A thousand li away, Eight Directions City.
Within the massive city, eight towering palaces floated in the air like eight islands, casting heavy shadows under the skylight, representing a supreme Aura of Power.
Eight enormous human-shaped statues, seven male and one female, each bearing distinctly different temperaments, stood on the ground before each palace, even taller than the palaces themselves.
These were the statues of the eight Yama Lords of Eight Directions City.
Among them, some appeared old, some young, and there was even one that looked like a very young boy.
If one gazed from high above at these eight floating Yama Palaces and these eight Yama Lord statues, those with slightly inferior cultivation would feel a trembling and oppression from the depths of their hearts!
This place was the center of the entire underworld, and also the center of power!
Each of the eight Yama Lord statues held their own magical artifacts, piercing into the clouds, overlooking the entire city and the entire underworld from their lofty positions.
At this moment, outside the northernmost palace.
The usually tightly closed main gates had been completely opened.
Ghost cultivators from the Ghost King clan, holding black three-pronged forks and wearing tense expressions, stood guard at their posts.
From within the great hall, several voices could be faintly heard talking, though they were too muffled to make out clearly.
Until…
“Sha Hanzhi?”
That was a steady and authoritative voice, as if having heard something incomprehensible. The usual unquestionable tone had faded considerably, replaced by several points of surprise and confusion.
All the ghost cultivators guarding outside immediately shuddered, standing even straighter, eyes forward, seemingly awed by this voice.
Eight doors were fully open, skylight streaming in, illuminating the deep black floor inside with a brilliant gleam.
The entire great hall had few decorations, yet whether it was the massive pillars or the tall bronze lamp stands, all exuded a sense of grandeur and ancient simplicity.
Though not luxurious, it was very majestic.
Four people were already seated in chairs facing the front of the hall.
Upon closer inspection, one would discover that the faces and postures of these four people could match with one of the eight statues outside.
Their gazes all fell upon the seat of honor.
The steps weren’t high, only nine levels, yet sufficient to distinguish between host and guest, superior and subordinate.
Seated on the purple-gold throne was a tall man with broad shoulders and a composed aura. His long eyebrows were now slightly furrowed, and his deep black pupils faintly revealed dark gold.
His gaze swept over the three empty seats below, his voice still low: “Some time ago, Lord Du Shi mentioned sending Sha Hanzhi to investigate the Ghost Gate Pass area. How could a perfectly fine person just disappear?”
Today, there were still eighty days until the ding competition began.
Anyone who could sit in this northernmost great hall throughout the entire Extreme Realm, besides Lord Qin Guang of the First Yama Palace, where else could a second person be found?
According to usual custom, on this day, several matters related to the ding competition needed to be finalized.
Therefore, Lord Qin Guang had sent messengers yesterday to notify the other seven Yama Lords to convene today.
But unexpectedly, when he arrived at the hall, only three of the seven had come: King Yanluo, King Taishan, and King Zhuanlun.
The others were nowhere to be seen.
Surprised, Lord Qin Guang naturally inquired about everyone’s whereabouts—
The Second Palace’s Lord Chu Jiang had always disliked worldly affairs and was recently in seclusion cultivating, so his absence was normal.
The Fourth Palace’s Lord Wu Guan had a childlike nature and loved to play. His precious pet egg had run out this morning, and he was catching it on his way here, so he’d arrive later—this wasn’t a big deal either.
But the remaining two left him puzzled.
One was the old fox from the Third Palace, Lord Song Di.
This person had a decrepit appearance yet harbored great ambition. In his previous life, he had been the first emperor of the human world. After death, he entered the underworld and began cultivating.
Later, when the war between the Yin-Yang realms erupted, he employed various schemes and dealt heavy blows to the Nineteen Continents cultivators, achieving great merit.
After the Yin-Yang realm war ended, relying on his exceptional cultivation, cunning schemes, and wartime contributions, this old fox successfully became a Yama Lord, ranking in the Third Palace with the title “Song Di.”
