Chapter 252: Power Ascension, the King of the Underworld’s Conditions

The King of the Underworld watched Yu Chenxing slowly sit down, paused for a moment, then said, “He’s fine. He’s just regained consciousness and can’t open his eyes yet. He’ll wake up soon… But the path ahead for him is truly difficult. I wonder what he’ll choose.”
Yu Chenxing asked urgently, “What does that mean?”
The King of the Underworld shook his head and said, “It’s very complicated. Even if I explain it, you might not understand. Go and see him. He’ll wake up soon. I need some quiet time to think about how to help him recover.” With that, the eyes behind the golden mask slowly closed.
Although Yu Chenxing didn’t fully understand her father, it seemed clear that he didn’t want to be disturbed. Since he mentioned finding a way to help Liu Yi recover, Yu Chenxing didn’t overthink it, nodded, and walked over to where Liu Yi was lying.

As for Liu Yi, he was still unconscious. His tightly closed eyes showed no sign of opening. Having just regained consciousness and suffering from a severe loss of vital energy, he was extremely weak. After becoming a puppet, he had used a great deal of his vital energy, and during his battle with the King of the Underworld, he had also lost a lot of his killing intent. Thus, his complexion appeared pale.
Yu Chenxing gently placed her cold hand on Liu Yi’s face and stroked it lightly before stopping. Looking at Liu Yi’s face, she suddenly said to herself, “How can I forget?” It seemed like she was speaking to herself as well as asking Liu Yi, but the unconscious Liu Yi seemed unable to hear her at all.
Seeing Liu Yi’s pale face and lost in her thoughts, what could she be thinking about? It was simply what to do with Liu Yi now. She had tried to leave, but how could she control herself? She had thought time would help her forget and distance would ease her longing, but instead, time and distance only made her longing stronger. hadn’t someone said that time could erase all sorrows? But why didn’t it work this time? Yu Chenxing had asked herself countless times, yet she couldn’t find an answer.

Meanwhile, Liu Yi, lying on the stone bed, dreamed of that familiar figure—always so familiar yet somewhat strange. It seemed so clear, right before his eyes, yet forever out of reach. In the darkness, the figure of a white woman stepped forward. Her eyes, bright as stars, gazed at Liu Yi, and then her cold hand stroked his face.
Liu Yi knew it was a dream, because this dream could no longer deceive him. The celestial maiden could only appear in dreams, and now he had no power to bring her back to the divine realm. The voice from across reached Liu Yi’s ears: “How can you forget?” Every word was etched deep into his heart. Liu Yi didn’t understand why this dream was so real. Perhaps, this was reality.

Liu Yi grabbed the Heavenly Maiden’s hand and said, “How can we forget? Our love is already engraved in our hearts. Even gods cannot erase it. Even if we go through reincarnation or be reborn, even if we drink Meng Po’s soup on the Bridge of No Return, those memories will never be forgotten. What accompanies us is not just pain. As long as we believe in each other, there will be happiness.”
The Heavenly Maiden looked at Liu Yi with sincere eyes and smiled, saying, “Really? That will be our eternal longing. Happiness hasn’t left us. Whenever we miss each other, it will return to us. Remember, in a distant place in the sky, there’s a shadow in your dreams that misses you—that’s me. No matter how long this pain lasts, I will… I believe that one day we will meet again. No matter how many millions of years pass, I will wait for my beloved to return.” Her voice gradually faded until it finally disappeared.
Liu Yi reached out to grab her, but caught nothing. He cried out loudly, “Don’t go, don’t leave!” Suddenly, his vision cleared, and his eyes opened again. It turned out he was indeed dreaming. Yet in this dream, he would always get lost. Suddenly, he felt his gloved hand was icy cold.
He gently raised his head and looked down. He saw that he was holding Yu Chenxing’s hand. At that moment, Yu Chenxing was lying on his chest, fast asleep. Looking at her weary yet peaceful face, Liu Yi knew she must not have had a good night’s sleep for a long time. Perhaps she left that night, but later returned and had been following him. It was just that because of the emptiness in this world and his urgency to find her, he overlooked her presence and never noticed. Otherwise, how could she have appeared when he was in trouble?
Suddenly, Liu Yi remembered something. In his memory, it was clearly he who intended to kill Yu Chenxing later on… But after that, he couldn’t remember anything else. What exactly had happened? Where was this place? What had he done? Hadn’t he already become a puppet possessed by evil? How could he have changed back?
Immediately, Liu Yi summoned his vital energy. Soon, he found that he was no different from before he was possessed—his vital energy was abundant, though occasionally showing signs of turmoil, probably caused by that murderous intent. But now his vital energy seemed to have returned to its state from some time ago. Could it be that someone had helped him? But who could help him after he became a puppet?
While Liu Yi was lost in thought, Yu Chenxing woke up too. Seeing Liu Yi’s eyes open, she quickly said, “You’re awake. How are you? Is there anything still uncomfortable in your body?”
Liu Yi shook his head and slowly sat up. “I’m fine for now. Where is this? How did I end up here?”
Yu Chenxing replied, “We’re still in the World of Mirrors. This is a cave. Have you forgotten? It was my father who helped you. Then he brought you here. I don’t know where this is either, but we can live here.”
Liu Yi frowned and asked, “Your father?”

