Changqing... Mount Shu... Can't Hold On... The Blood Pool Has Run Dry

The Nine Thousand Mile Earth Abyss was cleaved in half by Chen Changqing's final sword strike, allowing the surging Yellow Springs to pour in and permanently seal the remaining Devil Qi underground.

The thousand-foot-long rift in the sky still hung in mid-air, and after the whisper from the Upper Realm dissipated, the sounds of clashing armor also disappeared behind the gray mist. It seemed that the Upper Realm's army wouldn't be able to squeeze in anytime soon, but the mess on the Nine Netherworlds side had to be cleaned up as soon as possible.

The remaining Ghost Cultivators of Dark Moon Ghost City knelt on the ground.

Kneeling from the city gate all the way to the foot of the Imperial City wall, a dark mass of people, numbering at least tens of thousands.

We are willing to surrender.

The high priest of the Yinyue Holy Dynasty held the incomplete imperial seal, his forehead pressed firmly against the stone slab, not daring to even lift his head.

Behind him, a dozen Ghost Kings and dozens of Ghost Generals trembled uncontrollably.

A Netherworld Palace, who was at the near-seventh tribulation level, is dead.

A judge of the Underworld at the seventh tribulation level was devoured by a demonic body.

A Primordial Demon Body, hundreds of thousands of years old, was cleaved in two by the young man before him with a single sword strike.

What can the Yinyue Holy Dynasty use to resist?

Chen Changqing leaned on his sword and glanced at the group of Ghost Cultivators. Killing them all would be too much trouble; his Spiritual Power was currently depleted, and he needed to conserve his strength to deal with the trouble on the other side of the Heavenly Rift. Keeping them around to do the work would be a good way to settle the debts owed by the Yinyue Holy Dynasty.

"High Priest."

Chen Changqing spoke.

"Exist."

The high priest shuddered and raised the imperial seal even higher.

How many people are still alive in the Dark Moon Imperial Mausoleum?

The high priest froze.

"Reporting to the Holy Son, there are still over 34,000 blood slaves imprisoned in the Blood Pool of the Imperial Mausoleum."

There are still so many. Chen Changqing frowned. These Ghost Cultivators are bastards. If it weren't for needing to save manpower to clean up Nine Netherworlds, he should have killed this old bastard by now. He had to rescue the people first, and then empty the Yinyue Holy Dynasty's coffers.

"Let them go."

"Yes!"

"Half of the items found in the imperial tomb will be returned to the victims, and the other half will be sent to the Evil-Punishing Bureau."

"Yes!"

The high priest didn't dare to breathe loudly, hurriedly agreeing and gesturing to the Ghost Generals behind him. The Ghost Generals scrambled to their feet and rushed towards the imperial tomb dungeon.

"From this day forward, the Yinyue Holy Dynasty shall no longer allow the use of human blood sacrifices."

Chen Changqing paused, placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, and took half a step forward.

If I knew there would be a next time--

No! Absolutely not!

The high priest banged his head against the ground repeatedly, tearing the skin on his forehead and drawing black blood.

"The Yinyue Holy Dynasty wishes to venerate the Holy Son's Changsheng tablet for generations to come!"

Erecting a Changsheng tablet for me? How unlucky! I, Chen Changqing, am perfectly fine; why would I need a bunch of Ghost Cultivators to offer incense to me?

"Need not."

Chen Changqing turned around.

"Provide it for yourselves."

He didn't look at the kneeling people anymore.

We need to finish handing over things with Zhong Cheng quickly. That message from the Upper Realm, "Ta Tian, you're still alive," is really unsettling. Who was that voice? Why could they transmit their voice across realms so easily after their demonic body shattered? Could something have gone wrong in the Nine Provinces too?

"Senior brother."

Xiaoqian tugged at his sleeve.

"There."

Chen Changqing followed her gaze.

At the side gate of the imperial mausoleum, the iron gate had been pulled open by the Ghost General, and a group of ragged people were helping each other out. There were old and young, men and women, and each of them had a deep chain scar on their wrist that revealed the bone, and the soles of their feet were covered with dried blood and mud.

