Chapter 256: The Return of the King – Bringing the Divine Dragon Back to the Netherworld

Liu Yi’s voice was icy, devoid of any emotion, yet his confidence was undeniable. As soon as he spoke, the Purple Dragon moved—its massive body rising into the air, creating a whirlwind in its wake. Its head snapped forward, and a thick white lightning bolt shot toward Liu Yi, surrounded by blue sparks with a buzzing sound.

Liu Yi had seen such lightning before, but this one was incomparable to the last. In the blink of an eye, the thick white bolt reached him. With a loud boom and buzzing, the explosion sent dust flying, and under the immense force, Yu Chenxing was sent flying several feet away.

But Yu Chenxing quickly stood up. Hadn’t Liu Yi dodged it just now? Yes—she clearly saw the white lightning with blue light strike Liu Yi, causing an explosive explosion. Yellow dust filled the air, and suddenly, fear arose in Yu Chenxing’s heart—a worry-filled fear. Could it be… that Liu Yi hadn’t dodged the lightning?

The yellow dust slowly dispersed in the wind. The Purple Dragon hovered in the air, roaring loudly as if celebrating its victory over Liu Yi. But soon, the yellow dust cleared, and a black light shot upward. Five-colored light beams emerged from the ground, surrounding the black light. As the light faded, Liu Yi’s body hovered opposite the Purple Dragon.

Liu Yi’s cold gaze fixed on the Purple Dragon’s body. Shadows of the five-colored divine dragon circled around him, forming five colors that appeared and disappeared. His left hand tightly gripped the black sword as he hovered steadily in the air. A red glow flashed in his eyes as he said, “It’s time to end this.”

Fear flashed in the Purple Dragon’s eyes, but it still spoke, “If anything is going to end, it’s you.” With that, it spun around, releasing eight yellow orbs from its body. As these orbs appeared, purple lightning connected them, and in a flash, the Purple Dragon’s body transformed into nine dragons—nine long dragons hovering in front of Liu Yi, their eyes filled with murderous intent.

Liu Yi smiled slightly and said, “Is that all your strength? Then I’ll learn from you.” With his right hand, he activated the ‘Sorrowful Dream’ sword using dark energy. The black sword emerged from its sheath, floating in the air as it spun rapidly. Liu Yi shouted, “Transform!” The black sword quickly split into nine separate swords.

Liu Yi stretched out his right hand, and his own black sword flew back into his hand. At the same time, the other eight swords also returned to his side in the same manner.

Liu Yi held his black long sword horizontally, with the other eight long swords around him also held horizontally, as if Liu Yi alone was controlling all eight swords. Yet it was impossible to see how those eight swords were being manipulated. As the sense of sorrow from the swords continued to flow into Liu Yi’s body, his eyes flashed red once again, and dragon shadows appeared around him.

Gradually, Liu Yi grasped the black long sword with both hands and raised it high. The eight surrounding swords, though uncontrolled by anyone, adopted the same posture as Liu Yi’s. As an invisible dark energy slowly gathered around the sword, a mist-like aura of lethal intent emanated from it. At the same time, Liu Yi spoke, “‘Sorrowful Four Styles’—Moon Shattering—Sword Descending.”

As soon as he spoke, Liu Yi and his sword spun upward like a whirlwind, soaring into the air. The eight swords around him also moved in unison, forming a whirlwind as well. In the blink of an eye, Liu Yi rose vertically like a streak of black light.

Suddenly, Liu Yi’s body came to a halt at a height of hundreds of feet above the purple dragons. As he stopped and began to fall, there was a clanging sound—the sound of the sword returning to its sheath. At that moment, the eight swords vanished instantly, and Liu Yi’s body also descended back to the ground.

Looking at the nine purple dragons across from him, a crescent-shaped glow appeared instantly in the center of their heads as Liu Yi landed. From afar, it resembled a waning moon. But as that crescent appeared, nine black lights flashed by, and then the crescent cracked. A black mark remained in the center of their heads like a brand.

