This humble Taoist priest, Qianhe, begins his quest for immortality by slaying demons and monsters.

Unlike previous teleportation arrays, this time the destination was not the territory of King Yama.

As the light and shadow disappeared, Zhong Bai and Master Jinghong surveyed their surroundings.

Rows of ghostly soldiers and generals stood on the left and right, and directly in front of them was a magnificent palace.

Upon seeing the two teleporting over, the Yin official who had come to greet them jogged over.

"This humble servant greets Your Excellency!"
"Greetings, Immortal!"

Zhong Bai nodded and then said, "No need to be so polite. May I ask which Yama King has summoned me?"

This is clearly not the main hall of King Yama, so Zhong Bai naturally needs to find out first. He doesn't doubt that the messenger who sent him was mistaken, since the probability of that happening is almost impossible.

The Yin official who came to greet Zhong Bai did not hide his doubts.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, I only know that the Ten Kings of Hell are all here, and this place is the temporary palace of the Emperor of Fengdu."

Hearing this, Zhong Bai understood a bit more and, having a better understanding of the situation, stopped asking questions.

"Lead the way..."

"Yes!"

And so, Zhong Bai and Master Jinghong drew ever closer to the palace before them, until they arrived in front of it.

"My lord, please bear with me for a moment. The Lord of the Prefecture will be the first to be seen."

After the underworld official in charge of welcoming them handed over the documents, an official holding an ancient book stepped forward and said...

Zhong Bai sized up the man, who was dressed in the robes of a civil official, with cranes embroidered on his robes. His cultivation level was also extremely high, beyond Zhong Bai's comprehension. It was likely no lower than the Nascent Soul Realm.

Master Jinghong was much calmer. The person in front of him was clearly different from the Yin official who had greeted him. Judging from his aura, he was probably at the peak of the Yuan Shen realm, so his position in the underworld must not be low.

"May I ask what official position you hold?"

Feeling curious, Master Jinghong asked as soon as he thought of it.

The man smiled brightly.

"My name is Qiu Gong, a judge under the Emperor, holding the rank of fourth grade!"

Upon hearing this, Master Jinghong was somewhat surprised. After all, his judge was not one of the four judges of the underworld, but serving under the Great Emperor was a high-ranking official position of the fourth rank. However, compared to the Lord of Mount Tai, he was still one rank lower, so it was reasonable for him to refer to himself as a humble servant. This shows just how extraordinary the opportunity was for Zhong Bai to refine the Seal of the Lord of Mount Tai.

"So it's Judge Qiu. What a coincidence to meet you for the first time. Ancestor, Judge Qiu, since the Great Emperor has summoned me, Zhong Bai will go inside first."

"Hahaha, no problem, no problem. Your Excellency, please come in. This humble official and the immortal will chat here and wait patiently."

After exchanging greetings, Zhong Bai looked up at the magnificent palace and, guided by the ghostly soldiers, entered the palace.

...................................................

"Lord Zhong Bai of Mount Tai requests an audience with the Great Emperor!"

As Zhong Bai finished speaking, he entered the main hall, where terrifying figures gradually came into view.

The one sitting in the center is probably the Great Emperor of Youfengdu. The ones in the five directions are probably the Five Ghost Emperors. And the ten seats are probably the Ten Kings of Hell. As for the reason, didn't you see the Fourth Patriarch laughing at himself in the arrangement of the ten seats?

Thinking of this, Zhong Bai couldn't help but feel uneasy. Let alone not being nervous, he might be able to remain calm when facing the Fourth Patriarch, King Chakravartin, but these people in front of him were the real high-ranking officials of the Underworld.

The underworld is the domain of the Goddess Houtu. As the saying goes, "Heaven and Earth are one," but the Goddess Houtu is rarely seen in the underworld and hardly participates in its management.

Below that are several great emperors.

The Great Emperor of Fengdu: The supreme ruler of the underworld, who governs all matters concerning the netherworld and all ghosts in the world. His residence is Fengdu City.

The Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak: Appointed by the Heavenly Court and stationed in the Underworld, he is in charge of important functions such as life and death in the world.

Tibetan King Bodhisattva: Sent by the Buddha of the Western Pure Land to the underworld to guide ghosts and spread Buddhism. He resides in the underworld due to his great vow that "I will not become a Buddha until hell is empty," but he does not have actual control over it.

Emperor Qi Rensheng: In charge of the eighteen levels of hell in the underworld.

Emperor Yin Fengdu: He holds a high position and is related to the functions of the Emperor of Fengdu.

Among these great emperors, Ksitigarbha is an exception, though of equal status... However, Zhong Bai has never met him so far.

Below the several great emperors are the five ghost emperors who govern the five ghost realms.

The Eastern Ghost Emperor Cai Yulei and Shen Tu govern "Taozhi Mountain" and "Ghost Gate Pass"; the Western Ghost Emperor Zhao Wenhe and Wang Zhenren govern "Baozhong Mountain"; the Northern Ghost Emperor Zhang Heng and Yang Yun govern "Luofeng Mountain"; the Southern Ghost Emperor Du Ziren governs "Luofu Mountain"; and the Central Ghost Emperor Zhou Qi and Ji Kang govern "Baodu Mountain".

Below the Five Ghost Emperors are the Ten Kings of Hell, who are in charge of life and death in the human world and govern good and bad fortune in the underworld, each in charge of one of the eighteen levels of hell.

The Ten Kings of Hell are King Qin Guang, King Chu Jiang, King Song Di, King Wu Guan, King Yan Luo, King Ping Deng, King Tai Shan, King Du Shi, King Bian Cheng, and King Zhuan Lun.

In terms of ranking, the Fourth Patriarch of Maoshan, the Wheel-Turning King, is the last, but that's already terrifying.

"Zhong Bai, a disciple of Maoshan, pays his respects to the Great Emperor, the Five Ghost Emperors, and the Ten Kings of Hell!"

Zhong Bai wasn't stunned for long. After realizing the identities of the gods in front of him, he respectfully bowed.

Seeing Zhong Bai's reaction, the Emperor of Fengdu, who was in the center, laughed heartily and said, "Zhong Bai, a disciple of Maoshan, does have some character."

However, how can you verify our identities?

If you call someone by the wrong name, you'll offend someone!

Listening to the joke of the Emperor of Fengdu, Zhong Bai simply looked at his fourth ancestor.

The Emperor of Fengdu immediately understood.

"I see. Zhong Bai, there's no need to be nervous. After all, you are the Lord of Mount Tai in my Underworld, a third-rank Yin official. I called you here not only to reward you, but also because there is something else I need you to do."

Zhong Bai wasn't surprised to hear this.

"Zhong Bai will obey the Emperor's orders!"

"It's not difficult."

First, let's talk about the reward. The Lord of Mount Tai is an underworld official under the Emperor of the Eastern Peak. Although you were fortunate enough to refine the seal of the Lord of Mount Tai, you are still somewhat unqualified to take on this position. Moreover, you don't have the time to stay in the underworld to handle official documents.

Therefore, after discussion, your position as the Lord of Mount Tai is being transferred to the third rank of Inspector of the Mortal Realm, equivalent to the Six Cases Official. If you one day enter the Immortal Realm, you will be promoted to the seventh rank of Inspector of the Mortal Realm!

Upon hearing this result, Zhong Bai showed no dissatisfaction. He knew he couldn't remain the Lord of Mount Tai forever, since he couldn't stay in the Underworld indefinitely. Whether his title was changed or not didn't matter; the most important thing was the last point: after going to the Immortal Realm, he could be directly appointed as a seventh-rank Yin official. Even if he was just a minor Yang world inspector, he could still mobilize the Yang world's mountain gods, land gods, city gods, and Yin soldiers.