When they saw the daylight outside, they were stunned at first, and then someone cried.

A blind old woman knelt on the ground, touching the ground with her hands, repeatedly saying, "It's out, it's out."

A seven or eight-year-old boy was squatting in the corner with his knees drawn up to his chest, trembling whenever anyone approached.

Xiaoqian walked over and squatted down.

Don't be afraid.

She reached out her hand.

The boy looked up at her, saw the golden lotus between her eyebrows, froze for a moment, and then burst into tears.

"Sister, they dragged my mother into the Blood Pool."

Xiaoqian's hand froze in mid-air.

She turned to look at Chen Changqing.

Chen Changqing remained silent.

Leaving this imperial tomb is a menace; who knows when these Ghost Cultivators might hatch another scheme. Since the Blood Pool has dried up, let's just flatten this place and prevent anyone from being imprisoned here again.

He raised his hand, summoned the little strength he had just recovered, and pressed it deep into the imperial tomb.

"Boom--"

The entire Dark Moon Imperial Mausoleum began to collapse from its foundation.

Bricks and stones crumbled, palaces collapsed, and altars, Blood Pools, and soul-locking pillars that had not yet been removed were all pressed into the ground by this palm strike, raising clouds of dust.

"High Priest."

"Yes, yes!"

The high priest lay prone on the ground, slid back half a foot due to the shock, and pressed his face against the floor tiles, too afraid to move.

"Thirty-four thousand men, if even one is missing, I'll tear down a brick from your Dark Moon City."

Yes! Yes!

The high priest kowtowed repeatedly, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Quickly! Bring out all the elixirs and spirit rice from the city! Find the best carriages and horses, and send these people safely out of the Ghost Gate Pass! Anyone who dares to delay even a little, I will personally rip out their soul!"

Dozens of Ghost Cultivators responded and hurriedly ran towards the city.

That's right. Reasoning with these cowards is useless; put a knife to their throats and they'll behave like dirt. But intimidation only works temporarily, not permanently. The Nine Netherworlds is so vast; we need someone on our side to keep an eye on things.

Chen Changqing turned around, walked to Zhong Cheng, and took out a large brush from his Heaven-Stepping Ring. The brush was completely black, and its bristles were dripping with blood from the Yellow Springs.

The Life-and-Death Judge's Brush.

This thing was dropped by that Seven Tribulation Judge. I wouldn't be used to using it anyway; I have the Immortal Execution Sword, that's enough for me. Giving it to Zhong Cheng is perfect. With this Top-grade Immortal Artifact backing him up, those spineless cowards of the Yinyue Holy Dynasty won't dare to cause trouble.

"Take it."

Zhong Cheng was stunned. "Brother Chen, this is Top-grade Immortal Artifact."

"I know."

"Your Zhong Family has been guarding the seventh Heaven-Stepping Token for ten thousand years, on behalf of the Emperor. Zhong Tianba and his ilk have fallen into disgrace, but you haven't."

Chen Changqing shoved the pen into his hand.

"The Nine Netherworlds cannot exist without order. The Judge is dead, but the Evil-Punishing Bureau remains. Take this pen, rebuild the Zhong Family, and reorganize the Evil-Punishing Bureau."

"From this day forward, you Zhong Cheng, will write the Book of Life and Death in the Nine Netherworlds."

Zhong Cheng held the pen, his hands trembling violently. The cold pen pressed against his palm, and the Judge's Principle on it seemed to seep into his veins along his arm.

He opened his mouth, but in the end said nothing. He knelt down heavily and kowtowed three times.

"Zhong Cheng has lived up to Brother Chen's expectations."

Chen Changqing accepted his three bows.

Although this kid's cultivation is still a bit lacking, he's clear-headed and has a righteous character. Entrusting Nine Netherworlds to him will ease my worries when I return to Nine Provinces.

Get up.

Zhong Cheng stood up, wiped his face, then, remembering something, looked up at the sky.

"Brother Chen, that crack..."

I saw it.

"Could it lead to the Nine Netherworlds?"

