Chapter 835: Wherever the Mind Reaches, There is the Underworld

Empress Ci looked at Xing Xian with agitation. "What are you saying!? Do you even know what you're talking about!?"

"Empress Ci, I come in the name of Monarch Yan to rescue you," Xing Xian said with a serious expression.

Empress Ci suddenly let out a light laugh, her eyes glistening as if she were about to shed tears. "Stop lying to me. Even if he really became Monarch Yan, he wouldn't send only you to find me. Have you all failed? Heh, failed..."

She slowly lowered her head, murmuring something. No one could make out her words.

"Empress Ci, how could I come alone? Monarch Yan has already returned to the mortal realm, and the rest of the matter will be handled by Lord Stone."

Xing Xian smiled. "Lord Stone is a Day Walker personally appointed by Monarch Yan. He should be as powerful as Taiyin Dragon King and the True Monarch of Pan Mountain."

Xing Xian turned and looked toward the void, his gaze fixed on Taiyin Dragon King. There was clear ridicule and mockery in his eyes.

These were nothing but mountain bandits. Back then, he had looked down on them. And today, he still did.

Empress Ci paused, her confusion and bewilderment apparent as she raised her head again.

Was it true...? But... even if he became Monarch Yan, could he appoint a Day Walker with his strength? How could that be?

Not only was Empress Ci confused, but the countless Yin Demons around fell into panic and fear.

Monarch Yan?! A Day Walker?!

The surrounding Yin Demons were filled with disbelief. They instinctively looked toward Taiyin Dragon King, hoping to hear from him that all of this was a lie.

Monarch Yan had been dead for many years, and his underlings had fallen one by one. When had a new Monarch Yan emerged? When had a new Day Walker appeared?

Some of the older Yin Demons, recalling the days when they were bound by various orders, shuddered involuntarily.

Taiyin Dragon King stared at Xing Xian, whom he thought of as nothing but a small insect, and suddenly burst into laughter. "A mere Yin Soldier, playing the part so well. I almost got fooled by you. What Day Walker, what Monarch Yan? You did all this just to make me release Empress Ci? Fine, I'll give you face. Pan Mountain, release her."

Everyone was stunned.

True Monarch of Pan Mountain paused, then raised his hand. The Heavenly Halberd that had nailed Empress to the wall instantly flew back to his hand.

"Go!" commanded Taiyin Dragon King.

He transformed into a mass of rolling dark clouds and disappeared into the horizon, leaving without saying another word.

Seeing this, the True Monarch of Pan Mountain immediately followed him.

In less than half a moment, Empress Ci was freed.

The arrogant Taiyin Dragon King had taken his subordinate, the Monarch of Pan Mountain, and left Jiangguang City.

Any Yin Demon who wasn't particularly dense could now guess what had happened. Their yin energy began to tremble.

Stone Dragon walked out from the crowd to stand next to Xing Xian, gazing at the direction in which the Taiyin Dragon King had departed. He said faintly, "This little snake still has some insight. If it weren't for him leaving, to completely capture those two, I might have had to suffer some injury. This is the best outcome."

"Is he really the Day Walker newly appointed by Monarch Yan!?" someone's voice came from behind them.

The two turned around and saw that Empress Ci had already donned her red wedding gown again, looking at Stone Dragon with suspicion and uncertainty.

"Young lady, your obsession runs deep. That is detrimental to your cultivation," Stone Dragon said.

Empress Ci took a step forward, her gaze locked firmly on Stone Dragon. "Are you really a Day Walker?"

Stone Dragon allowed a bright sun-like symbol to flash briefly on his forehead. Upon seeing this, Empress Ci's eyes lit up. She turned to Xing Xian with excitement. "Where is Lord Monarch Yan!?"

"Lord Monarch Yan has already returned to the living. With his current cultivation, it's no longer safe for him to remain in the Underworld," Xing Xian replied with a smile.

Empress Ci froze. "When will he come back to the Underworld? When will I receive his Imperial Order?!"