At the same time as that black mark appeared, the eight purple dragons instantly turned to ashes and disappeared without a trace. The central purple dragon still bore the black mark on its head, its eyes filled with fear as it stared at Liu Yi, speaking in a low, weak voice, “You’ve won.”

Indeed, Liu Yi didn’t need to think about it. With the power of darkness combined with the sorrow of the demon sword, the “Sorrowful Four Styles” were the most perfect sword techniques ever devised. Neither in speed nor in power could they be criticized. No matter how strong the opposing purple dragons were, they could not avoid the sharpness of that strike. And with that strike’s power amplified a thousandfold, it was sufficient to split those massive dragon heads.

Sure enough, as the black mark slowly expanded, the dragon head cracked sideways. Half of the head fell to the ground with a loud noise. Liu Yi merely smiled coldly, stretched out his right hand, and with the convergence of dark energy, the bodies of the purple dragons on the ground were instantly consumed by a black light. At the same time, a purple glow condensed into a purple dragon shadow, which, with a roar, entered Liu Yi’s body.

Slowly opening his eyes, Liu Yi nodded gently and said to himself, “It’s over. What remains is to subdue the last two divine dragons and gather all the tears to send the Heavenly Maiden back to the divine realm. That will be the time when we get the result.” Liu Yi took a deep breath of the air in the darkness. Then, with a wave of his right hand, all the darkness vanished in an instant, as if it had never existed. In its place were sunlight, a gentle breeze, old trees, and falling flowers—that mirror world.

At that moment, Yu Chenxing stepped beside Liu Yi and asked, “You were seriously attacked by the Purple Dragon just now. Are you okay?”

Liu Yi smiled slightly at Yu Chenxing and said, “I’m fine. Thinking back, if I really wanted to subdue that dragon back then, it would have been impossible with my strength at that time. Luckily, you took me away then; otherwise, we might have died at its hands long ago.” After saying that, he adjusted the long sword in his hand at his waist.

Yu Chenxing nodded, looking at Liu Yi, and suddenly said unhappily, “You’ve become so strong. How can I defeat you in the future?” She still remembered that casual remark—that if she could defeat Liu Yi, he would marry her. But she had no idea that Liu Yi and the King of the Underworld already had an agreement.

Liu Yi smiled and shook his head. “Enough, why talk about that? Who knows what will happen tomorrow? We should go back. It’s time to leave this mirror world. I still have many things to do.” The most bothersome thing for Liu Yi was subduing the last two divine dragons. The world was so vast—where could he find them? Although his strength was strong now, without having all eight Desolate Dragons, he still had a weakness. He must become the strongest. With these thoughts, Liu Yi couldn’t help but think of Yu Chenxing.

Liu Yi quickly asked, “By the way, don’t you have a great prophet? I happen to have a question now.” He hoped to use the prophet to find the approximate locations of the remaining two Desolate Dragons.

Yu Chenxing nodded and said, “Yes, I do. But… such prophecies waste their mental energy. They usually need to rest for a month before making another prediction, and even then, it’s only an estimate. What are you looking for?”

Liu Yi nodded and said, “A month is fine. I need to elevate my strength to perfection and find the last two Desolate Dragons. The three realms and six paths are so vast. Relying on luck alone, it’s really hard to find them.” After saying that, he glanced at Yu Chenxing.

Yu Chenxing replied, “Okay, fine. Once we return to the Underworld, I’ll help you.”

Liu Yi nodded and said, “Then let’s go. The King of the Underworld has been here for so long. I think… he wants to go out too.” In truth, Liu Yi didn’t really care much about these things. No matter how long the King of the Underworld stayed here, he wouldn’t think much about it or interfere. After all, only the King of the Underworld knew the way out. Now that the Purple Dragon had been subdued, they still needed the King of the Underworld to lead them out.

