The Lord of Void and Real
Chapter 548

Chapter 548: Chapter 544: Grudges and Resentments Chapter 548: Chapter 544: Grudges and Resentments The black-robed man was followed by four others, male and female, who also wore black robes, emblazoned with the mark of the Refining Body Altar.

They stood shoulder to shoulder, bowing slightly in reverence towards the black robed monk leading them.

Strangely, these four figures seemed somewhat translucent, as if they were not solid beings.

To the right of the Jing River Dragon King, stood a figure.

This person was completely shrouded in a grey light, making it impossible to tell if they were male or female, or even discern their features, making them incredibly mysterious.

Above the altar, a person was strung up on a wooden cross.

This person wore a yellow robe, with a dignified face. Though his hair was white, lending him an aged appearance, he was presently in a deep slumber, oblivious to the world.

“Your Majesty!” Lu Huaming exclaimed in a low voice when he recognized the person on the stage.

“What! This person is Emperor Tang! How did he end up here?” Shen Luo and Dan Yangzi were both shocked.

“This person is not the real Emperor Tang, but his divine soul.” Ge Tianqing suddenly chimed in.

Hearing this, Shen Luo carefully examined the yellow-robed man on the frame, noting that his figure was also somewhat transparent, indeed not a physical entity.

“Even if it's His Majesty's divine soul, it can't be damaged in any way. We must rescue it.” Lu Huaming urged anxiously.

Upon hearing these words, the faces of Dan Yangzi and Red Hands Master turned rigid.

“We all understand Brother Lu's intention. Now is a time of crisis, and Emperor Tang is crucial to the stability of the world. We naturally have to save him. However, the might of the Jing River Dragon King far surpasses us, and we should not act rashly.” Shen Luo promptly pulled Lu Huaming aside and replied.

Lu Huaming gave Shen Luo a glance and reluctantly nodded.

They crouched under the bridge, observing the altar.

The Jing River Dragon King was chanting incantations under his breath, pointing at Emperor Tang on the cross, causing a ripple in the void.

Emperor Tang trembled, rousing from his slumber, and slowly opened his eyes.

“Li Shimin, do you still recognize me?” The Jing River Dragon King asked coldly.

“You…you are the Jing River Dragon King from back then! You brought me here?” Emperor Tang carefully looked at the demon in front of him, revealing shock on his face but managed to retain composure.

“As long as you remember me. You broke your promise that year, letting Wei Zheng behead me. The officials of the Underworld were greedy for wealth and power, they took sides with you. They not only did not punish you, but they also suppressed my dragon soul, making me suffer day and night in Yin Fire. Fortunately, a stranger helped me and I finally escaped. Now I have the chance to settle the old scores with you!” The Jing River Dragon King's eyes were filled with murderous intent.

“Jing River Dragon King, I have already explained to you about the incident that year. On that day, I left Wei Zheng in the palace and did my best to save you. But he beheaded you in his dream. Even though I am the emperor, I am still human, how could I foresee this?” Emperor Tang responded.

“Hmph! Such lies might deceive others, but do not think you can deceive me. I have already thoroughly investigated the incident that year. It was you and Yuan Tiangang who plotted against me! After finishing you off, I will deal with Yuan, the thief!” The Jing River Dragon King opened his mouth and spewed a stream of Black Qi towards Emperor Tang's face.

Seeing this, Lu Huaming's body trembled, ready to spring into action from atop the Ming Shi Bridge.

“Wait a moment, Brother Lu. The Jing River Dragon King probably doesn't intend to kill His Majesty directly.” Shen Luo grabbed Lu Huaming and whispered.

Emperor Tang's face was covered in Black Qi, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted once more, without any further injury.

Lu Huaming breathed a sigh of relief at this sight.

“Daoist Shen, how did you know that the Jing River Dragon King wouldn't directly kill Emperor Tang?” Xie Yuxin asked curiously.

“If the Jing River Dragon King wanted to kill His Majesty, he would have done so earlier, without the need to take him to the Netherworld, let alone set up this altar. There must be a different plot brewing.” Shen Luo said.

