"The Underworld..."

Zhang Kui shook his head, finding it somewhat laughable.

"If you want to go there, just slit your throat with a knife. Besides, those guys at the General's Tomb are already dead ghosts, why go through such trouble?"

"What do you know..."

A hint of mockery appeared in the girl's eyes,

"Though ghost cultivators exist in this world, they are merely those who linger in the human realm. Once you step into the Underworld, you are forever cut off and never return to the living."

"Mortals all think that Immortals and Buddhas are mere jest, that immortality is but an empty dream. However, thousands of years ago, elders of the Demon Race, based on various clues from the Ancient Secret Realm, concluded that the Celestial Court and the Underworld indeed once existed, and even those Divine Spirits and Immortal Officials spoken of in temple legends were real."

"The simplest evidence is that the Demon Race worships the moon, hears the sound of the Great Path, and steps onto the path of cultivation. What do you think exists above the Moon Palace?"

Zhang Kui's eyes narrowed slightly, "Are you saying..."

The girl looked up, gazing at the gradually darkening night sky.

"In the vast cosmos, with billions of stars, perhaps the Celestial Court Immortal Palace is among them. If not for immortals, how could one traverse the star sea in the flesh?"

"There are countless stars in this world, but there is only one Underworld. Every Mid-Autumn, one can use the Divine Strange Pearl to step into the Underworld and from there transfer into the Celestial Court to join the Immortal Sect. This is currently the only possible Path to Immortality."

With this said, Zhang Kui understood instantly.

There is no such thing as the Thirty-Three Layer Heavens in this world; only the Underworld resembles an alternate space, connecting the entire cosmos.

With no hope of becoming an immortal and without a former life's spacecraft, one can only hope by entering the Underworld to seek a sliver of hope.

This Divine Strange Pearl is the ticket for this secret passage.

Zhang Kui was interested, "Has anyone succeeded?"

A flash of fear appeared in the girl's eyes,

"Those who went in never came out again, it's unknown if they succeeded. However, those who failed returned to the human realm, regardless if they were True Daoists or millennium-old demons, without exception..."

"They all went crazy!"

Zhang Kui was stunned, "And they're still fighting over this?"

The girl hung her head in silence,

"Mortals are mundane, life and death are illusion dreams, but once you step on the path of cultivation, immortality is enough to drive anyone mad!"

Zhang Kui laughed dumbly,

"Heaven and earth truly have no mercy, treating all things as straw dogs; even you, a reincarnated old demon, cannot escape."

The girl rolled her eyes,

"You're the reincarnated old demon. I am Fu Yu, a cultivator of the Celestial River Water Mansion, who has practiced for less than a hundred years and was lucky to obtain this pearl. What reincarnated traitor, it's all lies of the Stone Man Tomb."

"No way..."

Zhang Kui frowned, "You are clearly human; without possessing and reincarnating in a womb, how did you become a cultivator of that demon Water Mansion?"

Fu Yu's face changed, immediately turning her head away, "That's none of your business."

Then, Fu Yu stared at Zhang Kui intently,

"Alright, I have told you everything, what are you planning then?"

"Simple..."

Zhang Kui chuckled, turning to look in the direction of the Qin Mountain Ancient Path, "The evil spirits of the General's Tomb are here. I have a grudge against them, although I can't beat them for now, I plan to cause some trouble."

"General's Tomb?!"

Fu Yu was astonished, "Qingzhou is within the Stone Man Tomb's territory, how dare those dead men..."

Suddenly, she realized something, her face changing drastically as she screamed, "You've led the Stone Man Tomb here; all this time you've just been stalling. You... you're a madman!"

"Hahaha..."

Zhang Kui laughed heartily, dismissing it indifferently.

"Mad indeed, but might as well watch a good show with me since the timing is about right?"

"You... you..."

Fu Yu was so angry she ground her teeth, unable to speak.

Suddenly, she looked southwest.

There, a figure accompanied by rolling thunder shot from the horizon, landing with a crash, and the smell of burning filled the air.

It was the old Daoist Tianji Zi.

"Quick, give me the Divine Strange Pearl!"

