The distant mountains were hazy, and the trees glistened with a fresh green after the rain, with spiritual mist swirling around, resembling an Immortal Realm.
In reality, this was just an ordinary mountain forest. Ever since the establishnt of the Divine Land Array, wild mountains teeming with Spiritual Qi like this had beco ubiquitous.
Swish!
Several white shadows swiftly sped through the mountain forest, stepping on leaves, as quick as startled birds.
"The Underworld, such a realm truly exists!"
A young man’s eyes were full of light, "We sword cultivators must break through between life and death. Unfortunately, most Ancient Secret Realms have been excavated, and there are no enemies around the Divine Continent. But in the Underworld..."
"Enough of that!"
Another young woman chuckled coldly, "I heard that even in the Celestial Tribulation Realm, it’s hard to survive there. That’s why the Divine Dynasty opened up the Yin Mansion Divine Island City, but it’s enough for us to just have a look, don’t overestimate your abilities!"
The young man gave an awkward laugh, "We have to try, right? Brother Ye, don’t you think so?"
Saying this, he turned to look at a young swordsman following at the end of the group, who was Ye Fei, a disciple of Zhu Sheng who had co down the mountain after finishing his studies.
Ye Fei gave an honest smile, "I just ca down from the mountain, and I don’t understand anything. Whatever you say is fine."
The others nodded in satisfaction. Although this young brother was a bit slow, he was honest.
The group sped up their pace, and as Ye Fei who lagged behind, looked at the expanse ahead, he couldn’t help but sigh at the ever-changing world.
He recalled the ghost manor deep in the mountains; if he hadn’t t Zhang Kui, there wouldn’t be the sword cultivator Ye Fei of today.
Even more unexpected was that the Hero Zhang he once admired had instantly beco Sect Leader Zhang, changing heaven and earth, almost like a divine being.
As Ye Fei’s mind wandered, a vast plain appeared ahead.
At the base of the towering Yinling Mountain where the spiritual mist roiled, cities, military camps, and schools were arranged in an orderly manner. And at the site of the original Haojing City, a massive Stone Hall had been erected, within which stood a towering black Underworld channel tens of ters high, emanating a chilling aura even from a distance.
"We’re here..."
The group gazed at the gigantic Underworld channel, speechless for a long ti.
Indeed, three months had passed since the defeat of the You Dynasty army, during which the Divine Island City had been repaired and, after many preparations, formally opened to the public.
The high-ranking officials of the Kaiyuan Divine Dynasty had discovered that aside from major events like resisting the You Dynasty, it was generally more efficient to open the rit system and let the civilian population organize freely.
Just like developing the ancient Secret Realms within the Divine Dynasty. Previously, the Profound Pavilion managed everything, but due to the substantial manpower needed for setting up the Underworld, they were forced to include Ancient Secret Realm exploration in the rit task system. Unexpectedly, within just two months, Ancient Secret Realms within the Divine Dynasty had completely vanished.
And the substantial rits awarded were used by nurous cultivators for learning techniques at the Earth Demon Ten Halls in Kunlun Mountain, sparking a cultivation frenzy and resulting in the ergence of many masters from the populace.
From this point on, the operations of the Divine Dynasty beca smoother, and the rit system acted like an invisible hand pushing the human race’s strength forward continuously.
...
After standing silently for a while, Ye Fei followed a few sword cultivators across the plain to the outside of the Stone Hall of the Underworld channel.
By now, a sea of people had gathered here: humans, demon race, soldier cultivators, and daos. Each exuded a formidable aura, yet even those who appeared composed were engaged in intense discussions.
"I hear the Underworld was once a great secret of heaven and earth. Even forbidden lands and dynasties had explored it before; who would’ve thought we’d have the chance."
"I wonder if I can see my deceased master..."
"You don’t know this, but I’ve heard that Yin Souls have their destinations. However, the Yin Mansion has long been abandoned, weirdly growing, and our targets are those things..."
"What realm is that?"
"That I’m not sure of..."
Various pieces of uncertain information circulated among the crowd, filling others with excitent. Ye Fei, however, shook his head silently.
His master Zhu Sheng had been assigned to guard the Underworld, and before leaving, he even entrusted the position of Sword Master of Youling Mountain in Jiangzhou to soone else. This showed the worst was expected, indicating the danger of that place.
