The Restriction Dissipates

The sunset glow scattered across the horizon, leaving the vault of heaven a deep shade of blue.

As the You Hour drew to a close, a chilly yin energy began to stir.

In the courtyard outside the dilapidated temple, the shadows of a withered old tree swayed like ghosts. The figure of Qing Li slowly materialized upon the branches.

The moment she returned to reality, she immediately looked toward the temple gate.

That lord in the Underworld had just raised her cultivation level once more. Now, even if she were to encounter a ghost from the sixth level of the Tongue-Pulling Hell, she would be capable of putting up a fight!

As for that human brat, his cultivation was a mere Second Layer of Qi Refining. His tribulation would likely involve dealing with ghosts from the third or fourth level of the Tongue-Pulling Hell at most.

I could take on a hundred of those now!

Thinking of this, Qing Li let out a sinister laugh.

In the distance, the daylight vanished rapidly. The outlines of the distant mountains faded into the pallor, and the sky turned completely dark.

The instant night fell, the entire town seemed to flicker, as if a restriction that had been isolating it from the outside world had vanished into thin air, leaving the town completely exposed to the night.

The yin energy between heaven and earth surged violently. The temperature all around plummeted, and tiny, crystalline droplets quickly condensed on the tips of the grass.

Qing Li turned her head instantly, looking toward the entrance of the town.

She sensed a massive number of ghosts suddenly swarming into the town!

And what's more...

Qing Li slowly looked up. Tonight, the moonlight was like water, and suspended in the deep blue sky was a gigantic skeletal hand.

The hand had seven fingers—pale, clean, and devoid of even a shred of flesh. When spread out, it was large enough to cover the entire town. Vast, surging black clouds swirled around it, and the finger bones, so pale they almost glowed with a luster, flickered in and out of sight within the black clouds.

Each finger bone was connected to dense, black threads, like the strings of a puppet master, raining down upon the town and spreading across the entirety of Changfu Town.

One of those black threads was hanging down directly into the dilapidated temple where Zheng Que was cultivating...

※※※

Underworld.

Zheng Que stared at the name that had just appeared on the Life and Death Book, stunned.

Xu Houde—this was the name of the town mayor!

The town was not large; as far as he knew, no one else in town shared the mayor's name, and the age matched perfectly as well.

Did Qing Li kill the town mayor??

No, that's not right!

Dying suddenly at the Xu Hour—this method of death was suspicious!

If Qing Li had been the one to kill him, the town mayor should have been hanged.

Just as he was thinking this, more names continued to appear on the Life and Death Book...

"...Xu Chengshi. Native place: Changfu Town, Taiping County, Tu Prefecture, Great Li Dynasty. Lifespan: 53 years, 6 months, and 1 day. Died suddenly at the stroke of the Xu Hour."

"...Xu Mao. Native place: Changfu Town, Taiping County, Tu Prefecture, Great Li Dynasty. Lifespan: 25 years and 10 months exactly. Died suddenly at the stroke of the Xu Hour."

"...Xu Chang. Native place: Changfu Town, Taiping County, Tu Prefecture, Great Li Dynasty. Lifespan: 17 years, 11 months, and 4 days. Perished at the stroke of the Xu Hour."

"...Xu Xiaobao. Native place: Changfu Town, Taiping County, Tu Prefecture, Great Li Dynasty. Lifespan: 6 years, 8 months, and 2 days. Died prematurely at the stroke of the Xu Hour."

This...

Zheng Que's eyes widened instantly. These were the names of the town mayor's entire family!

The entire family of the town mayor had been killed?

Was there some other ghost that had broken into the mayor's home?!

Moreover, the mayor's house was not exactly close to the dilapidated temple. How could the Life and Death Book record them from such a distance?

Before he could think any further, the text on the Life and Death Book continued to appear, scrolling down in rows like a flowing stream.

"...Cui Fugui. Native place: Changfu Town, Taiping County, Tu Prefecture, Great Li Dynasty. Lifespan: 41 years and 5 days. Died suddenly at the stroke of the Xu Hour."

