Star Map Addendum, a Summons to the Netherworld

In the courtyard's quiet chamber, Lin Yinuo sat cross-legged. His face was still somewhat pale, but his aura had steadied. It had taken him several days to barely suppress the terrifying depletion and backlash caused by using "Guixu." Waves of weakness still coursed through his soul and divine body, but at least he was no longer in serious danger.

Guixu's power was formidable, but it was a double-edged sword. Unless absolutely necessary, I must never use it lightly. My immediate priority is to recover as quickly as possible and improve my fundamental strength.

He took out the Crescent Moon Jade Talisman and sent a message.

A moment later, moonlight gathered, and the Youyue Prefect appeared soundlessly inside the chamber. Her cool gaze swept over Lin Yinuo, lingering for an instant on his still slightly unsteady aura. An almost imperceptible trace of surprise flashed in her eyes.

"You're injured?" Her voice remained calm, but it held less of its earlier aloofness.

"It's nothing. Merely a small price." Lin Yinuo answered calmly, taking out the Moonveil Pouch and handing it over. "I accomplished the task."

The Youyue Prefect accepted the Moonveil Pouch and extended her spiritual power into it. As she sensed the pure, immense mass of moonlight soul essence within, a flicker of emotion finally appeared on her cool face. She examined it carefully, confirming that the Soul Lotus essence was entirely intact. The harvesting technique had been exceptionally refined, leaving its spirituality almost undamaged.

"Very good." She put away the Moonveil Pouch and regarded Lin Yinuo with a measure of genuine approval. "To seize this from the Soul-Devouring Demon King and a Shadowkill House assassin in the Abyss of Chaos-your strength and methods far exceeded my expectations."

"Shadowkill House? That masked man?" Lin Yinuo raised his brows slightly.

"Yes. Wuchang, one of Shadowkill House's gold-medal assassins. He specializes in darkness and the Ed of Death, and once successfully assassinated a Highgod who had fused two profound mysteries," the Youyue Prefect said evenly. "If word spreads that you escaped him and made him suffer a serious setback, your name will have earned a place in the Infernal Realm's underworld."

Lin Yinuo offered no comment. To him, reputation was merely a tool. What concerned him more was his payment.

The Youyue Prefect clearly understood his meaning. Turning her fair hand over, she produced a jade slip radiating starlight and a moon-white token.

"This is the star map I promised you. It covers the coordinates of seventeen material planes around the Zijing Continent, along with detailed information on three relatively dangerous secret realms in stellar regions. It is several times more detailed than the versions circulating on the market." She handed the starlit jade slip to Lin Yinuo. "Also, keep this Youyue Token. With it, you may mobilize some of my Youyue Prefecture's peripheral forces and receive certain conveniences within my jurisdiction. As for Golden Flame Castle, I have already sent someone to warn them. They won't dare openly trouble you again in the near future."

Lin Yinuo accepted both items and first sank his spiritual power into the starlit jade slip.

A vast torrent of information flooded his mind! Countless stellar coordinates, introductions to planes, hazard markers for stellar regions... it was far more detailed than the information he had spent a fortune consulting in the library! He immediately began comparing it with the incomplete [Star Map of the Fallen Earth Lower Sovereign Spark's Location] in his mind.

Found it! It's still incomplete, but the search area has narrowed considerably! Combining the two star maps confirms that the fallen spark lies in some indistinct stellar region at the boundary between those two perilous lands, the Chaotic Star Vortex and the Annihilation Wasteland! It's still dangerous, but at last I have a clear direction!

Excitement stirred within him. To him, the value of this star map was immeasurable!

"Thank you, Prefect," Lin Yinuo said sincerely.

The Youyue Prefect nodded slightly. "It was merely a transaction. Your injuries have yet to heal, so rest well. If another opportunity to cooperate arises, I will contact you again."

With that, she stayed no longer, her figure dissolving into moonlight.

After seeing the Youyue Prefect off, Lin Yinuo immediately devoted his entire attention to studying the star maps. He carefully compared them and worked through deductions, incorporating known cosmic constants and planar rules as he tried to narrow the target stellar region further.

