"Senior Yu Jiu, Lord Bashan... Lord Bashan has... fallen!"
Before that will, even Ye Hengsheng, who styled himself a venerable ancestor, trembled with apprehension and behaved like a little novice who had only just embarked on cultivation.
At the crown of the World-Connecting Tree, pitch-black mist emerged and condensed into a tiger-shaped figure as large as a small mountain, gazing down from above.
Ye Hengsheng lowered his head even further. The surrounding world was backed by the black cosmos of the outer realm, yet beneath this tiger demon lay a mass of impenetrable darkness, shrouding Ye Hengsheng like a shadow.
An indescribable aura of brutality and deadly severity swept over him. Unable to withstand the fear in his heart, Ye Hengsheng began to tremble involuntarily.
"He actually died?"
A deep, resonant voice sounded in Ye Hengsheng's mind, still as an ancient well, seemingly without the slightest ripple of emotion.
"Very well. I know now. Hand over his soul."
Ye Hengsheng could not help wiping away cold sweat that did not exist. He stammered, "Venerable Lianwu sent me to inform Great Sage Yu that he failed to recover Lord Bashan's soul."
Under that immense pressure, he pushed Venerable Lianwu to the forefront without hesitation.
I'm not taking the blame for this myself. If there's blame to bear, we'll all bear it together.
"You failed to recover his soul? What is the meaning of this?"
Yu Jiu's tone remained indifferent, but a chill had crept into it.
Ye Hengsheng said, "Someone from the Immortal Sects intercepted it. We hurried as fast as we could, but ultimately arrived a step too late."
Yu Jiu said, "Why tell me all this? Lord Bashan was my eldest son, and he fell in this scheme. Is this how your Netherworld Sect intends to answer to me?"