Chapter 710: The Bride in the Ice Coffin
That calamity god roared in fury, desperately trying to shake Qin Mu off, but Qin Mu seemed to be stuck to his back like glue, continuing to gnaw on his head.
Crack!
The Five Thunder Vase flew over, and the five clouds of thunder crackled and struck Qin Mu repeatedly. The Fire Bell divine weapon within the thunder clouds erupted, rolling thunder blasting against Qin Mu's body, finally managing to send him flying.
The calamity god regrouped and charged at Qin Mu once more, but suddenly teleportation formation patterns swirled around Qin Mu, and his figure vanished, only to reappear behind the calamity god the next instant, clinging to his back and hugging his head as he bit down.
The Heavenly Duke and the Crimson Emperor looked at each other, both at a loss for what to do.
In the Nether Capital, the Nether Capital Heavenly Gate firmly suppressed the Nether Sea. The two Nether Emperors stood side by side between the gates, simultaneously resisting the attacks of Tian Shu, Yan Wang, and the Heavenly Yin Empress.
With the Nether Capital Heavenly Gate manifested, he stood beneath it, nearly immortal. Any wounds inflicted by Tian Shu, Yan Wang, or the Heavenly Yin Empress would instantly heal as the reincarnation power of the Nether Capital Heavenly Gate flowed through them, keeping him perpetually at his peak state!
Yan Wang, Tian Shu, and the Heavenly Yin Empress grew more and more alarmed as they fought. The current Nether Emperor could truly be said to stand in an undefeatable position—unless they could directly erase him from existence, there was no way to overcome him.
The Nether Capital Heavenly Gate was a treasure forged by the Nether Emperor himself. Such divine power, such methods—truly worthy of a Throne Seat powerhouse, truly worthy of one revered as the Black Emperor of the Nether Capital.
Meanwhile, in the Nether Capital continent, within the Nether Prison, countless suppressed primordial spirits sensed the terrifying fluctuations and vibrations from the outside world. Prisoners woke one after another, filled with shock and uncertainty.
"The best way to enter enemy territory is to have the enemy invite you in." The Woodcutter Sage's primordial spirit opened his eyes and said in a low voice.
He had been summoned by the Book of Life and Death and sent to the Nether Prison of the Nether Capital for suppression. This cell's four walls were specifically designed for primordial spirits, covered with runic seals that restricted spirits, and chains pierced through his body, limiting all his divine powers.
The Woodcutter examined these runes one by one. After a moment, his gaze fell upon the chains binding him, and he quickly comprehended the principles contained within these seals.
Clatter.
One chain after another, like agile serpents, withdrew from his body in succession. The Woodcutter landed lightly on his feet and walked toward the cell door.
The door creaked open on its own.
He had actually deciphered the method to break the Nether Prison in an extremely short time, coming and going as if through uninhabited territory.
The Woodcutter Sage stepped outside and, right in front of the guards, approached another cell. With a wave of his hand, the cell opened, and the chains binding the First Ancestor Human Emperor fell away one by one.
The First Ancestor Human Emperor leaped out of the prison, killed the Nether Prison guards who rushed at him, broke open other cells, and rescued Fu Ri Luo, the Old Angler, Chi Xi, and others.
"Everyone, break through the prison cells all the way down, release all the prisoners, and cause as much chaos in the Nether Capital as possible!"
The Woodcutter Sage's expression remained calm as still water, and he said: "The more chaotic the Nether Capital becomes, the safer Yan Kang will be. If we can keep it in chaos for decades or centuries, Yan Kang will be safe for decades or centuries!"
Everyone nodded and fought their way through, killing the Nether Prison guards that surged toward them, opening the cells along the way and releasing the prisoners within.
This Nether Prison was the most heavily guarded prison in the Nether Capital, holding gods and demons who had shown disrespect to the Heavenly Court. These gods and demons had been stripped of their physical bodies, their primordial spirits imprisoned here to suffer.
There were many guards in the Nether Prison, after all, since dangerous individuals were held here. However, they encountered formidable characters like the Old Angler, Chi Xi, and Fu Ri Luo, who immediately unleashed killing moves without hesitation.
The Old Angler cast his fishhook, reeling in souls—one hook, one hit. Chi Xi had three heads and six arms, and Fu Ri Luo's demonic arts were even more stunning. The three of them turned the Nether Prison upside down, and when they encountered opponents they couldn't handle, there was still the First Ancestor Human Emperor.