"Well... I am not sure. But don't worry, Empress Ci. This time, Lord Monarch Yan was able to complete the inheritance, and you played a crucial role in that. If it weren't for that, Monarch Yan wouldn't have kept you in mind, even sending us to rescue you," Xing Xian reassured her.

Empress Ci's expression darkened a little, her smile turning forced. After a few moments of silence, she gave a strained smile and said, "It's no matter. I've waited so many years, a few more years won't hurt. I just hope that when Lord Monarch Yan returns to the Underworld, the two of you can let me know so I can personally meet him."

Xing Xian nodded gently. "That is only right."

Empress Ci seemed to have adjusted her mindset, as the radiant smile returned to her face. She looked at the crowd of Yin Demons who had just been insulting her and gave a seductive grin. "Little bugs, are you ready?"

Countless Yin Demons turned pale. Some were so scared they knelt down, trembling, while others were retreating, desperately trying to find a way out.

Empress Ci laughed lightly. "It seems you are ready."

Numerous red ribbons shot out from her wedding gown and pierced through the chests of the Yin Demons before lifting them into the air. Despite their cries for mercy, Empress Ci remained unmoved. With a gentle shake of her ribbons, the Yin Demons were torn apart, disintegrating into wisps of yin energy that scattered across the world.

In just a short time, Empress Ci had killed thousands of Yin Demons. Many tried to escape, but they soon realized that the red wedding gown seemed to have covered the entire world. No matter where they went, they could not escape Empress Ci's grasp.

Xing Xian looked toward Stone Dragon with a strange expression. "Master Stone Dragon, it seems Empress Ci is about to massacre everyone in the city..."

Under the previous Monarch Yan's rule, such massacres were never allowed to happen. No powerful Yin Demons dared to slaughter a city without facing severe consequences.

Stone Dragon glanced at Xing Xian and said casually, "Let her do it. If you understand women, you'll know that stopping her now will only make her hold a grudge for life. You wouldn't want her to stab you in the back one day, would you?"

Xing Xian paused for a moment. He let out a wry smile as he nodded. "Thank you for the advice, Master Stone Dragon."

"It's just common sense," Stone Dragon said lightly. "You've been in the mortal realm for so long, yet you haven't learned anything? Well, I suppose your form as a Yin Soldier has its limitations. Focus on your cultivation, and once you become a true Ghost God, this place will be much more useful to you."

Stone Dragon lightly tapped Xing Xian on the forehead.

Xing Xian fell silent. The official rank of the man before him was above his own, so whatever he said must be right. He silently considered the task Monarch Yan had given him. It was an important one, to earn Yin Longevity Coins. He would need to plan it out carefully.

***

Fang Chen walked across a small bridge. The short distance was crossed in just a few steps, and soon he was on the other side, Youhuan City.

The bridge he walked on wasn't the same one he had crossed with the old Daoist Master before. Now that he wielded Monarch Yan's decree, wherever he went, bridges would follow.

His thoughts reached out, and he found himself in the Underworld.

The city guard and old Daoist Master looked at Fang Chen with a mix of surprise and realization.

"Fellow Cultivator Fang? When did you leave the city? Did you go back and return? I almost forgot to mention this to you earlier, living beings can't stay in the underworld for too long. If you exceed 10 days, you might not be able to return."

He quickly guessed that Fang Chen had to have gone back for a while and returned.

Another city guard whispered, "Old Zheng, Fellow Daoist Ma is also in the city now..."

"Oh...."

he old Daoist master immediately understood, quickly stepping back three paces and forcing a dry laugh toward Fang Chen.

"Fellow Cultivator Fang, we're not too familiar with each other. You go ahead with your business," he said, then turned to whisper with his colleague.

Fang Chen smiled lightly and entered the city.

Before he even reached his previous residence, he noticed many souls passing by, secretly observing him, whispering to each other as though plotting something.

When he reached the door of the previous mansion, Ma Minlong, accompanied by a dozen or so wandering souls, slowly approached and stopped in front of the door. He indifferently sized Fang Chen up as he stood silently.

At that moment, the door of the mansion opened. Inside stood the black and white paper figures, staring outward in silence.