I subdue demons and monsters, and cultivate immortality in hell to become a saint.

"It's...it's actually the First Lord of the Yama Palace!"

Fu Zhu suddenly stood up, his voice trembling, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty actually knows my name?"

Zhong Jiu smiled and nodded, then deliberately teased, "I just wonder, monk, are you willing to give up your current esteemed position as the Judge of the Blood Sea?"

"What's there to be reluctant about!"

Fu Zhu's blood boiled, his eyes gleaming. "Now that the Blood Sea is at peace, I was just worried about having no opportunity to use my skills. How could I refuse Your Majesty's favor?!"

At that moment, he felt a sudden sense of clarity, as if he had found his true home, and even his tone was unusually eager.

"In that case, keep this token safe. With this token, you can directly enter the Underworld. Once you arrive in Fengdu, someone will meet you there."

Zhong Jiu placed a bronze token on the stone table, smiled at Fu Zhu, and his figure gradually became transparent.

In the blink of an eye, Zhong Jiu's figure completely disappeared above the sea of ​​blood, leaving behind only a table full of wine and meat and a token emitting a ghostly light.

Fu Zhu gripped the token tightly, his heart filled with turmoil, his fingertips trembling slightly. He had never imagined that he would gain the favor of King Qin Guang and enter the Underworld to take charge of the Punishment Department!

Just then, footsteps approached, and the Asura clan chief hurried over with several elders, their expressions respectful but unable to hide their doubts.

"It is our rudeness to disturb the judge in welcoming guests. But may I ask, Your Honor, how did the fellow Daoist you were drinking with just now enter the Sea of ​​Blood?"

The clan chief spoke politely, but his eyes swept around, full of confusion. He had clearly heard that guests had come, so why were there only empty wine glasses and no one in sight?

The Blood Sea is heavily guarded, and it is no easy task to sneak in silently. He couldn't help but worry that there might be a loophole in the Blood Sea, which could bring hidden dangers to his people.

Fu Zhu understood perfectly. He knew they meant no harm and had no suspicion of Zhong Jiu. In the eyes of the Asura Clan, his friends must be harmless to the Blood Sea.

He put away the token, grinned, and said nonchalantly, "You don't need to worry. That person has already left, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, he won't come back."

He paused, then spoke again, his tone resolute: "As for me, I have also found a new home, and today I bid farewell to you all."

"What?!"

The clan chief and the others' expressions changed drastically, their faces filled with shock. "Your Honor, how can this be? Has someone offended you and displeased you?"

A fierce glint flashed in the clan leader's eyes. If anyone dared to insult or kill him, he would risk the reputation of the Asura clan to demand an explanation!

"This matter has nothing to do with my clan; it was entirely my own choice."

Fu Zhu clasped his hands together, bowed to the crowd, and said solemnly, "Everyone, thank you for your care and trust over the past 350 years!"

"From this day forward, I will no longer be a guest of the mortal world; with my six senses purified, I will walk in the netherworld!"

"The monk has departed!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Fu Zhu poured all his spiritual power into the bronze token, which instantly emitted a dazzling dark light that enveloped his figure.

The next second, they disappeared into the sea of ​​blood, leaving behind only the Asura clan members with reluctance.

A gaping, menacing rift suddenly appeared in the void, and Monk Fuzhu stepped directly into it with a light tap of his toes.

Boom!

A thunderclap exploded in the sky, and his figure vanished instantly, leaving the Blood Sea crowd staring at each other in disbelief, completely panicked.

"Is this the underworld?"

The monk who was executed was already standing outside Fengdu City in a flash.

Several underworld officials were already bowing and waiting, respectfully leading him into the city for the handover. Zhong Jiu himself did not need to show up; after their long conversation, he had already lost interest in reminiscing.

Meanwhile, Zhong Jiu's clone had already left the sea of ​​blood and arrived in Kyoto.

Compared to seven hundred years ago, this city is now more grand and magnificent, with a myriad of sights, but it has lost some of the familiar warmth and liveliness.

"It's time for the City God of Kyoto to return to his rightful place."

He murmured softly, lightly paused with his toes, and his figure floated towards the direction of the City God Temple.

The fortunes of the mortal realm are originally unrelated to those of the underworld. However, if one pays attention, one will find that the fortunes of the underworld have been gradually declining over the past seven hundred years. Since the establishment of the Five Religions, people's hearts have turned to the Five Religions. Apart from the Southern Ridge Province, the new generation of humans has long since lost their understanding of the underworld.

The story of pacifying the demon at Guiling, slaying the dragon in the Han River, the giant hand that covered the sun and moon, and even the calamity between immortals and demons that terrified the cultivation world, have all become legends passed down by word of mouth, but are mostly regarded as fabrications and scorned.

The underworld has no intention of vying for fame and fortune, nor will it lower itself to compete for the fortune of the mortal world. It is normal for it to be forgotten after keeping a low profile for so long. The moment Zhong Jiu stepped into the capital, he clearly felt this alienation.

Looking back seven hundred years, even though there were no gods outside of Nanling Province, the incense offerings in the underworld were still very popular, as only the underworld could give people a complete sense of security.

