I'm already a Great Luo Golden Immortal, how come you're only Martial Saints?

Yang Jian's face froze, but he ultimately did not refute it.

He remained silent for a moment, composed himself, and said solemnly.

"I entrust the matter of my father's soul entirely to you. He was merely a mortal, and if anything were to happen to him in the cycle of reincarnation, I would be filled with unease for the rest of my life. Please, whatever you do, do not let the underworld know my father's true identity, for I fear that person will interfere!"

Yang Jian's concerns were justified.

The Jade Emperor's brother-in-law has been unhappy with his blond-haired brother-in-law for quite some time.

If it weren't for the fear of upsetting Yao Ji, I would have used my great supernatural power of words to kill him a hundred times over.

Ning Chen's smile faded, and he spoke seriously.

"Don't worry, Brother Yang's remnant soul has been secured with my magic. Once this matter is settled, we will find a wealthy family to send him to be reincarnated. I will ensure that his next life is peaceful and stable, and that he will not suffer any injustice. Eighteen years later, you and I will guide him again, so that he can regain his past life's wisdom and reunite with his mother!"

Yang Jian watched him quietly for a moment, and after a long while, he nodded slightly, said nothing more, and turned to ride the cloud.

He hadn't flown far when he stopped again, his back to Ning Chen, and said calmly.

"Eighteen years, never forget!"

Ning Chen bowed respectfully.

"I will never forget."

Yang Jian paused slightly, then transformed into a streak of silver light, tearing through the flowing clouds and hurtling towards the mouth of the Guanjiang River, disappearing into the azure sky in an instant.

Ning Chen stood on the edge of the cliff, gazing in the direction where the streak of light had disappeared, remaining motionless for a long time.

The autumn wind brushed against his robes, lifting a corner of them, carrying a touch of desolation.

He looked back towards Peach Mountain. During his inner demon tribulation, Fairy Yao Ji had been very kind to him, allowing him to experience the long-lost maternal love. It was only right to properly arrange for Yang Tianyou's soul.

Ning Chen sighed softly, then straightened his clothes and headed straight for the underworld.

The underworld is a distant land, and the road to the Yellow Springs is long.

When Ning Chen landed outside Fengdu City, a cold wind swept over him, and ghostly shadows loomed around him.

In the distance, the Naihe Bridge spans the river, with the Naihe River hidden on it.

Countless ghosts lined up on the bridge, their sobs, the clanging of chains, and the sound of wind mingling together, sending chills down one's spine.

As soon as Ning Chen arrived, his whole body radiated golden light. He knew that this was the official prestige bestowed upon him by a fourth-rank official of the Heavenly Court.

Some of the wronged ghosts knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly and crying out their injustice.

"My lord, I am being unjustly killed!"

"My lord, please help us seek justice!"

The Black and White Impermanence hurriedly used their mourning sticks to beat the wronged souls.

"What are you yelling for? The King of Hell will soon avenge you!"

The two then smiled ingratiatingly at Ning Chen.

"Envoy Ningbei, please make yourself at home!"

Ning Chen nodded, released the aura of a fourth-rank official from the Heavenly Court to intimidate the ghosts, and headed straight for the Qin Guang King's Palace.

As soon as he arrived at the palace gate, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guardians standing in front of the palace saw him from afar.

The bull-headed man's big, copper-bell-like eyes lit up, and he quickly put on a smile, stepped forward, and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Envoy Ningbei, what wind blew you here to the underworld? This humble god is so sorry for not welcoming you properly!"

Horse-faced man nodded and bowed repeatedly.

"The Envoy of Ningbei is now a distinguished guest of the Underworld. If King Qin Guang knew you were coming, he would probably have to personally come out to greet you!"

Ning Chen sighed inwardly. Back then, when he was a servant of the Lingxiao Palace, he came to the Underworld and was subjected to all sorts of difficulties by these two people. They were cold and sarcastic and wouldn't even give him a second glance.

Now that his rank has only been promoted by one level, the difference in treatment is like heaven and earth. Even the ghost soldiers in the underworld have become more enthusiastic.

He didn't show it on his face, only saying it calmly.

"Please inform him that I, Ning, have business with King Qin Guang!"

The ox-headed and horse-faced demons dared not delay; one went in to report, while the other stepped aside to lead the way.

Before long, the palace doors burst open with a roar, and King Qin Guang, all smiles, led the judge and his little devil out to greet them.

"Your Excellency Ningbei has graced us with your presence. I am deeply sorry for failing to greet you properly. Please, please take a seat!"

Looking at that warm, smiling face, Ning Chen silently compared it to the cold, indifferent face that King Qin Guang had shown him back then.

