Chapter 148 – To the Underworld! King Yama Is Shaken!
Xu Changqing regaining his memories was within expectations. After all, the Sacred Spirit Pearl had resided within him for so long. As the place where the souls of generations of Holy Spirits converged, it was bound to have some influence on him.
Zixuan had probably already guessed this, but since Xu Changqing never admitted to having regained his memories, she simply played along with him to preserve his pretense.
She gleaned the truth from his reaction.
He wasn't Gu Liufang, nor was he Lin Yeping. He wasn't anyone's substitute.
Compared to Chu Yang's heartfelt persuasion, Xu Changqing's silence shattered the last sliver of hope in Zixuan's heart.
She personally drew the final line under this long and winding romance.
Xu Changqing's desire to restore the Sacred Spirit Pearl was also a sign that he wanted to fully sever the karmic bond between them.
Yet Chu Yang felt that their fate wouldn't end so easily.
"The Sacred Spirit Pearl was originally a treasure of Lady Nuwa, a spiritual anchor for generations of her descendants, carrying their soul power."
"There are similar treasures, such as the Five Spirit Orbs. Perhaps if we gather them all, there might be a way to restore the Sacred Spirit Pearl's power."
"I've heard that the Fire Ghost King in the Underworld has one of the pearls. We could head to the Underworld tonight and take a look."
Chu Yang tried steering Xu Changqing's attention toward the Underworld, and sure enough, the idea intrigued him.
Xu Changqing nodded in agreement. "In that case, let's head to the Underworld tonight."
Jing Tian suddenly felt uneasy, as if something bad awaited him there.
Midnight.
In a room on the second floor of the inn, Zixuan sat blankly in a chair. She had been in that state ever since Xu Changqing left.
After holding on for so long, all that remained was confusion.
A flash of red light.
Demon Lord Chonglou appeared abruptly. Seeing Zixuan so despondent, his expression turned cold. "I can help you restore the Sacred Spirit Pearl."
Zixuan didn't even glance at him, her tone icy. "How dignified, Demon Lord. Why must you always meddle in others' affairs?"
Chonglou responded irritably, "I only left a mark on Fei Peng. Who knew he'd come to you?!"
Zixuan realized she had misunderstood him and her expression softened slightly, though her tone remained firm. "Thank you for the offer, but the spiritual power of the Sacred Spirit Pearl clashes with demonic energy. I won't allow our sacred artifact to be tainted. Our paths diverge too greatly."
Chonglou heard the veiled insult but wasn't angered. He said indifferently, "And you think he's truly walking the same path as you? You'll exhaust the pearl's power and become a mortal, while he'll remain in Shu Mountain, cultivating. You still won't be able to be together."
Zixuan lowered her head and smiled. "It's enough already. In the end, I was simply too greedy. The descendants of Nuwa are destined for hardship, but I had the blessing of loving him through two lifetimes and giving birth to Qing'er. Heaven has already been kind to me…"
Chonglou's expression remained indifferent as he disappeared in a flash of red. As he vanished, he left behind a chilling remark: "If that's the case, then the two of you should owe each other nothing in this lifetime. But since you wasted your spiritual power healing him, I'm taking it back!"
Zixuan panicked and tried to stop him, but there was no trace of him in the room. She rushed out in a flurry.
Meanwhile, Chu Yang and the others had already gathered at the city gate.
At midnight in Fengdu City, the gate to the Underworld would open, allowing direct passage into the realm of the dead.
But there was a problem.
When the living enter, their physical bodies remain in the mortal realm. Without someone to watch over them, it could lead to serious issues.
Everyone began discussing who should stay to watch over their bodies. Tang Xuejian eagerly volunteered, saying she didn't want to go to the Underworld.
"It's scary down there! I'll just stay here and guard your bodies."
"But the passage is two-way. Not only can people go down, but ghosts can come up. If you're alone in Fengdu City, Miss Tang, you'll need to be extra careful!"
"Ah? Then I'd better go with you guys after all!"
Before they could finish talking, Tang Xuejian had already changed her mind and insisted on going along.
Chu Yang chuckled. "You all go ahead. I'll handle the bodies."
Lin Yueru asked worriedly, "Daoist Chu, aren't you coming? Without you, we might be in real danger down there."
Xu Changqing said, "Junior Brother, how about just the two of us go to find the Fire Spirit Pearl? The others can stay behind to watch over us, just in case."
Tang Xuejian nodded quickly. "That sounds like the best idea!"
Chu Yang glanced at Jing Tian and, thinking of how effective [Fengdu] was against ghosts, decided against sending him in as bait and planned to use force to take the Fire Spirit Pearl instead.