Yu Chenxing continued, “How can you be so stupid? It’s the King of the Underworld. Who else could be in this mirror world? Even if there were others, who would be able to help you when you’re so terrifying?”
Upon hearing this, Liu Yi was shocked. “The King of the Underworld… he’s her father. From what she said, it seems the King of the Underworld fought against her when she turned into a puppet. But judging from the current situation, it’s clear he defeated her. She wasn’t even a match for him even after becoming a puppet—this shows just how powerful he must be.”
Seeing Liu Yi deep in thought, Yu Chenxing added, “I’ll take you to see my father. I think he’ll surely have a way to help you.”
Liu Yi thought for a moment, nodded, and stood up. As Yu Chenxing led him inside, the cave was quite spacious, with a slight slope as they went further in. Soon, Liu Yi arrived at the King of the Underworld’s resting place. As soon as he entered, his first glance was on the Golden King of the Underworld seated on the throne.
Just as the two entered, the King of the Underworld’s eyes slowly opened as well. The gaze from behind the mask fixed on Liu Yi, trying to probe his thoughts. Then, a gentle voice spoke, “You recover faster than expected. You’re already awake.” He then looked at Liu Yi.
Liu Yi stared at the figure before him—his tall stature, golden armor, and the mysterious person behind the mask all gave off an air of mystery. That gaze seemed familiar, as if from a distant world. Was he the King of the Underworld? The one who once created a new world?
Yu Chenxing glanced at the King of the Underworld and hurriedly asked, “Father, is there any way you can help him?”
After hearing Yu Chenxing’s words, the King of the Underworld replied, “Your four uncles are practicing behind. Go and see them. I need to talk to him alone. I suppose… you won’t eavesdrop, right?” He then turned his kind gaze toward Yu Chenxing. Yu Chenxing didn’t know what the King of the Underworld wanted to talk to Liu Yi about, but it seemed like he didn’t want him to know. He then said, “Okay, I’ll leave. You two talk at your leisure.” With that, he turned and walked outside, disappearing soon into the cave’s corridor.
After Yu Chenxing left, the King of the Underworld casually shot out a golden beam of light. With that beam, a faint, thin barrier appeared about ten feet away, right behind Liu Yi. Then, the King of the Underworld’s voice came through, “Now, our conversation won’t be disturbed. No sound from inside this barrier will escape.” His gaze once again settled on Liu Yi.
Liu Yi was shocked. The King of the Underworld was indeed powerful. Though he didn’t know how he compared to the Purple Dragon, he was definitely much stronger than himself. But what did he want to talk to him about? In his current state, was he going to help him? Liu Yi slowly sat down beside him and asked, “What do we need to talk about?”

The King of the Underworld paused for a moment, then said softly, “Survival or death—your future lies in this conversation. It all depends on your choice.” His voice was gentle, yet those few words lifted Liu Yi’s spirits, for he knew that if the King said so, he could live on.

But Liu Yi quickly dismissed the trust he felt toward this man due to his own doubts. No matter how powerful the King of the Underworld was, he was now plagued by the desire to kill. Even if the King could help him for now, he couldn’t do so forever. One day, that desire would devour his soul and turn him into a puppet of darkness. At this thought, Liu Yi’s expression darkened.

The King of the Underworld studied Liu Yi with his deep gaze, observing the complex changes in his expression. It seemed he could guess what Liu Yi was thinking, so he continued, “Don’t you trust me? But I still say this: if you wish, I can help you. I can help you surpass who you are now and enter a completely new path of advancement. What happened last time you lost consciousness will never happen again.”

Liu Yi had been somewhat depressed, but after hearing the King’s words, he finally understood. The King didn’t mean to help him suppress the desire to kill; instead, he wanted to help him break free from it and possess a Dark Heart. But how could he know? Even if he did, how could he achieve it? The King’s power was great, but not great enough to allow him to break free from that desire on his own. Although Liu Yi knew little about the King, he understood his own demonic powers well. Finally, Liu Yi couldn’t help but ask, “How can you say you can help me? You don’t understand my difficulties.”

The King thought for a moment before replying, “Actually, I know you’re facing difficulties in mastering the cultivation methods. Your vital energy is insufficient, and you must continue to accumulate it to advance. But once you reach a certain level, you’ll be controlled by the power you’ve accumulated. So, it’s absolutely impossible for you to use your own accumulated power to advance to a higher level. That’s why I know how to help you. Using my power won’t work either, but I have a way.”

