Stark white fire lit the void the second the bony hand appeared. Jiang Chen shrieked with horror when the flames roared to life—he was starting to lose his sense of self.

“Hadal Bonefire!” Lu Yun gasped when the arm slammed down on him. He vanished where he stood and reappeared several million kilometers out, evading the terrifying blow by the skin of his teeth. The Boundless Step death art had whisked him out of danger, but not before he got a clear glimpse of the white fire burning on the arm. It really was Hadal Bonefire!

This was another fearsome flame from the Hadal Hell. It’d previously been imprisoned in hell and was the creation of an ancient tyrant who’d dominated a few worlds. The Venerated Sacrosanct Demon Sovereign later obtained it, and then the blood demon. So it turned out that this was another one of the mountain god’s plans!

Although his plans took every conceivable possibility into account and it seemed impossible he would fail, the god of Mount Tai still wanted to ensure he had a way out. Despite his absolute confidence, it was important to be prepared in case the unexpected happened. His secret escape tunnel was hidden in the Hadal Hell.

He’d crafted this hell with his own hands and the Hadal Bonefire was a secret he’d hidden inside it. Now that he summoned what was his, he wrapped the fire around himself and took possession of Jiang Chen’s body!

After seizing the body, he became Jiang Chen!

Although cultivators from the outside realm needed to borrow the identity of a native, there was a loophole to this rule that the god of Mount Tai had left on purpose. While he became Jiang Chen with his actions, he was also not Jiang Chen at the same time. He modified Jiang Chen into another, more fearsome existence.

“The Venerated Sacrosanct Demon Sovereign!” was the second name on Lu Yun’s lips. He’d recruited the demon sovereign to his banner and the latter was now an important member of demonic dao in the world of immortals. He’d fought Meng Wang for the position of Immortal Emperor in the primordial world of immortals one hundred thousand years ago. When Meng Wang emerged triumphant, he’d shattered the demon sovereign’s dao heart.

That was another one of the mountain god’s plans!

Busy overseeing things in the Dao Academy of the world of immortals, the Venerated Sacrosanct Demon Sovereign spontaneously lost his sense of self and transformed into a skeleton. He rushed to the cavern and combined with the god of Mount Tai and Jiang Chen; his body was the mountain god’s new body. Not only was there Hadal Bonefire in his skeleton, but there was also Jiang Chen’s corpse dao.

The skeletal arm that’d plunged into the ground slowly pulled itself out and an enormous skeleton loomed out of the gloom. Sinister white flames came together as a ball of ghostly flame and occupied the center of the skull.

Perhaps there was still a wisp of Jiang Chen’s own will hidden somewhere in the body, but the Venerated Sacrosanct Demon Sovereign was truly no more. He was someone that the mountain god had created out of the mud, a tiny character that attracted no attention.

Now that the contingency plan was active, he’d already faded into thin air and his undying true spirit scattered into nothing.

Lu Yun’s expression darkened; he was plainly far too naive when compared to someone like the god of Mount Tai.

Some Hadal Bonefire fell onto the corpse demon and bolstered her demonic aura. She was able to overcome both Yin Jiuying and Hongjun, forcing them back and nearly killing them.

“Suuuurprise!” The mountain god’s voice was mellow and resonant—it wasn’t gloomy or unnerving just because he occupied a skeleton. In fact, Lu Yun could almost pick out a cruelly teasing expression on the white fire inside the skull.

Solemn expression on his face, Jiangchen Xie retreated close to Lu Yun. He sidled over and whispered, “Can you resurrect me? As in help recollect my soul and become a living person again?”

“I can do so in the sea of Hell Flowers so long as there is a hint of your will left,” Lu Yun nodded.

Jiangchen Xie heaved a sigh of relief and plucked a tiny ball of will from his forehead. He handed it to Lu Yun. “Don’t forget to revive me if I die later.”

“I won’t,” Lu Yun promised. He could sense how single minded Jiangchen Xie’s thoughts were—pure hatred and resentment of Jiang Chen and a deep desire to live.

Reinforced with Hadal Bonefire, the corpse demon easily overcome Hongjun and Yin Jiuying. Bathed in stark-white flames, she [added toward Lu Yun.

“Hadal Bonefire is created from her bones,” said the mountain god. “She is my dao partner and I killed her with great reluctance. If I cannot obtain the sixth hell now, she will have died for nothing.”

He used only her pronouns instead of her name. His dao partner resented him as well, and it might awaken her will if her name was mentioned. No one on the scene knew her name—not even Hongjun, his brother through life and death.

Bloody light and white fire melded into one, imparting a ghastly sheen to the corpse demon’s black hair. The god of Mount Tai still did nothing after gaining his new body.

When the corpse demon flashed to Lu Yun in a streak of bloody light, Jiangchen Xie snarled and met her head-on. However, he was much weaker than Hongjun and Yin Jiuying. He flew backward as quickly as he charged the enemy, his arms and legs twisted off and tied together.

Anyone who could help Lu Yun was incapacitated. He was left to face the horrifying corpse demon alone.

“Don’t come out, the mountain god will eat you as soon as you do and you’ll turn into him.” Lu Yun pushed back Violetgrave, who was hidden in the battleship’s cargo hold. Thinking better of it, he threw her into the Tome of Life and Death instead. A keen light glinted in the mountain god’s eyes—he seemed to have detected the treasure’s presence.

“Your nascent spirit is very unique… I’ll study it well after you die,” he tutted with curiosity. He’d long since determined that the young man owned a treasure that exceeded this Land of Reincarnation and even the chief worlds. It wasn’t until now that he confirmed the item was Lu Yun’s nascent spirit.

The corpse demon’s slender fingers wrapped around Lu Yun’s throat and lifted him into the air. There was nothing he could do about it. The corpse demon seemed to have been created to kill him.

The god of Mount Tai took possession of his hell battleship, but just as his neck was about to snap, a piece of beautiful jade dropped from the sky.

Bam!

It landed on the corpse demon’s head and made her stumble, causing her to throw Lu Yun away at the same time. The jade landed on the ground and turned into a young man.

“Shenyu of the Haotian Tower greets the god of Mount Tai.” Shenyu inclined his body in a graceful bow.

Well, it's not cockroach villains for once. Cockroach... allies?