As he gazed at the three blood-red drops wreathed in mist before him, even his normally impassive face broke into an expression of wild joy.
"The count of ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine is finally complete." With that, he beckoned impatiently, and the three blood-red drops flew into the center of his brow.
Then he pressed his palms together and activated his cultivation art. An eerie light began to seep from his entire body.
The light slowly spread, passing straight through the black rock and pouring out in all directions. It gathered into a solemn manifestation that towered between heaven and earth.
Translucent Black Jade Lotuses condensed from netherworld energy bloomed endlessly around his manifestation, layer upon layer.
Rumble... The entire Netherworld Underworld began to tremble. Blood-red waves a hundred zhang high suddenly surged through the River of the Underworld, while countless wronged souls struggled and wailed in the sea of blood.
Nether Capital Mountain split open from its summit. Huge boulders tumbled down into the Evil Ghost Abyss below, sending black waves surging ten thousand zhang into the air.
Countless wronged souls and evil ghosts scattered in all directions, wailing as though the end of the world had come.
With a whoosh, the young man suddenly appeared in the void, barefoot, his fathomless eyes seeming to hold endless cycles of reincarnation.
The strange phenomena vanished at once. Then an imperial aura began to spread throughout the Underworld. Wherever it passed, countless ghosts fell to their knees in involuntary worship.
With a series of sharp whooshes, ten figures arrived almost simultaneously.
"Congratulations on attaining the imperial rank, fellow Daoist." King Qin Guang laughed and was the first to cup his hands in greeting. "After hundreds of millions of years, our Underworld finally has another Imperial Lord. This is truly cause for celebration."
"Congratulations, fellow Daoist..." King Chujiang and the other Imperial Lords stepped forward to offer their congratulations with cupped hands.
"I am Li Haoran, courtesy name Huaiyuan. Greetings, fellow Daoists." The young man smiled and returned their salutes.
"Vast righteousness between heaven and earth, aspirations reaching to the four corners. A fine name indeed," King Qin Guang praised at once.
King Yama added with a smile, "Now that Imperial Lord Haoran is here to share the Netherworld's administrative duties, our burdens will be much lighter."
Silence suddenly fell. King Qin Guang and the others all gave King Yama strange looks.
King Yama froze. Did I say something wrong? Shouldn't the Netherworld be governed jointly by the Imperial Lords?
The others chose to ignore King Yama's remark and resumed their praise.
Li Haoran smiled and thanked them one by one before saying, "Although I have attained the imperial rank, you may govern your Netherworld while I pursue my Heavenly Dao. Whenever you have time, you are welcome to visit me for tea and discussions of the Dao. As for administrative affairs... please, don't come looking for me."
King Qin Guang and the others immediately brightened. They exchanged glances, their expressions relaxing at once.
Though they ought to pursue the Heavenly Dao, the Netherworld had been jointly governed by the Ten Kings of Hell for hundreds of millions of years. Having another Imperial Lord suddenly appear was rather difficult to get used to.
Power was addictive once one held it. No one wanted to give up a share.
King Chujiang's eyes crinkled with a smile. "You truly live freely, fellow Daoist Haoran. We can only envy you." He paused, then continued, "Why don't I host everyone at my palace for a drink today, to celebrate your attainment of the imperial rank? What do you say?"
"Yes, exactly. King Chujiang said precisely what I was going to say, but he beat me to it," King Zhuanlun joked.
"I ought not to decline your kindness, fellow Daoists, but I have some mortal affairs to attend to today. I shall certainly visit another day. When that time comes, please don't turn me away at the door." Li Haoran smiled and cupped his hands.
"Oh... no matter... we understand." King Chujiang and the others were briefly taken aback, then smiled to show their understanding.
Seeing that the atmosphere was right, King Qin Guang extended a hand, and a small box appeared in his palm. "This is a small token from us," he said with a smile. "Please do accept it, Imperial Lord Haoran."
"How could I possibly accept?" Despite his words, he reached out and took it.
He knew perfectly well that refusing would signal he had no wish to be on friendly terms with them. Though they would not turn hostile immediately, they would certainly band together against him in the future.
"It is only a small gift, hardly enough to show our respect. Please don't disdain it, Imperial Lord Haoran. We came in haste, but we shall certainly make up for it with a greater gift later." As expected, King Qin Guang and the others smiled more warmly after Li Haoran accepted the gift.
"Not at all, not at all..." As he spoke, Li Haoran opened the box. Inside lay three white crystals radiating endless eerie light, and a cool, crisp aura washed over him.
"This... could it be?" Li Haoran was startled by what he saw inside the box.
"Indeed. This is Netherworld Soul Jade. The Netherworld Realm produces only one piece every ten thousand years," King Qin Guang explained with a smile, a trace of pride in his eyes.
This gift was anything but ordinary. For Ghost Emperors like them, Netherworld Soul Jade offered only negligible help in advancing their cultivation.
Yet it possessed a heaven-defying ability: it could grant an ordinary person a netherworld ghost body, giving them limitless potential for future achievement.
"This gift is far too precious. I hardly deserve it," Li Haoran said solemnly.
"Though these soul crystals are precious, they are no longer of much use to those at our level." King Qin Guang waved a hand and added casually, "Besides, netherworld soul crystals have always been divided equally among the Imperial Lords. There is no need to decline, Imperial Lord Haoran."
"In that case, I shall shamelessly accept." Only then did Li Haoran put the box away.
Just then, the ten great underworld marshals, including the Ghost King, and the four judges finally arrived, leading the underworld deities of their respective divisions.
Seeing the Ten Kings of Hell conversing so pleasantly with a young man, they exchanged bewildered looks and stood rooted to the spot.
King Yama frowned slightly at the sight and barked coldly, "What are you all standing there for? Come and pay your respects to Imperial Lord Haoran!"
"Greetings, Imperial Lord Haoran." The Ghost King, Zhong Kui, and the others immediately bowed.
Li Haoran smiled and nodded without speaking. To these people, he was still merely an outsider.
Then King Qin Guang said solemnly, "From this day onward, Imperial Lord Haoran's decrees shall carry the same authority as the laws of the ten courts. None of you may defy them..."
"Yes. We shall obey Imperial Lord Haoran's decrees." The underworld deities of the various divisions were briefly startled, but they still bowed in acknowledgment.
"Thank you for your kindness, fellow Daoist. I shall remember it." Li Haoran naturally understood that this was a gesture of goodwill from the Ten Kings of Hell.
"There is no need to stand on ceremony, fellow Daoist Haoran," King Qin Guang said with a smile. "Since you have matters to attend to today, we shall trouble you no further. Another day, we must drink until we are thoroughly drunk."
"Of course," Li Haoran replied with a smile.
With that, the Ten Kings of Hell took their leave one after another, and the Netherworld Underworld returned to normal.
"They're finally gone. I must hurry back to the mortal world and have a look. After a thousand years of cultivation, I wonder how my descendants are doing now?" The moment King Qin Guang and the others left, Li Haoran grew anxious.
Then, with a thought, he took the form of a refined young scholar dressed in white robes and holding a folding fan.
"Very good." Thoroughly pleased with his current appearance, he waved his folding fan, reached out to tear open space, and stepped through, vanishing into the spatial rift.