"Meeting."

Chen Changqing wasn't lying to him. Those guys in the Upper Realm could even fit a demonic body inside; now that this rift had opened, something would inevitably crawl down sooner or later. Rather than keeping it from him and letting him lower his guard, it was better to just tell him the truth and put him in a tough spot.

So you need to grow up quickly.

"If you're still only in the first stage of your tribulation when I come back next time, I'll laugh at you."

Zhong Cheng gritted his teeth, gripped the Judge's Brush's pen tightly, and his knuckles turned white.

"Won't."

Give me three years.

"Three years from now, I, Zhong Cheng, will have at least Five Tribulations."

With the Life-and-Death Judge's Brush, plus the entire Yinyue Holy Dynasty's reserves and the foundation of the Evil-Punishing Bureau, reaching the Five Tribulations in three years is not an exaggeration.

"Good."

Chen Changqing patted him on the shoulder.

"I remember."

Zhong Cheng looked at him and grinned.

Brother Chen.

"Um?"

"How can someone like you exist in this world?"

What kind of person?

"Someone who, despite being covered in wounds himself, still thinks about leaving a way out for others."

Chen Changqing thought for a moment. Whether in his past life or when he first arrived at Evergreen Peak in this life, the feeling of emptiness behind him was something he had experienced once and that was enough. Now that he had the ability to set things up, why not give it a push?

"Maybe it's because I was someone who left myself no way out back then."

After he finished speaking, he turned and left.

Zhong Cheng stood still, bowing deeply to that retreating figure.

"The affairs of the Nine Netherworlds are entrusted to you."

"And what about you, Brother Chen?"

Zhong Cheng straightened up, took two steps to catch up, and asked.

"Go back to Nine Provinces."

Chen Changqing looked up at the still expanding crack in the sky.

"Something's happened up there."

The Nine Netherworlds's heaven is an illusion, connected to the Earth Veins and the Heavenly Dao of the Nine Provinces. With such a large crack in the Nine Netherworlds Nine Provinces Continent outside must be even more intense. In the few days I've been here, who knows what the fighting has become outside? I must go back immediately to see.

Zhong Cheng followed his gaze, and his expression darkened.

I'll go with you.

"Need not."

Chen Changqing patted him on the shoulder. With his current cultivation level of one tribulation, taking him to the Nine Provinces wouldn't be of much help; on the contrary, it would easily ruin the situation that the Nine Netherworlds had just stabilized.

"The Nine Netherworlds have just been pacified, and now that you've left, chaos is brewing again here."

"Your job of guarding this place is the biggest favor you can do for me."

Zhong Cheng gritted his teeth and nodded emphatically.

"Good."

"Once I've settled things at the Zhong Family, I'll come to Nine Provinces to find you."

"OK."

Zhong Cheng responded and glanced at Xiaoqian standing not far away.

"She'll go with you?"

"Um."

"She's now Tribulation Immortal."

"I know."

"I mean," Zhong Cheng scratched his head, "You've got another good fighter by your side, so I'll have even less of a chance to fight in the future."

This kid, even at a time like this, he still has the mind to argue about this. But Xiaoqian becoming Tribulation Immortal is indeed a great help. If we encounter any tough opponents when we return to the Nine Provinces, our fellow disciples working together will give us a better chance of success.

Chen Changqing smiled.

"Your duty to guard the Nine Netherworlds is more important than anything else."

"OK."

Chen Changqing smiled.

"When the time comes, I'll treat you to the best wine in Nine Provinces."

The winds of the Nine Netherworlds blew up from the depths of the Earth Abyss.

The wind carried the cries of 34,000 blood slaves who had been reborn.

It carried the stench of the Yellow Springs, but also a touch of long-lost warmth.

Standing in the wind, Chen Changqing felt that this trip to the Nine Netherworlds had finally paid off. He had obtained the seventh Heaven-Stepping Token, resolved Xiaoqian's physical problem, and even managed to take over the Yinyue Holy Dynasty, turning the Nine Netherworlds into his own backyard. This deal was incredibly profitable.