"...Cui Ni'er. Native place: Changfu Town, Taiping County, Tu Prefecture, Great Li Dynasty. Lifespan: 15 years, 3 months, and 24 days. Perished at the stroke of the Xu Hour."

"...Zhao the Second. Native place: Changfu Town, Taiping County, Tu Prefecture, Great Li Dynasty. Lifespan: 18 years, 9 months, and 16 days. Perished at the stroke of the Xu Hour."

Seeing this, Zheng Que's brows furrowed tightly. The names of the Cui father and daughter and Zhao the Second had also appeared on the Life and Death Book. The Cui father and daughter and Zhao the Second were all dead!

What on earth was happening?!

Did the ghost that killed the mayor's family suddenly run to the Cui household and kill the father and daughter? Then teleport to Zhao the Second's home and kill him?

Just as he was filled with confusion, the names on the Life and Death Book continued to increase rapidly.

"...Zeng Liniang... Perished at the stroke of the Xu Hour."

"...Chi Da... Died prematurely at the stroke of the Xu Hour."

"...Chi Acheng... Died suddenly at the stroke of the Xu Hour."

"...Yin Cao'er... Perished at the stroke of the Xu Hour..."

The number of new names appearing on the Life and Death Book grew and grew.

The time of death for everyone was exactly the Xu Hour. Although the methods of death varied in name and description due to their age, they were all, in essence, "sudden deaths"!

Gradually, the expression on Zheng Que's face turned grim.

Changfu Town was not large to begin with; the entire town had only about a thousand people.

Given the current situation, it seemed that this wasn't just a few households meeting with misfortune, but the entire town!

He was a resident of this town as well!

His own lifespan was set to end at the Hai Hour, only one hour later than those who had already died.

Some irresistible danger was about to wipe out the entire town!

At this thought, cold sweat instantly broke out on Zheng Que's forehead. He realized in an instant what kind of tribulation he was about to face, and he also understood why his Master had acted as if he knew he wouldn't live long when he left...

Perhaps his Master hadn't just foreseen his personal tribulation, but the disaster that the entire Changfu Town was about to face!

With this in mind, he stared at the black energy between his brows, filled with anxiety.

Before the Life and Death Book finished absorbing all the Yin Energy, he could not return to reality.

Although there was still one hour until the Hai Hour, in a situation like this, it was certainly better to escape the town as quickly as possible!

He did not for a moment believe that a disaster or ghost capable of destroying an entire town was something he, a mere cultivator at the Second Layer of Qi Refining, could handle!

At this moment, the names on the Life and Death Book were still increasing rapidly; the total number of new names had already exceeded one hundred!

Fortunately, as the Life and Death Book rapidly absorbed the Yin Energy, the black energy between his brows grew thinner and thinner.

Finally, the last wisp of black energy, now nearly invisible, was swept away by the Life and Death Book.

Zheng Que breathed a sigh of relief, ready to return to reality.

But the next moment, a massive surge of ink-colored Yin Energy erupted from the Life and Death Book before him. This Yin Energy seemed exceptionally refined—thick and pure—twisting and turning in mid-air like a dragon or a snake. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a symbol resembling both a worm and a fish, hovering above the scroll and exuding an ancient, weathered aura.

This is...

An Imperial Edict!

Zheng Que's expression changed instantly. The formation of an Imperial Edict was related to the number of names recorded in the Life and Death Book.

With the entire town meeting with disaster, the Life and Death Book had suddenly recorded enough names for a second Imperial Edict.

It was just that...

If this Imperial Edict had come a little earlier or a little later, it would have been a good thing for him.

But it had to happen right now!

As he thought this, the newly formed Imperial Edict transformed into a beam of black light and submerged into the center of his brows.

Just like last time, Zheng Que felt as if his brain had instantly exploded. Accompanied by intense pain, his consciousness plunged into a blank void...