Demon Cult Forces Abyss to Choose Sides, Vengeful Souls Press Against Dragon-Suppressing Pass

After the Three Lives Gate gained Merit, even more refugees gathered outside Dragon-Suppressing Pass.

Once the news spread, countless living beings driven to desperation by the Great Tribulation began rushing toward the Northern Sea.

Some brought young clan members.

Some supported the wounded.

Some carried the last ancestral tablet of their clan on their backs.

They did not ask Abyss to avenge them.

They only begged the Three Lives Gate for a way to survive.

As a result, Abyss grew increasingly busy.

The Bureau of Cause and Effect operated day and night.

The Calamity-Resolution Hall's register of old grievances piled up like mountains.

The Treasury Bureau's healing pills were being consumed at an alarming rate.

Nearly every medical cultivator from the Academy had been sent to the relief zones.

The Young Clans Court had been expanded again and again.

Watching Abyss become livelier by the day, Lu Chen felt conflicted.

The Three Lives Gate was indeed useful.

But there were also more and more people.

At times, he even wondered whether, if this continued, the Abyss Minor World would turn into a refugee city of the Primordial World.

Still, the system rewards remained incredibly tempting.

The Abyssal Womb Membrane had strengthened.

Old Shell Fate-Bearing had stabilized.

The Chaos Shell-Shedding Method had advanced.

The Young Clans Court's Fortune had increased.

The Three Lives Gate had received Merit's blessing.

All these benefits had landed solidly on him.

Lu Chen could only keep allowing Lan Shuang to conduct strict screenings while nursing a headache.

"We can take them in."

"But they must pass through the Three Lives Gate."

"Those burdened with too much killing karma will not be accepted."

"Those seeking hegemony will not be accepted."

"Demonic cultivator spies will be suppressed immediately."

Lan Shuang carved the Emperor's decree before the Three Lives Gate.

Upon seeing it, the refugees instead felt more at ease.

Because Abyss was not accepting people without limits.

The more rules there were, the more reassured those who truly wanted to survive became.

But Abyss's rules made the Demon Cult increasingly uneasy.

On this day.

The Blackwater outside Dragon-Suppressing Pass suddenly turned cold.

A gray-white mist drifted in from the distant sea.

Countless low sobs echoed within the mist.

At first, the cultivators guarding the pass thought they were merely lingering souls fleeing the battlefield.

But they quickly realized something was wrong.

Those cries grew more numerous.

More and more densely packed.

It was as though the resentment of the dead had filled the entire sea.

Ao Lie opened his eyes atop the black reefs outside the outer gate.

"Demonic qi."

Han Jue soon arrived, spear in hand.

Feng Li, Lin Yue, Ancestor Xuan Jia, and Lan Shuang arrived one after another as well.

Before the Three Lives Gate, the Realm Guard led all refugees into the pass.

The gray-white mist in the distance drew ever closer.

At the heart of the mist, Youdu's figure slowly emerged.

He had already reconstituted his demonic body.

Only, he was colder and stranger than before.

Behind him stood densely packed vengeful souls.

Vengeful souls of the Dragon Clan.

Vengeful souls of the Phoenix Clan.

Vengeful souls of the Qilin Clan.

Vengeful souls of the smaller clans of the Northern Sea.

And many battlefield dead whose forms were incomplete.

Driven by demonic qi, they wailed as they surged toward Dragon-Suppressing Pass.

The sound entered their ears and made many Abyss cultivators turn pale.

This was no ordinary attack.

This was an army of vengeful souls bearing down on the border.

If those vengeful souls were allowed to rush into Abyss, the Three Lives Gate, the Northern Darkness Sea, and the Young Clans Court would all suffer the impact of their resentment.

Yet if Abyss struck to destroy them, it would become tainted with another layer of karmic consequence from killing souls.

Youdu stood before the tide of vengeful souls and coldly looked toward Dragon-Suppressing Pass.