This is in the Earthly Immortal Realm. Anyone who can hold such a position is either a Ghost Immortal or someone of that caliber.
Among the Ten Kings of Hell, King Yama already knew these things, and he even fought for the last one.

After a moment's thought, Zhong Bai bowed and expressed his gratitude.

"Zhong Bai kowtows in gratitude to the Great Emperor!"

"Okay, okay, as long as you don't mind."

Having discussed the reward, let me now explain the purpose of summoning you to the Underworld. This world has been thoroughly cleansed by the Underworld, but in the mortal realm, too many wandering souls still exist, transforming into vengeful ghosts and harming humanity. The Underworld cannot interfere in other matters of the mortal realm, but this problem needs to be addressed.

I've appointed you as a third-rank inspector of the mortal realm, so that you can use the name of the underworld to sweep away the souls of the dead in the mortal realm!
If you can accomplish this, you will be promoted one rank after you go to the Immortal Realm.

Are you confident?

Hearing the question from the Emperor of Fengdu, Zhong Bai could only bow and answer, even if he lacked confidence.

Moreover, sweeping through the mortal realm is not difficult. The underworld is gone, and the remaining souls in the mortal realm are merely struggling in their death throes.

"good!"

As the Emperor of Fengdu finished speaking, his entire figure disappeared from the hall. Immediately afterward, the Five Ghost Emperors left, and the Ten Kings of Hell smiled at Zhong Bai before departing one by one.

In the end, only King Yama was left...

In the empty hall, King Yama rose and walked step by step toward Zhong Bai.

When he reached Zhong Bai, he reached out and patted him on the shoulder.

"Your thinking is clear and you are not timid, which is very good. When I first met the Great Emperor, I was trembling and extremely nervous."

"Fourth Patriarch, you flatter me. Actually, Zhong Bai is also afraid, but as a disciple of Maoshan, I cannot lose face for Maoshan."

"Hahahaha, that's honest of you."

"Let's go. There are still some details I need to tell you. We'll talk about them when we get back to the Wheel-Turning King's palace."

Zhong Bai naturally did not refuse. With a wave of his hand, King Zhuanlun returned to the main hall of King Zhuanlun. Also arriving was Patriarch Jinghong, who was waiting outside the hall.

"Disciple Jinghong pays respects to the Fourth Patriarch. May the Fourth Patriarch enjoy eternal bliss and peace!"

"No need for formalities. I've summoned you to the Underworld because I have something to tell you. Zhong Bai has already received the Emperor's decree to represent the Underworld in sweeping away the souls of the dead in the mortal realm. If Maoshan does this well, their authority in the Underworld will be even greater in the future."

Therefore, there must be no loss. You are a free spirit among mortals. With your support, Zhong Bai should not have any difficulties.

After this is accomplished, you will go to the Immortal Realm. If possible, you can obtain an official position in the Underworld.

Do you understand now?

"Jinghong understands, and hopes that the Ancestral Master will rest assured!"

Master Jinghong answered loudly, showing no jealousy towards Zhong Bai, and at the same time, he was filled with longing to go to the Earthly Immortal Realm.

People need to be content. Before Zhong Bai came to this world, Master Jinghong felt that this was all there was to his life, and he would just keep going until his lifespan ran out.

As a result, after Zhong Bai arrived, in just a few years, he went from the Nascent Soul Realm to the peak of the Divine Transformation Realm, and even directly refined the Taishan Prefecture Lord Seal to guide the gods of the underworld back to their positions. The passage between the two realms was thus opened, and a new direction was once again placed in front of him. It is no exaggeration to say that he was reborn.

At the same time, going to the Immortal Realm to obtain the position of Yin Official is extremely valuable. The lowest-ranking Yin Official is a Ghost Immortal, and it is not something that ordinary people can take up. Zhong Bai eats meat, and they drink soup, which is a perfect match.

"That's good. It shouldn't take more than two years to sweep away the souls of the dead in the mortal realm. Maoshan can act together with Longhushan; they won't refuse."

