The two little ghosts stood in the doorway, dumbfounded for quite some time.

Seeing Jian Chou’s figure in front getting farther and farther away, soon becoming just a blurry shadow, Little Head Ghost suddenly came to his senses and slapped himself: “Damn! What’s this nonsense about keeping up with the times!”

“Huh?”

Big Head Ghost didn’t understand what had gotten into Little Head Ghost suddenly, and was quite puzzled.

Little Head Ghost was furious, and also gave him a slap: “If we don’t go now, we won’t catch up with them!”

After saying this, he directly grabbed Big Head Ghost and ran forward.

Big Head Ghost felt wronged: I wasn’t the one who said we couldn’t keep up.

The two little ghosts ran up quickly with flying footsteps, catching up to Jian Chou and Zhang Tang ahead.

In the deep night, not many people were walking outside. Only the earthly yin essence seeping from the ground lingered among the many dilapidated buildings—this was produced by quite a few people cultivating.

Everyone walked silently.

Who didn’t know they were going to do “bad things” now? How could they let people know?

Zhang Tang walked slightly ahead with measured steps, heading toward the direction of the Ghost Gate in the distance.

Jian Chou fell back half a step, walking beside Zhang Tang, in quite good spirits, constantly observing the surroundings as they walked.

Since being picked up by Little Head Ghost and Big Head Ghost, Jian Chou had never left that room. Her observations of the outside were only through window cracks, far from complete.

This was her first time coming out to look around.

Dilapidated houses connected one after another, like ghostly shadows silently howling in the darkness. Wild grass was the only patch of pale color in the black night. The road ahead wound infinitely into the dark and vast depths, like a winding snake.

This reminded Jian Chou of that small mountain village from before.

Here too were houses on both sides, here too were winding village roads, but without those tall, lush ancient banyan trees, and without those familiar people.

The originally relaxed expression on her face gradually disappeared.

When they left the village entrance and entered the vast plains of the Extreme Domain’s evil soil, Zhang Tang seemed to sense something and looked back at Jian Chou.

This was a very perceptive person, Jian Chou knew clearly.

She reined in some of her emotions. Seeing that there was no one else around except the two skulking little ghosts, she seized the opportunity and smiled lightly: “I didn’t expect that the underworld’s villages would be so similar to the mortal realm.”

“The Extreme Domain is connected to the mortal realm, only separated from the Nineteen Continents’ lands. Therefore, mortals believe in ghosts, gods, and reincarnation. The realm of reincarnation is structured to imitate the mortal world. The many ghost officials in the underworld were also human while alive.”

So everything being like the mortal realm wasn’t anything surprising.

Zhang Tang explained casually.

Jian Chou nodded, easily understanding, then said: “Having just arrived in the Extreme Domain, Jian Chou has many unresolved matters. Court Minister Zhang, being a ghost official, should understand matters of the Extreme Domain. I wonder if you could resolve some doubts?”

Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost walked behind them, looking around in all directions. When they heard Jian Chou say this, they immediately pricked up their ears.

They had now seen that the relationship between Old Zhang and Jian Chou was quite strange. Calling them acquaintances didn’t seem right—they were more like enemies. But calling them enemies, Old Zhang had loosened his grip and was simply turning a blind eye to everything.

Now that Jian Chou was going to question Zhang Tang, they both became interested.

Zhang Tang was indeed somewhat curious about Jian Chou.

He was silent for a moment, then nodded.

So Jian Chou said: “First, when I was in the mortal realm, I once neared death. Later I was saved by someone who reassembled my scattered soul and spirit, but my three souls and seven spirits were slightly deficient. I wonder, where should I seek these missing souls and spirits?”

Zhang Tang glanced at her, originally wanting to look at her three souls and seven spirits, but discovered that the ten points of spiritual light from her soul and spirit had all disappeared. Her aura was restrained throughout—she had actually already reached the soul pearl realm!

In that instant, only one thought flashed through his mind: How long had she been in the Extreme Domain?

