Young Master Wei Yue had personally overseen the execution of the Red-Haired Ghost and returned to his Primordial Palace. Just then, an underworld officer approached, bowing respectfully. "Young Master, the Master requests your presence. He said there is a visitor."
Young Master Wei Yue rose and made his way to the Primordial Palace Hall of the Immortal Capital.
The Primordial Palace Hall governed the Immortal Capital and consisted of twelve grand halls. Based on each person's birth year, month, and day, the halls were divided into twelve districts—Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Boar—partitioned into twelve major sectors.
The underworld officials of each hall managed their respective sector for easier administration.
Last night's prison break by Chen Shi had been the disturbance that erupted in the Dragon District.
Now, the one governing the Primordial Palace Hall of the Immortal Capital was Wei Yue's father, Vice Magistrate Wei Ling, who was acting in place of the Yama Son of Heaven.
However, Wei Ling had long been sidelined. The underworld officials, judges, and underworld marshals among the Twelve Primordial Spirits were already ghost gods of the Yan Family. Only the underworld officers—Oxen, Horses, and Yakshas—remained, handling the manual labor.
Young Master Wei Yue arrived before the Primordial Palace Hall. He noticed several unfamiliar faces among the guards at the entrance. Entering the hall, soone was already waiting inside, and his father, Vice Magistrate Wei Ling, was keeping him company.
Seeing Wei Yue arrive, Wei Ling stood up with a smile. "Wei Yue is here. You two talk first." He then walked out of the Primordial Palace Hall.
The visitor was a young man of about seventeen or eighteen, with a very refined appearance. He smiled and said, "Brother Wei, I've finally waited for you."
Young Master Wei Yue was sowhat reluctant upon seeing the newcor, but he stepped forward to offer his respects. "Yang Bi, why have you co to the underworld?"
The young man, Yang Bi, laughed. "I ca specifically to inform you—stop pursuing Chen Shi and his mother. Imdiately call off the hunt."
Young Master Wei Yue's expression darkened. He sneered coldly, "Yang Shaohu, this is a matter of the underworld. It's not sothing you can interfere with!"
The young man Yang Bi, courtesy na Shaohu, was a junior from the Yang Family, one of the Thirteen Great Clans. In recent years, he had risen to prominence within the Yang Family. The ancestral masters of the other twelve great clans also favored him greatly, valuing his talent and sending him to cultivate in the Upper Realm.
After erging from the Upper Realm, Yang Bi carried the personal edicts of the Thirteen Great Clans' ancestral masters, granting him significant authority. He was responsible for integrating and coordinating the power of the Thirteen Great Clans, all in pursuit of a grand plan.
Over the past two years, his performance had been exceptionally impressive, winning over many of the older generation from the Thirteen Great Clans. Though young, he was highly regarded.
Yang Bi chuckled. "Brother Wei, I am acting on the orders of the Thirteen Great Clans' ancestral masters. Are you going to defy them?"
Young Master Wei Yue snorted, extrely displeased. "It's not that I want to defy orders, but I've already commanded the underworld officers to drive the Huo Dog. How fast is the Huo Dog? Who could possibly catch up to it?"
Yang Bi frowned slightly, casting him a glance. He shook his head. "Brother Wei, you've been far too hasty in making your own decisions."
Wei Yue snorted again.
Yang Bi continued, "Imprisoning Chen Shi and his mother was the work of the Yama Son of Heaven. The Yan Family's best course of action was not to continue holding Chen Shi's mother captive, but to treat her well. When Chen Shi ca to the Immortal Capital, they should have shown him courtesy and told him, 'This was the decree of the Righteous Official. We had no choice but to obey. But over the years, the Yan Family has treated your mother kindly, never daring the slightest neglect. Today, you co seeking her, and the Yan Family respectfully sends her off.' In doing so, there would have been no prison break by Chen Shi. Brother Wei, your selfish motives are too strong..."
Wei Yue could no longer contain himself. He slamd the table and roared, "Yang Shaohu, you've gone too far! My selfish motives? Chen Shi and his mother committed heinous cris in the underworld, causing endless chaos and plotting rebellion. That is why the Yama Son of Heaven suppressed them! He was engaging in rebellious activities! Even under a different Righteous Official, would that not still be rebellion? I am enforcing the law impartially. Where is the selfishness?"
Yang Bi waited for him to finish before speaking. "Brother Wei, what the Yan Family needs to do is not endlessly fight with Chen Shi. It's to focus on the bigger picture. Therefore, you have only one goal: to beco the new Yama Son of Heaven and completely take control of the Yama Hall."
