As Tang Changsheng remembered it, the souls of warriors from a Tribal Stockade generally entered their Ancestral Spirit's Spirit Realm and became part of the spirit.
But Ancestral Spirits often could not watch over the souls of ordinary people. Those souls tended to drift through the deep forests, or even enter the Netherworld.
Without Great Dao Secrets to guide them, countless souls could not pass into the Netherworld and instead wandered the vast mountain forests.
That made the deep mountains dangerous. Without an Ancestral Spirit's protection, a Tribal Stockade might not survive at all.
"Could turmoil in the Netherworld really be affecting the Mortal World?"
At that thought, Tang Changsheng set down his work. He had finished Ritual Refinement on another zombie.
After a moment's thought, Tang Changsheng waved Qi away. Qi had once been one of Hong An's two most trusted subordinates, but Hong An had cast him aside after the last incident, and Tang Changsheng had taken him in.
Now Qi could only serve Tang Changsheng loyally. He had no other path—at least, not yet!
Ordinarily, when Tang Changsheng waved him away, Qi took the hint and withdrew without a moment's hesitation.
This time, though, Qi stammered and stayed where he was. Tang Changsheng turned a sharp gaze on him.
"Um, Wizard. Rock-Piercing Stockade has sent people again..." Qi said, forcing the words out.
Rock-Piercing Stockade has sent people again? Tang Changsheng frowned and sneered. "Haven't we told them? There's no Outerworld Demon here."
These were the fifth envoys Rock-Piercing Stockade had sent, and each visit had been ruder than the last. The first two times, Tang Changsheng had played along, putting on a show of ordering the entire Tribal Stockade to search for the Outerworld Demon.
But the envoys had come so often that not only Tang