As the doors closed, Tian Ling'er stared in a daze.
"Zhong Shan, you both look exactly alike," Tian Ling'er said, still shaken by the uncanny feeling.
Zhong Shan: "..."
"We are one person, of course we look identical!" Zhong Shan replied, exasperated.
The won: "..."
Inside the Yin-Yang Hall, the doors were tightly shut, and the nine stood waiting for the Yin-Yang Path to open. Strange symbols were carved on the ground, walls, and ceiling. Sixteen purple-gold dragons were positioned around the hall, facing its center.
In the middle of the hall was the Taiji Diagram brought by Zhong Shan. The Taiji Diagram was slowly rotating, emitting a soft green and white light. As it turned, it seed to fill the surrounding symbols with energy, causing them to pulse.
The Mud Buddha stepped forward and touched the eyes of the yin-yang fish on the Taiji Diagram. Instantly, the diagram spun faster, becoming a blur of green and white light. The sixteen purple-gold dragons exhaled yellow energy toward the Taiji Diagram.
The collision of the green and white light with the yellow energy created a perfectly square portal. Beyond the portal was pitch black, revealing nothing.
"Let's go," the Mud Buddha said, stepping through the portal first.
Zhong Shan looked at the door and then followed. The others stepped through as well.
As Zhong Shan experienced the peculiar sensation, it reminded him of the small temple that led to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
"Whoosh!"
They erged, finding themselves back in the Yin-Yang Hall.
"Huh?" Zhong Shan was slightly confused.
The group realized they had returned to the sa hall they had just left.
"This is the underworld," the Mud Buddha announced.
"No, this is still the sa Yin-Yang Hall," Hao ili exclaid.
"This is the underworld. I built two Yin-Yang Halls, one in the living world and one in the underworld. When the Yin-Yang Path opened, the second Yin-Yang Hall was simultaneously transferred to the underworld. The outside world is now the underworld," the Mud Buddha explained.
"So, this ans we can establish a fixed teleportation point?" Zhong Shan's eyes lit up.
"Your Majesty is wise!" the Mud Buddha replied, clearly pleased.
"Let's open the door and see for ourselves!" Xianxian suggested, quickly pushing the door open.
The grand doors of the Yin-Yang Hall swung open. The group eagerly peered outside, full of anticipation. What would the underworld be like?
"Clack, clack, clack, clack..."
As soon as the doors opened, a rattling sound filled the air, and a dozen skeletal figures rushed inside.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Xianxian scread and jumped back in terror. Despite her martial prowess, she was still a girl raised like a delicate flower in a greenhouse. Seeing a dozen skeletons rushing at her right as she opened the door was a horrifying sight.
"Boom!"
Sha Po unleashed his aura, sending the skeletons flying. Xianxian, having regained her composure, stuck out her tongue in embarrassnt.
A wave of Yin energy surged in as soon as the door opened, making everyone feel a chilling presence. While Xianxian frowned at the unpleasant sensation, Mr. Corpse closed his eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the energy.
"Let's go!" Zhong Shan commanded, stepping out of the hall, followed closely by the others.
As they exited the hall, Zhong Shan took a deep breath. The underworld was vastly different from the living world.
Before them stood a towering mountain surrounded by smaller hills. Below, the ground was covered with endless white bones. It looked like a scene from hell, or rather, the underworld's inferno.
Countless skeletons road aimlessly over the sea of bones. They moved with no clear purpose, creating an eerie atmosphere.
Suddenly, many skeletons seed to sense sothing and turned towards the Yin-Yang Hall, slowly approaching Zhong Shan and his group.
More skeletons gathered, quickly surrounding the hall.
Sha Po once again unleashed his powerful aura, sending dozens of skeletons flying. As an Emperor Extre Realm expert, his strength was formidable in both the living world and the underworld. His aura kept the skeletons at bay.
In the distance, Zhong Shan noticed not only human-shaped skeletons but also horse-shaped and wolf-shaped ones. They all seed to lack intelligence.
"This must be an ancient battlefield!" Mr. Corpse speculated.
"Oh?" Zhong Shan turned to Mr. Corpse.
"Your Majesty, do you rember when I summoned endless skeletons to fight during the eight-gate golden lock formation at the Yin Moon Dynasty?" Mr. Corpse asked.
"Yes."
"That was an ancient battlefield. The ground was filled with countless corpses that had decayed, leaving only bones. In the living world, the Yin energy is weak, so those bones couldn't absorb much Yin energy. But here in the underworld, surrounded by Yin energy, ancient battlefields over ti can absorb this energy, creating skeletons that move around. However, it's difficult for them to develop intelligence, so they just wander around this area," Mr. Corpse explained.