He stood up and walked toward the exit. "Your Yan Family's progress is too slow. That is why the Upper Realm sent to intervene. Regarding Chen Shi and his mother, I originally intended to just observe. But you went too far, so I had to co personally to correct things!"
Wei Yue also stood up, sneering coldly. "The Yang Family certainly has a big face, coming to dictate to my Yan Family! Who gave you the authority to co to the underworld and cut down? Yang Shaohu, let tell you the truth. I too have been to the Upper Realm in the past. I have received guidance from the successive ancestral masters, and I have even t the ancestral masters of the Thirteen Great Clans! You don't have the power to ddle in the affairs of my Yan Family!"
A look of disappointnt flashed across Yang Bi's face. He shook his head. "This concerns the Thirteen Great Clans, and it concerns the very survival of the Western Ox New Continent! This is not your personal matter, nor is it purely your Yan Family's affair! Otherwise, why would the Upper Realm send here?"
Wei Yue stepped up to him, sneering. "May I ask, what exactly have I done wrong?"
Yang Bi replied, "First, the Immortal Capital has been infiltrated by Despair Slope. You are being watched by experts from Despair Slope. Every move you make, they are fully aware of. This ti, you set up an ambush to assassinate the three judges under the King of Hell, but the enemy detected it. That led to Chen Shi and the Stone Tablet Carver being drawn in to break the situation, preventing you from succeeding."
Wei Yue's face changed dramatically. "Are you saying that an expert from Despair Slope used the Heaven's Listeners to lure Chen Shi and the Stone Tablet Carver outside the encirclent of my Yan Family? This was not an accident?"
"Of course it wasn't an accident."
Yang Bi looked into the distance. "We, the Thirteen Great Clans, have been operating in the underworld for so many years. Despair Slope was bound to catch on and send soone to investigate. The reason you haven't been able to take control of the Yama Hall all these years is likely due to their significant efforts. I didn't interfere in your dealings with Chen Shi these past few days precisely because I wanted to root him out. Now, I've already found where he's hiding."
Wei Yue followed his gaze and saw ghost gods converging from all directions toward a single Primordial Palace.
That Primordial Palace was surrounded by chains, tightly sealed and isolated from the other palaces.
"Are you saying that the visitor from Despair Slope is hiding in Chen Shi's Primordial Palace?" Wei Yue exclaid.
The mont he spoke, he suddenly saw a little yaksha erge from Chen Shi's Primordial Palace. It carried a bucket in one hand, a club in the other, and a small bundle slung over its shoulder. It charged out of the palace, kicked over a ghost god with one blow, and fled for its life.
Wei Yue was dumbfounded.
Nurous ghost gods gave chase, but Heaven's Listeners kept leaping out to block them along the way, allowing the little yaksha to escape from the encirclent!
Wei Yue flew into a rage and imdiately took to the air. "I'll kill him!"
Yang Bi's voice ca from behind. "I let him go on purpose."
Wei Yue froze, halting his movent. He turned angrily. "Why did you let him go? He has repeatedly sabotaged my plans! This ti, he used Chen Shi and the Stone Tablet Carver to disrupt everything! Otherwise, I would already be the Yama Son of Heaven!"
Yang Bi said calmly, "The heavenly change is still ongoing. The Thirteen Great Clans and Despair Slope haven't completely torn off the mask yet. What's the use of killing one expert from Despair Slope? It would only put us in danger. Only when the heavenly change arrives will be the ti to act against Despair Slope."
Wei Yue asked, "How did you discover that the visitor from Despair Slope was hiding in Chen Shi's Primordial Palace?"
Yang Bi replied, "I was ordered to co to the Immortal Capital to investigate why the Yan Family still hasn't taken control of the Yama Hall. I noticed Heaven's Listeners active in the Immortal Capital, so I guessed that your actions had been detected by Despair Slope. The Heaven's Listeners would inevitably make contact with Despair Slope to pass on information. So instead of coming directly to you, I carefully observed these Heaven's Listeners. I found that many of them were active near Chen Shi's Primordial Palace. But Chen Shi wasn't in his Primordial Palace during those days, so the visitor from Despair Slope must have been inside."
Wei Yue murmured, "In Chen Shi's Primordial Palace, there was only a little yaksha responsible for cleaning. So, that little yaksha must be the visitor from Despair Slope... Yang Shaohu, I never used to accept your superiority. But today, I accept it!"