Lord Qin Guang had always been wary of the old fox, knowing his deep scheming nature and that he might well covet the First Palace Yama Lord position.
However…
Even if he harbored ambitions, he shouldn’t fail to appear at today’s relatively unimportant gathering.
The other was the Seventh Palace’s Lord Du Shi, Jiang Chang.
She was the only existence in Eight Directions City who hadn’t interfered in the Yin-Yang realm war yet was still made a Yama Lord. In life, she had been a hungry ghost but had never harmed anyone. After becoming a Yama Lord, she had always been kind to others.
Given today’s situation, Jiang Chang shouldn’t have failed to come either.
So Lord Qin Guang had asked what was happening.
As if summoned by mention, Lord Song Di arrived, entering the great hall with an “I’m late,” then looking at the other Yama Lords present, he made apologies on behalf of Lord Du Shi.
It turned out the old fox had encountered Lord Du Shi on his way here.
She had just left the Seventh Palace at that time, and her direction suggested she was leaving Eight Directions City.
After exchanging pleasantries with her, the old fox asked where she was going.
Jiang Chang’s face bore a solemn expression, unprecedented in having no trace of a smile. She answered him briefly, then disappeared directly from her spot.
“At that time, Lord Du Shi seemed hurried and in poor spirits. She only told me that Sha Hanzhi had disappeared without any word, and she wanted to investigate personally. As for why Sha Hanzhi disappeared, she didn’t mention.”
The old fox Lord Song Di now lifted his wrinkled eyelids to glance at Lord Qin Guang above.
“I suppose if Lord Du Shi knew the reason, she wouldn’t need to investigate personally.”
Sha Hanzhi was a quite capable female judge under Lord Du Shi Jiang Chang, and one of the few judges in Eight Directions City who didn’t rise through the ding competition.
In recent years, everyone knew she was most favored by Jiang Chang, essentially half a steward of the Seventh Palace.
Last month’s incident of the ghost axe appearing at Ghost Gate Pass had alarmed nearly half the Extreme Realm.
In Eight Directions City, from the First Palace’s Lord Qin Guang to the Eighth Palace’s Lord Zhuanlun, everyone had paid attention to that area, and Sha Hanzhi had been sent by Jiang Chang to the Ghost Gate Pass area at that time.
Originally everything had been fine, with daily reports of any news or lack thereof.
Unexpectedly, starting six days ago, no matter how the Seventh Palace’s ghost cultivators tried to contact her, Sha Hanzhi gave no response whatsoever, completely losing contact.
Jiang Chang had always cared about her subordinates. When this happened, she immediately sent people to investigate.
In such situations, either she was trapped somewhere, unable to escape or contact anyone, or she was truly gone.
But after investigating for several days, there was still no word.
Jiang Chang couldn’t sit still and set out directly this morning for Ghost Gate Pass.
Lord Qin Guang slowly rose from his seat, his tall frame casting a long shadow on the ground.
He raised his head to look outside the hall—
His own towering statue stood before them. Even from within this hall, he had to crane his neck slightly to see that majestic face.
“The ghost axe reappears, Sha Hanzhi disappears, many unjust death scholars on the human isolated island…”
Recent events, one by one, all flowed through Lord Qin Guang’s mind, making him sense an approaching storm.
“Sha Hanzhi’s matter will be handled by Lord Du Shi. However, how goes the investigation into the unusual increase in newly dead ghosts?”
In the lower seat, the Fifth Palace’s King Yanluo was usually a peacemaker.
He wore a long beard and appeared quite aged, with an air of righteousness and peace in his eyes, though his brow was solemnly furrowed into a “川” character.
Hearing Lord Qin Guang’s question, King Yanluo replied: “The Reception Department recently took over receiving new ghosts for the City of Unjust Deaths, so there’s still some confusion. However, nearly three hundred newly dead scholars have arrived. The ghost messengers sent to investigate the City God Temple on the human isolated island returned to report that demons and evil spirits were causing trouble.”
