The Investiture: Unlimited Blade Works Nezha
Chapter 74 Lv Yue Ranks on the List

Chapter 74: Chapter 74 Lv Yue Ranks on the List

The insect demon, Lv Yue, let out a muffled laugh from his massive mouth: "Hahahahaha!"

"Li Nezha, I really ought to thank you. Now, I’ve finally gained control over the consciousness of all insects—even Pan Hu can no longer dominate me. I am the progenitor of all insects!"

Nezha couldn’t help but curl his lip. "When you were an Immortal, you called yourself Jie Sect’s top talent of the second generation. Now that you’re a bug, you’re still bragging about being the progenitor of insects. Honestly, have you ever sobered up?"

How many dishes did you have with that much booze?

Nezha decided not to hold back anymore. He took out a long banner—the most lethal item among the Heavenly Creation Three Treasures, formed from the blade of the Heavenly Creation Axe: the Pangu Banner.

The previous banner was crafted with more precious materials, but had to be used during an emergency in the East Sea. Due to the rough manner of usage, its power was relatively weak, and it was completely destroyed.

This new banner was entirely crafted to be a one-time-use item. Not only was its power significantly enhanced, but the cost of refining it was also greatly reduced.

False Dao Qi began to circulate, and the seemingly ordinary long banner emitted an aura of Chaos. Strands of chaotic sword Qi swirled around the banner in flight.

Lv Yue, who had been boasting, immediately fell silent. Fully alert now, he paused before speaking, "I’ve already died once. How about we settle our karmic ties here and now?"

After a brief silence and seeing that Nezha had said nothing, he continued, "There’s no enmity between you and me. Now that I’ve turned to cultivating the Insect Dao, many of my Immortal treasures are useless to me. Why not spare my life?"

Nezha, expressionless, raised the Pangu Banner high, channeling the Power Dao with full force. The chaotic sword light on the fake Pangu Banner became highly active, gathering together to form a massive chaotic sword Qi.

"If you were me, would you let yourself live?"

Lv Yue stopped talking. Swarms of insects densely packed into his body, causing his size to grow over twice as large before he charged forward.

Nezha had finished gathering power. The enormous chaotic sword Qi, carrying the Power Dao, swung down with full force.

Upon striking Lv Yue, the sword Qi erupted instantly. His physical body, carapace, and cells were obliterated by the sword Qi, leaving no trace behind.

Looking at the shattered Pangu Banner in his hand, Nezha felt a pang of distress. A Heavenly Immortal single-handedly defeating a Golden Immortal—without investing heavily in treasures, it wouldn’t have been possible.

Suddenly, his brow furrowed. He hadn’t detected Lv Yue’s True Spirit escaping through his Sword Domain. After all, this was space Nezha himself had created; he should’ve sensed such a thing.

Nezha wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

He approached the Chaos Bell and struck it lightly. Instantly, a ripple resembling a water wave spread from the Chaos Bell as its center outward.

The entire space of the Sword Domain was forcefully flipped upside down. A tiny green insect flew out from the soil.

Nezha grabbed it instantly, activating the Divine Skill of the Handheld Buddha Country with a thought. The chaotic space in his palm squeezed the insect until it exploded, while Lv Yue’s True Spirit broke through the Infinite Sword Domain and fled toward Outer Heaven.

Nezha disdainfully stored Lv Yue’s corpse in a small jade bottle, intending to hand it over to Jie Sect later.

He then retracted the Infinite Sword Domain and entered the Mountain and River Map. Devouring two peaches provided by Long Ji out of friendship, he restored his Mana and began secretly observing the battle between three people outside through the Mountain and River Map.

This was the highest-level battle Nezha had come into contact with so far. Quasi-Saints were strong enough to have walked a considerable distance along the Great Dao, and their methods of fighting had transformed into styles almost incomprehensible to Nezha. While he himself couldn’t fully understand them, he did have a mentor.

Nuwa casually explained to Nezha with the air of a friend watching a live stream, dissecting Jin Ling’s techniques—how her strike structured itself, which Daos it involved, how much Mana it consumed, the resulting effects, its weaknesses, and its strengths.