Yu Chenxing nodded. Liu Yi thrust his right hand forward, and a black aura soared into the sky. With a flash of black light, a red dragon appeared in the sky. Liu Yi lifted Yu Chenxing and, with a slight movement, jumped onto the red dragon’s back. Then he said, “Hold on tight; we’re going back.” Immediately afterward, the red dragon let out a roar and flew back toward the King of the Underworld’s cave with the two of them on board.

Everything unfolded slowly. On the path of fate, we are relentlessly pushed by time. Perhaps in an instant we can see what will happen next, but whether it’s real or just a dream, who can tell for sure?

Liu Yi returned to the cave. The King of the Underworld was still lying sideways on the stone chair, with the four elders standing behind him. Liu Yi slowly walked up to the King and stood beside Yu Chenxing. As soon as they stopped, the King’s eyes slowly opened behind his mask. His deep voice, tinged with excitement, said, “That dragon is dead.”

Liu Yi nodded gently and replied, “Dead.”

Upon hearing these two simple words, a golden glow flashed in the King’s eyes. His voice, beneath the mask, was filled with emotion and nostalgia. “All these years, this world of mirrors has served as my prison. Finally, today I can leave here.” It seemed simple, but it was a challenge for the King of the Underworld. Perhaps that’s just how things are.

Then, the King slowly stood up and said, “My elders, you may open the Mirror Gate. Without the seal of the Purple Dragon’s power, we can leave easily.” After saying this, the four elders stepped forward and stood in the center of the cave, positioned in four directions. They chanted something in the air. Although Liu Yi couldn’t understand it, he knew it might be a spell to activate some magical artifact.

Sure enough, the elders’ voices gradually grew deeper. As their voices faded, golden light emanated from their bodies. One by one, they passed through each other. As all the elders’ bodies glowed, they clasped their hands together and stretched out their fingers, directing the light from within their bodies toward the center.

Four golden beams converged in the center. As the golden light gathered, a golden gate slowly opened. Then, the four elders stood up again and slowly retreated behind the King of the Underworld.

The King stared at the golden gate and suddenly laughed. “Finally, the day has come when we can return to our world.” Hearing the King’s voice, Liu Yi could understand the feeling of someone with such power being trapped in this lifeless world. Now that they could return to their own world, they must be overjoyed—except perhaps the King himself.

One of the elders behind him said softly, “My king, this golden gate leads directly to the Palace of the King of the Underworld.”

The King of the Underworld nodded gently, his gaze falling on Liu Yi, then on Yu Chenxing, before bursting into laughter. “Finally, we can go home. Tonight, I’ll hold the most luxurious banquet in the Palace of the King of the Underworld.” Looking at those before him, Liu Yi couldn’t help but shake his head. Even the King of the Underworld, who surpassed humans and neared divinity, couldn’t escape his selfish desires.

As the King of the Underworld entered the golden gates first, Liu Yi and Yu Chenxing, escorted by four elders, also entered. Once again, a sense of etherealness enveloped them. Liu Yi’s eyes lit up, and his feet felt solid. When he opened his eyes, they were already in a magnificent hall. On the wall at the front center of the hall, two carved statues of monsters flanked the throne. The King of the Underworld looked around and finally laughed again.

Liu Yi glanced around and suddenly said, “I think I need to leave.” What he really wanted was to find Lord Lei and check on whether July, Ye Luo, and the Hundred Flowers were safe.

Hearing this, the King of the Underworld stopped laughing abruptly and said, “Leave? Where to? Enjoy my banquet here tonight.” Then he turned to the old man behind him and said, “Go and gather all the monarchs in the Palace of the King of the Underworld.”

The old man nodded in response and then transformed into a gray whirlwind, flying out of the palace. Hearing the King of the Underworld’s words, Liu Yi also thought of Yu Chenxing’s great prophet, as well as the two wild dragons and the remaining tears he needed to find. It seemed everything was coming to an end. But at the thought of ending, a hint of panic arose in Liu Yi’s heart. What exactly was the curse of that Otherworld Flower upon him?