"Is the Yin energy here heavier than in other places?" Zhong Shan asked.
"Yes," Mr. Corpse confird.
Zhong Shan looked at the surrounding skeletons and nodded. With his courage, these undead creatures posed no real threat.
"What's that in the sky? The sun? The moon?" Xianxian asked, puzzled as she looked up.
Everyone looked up and saw a sky filled with stars and a large red object that was hard to identify as either the sun or the moon.
"That's the Red Moon," Mr. Corpse explained.
"In the living world, we have the Golden Sun and Silver Moon, but in the underworld, it's the Purple Sun and Red Moon. Both realms have sun and moon, just in different forms," Mr. Corpse explained.
"So that's the moon of the underworld?" Xianxian took a deep breath.
"Your Majesty, as I ntioned in the living world, my lineage, the Mud Buddha, has left so things in certain places in the underworld. I need to retrieve them. It will take no more than three years, and I will return to reunite with you," the Mud Buddha suddenly said to Zhong Shan.
Zhong Shan, understanding the importance of the request, nodded without hesitation.
"The Yin-Yang Hall here must be protected. It's our passage between the two realms," the Mud Buddha bowed slightly.
"Don't worry. This hall is our lifeline between worlds. I will protect it well," Zhong Shan reassured.
With another bow, the Mud Buddha soared into the sky and flew off in a chosen direction.
As the Mud Buddha departed, Mr. Corpse watched him with a deep, contemplative look. Among everyone, aside from Zhong Shan, the Mud Buddha was the person Mr. Corpse found most inscrutable.
"The Yin-Yang Path, a feng shui master..." Mr. Corpse murmured, taking in a breath of the Yin energy.
"Zhong Shan, my master and I will also be leaving now," Hao ili suddenly spoke up.
"Eh?" Zhong Shan looked at her in surprise.
"Why not stay with us?" Zhong Shan asked, frowning.
"I don't need your pity!" Hao ili retorted stubbornly.
Pity? Hao ili could see that Zhong Shan was helping her out of fear that she would be captured by Ao Sihai. While there was nothing worthwhile in the living world for her, descending to the underworld provided an opportunity. Once she grew stronger, she planned to return and make Ao Sihai and the entire Dragon Clan pay.
Though she felt a bit grateful for Zhong Shan's help, her pride made her reject the idea of being pitied. Hao ili was proud and did not want to feel indebted to anyone.
The Western Poison Emperor beside her smiled wryly.
Seeing through Hao ili's thoughts, Zhong Shan sighed and took out a white jade plaque.
"Since you want to explore, be careful. Besides Heavenly Extre Realm experts, no one can stop you. If you need help, co to . This is an ancient 'Heavenly Evil Curse' technique I ca across. It's said that your constitution is immune to curse backlashes. Study it; it might help you deal with Ao Sihai," Zhong Shan said, handing her the jade plaque.
The Heavenly Evil Curse was a powerful spellbook, a legacy of the Crystal Demon, although the demon had t a pitiful end at the hands of the Dark Emperor. The spellbook eventually ended up with Zhong Shan.
Hao ili glanced at Zhong Shan with a complicated expression but accepted the plaque without protest.
"Rember, Zhong Shan, you must help obtain the remaining twenty-two Immortal Monunts," Hao ili insisted.
"Rest assured," Zhong Shan nodded.
"Master, let's go!" Hao ili said, as if she were the master instead of the Western Poison Emperor.
The Western Poison Emperor gave a helpless smile, said a brief farewell, and then followed Hao ili as they swiftly flew away.
"Your Majesty, I believe it will take so ti to establish a firm foothold here. I would like to scout the surrounding regions first," Wei Taizhong suddenly said, bowing.
"Why do you want to leave too?" Xianxian frowned.
Zhong Shan looked at Wei Taizhong and sighed, "Be careful."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Wei Taizhong bowed deeply once more.
With that, Wei Taizhong also flew off in a chosen direction.
In an instant, four people had left. Only Zhong Shan, Xianxian, Sha Po, Mr. Corpse, and Lin Xiao remained.
Watching the departures, Xianxian pouted her adorable lips.
The remaining three looked at Zhong Shan, awaiting his instructions.
"Sha Po, scout the surroundings and establish our position here!" Zhong Shan ordered.
"Yes!" Sha Po replied and flew up to start his reconnaissance.
Having an Emperor Extre Realm expert as a scout was a luxury only Zhong Shan could afford.
"Mr. Corpse, can you control these skeletons?" Zhong Shan turned to Mr. Corpse.
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