Chapter 471: Stepping out of the Netherworld Palace

It was soon the next full moon.

Escorted by countless cultivators of the alliance, Xiao Nanfeng and his group arrived at the mouth of the abyss.

As the moon rose high overhead and illuminated the abyss, a few dark clouds appeared in the air—but no Heaven's Hand. The barest outline of a hand could be seen, but no more.

"Did something really go wrong with the mouth of the abyss? We can't get out!"

"City Lord Xiao was telling the truth..."

Countless cultivators glanced at each other in despair.

Just then, 361 glowing stars appeared in the sky. Blue Lantern was activating the Formation of the Complete Heavens.

"Your Majesty, I'm going to start infusing starlight into the remnant natural laws in the vicinity. Please get ready."

"Got it!"

With a wave of Blue Lantern's hand, starlight descended from the heavens and struck the outline of the ghostly hand around the abyss.

As it absorbed the starlight, it turned blue—a gigantic palm composed of blue light that looked identical to Heaven's Hand, but with a different shade of color.

"The mouth of the abyss has opened up!"

A passageway opened up between its fingers, but it was clearly unstable. The space within was distorted, and it looked as though it might collapse at any moment.

"Let's go!" Xiao Nanfeng shouted.

He and his subordinates flew into the air and into the unstable passageway.

The moment they did so, they felt tremendous pressure all around them, forcing them to activate their qi barriers. Even so, those barriers distorted rapidly.

The cultivators far below gasped at the sight. Some who were planning to brave the opportunity to escape immediately gave up. They were far too weak to withstand the perils of the passageway.

After Xiao Nanfeng and his subordinates vanished from sight, the giant blue hand suddenly exploded in a firestorm. The clouds high up in the sky were completely obliterated, and the 361 stars vanished from sight.

Despite their distance from the explosion, the cultivators on the ground were scattered like bowling pins from the force of the impact. They clambered back up only after the explosion had dissipated in full.

"Is City Lord Xiao gone?" someone murmured.

"He said he would come back in a few years' time to reopen the passageway," another said.

"What if he doesn't?"

"I'm sure he will. It took him just two months to kill all the Yanluo Lords and all the cursed effigies in this realm. Do you dare claim that he won't?!" the second cultivator thundered.

"I—"

"I believe that City Lord Xiao is a man of his word. All of you felt the repercussions of the battle that took place a few days ago. I don't know what exactly happened, but it's clear that that commotion resulted in the deaths of all cursed effigies in this realm. City Lord Xiao commanded us to follow the precepts of virtue and law before he departed. None of you have forgotten, have you? I will stand against any who decide to call themselves tyrants."

Many gave him a sharp look.

The cultivator continued, "I recommend that we inform the people of the Netherworld Palace about City Lord Xiao's exploits. He was the one who rescued them from the ten Yanluo Lords' tyranny, and City Lord Xiao ought to receive the gratitude and reverence of these civilians. He might as well be their savior."

"You're trying to get on Xiao Nanfeng's good side just for the opportunity he promised in a few years' time, aren't you?" someone called out.

"And so what? I don't deny it. Isn't it true that City Lord Xiao has saved all of us in this realm? I firmly believe that he will return, and the people's gratitude will provide him with fortune. He won't forget us. I intend to erect statues of City Lord Xiao in every major city so that he can be venerated by the people. Who will accompany me?"

"I will! City Lord Xiao has saved us multiple times. Let me help repay my debt to him!"

"I will too!"

"I will too!"

Many cultivators volunteered to help erect statues of Xiao Nanfeng and explain the situation to the people of the Netherworld Palace. A few of the more ambitious cultivators held back, seeing that the tide had turned against them.

Perhaps in a few more years in Xiao Nanfeng's continued absence, some among these cultivators would become warlords in their own right, but at the moment, none could go against the will of the many.

Outside the mouth of the abyss in the aboveworld were a large number of strong cultivators.

By the peak of a nearby mountain, the crown prince of Dayin, Yin Tianci, stared grimly at the mouth of the abyss with a group of his subordinates in tow.

"Xiao Nanfeng, for killing my subordinates and my avatar... A full moon rises tonight. This time, I won't let you off." Yin Tianci sneered.

"Your Highness, the moon is rising. The mouth of the abyss is about to open up," one of his subordinates called out.

Yin Tianci inclined his head to see the moon illuminating the abyss.

"Get ready!" one cultivator called out.

The cultivators drew their swords and pointed them at the abyss, but it was eerily silent. Nothing seemed to happen.

One cultivator stepped forward to investigate. He blanched. "Your Highness, something is wrong with the abyss. It doesn't seem to be connected to the Netherworld Palace!"

"Impossible. Go down and have a look." Yin Tianci frowned.

"Understood!"

Some of the cultivators drummed up their courage and leaped into the abyss, but jumped back up shortly after.

"There's no passageway. Just like during the day, it's a huge pit with nothing but dirt and rocks below."

"Impossible! A full moon rises tonight. Why wouldn't the portal open up? Check more carefully!" Yin Tianci refused to believe his subordinates.

The cultivators repeatedly checked the abyssal pit, but it was fruitless.

Just then, a burst of blue light came from the mouth of the abyss.

"Something's wrong. Get ready!"

The cultivators all around drew their weapons once more.

Yin Tianci and his subordinates watched on as the blue light distorted and flickered. The interior of the abyss seemed to be quaking; a huge rumbling could be heard as well.

Then, dozens of figures emerged from the abyss, accompanied by an explosion that formed a flaming tempest around them. The cultivators guarding the abyss shrieked and retreated.

After the tempest dissipated and the mouth of the abyss returned to its original state, the cultivators' identities were revealed to one and all.

"Xiao Nanfeng? I've been waiting for you. You've finally made it out!" Yin Tianci flashed him an evil grin.