When he finished speaking.
The Tiger Demon gripped his broadsword and transformed into a gale, charging toward Haotian.
Seeing the Tiger Demon move, Haotian continued chanting without pause.
With only a thought, he immobilized the Tiger Demon right before him.
With the Tiger Demon frozen in place, Haotian's scripture changed.
"Heavenly Emperor's decree: I free your lonely soul.
All ghosts and spirits, may the four forms of life receive grace.
Those with heads shall be freed; those without heads...
I decree that these souls be saved and swiftly reborn!"
When he finished speaking.
Haotian swept his sleeve, opening a portal to the Underworld.
Seeing this, the Lost Souls bowed three times in unison.
Only then did they file through the portal in an orderly procession.
After a long while.
Every Lost Soul had entered the Underworld.
Just then, a stream of Merit descended from the sky.
This Merit was clearly greater than what this act of freeing the Lost Souls should have earned.
It was because Haotian had been the first to free Lost Souls, opening up a new path out of suffering for all the Lost Souls in the Primordial World.
In a way, it also resolved some entanglements of Karma.
Seeing Haotian repeatedly gain Merit, the cultivators of the Primordial World.
Couldn't help wondering to themselves.
Could facing a Sage just once open up one's mind?
And make accumulating Merit easy from then on?
Just look at Haotian.
He'd been in the Heavenly Court for dozens of Yuanhui.
Before facing a Sage, he'd made not the slightest stir.
But after facing one, he'd come up with one brilliant method after another.
So, should I face a Sage myself?
As soon as the thought arose, the cultivators shuddered.
Especially Minghe, in the Sea of Blood.
He hurriedly crushed the thought in his mind.
What was he thinking?
Face a Sage?
That was asking for death!
Haotian dared do such a thing because he had the Dao Ancestor backing him.
What about me?
What did I have?
Not a single thing!
If I dared provoke a Sage, I'd be reduced to ashes in the blink of an eye.
Forget it!
I'll just follow his lead and free Lost Souls!
I'd failed to refine a spiritual treasure before.
But surely I couldn't fail to free Lost Souls this time.
Refining spiritual treasures required skill and secret techniques.
This time, I could just follow the scripture. Surely there couldn't be any problems.
As for the scripture and incantation mentioning other great powers?
That didn't matter!
Those whose names were used wouldn't come away with nothing.
At the very least, they could share in some of the Merit.
They could also gain a little Fortune.
After all, their names would be proclaimed.
And they'd be proclaimed while helping living beings escape suffering.
Naturally, more living beings would come to believe in them.
Their Fortune would increase accordingly.
Besides, when it came to freeing Lost Souls, I, Minghe, had an unparalleled advantage.
Where in the Primordial World were Lost Souls most numerous?
Naturally, nowhere could rival the Underworld.
But beyond the Underworld, the place with the most was his Sea of Blood.
The Lost Souls accumulated in the Sea of Blood over countless Yuanhui provided no shortage of souls to free.
Thinking of this, Minghe couldn't help rejoicing to himself.
I'm about to strike it rich!
Imitating others?
That was something Minghe was good at!
First Nuwa created humans, then he, Minghe, created the Asura Race.
With that thought.
Minghe immediately stepped onto the Karma Red Lotus and appeared above the Sea of Blood.
Following Haotian's procedure, he began his first attempt at freeing Lost Souls.
Meanwhile, after Haotian had received the Merit.
He finally had time to deal with the Tiger Demon.
He activated his Dharma Eye and first examined the Tiger Demon's Karmic Debt.
At the sight, Haotian's brow furrowed deeply.
Black smoke curled above the fellow's head. He was clearly no good.
Then Haotian examined the Tiger Demon's cultivation. He was only a mere Golden Immortal.
Haotian felt somewhat conflicted.
Golden Immortal?
That seemed a little too weak!
But considering the state of the Heavenly Court, Haotian decided to spare his life.
A Golden Immortal would just about do for a servant.
Haotian then gave a thought and released the Tiger Demon from his restraints.
"I am Haotian, the Heavenly Emperor!
By rights, given your Karmic Debt, you would have no chance of survival now that you've fallen into my hands.
But.
I'll give you a chance to live.
Submit to me and obey my commands from now on.
Otherwise, die!"
At Haotian's words, the Tiger Demon's face immediately turned pale.