Since the First Ancestor Human Emperor had stepped out of his mental prison, his cultivation and strength had grown increasingly powerful, showing signs of breaking through the God-Slaying Platform and entering the Jade Capital realm.
The group continued fighting their way down. The Nether Prison had many levels, descending deep into the Nether Capital's underground. The deeper they went, the heavier the seals and the stronger the guards.
By the time they reached the lowest level, they were exhausted from fighting. Fortunately, they had released many Nether Prison inmates who attracted most of the guards, sharing the pressure.
"This is the place!"
The Woodcutter Sage looked around. The area was dim and gloomy, eerie and strange. Many gecko-like monsters crawled along the walls with rustling sounds, moving extremely fast and possessing massive bodies.
"That person should be suppressed here."
Everyone looked around. There weren't many cells here, but each door was forged from divine gold, covered with various edicts. The seals contained within each edict were extremely terrifying, and no one knew who had left them.
Fu Ri Luo said in a deep voice: "Who exactly is the person we're here to rescue? Can you tell us now, brother?"
The Woodcutter Sage walked forward, examining the edict seals on these cells, discerning the types of seals within the edicts to deduce who was being suppressed inside. He said calmly: "This person is the number one Heavenly King of the Kai Huang era. The Heavenly Court of the Kai Huang era had thirty-six heavenly palaces, and among them, four great heavenly palaces were the most revered. These four palaces were held by four Heavenly Kings. Among these four Heavenly Kings, the Eastern Azure King had the most seniority, the Western Emperor Shi Tian Wang was the youngest, the Northern Nether Capital Heavenly King was unmatched in bravery after drinking, and the one with the highest cultivation was this Southern Heavenly King."
The First Ancestor Human Emperor's heart skipped a beat, and he said in a deep voice: "Emperor Shi's 'Shi' in Emperor Shi Tian Wang is a Buddhist title; he was originally a god skilled in forging and heavenly craftsmanship. The 'Emperor' in this Southern Heavenly King's name is neither a Buddhist title nor a surname."
The Woodcutter Sage carefully examined the edicts and said: "Your Highness is correct. The 'Emperor' in the Southern Heavenly King's name is an honorific title. Her strength even surpassed the Azure King. In the Kai Huang era, she was someone qualified to contend with Kai Huang for the imperial throne. Although she lost to Kai Huang, she was still revered as Emperor."
The First Ancestor Human Emperor was silent for a moment, then said: "Di Yi Yue, one of the four Heavenly Kings, was rumored to have died in battle before the catastrophe erupted."
"I originally thought she had died in battle too. But she didn't."
The Woodcutter Sage stopped before a cell, examined the edict, and said in a deep voice: "My eldest disciple once entrusted my third disciple to deliver some geographical charts to me, and one of them was a map of the Nether Prison, with a marked location at the deepest point of the prison."
His expression darkened. The founding patriarch of the Heavenly Sage Sect had done many things in his search for the path of sages—many things that even the Woodcutter Sage himself wouldn't dare to think of or do.
Yet this eldest disciple had remained missing to this day, with no one knowing whether he was alive or dead.
"He must have come to the Nether Capital and wanted to send me a message. On the geographical chart Qin Mu gave me, there's a tiny rune marked at a location—this was left by my eldest disciple. That rune mark is Di Yi Yue's customary divine power imprint."
He fell silent after saying this, deeply worried about the founding patriarch's situation.
The Old Angler praised: "Your eldest disciple is truly remarkable, able to sneak into this place without anyone knowing and find Di Yi Yue's whereabouts. Your other two disciples are also extraordinary. I've met the Yan Kang National Preceptor—his talent is peerless, even surpassing yours in your prime. It's just that your youngest disciple is a bit mischievous. But speaking of which, this operation of yours—keeping it from your youngest disciple and using him as bait—is that really a good idea?"
The Woodcutter Sage's eyelid twitched. He carefully analyzed the edicts on this cell door and said: "There's a big monster hidden in his brow. He won't die. Taking some losses is good for him. He's too young, still a bit naive."
"Naive?" Fu Ri Luo and Chi Xi both snorted coldly. Both of them had suffered great losses at Qin Mu's hands.
The First Ancestor imagined what Qin Mu's naive appearance might look like, and his expression also turned somewhat unpleasant.
The Woodcutter saw through the edicts on the door, his primordial energy flowing and transforming into runes one after another. The runes lit up and shone upon the edicts in succession.
Each time they shone, one seal within the edict was unlocked. His speed was extremely fast, transforming through who knew how many primordial energy runes, and the seals within the edict opened layer upon layer.