Liu Yi said, “I’ll be out for a while. I’ll be back for the banquet tonight.” With that hint of panic, Liu Yi slowly walked toward the outside of the palace. Yu Chenxing watched his fading figure without showing any reaction. She believed that following him wouldn’t lead to anything.

While Yu Chenxing was lost in thought, the King of the Underworld slowly stroked her long black hair and said, “My princess, what are you thinking about? If you truly like him, then go after him. If you keep hesitating, you might end up regretting it.” He continued stroking her black hair.

Yu Chenxing frowned, her face showing a displeased expression. “But Father, he hates me.”

The King of the Underworld shook his head and suddenly smiled, saying, “That’s just an emotion. Can it last forever? Trust your father. If you like him, do it. Pressuring yourself like this will only cause pain. Why worry about what others feel? Don’t you know what you want?” It sounded selfish, yet it also inspired a sense of urgency.

Yu Chenxing looked up at the King of the Underworld, speaking with a hint of grievance, “Is it really okay?”

The King of the Underworld nodded gently. “Whether it’s okay or not—doesn’t it already exist in your heart? All these years, you’ve remained strong without a father. You’re already very independent. What I say is just for your reference, giving you advice. What you really need to do and how to do it depends entirely on you.”

Yu Chenxing listened to the Dark King’s words, seemed to understand something, nodded happily, and said, “Mm, I get it. Thank you, Father.” With that, she turned and chased after Liu Yi without looking back.

Watching Yu Chenxing disappear, the Dark King nodded and said to himself, “Over the years, Father has owed you so much. Do you know how much I wish you could be happy? The responsibilities of the past cannot be undone. All I can do is try my best to make amends, hoping that being with him will bring you happiness and joy…”

It was only after leaving the Dark King’s Palace that Liu Yi realized the palace was actually nestled within a mountain cliff. Along the way, the entire palace had seemed empty and lifeless. Perhaps decades had passed too long—this once-regal palace had now been forgotten. Outside the palace, the fresh air, warm sunlight, and forest animals made Liu Yi feel something. Upon reflection, perhaps this was what ordinary life felt like.

As Liu Yi was lost in thought, a voice behind him said, “Hey, fool! What are you thinking about? Do you want a beauty to keep you company? It’s boring to be alone.” Without turning around, Liu Yi knew it was Yu Chenxing. He hadn’t expected this little girl to stick to him every day.

Liu Yi casually sat down under a nearby tree and said, “Sure, I’m bored anyway. It’s good to have a beauty to chat with to pass the time.”

Yu Chenxing had thought Liu Yi would object, but to his surprise, he agreed so easily. She happily sat down next to him. Then Liu Yi asked, “This Dark King’s Palace is so strange. Why are there no guards? After all these years, even if the Dark King disappeared, there should still be guards here.”

Yu Chenxing shook her head and said, “There are guards, but you just can’t see them. The Dark Warriors here are invisible. As long as they don’t fight, no one can sense their presence. And until the Dark King returns, all the Dark Warriors will remain in slumber. So, of course, you won’t see any guards.”

“Besides, the Dark King’s Palace is at the back of the Six-Star Palace. Who would bother guarding it? Now that the Dark King has returned, the six rulers should arrive soon.” She seemed to be thinking about something else.

Liu Yi also seemed to have thought of something and asked, “So, Lan Ying will come too?”

Yu Chenxing nodded and said, “Right. The Emperor has been in the human world for so long. Now that the Dark King has returned, he should come to offer his congratulations. But… after all these years, the rulers haven’t gotten along. I’m quite worried… afraid something might happen.” Yu Chenxing was definitely smart. No one could ignore the Dark King’s power. Lan Ying, the Thunder Lord, the Flame Lord— the Six-Star Palace had split into three different factions, with the Flame Lord being the most concerning.