Underworld Ghost Realm, seat of the Palace of Yama.
The many dharma corpses of the Underworld collectively turned towards the direction of Yaozhou.
After detecting the anomaly in the Yin River, these dharma corpses could no longer remain seated.
If today they dared to reclaim the three prefectures, who knows if tomorrow they might dare to capture the entire Yin River, and could it be that the day after they might dare to open the Heaven-Reaching Road, inviting the Gods and Buddhas to attack the Underworld?
Fengdu Ghost City, Ghost Gate Pass, by the banks of the Three-Path River... Hundreds, if not thousands, of dharma corpses almost unanimously made their way to the Palace of Yama to pay respects to the Nine Netherworld Dharma Master.
"To report to the Dharma Master, the Yin River's Ghost Law, Huang Tian, has been executed; today, the Walking Wu Ji and Witch Qi under the seat of the True Monarch of Jade Clarity have also been eradicated by others..."
Though the True Monarch of Jade Clarity is known as the Great Emperor of Longevity, True Monarch of Antarctic Blessings and Longevity, master of the Cave of Fortune, the True Monarch of Jade Clarity in the Palace of Yama is not a true monarch, but a malicious corpse cleaved by the Great Emperor of Longevity in the past!
This malicious corpse does not possess the full face and red forehead of an Immortal Elder; instead, it had a deathly pale complexion, clad in a most ominous black bat longevity robe, and even the Flat Peach on the peachwood longevity staff in its hand appeared withered and shriveled.
Before the Palace of Yama, the True Monarch of Jade Clarity, exuding a vile aura, showed a look of compassion and spoke to the Dharma Master of Yama:
"Now that the Demon Dao prevails and the righteous path wanes, it's precisely the critical moment for our Underworld to lay out plans for the three realms and establish a new heaven. Yet over dozens of years, first Ghost Law Huang Tian was slaughtered, and now Wu Ji and Witch Qi are executed. It must be some malevolent force trying to sabotage our millennia-long strategy in the Yin River."
"I pray that the Dharma Master will issue a decree, that I may personally go to the Mortal World to eliminate this calamity."
In the northwest palace complex of Yama, a Buddha with a hundred-zhang-high corpse form appeared and presented his case: "Recently, when Ghost Law was executed, I went to investigate the Yin River and encountered celestial deities descending to obstruct me. I suspect this was the Celestial Emperor's intention, aiming to redefine Yin and Yang."
The Nine Netherworld Dharma Master glanced around at the hazy figures of the hundred dharma corpses and said calmly, "The Celestial Emperor knows I wish to turn the Human Realm into purgatory, uniting the human and earth realms. At that time, the Human Realm would be annihilated, and the three realms would merge into two: Yin and Yang. The Celestial Emperor would rule Heaven, and I the Earth..."
"However, the calamity has not arrived, and the time is not right. I chose to bide my time and covertly made an old pact with the Celestial Emperor, whereby he issued a decree to sever the connection between Heaven and Earth, forbidding celestial deities from descending, and I promised not to leave the Underworld and invade the Human Realm."
The Buddha with the manifestation of the Great Sun Tathagata furrowed his brows and said, "I indeed saw celestial deities appearing in the Yin River with my own eyes... Could it be that the Celestial Emperor has gone back on his word, specifically sending celestial deities to attempt to regain control of Heaven and the Human Realm once more?"
"Absolutely not! No one in this world knows Him better than I do." The Nine Netherworld Dharma Master replied indifferently, "The celestial deities you speak of descended secretly through the Heaven-Mending Path, a matter unbeknownst to the Celestial Emperor."
The Nine Netherworld Dharma Master could not help but smile, thinking of the Upper Realm Celestial Emperor having to deal daily with those rebellious troublemakers, while He remained leisurely in the Underworld.
But that smile, filled with past grievances, was somewhat sinister.
"You need not worry, even if the Celestial Emperor did consent, it would not change the grand scheme."
"This humble monk is dull-witted, I beg the Dharma Master to enlighten me."
The Nine Netherworld Dharma Master glanced towards the Ghost Gate and said, "Do you know why I agreed to the Celestial Emperor's pact in the past?"
The Dharma Master, whose form towered over a thousand zhang, chuckled lightly and said, "It was because a great calamity is approaching. The place where the sky collapsed in the past will inevitably suffer the erosion of the calamity's aura, a disaster of quantitative calamity. Those celestial deities concealed this from the Celestial Emperor and descended through the Heaven-Mending Path, precisely because the heavens were about to collapse, causing a fissure in the heavenly path."
"That fissure grows wider by the day, and within a thousand years, the calamity of the sky collapsing will occur. At that time, we need not lift a finger; the Human Realm will turn into purgatory of its own accord, under our control."
The dharma corpses couldn't hide their joy upon hearing this and bowed towards the direction of the Palace of Yama to offer their congratulations.
The Nine Netherworld Dharma Master gave a chilling smile and turned to the True Monarch of Jade Clarity:
"For a millennium, the strategy of the Yin River has accelerated the decay of the Human Realm, something the Upper Realm gods and deities cannot prevent, and our purpose has long been achieved. Even if the Yin River falls into the hands of others, the True Monarch need not worry too much."
The True Monarch dharma corpse was extremely petty, still feeling unsatisfied: "Then the Great Luo Sect..."
The Nine Netherworld Dharma Master interrupted, "They're merely small fry borrowing the fox's might. We do not fear the Upper Realm Gods and Buddhas; how could a few mortals unproven in their path possibly shake the True Monarch?"
The Underworld dharma corpses, though cleaved as shadowy and malicious corpses by Immortal Buddha Holy Spirits, come from proper and prestigious backgrounds.
Compared to the dharma corpses, Xu Qing and the like are mere ephemerons.
The Nine Netherworld Dharma Master was indifferent, unless the opponents were truly replaced by the likes of the Judicial Heavenly Deity, who might merit a glance from Him. As for Xu Qing, of humble origins and mingling in the secular world, along with his Great Luo Sect...
Whether they can survive the calamity of the sky collapsing is uncertain, let alone facing these divine beings who have undergone countless ages of cultivation.
"When I refine the authority of Yin Mountain and fully gain control of the Earth Realm, it will be your time to enter the Human Realm and rule the three realms."
This was what the Nine Netherworld Dharma Master declared.
...
In the fourth year of Tiande, within the Incense Hall of the Great Luo Sect, Xu Qing was arranging the ceremonial altar.
The Immortal-seeking technique could only be performed once every twelve years, and now the time had come once again.
Before the altar, Xu Qing burned incense and formed seals with his hands, chanting under his breath.
"All dharmas return to the heavenly path, all immortals return to the encampment. Tonight, we briefly send off the guests of Penglai, yet another day we shall recount the bonds of gods and immortals..."
In the smoke-filled hall, Xu Qing once again felt the familiar pull.
From the Great Luo Dharma Realm, a wisp of incense smoke overflowed, like ethereal ribbons, lifting his spirit, taking him before an ancient temple.
Moments later, Xu Qing suddenly opened his eyes.