Early the next morning, they had an audience with Lord Chu Jiang.

Jian Chou and Qu Zhengfeng continued disguised as Lian Zhao and Xiao Mou, standing outside the great hall alongside Elder Kong Yin of the Wuchang clan.

Xueyin didn’t come.

According to Elder Kong, she had grievances with Lian Zhao, and originally wasn’t responsible for this ghost soldier conscription matter anyway, so there was no need for her to see Lord Chu Jiang, lest she say something wrong at a crucial moment and ruin everyone’s important business.

Jian Chou and Qu Zhengfeng naturally couldn’t ask for more.

One less person meant one less opponent, one less force to resist them.

As for the two “prisoners” Xie Buchen and Lu Xiangleng, they were detained behind them.

After one night, both their conditions seemed quite poor.

Jian Chou naturally showed no mercy toward Xie Buchen. The punishment on the stone pillar had never stopped from the beginning, so now Xie Buchen’s complexion looked even paler than that consumptive ghost Xiao Mou that Qu Zhengfeng was pretending to be.

Lu Xiangleng was slightly better off.

She had already awakened, and since Qu Zhengfeng had told her the truth of the matter, her heart was also calm. At this moment, she slightly raised her eyes to observe “Lian Zhao” standing in front, showing a bit of curiosity.

She was obviously wondering whether this female cultivator was truly Jian Chou.

The judge they had met yesterday walked out from the hall, swept his gaze over them waiting respectfully outside, but didn’t call them all in. Instead, he first called Kong Yin inside.

Presumably to first see the elder and hear the specific details of what happened.

Half a moment after Kong Yin went in, the judge came out again and had people bring Xie Buchen and Lu Xiangleng inside. Another half moment later, it was finally Jian Chou and Qu Zhengfeng’s turn.

The deep black great hall was built on high steps, very imposing.

Since it was in such a naturally cramped underground space, at first glance it seemed this hall propped up the entire dome, yet also seemed ready to be crushed by the narrow underground space at any moment—extremely oppressive.

The two ascended the steps from below and soon entered the hall.

The Extreme Domain was the “underworld.” Since stripping the Jiushijiu Zhou cultivators of their reincarnation rights, it only received souls from isolated islands in the mortal realm. Therefore, many buildings, implements, and official systems were similar to the mundane world.

This great hall was like a royal palace.

The smooth floor reflected like a mirror, with several massive, imposing round pillars standing in the hall. There were no seats below, making it appear austere and spacious. At the far end were nine levels of steps, with strange and eerie demon patterns painted on the red platform. Above that was the only throne in the entire hall.

The Second Palace Yama King of Eight Directions City, Lord Chu Jiang, sat on this throne.

He wore black robes but wasn’t wearing the twelve-tassel crown. He only had a black jade hairpin binding his hair, but his brow and eyes showed considerable authority.

No smile on his lips, his brow tightly furrowed.

Just by raising one’s head to look at him, one could easily judge that his mood was absolutely terrible.

Jian Chou and Qu Zhengfeng stepped forward to pay their respects: “Lian Zhao and Xiao Mou pay respects to Lord Chu Jiang.”

“Rise.”

After eleven cycles of recovery, Lord Chu Jiang’s cultivation had only returned to the late Void Refining stage, and there was still irreversible damage in terms of actual combat power. His realm was roughly equivalent to Jian Chou and Qu Zhengfeng’s. So at this moment, he couldn’t see through their disguises or detect their true cultivation levels.

“This lord heard that when those two from Jiushijiu Zhou were captured, you two were also present?”

Before Jian Chou and Qu Zhengfeng entered the hall, Elder Kong Yin had obviously already briefed him on the basic situation. The two who entered the hall afterward, Xie Buchen and Lu Xiangleng, had both very “generously” and truthfully confessed their identities and the purpose of their journey.

Just from Lord Chu Jiang’s question, they could deduce this.

Jian Chou’s thoughts flashed as she answered for both of them: “Yes, both Junior Brother Xiao and I were present.”

“Good.” Lord Chu Jiang pointed to Xie Buchen and Lu Xiangleng standing in the hall. “I heard that after capturing them yesterday, you interrogated these two all night, but even under severe torture they would only admit to being from Kunwu and Baiyue Valley, refusing to reveal what method they used to pass through Ghost Gate Pass, and stubbornly refusing to explain the secrets of the ambush formation that day. Since you two were present, tell this lord in detail about the ambush you encountered yesterday.”

Actually, to know what happened that day, with Lord Chu Jiang’s cultivation, he could have directly searched Xie Buchen and Lu Xiangleng’s souls.

But Lord Chu Jiang didn’t do so.

Xie Buchen came from Kunwu and was also True Person Hengxu’s direct disciple. Lu Xiangleng was also a medicine woman from Baiyue Valley. Neither had ordinary identities—keeping them might still be very useful. Naturally, he wouldn’t easily search their souls and turn them into idiots.

