Chapter 1069: The Unbroken Past

With the great disturbance of Yin energy in the Underworld, an endless torrent of hidden malevolent spirits surged forth. This included not only the malevolent energy accumulated over a thousand years but also the ancient defilement suppressed beneath the Underworld for millennia.

The magnitude of the upheaval in the Underworld was no longer a simple churning of the Yellow Springs; monsters hidden in every corner, even those from the old era's netherworld, were excitedly stirring.

At this very moment, the Emperor of the Underworld, who in some respects symbolized the highest authority in the Underworld, stood atop the Netherworld Palace at the end of the Yellow Springs, gazing into the distance.

"I never imagined that after so many years, the world's karma would still be so terrifying."

"This karma is difficult to dispel. It is rampant in the Underworld and also present in the human realm. However, Mr. Ji, with his vast power over heaven and earth, eliminated a great calamity back then. Compared to that, this current tribulation is not insurmountable, as Your Majesty can see by simply observing."

The Emperor of the Underworld turned his gaze to the side, where a kind-faced old monk, enveloped in a faint glow, had arrived. The monk looked into the distance, his expression devoid of joy or sorrow.

"So it is Grandmaster Ksitigarbha! This current change is indeed due to my oversight!"

The old monk's words were very calm, but the Emperor of the Underworld detected an implicit meaning: that after ascending to the highest position in the Underworld, he had perhaps become too engrossed in the feeling of supreme power over the years, though it was stated politely.

The old monk slowly performed a Buddhist salute to the Emperor of the Underworld beside him, then opened his slightly lowered eyes and looked into the distance.

"Your Majesty overstates. This old monk, sitting idly in the Underworld for a millennium, is not much stronger. Perhaps today's changes are, in some way, not a bad thing, as they allow us to see that we cannot overly rely on the Yellow Springs."

The Emperor of the Underworld narrowed his eyes, as if he could see through the entire Underworld, and observed the blazing fires of karma in the distance, murmuring softly.

"Mr. Ji once said that all things have a glimmer of life. Grandmaster, your great vow is also to alleviate the suffering of the Underworld. I believe there is profound wisdom in that, and I shall also strive to implement it. I hope for your assistance, Grandmaster!"

"Your Majesty's compassion is boundless; this old monk will certainly do his utmost!"

The Emperor of the Underworld slowly took a step, his form moving towards the distance. The shadow behind him swayed like the night, stretching further as his Dharma form grew larger. Grandmaster Ksitigarbha walked beside him, a faint yellow light constantly accompanying him, like an eternal Buddhist lamp in the night.

"Grandmaster, Buddhist teachings speak of helping people escape the sea of suffering. From my perspective, without experiencing the sea of suffering, it is difficult to truly awaken and attain liberation. The same applies to the malice and evil of sentient beings."

Ksitigarbha murmured, "Evil ones seek their own suffering, as if they are falling into purgatory!"

The Emperor of the Underworld said calmly, "What you say, Grandmaster, may be true from your perspective, but from mine, some evil people in the world live better lives than good people. The tortures they receive in the Underworld after death are insignificant compared to the evil they committed in life. Not to mention, there are countless ingenious methods in the world for people to cleverly avoid the Underworld. Even if they attempt reincarnation after death and fall into the Yellow Springs, their evil karma is even more difficult to dispel. Though your Buddhist teachings are profound, they cannot reverse the deepening evil karma in the Underworld."

Grandmaster Ksitigarbha remained silent, awaiting the Emperor of the Underworld's next words.

"I do not mean to refute your Buddhist teachings, Grandmaster. I merely feel that as evil karma grows rampant, perhaps I should emulate Mr. Ji and complete a crucial part of the Heavenly Dao: the wicked truly should fall into purgatory. If such a condition does not exist, then one should be created. Let Yang be Heaven and Yin be Earth; this purgatory shall be called Hell. This would also offer a glimmer of hope to those who might yet be saved. Coupled with your Buddhist teachings, Grandmaster, it should, to some extent, balance karma!"

After a long pause, Grandmaster Ksitigarbha uttered a Buddhist chant. "May the Buddha be merciful."

Although they hadn't discussed it in depth, Grandmaster Ksitigarbha already understood the implication of the Emperor of the Underworld's words: this Hell would be a long and cruel punishment, so cruel it could dispel human sins. Unlike Buddhist teachings that emphasize self-salvation through enlightenment, this method, which compels repentance through suffering, was simple and brutal. Of course, some might remain unaffected or minimally affected; they would simply continue to endure. Even if there was overflowing sin, Buddhist teachings would address it.

While Grandmaster Ksitigarbha was deep in thought, the Emperor of the Underworld was also refining his ideas. He imagined that if Mr. Ji were present, such a brilliant plan would surely earn his praise. As he considered the ingenious solution, despite the chaos and rising karma in the Underworld, the Emperor of the Underworld couldn't help but burst into laughter.