He couldn't help but groan inwardly, but remained outwardly calm, cupping his hands in greeting.

"King Qin Guang, you are too kind. I have come today without prior notice, but I do have a request to make!"

King Qin Guang laughed.

"Envoy Ningbei is incredibly powerful. Please feel free to contact me with anything you need. If it's within my power, I will certainly do my utmost!"

In terms of rank, he was also a fourth-rank official, but he belonged to the Underworld faction, while Ning Chen was a favorite of the Jade Emperor. Ning Chen's promotion speed was something he couldn't catch up with even if he rode a rocket.

As the saying goes, "A seventh-rank official is before the prime minister's gate, while a third-rank official is before the emperor's gate."

This means that the prime minister's doorman is equivalent to a seventh-rank official.

Those who frequently appeared before the emperor, regardless of their rank, were all equivalent to a third-rank official.

Ning Chen has pacified Beiju Luzhou, so it's easy to imagine that he will become a favorite of the Jade Emperor in the future.

When King Qin Guang heard that Ning Chen had been promoted to a fourth-rank official, he felt quite regretful.

How could I have slighted this gentleman before!

Ning Chen didn't beat around the bush and took out a ball of shimmering white light wrapped in immortal magic from his sleeve.

Within that light, there was a faint, almost imperceptible soul shadow, like a candle flame, trembling in the wind, as if it could be extinguished at any moment.

"I would like to trouble King Qin Guang to arrange for this person to be reincarnated. Hmm, it would be best if he were born as a boy, and a handsome one at that!"

King Qin Guang took it and frowned. He pondered for a long time before speaking.

"Envoy Ningbei, to be honest, the Six Paths of Reincarnation are governed by the order of Heaven. All living beings are reborn according to their karma. Although I have a divine duty, I would never dare to arbitrarily change the principle of reincarnation."

"Um?"

Upon hearing this, Ning Chen's eyes widened slightly. "You, King Qin Guang, do you really want me to invoke the name of Erlang Shen Zhenjun before you'll do anything?"

When King Qin Guang saw that he was slightly angry, his heart skipped a beat. The name of this Ningbei envoy was known to everyone.

"Meeting Ning Chen once is a mistake for life"—this saying is widely circulated among immortals.

He was afraid that Ning Chen would offend him and that he would lose his throne.

He quickly changed the subject and said cautiously.

"Moreover... this soul is extremely weak, like a candle flickering in the wind. Even if it is reborn into the human realm, it may not be able to withstand the innate energy in the womb. It will be born as a stupid and dull child, destined for a miserable life."

Ning Chen used his divine sense to carefully examine the situation and found that Yang Tianyou's soul was indeed extremely weak and almost no longer human.

Although Yao Ji wrapped him in her own soul back then, Tianyou was, after all, a mortal, and his soul had suffered many hardships and was already exhausted.

King Qin Guang was not lying.

Ning Chen frowned slightly and had no choice but to ask.

"Then, in King Qin Guang's opinion, what should be done?"

King Qin Guang stroked his long beard and spoke slowly.

"In my humble opinion, we might as well let him be reborn as grass or trees first. Grass and trees have no senses or consciousness, and although they are of the lowest quality, they are the best at nurturing the soul. When we find him in Ningzhong Courtyard in the future, we can use immortal techniques to nourish him every day. Once his soul is stable, we can then send him to be reborn as a human. That would be the safest approach."

Ning Chen looked down at the wisp of soul and knew that Brother Yang really couldn't withstand the torment of the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

Even if he were to be reincarnated, he would still be competing for opportunities, unable to compete with the tens of millions of brothers who started at the same time.

Ning Chen nodded.

"We will proceed as suggested, and humbly request King Qin Guang's assistance in making the necessary arrangements!"

Ning Chen didn't rely on King Qin Guang; he personally used a magic incantation to slowly imprint a restriction on that wisp of remnant soul.

A flash of white light disappeared into it, and the soul seemed to tremble slightly before falling silent again.

Ning Chen withdrew his hand.

"After he is reincarnated, I will find a way to find him."

King Qin Guang hurriedly ordered the judge to record the matter, daring not to neglect it.

After exchanging a few polite words with King Qin Guang and other immortals, Ning Chen took his leave.

He had just stepped out of the Yama's Palace when he looked up at the sliver of celestial light shining down from the Netherworld. He was about to ride a cloud to the Heavenly Court to report back to the Jade Emperor.

Suddenly, his soul was shaken, surging like a tidal wave.

Ning Chen knew that the time limit for conquering the Divine Realm in Journey to the West was approaching.