He bowed deeply to Yang Bi. "I am truly convinced, heart and soul. From now on, if there is anything you need, just give the order!"
Yang Bi smiled. "Then I'll give you an order right now."
Wei Yue's expression turned serious. "Shaohu, please speak!"
Yang Bi said, "You are a living underworld marshal, and your cultivation is high. Return imdiately to the mortal world. Chase after the Huo Dog from the mortal realm. You must stop it before it captures Chen Shi!"
Wei Yue's face shifted between emotions. "If I can't take Chen Shi down, it will ruin my reputation. When I eventually inherit the position of Yama Son of Heaven, this incident will beco my sha... Fine, I'll do it! But even if I can stop the Huo Dog, I doubt Chen Shi will let go of the grudges between us!"
Yang Bi laughed. "I will go et Chen Shi myself."
Wei Yue imdiately launched himself into the air, transforming into a gust of yin wind that vanished without a trace.
Yang Bi watched him return to the mortal realm, shook his head, and murmured to himself, "Brother Wei, you really aren't fit to be the Yama Son of Heaven. The only good thing about you is that you still listen to orders. That's what made hold back from having the Yan Family replace their chief."
He boarded a Colored Cloud Carriage. A bluebird pulled the carriage, flapping its wings and taking off.
The mont the carriage started, the many ghost god guards stationed at the Primordial Palace Hall also set off, following the Colored Cloud Carriage.
These ghost god guards served two purposes: one was to protect him; the other was that if Young Master Wei Yue proved disobedient, they would directly slay him in the Primordial Palace Hall, forcing the Yan Family to appoint soone else to manage the Immortal Capital's affairs.
Acting on behalf of the Upper Realm, Yang Bi wielded enormous authority. He could even execute first and report later.
"Ti to go et Chen Shi."
Inside the Colored Cloud Carriage, Yang Bi gazed at the scenery outside. The gloomy clouds were oppressive, the demonic aura intense. He said softly, "'In life, be a hero among n; in death, be a champion among ghosts.' Back then, that Child Prodigy stirred up quite a commotion in the underworld... Is this Innate Dao Embryo rely icing on the cake? Without the Innate Dao Embryo, would the Child Prodigy still be so powerful?"
In the mortal world, Chen Shi and Black Pot raced forward at full speed. Unbeknownst to them, the moon had faded, and the sun now hung in the sky. The morning glow was fiercer than fire, a brilliant crimson that bathed the frozen plains in scarlet. Frost clung to the branches like red blossoms.
After a night of frantic running, they had reached the edge of the northern borderlands. Drawing from the failed experience of the Boatman and his daughter, Chen Shi refused to make any stops along the way.
The Boatman and his daughter had been captured by pursuing underworld officers precisely because they had stopped to rest at night. That pause allowed the Huo Dog to catch up, pulling them into the underworld without their knowledge, where they were ultimately apprehended.
Stopping ant risking the Huo Dog catching up.
The Huo Dog ran through the underworld while they ran through the mortal world. The geography of the mortal realm and the underworld didn't align. For every li traveled in the mortal world, the underworld needed to cover hundreds or even thousands of li!
As long as they ran fast enough, the Huo Dog wouldn't be able to catch them.
But running through the night was utterly exhausting, especially for Black Pot. After a night of fierce battle, he was too tired to move.
"Black Pot, go into my small temple, eat sothing, and rest!" Chen Shi called out.
Black Pot knew that if he kept running, he wouldn't last much longer. A beam of light shone out from Chen Shi's small temple, and he was sucked inside.
Chen Shi took out so exotic beast at, but Black Pot only managed to eat half before falling asleep.
He was still a pup, yet he had already fought a great battle against the many demon gods of the Immortal Capital. He was truly exhausted.
Chen Shi activated the Xiao Lang Imperial Chapter Technique while continuing to run, his speed undiminished.
The nine layers of sky unfolded behind his head, spinning endlessly. The righteous energy of heaven and earth transford into purest vital energy, continuously refining into his body.
Chen Shi wolfed down so dried rations and grabbed a few snowballs to eat, replenishing his energy.
His Primordial Spirit entered the second small temple behind his head. His mother looked at him, her voice very gentle. "Tired?"
She dared not show too much worry, afraid of putting too much pressure on her son.
"I'm not tired."
Chen Shi smiled. "Mom, just wait a few days, and we'll be ho. Everything there is just like before. Nothing has been touched."