“Brother Shen makes a sound argument. I was overly worried,” Lu Huaming said, taking a deep breath and calming his expression before speaking.

Xie Yuxin's eyes flashed with admiration. Dan Yangzi, Red Hands Master, and Ge Tianqing all looked at Shen Luo with a hint of surprise.

“Brother Shen, in your opinion, how can we rescue His Majesty?” Lu Huaming asked Shen Luo.

Even though he was forcing himself to stay calm, his mind was still in turmoil and he was not in a state to formulate a strategy.

“According to the aura being emitted by the others on the Refining Body Altar, we could confront them. Only the strength of the Jing River Dragon King far surpassed us, we couldn't fight him head-on. I don't know how these demons managed to bring His Majesty's soul here, but I'm sure there must have been some reactions in the palace. Brother Lu, do you have a way to contact Duke Cheng? Only their assistance would give us a chance against the Jing River Dragon King,” Shen Luo asked Lu Huaming.

“I don't have a magical instrument that can contact my master from afar, but if we plan to confront the Jing River Dragon King, we do have some means,” Lu Huaming said, clenching his teeth after a moment of silence.

“Oh, you have a method? What is it?” Shen Luo asked with excitement.

“It's a long story and I can't explain it all at once. You'll understand later. But I won't be able to resist the Jing River Dragon King for long. When the time comes, I'm entrusting everything to you. You must rescue Emperor Tang!” Lu Huaming said, saluting everyone.

“Don't worry, Brother Lu,” Shen Luo said solemnly.

Xie Yuxin, Dan Yangzi, and the others also agreed.

Lu Huaming saluted the group once more and then sat down cross-legged, closing his eyes.

Before long, a white light enveloped his body and a unique aura slowly radiated from him.

“This aura…” Shen Luo started, immediately recalling the sudden outburst from Lu Huaming, who was drunk and asleep.

The aura being emitted from his body was exactly the same as the one back then.

Just as Shen Luo was about to take a closer look, there was a commotion at the distant altar. He immediately looked over.

The Jing River Dragon King was waving his hands, and the white flames on the six stone pillars surrounding the altar flared up, bursting into a large area of white light. They connected with each other, forming a hexagonal wheel that slowly rotated.

“Is it truly safe for me to perform the ritual here?” The Jing River Dragon King paused to ask the grey figure behind him in a heavy voice.

“I've arranged everything. The guards of the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk in the Underworld have been replaced by my people. Even if we use the power of reincarnation, no one will notice. Please be at ease, Your Excellency.” said the figure within the grey light. His voice was uncertain, making it impossible to tell their gender or age.

“Good. Once I use the power of the Reincarnation Disk to swap my divine soul's origin with Emperor Tang's, I will become the Emperor of the Great Tang. The things I promised will surely be done.” The Jing River Dragon King said, revealing a hint of a smile.

“I look forward to hearing your good news, Dragon King.” The figure in the grey light chuckled.

Upon hearing this, Shen Luo's face turned pale.

The Jing River Dragon King had brought Emperor Tang's soul here for this reason, and even the people in the Underworld were colluding with the Jing River Dragon King.

The others also showed shock at this revelation, Lu Huaming's face more than most. His eyebrows furrowed and his fists clenched tightly.

“But this soul swapping technique is against heaven. It needs to contend with the backlash of the Six Paths of Reincarnation and can only be performed by someone at the Great Mahayana Stage. Dragon King, you were seriously injured not long ago in a battle with the Great Tang Government officials and your cultivation level fell. Are you sure you can successfully perform this technique?” asked the figure from the grey light.

“Humph! I, the Dragon King, was injured by the old fool Cheng Yaojin and my cultivation has indeed fallen to the Nascent Soul Stage. But as a dragon, I am naturally powerful, my talent far exceeds ordinary monks. There will be no problems.” The Jing River Dragon King said coldly.

With this revelation, Shen Luo felt a glimmer of hope. The Jing River Dragon King was indeed injured and his cultivation had indeed fallen to the Nascent Soul Stage. If everyone joined forces, there might be a slight chance of winning.

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