Nine Paths of Asura-Original Wuxia

Chapter 164-Entering the Hells

Welcome to the new followers! 

On a side note, I finally started a Patreon, so if you want to donate or are burning to read ahead you can check it out. That being said, Nine Path's of Asura is free and will stay that way until the very bitter end but if you want to show your support for  the story and future ones and can give then Onegaishimasu! Link will be at the bottom of chapters from now on.

Down

Down

Down

Whoooooooooosh

Shua Shua Shua

This time the hellhole was different from the last one. The last one had opened unexpectedly and no one had seen it coming. There had been no powerful members of the Demon race waiting for it. This one however, had been planned for quite a long time. While the eventual goal was for it to open to its full terrifying vastness, the main goal had been to first unleash the Flame King. Now that it had, much of the power contained had been spent and the Hellhole was only opening at a slow pace. As a matter of fact the walls were only about 20 meters apart at the moment.

Lineir plummeted down at a speed which almost caused a sonic boom. His Phoenix Flame Wings beat heavily generating even more speed like a diving falcon. He felt the laws of space meld. What had to be understood here was that the Hells were not exactly "down" and the Hellholes were not necessarily holes to the center of the planet. While traditionally the Hells were below the mortal realm in mortal legends, they were actually located in a different dimension. As such the Hellholes were not just holes but oftentimes massive spatial tunnels!

"The space is twisting. We've arrived." Lineir said clenching his fist around the black blade. As he had returned Mizuchi to the Solar Martial God's avatar he was back to one sword, which was just how he liked it. Mizuchi had not really added too much to his combat power as she did not accept him as her master. His bone scythes came out, they had gained a certain toughness when he had broken through the Divine Realm and the addition of the dragon's soul had caused them to retain some of the characteristics of the strongest beast lineage. Now that he had returned inside a Hellhole the bone scythes itched on his elbows as if uneasy.

WHOOOOSH!!

Suddenly the narrow tunnel expanded into a sea of orange and red fire. Lava everywhere permeated everything. Small flows of solidified rock created channels of walkable earth in the ocean of magma. However...unless one was adapted to live in this atmosphere, even cultivators would find it an exceedingly miserable place!

"Mei which way is the item you need?" Lineir shouted immediately as he floated above the huge cavern. It was many times larger than the pool of lava he had encountered last time. Additionally, there were many rivers which ran off into parts unknown. Obviously this was a much more central and important hub of the Hells! Consequently...the chance of discovery was much greater!

"Give me a second. I almost have it." Mei said. Lineir hesitated in the air looking like a little mosquito amidst the lava. He cocked his head.

"Something doesn't add up. If this is truly a planned attack then where are all the forces? Last time we just happened to open a Hellhole yet there were hordes of demons everywhere. This time it was all planned yet the only one who came out was the Flame King. Did he use up all the energy of the Hellhole when he left?" No sooner had Lineir asked that question when from below the lava something both amazing and terrifying happened. In the roiling golden sea a strange head burst up. It was many meters wide, perhaps a good 45 meters or so! It resembled...a giant worm? Its maw opened and hundreds of disgusting grey-white teeth were revealed. It plopped its head down on a bank of drying solid magma and numerous demons began to hurry out of its gaping maw!

"Hurry up! Our glorious Flame King has already ascended. When the Hellhole recovers it will be our turn!" An orc-like supervisor with a cruel whip ordered harshly while flicking his whip as dozens of demon race and other denizens of hell filed out of the massive worm head. Soon the lava bank was covered in hundreds of enemies! There were the ever present masses of imps, dozens of orc-like beasts, and many many derivative species such as flame elementals, nightmare horses, and demonic knights. These were all creatures from ancient times! Legendary species which had not been seen in the mortal realms since before the records had been written.

"Got it!" Mei cried, "Head down that river to the right. I can feel it, it's down there somewhere..." She murmured as Lineir looked down at the amassing demons below. The worm was constantly ejecting a truly astonishing number of demons. Suddenly another worm erupted next to it!

"Two?" Lineir almost choked as it too opened its frightening jaws and ejected hordes of demonic foes. He realized something else as well. The river he was heading into, while massive had a much lower ceiling than the cavern. He would have to travel much closer to the ground. Just as he was about to go for it another rumble shook the cavern sloshing lava everywhere!

Shhhhgrrraawwww!!

"Three...four... they just keep coming!" Lineir's heart grew cold despite the unbearable heat. The number of worms continuously increased as all throughout the cavern an unbelievable army of every imaginable kind of demon marched out. This was the invasion! "I need to go now!"

He quickly dove down praying that even though he was in the air his stealth techniques would give him refuge. Shooting over the wildly spraying lava and massing army, he made for one of the exits.

"There's a detection formation!" Mei yelled but it was too late. Lineir had already lowered his altitude. Suddenly numerous brown runes like molten slag appeared on the cavern walls!

"What? Intruder! Slay him before he can report the invasion!" The amassing demons growled. Lineir continued to fly as fast as he could directly to the river offshoot. He needed to leave this cavern immediately; the hordes of demons here were multiplying by the minute!

"Can they see me?" He wondered as the formation had not overtly detected him.

Shua!

A fireball shot by him as one of the demonic mages on the ground locked onto him. Moments later he was attacked enmasse by hundreds of fireballs!

"Damnit they definitely can!" He immediately retracted his wings lowering his surface area and rolled, abandoning his stealth movements. Somehow the formation must have revealed him because every single demon in the cavern, and by now there were thousands was screaming for his blood!

"Get him!"

"Knock him out of the air!"

"Kill!"

"His blood will be the first I've tasted in centuries!"

"He's mine!"

They cried and their combined shouts were deafening! Lineir immediately flew into the river leaving the ocean behind.

"Kiddo you have attracted quite the attention." Mei warned and Lineir soundlessly nodded as he landed on the molten outcrop. The ceiling was too low for him to seriously fly with all the fireballs coming about. Instead he dashed about keeping his wings tucked and when the crucial moment came, evaded by instantly opening them and ascending while jumping! He bounced around the tunnel as if gravity did not matter, off the side walls, danced in the air, and even ricocheted off the ceiling. Behind him countless demons joined in on the chase, rapidly gaining ground. However they grew bottlenecked once they reached the river and only a portion broke off to chase Lineir. The rest stayed in the cavern preparing to burst free once the Hellhole was ready to be used again. By the time that happened...perhaps they would number in the hundreds of thousands.

"Your concealment technique is useless here! The Hell's heat permeates everything! Someone like you cannot hide from us!" The closest demon, a late Divine Way beast with three horns cried. His rough hands grasped for the hem of Lineir's robe. However...