They chatted for a while. Chen Shi's Primordial Spirit returned to the first small temple and saw Stone Ji Your Ladyship lying on the miniature shrine, twitching occasionally.
The light from the underworld officer's lantern had struck her painfully. Stone Ji Your Ladyship was originally an anomaly of the immortal path—a stone that had absorbed spiritual energy over ti, awakening its intelligence to cultivate as a demon immortal. After so small success, she had been subdued and punished for righteousness.
Later, she was deified and turned to the path of the gods. But her Primordial Spirit remained as it was before. Using extraordinary power to refine the divine body, no matter how strong the body beca, the Primordial Spirit could not be refined higher.
She had devoured nearly half the power of the two judges of Fire and Earth. She was close to restoring her true form, but her Primordial Spirit remained her weak point.
Chen Shi helped her up and seated her on the miniature shrine. As he cultivated the Xiao Lang Imperial Chapter Technique, it could also help heal the wounds to her Primordial Spirit.
But Stone Ji Your Ladyship twitched once more and collapsed again, continuing to convulse.
"Look after her for a while," Chen Shi said to the white-clad fairy on the other shrine.
The white-clad fairy nodded repeatedly.
Chen Shi's Primordial Spirit then placed Black Pot on his own shrine. He helped regulate Black Pot's qi and blood, plucked a few spiritual herbs, and applied them to the wounds on Black Pot's body to treat last night's injuries.
Suddenly, Black Pot's eyes snapped open. He woke from his slumber, ears pricking up as if he had heard sothing.
He was incredibly tense, his black fur bristling all over.
Chen Shi's heart skipped a beat. "Has that other big Black Pot caught up?"
Black Pot nodded heavily, leaped down from the shrine, rushed out of the small temple, and jumped out into the outside world.
Chen Shi's Primordial Spirit sat down on the shrine, pushing his cultivation to the absolute limit. He activated the Second New Talisman, and with Black Pot by his side, he shot through the air on lightning!
Riding the wind and thunder, his speed was several tis faster than before. A streak of lightning flashed across the sky, and Chen Shi had already advanced more than a hundred li with Black Pot!
"Black Pot, keep an eye on our surroundings. Don't let it affect my thoughts!" Chen Shi shouted.
Man and dog raced forward through the lightning, speeding toward Xinxiang. Riding the wind and thunder consud enormous energy, and Chen Shi couldn't sustain it for long.
Suddenly, the sky darkened. Yin winds howled, and the gloomy clouds were a mournful, ghostly sight. Chen Shi's heart clenched. He didn't feel that he had been affected, but beside him, Black Pot started barking frantically, telling him that he had.
"It's over. I can't tell reality from illusion anymore."
Chen Shi froze in midair, afraid to move. He couldn't tell up from down, left from right. He didn't know if he was in the underworld or the mortal realm, and he had no idea what was around him.
Making a rash move would likely be suicide.
Black Pot struggled desperately against that terrifyingly powerful consciousness, but it was futile. He simply couldn't match it!
In the bleak, grim sky, two enormous eyes slowly appeared, fixed on Chen Shi and Black Pot.
The Huo Dog's imnsely massive form gradually ca into view. On its back, hundreds of underworld officers, each hundreds of feet tall, were straining to pull the chains that restrained the Huo Dog.
Just as the Huo Dog was about to pounce, a voice suddenly rang out from afar. "Huo Dog, stop!"
Chen Shi followed the sound and was stunned. He saw Young Master Wei Yue charging toward them at full speed, actually throwing himself between Chen Shi and the Huo Dog!
"I must be affected by the Huo Dog!" Chen Shi thought to himself. "There's no way Wei Yue would save ."
Just as he had that thought, the enormous Huo Dog suddenly raised its front paw and swatted Wei Yue flying.
Wei Yue spat blood, tumbling and rolling through the air, utterly bewildered. "Why did the Huo Dog hit ?"
Seeing this, Chen Shi thought, "I definitely am affected by the Huo Dog!"
That colossal creature lunged forward with all its might, unstoppable even by hundreds of underworld officers. A wave of overwhelming demonic qi pressed down, freezing Chen Shi and Black Pot in place.
Suddenly, from Chen Shi's small temple, the soul of Chen Shi's mother drifted down. She landed in front of Chen Shi and Black Pot, gently raising her hand.
"Huo Dog, you found your son. And I have found mine," she said softly.
The Huo Dog lowered its head, its massive snout gently touching her palm.
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