Hearing the King’s words, Liu Yi grew hesitant. If what he said was true, then the King must have considered everything before speaking such words. If that was indeed the case, then there was still hope for him to acquire a Dark Heart. With a Dark Heart, his life and time would no longer be restricted. No matter how many millennia passed, he would be able to complete whatever he set out to do. At this thought, Liu Yi became curious about why the King wanted to help him and asked, “Why do you want to help me?”

The King looked at Liu Yi, nodded gently, and said, “It seems you believe in my abilities now. That’s good. Of course, I have my reasons for helping you. But more importantly, I have my conditions. I’m not someone who likes to do good deeds. Why would I do something that brings me no benefit?”

Liu Yi listened to the Underworld King’s words while pondering his conditions and reasons. Yet, he couldn’t reach any conclusion about this strange Underworld King, so he looked at him, waiting for an answer.

The Underworld King continued, “You’re a smart man. I’ve been in this Mirror World for many years, but I still haven’t left. I think you can guess why.”

Hearing this, Liu Yi seemed to understand a bit. With the Underworld King’s power, he was indeed far stronger than himself. Plus, having his own attendants, their combined strength should be roughly equal to that of the Purple Dragon. Even if they lost, they wouldn’t be severely hurt. But it seemed the Underworld King was at a loss against the Purple Dragon.

The Underworld King added, “As for that Purple Dragon, I’m not powerless to defeat it. It controls the exit to this Mirror World. As long as it lives, we’ll never be able to leave. But its clones really give me headaches. No matter how many Purple Dragons we kill, as long as one clone remains, it will never die. That’s why we still can’t kill that Purple Dragon to this day.”

Hearing the Underworld King’s words, Liu Yi suddenly had an idea. Yes, if he could fight the Purple Dragon himself, the outcome might be different. The Underworld King couldn’t kill the Purple Dragon because of its clones, but his own “Sorrowful Dream” sword could absorb the Purple Dragon’s power. Killing one clone would weaken the Purple Dragon, until it was finally subdued. It seemed what was simple for him was much harder for the Underworld King.

The Underworld King continued, “I think you understand what I mean. Your current strength isn’t enough to fight the Purple Dragon. Even a small clone could injure you. That’s why I’m helping you—because I also want to leave this world.” With that, he once again focused his gaze on Liu Yi.

Liu Yi seemed to understand the Underworld King’s meaning and nodded. Then he said, “But if that’s the reason, isn’t it too simple? Since you know how difficult it is for me to raise my strength, you should also know how powerful I’ll be once I do. Don’t you think helping me like this would create a terrifying demon?”

The Underworld King shook his head and replied, “I never thought so. Whatever you do has nothing to do with me. I’m just me. I have no ambition for fame, profit, or your struggles for dominance. Compared to me, my old friend Pangu seems to have a worse impression of you.” He paused for a moment before continuing, “I think… if I were here drinking tea, you wouldn’t just attack me without reason, would you? You’re not interested in those who pose no threat to you, right?” He watched Liu Yi’s reaction.

Liu Yi stared at the Underworld King. He was the creator of a world and the leader of his race. Saying such things now made it hard to tell truth from falsehood. But since he had said it, what did it matter to him? What he needed was strength, the continuation of his life, and the ability to accomplish his goals. Otherwise, everything would be meaningless.

At that moment, the King of the Underworld continued, “Of course, I have one more condition. Without it, I don’t think I would help you. Although we can’t leave this mirror world without you, I can kill you, take the sword in your hand, and figure out a way to get out. So, this condition is the real reason why I’ll help you.” After thinking for a while, Liu Yi finally understood that what the King of the Underworld was saying now was the real point. If he refused this condition, the king would kill him, take the sword, and find a way to kill Zi Long and leave this world. Curious, Liu Yi asked, “What is the condition?” The King of the Underworld replied, “I can give you everything you desire, help you become the most powerful true demon, and let you realize how insignificant the world is and how great your power can be. But all of this depends on your choice.” Listening to the king’s words, Liu Yi asked again, “You still haven’t told me your condition.” The King of the Underworld nodded and said, “This condition should be simple for you; you can fulfill it. But before I reveal it, I think you’d better consider who you are now. What would happen if you couldn’t rise in power?” With that, his gaze slowly shifted to the sword at Liu Yi’s waist. Looking at the king’s gaze, Liu Yi knew that if he refused, the king would kill him and take the sword. Even if he didn’t kill him, the king would still take the sword. If he couldn’t reach the Dark Heart, he would become a puppet of demons, forget everything, and turn into a blood demon. His thousand-year curse, his lover, and his eternal hatred would all vanish. The puppet would bear the sorrow of thousands of years, having given up everything he could and suffering all the pain he could endure, yet unable to take even the slightest revenge on those vicious deities…