But now, with the human race becoming stronger, the number of cultivators surging, and the five religions coexisting, the protection of the underworld has become a dispensable existence.

Inside the Kyoto City God Temple, the incense was extremely dim, with only a few dozen people offering incense.

This City God Temple, built at great expense by the Yanhuang Kingdom, far surpasses the City God Temple in Xingsha in scale and decoration. However, after seven hundred years of erosion, the once brand-new halls are now mottled, and many side halls are covered with dust.

Those side halls mostly enshrine obscure deities from the underworld, and now they are long forgotten.

Back then, even less popular deities never lost their worshippers; such a contrast truly reflects the passage of time.

But Zhong Jiu didn't care at all. At his current level, he would never be bothered by the rise and fall of incense offerings.

Human nature is like this: people gather for profit and disperse for profit; it's perfectly normal.

However, there were exceptions. Among the dozens of worshippers, most were elderly people being helped by their younger relatives, and they looked extremely devout when burning incense.

The young man beside him looked impatient and kept urging him on.

"Grandma, can you hurry up? I have to go on my date!"

The granddaughter stomped her feet impatiently.

Grandma responded softly, "That's good," and respectfully placed the three lit incense sticks into the incense burner with both hands, murmuring softly, "May the City God bless my family with peace and health."

After saying that, she respectfully kowtowed three more times.

The granddaughter glanced at the City God statue and said dismissively, "Who believes in this stuff these days? Grandma, you're so out of touch!"

"We all believe in virtuous religions now. Yuanzun teaches people, imparts Taoist teachings, and instructs us to be self-reliant. That is the one worthy of our worship. What use is it for you to worship this old clay statue?"

The girl was only twenty years old, with bright, sparkling eyes, but her tone was full of contempt.

She simply couldn't understand why her grandmother, at her advanced age, didn't rest properly and instead ran to this deserted City God Temple every day, just to seek some vague and illusory blessings. The legend of the City God is from seven hundred years ago; who still cares about it now?

"You wouldn't dare say such a thing!"

Grandma turned pale with fright and quickly bowed to the statue of the deity in apology. After a long while, she straightened up and glared at her granddaughter: "What do you know, you little brat? Back when the supernatural revived, if it weren't for the protection of the underworld, where would we be today?"

"The City God possesses boundless magical power; nothing in this world can be hidden from him. If you said this in Nanling Province, you would surely be condemned!"

The granddaughter scoffed, "I'm not going to Nanling Province. The people there are all crazy; they just believe in this kind of unfounded nonsense."

Grandma shook her head helplessly. Her granddaughter had long forgotten her roots and was now devoted to the good teachings of Yuanzun. Most people in the world were like this, except for those in Nanling Province.

Nanling Province is a magical place where legends of gods have been passed down from generation to generation. Children are exposed to these legends from birth, and their faith is deeply ingrained in their bones.

During the war years, Nanling Province remained unscathed, which was said to be due to divine protection. Although the gods occasionally appear now, they are extremely discreet, and only the locals have a deep-seated belief in them.

"Girl, listen to your grandmother's advice. You don't have to believe in gods, but you can't speak rudely. Our ancestors were all blessed by the gods," the grandmother said earnestly.

"Grandma, how many years have you lived? How would you know about things from hundreds of years ago? They're probably all made-up legends!"

The granddaughter shook her head, then steeled herself and said, "Grandma, I'll tell you the truth, this City God Temple is going to be demolished soon!"

"It's been demolished?"

Grandma was shocked, her face filled with disbelief. "How could this be? Who would dare demolish the City God Temple in Kyoto? This is the capital of all City God Temples in the world!"

"Master He Qingzi, the head of the Good Teachings in Kyoto!"

The granddaughter held her grandmother's shoulder and said, "He said that the City God Temple has no gods, but it occupies the best location in the capital. He wants to demolish it and build the Yuanzun Tianxi Temple. This matter has encountered almost no resistance."

"Grandma, please stop this nonsense. If you want to worship a god, go worship Yuanzun or Shizun. Why do you have to worship this old-fashioned City God?"

Grandma's gaze was unfocused, her body trembled slightly, and her lips quivered as she asked, "Are you telling the truth? What about the City God Temple...?"

"They'll probably move to the suburbs," the granddaughter nodded.

Grandma instantly flew into a rage, waving her hand and shouting, "How dare they? This is a temple of the gods! This is a provocation against the underworld!"

The gods may be humble, but that doesn't mean they can be bullied at will. These people are playing with fire and getting burned; it's outrageous!

"So what if you provoke me? Times have changed."

The granddaughter took her grandmother's hand and gently advised, "If there really is a City God, how could he just stand by and do nothing? Since there is no god, it's normal for it to be demolished. Grandma, just accept reality."

She led the old woman away slowly, chattering all the way, trying to change her grandmother's mind.

Watching the grandfather and grandson walk away, a chill gradually settled in Zhong Jiu's eyes.

"A good teacher?"

This alter ego of his was always gentle and kind, but by no means a saint; anger had quietly begun to ignite in his heart.