Fengdu Sightings

Passing through the enormous portal emitting a faint green glow, it felt as if an invisible boundary had been crossed. The surroundings instantly changed in a way that defied description.

No longer a desolate, silent wilderness, it was replaced by a colossal city of unimaginable grandeur and solemnity!

Fengdu City!

The city walls soared into the clouds, not built from mortal bricks and stones, but constructed from a dark, iron-like material that seemed to have condensed countless years and Soul Power – the [Nether Foundation Stone]. Its surface flowed with a watery, ethereal light, faintly revealing bas-reliefs of countless sentient beings' faces expressing pain, repentance, peace, and numbness, silently narrating the heavy burden of reincarnation. The massive city gates stood wide open, like the maw of a giant beast. Above them hung a colossal black plaque, inscribed with the word "Fengdu" in ancient Netherworld script, its strokes sharp and fierce, as if imbued with the will of judgment and decree.

Inside the city, it wasn't the pitch-blackness one might imagine. Countless lanterns emitting green, white, or blue ethereal lights floated in mid-air, like stars in the mortal realm, illuminating this city of the dead. The streets were wide and clean, paved with enormous black-green stone slabs, smooth as mirrors, reflecting the flickering ghost fires above. On either side stood buildings of uniform style with sharp angles, featuring upturned eaves and bracketed supports. Their designs were ancient and solemn, mostly serving as government offices, treasuries, or residences for meritorious Yin Souls and ghost messengers.

Innumerable "residents" of all sorts bustled through the streets. There were Yin Soldiers and Ghost Generals in uniform dark armor, their faces expressionless as they patrolled in formation; Judges and Wuchangs in colorful official robes, hurrying about their business; and even more numerous were souls of various forms and varying strengths. Some wandered aimlessly, others were escorted by ghost messengers to various halls, while some seemed to have settled here, engaging in various livelihoods, selling Netherworld-specific products – such as [Yin Soul Beads], [River of Forgetfulness Water], [Three Lives Stone Fragments], and so on. There was a semblance of bustling marketplace, though this bustle was silent, or hushed, carrying an inherent eeriness and oppression.

The entire city was enveloped by a vast, rigorous, and inviolable order of laws. Every wisp of air seemed permeated with the power of rules. Mortals here would instinctively feel small and constrained.

"What... what a huge city!" Mo Hen gazed up at the nearly invisible city walls, unable to help but exclaim in a low voice. As a disciple of Heavenly Secrets City, he had an innate sensitivity to architecture and mechanisms. At this moment, he was completely awestruck by the magnificent structure of Fengdu City and the law-based power contained within, far beyond his comprehension. "The construction of these walls, the flow of energy... it's practically a living, super-mechanical city!"

Bai Zhi clasped her hands together, murmuring Buddhist incantations, her brow furrowed. The dense Yin and deathly energy here was extreme. Although contained by order and not actively corrosive to living beings, for someone like her who cultivated Buddhism, it was like being submerged in the deep sea, requiring constant circulation of spiritual power to resist. She could feel the myriad emotions of the souls within the city, and her compassionate heart felt heavy.

Yun Ji's surrounding mist seemed to achieve a subtle balance with Fengdu's Netherworld aura. She quietly observed the city's operational "rules," a calculating glint in her eyes.

Star Vortex, on the other hand, appeared extremely uneasy, clinging tightly to Su Yan. Its tail-like vortex spun slowly, emitting a faint Starlight that dispelled the encroaching cold aura. It was utterly repulsed by this world of pure the dead.

As for Su Yan, his experience was the most peculiar.

From the moment they stepped into Fengdu City, the Compass in his embrace felt like a fish returned to water, becoming exceptionally "active"! The repaired 75% of the compass body was warm. Without him needing to actively activate it, it autonomously and continuously emitted a soft silver glow, resonating subtly with the vast Netherworld laws surrounding them. What surprised him even more was that the Star Map in his mind seemed to be receiving countless streams of fragmented yet information-rich signals!

These signal streams were not artificially transmitted, but rather seemed to emanate naturally from the core of this city – the legendary wheel that operated the six paths of reincarnation, the halls that judged good and evil, the depths of the eighteen layers of hell that punished sins. They were ancient and broken fragments of rules, imprints of time, and even residual thoughts of sentient beings!

He felt as if he could "hear" the deep, grand sound of laws as the reincarnation wheel turned; "see" the light of karma flashing as the scales of good and evil weighed souls in the judgment halls; "feel" the ripples of rules stirred by extreme suffering and repentance in the depths of hell...

This information was too vast and fragmented. With his current mental strength, he couldn't possibly decipher it, only passively receive it, causing his sea of consciousness to ache slightly. However, it also gave him an unprecedented, vague yet intuitive grasp of concepts like "reincarnation," "karma," and "order." The Compass acted like a greedy sponge, silently absorbing and recording everything. The pointer on its surface seemed to become more agile, and the Starlight and ethereal glow on its surface became increasingly intertwined.

