From the Underworld?

Eunuch Yin might have spoken thoughtlessly, yet it sent shivers down Zhang Kui's spine.

This world indeed has the Underworld, and it is vast, even connected to the entire Star Sea Cosmos. The Divine Strange Pearl that allows living people to enter is fiercely contested by the demons of the Four Caves and Five Water Mansions.

But according to Fu Yu of the Celestial Lake Water Mansion in the Northern Border, very few who enter ever return, and most who survive are driven insane.

Of course, as an unrecognized Half-Demon, Fu Yu's information might not be entirely accurate, but it does highlight the dangers of the Underworld.

Could it be possible that these people truly have...

Zhang Kui shook his head slightly, never mind that; those matters are for the National Guardian True Men to worry about. Right now, the most important thing is to quickly enhance his strength.

Thinking of this, he immediately took his leave and instructed the coachman to drive the carriage out of the Capital City.

Soon after leaving the city, seeing no one around, he let the coachman return on his own and controlled the stone coffin to slowly sink underground.

Inside Iron Blood Manor, Fatty Tiger was lazily swaying his tail. He didn't go along today, as Zhang Kui had ordered him to guard the Eight Trigrams Furnace, given its high value and difficulty to obtain.

"It's just a broken furnace, who would steal it? I, Fatty Tiger, won't spend my days watching over this thing..."

Fatty Tiger muttered to himself as he looked at the Pill Furnace beside him.

Suddenly, he raised his head, wide-eyed, seeing the ground churn with black smoke as an ancient stone coffin slowly rose.

"Someone is really stealing it!"

Fatty Tiger's fur stood on end; he bounced up instantly, intending to flee but fearing Zhang Kui's reprimand, he quickly opened his mouth to grab the Pill Furnace.

"You fool, what are you doing!"

Zhang Kui chided, leaping out of the coffin.

"Taoist Master…"

Fatty Tiger breathed a sigh of relief, circling the coffin and changing the topic with a silly smile, "Congratulations, Taoist Master, on acquiring another treasure."

"Haha, Old Zhang, I'm fairly lucky."

Zhang Kui smiled, touching the stone coffin.

This Nether Soil Stone Coffin, though cumbersome, travels underground at great speed, an excellent tool for travel and treasure hunting.

Seeing Zhang Kui in good spirits, Fatty Tiger immediately grinned and crawled over, "Taoist Master, you refined a Treasure Pill, and even Old Liu got one. I too have some merit..."

Zhang Kui glared and scolded, "You fool, greedy and lazy, a belly full of Stone Ganoderma Treasure Medicine yet to be refined! Were it not for the Pill Furnace being too small, I'd have thrown you in for refining."

Fatty Tiger hung his head in dissatisfaction, "Taoist Master, I, Fatty Tiger, am loyal, never heard of riding your mount to death..."

"Why would I kill you?"

Zhang Kui laughed, "The Eight Trigrams Furnace's Xun position lacks fire, just a lot of wind and smoke. It might help you refine the Treasure Medicine, perhaps even learn some Divine Power."

Fatty Tiger rolled his eyes, obviously skeptical.

Zhang Kui rubbed his chin, "You better take my words seriously and curb your gluttony."

"Legend has it that in Ancient Times, there was a peculiar tiger, very powerful yet gluttonous. One day, a strange stone fell from the sky. Without thinking, it swallowed it whole, becoming entrapped in amber."

As Zhang Kui spoke, he grabbed Fatty Tiger's tail, "Its owner, worried sick, pulled its tail..."

Fatty Tiger's eyes widened, "Did he save it?"

"Hehe…"

Zhang Kui chuckled coldly, "But out came a Divine Blade, tiger bone heart, strange stone skin, with power beyond belief."

Fatty Tiger shivered, quickly tucking his tail and scurrying away, "I'll go refine now, always scaring me..."

Zhang Kui shook his head, amused, and turned to go inside, sitting cross-legged and taking out a Yellow Jade Pill to swallow.

After having slain both Dog Demon and Mouse Demon, he acquired thirteen skill points but hadn't used them, hoarding them all.

After all, the further you go, the less effective Yellow Jade Pills become. It's best to first use them to raise the "Guiding Skill" to level nine, then use all the skill points to reach Perfection.