Haotian, the Heavenly Emperor?
Good grief!
He'd landed in the hands of a big shot.
Between death and life, the Tiger Demon hesitated for only a moment.
Then he knelt and bowed. "Jun Ruoxu pays his respects to Your Majesty!
I am willing to obey Your Majesty's commands!"
Hearing the name, Haotian's brow immediately furrowed.
How dare a little demon like him call himself a lord?
What should I call myself, then?
He then asked, "What did you say your name was?
What Ruoxu?"
The Tiger Demon replied uneasily, "This little demon's name is Jun Ruoxu!"
"What was that? Ruoxu?"
At Haotian's repeated questions, the Tiger Demon's heart skipped a beat.
He could only reply, "This little demon has no name!
Please bestow one upon me, Your Majesty!"
Haotian nodded and brought out the Investiture of the Gods.
"Separate a wisp of your primordial spirit. I'll grant you a Divine Position!"
The Tiger Demon immediately did as he was told.
As for asking why?
That was out of the question.
The more questions he asked, the faster he'd die!
It was best not to guess what a big shot was thinking.
With a thought from Haotian, the Investiture of the Gods unfurled on its own.
As Mana flowed, the two characters "Zhu Zhao" appeared on the Investiture of the Gods.
Haotian reached out and drew the wisp of the Tiger Demon's primordial spirit into the Investiture of the Gods.
Thus, the first deity on the Investiture of the Gods had appeared.
Only after the Divine Position had been settled did Haotian speak. "Zhu Zhao!"
"Here!"
"I am Haotian!
In the name of the Heavenly Emperor, I grant you the Divine Position of Tail Fire Tiger, one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions.
I charge you to obey the Heavenly Rules and faithfully fulfill your duties."
"This subject, Zhu Zhao, accepts the Imperial Decree as Tail Fire Tiger!
I thank Your Majesty for granting me this Divine Position!"
Seeing this, Haotian put away the Investiture of the Gods and nodded. "Rise!
Go gather all your little demons and arrange for them to go to the Heavenly Court.
Once there, first lead them in comprehending the Great Grade Heavenly Immortal Art beside the Immortal Transformation Pool.
Then enter the Immortal Transformation Pool together and use its power, assisted by the Great Grade Heavenly Immortal Art.
Transform all that demonic aura into immortal qi for me."
"This subject obeys!"
When he finished speaking, Zhu Zhao flew away.
For now, Haotian's actions hadn't attracted the attention of Nuwa or the Demon Race.
They assumed he was once again after Merit.
After Jun Ruoxu had left, Haotian began considering what he might have overlooked on this trip.
After a moment's thought, Haotian suddenly realized.
His perspective seemed to have been limited.
The Primordial World wasn't just the Heavenly Realm and the Earthly Immortal Realm, which had yet to be formally named.
There was also the Underworld, which he had somehow forgotten.
As Heavenly Emperor, he was nominally in charge of the Three Realms.
If he hadn't freed the Lost Souls this time, by the time he remembered.
The Underworld might already have become someone else's private garden.
This act of freeing the Lost Souls had given him the perfect opportunity to extend his influence into the Underworld.
Haotian then blurred out of sight and headed straight for the Underworld.
A short while later.
Outside Pingxin Hall in the Underworld.
Haotian stood before the gate and glanced at the plaque hanging above it.
Then he called out, "Fellow Daoist Pingxin!
Haotian has come to pay you a visit!"
Hearing Haotian's voice, Empress Pingxin's heart stirred.
It seemed this Heavenly Emperor had finally set his sights on the Underworld.
He could only have one purpose for coming.
To bring the Underworld under the Heavenly Court's jurisdiction.
It wasn't anything particularly serious.
Given the state of the Underworld, even if Haotian didn't come.
Sooner or later, the Six Sages would turn their attention to her.
It was only a matter of when, or who would intervene.
Between the Six Sages and Haotian, she had to choose one.
Empress Pingxin was more willing to choose Haotian.
That was only because Haotian's cultivation was on par with hers.
This meant she wouldn't lose too much say in the Underworld going forward.
There would still be room to sit down and discuss many things.
They could even help each other and share the benefits.
But if she faced a Sage, that would be a very different situation.
Given a Sage's domineering nature, would they really talk things through with her?
Before you continue