The laughter echoed throughout the land of the Underworld, shaking the netherworld's Yin energy into a turbulent frenzy.

In the Heavenly Realm, Mi Huang, drinking and watching the dance, couldn't fully know the specific situation of his self in the Underworld, but their emotions were absolutely intertwined. He could feel his counterpart in the Underworld growing increasingly anxious, and through that body, he could perceive the fluctuations of the Underworld's Yin energy, like vast ocean waves cascading one after another.

'What an Emperor of the Underworld! I thought he was merely a figurehead with power, sitting high in the Netherworld Palace. Such courage indeed befits the Monarch of the Netherworld. Heh heh, interesting!'

As he mused, Mi Huang shook his sleeve, and a string of beads within lit up, a faint glow hidden inside. The light of the Five Elements also ignited within his body, only to dissipate in an instant.

At the same moment, the Mi Huang in the Underworld took a long, deep breath and slowly exhaled, then stretched his limbs to loosen his muscles, and clenched his fist, causing his knuckles to crackle.

"This is much more comfortable!" Mi Huang smiled and murmured, then lightly stamped his foot. With a roar, his figure gradually blurred into a disappearing afterimage. His true form, without an escape light, tore through the air and vanished into the distance.

Where She Ji and Sun Yiqiu were hiding, one smiling, one stretching, they were looking at each other when they suddenly noticed the weather in the Underworld changing dramatically.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"

Outside the large tree hollow, fierce winds howled intermittently. While strong Yin winds were normal in the Underworld, a situation like a typhoon was absolutely abnormal. She Ji could even faintly hear a specific sound within the gale.

Sun Yiqiu's Ning'an County in Jizhou had always been blessed by the God of Rain and the Dragon Clan, enjoying favorable weather. He had never seen such a wind, and this howling wind caused his soul to tremble.

"Is this, is this the legendary typhoon? Does the Underworld have them too?"

She Ji's expression was grave. "This is probably a gale caused by some terrifyingly powerful entity in the Underworld. It could even be the legendary Emperor of the Underworld. We must find a way out of here!"

As a ghost, Sun Yiqiu instinctively feared the Emperor of the Underworld's majesty. "But, wasn't there an immortal?"

"The immortal might not be able to find us in this situation!" Although She Ji dearly hoped Hu Yun would find them and lead them away, she wouldn't place all her hope on that immortal. Moreover, they had now caused a monumental disaster, and the situation didn't allow for complacency.

As if to confirm She Ji's thoughts, two divine lights swept across the barren forest from afar, piercing through the Yin energy and fierce winds.

Two ghost gods approached, treading on ripples of Yin energy. One wore a tall hat and robes of black and white, while the other was clad in armor, his body sharply defined with interlocking fish-scale plates.

Due to the Yin energy storm, She Ji hadn't sensed the ghost gods' presence beforehand. The moment the divine light swept over her, her heart jolted with alarm, immediately realizing their predicament.

"How much longer will you hide! Come out!" The tall-hatted ghost god abruptly waved his hand, as if striking with sharp claws, tearing the surrounding withered trees apart. She Ji instantly scooped up Sun Yiqiu and darted out of the hollow tree.

The martial-general-like ghost god on the side opened his eyes wide, and a huge iron whip appeared in his right hand. He roared and swung the whip towards She Ji and Sun Yiqiu. "Where do you think you're going!"

The iron whip glowed eerily, tearing through the Yin energy. Its powerful force shattered the surrounding withered trees. She Ji, clutching Sun Yiqiu, simply poured her energy forward. Upon escaping, she was immediately met with a devastating strike and had no time to devise another response, so she manifested her five-colored demon tail to absorb the blow.

"Boom—" The iron whip struck the lynx's tail, driving it and the five-colored tail into She Ji and Sun Yiqiu. She Ji, now having a moment of buffer, turned with Sun Yiqiu in her arms, planted her feet on her tail, and then gritted her teeth, pushing off with all her might. Using the force of the impact, she fled even faster into the distance, instantly disappearing into the turbulent Yin winds.

"Hmph, trying to escape?" "Delusional!" The two ghost gods moved with the speed of wind and thunder, instantly giving chase on the Yin energy. The martial-general ghost god, after narrowing his eyes, directly flung his iron whip. This whip moved faster than a flying sword, hurtling like a black iron tower towards She Ji and Sun Yiqiu in the distance.

She Ji, whose aura was still turbulent from the previous blow, knew the ghost god's artifact was coming again but had no time to prepare. She took the hit squarely on her back.

"Ah!" It seemed the ghost god's artifact was exceptionally potent, causing bone-searing pain that made She Ji cry out, yet her speed did not decrease; it increased.

"Lady!" Sun Yiqiu was both terrified and anxious, but could do nothing to help.

"What a defiant fiend! Not merely a demon soul. Without a physical body, that last blow should have shattered your soul. Daring to cause mischief in the Underworld, prepare to die!"