"Mysterious Abyss Emperor."

"Didn't you say you wanted to save all living beings?"

"Every soul I brought today belongs to beings who died in the Great Tribulation."

"They resent."

"They hate."

"They are unwilling."

"Will you save them or not?"

Everyone atop Dragon-Suppressing Pass looked grim.

Han Jue shouted angrily, "Youdu, you're using vengeful souls to force Abyss?"

Youdu laughed. "How can you call this force?"

"I am merely giving Abyss a choice."

"Continue opening the Three Lives Gate and taking in the remnants of the three clans, and I will lead even more battlefield vengeful souls here."

"By then, Abyss will have to endure the washing of resentment day and night."

"The Young Clans Court will hear the screams of parents as they die."

"The Academy's disciples will see their clansmen being slaughtered in their dreams."

"The Northern Darkness Sea will be filled with vengeful souls."

He raised a hand, and the demonic mist churned.

"If you close the Three Lives Gate and sever the path of escaping calamity."

"The Demon Cult can spare the Northern Sea for the time being."

When those words spread, deathly silence fell before the Three Lives Gate.

All the refugees revealed looks of terror.

They had only just glimpsed a path to survival.

If Abyss closed the Three Lives Gate, where else could they go?

Lan Shuang's expression turned icy.

"As expected, the Demon Cult only knows how to use the suffering of all beings as bargaining chips."

Youdu looked at her.

"Fate Overseer Lan Shuang, you can govern the living, but can you govern the dead?"

The cries of countless vengeful souls suddenly rose sharply.

The light of the Three Lives Gate swayed violently.

The Book of Cause and Effect began flipping madly as well.

The karmic ties on these vengeful souls were far too chaotic.

They came from the Three-Clan Battlefield, died at the hands of different powerful beings, and had their grudges entangled into one mass.

Ordinary purification methods could not deal with them.

Deep within Abyss.

Lu Chen looked at the sea of vengeful souls outside Dragon-Suppressing Pass, and his mood sank to rock bottom.

This move by the Demon Cult was disgusting.

Close the Three Lives Gate?

Impossible.

The Three Lives Gate had only just been established, and Merit had only just descended.

If he closed it, not only would Abyss's reputation collapse, but the system rewards might disappear as well.

Keep the gate open?

With vengeful souls pressing against them day and night, Abyss would sooner or later be polluted by resentment.

Take the initiative and kill Youdu?

The area behind him was filled with vengeful souls. Once fighting began, it would inevitably involve the Demonic Dao and battlefield karma.

The system's voice rang out.

"Detected that Youdu is using the vengeful souls of all clans to force Abyss to close the Three Lives Gate. Please choose."

"First, close the Three Lives Gate and temporarily avoid the edge of the Demonic Dao. Reward: a complete Calamity-Averting Pearl."

"Second, take the initiative and kill Youdu. Reward: Demon-Suppressing Mysterious Halberd."

"Third, use the Three Lives Gate to purify the vengeful souls and transform their resentment into Abyss's Realm-Guarding Yin Soldiers. Reward: upgrade to the Three Lives Gate."

The moment Lu Chen saw the third option, his eyes lit up.

Purify the vengeful souls.

Transform resentment into Realm-Guarding Yin Soldiers.

Not only could this resolve the crisis, but it could also strengthen Abyss's defenses.

Was Youdu delivering materials right to his doorstep?

Lu Chen immediately felt at ease.

"Choose the third."

"Congratulations, Host. The Three Lives Gate has begun upgrading."

The next moment.

All three gates of the Three Lives Gate lit up at once.

The Gate of Illuminating Cause and Effect shone brilliantly with black-and-white radiance.

The water mirror of the Gate of Testing Nature of Mind unfolded.

Dark-golden ripples from the Gate of Severing the Killing Tribulation surged toward the outside of Dragon-Suppressing Pass.

