Rebirth of Nezha in the Investiture of the Gods

The singing was distant, appearing and disappearing intermittently, but its sorrowful lament was easy to discern.

Perhaps this resonated with Li Mingzhu's emotions at the moment, as he was in profound grief, making it easier for him to pick up on the feeling conveyed.

Because he empathized deeply.

Shaking his head to clear his mind, he focused solely on how to quickly bring Ao Yu to meet Ping Xin Lady.

In ancient times, the ancestral witch Houtu transformed herself to form the Six Paths of Reincarnation, enabling the birth of a Primordial Spirit, which became Ping Xin Lady.

Though her Primordial Spirit was born, Houtu was no longer a witch. Despite her secretive efforts to assist the Witch Clan, she remained unable to change their destiny.

Similarly, during the Battle of the Huai River, Houtu could only watch helplessly as Gonggong was subdued by the Primordial Saint. Even though she is now the ruler of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, a status equal to the Saints, and possesses immeasurable merit, she is powerless.

Although Li Mingzhu was aware of all this, he had no time to dwell on it. The underworld contained the Ten Halls Yama, the Eighteen Layers of Hell, and the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

The residence of Ping Xin Lady was deep within the underworld, where the Six Paths of Reincarnation resided, which was also the most important location in the underworld.

The Ten Halls Yama deal with judging and handling souls; the Eighteen Layers of Hell serve as a place of punishment, while the Six Paths of Reincarnation is the domain of rebirth.

The Ten Halls Yama are: King Qinguang of the First Hall, King Chujing of the Second Hall, King Songdi of the Third Hall, King of Five Senses of the Fourth Hall, King Yanluo of the Fifth Hall, King Pancheng of the Sixth Hall, King Taishan of the Seventh Hall, King of Capital City of the Eighth Hall, King of Equality of the Ninth Hall, and Reincarnation King of the Tenth Hall.

In folklore, all of these are collectively referred to as "King Yanluo." While this might be a convenient generalization, it's ultimately not accurate.

Li Mingzhu had barely stepped into the Yama Palace when ten burly men clad in black robes arrived together, each emanating an aura as immense and solid as a mountain.

Speaking of the Ten Halls Yama, they had all actually appeared.

"Greetings to the ten Yama Kings. May I—?"

Li Mingzhu halted his steps and addressed the ten Yama.

"This path is blocked!"

King Qinguang, standing at the forefront, fixed his gaze on Li Mingzhu and spoke slowly, his tone imposing and commanding.

"Since when did the underworld turn so unreasonable?"

Although Li Mingzhu was growing anxious and worried about Ao Yu, he understood that the situation was not in his favor, and confronting the Ten Halls Yama head-on would be inadvisable.

After all, this was the underworld's territory. If a fight were to break out, not only would it waste precious time, but he'd also stand little chance of success.

"Those standing before you are not the Ten Halls Yama of the underworld, but rather the ten Great Witches of the Houtu Tribe from the Witch Clan!"

King Chujing removed his black robe, reverting to his original Witch Clan identity.

"I dare say the Daoist has no enmity with the Witch Clan. I even warned the Witch Clan ahead of time when the Chan Sect elders planned to hunt them, and I even quarreled with Uncle Chijingzi over it!"

Though desperate to save Ao Yu, Li Mingzhu's reasoning remained sharp. He couldn't fathom why the Great Witches of the Houtu Tribe dared to hinder him.

"What you say is not untrue, but still, the death of the ancestral witch Gonggong was caused by you!"

Reincarnation King spoke in a grave tone. Indeed, if we consider Gonggong's demise, Li Mingzhu bore significant involvement, even if Gonggong's downfall was largely self-inflicted.

"What would you have me do? I must meet Ping Xin Lady now. If you insist on holding me accountable, I'll settle this in the future."

Li Mingzhu's expression remained unchanged as he stared at the ten burly men before him.

"Whether the account is settled now or in the future is beyond your decision. If you were alone, we brothers might not be able to stop you. But do you wish to save the woman in your arms?"

King Taishan replied with a tone that clearly exposed Li Mingzhu's weakness. Indeed, if he wanted to save Ao Yu, he would have no choice but to confront this challenge from the Ten Halls Yama.

"What is it that you want?"

"Simple. We brothers won't make it overly difficult for you. Each of us will strike you with one punch. If you can endure it, I promise you'll have free passage throughout the underworld!"

King Qinguang spoke, with an inexplicit hint of admiration hidden within his words. The Witch Clan has always respected those with true courage.

This wasn't an intentional ploy against Li Mingzhu—they acted as instructed by Houtu. What else could they do?

They were not fools; they understood that Gonggong's demise was self-driven and that Li Mingzhu had assisted the Primordial Witch Clan afterward.

It's not as if they knew nothing!

"Agreed!"

Li Mingzhu didn't hesitate to accept. For one, time was of the essence. Second, he had no chance of barging through anyway.

Ten Great Witches—what did that mean?

It meant the equivalent of ten Perfect Daluo Golden Immortals. Not even Li Mingzhu, with all his confidence, could hope to fight his way through the combined efforts of the Ten Halls Yama guarding the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

Moreover, even if he defied them and broke through, would Ping Xin Lady truly come to Ao Yu's aid?

If he chose force, there would undoubtedly be conflict and casualties, making it even less likely for Ping Xin to help heal Ao Yu.

The ten Yama exchanged glances before King Qinguang stepped forward first.

Houtu, the ancestral witch of earth, was renowned for her tribe members' immeasurable strength. One need only recall figures like Kua Fu and Hou Yi from the Houtu Tribe to understand the combat prowess of Great Witches from her lineage.

"Begin the trial!"

Li Mingzhu gently placed Ao Yu near a nearby pillar, ensuring she was properly settled, before stepping forward himself. He refrained from summoning defensive techniques or utilizing Dharma Manifestation.

If he agreed to endure the Great Witches' strikes, then his word would be his bond.

"Well said!"

King Qinguang delivered an explosive punch, like the collapse of the cosmos, infused with overwhelming intent, striking Li Mingzhu directly.

"Cough… cough… cough…"

Li Mingzhu was sent flying, spitting blood uncontrollably. Yet, he staggered back to the same spot almost immediately.

"One punch down, nine more to go!"

Li Mingzhu fixed his gaze on the ten Great Witches before him. Though gravely injured, his expression did not waver.

"Let's leave the subsequent punches to the elder brother. We'll refrain from striking further!"

King Chujing spoke directly. He couldn't bring himself to attack again.

King Qinguang took a deep breath. He was unfazed. Since he had already landed one punch, it was no matter to carry out the remaining nine himself.

"Boom!"

A second punch was delivered. Like before, Li Mingzhu stood still and took it head-on without resistance.

This time, Li Mingzhu wasn't thrown back; he absorbed the force but struggled intensely before declaring: "Eight punches remain!"

"Let's keep going! Fine!"

King Qinguang had always been fiercely competitive. Seeing Li Mingzhu endure two punches sparked his respect and admiration.

Resolute, he gathered his strength for another strike, unleashing another devastating punch toward Li Mingzhu.

"Bang!"

Li Mingzhu was sent flying once more, coughing blood, his body showing signs of the toll.

Though his flesh rivaled that of a Great Witch, the one striking him was, after all, a true Great Witch.