Getting the Wind Spirit Pearl from the Divine Realm would be different—they'd need General Fei Peng's reputation for that.
"In that case, Senior Brother and I will go. You all stay and guard the bodies."
Just as Chu Yang and Xu Changqing were about to enter the Underworld, Li Xiaoyao suddenly protested.
"You can't bring me along? The three of them can handle the watch just fine!"
Xu Changqing thought about it and agreed. So Li Xiaoyao joined them in entering the Underworld.
All three stepped into the portal—when suddenly, Tang Xuejian cried out.
"Daoist Chu's body didn't stay behind!"
Lin Yueru and Jing Tian looked over and were just as shocked.
"What's going on?!"
"Why isn't Daoist Chu's body here? Xu Daoist and Li Xiaoyao's are both here!"
"Don't tell me Daoist Chu isn't actually alive?!"
"Don't talk nonsense! He doesn't look like a ghost at all—he walks around in broad daylight. When do ghosts ever do that?"
The three of them argued non-stop. Dressed in red, Long Kui emerged from the Demon Sword to join the commotion.
She floated over to Jing Tian and said, "Brother, if someone's cultivation is strong enough, even ghosts can appear in daylight. That Daoist Chu took a direct hit from the Demon Lord—there might be something off about him."
Hearing Long Kui speak ill of Chu Yang, Lin Yueru became furious and pointed at her. "Stop spouting nonsense! Daoist Chu is a Shu Mountain disciple—how could the head of Shu Mountain not know if he were human or not?"
Red-robed Long Kui crossed her arms and stared coldly at Lin Yueru without saying a word.
Seeing that she was about to get angry, Jing Tian quickly tried to soothe her.
Meanwhile, in the Underworld, Chu Yang was oblivious to the commotion above. He now stood before the massive gates of Fengdu City.
The Fengdu City in the Underworld was much larger than its counterpart in the mortal world. Its gates and walls bore heavy marks of time, exuding an aura of desolation.
As the three of them stepped inside, a group of ghost guards suddenly appeared and blocked their path.
"No unauthorized entry into Fengdu!" they said coldly.
Li Xiaoyao widened his eyes. "Since when was this a rule? Never heard of it!"
Chu Yang just smiled, pulled out a stack of ghost money, and handed it to the lead ghost guard, who glanced down at it and swiftly pocketed it.
The ghost guards immediately stepped aside and stood in two neat rows on either side, treating them like air.
Li Xiaoyao was stunned again. "That actually worked?!"
The living have their way.
So do the dead.
In the end, money opens all doors.
Having cleared the checkpoint, Chu Yang led Xu Changqing and Li Xiaoyao deeper into Fengdu. Though it was midnight in the mortal world, here in the Underworld, it was midday.
This shadowy realm was shrouded in perpetual darkness. The streets were lit by flickering green lanterns, and ghostly flames occasionally drifted by, sending chills down their spines.
Aside from the eerie ambiance, the residents of Fengdu City looked fairly normal—just a bit pale. The architecture was also similar to the mortal city's.
Li Xiaoyao and Xu Changqing looked around in awe. A trip to the Underworld in their living souls—now that was a rare experience.
They didn't notice that Chu Yang's expression had grown tense, as if he were grappling with something unseen.
Ever since entering the city, the [Fengdu] spirit slumbering within Chu Yang's soul had grown increasingly restless. Its overwhelming hunger was becoming harder and harder for him to suppress.
He needed to find it something to "eat"—fast—before it lost control.
Chu Yang urged the others to move on and find the Fire Ghost King's palace.
Located in the lowest level of the Underworld, the Lava Hell was a place even King Yama avoided due to the extreme heat, far beyond what ordinary ghosts could withstand.
Only the Fire Ghost King could survive there.
To get to Lava Hell, they first had to cross the Wastelands—the Underworld's equivalent of a wilderness—roamed by mindless, feral spirits.
The moment they stepped into the Wastelands, Chu Yang stopped restraining [Fengdu] and let it act freely.
A black ancient sword soared into the sky, and the hellscape etched on its blade began to writhe and come alive. In an instant, the countless wandering ghosts across the Wastelands howled in agony.
Their cries echoed through the Underworld. Even distant Fengdu City trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
In the Underworld's Hall of Impermanence.
King Yama sat on his throne, reviewing records like a human emperor. To his left, a glowing document lay on the table—
The Book of Life and Death.
Suddenly, cries rang out outside the hall.
King Yama frowned. "Who dares disturb my hall?"
A judge entered and bowed. "Reporting to Your Majesty—the sound isn't from nearby, but from a distant place."
