Door Gods Reemployment! A Single Word from the Little Ancestor Sparks a New Business Opportunity!
For the first time, cracks appeared on Cangwu's face, which was sculpted from ten thousand years of basalt.
It was a deep, silent crack, a mixture of unemployment anxiety and midlife crisis.
He is Cangwu, the Door Gods, the originator of the Chaos Demon Gods, the symbol of the order of the underworld, and the sole guardian of the Ghost Gate Pass.
Now, I've been laid off.
Since the opening of the Empress Houtu's "Wonderful Journey to the Underworld" Theme Park, this gate to Ghost Gate Pass, which once terrified countless evil spirits and ghosts, has become a completely forgotten "historical relic".
All the dead souls and all the players crowded towards the ticket gate next to them, which had a wide-open mouth and a comical chibi-style skull design.
After all, there's the Bridge of Helplessness Bungee Jump, the Cauldron of Oil Hot Spring, and free refills of Meng Po's Beauty Soup over there.
What does he have here?
There was only one cold, enormous door, covered with the words "Keep Out, Evil Spirits!"
And there was an old cadre, colder and larger than the door, standing there motionless—himself.
Cangwu stood before the deserted pass, listening to the screams and laughter that pierced the dark clouds as players experienced the "Slide of Knives" not far away.
Every laugh was like an invisible giant hammer, slamming hard into his rock-solid Dao Heart.
The sense of desolation of being "abandoned by the times" has never felt so real.
He couldn't understand it.
Is maintaining order wrong?
Shouldn't it be solemn and dignified?
Just as he was sinking into deep self-doubt, and even starting to consider getting a gym membership in Zhurong and becoming a muscular hunk, a childlike voice rang out behind him.
"Senior Brother Cangwu, why are you standing here sighing?"
Lin Shen had slipped out at some point, still carrying the strong smell of spicy hot pot broth. He clutched a piece of Ten-Thousand-Year He Shou Wu Polygonum multiflorum) that had been chewed and gnawed in his small hand. Looking at his senior brother, who was always as silent as a mountain and incredibly reliable, but now exuded a strong aura of "life is meaningless," he couldn't help but tilt his head.
Upon seeing Lin Shen, Cangwu's rock-like face twitched stiffly as he tried to force a kind expression, but failed. He could only condense his distress into a single sentence in his deep, rock-like voice.
"No one... they came through my door."
These seven short words encapsulate the bitterness of a veteran idol facing bankruptcy amidst the wave of entertainment.
After listening, Lin Shen blinked his large, black, gem-like eyes.
He glanced at the enormous yet desolate Ghost Gate Pass, then at the bustling, almost explosively lively skull-shaped entrance beside it.
A question that was incredibly simple yet struck at the heart of his soul popped into his pure mind.
"Then... why not let them leave through here?"
"They've all gone over there to play." Cangwu's voice grew increasingly somber.
"Then let's make this place fun too!" Lin Shen clapped his hands matter-of-factly, as if he were talking about something that couldn't be simpler.
He ran to the enormous Ghost Gate Pass and touched the cold door studs with his little hands, which were covered in hot pot oil.
"This door is so big and so long!"
Lin Shen spread his arms wide, trying to gesture the distance from the Ghost Gate Pass to the distant Tunnel of Reincarnation.
"We could hold a running race here!"
"Start the race from here. Whoever is the first to reach that dark hole is the winner!"
"The first place winner will receive a huge, multicolored, light-up lollipop as a reward!"
"A running race?" Cangwu's rock-based head clearly couldn't immediately grasp this unconventional way of thinking.
These words, however, were transmitted to the Order Divine Court without missing a single one.
The Yin-Yang Ancestor, who had just been gloating over the "Inner Demon Trial Zone," suddenly froze.
Empress Houtu, who was planning how to license the "Underworld Paradise" IP to the Heavenly Court, also stopped her actions.
Fuxi, who was working on the "Death Penalty" 2.0 version with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.
A brand new concept, brimming with competition, passion, and limitless business opportunities, exploded in the minds of all the powerful figures!
This... this is not a running race!
This is a grand celebration that connects the entire underworld, a carnival for all!
The first to react was the man who was always at the forefront of business model innovation— Old Ancestor Kunpeng.
"Wonderful! Wonderful!"
Kunpeng's figure appeared instantly in the Order Divine Court. He didn't even bother to bow. His usually gloomy and calculating face was now covered with a fanatical smile like a chrysanthemum.
"Your words, my Little Ancestor, are the guiding light for the take-off of the tertiary industry in my Underworld!" He bowed deeply to Hongjun and the Three Pure Ones, his voice trembling with excitement, "This humble Daoist requests permission to host this competition!"
"A running race... Yes! But it can't just be a simple running race!" Kunpeng's eyes gleamed with the light of a top-notch planner as he looked at Lin Shen on the light screen, as if awaiting divine guidance.
Meanwhile, Lin Shen was holding Cangwu's hand, pointing to the faintly visible mountain of knives and trees of swords in the distance, excitedly adding his own "rules of the game".
"Running alone is so boring!"
"Halfway there, we have to climb over that glittering mountain!" Lin Shen pointed to the mountain of knives.
"We still have to get through that forest where leaves fall!" he pointed to the sword trees.
"Oh, right! We also need to swim across that red river!" He pointed to the Blood River as a final gesture.
With each word Lin Shen spoke, the bigwigs within the Order Divine Court gasped. Kunpeng's breathing became even more rapid, and the fervor on his face almost burned.
"I understand! I completely understand!"
Kunpeng slapped his thigh suddenly, his voice rising abruptly and becoming incredibly infectious.
"This is not a running race! This is a 'Underworld Triathlon Extreme Obstacle Challenge' that combines challenge, adventure, competition, and sightseeing!"
"The race will begin at the Gates of Ghost Gate Pass and end at the Six Paths of Reincarnation!"
"During the competition, you must climb mountains of knives with your bare hands, traverse trees of swords barefoot, and cross Blood River and oblivion!"
"This will be the most brutal, exciting, and glorious ultimate competition in the history of the Three Realms of the Primordial World!"
He turned to Cangwu, his eyes burning with intensity.
"Cangwu Daoist Cangwu! Your Ghost Gate Pass is no longer the end, but the beginning! You are no longer just a gatekeeper, but the starter and chief referee of this great competition!"
Cangwu was stunned in front of the light screen.
He looked at Lin Shen, who was tugging at his clothes and still enthusiastically planning what flavor of lollipop he wanted, and then listened to the deafening roar of Kunpeng coming from the void.
That Dao Heart, dormant for millennia and even beginning to crack, at this moment, felt a long-lost... boiling of passion once more.
He, the Door Gods Cangwu, seems... ready to return to his post?
The Kunpeng's voice continued, carrying a bewitching Magic Power.
"The final champion will not only receive the 'Seven-Colored Glaze Supreme Lollipop' personally awarded by the Little Ancestor!"
"Furthermore, they will receive the highest and most prestigious title officially certified by our 'Underworld Tourism Group' --"
"The man who ran through the underworld!"