Jian Chou and Qu Zhengfeng hadn’t discussed with Xie Buchen and Lu Xiangleng what to do after entering the hall, or how much to confess—it was entirely up to those two.

Ordinary people would actually choose to hide their identities.

But they didn’t.

Honestly revealing their true identities could make them valuable, naturally avoiding the danger of immediate execution.

If Jian Chou had been captured, she would have done the same.

So at this moment, hearing Lord Chu Jiang taking the roundabout route to question her, she actually felt no surprise in her heart. But Lian Zhao shouldn’t think so deeply.

Jian Chou pretended to look at Lord Chu Jiang with doubt, then glanced at Xie Buchen and Lu Xiangleng, as if puzzled why Lord Chu Jiang didn’t directly search their souls. But she suppressed her “confusion” and respectfully began: “Reporting to Your Lordship, yesterday we…”

The details of that day were recounted one by one by Jian Chou.

Lord Chu Jiang had already heard Elder Kong Yin’s account once, and wanted to hear Lian Zhao and Xiao Mou tell it again, just to see if there were other clues in their narrations, striving to discover any useful traces.

The more he listened, the tighter his brow furrowed.

After Jian Chou finished, it was Qu Zhengfeng’s turn to narrate from beginning to end.

Three people had experienced the same event, but since it was chaotic at the time, each person’s experience and observations were different, and different people would have different feelings.

The more information and angles, the more realistic the complete picture pieced together.

As soon as Qu Zhengfeng finished speaking, Lord Chu Jiang, who had been sitting on his throne, suddenly stood up. His previously peaceful expression instantly became sinister!

“Bang!”

Standing on high, his robes billowing!

His hand stretched forward, actually directly grasping Xie Buchen’s neck from afar, lifting him up!

Everyone in the hall was startled!

Only Xie Buchen remained calm, looking back at Lord Chu Jiang.

Lord Chu Jiang’s expression was extremely ugly as he demanded: “Where are the other cultivators who entered Ghost Gate Pass to ambush the Wuchang clan ghost soldiers outside the formation?!”

“What?!”

There were others?!

Elder Kong Yin of the Wuchang clan was first frightened by the imposing manner of Lord Chu Jiang’s attack, then shocked by his blurted question, stammering: “Your Lordship, when we broke out of the formation, there were clearly only these two…”

“You fell for their trick.”

Lord Chu Jiang couldn’t be bothered to let this waste finish speaking and directly interrupted him, only staring at Xie Buchen, who was completely under his control, his voice becoming increasingly cold and stern!

“This lord asks you once more—where are the other cultivators?!”

When they were ambushed on the way to the watchtower garrison yesterday, the initial attacks were massive and fierce. Almost everyone thought there were many people lying in ambush outside.

Who would have thought that after charging out, there were only Xie Buchen and Lu Xiangleng.

The Extreme Domain had developed for too short a time after all. For things like formations and pills, there were few with deep research, and these were often made to sound mystical. Kong Yin naturally wasn’t skilled in this either. Being deceived by Xie Buchen and thinking those overwhelming attacks were all caused by formations, without deeper suspicion, was quite normal.

Jian Chou and Qu Zhengfeng naturally knew things weren’t so simple and guessed there were others, but strictly speaking, they and Xie Buchen were on the same side. They wouldn’t be stupid enough to tell Kong Yin such things.

Moreover, Lian Zhao and Xiao Mou shouldn’t have noticed such details either.

But Lord Chu Jiang was a Yama King after all, a great master. Just from listening, he could detect something fishy.

His cultivation wasn’t low, and his imposing manner was quite heavy.

But Xie Buchen obviously wasn’t someone who would be intimidated. Even with his life in others’ hands, his face showed no panic. As blood stained his lips, he even smiled: “Naturally they’re where they should be.”

The whereabouts and arrangements of that group of cultivators—he hadn’t even told Jian Chou, so how could he reveal it before Lord Chu Jiang?

Such calm demeanor and indifferent tone—any perceptive person could see he would never answer Lord Chu Jiang’s question.

Lord Chu Jiang also let out a cold laugh.

In his deep black eyes, several hints of hidden violence flashed. In his anger, he actually directly gripped Xie Buchen’s neck and heavily threw him against a pillar in the hall!

“Poof!” A mouthful of fresh blood spurted out. Xie Buchen’s complexion immediately turned ashen. Falling on the cold floor of the great hall, he was already seriously injured.

Jian Chou glanced once, remaining expressionless.

The others standing in the hall all showed some trembling horror, feeling that Lord Chu Jiang’s methods were ruthless and his temperament unpredictable.

“Courting death.”

Lord Chu Jiang kept Xie Buchen because he was useful. After all, as a direct disciple of True Person Hengxu of Kunwu, his potential uses were considerable. Though his strike was vicious, he didn’t actually intend to kill him. At this moment, he let out a cold laugh and instructed those standing in the hall.

