Chapter 467: Madam Rouge Strikes

Chapter 467: Madam Rouge Strikes

Another ten days later, in the center of a secluded valley within the Netherworld Palace shrouded by large quantities of fog, a white-robed monk sat in deep meditation. Energy billowed from him in a continuous wave. He seemed to possess incredible cultivation.

Suddenly, the monk's eyes opened wide. He waved a hand, dispelling the fog in the valley. He looked up at the sky to see a red-robed man floating in the air, none other than the Netherworld Pope himself.

"Peach Buddha, you've grown quite a bit stronger—but no matter how strong you grow, the law of this hidden realm prevents you from advancing past the rank of Heaven Immortal." The Netherworld Pope sneered.

The monk was, of course, the Peach Buddha. He slowly stood up. "Even Heaven Immortals differ in strength. Among Heaven Immortals, I am invincible."

"Is that so? Let me see how strong the combined power of the twelve Earthly Branches is, then."

The Peach Buddha waved a hand. Large quantities of black fog appeared behind him. By the time it dissipated, twelve figures had appeared to his back, crowned and dressed in draconic robes.

They had humanoid bodies but bestial heads. All were fierce and domineering. Ten of them looked just like the ten Yanluo Lords; the final two were the snake and the pig, who were as strong as the rest of them.

"The twelve Earthly Branches?" The Netherworld Pope narrowed his eyes.

"Attack!" the Peach Buddha commanded.

"Attack!" the twelve Earthly Branches echoed, charging toward the Netherworld Pope.

With a bang, the Peach Buddha began to fight in earnest against the Netherworld Pope. A tempest formed and raged across the whole valley, causing the entirety of the Netherworld Palace to echo with the sounds of fighting.

Both cursed effigies attacked without holding back. To them, there was nothing else within the Netherworld Palace that would be threatening. They simply had to take down each other as quickly as possible.

The fighting grew more and more intense. Where the two cultivators went, tempests raged, the earth and sky shook, and the cities all around them were demolished. Countless civilians cried for mercy. Fortunately, there were plenty of cultivators from the alliance protecting them, a vestige of Xiao Nanfeng's leadership.

The two cursed effigies fought for days on end before they finally halted in place, both exhausted. The twelve Yanluo Lords' bodies were close to giving out. They lay paralyzed on the ground as the Netherworld Pope and Peach Buddha continued to face off against each other with their fists.

"Within the Records of Life and Death, the Heavenly Stems govern death, and the Earthly Branches, life. Your twelve Earthly Branches puppets have the ability to regenerate, but that saps you of much of your strength. You're almost entirely drained, and you won't be able to defend against my ninth Yanluo Court," the Netherworld Pope called out.

With a bang, the Peach Buddha was sent flying in a burst of blood. He coughed up a white Yanluo Court, which used to belong to the Snake Yanluo.

The Netherworld Pope swallowed the white Yanluo Court immediately.

"Return my Yanluo Court to me!" the Peach Buddha cried out.

"Your Yanluo Court? It was mine from the beginning. Why else do you think I wasted so much time on you? It was to attune myself to the Yanluo Court within your body while we fought. I was waiting for a good opportunity to summon it back to me. Didn't you realize that? Haha!"

Then, the Netherworld Pope suddenly grew far stronger than before as a frightening aura suppressed the Peach Buddha and made him cough out blood.

"Twelve Earthly Branches, to me!" the Peach Buddha roared.

'Let me go!" the Peach Buddha shouted.

The Heaven's Hand ignored him and pulled him into the sea of blood-colored clouds. The other Heaven's Hand chased after the Netherworld Pope, but quickly lost him. Only then did it unwillingly return to the blood-colored clouds.

"That likely wasn't the heavens, or I wouldn't have been able to escape. However, who else would be able to manipulate these Heaven's Hands? Xiao Nanfeng? That's impossible!" the Netherworld Pope murmured to himself, hidden in the darkness.

Within the sea of blood-colored clouds, one Heaven's Hand flew up to the crystal wall and released the heavily wounded Peach Buddha.

"It's you, Xiao Nanfeng!" the Peach Buddha exclaimed.

Although Xiao Nanfeng was still chained up and sealed within the blood-colored crystal, he seemed incredibly relaxed. "Peach Buddha, isn't it time that you returned the pages of the Records of Life and Death that you stole from me?"

"Return them? Dream on! I was just wondering how to escape from the Netherworld Palace, but here you are. I can escape via your mental world!"

He shot toward Xiao Nanfeng. While he was still some distance away, a flashing red void formed before him. Xiao Nanfeng had made use of his candleflame abilities to open a passageway out of the crystal.

"Are you letting me into the crystal? Good, very good! Once I escape, I'll ensure that your corpse isn't mutilated, haha!" The Peach Buddha cackled in glee.

Just as he was about to enter, a set of exquisite fingers appeared from the passageway and pointed at the Peach Buddha.

"A woman's hand? It's nothing impressive." The Peach Buddha ignored it and continued to rush forward.

Then, he suddenly found himself flying back from just that one finger. He smashed into the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood, his past injuries worsening from the blow.

"Who? Who can harm my cursed spiritual avatar?!"

He widened his eyes as he saw a gorgeous woman dressed in peach blossom garb—Madam Rouge.

Madam Rouge's gaze was ice-cold as she glared at the Peach Buddha, murderous intent in her eyes.

Even just standing to one side, Ye Dafu and the others could sense the potency of her aura. They involuntarily shivered in fear.

When the Peach Buddha realized who Madam Rouge was, he blanched. Then, his body trembling, he knelt on the ground and kowtowed. "I greet Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!"

"Ha! And who was it who claimed that he would be on equal footing with me upon obtaining the Records of Life and Death?" Madam Rogue demanded.

The Peach Buddha froze instantly, as though he were trapped in an ice cellar. "Please spare me, Your Majesty! I spoke out of anger while enraged with Xiao Nanfeng, but I promise I never said anything about being on equal footing with you! Please, Your Majesty!"

"What I heard was not your speaking out of anger," Madam Rouge replied coolly.

The Peach Buddha froze. Madam Rouge had heard it for herself? With her own ears? How was he to plead innocence now?