Chapter 37: Conditions for Breaking Through to the Xiantian Realm

Gao Wu found Emperor Yougui Zhu of the Xuanming Cult far too cooperative. Having served as the cult's leader for many years, he should not have been so forthcoming with answers. This left Gao Wu deeply perplexed.

"Did you confess only because you realized we are from the Netherworld Cult?"

Zhu Yougui’s small eyes swept over the four of them. The three women were all at the peak of the Innate Realm; in the original Netherworld Cult, they would have at least held the rank of one of the Six Immortals. As for Gao Wu, though his cultivation level was low, the women seemed to follow his lead. Could he be a descendant of the Heavenly King of Eternal Joy? Among the three kings of that era, the Heavenly King of Eternal Joy was the most mysterious. Few had ever seen his true face, and it was said he possessed no martial arts, yet his intellect was as cunning as a demon’s—the other two kings and the Six Immortals all feared him.

"Indeed. Although I long ago split from the Netherworld Cult, I grew up within it. Since you are members of the cult, I have nothing more to say and am willing to accept punishment."

According to the rules of the Netherworld Cult, one belongs to the cult in life and in death. Zhu Yougui’s act of breaking away to establish the Xuanming Cult was tantamount to treason, and he assumed Gao Wu and his companions had come to purge the sect.

Gao Wu had originally intended to extract clues and then kill them, but now he had a different idea. Since they were originally of the Netherworld Cult, could he bring them into his own service? Zhu Yougui knew little about the perpetrators of that time, suggesting the enemy was not only powerful but also cautious, leaving few traces behind.

Gao Wu looked at the three women behind him, a thought stirring in his mind. "Let's go outside and discuss this."

Zhao Liying pointed at Zhu Yougui. "Just leave him here? Aren't you worried he might run?"

Before Gao Wu could answer, Zhu Yougui spoke up first. "Rest assured, I will not run. I only wish for a swift end now."

"It’s fine. We’ll be right over there, where we can see him."

The four walked a short distance from the dungeon, close enough to keep an eye on Zhu Yougui.

"What do we do now?" the women asked. Zhou Zhiruo spoke first: "I only want to break through the Innate Realm as soon as possible to see if there is a way back once my cultivation advances."

Gao Wu nodded. "That is indeed a major priority. But since all three of you are stuck at the peak of the Innate Realm, there must be reasons beyond just the cultivation techniques."

"We can ask that little dwarf later; I feel he knows quite a bit," one suggested.

"Agreed," Gao Wu noted. "Anything else?"

Liu Yifei turned to Gao Wu. "He kept saying he escaped from the Netherworld Cult back then. If the Iron-Gall Heavenly King knew his death was inevitable, would he have had his son take the Netherworld Token with him?"

Gao Wu possessed a high-ranking Netherworld Token. If Zhu Yougui had one, he would have sensed it, yet he felt nothing on the man. Liu Yifei remained skeptical of Zhu Yougui’s story.

"What do you think if I were to recruit him?"

"Recruit him? Do you want to be a mountain bandit in this Poison Mountain?" Zhao Liying asked, her eyes wide with curiosity. Liu Yifei and Zhou Zhiruo were also hesitant; neither wanted to remain in these deep mountains shrouded in toxic mist.

"What are you thinking? I only mean to use this place as a branch of the Netherworld Cult, just like Dr. Sun in Kaifeng."

"Will Zhu Yougui agree? And how would we control him?"

"If he doesn't agree, we kill him," Gao Wu shrugged. "As for controlling him, I see he still holds the Netherworld Cult in deep awe. Once I reveal my identity and allow him to return to the fold, it may not be necessary to 'control' him at all."

Gao Wu returned to the dungeon. Zhu Yougui looked at him with trepidation; his fate rested on this moment.

"To reach the peak of the Innate Realm, are there conditions required beyond cultivation techniques?"

Zhu Yougui was stunned; he had not expected such a question. "As far as I know, yes. Some major sects and factions have secret realms. To break through the Innate Realm, one must enter these realms."

Gao Wu was delighted; there really were other conditions! "Which sects have secret realms?"

"To my knowledge, the Imperial Court, Shaolin, Wudang, and the Ming Cult. Oh, and our Netherworld Cult's holy land also had one."

"The Netherworld Cult had one too?" Gao Wu’s heart skipped a beat. "When the Netherworld Cult was destroyed, was it because the thieves coveted this secret realm?"

Zhu Yougui shook his head. "I do not know."

"Do you know how to get to the Netherworld Cult?"

"The teleportation array at the headquarters has been sealed. We cannot find the location of the holy land at all."

"I am giving you a chance to return to the Netherworld Cult. Are you willing?"

"Return to the Netherworld Cult?" Zhu Yougui muttered to himself, stunned. "I can return?" His emotions began to stir. "Of course I am willing!"

The moment Zhu Yougui agreed, Gao Wu felt a slight warmth from the Netherworld Token in his robes. He didn't have time to check it, so he pointed at Zhou Zhiruo and said to Zhu Yougui, "This is the Yin Immortal, Zhou Zhiruo. From now on, you are under her command."

Zhou Zhiruo drew her Heaven-Reliant Sword and severed the chains on Zhu Yougui.

"He is yours. We are going out for a moment," Gao Wu said, heading outside to investigate the change in the Netherworld Token.

Outside the dungeon, the moment his hand touched the token, he realized something was wrong—there were now two tokens in his robes. Zhao Liying, who was beside him, noticed it too. "Hey, why is there an extra one?"

"It’s a Hall Master Token," Gao Wu realized. After subduing a hall master, the Netherworld Token had automatically split off a secondary token. Furthermore, his own knowledge of cultivation had expanded to include the "Nine Nether Profound Heaven Divine Technique," and it was the complete version!

He handed the Hall Master Token to Zhao Liying. "Give this to Zhou Zhiruo."

Outside the main altar of the Xuanming Cult, the disciples had all been disarmed and were squatting in rows against the walls. Seeing Gao Wu emerge, everyone’s eyes lit up, and they immediately crowded around.

"Brother Gao, how did it go?"

"I obtained the 'Nine Nether Profound Heaven Divine Technique,' but it is only a fragmented scroll. Otherwise, Zhu Yougui would not have ended up in that state."

Hearing this, everyone was deeply disappointed; their primary reason for coming had been to catch a glimpse of that very technique.

"I will transcribe the technique once I return and let you all see it. For now, we should leave this place as soon as possible."

"Leave?" Zhang Zifan’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"Of course. Do you intend for us to occupy the Xuanming Cult?"

"But..."

"Rest assured, I have reached an agreement with Zhu Yougui. He will not be an enemy to any of you, and he will not interfere with your future spheres of influence."

Hearing this, the members of the Tongwen Hall and the Huanyin Pavilion breathed a sigh of relief. The Buried Ones, for their part, were indifferent.

Empress Mengpo spoke up then: "In that case, I must return to report to the Buried Ones."

"Certainly."

Gao Wu knew full well that Mengpo was a spy for the Buried Ones, so he certainly wouldn't let her stay in the Xuanming Cult.