Lu Jun's expression shifted slightly upon hearing about the three major checkpoints leading to the core region of the Beast Graveyard, as if he had thought of something.
This was quite similar to the Netherworld and Underworld described in the Nine Provinces world.
Moreover, terms like the Yellow Springs Road, the Other Shore Flower, and the Gate of Hell. He glanced at the Night Thunder Dream Beast and Manjusaka, deep in thought.
As expected, Manjusaka's Witch Queen spiritual voice echoed. These three trials were guarded by the three strongest beings selected by the Undead Beast Graveyard. Their strength was at minimum Supreme Monarch level. In the past, the Yellow Springs Road had been left unguarded, and the Night Thunder Dream Beast had a chance to inherit it.
Now the Other Shore Flower was guarded by her, leaving only the final threshold, the Gate of Hell.
Upon hearing this, Lu Jun's expression turned strange. He hadn't expected that because he knew the bosses guarding the first two trials, he could pass two of them so easily. What kind of chaotic setup was this in the Beast Graveyard?
The Witch Queen remained calm. Who would willingly fight a monster capable of contending with an Emperor? Only that stubborn fool guarding the Gate of Hell would refuse to step aside no matter what.
After getting the information, Lu Jun fell into thought. Should he enter deeper into the Beast Graveyard? Emperors lurked inside, it would surely be extremely dangerous.
But after thinking it over, he would eventually have to meet the Emperor here anyway. His Summoning System's Ancient Magic Gate already stacked multiple techniques and could even trigger partial Emperor-level power, yet no Emperor-level beings were willing to contract with him, leaving him stuck at Supreme Monarch level.
He even suspected that without his special Life and Death attributes, he might not even have been able to summon beings like the Life Spirit King or Manjusaka.
After all, Supreme Monarchs were top-tier existences in any plane. For example, Manjusaka herself ruled as a queen in the Dark Plane, commanding an entire race, only occasionally visiting the Beast Graveyard for duty.
Lu Jun had already made up his mind and asked for the direction to the Gate of Hell.
Soon, Manjusaka pointed toward a winding path in the sea of vibrant flowers. Following it to the end would lead to the Gate of Hell.
Whoosh! In the next moment, countless crimson petals rose around her as her graceful figure gradually dissipated.
The Night Thunder Dream Beast set off again, its four limbs pounding the ground as it raced through the lush Other Shore flower sea on both sides. Its speed was astonishing, like a black-red bolt of lightning blurring its form and sending out surging waves of energy, shattering vines and flowers in its path.
As time passed, Lu Jun saw in the distance a pitch-black outline emerging from the endless darkness.
In the blink of an eye, when he looked around again, even the sea of Other Shore flowers had vanished. The ground had become barren and lifeless. At the end of it all was not a mountain range, but a towering black gate that pierced the heavens and earth.
Its surface was carved with ferocious ghostly faces, surrounded by thick black mist that exuded a bone-chilling aura.
At the top of this monumental gate, an ancient plaque bore three large seal-script characters that anyone could instantly recognize, Gate of Hell.
On both sides of the Gate of Hell, towering city walls formed from dense black mist stretched endlessly without end.
Roar!
As the Night Thunder Dream Beast halted, a shocking roar that seemed to shake heaven and earth suddenly erupted before the silent Gate of Hell, carrying a terrifying spiritual shock that forced the Dream Beast to retreat several steps.
On the tightly shut gate, a lifelike golden-eyed white tiger engraving suddenly moved. Its head protruded outward, becoming three-dimensional, as if it had grown out of the Gate of Hell itself. The tiger opened its massive jaws, its golden eyes locking onto the two of them with a trace of disdain.
Boom!
The golden-eyed white tiger leapt out entirely, its radiant body manifesting within the Netherworld. A vast Supreme Monarch aura surged outward, sweeping across the surroundings, and even seemed to faintly touch the Emperor level as its momentum kept rising.
