Rebirth of Nezha in the Investiture of the Gods

After parting ways with Shi Ji, Li Mingzhu headed to Chentang Pass. To her, this was of little consequence; her cultivation had recently improved, but there were no significant breakthroughs to be made. She decided it might be better to move about and explore.

Li Mingzhu left Daji in White Bone Cave, letting Bi Yun casually teach her some Daoist Skills. Meanwhile, she took Ao Yu and the Nine-tailed Fox along and set off toward Xuanyuan Tomb.

Though Daji was unhappy with the way she was being treated, she had no choice. After all, she was relying on others for shelter.

Xuanyuan Tomb was not far away, and the trio quickly arrived.

Xuanyuan Tomb was essentially a large mound of earth. However, there was a small village nearby called Shimen Village. For some reason—whether it was "the rabbit doesn't eat grass near its burrow" or something else altogether—Li Mingzhu didn't find any signs of the three demons eating humans.

The village was called Shimen Village because of a massive stone gate near Xuanyuan Tomb, with engravings of indeterminate meaning.

It seemed the markings had been eroded by the passage of time and were no longer discernible.

The Nine-tailed Fox approached the front of Xuanyuan Tomb, formed hand seals, and opened the gate. She then led Li Mingzhu and Ao Yu inside.

The other two demons, the Pipa Demon and the Pheasant Spirit, were nowhere to be found. Neither Li Mingzhu nor Ao Yu paid them much attention and continued following in the Nine-tailed Fox's footsteps.

Within Xuanyuan Tomb, it resembled a conventional large mausoleum, complete with corridors and burial chambers. However, it differed in one significant way: it could autonomously gather Spiritual Energy.

Because of this unusual feature, the three demons had made their home here. Immortal Cave Mansions were exceedingly rare, and for minor demons like them, finding a place to live, even one as grim as this, was already fortunate.

The Nine-tailed Fox explained to Li Mingzhu that they typically cultivated in the outer chambers of the tomb. While the inner burial chamber contained even denser Spiritual Energy, they dared not cross the threshold.

The chilling aura within was overwhelmingly strong, keeping them at bay. If it weren't for the lack of better locations, they wouldn't have chosen to cultivate here in the first place.

Soon, the Nine-tailed Fox led Li Mingzhu and Ao Yu to the large stone door dividing the inner and outer chambers. Heavy, rumbling sounds akin to a mighty dragon stirring emanated from beyond the door.

"It seems there's indeed something remarkable hidden within," Li Mingzhu mused aloud. People often said mysterious phenomena always accompanied ancient tombs, and Xuanyuan Tomb appeared to be no exception.

Though the tomb bore Xuanyuan's name, there was no question that it couldn't possibly house the Xuanyuan Huangdi himself, as he had long since ascended to Fire Cloud Cave and achieved Human Emperor status.

"Brother Mingzhu, come quickly! There are murals here!"

Ao Yu's exclamation interrupted Li Mingzhu's thoughts. Following Ao Yu's gesture, Li Mingzhu turned to look in that direction.

The murals were ancient and heavily faded, but one could vaguely discern that they depicted the scenes of an epic battle between the Yellow Emperor and Chi You from Ancient Times.

The fragments of the murals were insufficient to unravel the mysteries of Xuanyuan Tomb. Though Li Mingzhu was hesitant to continue probing, he couldn't bring himself to back down. Helplessly, he steeled himself and prepared to force the stone door open.

He reflected on his cultivation, now in the fifth-turn stage of Profound Skill. Unfettered by any rules, he could contend with a typical Daluo Golden Immortal, let alone with restrictions in place. The thought bolstered his confidence.

The stone door was sealed tightly, and no mechanisms for opening it could be found nearby. The only option left was brute force.

"Swish!"

With the Immortal Slaying Sword in hand, Li Mingzhu performed the Broken Sword Formation.

A single thrust, like a meteor streaking across the night sky, abruptly struck the stone door.

Although the stone door had stood as the barrier between the inner and outer chambers, it shattered instantly under Li Mingzhu's sword strike.

After the deafening roar subsided and the dust settled, countless green-furred and red-furred monsters charged toward Li Mingzhu and his companions, with black-furred and white-furred ones among them.

"Damn it! Zombies!"

Upon seeing these creatures, Li Mingzhu instantly realized what they were. He hadn't expected to encounter such sinister beings here.

Still, given the tomb's mountain-ringed location—a perfect environment for nurturing corpses—their appearance was not surprising.

What puzzled Li Mingzhu was the sheer strength of these zombies. Zombies typically passed through five phases: white-haired, black-haired, green-haired, red-haired, and the most formidable—Drought. Yet here, black-haired and white-haired zombies were in the minority, which was highly unusual.

"These are zombies; lightning-based skills are essential. Hurry, come over here!"

Li Mingzhu called out urgently to Ao Yu and the Nine-tailed Fox, who were frantically trying to fend off the creatures. He moved quickly to protect them.

"Upper Pure Divine Thunder!"

"Yuqing Divine Thunder!"

Li Mingzhu and Ao Yu seemed to share a tacit understanding, simultaneously unleashing their most powerful Thunder Skills, inherited from Pangu—Upper Pure and Yuqing Divine Thunder.

The two divine thunders complemented each other, significantly amplifying their power beyond expectations.

The divine thunders swept through the zombies like a purgatory, annihilating the horde in an instant.

Although the first four stages of zombies were formidable, they still couldn't withstand the might of the divine thunders. Had Li Mingzhu and Ao Yu not mastered such formidable skills, they might have truly met their end here.

With the zombies cleared out, the vast burial chamber suddenly felt much more spacious. At the heart of the chamber stood another large door. Li Mingzhu, Ao Yu, and the Nine-tailed Fox quickly moved forward.

After witnessing the strength of the zombies, the Nine-tailed Fox began to feel hesitant. But seeing that Li Mingzhu was determined to advance, she couldn't bring herself to dissuade him.

This stone door also featured murals, though these were equally indistinct and faded. A winged dragon could be faintly discerned.

Li Mingzhu felt a vague sense of familiarity but couldn't immediately recall where he'd seen it before, so he didn't dwell on it.

Once again, with a single strike from the Immortal Slaying Sword, the stone door was cleaved open. This time, however, no zombies emerged from behind the door. Instead, there was a stone coffin and a massive statue.

The statue was of a dragon with wings, enormous and coiled beside the stone coffin.

The stone coffin was plain, lacking both murals and other decorative items.

It wasn't until Li Mingzhu, Ao Yu, and the Nine-tailed Fox approached that they noticed an inscription on the stone coffin, remarkably preserved despite countless millennia.

"The Tomb of My Beloved Wife, Nü Mei, Ying Long!"

The text was bold and striking, etched with iron strokes that had defied time.

"Ying Long?"

"Uncle Ying Long!"

Both Li Mingzhu and Ao Yu exclaimed in shock—one recollecting a legend from a past life, the other recalling a renowned elder.

"You speak!"

"No, you first!"

The two simultaneously urged each other, before Li Mingzhu calmed himself and spoke up: "Legend has it that during the battle between the Human Emperor Xuanyuan and Chi You, Xuanyuan received aid from many Primordial World figures. Ying Long was one of them. What were you about to say?"

Li Mingzhu relayed the tale truthfully, though his knowledge of Ying Long's deeds was limited.

"Uncle Ying Long was the most talented genius of my Dragon Clan, according to my father's words. Although I've never met him, he has always been someone I deeply admire."

Ao Yu smoothed her emerald tresses as though organizing her thoughts, and Li Mingzhu patiently awaited her explanation without interruption.