However, Zhang Tang quickly adjusted.

He frowned: “That you can still cultivate a soul pearl proves your three souls and seven spirits are still complete, just with slight deficiencies in individual souls and spirits. Such slight deficiencies have nothing to do with the underworld’s reincarnation. Most likely, accidents occurred when you were near death—mountain spirits and demons that feed on souls and spirits are not unheard of.”

Though he didn’t know why Jian Chou had encountered a “near-death situation,” Zhang Tang still answered based on his knowledge.

For him, this was just casual conversation.

Hearing this, Jian Chou couldn’t help but fall silent for a moment.

Now she had cultivated to the soul pearl realm, but it was just a tiny speck, barely allowing her to temporarily escape the effects of deficient souls and spirits on the ghost cultivation path.

In fact, after soul separation, she would still have to face the Heart-Questioning Dao Tribulation.

The soul pearl was merely a form. After soul separation, what was cultivated was the “heart” and “soul.” Without repairing the deficient souls and spirits, it would ultimately be useless.

What Zhang Tang said clearly told her: in the underworld, she couldn’t find back her missing souls and spirits, because this matter had nothing to do with the underworld.

Though this was already within her expectations, having it stated clearly was still somewhat disappointing.

It seemed the path to finding a remedy would be long and arduous.

“I can only leave it to heaven’s will…” Jian Chou sighed deeply, then continued asking: “If the underworld can’t manage souls and spirits, surely it can manage the Life and Death Registry?”

The Life and Death Registry—this was a sensitive topic.

Zhang Tang didn’t respond.

Jian Chou didn’t mind: “I had someone important in the mortal realm, but they died young. Having suddenly come to the Extreme Domain this time, I inevitably want to know their fate. I wonder, where should I inquire about their whereabouts?”

“The true Life and Death Registry is held by Chief Judge Cui Jue of the Qin Guang Royal Hall. What other departments have are copied versions of the Life and Death Registry.” Zhang Tang glanced at her. “Cui Jue resides in the inner layer of the underworld, and the Life and Death Registry is kept in the Zongling Seven Non-Heavenly Palace. Ordinary people can’t get even a step closer.”

“…”

Two consecutive pieces of not-so-good news.

Jian Chou’s brows furrowed. The City of Unjust Deaths was at the edge of the underworld. The deeper into the underworld one went, the higher the cultivation of the ghost cultivators inside.

The Qin Guang Royal Hall was in the central Octagonal City, while the various Chief Judges’ residences were in the slightly outer layers. Wanting to enter was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Rustle rustle…

Wind blew through the grass, bringing tiny sounds.

Jian Chou followed Zhang Tang’s steps, walking along the roadside, passing by the wild grass. Neither spoke for a long time.

The menacing Ghost Gate was not far ahead diagonally, but they were walking toward some city at the edge of the underworld.

The towering high city was just a small dot in the distance.

Zhang Tang also hadn’t spoken for a long time. Just as they were about to arrive, he suddenly asked: “Don’t you want to know how to leave the Extreme Domain?”

Jian Chou was startled, but smiled: “I’ve asked two questions in a row and gotten bad news both times. I’m temporarily afraid to ask more.”

In fact, what she should be most concerned about was indeed how to leave the Extreme Domain.

“Six hundred years ago, there was a war between the Yin and Yang realms. The Nineteen Continents, led by Kunwu, Yashan, the Yin-Yang Sect, and the Buddhist sects, once fought with the underworld over the authority of reincarnation.”

Saying this, Zhang Tang stopped.

Jian Chou was still waiting for him to continue, but unexpectedly, after waiting for a long time, Zhang Tang just kept walking forward without saying another word.

It seemed his answer ended there.

The war between Yin and Yang realms…

Jian Chou was naturally extremely attentive to this point.

This concerned the Nineteen Continents and the Extreme Domain, and mighty Yashan cultivators had once fallen in this war. The ghost axe even preserved some fragments of this event.