Lu Chen's dharma body appeared above the Three Lives Gate.

His calm voice carried outward.

"Abyss will not close its gates."

Youdu's expression darkened.

Lu Chen continued, "The living shall pass through the gate."

"The dead shall enter the register."

"Those with resentment shall have their resentment cleansed."

"Those with grudges shall have their grudges recorded."

"If they are willing to guard Abyss, even dead souls may protect the realm."

The moment those words fell, the sea of vengeful souls outside Dragon-Suppressing Pass shook violently.

Lan Shuang suddenly raised her head.

Even dead souls could protect the realm!

The Emperor actually intended to seize these vengeful souls back from the Demon Cult.

Youdu's expression changed drastically.

"You dare!"

Lu Chen ignored him.

The Three Lives Gate swung open.

The Book of Cause and Effect flew above the Three Lives Gate, its black-and-white radiance shining upon the sea of vengeful souls.

The Northern Darkness Sea erupted in waves.

The Black Tortoise Sea-Calming Pearl suppressed the impact of the resentment.

The Sea Devourer Beast Spirit rushed out from the Northern Darkness Sea and swallowed the outer demonic mist in one gulp, separating the vengeful souls driven by demonic qi.

The Frostflame Parasol Tree scattered icy-blue sparks, purifying the frenzied killing intent on the vengeful souls.

The earth veins of Mysterious Peak Mountain lit up, providing those broken souls with a temporary place to rest.

The Ancestral Dragon's Reverse Scale, Yuanfeng's Frost Feather, and the Primordial Qilin Earth-Vein Seal lit up at the same time.

The resentful souls of the three clans sensed the fireseed tokens left behind by their respective rulers, and their wailing weakened slightly.

Lan Shuang immediately activated the Book of Cause and Effect.

"Bureau of Cause and Effect, open the Dead-Soul Register!"

"Calamity-Resolution Hall, record their grudges!"

"Realm Guard, guard the Three Lives Gate!"

"Academy Clear-Heart Pavilion, recite the Abyss Stillness Art!"

All of Abyss began operating once more.

Countless resentful souls were guided into the Three Lives Gate.

The first gate illuminated causality, revealing the causes of their deaths in life.

The second gate examined their heart-nature, suppressing the madness amplified by demonic qi.

The third gate, Killing-Tribulation Severance, stripped away the battlefield's Demonic Sha clinging to them bit by bit.

Some resentful souls clung too deeply to their obsessions and refused to enter Abyss.

The Three Lives Gate sent them to the shores of the Northern Darkness Sea for temporary sealing, to be resolved later.

Some resentful souls wanted only revenge and even tried to charge into Abyss to kill.

The Book of Cause and Effect directly bound them and sent them into the Soul-Examining Formation of the Calamity-Resolution Hall.

Yet many resentful souls gradually calmed after seeing the Three Lives Gate.

A Dragon Clan resentful soul clutched a broken dragon scale and murmured, "My child... is my child in Abyss?"

The water mirror of the Three Lives Gate flickered, showing a little dragon sleeping in the Young Clans Court.

The Dragon Clan resentful soul suddenly fell silent.

It knelt before the gate, its voice trembling.

"I am willing to guard the realm."

"I only ask that it lives."

A Phoenix Clan resentful soul saw a fledgling cultivating beneath the Frostflame Parasol Tree, tears falling like sparks.

"I am willing to enter the Dead-Soul Register."

"To protect the Frost Phoenix fireseed."

A Qilin resentful soul looked toward Mysterious Peak Mountain and said softly, "If the young bloodline can survive, I am willing to guard the mountain."

More and more resentful souls quieted down.

Their hatred had not necessarily vanished.

But they had finally found a place where they could lay down their obsessions.

The Three Lives Gate shone ever brighter.

Those resentful souls willing to guard the realm, after registering in the Book of Cause and Effect, transformed into dark golden soul-shadows and stood within Dragon-Suppressing Pass.