With its appearance, the entire Beast Graveyard trembled. One hundred thousand tombstones shook, releasing ghostly radiance that pierced the sky and illuminated the heavens in a grand and domineering spectacle.
Seeing this, Lu Jun narrowed his eyes. "So this is the Gate of Hell's guardian?"
As he looked at the golden-eyed white tiger, a strange familiarity surfaced in his mind. Could this tiger be related to the sacred totem beast, White Tiger?
Regardless, Lu Jun did not dare underestimate it. This aura was similar to the Sea King Skeleton and Death Scythe Hades an invincible monarch. Among Supreme Monarchs, it was an absolutely top-tier existence.
Just earlier, he had heard from the Other Shore Flower that this being was a descendant of Yulü.
Yulü was said to be the deity guarding the Gate of Hell. Its form was sometimes a golden-eyed white tiger, and sometimes a tiger-headed humanoid wearing a black-gold battle robe, wielding the authority to command and enslave ghosts.
The later human "Mountain Lord" ability to control tiger spirits and turn them into ghost servants originated from Yulü.
Roar! With the golden-eyed white tiger's roar, a certain great power descended, like a rule-based force similar to a Divine Domain Gift.
In an instant, the deathly dark aura spilling from the Night Thunder Dream Beast seemed to be suppressed and directly immobilized, sealed within its body.
Even Lu Jun's Death Element Star Dust seemed as if it was about to be coated with a layer of light membrane and sealed away.
Fortunately, the ancient King's armor robe within the Star Dust trembled, breaking through this restraint.
The Night Thunder Dream Beast did not fare well. The crimson blood-colored runes on its body completely faded, and its innate ability of "Yellow Springs Undying" was actually nullified.
Seeing this, Lu Jun was greatly shocked. Such mastery over the authority of death, truly worthy of Yulü.
Ordinary monarchs of the Beast Graveyard had no way to fight this. Their most powerful attribute was suppressed; not to mention bearing seals, even at full strength they might not be able to defeat Yulü, who was already close to Emperor level.
Lu Jun quickly signaled the Dream Beast to retreat to avoid being affected by the battle and suffering a fatal outcome.
Originally, relying on its Yellow Springs Undying ability, it could still exchange a few blows with a Supreme Monarch. Now, however, it had encountered its ultimate counter.
Unless it advanced to the same level, its Yellow Springs bloodline had no chance of standing against it.
Similarly, Lu Jun's previously invincible Death Command against undead creatures had no effect either. At this point, the only option was to fight head-on.
Boom!
In the next moment, Lu Jun entered his Acesntion state. His towering figure manifested six super-level transcendental powers. He controlled his star palace, activated his fusion method, and above the sky a black-and-white vortex emerged, radiating a vast aura of samsara.
Two towering divine figures stepped out, one male, one female; one black, one white. Accompanied by howling cyan-black winds and swirling grey-white dust, they descended.
That's right, Lu Jun unleashed the Curse System high-tier magic Underworld Ghost Punishment, the "Heaven and Earth Dual Fiends," further fused with Life Magic and amplified by his Eleventh Realm spiritual power.
At this moment, the two ghost gods were completely different from before. They now possessed flesh-like substance throughout their bodies, every movement carrying boundless divine power, combat strength at the level of a Great Monarch.
But that was not all. He further fused Life and Death magic and summoned the undead he had refined during this period.
One after another colossal figures descended forcefully: the golden lion Sphinx, the Ghost Child Spirit, Medusa, the Netherwater Serpent Lord, the Red Clothes Cold Venerate, the Red Clothes Nine-Headed Serpent, the four-member group of the Dark Association, and others.
These were originally undead monsters; some were not even true undead but merely souls. Yet after being imbued with life, they were completely transformed into living beings. Although they lost the undead trait of not fearing death, their combat power was fully restored to its original peak state.
Lu Jun even activated his summoning technique fused with death magic. The Ancient Magic Gate opened, and clusters of crimson Other Shore Flowers bloomed as a graceful figure reappeared in the Netherworld.
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