She had inadvertently seen the rolling waters of the Yellow Spring and the boundless evil soil of the Extreme Domain, identical to what she saw here and now.

The Yashan cultivators at that time seemed to have…

Fought with others on the Extreme Domain’s evil soil?

In the depths of her mind, this ray of inspiration suddenly burst forth.

Her eyes brightened accordingly, as if she had parted the fog and finally seen hope: since predecessor cultivators had once found ways to enter the Extreme Domain, she should also be able to find the methods predecessors used to enter, seeking a way out.

Moreover, Zhang Tang wouldn’t mention this matter to her without reason—there must be inside information.

Having thought this through, Jian Chou’s gaze toward Zhang Tang carried some strangeness.

Her voice was gentle and slow, floating in the night with some haziness: “Thank you, Court Minister Zhang.”

Zhang Tang remained silent as usual.

It seemed he had already spoken quite a bit today, and he didn’t particularly care for Jian Chou’s thanks.

Behind them, Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost whispered: “What does the war between Yin and Yang realms have to do with getting out?”

“You ask me, how would I know?”

“Sigh, these two only speak in riddles, really…”

“Alright, alright, let’s hurry along…”

…

Continuing forward, about an hour later.

Little Head Ghost suddenly jumped up excitedly, pointing ahead: “Look, look! Is that the City of Unjust Deaths ahead? My goodness, it’s so beautiful!”

Big Head Ghost quickly looked over and also became excited: “It really is the City of Unjust Deaths!”

These two little ghosts had never been to the City of Unjust Deaths before, not even daring to approach it.

This time was their first time seeing it.

The night had reached its deepest point.

In the entire sky above the Extreme Domain, not half a point of light could be found.

Only perhaps because she had already condensed a soul pearl, Jian Chou could still see everything around her. After hearing Little Head Ghost’s delighted cry, Jian Chou also looked over.

The blurry shadow of the city she had seen in the distance had now become towering, majestic on the horizon. Its serrated edges were hung with countless pale white skulls, appearing sinister and terrifying.

Vaguely, the sound of water could be heard.

Below was a moat, but the river contained boiling lava.

A drawbridge hung high in front of the city, seemingly slowly lowering due to midnight’s arrival, about to span across the moat.

Jian Chou raised her head high, nearly craning her neck sore, before she could see three characters written in mysterious, unfathomable runes on the frighteningly high city gate.

Probably the three characters “City of Unjust Deaths”?

This was where all people who “died against heaven’s will” resided, and also the only place in the underworld where the forces of the Octagonal City couldn’t interfere at will.

This was the Extreme Domain’s “Mingri Xinghai.”

At this moment, the City of Unjust Deaths slept in darkness, like a crouching wild beast.

The slowly lowering drawbridge, the slowly opening city gate, were like its gradually opening giant maw.

Jian Chou watched this scene, her mind almost captivated.

Zhang Tang had also stopped walking.

He was quite familiar with the City of Unjust Deaths, so even seeing such a scene, he wasn’t surprised at all, even taking it for granted.

His gaze looked toward the figure standing with hands behind his back ahead—still that same cold and stern appearance.

Jian Chou’s brows suddenly furrowed. She remembered what Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost had said about “Old Zhang” earlier—Zhang Tang himself came from the City of Unjust Deaths…

But he was the Great Xia Emperor’s most trusted powerful cruel official!

How could he have died so young and come to the underworld?

Jian Chou suddenly realized she seemed to have overlooked some important issue.

She watched the slowly falling drawbridge, seeing it about to reach the bottom, and suddenly asked: “Court Minister Zhang, my coming to the Extreme Domain was an accident… but you?”

—Was this death, or accident?

Jian Chou didn’t finish her words, but how could Zhang Tang not know?

He turned his head to look at Jian Chou this way, with not half a point of extra emotion in his eyes. Only in an instant, he thought of why he had died, and also…

That “National Teacher Fu” who had suddenly appeared in Great Xia.