This wasn’t far from what everyone had previously speculated.
Lord Qin Guang shook his head: “Though this matter is quite strange, for our Extreme Realm, having new blood flow in brings only benefits and no harm. The life and death of mortals has nothing to do with us. Rather than the Extreme Realm interfering and drawing the attention of the Buddhist Chan sect, it’s better to observe quietly.”
“Lord Qin Guang speaks truly.”
The slightly hunched old fox Lord Song Di nodded after hearing Lord Qin Guang’s words.
“Since the Yin-Yang realm war, the Chan sect has been dissatisfied with the Esoteric sect’s cooperation with us. After the Buddhist northern migration, they indeed parted ways with the Esoteric sect. They’re recruiting believers on the human isolated island precisely to compete with our Extreme Realm, aren’t they? Now that this has happened, heh heh, let them have the headache!”
After speaking, Lord Song Di’s face revealed a shrewd smile.
The others glanced at him, finding this smile particularly detestable—truly cunning and crafty to the extreme.
Speaking of the Chan sect’s dissatisfaction with the Esoteric sect’s cooperation with them—but wasn’t it this very person who had been fanning the flames behind that bloody battle ten cycles ago?
Even the mighty Yashan had exhausted its vitality in that battle.
Thinking of that scene back then…
Bodies of flesh and blood falling one after another, white bones buried long in the Extreme Realm, countless masterless swords rising into the sky, flying toward the other side of the Nineteen Continents in mournful cries, flying toward Yashan’s armory…
How cruel! How tragic!
Even those present felt a vague sense of melancholy remembering it.
However, strictly speaking, Lord Song Di’s current words were quite reasonable, and everyone had no objections.
“Recently, our Extreme Realm has frequently experienced extraordinary events. I fear troubles may arise. We must be more careful.”
Lord Qin Guang reminded everyone, then continued: “Another matter—the ding competition is imminent. The seventy-two cities are already selecting, and the Ten Great Ghost Clans are determining their own quotas. However, Eight Directions City still has many slots empty. I wonder if you have any thoughts this year?”
Simply put, he was asking if anyone wanted to recommend someone, or recommend any special people.
The relationships among the eight Yama Lords of Eight Directions City were neither particularly good nor particularly bad.
Each Yama Lord had three slots. Some hadn’t used any, others had used all and still needed more. At such times, those with extra slots didn’t mind doing a favor.
When Lord Qin Guang asked, the hall fell quiet for a moment.
The peacemaker King Yanluo shook his head: “I have nothing on my side.”
Lord Song Di smiled with narrowed eyes: “This year the First Palace has that Zhang Tang. Those I favor aren’t very useful, so I simply won’t send anyone.”
Of the remaining two, one was the mountain-like King Taishan, the other was the handsome and composed King Zhuanlun.
King Taishan had always been silent and honest by nature, much like the cultivation-obsessed Lord Chu Jiang. He also shook his head: “I just have that one. Don’t need the others.”
As for King Zhuanlun, though ranked last, he controlled the extremely important “Six Paths of Reincarnation” in the Extreme Realm.
He had been under Lord Qin Guang in his early years and owed much to Lord Qin Guang’s promotion. Even now that he stood as an equal Yama Lord, he had always been allied with Lord Qin Guang.
He raised his eyes to glance at Lord Qin Guang, seeming to consider something. After a moment, he said: “Recently there have been quite a few incidents around Ghost Gate Pass, but also quite a few remarkable people have emerged. A few days ago, I heard an interesting rumor.”
“A rumor?”
This showed he had an idea.
Lord Qin Guang looked over.
King Zhuanlun didn’t play coy, revealing some strange brilliance in his eyes as he smiled: “Last month, a female cultivator came to the City of Unjust Deaths whose soul pearl is only dust-sized.”