In another room, Liu Mao'Er had already consumed the Pill and was refining it in meditation. As an ordinary person, the Pill was quite potent for him, but the once white hair roots were gradually showing a tinge of black.

Startled by Zhang Kui earlier, Fatty Tiger was also uncharacteristically cultivating, lying in the yard while his bones cracked, blue flames flickering in his eyes.

The sky gradually darkened, the manor growing exceedingly silent.

On the opposite hill, the old Taoist tasked with watching Zhang Kui was filled with doubt.

He saw Zhang Kui leave during the day, yet never returning, and his presence suddenly reappeared in the manor. Who knows what means he employed...

Just then, the child's skull on the desk reignited with green flames in its eye sockets, "Jiahai, Yichou are dead..."

"What?"

The old Taoist frowned, "Star Lord, what happened?"

"Not sure yet, it happened abruptly, his soul card shattered, and the Astronomical Bureau is tightly guarded, no information came out."

The skull's green flames flickered unsteadily.

The old Taoist sighed, "Star Lord, forgive Jiahai's boldness, the Qian Dynasty's destiny is not yet exhausted. Is your plan perhaps…"

The voice from within the skull was chilling,

"Ten years, still waiting? By the next Mid-Autumn Festival, are you confident of coming out alive from that ghostly place?"

The old Taoist remained silent.

As they conversed, at the Taixuan Islet of the Astronomical Bureau, the tower was brightly lit, the hall filled with a few National Guardian True Men.

Elder Huayan, Imperial Uncle Li Xuanji, Huo Yu with Double Pupils, and a Yellow Eyebrow Old Monk.

"The Demon Star Pavilion…I never expected it to be them."

Elder Huayan stroked his beard and sighed.

The purple-robed, double-pupiled beauty, Huo Yu, glanced at the others, "These riffraff are weak but adept at hiding, quite a headache."

Imperial Uncle Li Xuanji toyed with a Jade Disc in his hand, "They merely rely on Evil Skills to communicate, I've already invited the Yin Witch to break this spell."

Huo Yu frowned, "Why call that old Ghost Witch!"

Imperial Uncle Li Xuanji gave a slight glance, "The Emperor's birthday is near, we must consider the bigger picture."

Huo Yu fell silent, turning her gaze aside.

Elder Huayan shook his head slightly.

In the Capital City, seven State Preceptors maintain the Divine Artifact year-round, taking turns staying by the Emperor's side.

As for more than a dozen National Guardian True Men, they're either in secluded cultivation or searching for Ancient Secret Realms or filled with internal conflicts.

Only a handful, including them, remain permanently stationed, no wonder the adversaries dare to cause trouble in the Capital City.

Before long, a gust of cold wind blew through, the candles flickering, and an elderly woman appeared in the hall.

She wore clothes of the common folk, a kindly smile on her face, hands dusted with flour, and her apron stained with oil.

"Imperial Uncle Li, why summon this old lady? Customers are still waiting for oil cakes."

Imperial Uncle Li Xuanji explained the situation, "Yin Witch, you excel in spells, please break this one. The Half-Demons will be unable to communicate, and in desperation, they'll expose a weakness."

"No problem, a small matter."

The Yin Witch smiled, picked up the skull, and shook her head slightly, "Tsk, such sins..."

She bit her fingertip to smear blood on the skull, her eyes rolling back as she chanted a strange language.

As the incantations quickened, the skull's eye sockets turned from green flames to red, while black energy spread across the Yin Witch's face, faintly showing a ghastly visage.

Bang!

The skull suddenly split into two.

The Yin Witch resumed her kindly expression, set the skull down, and nodded, "Feel free to visit the old wench's shop for a meal."

A gust of wind blew through, and she vanished without a trace.

Huo Yu snorted, "Pretending to be all mysterious!"

Imperial Uncle Li Xuanji pretended not to hear, "Pass on an order, watch the Imperial City closely!"

...

A small Taoist Temple in the suburbs of the Capital City.

As the Yin Witch cast her spell, the skull before the old Taoist shook with green flames flickering.

The voice across the green flames remained calm,

"Someone is dispelling the spell, proceed according to plan. If it fails… lie low… wait until Mid-Autumn..."

Crack!

The skull split open.

The old Taoist remained silent for a long moment, then sighed, "Star Lord, Jiahai is tired; even if dead, I refuse to return to that place…"

With that, he turned his gaze towards Iron Blood Manor…

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