She broke down the flaws behind Zhao Gongming’s move—why it consumed considerable Mana and yet yielded less power compared to Jin Ling’s.

Nezha, if nothing else, greatly expanded his knowledge.

After spectating for a while, Nezha discerned some clues and asked, "Mentor, is Senior Sister Jin Ling and Brother Zhao no match for Pan Hu?"

Nuwa replied, "The Pan Hu Ancestor has cultivated for countless eras. Though based on Mystic Sect’s cultivation classification, he’s only slightly ahead of Jin Ling with one additional Corpse cut, the gap between them is immense. If this wasn’t merely a false body, Jin Ling and Zhao Gongming would’ve likely been defeated already."

In the distance, a dog-headed figure shrouded entirely in black mist was fiercely battling Jin Ling—who had manifested her three heads and six arms while wielding a Jade Ruyi—and Zhao Gongming, who supported her from afar with the Ocean Stabilizing Divine Pearl.

"That’s not his true body?"

"Do you seriously underestimate the earliest batch of old entities from Post-Heavenly Creation? But this false body likely possesses about eighty percent of its original strength."

"Mentor, do you know where his true body is?"

"It’s already been located."

...

While Jin Ling and Zhao Gongming might not have realized this was merely a false body, both could sense the disparity between themselves and Pan Hu stemming from differences in Dao comprehension and accumulated cultivation.

Jin Ling was particularly frustrated. As a Transformation of Innate Geng Metal Qi, her origins were excellent—at least on par with those of Hong Yun. Unfortunately, fate had paired her against Saint Zhunti.

Saint Zhunti, one of the Ten Great Innate Spiritual Roots as the Geng Metal Bodhi Tree, had transformed early with the assistance of his brother Jieyin. With his exploitative nature, Zhunti wiped clean the essence of Innate Geng Metal Qi.

Jin Ling Saint Mother’s essence was severely lacking, slowing her accumulation and delaying her transformation by countless Yuan Hui, resulting in the current situation.

As for Zhao Gongming, he was simply lazy. Despite reaching the Quasi-Saint Realm, he hadn’t sought out opportunities for Corpse Cutting. He figured his cultivation was sufficient and chose instead to indulge in revelry. Cultivation? What cultivation? Parties were far more enjoyable!

In fact, this reflected the current state of Primordial Immortals—only a minority continued to painstakingly cultivate.

Pan Hu swung his weapon, which resembled both a staff and a pickaxe. The black mist surrounding him twisted into eerie tendrils, relentlessly attacking Jin Ling Saint Mother, radiant with Golden Light, and Zhao Gongming.

With a furious roar, Zhao Gongming hurled twenty Ocean Stabilizing Divine Pearls that encircled Pan Hu, shouting, "Seal!"

A curtain of water-blue light enclosed Pan Hu, generating infinite pressure as it crushed inward toward him within the blue light.

Seizing the opportunity, the Golden Light Saint Mother channeled vast amounts of Mana into her Flying Gold Sword before slashing out a dazzling golden thread.

As Saint Tongtian’s direct disciple, possessing mediocre swordsmanship would be simply unacceptable.

The golden thread, containing endless sharp Qi of the gold attribute, tore through the pseudo small-world in one strike. As the thread swept over Pan Hu, it split him into two instantly.

Then, the golden arc, imbued with brilliant sword Qi, began slicing toward the upper and lower halves of Pan Hu.

Yet, Pan Hu’s dog-faced visage didn’t show the slightest hint of panic or fear. Instead, he wore a mocking smirk.

Who knows what Divine Skill he unleashed? His body liquefied like water, transforming into pervasive black mist and bypassing the Ocean Stabilizing Pearls to reappear behind Zhao Gongming.

Pan Hu had entirely grasped the techniques of these two. And who said a dog head couldn’t stack abilities?

Black light, ominous and chilling, surfaced on the pickaxe in Pan Hu’s hand as he swung it down directly.

Jin Ling reacted swiftly, shouting, "Junior Brother, watch out!"

At the same time, she tossed the Four Symbols Tower to shield Zhao Gongming. As Jin Ling Saint Mother formed hand seals, the projections of the Heavenly Four Spirits—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise—seemed to come alive, rushing to meet Pan Hu’s pickaxe.