Heaven had no sun or moon; earth had no grass or trees.
All things possessed yin and yang, and the human world was no exception. This dim, silent land beneath the realm of the living was called the underworld. To the living beings of the world, including the vast majority of cultivators, it was nothing more than a legendary place where lonely souls and wandering ghosts gathered, utterly beyond their reach.
Only certain special people—for instance, those who had comprehended the Great Dao of Profound Darkness—could glimpse the underworld through yin-yang eyes. Those who wielded Profound Darkness could enter the netherworld in their living bodies, even cooperate with the ghost kings of the underworld and provide one another aid.
In truth, the Great Dao of Profound Darkness was not some evil path. The great daos of the world had never been divided into righteous and evil. Back when the Heavenly Star Divine Cult still existed, the Lord of Profound Darkness held an extremely lofty position, more like an intermediary between yin and yang who could travel between both realms and foster communication.
But after the Heavenly Star Divine Cult fractured, the Nether King Sect branch fell into the demonic path. They began using their control over yin souls to slaughter innocents and strengthen themselves, leading the Great Dao of Profound Darkness astray.
In the past, the Lord of Profound Darkness had been acquainted with the Ten Palace Ghost Kings. Yet the current Nether King Sect Master, even with blood sacrifices, could only summon the ghost kings of two palaces. That was because the Nether King Sect had fallen into the demonic path, and most ghost kings were unwilling to aid them any longer.
On this day, two utterly incongruous figures descended into the underworld, where stars glittered brilliantly.
The first