared upwards like lightning, with the others following closely behind.

Ten thousand meters...fifty thousand meters...one hundred thousand meters...

As they rose higher, the Nightmare Valley beneath their feet grew smaller and smaller, but the pillar of demonic energy remained, seemingly reaching an endless height.

Finally, they reached the dome of the sixth level of the Netherworld, where an invisible force appeared in the void, preventing them from continuing upwards.

But the pillar of demonic energy still exists, even surpassing the invisible barrier and climbing to a higher place that they cannot reach.

(End of this chapter)