“Dust-sized?”
Everyone was immediately curious.
The honest King Taishan couldn’t contain himself and was first to doubt: “How is this possible? Anyone who has passed the Spirit Nourishing and Soul Condensing realms and successfully formed a pearl should have a soul pearl about an inch in diameter. A dust-like soul pearl? If her talent is this poor, she probably couldn’t pass the Spirit Nourishing and Soul Condensing realms, could she?”
His words were direct, but this was also others’ confusion.
Everyone looked toward King Zhuanlun.
If King Zhuanlun dared to speak, he must be confident.
“When I first heard subordinates mention it, I didn’t believe it either. But thinking that the ding competition had just opened, it wouldn’t hurt to investigate, so I had someone ask the Reception Department. Zhang Tang from the Reception Department—I’m sure you’ve all heard of him—happened to have just taken over this matter and received this female cultivator. The information is absolutely true, no falsehood.”
At this, the expressions of the Yama Lords in the hall immediately became surprised.
There really was such a cultivator in the Extreme Realm?
A dust-sized soul pearl…
No matter how one thought about it, it defied common sense!
Lord Qin Guang was also pondering, wanting to ask for more details, but when he looked up, he immediately saw King Zhuanlun’s confident expression.
With his understanding of this former subordinate…
Lord Qin Guang asked knowingly: “Does King Zhuanlun already have an idea?”
“Correct.”
King Zhuanlun didn’t deny it.
Everyone looked at him. The old fox Lord Song Di seemed to think of something and was slightly stunned.
King Zhuanlun just smiled shrewdly: “The ding competition has opened, no different from previous years. It needs to attract attention. Regardless of how strange she is, isn’t the weakest Jewel Formation cultivator in the Extreme Realm’s history a perfect gimmick?”
“…Your background and origins are all verifiable in records. I’ve answered truthfully. The other matter is your cultivation, which anyone can see—I haven’t concealed it. But I’m unclear about who exactly is asking behind the scenes.”
Zhang Tang told Jian Chou everything he had encountered at the Reception Department.
He did this simply to coordinate their stories with Jian Chou first, to avoid one saying east while the other said west, creating contradictions that would expose everything.
Jian Chou understood, but her heart had already sunk like lead.
Forging the registry of newly dead ghosts, conspiring with Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost along with Zhang Tang to infiltrate the City of Unjust Deaths, even including the desperate gamble to break through to Jewel Formation…
Everything was taking risks, victories snatched from danger.
Jian Chou at that time had been at her wit’s end, unable to find any better methods.
So she had no regrets about any of this. Her only worry was being discovered now, failing at the final step, and implicating others.
In the Above Ground Tower, most people had already dispersed.
Chen Tingyan in the distance had also begun walking back. Jian Chou knew she shouldn’t say more and briefly said: “If someone is interested in me or has grown suspicious, they certainly won’t let this go easily. We’re powerless to change it, so we can only wait quietly. This time, I’ve truly troubled Lord Zhang.”
Zhang Tang nodded, accepting her thanks.
At this time, Chen Tingyan had also returned.
He had seen Jian Chou talking with Zhang Tang while still over there, so he smiled as he approached: “I’m done. They dragged me into talking about so much, it almost never ended. What were you two just chatting about?”
Zhang Tang naturally wouldn’t speak with Chen Tingyan. Jian Chou took the initiative: “I heard Lord Zhang obtained a slot from the Eight Directions Yama Palace, so I congratulated him.”
Oh. The Eight Directions Yama Palace? How impressive.
Chen Tingyan gave Zhang Tang a cold glance, truly not wanting to see this unlucky person for even a moment.
Since no one else had come to claim the circular ring for a long time, he simply said: “There’s not much excitement to watch here, but some people have already started selling books with predictions for the second round a few days ago. I’m planning to take a look. Jian Chou, would you like to come along?”