After that, you can head to the Immortal Realm..."

"Zhong Bai understands!"

"Jinghong understands!"

"That's fine then. Now, Zhong Bai, give me the Taishan Prefecture Lord's Seal directly, and I will give you the Third-Rank Yang Realm Inspector's Seal."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Bai did not refuse and directly offered up his Taishan Prefecture Lord Seal.

Looking at the Taishan Prefecture Lord Seal floating in the void, the Fourth Ancestor simply touched it with his fingertip, and the connection between the seal and Zhong Bai was instantly severed.

Immediately afterwards, the Fourth Patriarch took out an exquisite large seal from his bosom.

Zhong Bai didn't stand on ceremony and directly accepted Cao Yin, the inspector of the mortal realm.

Ten days later, Zhong Bai had completely refined the Human Seal, and then left the Underworld with Ancestor Jinghong.

......................................................

Maoshan.

Inside the Jiuxiao Wanshou Palace.

When the matters discussed in the underworld were told to the Maoshan patriarchs, each of them expressed their support. They all knew very well that if they could go to the Earthly Immortal Realm, have Maoshan as their backer, and also obtain a position in the underworld, that would be absolutely wonderful.

As I said before, Zhong Bai ate the meat while they drank the soup; no one felt ashamed.

Three days later, a decree from Maoshan was sent to all sects of Taoism in Dongzhou.

The content is very simple. Translated, it means that Maoshan is acting on the orders of the underworld to sweep away the souls of the dead in the mortal world. It also requires all Taoist sects to cooperate in capturing the souls in their respective territories and to kill those who resist due to overwhelming karma.

The moment this decree was issued, the entire Eastern Continent was shaken. Originally, the return of the gods of the underworld was only a rumor among some top powers, but this decree from Maoshan basically put the matter on the table, clearly telling the world that the underworld had returned!
Shushan.

The Sword Saint had finished his seclusion and was now at the early stage of the Nascent Soul Realm. Looking at the decree in his hand and the Maoshan inscription, he felt somewhat helpless.

Meanwhile, in the lower right corner, the bright seal of Cao Sanpin, the inspector of the mortal realm, was clearly affixed.

The inscription is signed by two wandering immortal masters of Maoshan: Master Tianning, the sect leader, and Cao Zhongbai, the inspector.

"This decree doesn't seem like a consultation with us at all; it's more like a direct order. But Maoshan really has the confidence to do this, and there's also that kid Zhong Bai, who obtained such a high position in the underworld without a word."

A third-rank Yin official...

So scary! "

The Sword Saint was somewhat moved, but the decree in his hand was still a bit too hot to handle. He wanted to disobey it, but Maoshan had taken it so seriously and spoken up. If they didn't give Maoshan face, Maoshan would retaliate, and the consequences would be unbearable for Shushan.

Similarly, on the other hand, since Sword Saint and Zhong Bai are father-in-law and son-in-law, from a personal perspective, he, as the father-in-law, has an inescapable duty to do so.

Somewhat troubled, the Sword Saint ultimately decided to discuss the matter with the five patriarchs...

However, the outcome remained unchanged. Shushan obeyed the decree issued by Maoshan, and the entire Shushan began to operate like a machine.

Emei.

Master Bai Mei sighed repeatedly as he looked at the imperial edict in his hand.

As the saying goes, falling behind by one step means falling a hundred steps behind. Although they knew about the return of the underworld, they couldn't get involved, and in the end, Maoshan still took the lead.

"Two imperial edicts, one from Maoshan and one from Longhushan, they're really not even putting on an act anymore."

Yes, three days after the Maoshan decree was issued, Longhushan also sent a decree to Dongzhou.

They were of one mind and shared the same fate. Faced with behemoths like Maoshan and Longhushan, even though Master Bai Mei was somewhat unwilling, he could only swallow his pride and bear it.

Answer the imperial edict! (End of Chapter)