Why was Sect Leader Zhang in such a hurry?
What secrets lay behind the Underworld...
While he was pondering, the doors of the Stone Hall suddenly opened with a rumbling sound. A young man with a somber face, black hair, and a black robe walked out, his eyes gleaming with blood-red light, his Qi chanism enveloping the surroundings.
"It’s Venerable Yuanhuang..."
The crowd imdiately fell silent.
Everyone knew that this person was originally a great demon of the Lanjiang Water Mansion, and first ford an alliance with Sect Leader Zhang, leading the Forbidden Land to ally with the human race, making significant contributions. Even if he died, he would be honored as a Demon God, with a revered status.
"Everyone..."
Yuan Huang swept his gaze around, "The Underworld Divine Island City is now open, but I must warn you, it’s full of perilous dangers inside. You must abide by the Divine Island City regulations, and your life and death will be your own responsibility."
His mood was sowhat heavy. The original Immortal Path Alliance only sought the Immortal Path, but the dark truths of the cosmos brought near despair. The biggest task of the Divine Dynasty now had beco to reorganize the Underworld’s order.
Except for them, no one else would do this. But if it wasn’t done, the whole world would gradually head towards decline.
The Sect Leader had always said strength in numbers, but could these people really achieve it?
As he spoke, he shook his head and turned to enter the Underworld channel.
Most of the Celestial Pavilion’s demons were stationed here, mainly to break up the Black Tide ford by gathering of Underworld abnormalities with the Dragonbone Divine Ship, and also to explore the surroundings continuously.
Yuanhuang’s grim words gave every cultivator on the plain an ominous feeling.
Soon, several Earth Pavilion and Yellow Pavilion cultivators ca out, also with serious expressions.
"Register your households, receive waist tokens, and once inside soone will explain to you. Be sure to follow the commands."
The crowd looked at each other, queued up, and walked toward the pitch-black Underworld channel.
"Did you hear screams..."
"Stop talking, just be careful."
Ye Fei also took a deep breath.
His master Zhu Sheng didn’t want him to co, but if he were to care about his own life and fear of death, unwilling to bear great responsibility, what was the point of years of hard cultivation?
With that in mind, Ye Fei resolutely walked inside.
In front, there was a faint golden light, and the entire Divine Island City had been completely renovated, with underground arrays crisscrossing and towering palaces appearing as solemn and cold.
Everyone felt sothing different. Although there was light here, the only sources of light were those great burning towers in the distance, and under this light, the Divine Soul felt oppressed.
And further away, the sky was a patch of darkness. Shrouded in black fog, nothing could be seen, with vague and wretched screams echoing.
Soone couldn’t help but swallow a mouthful of saliva.
Is this... the Underworld...
Soon, a Snake Demon in the Divine Travel Realm walked over with a dark expression and said:
"I will say this once, if you don’t want to die, then rember it well!"
"Those are the Soul Suppressing Towers, personally refined by Sect Leader Zhang. Without these, the Divine City would be destroyed in an instant..."
"That’s the rit Hall. Here, even those in the Grain Avoidance Realm can receive tasks, but it’s best to weigh your abilities..."
"That’s the Yin Artifact Workshop. For dealing with the strange entities of the Underworld, ordinary techniques and Ancient Artifacts will be greatly reduced in power. It’s best to first complete ordinary missions to accumulate rit and experience, and exchange for suitable tools..."
"Those Three-Eyed Giants are the Shepherds of the Ancient Race. If you have the ability, you can exchange for a Yin Horse, and of course, there are better things, but for now, don’t think about it..."
"Over there is the Earth Demon Hall. Yes, True Man Zhang refined one for the Underworld, saving the trouble of going to Kunlun Mountain..."
These unprecedented things left all cultivators stunned, listening intently, fearing they might forget anything important.
Familiarizing themselves with Divine Island City took Ye Fei and his companions half a day, and they took on the simplest task from the main stream:
Under the guidance of a Divine Travel Realm Demon, they went to the desolate wilderness outside to dig for starship wreckage.
Soon, groups of novice cultivators left the tightly guarded city gates, stepping into the pitch-black darkness with trepidation...
From the distant high towers, Zhu Sheng solemnly watched below.
"Brother Zhu, that’s your apprentice, right..."