“Elder Kong, take these two down and guard them strictly—there must be no mistakes. Lian Zhao, Xiao Mou, you two follow this lord to investigate that ambush site again.”

Such arrangements were somewhat surprising.

What everyone especially didn’t expect was that Lord Chu Jiang actually decided to personally go to yesterday’s ambush site to investigate.

But since Lord Chu Jiang was a Yama King, though they found it surprising, they all respectfully responded in unison: “We obey.”

Kong Yin went to escort Xie Buchen.

Lord Chu Jiang beckoned to Jian Chou and Qu Zhengfeng, indicating they should follow him, then walked down the nine-level red platform toward the side of the hall.

It turned out there was actually a teleportation array beside it.

With Lord Chu Jiang’s cultivation, moving from this watchtower garrison to yesterday’s ambush site would naturally be quick, but the cultivation of “Lian Zhao” and “Xiao Mou” wasn’t sufficient.

This teleportation array in the hall could reach Ghost Gate Pass, naturally the fastest route.

Jian Chou and Qu Zhengfeng exchanged glances, then stepped forward and entered the array together with Lord Chu Jiang.

He made hand seals, about to directly activate the formation.

Who would have thought that just as the formation lit up and spatial fluctuations had just emerged—

Sudden change!

The timing of Jian Chou and Qu Zhengfeng’s attack was truly too precise and ruthless!

When the two entered the array, they positioned themselves left and right beside Lord Chu Jiang. Though Jian Chou still looked like Lian Zhao, at this moment the sharp light bursting from her eyes was far beyond what Lian Zhao could achieve!

She drew her sword and struck first!

Yi Xian Tian in its three-foot sword state almost instantly appeared in her palm. The red line on the sword spine lit up as if alive. When it first appeared, its terrifying pressure actually caused the surrounding space to begin tearing!

The sword emerged silently!

Its fall shook like thunder!

At such close distance, in such narrow space, with such hair-raising terrifying aura—even Lord Chu Jiang in his prime might not be confident of dodging, let alone now?!

It was clearly such an ordinary, unadorned sword strike, but when that rust-stained blade edge entered his vision, all other sounds in his mind disappeared, replaced by endless, piercing shrieks echoing through his brain!

In that instant, what appeared before his eyes was the surging waves of the Underworld from years past, ghostly shadows on the desert, and in the clash of blades and swords, that trapped beast roaring in desperate fury…

Under Yashan’s gates, a thousand cultivators stained with blood!

“Boom!”

A line of blood, magnificent and precipitous!

It seemed ordinary, but the moment it entered Lord Chu Jiang’s ribs, half of his body was as if struck by tribulation lightning, exploding to pieces!

Dark spiritual essence crumbled like flowing sand in an instant!

“Ahhhhh—”

Such sudden, terrifying attack directly and brutally destroyed Lord Chu Jiang’s original combat power. Even with his current cultivation, he couldn’t help but scream in agony at this moment!

His face twisted, extremely fierce!

The next moment was like the collapse of five mountains, Mount Tai pressing down!

Qu Zhengfeng’s attack followed closely after Jian Chou’s trial strike that was tremendously powerful, connecting seamlessly—he had already deployed the Houtu Seal in his palm!

“Bang!”

A muffled thud echoed. Lord Chu Jiang’s piercing screams abruptly stopped. In his complete unpreparedness, he was pressed down by a strange and terrifying gravitational force!

The remaining half of his broken body was immediately pressed firmly to the ground!

As if millions of tons of weight had crashed down on him, making him unable to move. Even his previously gloomy and unpredictable face was pressed tightly against the ground, prostrate at their feet!

Instant capture!

At this moment, Elder Kong Yin of the Wuchang clan had just escorted Xie Buchen and hadn’t yet had time to leave the hall. Almost simultaneously with Jian Chou and Qu Zhengfeng’s attack, Xie Buchen also suddenly struck!

In his usually indifferent eyes, three parts of severity rarely flashed!

Without even needing to draw the Human Emperor Sword, he simply struck Kong Yin with sword and sheath together, relying on absolute strength far exceeding Kong Yin by an entire major realm, heavily striking him until he vomited blood and fell to the ground!

He remained expressionless, calmly stepping forward—

Raising one foot, he stepped on Kong Yin’s head, making the remaining half of his face press against the cold ground, subduing him.

Only at this moment did Lord Chu Jiang, who had lost all resistance under the seamless cooperation and ambush of Jian Chou and Qu Zhengfeng, finally react!

And this force pressing down on him was so familiar!

His eyes were blood-red with extreme anger. He struggled desperately to raise his head, but the terror and horror in his voice couldn’t be concealed no matter what: “Houtu Seal! You are—”

Jian Chou was quite satisfied with this result. Smiling, she replied: “We are naturally Your Lordship Lord Chu Jiang’s fellow Yama Kings.”