They wore tattered battle armor.

The marks of the battlefield still remained on them.

But the demonic qi in their eyes gradually faded, leaving only the obsession to protect.

The rudimentary form of Abyss's Realm-Guarding Yin Soldiers had been established.

Youdu stared at the scene, his entire body frozen.

He had brought the resentful souls of all clans to crush Abyss.

Yet Abyss had actually purified those souls into Realm-Guarding Yin Soldiers.

The resentful souls painstakingly gathered by the Demon Cult had become a force guarding the Three Lives Gate.

Han Jue could not help bursting into laughter.

"Youdu!"

"Abyss accepts this grand gift of yours!"

Ao Lie spoke coldly as well.

"Go back and tell Luohou."

"The gates of Abyss are still open."

Feng Li's Frostflame rose.

The earth veins beneath Lin Yue rumbled.

Holding the Book of Cause and Effect, Lan Shuang's voice spread throughout Dragon-Suppressing Pass.

"Any who are willing to protect Abyss's young and weak may enter the Dead-Soul Register."

"Any driven by the Demonic Dao shall have their demonic corruption cleansed by the Three Lives Gate."

"Any whose obsessions harm the living shall be suppressed by the Calamity-Resolution Hall."

"This is the Emperor's decree!"

Myriad resentful souls knelt as one.

"Thank you, Emperor!"

That was not the cheer of the living.

It was the kowtow of the dead.

Chilling, heavy, and earthshaking.

Everyone within and outside Dragon-Suppressing Pass felt their scalps go numb.

Lu Chen watched the scene, deeply stirred as well.

He had originally only wanted to resolve the crisis.

He had not expected the Three Lives Gate to truly transform resentful souls into Realm-Guarding Yin Soldiers.

Abyss's defenses had grown stronger again.

The system's voice sounded.

"The Three Lives Gate has purified the resentful souls of all clans."

"The rudimentary form of Abyss's Realm-Guarding Yin Soldiers has been established."

"The Three Lives Gate has upgraded."

"The stability of the sixth-level rudimentary form of the Chaos Shell-Shedding Method has increased."

"The auspices of the Abyss Calamity-Averting Sacred Land have strengthened."

Lu Chen was immensely satisfied.

This move by Youdu was nothing but a free gift.

Outside Dragon-Suppressing Pass.

Youdu's expression darkened to the extreme.

He knew he had lost again.

And this loss was even uglier than the last.

Last time, only the Demonic Sha had been devoured by Sea Devourer.

This time, the resentful souls he had brought had been directly forged by Abyss into Realm-Guarding Yin Soldiers.

Youdu did not dare linger any longer.

He swept up the remaining demonic mist and turned to leave.

Before departing, he stared fixedly at the Black Tortoise Dharma Body above the Three Lives Gate.

"Mysterious Abyss Emperor."

"The Demon Ancestor will personally behold your gate."

Lu Chen said blandly, "Take care."

Youdu's figure stiffened before vanishing into the depths of the Northern Sea's Blackwater.

The clans of Abyss erupted in unprecedented cheers.

Before the Three Lives Gate, the living knelt in worship.

The dead souls stood in formation.

Within the Young Clans Court, many children woke from their sleep and stared blankly toward Dragon-Suppressing Pass.

They did not know what had happened.

They only felt that Abyss seemed to have gained a group of silent gatekeepers tonight.

Deep within Abyss.

Lu Chen dispersed his Dharma Body.

He muttered, "Luohou should be even angrier now, right?"

After saying that, he quickly shut his mouth.

He could not think too deeply about that.

But in the next moment, he looked toward the Three Lives Gate again.

The Realm-Guarding Yin Soldiers stood in formation, while dark currents surged beneath the Three Lives Gate's golden radiance.

The sense of security in his heart grew a little stronger.

"Let him be angry."

"Anyway, I'm not leaving."