The old Daoist was now in a frenzied state, his face twisted, his eyes bloodshot, and lightning flickering beneath his skin, clearly unable to control the Thunder Tribulation.

At this moment, the night sky was suddenly covered with clouds, obscuring the stars. Flashing lightning rumbled, ready to strike at any moment.

Zhang Kui glanced at the clouds above, his expression heavy. This Thunder Tribulation was more powerful than the Fire Tribulation, like a whipping from heaven and earth. No wonder it pushed the old Daoist Tianji Zi to the brink.

However, before he could speak, the area was suddenly filled with a swirling wind, rolling black smoke, accompanied by the constant giggles of children.

The Nine-Child Ghost Witch, supported by a cane, slowly emerged, followed by the Blue Yaksha, Two-headed Demoness Lady Yin, and a few other Grain Avoidance Realm old demons, surrounding the valley completely.

They also cast a look at the storm clouds, their faces dark and silent.

The Thunder Tribulation was even more terrifying for them, but none dared retreat, for the one from the General's Tomb was growing impatient.

An air of lethal intent surged like rising tides, everything was still, and the stones on the ground hummed and vibrated. Zhang Kui and Fu Yu, at the center, felt a chill throughout their bodies, barely able to breathe.

Zhang Kui gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, turning to Fu Yu, "At the brink of life and death, it's up to you to choose."

The girl glared at him fiercely, then sighed deeply in resignation, extended her right hand, and a small stone sphere glowed faintly as it emerged from her skin.

Everyone's gaze was drawn to this object.

Zhang Kui was even more astonished.

Because this Divine Strange Pearl, he also had one, the small stone sphere obtained from the Three-eyed Giant Corpse.

"Take it, take it, I don't want it anymore!"

Fu Yu, in anger, threw it out, the small stone sphere drawing a glimmering arc through the night sky.

Boom!

A fierce battle broke out almost immediately.

Whether monster or Tianji Zi, all had been driven to their limits, launching full assaults without hesitation to seize it.

Meanwhile, on the ground, Zhang Kui quickly opened a large black umbrella, black mist exploded, enveloping Fu Yu as they rapidly fled.

The demons noticed but couldn't spare any attention because Tianji Zi was already nearly mad, fighting with everything just to stay afloat.

Several miles away on a mountaintop, the black mist dispersed. Zhang Kui sat cross-legged, unceremoniously opened the last jug of wine and took a few gulps.

"Refreshing!"

Fu Yu snatched it away, took a few desperate swigs, then began to sob, "Years of plotting, countless life and death trials, all for nothing..."

Zhang Kui chuckled, "Why cry over it? It's just a material thing, lost and that's that. Aren't you still alive?"

"It's all your fault for stirring things up!"

Fu Yu's face was filled with resentment as she threw the wine jug at him.

Zhang Kui caught it, took a large sip, and sneered, "With so many fighting for it, did you really think you could keep it safe?"

"Blame all you want... If you're not satisfied, Old Zhang will gladly take more of it!"

He ignored the girl, instead looking into the distance.

There, on the mountaintop, thunder roared, dark winds swirled, mountain rocks shook, and trees fell in swathes.

"Tsk tsk, this Tianji Zi truly lives up to being a Celestial Tribulation Realm cultivator, going all out is really deadly."

"Hmm, an old demon perished too, I wonder who it was..."

"Haha, regardless of tonight's outcome, Qingzhou will surely have some peace for a while..."

Before long, Qi Veins surged over there; it was Tianji Zi using his signature array, trapping the demons and seizing the Divine Strange Pearl in one fell swoop.

Then, with a crack, a bolt of lightning, spinning clouds in the sky, one after another struck the ground.

Minutes later, the thunderclouds dispersed, a mighty aura rose, while the demonic aura, caught by the Thunder Tribulation, dissipated completely.

"Did that old rascal truly succeed?"

Zhang Kui was a little surprised but didn't care, instead standing up swiftly, his face dark as water.

From the direction of the Qin Mountain Ancient Path came a wave of darkness, flowing like a mountain breeze, with magnificent momentum.

Within the black mist, ghostly figures surged, ancient and desolate war songs echoing over the land, leaving silence in their wake...

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.