Because Zhang Tang had suddenly informed her that someone was investigating her, Jian Chou now just wanted to return directly to her own territory, bury her head, and cultivate frantically to avoid being helpless when they came for her.
But not going now would somewhat reveal traces.
Suppressing all the stone-heavy worries in her heart, Jian Chou’s face showed nothing as she nodded: “Then let’s go have a look.”
This time, Zhang Tang didn’t go along.
He had come to the Above Ground Tower for two reasons: to see the legendary Brother Lihan, and to find an opportunity to speak with Jian Chou. Now that both objectives were achieved, there was naturally no reason to continue.
So he took Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost, left the Above Ground Tower, said goodbye to Jian Chou, and returned to the Reception Department outside the city.
Without Zhang Tang, Chen Tingyan felt much more comfortable.
He took Jian Chou around most of the City of Unjust Deaths, seeing those cultivators cramming at the last minute, and learning about many common knowledge points in the Extreme Realm, such as “spirit recognition mastery” that she hadn’t encountered before.
It wasn’t until the sky darkened and pedestrians on the streets became sparse that Chen Tingyan escorted Jian Chou back to her newly rented residence.
Seeing Jian Chou close the door, he didn’t hurry to leave but stood outside for a while before departing.
Once inside, Jian Chou’s relaxed and natural expression from the journey almost immediately disappeared.
In its place was dense gloom.
She first used the spirit recognition mastery method she had learned during the day to quickly make the residence’s control talisman recognize her as master, then activated the three-layer protective array, and swept away most of the obvious dust in the study with a wave of her sleeve.
The entire study immediately became clean.
The lamp by the desk near the window was lit by Jian Chou, illuminating the neatly arranged writing materials on the desk and the rows of old and new books filling the nearby bookshelf.
Three thin shadows appeared on the window paper—cast by the three plum branches in the vase.
The lamplight flickered, the branch shadows swayed.
Jian Chou’s heart was filled with turbulent waves.
Who was investigating her? Were they suspicious of Zhang Tang, or suspicious of herself? Would Zhang Tang’s explanations arouse suspicion?
…
A series of questions inevitably emerged.
Jian Chou didn’t want to think about them, yet couldn’t control herself at all.
This was an intense sense of crisis.
Her current cultivation was minimal, with only one killing move to maintain appearances. If something happened, she probably couldn’t handle it at all.
Having no clues about who was investigating her, she couldn’t seek solutions from others.
But if she sought solutions from herself, even if she buried herself in cultivation, how much could her cultivation improve in such a short time? It would be completely useless.
Unless…
She returned to the Nineteen Continents before being exposed.
But if things were that simple, she wouldn’t still be staying in the City of Unjust Deaths.
Sighing deeply in her heart, Jian Chou felt somewhat agitated.
Her gaze moved from the branch shadows to the desk.
On the left were several stacked old books. Jian Chou was quite curious about the original owner of this house, so wanting to use reading to calm herself, she reached for the topmost book and opened it to a page.
One page. Just one page!
Even at first glance, Jian Chou was stunned—
Inherited from primordial chaos, passed down to the beginning of time.
Speaking of its form: water; speaking of its spirit: the Dao.
Those living who obtain it can resolve a hundred sorrows and expect all things; those dead who obtain it can gain new life, white bones can regain flesh.
Creating something from nothing, flowing through reincarnation.
…
A thin page of paper, its ink already old but still clearly visible.
Those living who obtain it can resolve a hundred sorrows and expect all things.
Those dead who obtain it can gain new life, white bones can regain flesh!
What tremendous claims!
Even the world’s top spiritual elixirs wouldn’t dare exaggerate like this, would they?
Jian Chou read word by word, almost suspecting she had opened some supernatural tale.
But when she moved her finger from the paper’s edge and saw clearly the last four characters on this page, she finally completely lost her ability to speak.
“Reincarnation Pool Water…”