Just as King Yama was about to ask further, the entire hall shook violently. Scrolls fell from the table—only the Book of Life and Death floated into the air, glowing even brighter.
He watched gravely until it calmed down, then retrieved it.
"A treasure capable of affecting the Underworld's fate has emerged. Zhong Pan, take all ghost guards from the Hall of Impermanence and investigate immediately. I'll follow shortly."
King Yama turned and strode into the inner chambers.
Zhong Pan accepted the order and led the ghost guards to the Wastelands.
At the same time…
The gates to the Underworld burst open above the Wastelands, and [Fengdu] greedily devoured every lost spirit in sight.
These mindless spirits had no hope of reincarnation. Left alone, they would eventually dissolve into ghostly mist.
That's why Chu Yang allowed [Fengdu] to feed here rather than back in Fengdu City.
Li Xiaoyao and Xu Changqing were dumbfounded by the massive spectacle of ten thousand ghosts wailing. When they snapped out of it, not a single ghost remained in the Wastelands.
Li Xiaoyao's face was pale. "Brother Chu… is this really okay? What if those ghost guards think we're enemies of the Underworld?"
Chu Yang gave it some serious thought, then nodded. "That's entirely possible. We'd better find the Fire Spirit Pearl and get out fast."
Xu Changqing forced a bitter smile. "Should've let you stay aboveground, Junior Brother. Now we might not make it out of here alive."
Chu Yang consoled him lightly. "Don't say that, Senior Brother. Our souls entered the Underworld—technically speaking, we're already dead!"
Xu Changqing's face turned ashen, trembling with fury.
Li Xiaoyao was about to cry. "Let's just go already, you two! I can see people coming from the city!"
Chu Yang whipped around and saw a dark mass of ghost guards charging toward them.
"Time to scram!"
He whistled up at [Fengdu], which obediently dove back into his soul now that it was full.
The three of them bolted in the direction of Lava Hell.
Moments later…
Zhong Pan arrived with the ghost guards, but there was no sign of Chu Yang's group. Staring out across the barren Wastelands, a chill crept into his heart.
The wandering souls and wild ghosts have always been the greatest headache for the underworld. Like "unregistered citizens" of the mortal realm, they exist entirely outside the system's jurisdiction, leaving the underworld officials with no choice but to dispatch ghost envoys to hunt them down.
Each operation results in considerable casualties. Over time, the underworld simply let them be, which led to an ever-growing number of these spirits in the desolate lands—almost to the point of disaster.
Now, however, they had all been completely wiped out. Under normal circumstances, Judge Zhong should have felt pleased, but a troubling realization struck him.
If that so-called supreme treasure could eliminate those wandering souls so easily, it meant it could also pose a terrifying threat to ghost envoys like themselves.
"Lord Zhong," a Yaksha envoy wielding a trident stepped forward to report, "there are three strange individuals heading toward the Lava Hell. Should we pursue them?"
"The treasure must be in their hands. We absolutely cannot let them enter Lava Hell, nor can we allow it to fall into the hands of the Fire Ghost King. If it does, chaos will erupt in the underworld!"
Judge Zhong's expression changed. Without hesitation, he led his team in pursuit. A massive army of ghost envoys surged toward Lava Hell.
Meanwhile—
The searing heat ahead forced Xu Changqing and Li Xiaoyao to stop in their tracks.
"It's so hot—how are we supposed to go in?" Li Xiaoyao complained. "We'll be roasted alive!"
Xu Changqing's expression was grim. "We're just souls right now. We have to be cautious. If we get injured, the best-case scenario is falling severely ill after returning. Worst case… we'll lose consciousness completely, leaving only our physical bodies behind."
Li Xiaoyao shivered. Glancing back at the pursuers, he grit his teeth and said, "Why don't we turn around and fight them? They're just ghost envoys—we might not even lose."
Xu Changqing shook his head. "Winning or losing isn't the point. The problem is, no one can afford the charge of causing havoc in the underworld. Not even Mount Shu."
Li Xiaoyao looked miserable. "Then what do we do? Ling'er's still waiting for me to come home!"
Chu Yang immediately slapped a hand over Li Xiaoyao's mouth and snapped, "Shut up already. Stop jinxing us. Keep talking like that and I'll seal your damn mouth!"
Li Xiaoyao couldn't understand what he meant, but seeing Chu Yang's irritated expression, he wisely chose to keep quiet.
"Follow me!"
Chu Yang summoned [Fengdu], which hovered around him. A surge of Yellow Springs Water erupted forth, extinguishing the lava beneath their feet, forcibly carving out a path that led straight to the Fire Ghost Palace.