Netherworld

Biodata

Background / History

The Netherworld is a twisted realm of madness and destruction, simultaneously dreamlike, real, and illusory. Its fundamental nature is consumption: it seeks to devour everything in the mortal world. The power of the uncanny, despite its danger and importance to Illusionists, is only a marginal force within the Netherworld. 131

The Blood Shadow Hall's Illusionists discovered the Netherworld roughly half a year before its existence became public. Their research into uncanny power gave them fleeting visions of it, initially suspected to be hallucinations caused by corruption; further investigation proved it was real. 132

Duan Tianrong informed Li Yuan that the Netherworld was approaching and that its arrival would annihilate life in the mortal world. Zong Zhang verified this claim with the Star Gazing Jade Plate, using Duan Tianrong's aura as a guide, while Ning Zhao Long independently reached the same conclusion. 131 132 133

Zong Zhang connected the Netherworld's approach to the proliferation of evil spirits, declining spiritual energy, and other strange phenomena across the world. His earlier divinations had already foretold that, within ten years, all things would perish. 132

Nature and Properties

Realm of Consumption

• The Netherworld is described as the inverse of the mortal world, a nightmare-like place filled with terrifying and bizarre beings. 131 147
• It has native inhabitants and internal wars; the Ghost Mother was a minor Netherworld native who fled that conflict as a refugee. 131
• Its inhabitants are not unified and frequently fight one another, including major entities such as Yu Lin, the Void King, Azure Mu King, and Withered Mountain King. 157 193 194 222

Netherworld Power

• Netherworld power distorts the boundary between illusion and reality, though it is inferior in quality to the Demon's power. 149 212
• Its chief advantage is abundance; the Demon exploits this vast supply to restore itself after reviving. 149 212
• As the two worlds draw together, alien Netherworld laws weaken the laws of heaven and earth and reduce the effectiveness of spirit arts. 208
• Complete integration of the power contained in space-time bubbles would cause the mortal world to be swallowed by the Netherworld. 209

Passages Between Worlds

• Small, unstable rifts began appearing before the large-scale invasion. They arise and vanish without a predictable pattern, though at least one Netherworld entity could foresee a rift's location and cross through it. 141
• The Floating World Society maintains a stable Netherworld entrance in an underground cave in the Mengyang Kingdom; it is large enough for a person to crawl through and serves as the society's main base. 157
• As the collision intensifies, transitional spatial bubbles emerge between the worlds, allowing increasing numbers of Netherworld monsters to escape into the mortal realm. 196

Known Inhabitants and Connected Factions

• Ghost Mother — A Netherworld native and refugee from its internal war; her appearance in the mortal world helped reveal the realm's existence. 131
• Yin Chi — Humanoid shadow creatures from the Land of Lost Souls that prey on humans, devour sorcery, and can rarely transform a victim's flesh and blood into more Yin Chi. 147
• Yu Lin — A powerful Netherworld being who crossed into Baoqi Kingdom, summoned Yin Chi, and searched for the Demon's resurrection site. 149 154
• Void King — A Netherworld powerhouse slightly stronger than Yu Lin; the Floating World Society serves as his means of descent into the mortal world. 194 196
• Heavenly Corpse King — A Netherworld leader whose giant-zombie subordinates harvest the life essence and fresh blood of living beings. 209
• Azure Mu King and Withered Mountain King — Netherworld powerhouses who joined the Void King in attacking Li Yuan. 209 222
• Blood Shadow Hall — Its Illusionists study the power of the uncanny, which originates from the Netherworld; the hall is divided between those seeking resistance and those who believe they have already become people of the Netherworld. 131 157
• Floating World Society — A cult that promotes the Netherworld's arrival, guides its invasion, and receives power and artifacts through its alliance with a Netherworld entity. 157 188

Incursion of the Mortal World

• Discovery and warning — Duan Tianrong reveals the approaching Netherworld to Li Yuan; Zong Zhang and Ning Zhao Long confirm the threat and begin preparations in secret. 131 132 133
• First crossings — Short-lived rifts appear, allowing individual Netherworld entities to enter Baoqi Kingdom ahead of the full descent. 141
• Yin Chi outbreak — Hundreds of Yin Chi infest Baoqi Kingdom after Yu Lin summons them to search for the Demon. 147 149
• Cult activity — The Floating World Society openly recruits followers with promises of survival and prepares rituals for a powerful Netherworld entity's descent. 157
• Escalation — A second major Netherworld entity descends, while Yu Lin and the Void King bring further monsters into multiple kingdoms. 167 194
• World collision — Spatial bubbles multiply worldwide, monster incursions intensify, and Netherworld laws begin changing the mortal world's environment. 196 208 209
• Full-scale arrival — The Heavenly Corpse King, Azure Mu King, Withered Mountain King, and their elite forces enter through expanding space-time bubbles. 209
• Origin consumed — The Demon draws Netherworld power through hundreds of energy vortexes, then spreads its extraction across the realm, reducing caught monsters to ash and absorbing their energy. 212 223

Impact on the Mortal World

• The impending invasion drives the Xiang Kingdom's experts to expand and populate Secret Realms as refuges beyond the reach of ordinary cross-world attacks. 141 142
• Netherworld monsters overrun cities and migration routes, forcing martial artists and Spirit Masters into continuous defensive campaigns. 197 210
• Entire countries begin to collapse under the incursions, while civilians, royalty, and nobles alike flee toward the Empty Valley Secret Realm. 204
• The Guardians eventually mount a broad counteroffensive, clearing Netherworld monsters across the Firefly Realm while Li Yuan confronts the realm's strongest entities. 213 223