After a long while, the Woodcutter Sage raised his palm and gently peeled off the edict.
Although everyone admired his methods, they weren't too surprised. As the foremost of the Four Great Heavenly Masters, the Woodcutter was renowned for his vast knowledge—there was almost no seal in the world he couldn't break!
The cell door creaked open, the sound harsh and grating. A cold wind rushed out, stirring everyone's clothes, and soon their brows, beards, and hair were covered with frost crystals.
"Sentimentality has always left only regret; the sweetest dreams are the easiest to wake from. How could picking flowers fail to bring release? How pitiful the drifting willow catkins, so lost and wandering."
A plaintive sigh came from within the cell, cold enough to pierce one's heart. Fu Ri Luo said in surprise: "This renowned Heavenly King Di Yi Yue is a woman?"
The Woodcutter Sage nodded and stepped into the cell first.
Inside was an ice chamber, terrifyingly cold. Nine ice dragons coiled around the perimeter of the chamber, hanging upside down with their heads pointing downward. Surrounding the nine dragon heads was an ice coffin, within which lay a woman of peerless beauty and grace. She wore black clothing, but adorned with a phoenix crown and ceremonial wedding robes, lying quietly in the transparent coffin.
Her skin was whiter than snow, made even more fair by the contrast of her black wedding dress.
She lay in the ice coffin as if floating amidst clouds and mist, appearing serene and mysterious.
The nine ice dragons were breathing cold ice breath toward the ice coffin, as if trying to freeze the female corpse within.
But the bride in the coffin had already awakened. She opened her eyes and gently raised one hand, her jade-white index finger curling upward, revealing an ornate black ring with sharp spikes.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
One ice dragon after another shattered, leaving only the last one. The remaining ice dragon showed terror on its face and curled into a ball.
The Woodcutter Sage stepped forward and took the hand of the woman in the coffin. The bride in the ice coffin slowly floated up and landed on the ground, her eyes filled with weariness.
"Please, Southern Heavenly King, return to your position!" the Woodcutter said in a deep voice.
Di Yi Yue said gloomily: "Even if I return to my position, what difference does it make? I am already dead."
Only then did everyone notice that her forehead had a hole about the width of a finger, and they couldn't tell what had wounded her. Through this wound, they could see the wall behind her.
Although she wore black clothing, the garment was in the style and cut of a wedding dress. She still wore the phoenix crown and ceremonial robes, and atop the phoenix crown was a purple-red bridal veil that had already been lifted, revealing her beautiful countenance.
She should have been sitting quietly beside the wedding bed on the night of her wedding, feeling both nervous and sweet, when at the moment the purple-red bridal veil was lifted, she was struck dead by a single blow from an enemy.
The only one who could approach this number one Heavenly King of the Kai Huang Heavenly Court was her beloved—her groom.
It was her groom who had stabbed her to death at the moment he lifted her veil.
"Back then, Kai Huang planned to invite the Heavenly King to resist the catastrophe, but unfortunately, news of her death came right after her wedding. The catastrophe erupted, and countless common people suffered casualties."
The Woodcutter Sage said: "In those days, the Heavenly King traveled far and wide seeking mastery, training under the Four Emperors, all for the purpose of dealing with heavenly calamities. Now the catastrophe has come again. The Heavenly King missed it once—she must not miss it a second time. As for your death, it has already been resolved by my youngest disciple. You can be resurrected."
Di Yi Yue murmured: "I can be resurrected?"
She turned her head and looked at the ice dragon cowering in the corner.
The ice dragon trembled violently and said in a quavering voice: "Empress, spare me! We were merely following orders, forced to freeze the Empress's body and primordial spirit!"
"Empress?"
Di Yi Yue's expression turned cold: "You call me Empress? When have I, Di Yi Yue, ever relied on a man? Even the Heavenly Master wouldn't dare call me Empress—he can only address me as Heavenly King. You dare call me Empress? Call me Di Yi Yue!"
The ice dragon hesitated, then said cautiously: "Di Yi Yue..."
Crack!
It suddenly exploded, turning into flying ice shards. Its primordial spirit shattered beyond repair.
"Addressing me by name, showing disrespect to me—you deserve to die!"
Di Yi Yue turned around and smiled: "Let's go. Let's go meet the groom. I haven't seen that faithless man in twenty thousand years, and he never came to visit me even after I died. I so want to put a bloody wound like mine in the middle of his brow..."
— — — — Happy birthday to Black Hand Chain, and may he find a girlfriend soon! (Hey, this sentence was added at his own request.)