Beside him, Taoist Puyang sighed, "Didn’t you tell them about the dangers here?"
Zhu Sheng shook his head slightly, "Without trials, how can there be a shining blade? Let them go, the world is difficult, and everyone has responsibilities..."
"But there’s no need to worry."
Taoist Puyang laughed, "The strange entities of the Underworld within a hundred miles have long been wiped out. Occasionally letting one in is a test of courage. Once they beco familiar with this place, they’ll realize the seriousness."
"But in truth, the settings of Divine Island City are ever so ingenious. It’s undoubtedly a place for our human cultivators to train. I’m afraid experts will constantly erge in the future. Sect Leader’s thods are admirable, though I’m unsure what purpose the leaderboard serves..."
"The Sect Leader calculates with divine insight, how could we know."
Zhu Sheng shook his head slightly, worryingly looking towards the distant tower, "After returning three months ago, the Sect Leader left many plans and then chose to go into seclusion. I wonder how things are now..."
In the direction of his gaze was an octagonal tower, the underground array intricate, marking the central area of the entire Divine Island City.
At the topmost floor of the tower, Fatty Tiger lay snoring outside, while inside the spire only a small lamp flickered like a bean. Zhang Kui sat cross-legged, his whole aura ancient and natural, as if he had beco one with the entire space.
Suddenly, a seam cracked open on his forehead, and the "Eyes of Eternal Life" darted around, with a jade-like texture.
Zhang Kui slowly opened his eyes, exhaling gently, his entire aura becoming more unfathomable.
The battle with the Evil God’s clone had been exceptionally rewarding.
The first was the "Eyes of Eternal Life". Originally unsure of what to do in the future, inspired by the Evil God’s altar and coupled with nurous opportunities, Zhang Kui simply refined it into a law entity.
Of course, he wasn’t trying to mimic those Evil Gods by creating so clone altar; he far lacked such capability.
He was inspired to combine this power with the Divine Path and the principle of the Life Light technique, developing a Divine Skill over nearly three months.
Now complete, it was ti for experintation.
With this thought, he waved his hand, and the Tai Shi Golden Body Dharma Aspect appeared inside the tower, respectfully bowing, "Greetings, Sect Leader."
Zhang Kui nodded lightly, "Today I bestow you a Divine Skill, nad Divine Protection Skill, to guard against the invasion of evil spirits. Do not be alard."
Saying this, a black light floated out from the "Eyes of Eternal Life" on his forehead, slowly rging into the golden halo behind Tai Shi.
Tai Shi was startled, knowing well about Zhang Kui’s Divine Power, no wonder he was specifically warned not to be scared, even with prior preparation, his Divine Soul trembled.
Unexpectedly, this Silent Extinction Black Light posed no danger; instead, it circled his halo, forming a black rune array. Imdiately, countless pieces of information appeared within Tai Shi’s Divine Soul.
Divine Light shimred in Tai Shi’s eyes as he raised his right hand to form a spell, solemnly saying:
"Divine Protection Skill!"
Instantly, a faint black light appeared around him, identical to the Life Light technique apart from the color.
Flabbergasted, Tai Shi said,
"Sect Leader, this Divine Skill..."
Zhang Kui smiled and nodded, "Indeed, this Divine Skill requires no Incense Fire Divine Power. Spread the word that our human cultivators can all use it within the Human Race Divine Path."
"The Sect Leader is compassionate,"
Tai Shi nodded slightly and disappeared.
"Compassionate?"
Zhang Kui shook his head speechlessly.
Borrowing the Evil God’s concept wouldn’t be that simple.
He rely replaced the altar with the Human Race Divine Path. Whenever this skill was used, if tainted by the Evil God’s intent, it would devour the Divine Power Law, ultimately converging in the "Eyes of Eternal Life".
Though the Evil God altar’s blood sacrifice thod was nefarious, with so alterations, it turned into a protective skill.
If the power of those Evil Gods were a plague, then his Divine Skill was an isolation garnt.
Seeking only self-preservation for the human race...
With this thought, Zhang Kui shook his head slightly, stood up, and walked to the window, gazing at the brilliantly lit Divine Island City below, a trace of determination gradually flashing in his eyes.
If this universe, like the Underworld, was destined to darkness and decline, then let this Divine Island City be the place where the light of hope is ignited...
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