Judge Cui Jue seemed to notice Su Yan's anomaly. He glanced at the Compass in Su Yan's hand but said nothing more, merely stating indifferently, "Fengdu is a vital center of cosmic order, with strict laws. You must be cautious and prudent here, do not engage in unnecessary conflict, and do not disturb the balance of Yin and Yang. For now, follow this official to the 'Inn' to settle down, and await the summons of Lord Yan."

He led Su Yan and his companions to a cluster of relatively quiet black buildings on the outskirts of the city, which served as the "Netherworld Inn" for hosting external (and non-hostile) guests. After arranging their accommodations, Cui Jue left hastily with his ghost officers, clearly intending to report the details of the Rule Tumor incident to his superiors.

Although the rooms provided by the inn were simple, they contained formations that soothed the soul and gathered Yin energy, which would be quite beneficial for their recovery. After a brief settlement, the four eagerly left the inn, eager to experience this legendary city up close.

They discovered that although Fengdu City had strict order, it wasn't monolithic. In specific areas, there were "task boards" like the [Merit Stele], displaying various official bounties from the Underworld. These included tasks such as eradicating certain escaped demons from hell, collecting specific Netherworld materials, investigating abnormal energy fluctuations in certain areas, and so on. Completing these tasks could earn [Underworld Merit], which could be exchanged for unique Underworld resources.

In a square in the western part of the city, there was even a small "market" set up by ghost merchants with special operating licenses. Here, one could trade for items unimaginable in the outside world using spirit stones, Yin virtue, or bartering.

Mo Hen was immediately drawn to the peculiar Netherworld energy-infused ores and mechanical materials in the market. He was particularly interested in a material called [Nether Ironwood], which was hard and could conduct Yin energy, sparking his inspiration. Bai Zhi was more interested in copies of Buddhist scriptures from the Underworld's archives that recorded methods for transcending, purifying, and stabilizing souls. Yun Ji focused more on rare items that could enhance deduction abilities or were related to Netherworld laws.

Su Yan used some of the unused Netherworld materials he had collected from previous battles to exchange for some unique Underworld skill books and talismans. He chose a crafting manual for an advanced version of a [Ghost Suppressing Talisman] – the [Five Thunders Ghost Suppressing Talisman]. Although thunder power was suppressed here, it might have a miraculous effect against the Malevolent Spirits of the End Times Cult. He also obtained a movement technique skill book, [Shadow Step], which could allow him to blend into the Netherworld environment for a short period, greatly enhancing stealth effects, making it ideal for reconnaissance and surprise attacks. He also redeemed some specially made [Yin Soul Crystals] for Star Vortex, which contained pure Yin essence. While not exactly "delicious" for Star Vortex, these crystals would help it adapt better to the Netherworld environment and improve its resistance to Yin energy attacks.

While exchanging for supplies, they could also sense that the attitude of the surrounding Underworld ghost officers and some ghost merchants had significantly softened, even carrying a hint of imperceptible respect, after learning that they were the "mortals" who had purified the Rule Tumor and defeated the Netherworld Palace Lord. The Underworld, too, revered strength and merit.

Several days later, Judge Cui Jue returned to the inn and summoned Su Yan.

In a quiet room within the Judge's Hall, Cui Jue had several ancient-looking beast-skin scrolls spread out before him, inscribed with secret messages in divine script.

"Regarding the 'Rule Tumor' and its manufacturing technology that you mentioned," Cui Jue said with a grave expression, pointing to a blurred pattern on one of the scrolls. The style of this pattern was completely different from the symbol of the End Times Cult; it was more ancient, complex, and possessed a profound mystique akin to peering into heavenly secrets. "I have consulted the ancient scrolls sealed by the Underworld and found that its origin points to a civilization long lost to the river of history – the 'Sky-Peeking Clan'."

"Sky-Peeking Clan?" Su Yan's heart stirred. This was a name he had never heard before.

"Indeed," Cui Jue nodded. "According to scattered records, the Sky-Peeking Clan was a branch of ancient ancestors. They did not cultivate divine abilities or physical bodies, but instead carved their own path, excelling in observing, analyzing, and even utilizing the fundamental rules of heaven and earth. They could perceive the loopholes in the operation of laws and even, to a certain extent, 'modify' local rules. Their craftsmanship was divine, touching upon the secrets of creation."

He paused, his tone filled with deep apprehension: "However, those who pry into heavenly secrets and tamper with rules ultimately incur heavenly wrath. The Sky-Peeking Clan mysteriously vanished overnight during their peak, and traces of their civilization were largely erased from history by some power, the cause remaining a mystery. The scrolls record that they seemed to be conducting forbidden research involving the 'roots of the world'..."

Cui Jue looked at Su Yan, his gaze profound: "If the 'Rule Tumor' technology mastered by the End Times Cult truly originates from the Sky-Peeking Clan... then their ambitions are likely far more terrifying than we imagine. They may not only intend to trigger the Well of Guixu to destroy the world, but perhaps they aim to... 'reconstruct' the rules!"

The ruins of the Sky-Peeking Clan might hold the weakness of the End Times Cult, or perhaps a greater secret.

A brand new clue, leading to an even more ancient and forbidden place, was slowly unfolding within the depths of this solemn Underworld.