"You won't escape!" She Ji was straining with all her might, but the two ghost gods' speed far exceeded her imagination; she simply couldn't shake them off.

"Esteemed Divine Ones, I have cultivated for hundreds of years and never committed any act that would weigh on my conscience. I entered the Underworld to save someone. Please, esteemed Divine Ones, spare us, I beg you!"

"You think your sweet talk can deceive us?" The tall-hatted ghost god angrily retorted with a laugh. A golden bell slipped from his sleeve, and when he shook it, it resonated like a great bell.

"Dong, dong, dong!" "Souls, come forth!" She Ji immediately felt a splitting headache, but it was just a headache for her. Sun Yiqiu, however, felt as if his entire body was being torn into a thousand pieces, as if he was about to be ripped apart. A bright glow erupted from his ghost body, and he directly broke free from She Ji's grasp.

"Ah? Yiqiu—" She Ji's arms were empty, and for a split second, she had no other thought but to confront the ghost gods and pursue Sun Yiqiu. She used all her strength to catch up to Sun Yiqiu's spirit form, but right before her, a brilliantly glowing iron whip was already striking down.

She Ji embraced Sun Yiqiu tightly. "If we die, we die together!"

The amulet on Sun Yiqiu, which had almost no light left, suddenly flared brightly. A stream of light coiled around both of them, and the ghost god's iron whip, larger than a human head, halted above She Ji and Sun Yiqiu. It wasn't that the amulet possessed such immense power, but rather that the two extraordinary ghost gods, being highly experienced, recognized its specific runes.

"Hm? A True Talisman of the Xuanmen Dao!"

"What is your relationship with the Ancestral Court of Daoism?" She Ji and Sun Yiqiu were breathing heavily, looking up at the iron whip above them. It took Sun Yiqiu a moment to collect himself before quickly answering, "Someone gave me this amulet; they said it would help me overcome difficulties."

The two ghost gods had witnessed She Ji's willingness to risk her life to save Sun Yiqiu. While such an act alone might not have swayed them, the presence of the talisman certainly made them reconsider.

"Let's detain them first!" She Ji's heart tightened. She knew that even if the ghost gods were hesitant to kill them now, being taken back would surely expose their misdeeds, which might be a worse fate than dying here.

But before She Ji could plead for mercy, the surrounding gale seemed to explode and tear apart, and the tide of Yin energy was shredded, briefly subsiding.

All of them instinctively looked towards the half-air to one side, following the aura. They saw a Confucian scholar with glowing eyes suspended there. His face gradually showed an excited expression upon seeing She Ji and Sun Yiqiu.

"Hahahahahahaha, found them."

At this moment, Mi Huang trembled slightly with excitement. Unmistakable, sinister demonic energy continuously poured from him, as if he was just a step away from his destined goal. Ignoring everyone else, he stomped his foot and charged directly at She Ji.

She Ji reacted fastest, immediately grabbing Sun Yiqiu and retreating to escape.

The two ghost gods also reacted swiftly. Mi Huang's target was the demoness and the male ghost. Based on their initial intuition, the ghost gods' first instinct was to block him.

"Don't even think about it!" "Stop him!" The iron whip and copper bell both struck. Mi Huang disregarded them, extending his right hand in a claw to seize only She Ji and Sun Yiqiu. Yes, seeing them embracing, to avoid any further complications, he decided to seize She Ji along with him.

"Dang—" "Bang—" The bell was repelled first, its magical power shockwave churning the surrounding ground and uprooting withered trees. Yet, Mi Huang remained unmoving and maintained his momentum. Then the iron whip struck his claw, unleashing an even more muffled yet powerful impact that slightly slowed Mi Huang's advance, but his body twisted like a loach, evading the magical shockwave, still lunging towards She Ji and Sun Yiqiu.

However, the martial-general-like ghost god not only possessed magical power but also excellent combat skills. The immense force on the iron whip almost made him lose his grip. He immediately let go, and as the whip spun ninety degrees, he gripped its tip. Then, channeling his magical power, he guided the whip with its rotational inertia and added immense force, swinging it fiercely a second time at Mi Huang, with even greater speed and power.

At this moment, Mi Huang had just slipped past the two ghost gods, and the lightning-fast iron whip struck his side. This blow was almost like Mi Huang himself had combined forces with the ghost gods.

"Rumble—" The Yin energy exploded, and the earth collapsed, finally sending Mi Huang sprawling to the side.

She Ji, however, did not stop for a moment, still clutching Sun Yiqiu, and had already fled to the horizon. Only a single sentence echoed from afar: "Esteemed Divine Ones, this humble maiden will never forget your immense kindness!"

Upon hearing this, the two ghost gods didn't know whether to be angry or amused, but they had no time for further thought. The demonic entity before them was the real formidable opponent, whose cultivation was far stronger than they had imagined!