He turned around and looked at Xiaoqian standing by the Blood Pool.

Clad in white, her hair like snow, with a golden lotus between her brows.

The aura of the One-Tribulation Ghost Immortal was extremely restrained, but the shadow of the trembling female ghost was no longer visible in those eyes.

"Owner."

When Xiaoqian saw him looking at her, she habitually bowed slightly.

This girl is so lively as soon as she got back into her physical body.

But this is good too. Evergreen Peak has been deserted for so long. With more people chattering around, it feels more like a sect.

We need to hurry. Once we get out of the Ghost Gate Pass, we'll be in the Eastern Region. When we arrive, we'll use the Communication Jade Talisman to contact our master and the others.

Xiaoqian jogged after her, her white dress fluttering in the wind of the Yellow Springs, like a kite that had found its home.

"Master, where are we going now?"

"Go outside first."

What happens after you get out?

"It depends."

"What do you mean?"

Chen Changqing paused, looking up at the gray-black expanse deep within the chasm.

"Look at this sky, just how big the crack is."

Half a day later.

The Yang Realm, the Nine Provinces Continent, the Eastern Region.

Chen Changqing burst forth from an abandoned ancient well, his feet treading on the remaining deathly aura of the Nether Bureau.

Finally out. While in the Nine Netherworlds, my Divine Sense and Communication Jade Talisman were blocked by the Nether Bureau World Barrier. Now that I'm back in the Yang Realm, I need to quickly see what the outside world is like.

Xiaoqian followed behind him, seeing true daylight for the first time, and couldn't help but squint.

Then, both of them froze.

The sky is cracked.

Blackened fissures stretched across the Firmament, as if someone had cleaved the heavens with countless knives. Grayish-black vapors dripped from the fissures, and wherever they passed, vegetation withered and spirit beasts went berserk. In the nearby mountains and forests, several normally docile herbivorous spirit deer, their eyes bloodshot, were frantically ramming their heads against the rocks, continuing to smash their heads until they bled profusely.

The sun hung in the sky, but it was a dark red color.

Is this Devil Qi? No, it's even more mixed than the Devil Qi on that Primordial Demon Body; it also contains the suppressive power of the Principle from the Upper Realm. How could so much of it have leaked out?

"This..."

Xiaoqian's expression changed. "Senior brother, we've only been gone a few days?"

Seven days.

Chen Changqing stared at the cracks, his gaze gradually darkening.

Seven days ago, when he entered the Nine Netherworlds, the Nine Provinces were still in a time of peace and prosperity.

Seven days later, the sky cracked.

I shattered the demonic body of the Nine Netherworlds just today, so why does the rift in the Nine Provinces seem to have lasted for several days? Could it be that the Upper Realm has more than just the Nine Netherworlds as a passage, and they've already started seeping into the Nine Provinces from other places?

"The direction of Mount Shu."

He turned his head sharply and looked towards Central Province.

From that direction, a crimson beam of light shot into the sky, dyeing half of the sea of clouds red.

That's the Mountain Protection Array of Mount Shu! Only when the sect's survival is at stake will the Blood Sacrifice Sword Formation be activated! Who would dare to lay a hand on Mount Shu? Is it Immortal descended from the Upper Realm, or someone within the Nine Provinces taking advantage of the chaos to betray them?

At the same time, the Communication Jade Talisman in his arms shattered one by one.

Click.

Jian Zhenzi.

Click.

Luo Futian.

Click.

Ran Hua's.

How did it all break?

The Communication Jade Talisman only works when the holder's Spiritual Power is completely exhausted, or when they forcibly crush it to call for help after suffering a fatal injury! I have to get there quickly. From the Eastern Region to the Central Province, even at full speed on a sword, it would take two hours. Is it enough time? It absolutely has to be enough time!

The last piece belongs to Chen Yuan.

Chen Changqing pulled out the cracked jade Jade Talisman, gripped it tightly in his hand, and poured Spiritual Power into it.

Before the Jade Talisman shattered, only half a sentence was uttered—

"Changqing... Mount Shu... can't hold on any longer..."