The Chaotic Star Vortex is a place ravaged by spatial turbulence, while the Annihilation Wasteland is a ruin left by an ancient war of gods, its rules shattered. It makes sense for a Sovereign Spark to have fallen there. But that region is far too dangerous. With my current strength, rushing there would mean certain death. At the very least... I need to reach the Highgod level or gain a deeper understanding of the Laws of Space.

He postponed his plan to seek the Sovereign Spark once more, listing it as a long-term goal. His foremost tasks now were to recover from his injuries and break through to the Highgod level.

Just as he immersed himself in studying the star maps and planning his future path, the long-dormant [Sovereign of Death's Gaze (Mark)] deep within his soul stirred again without warning!

This time, it was no longer a simple response from the mark, but an utterly clear mental summons imbued with unquestionable majesty. It seemed to cross countless planar barriers and resound directly within his soul:

"The time has come... come to the Netherworld... and see me."

The voice was indifferent and noble, carrying the supreme authority of one who governed death. It was none other than the Sovereign of Death!

At the same time, the mark grew faintly warm. An exceedingly faint yet utterly stable piece of spatial coordinate information reached him along with the summons. These coordinates pointed not to any particular city in the Netherworld, but straight into the depths of a boundless Nether Sea!

An official summons from the Sovereign of Death! She really has been watching me all along! Did my comprehension of Guixu touch upon the origin of destruction and arouse her interest? Or... does it have something to do with the mark itself?

Should he go or not?

The Netherworld was the Sovereign of Death's domain, the final destination of the dead. Its rules were entirely different from those of the Infernal Realm, and its dangers were greater still. Faced with a summons from a supreme Sovereign, he could not predict whether fortune or calamity awaited.

But opportunity often went hand in hand with risk. As the foremost Sovereign of the Netherworld, the Sovereign of Death might offer guidance that would deepen his understanding of destruction, souls, and rules. Moreover, he vaguely felt that this summons might also be connected to the [Fake Hongmeng Spirit Pearl] within him.

The system originated from Hongmeng. Can the Sovereign of Death detect something unusual about it? This summons is a crisis, but it may also be an opportunity to unveil the system's mysteries!

He pondered for a long time, his gaze gradually firming.

Fortune favors those who brave danger! The path to becoming a Sovereign is already strewn with thorns. If I lack even the courage to face a Sovereign's summons, how can I speak of transcendence?

He decided to go to the Netherworld!

Before departing, however, he needed to make some preparations. First, he had to heal completely and restore himself to peak condition. Second, he needed to gather more information about the Netherworld, especially the Nether Sea. Finally, he also needed to make arrangements for Dragon Shadow's forces in the Infernal Realm. After all, there was no telling when he would return from this journey to the Netherworld.

He put away the star maps and began circulating his power with all his strength to heal. At the same time, he used Youyue Prefecture's intelligence channels to purchase information on the Netherworld and the Nether Sea at a high price.

Several days later, his injuries had fully healed, and he was back in peak condition. He had also gathered a considerable amount of information about the Netherworld. Though little of it concerned closely guarded secrets, he had at least gained some understanding of its basic structure, the distribution of its powers, and the dangers of the Nether Sea.

He summoned Baton and the other two through a long-distance communication formation, instructing them to continue developing Dragon Shadow steadily, gather resources, and keep a low profile. If they encountered a crisis beyond their ability to resist, they could seek limited protection from Youyue Prefecture.

With everything arranged, he returned alone to the courtyard's quiet chamber.

He took a deep breath, used his soul power to activate the mark left by the Sovereign of Death, and locked onto the coordinates in the Nether Sea.

Humm-

A surge of spatial power descended, far vaster and more profound than the one that had taken him to the Abyss of Chaos, and enveloped his entire body. This teleportation carried an icy sense of deathly stillness, as though it would draw him into eternal slumber.

He did not resist, allowing the power to pull him along.

The scene before him shifted. The familiar aura of Zijing Main City rapidly receded, replaced by the omnipresent, soul-shaking pressure of the Ed of Death and an underworld chill that seemed capable of freezing divine power.

Netherworld, here I come!