The Imperial Preceptor of the Everpeace Empire frowned as he surveyed the battlefield. Across the field, countless ghostly flames flickered—those were Youdu Underworld Envoys carrying lanterns, each ferrying a boatload of fallen souls toward the Netherworld.
If they refused to let this old Underworld Envoy take Quinn away, and a conflict broke out, so many envoys could probably flatten High-Emperor Heaven to bare earth.
He glanced at Quinn, hesitating. Quinn smiled and said, "I've been to the Netherworld twice. The first time, I was harmed by the Dutian Demon King and my soul fell into Youdu..."
"It was I who saved you and sent you back to the living world," said the old man behind the lantern.
Quinn was startled and looked toward the old man behind the lantern, but still couldn’t make out his face.
"The second time, I fell into the Netherworld together with the Great Venerable, Bruno the Dragon-Qilin, and Brother White Bat, and survived again."
Quinn steadied himself, stepped off the tower-ship, and boarded the little boat. He waved to everyone, smiling gently: "The Netherworld isn’t as dangerous as you imagine. I’m just going to explain the karma of those forty-eight thousand souls. Once I’m done, I’ll be back."
Bruno the Dragon-Qilin opened his mouth to speak, thought better of it, and swallowed his words. He muttered inwardly, "Cult Master’s gotten muddled—how could the Netherworld not be dangerous? It’s full of bizarre monsters, and then there’s that terrifying Lord Zhenxing hunting souls... But my own status is shaky now, Tiger Bro has outshone me, so I’d better keep quiet. If Cult Master gets angry, I’ll lose my supply of spirit pills."
Black Tiger God stepped forward, about to speak, but the Imperial Preceptor raised a hand to block him, shook his head, and said, "Should the Cult Master leave his physical body behind?"
Quinn’s heart stirred—he instantly understood the Preceptor’s intention. He wanted Quinn to leave his body behind; if Quinn couldn’t return, they could use a soul-calling ritual to forcibly retrieve his spirit.
"No need to worry, Preceptor," Quinn replied.
Quinn took the little dragon hanging from his ear, waved his hand, and smiled: "It’s safer to bring my body along. I’ll borrow this little dragon again when I return from the Netherworld."
The Imperial Preceptor was momentarily stunned, not understanding his meaning. The little boat drifted away into the darkness, vanishing from sight. The little dragon flew back to the ship, coiling itself around Ethan Qin.
"Why doesn’t the Cult Master leave his body behind?"
The Imperial Preceptor was puzzled and murmured, "If several gods performed the soul-calling ritual together, they should be able to summon his spirit back from the Netherworld..."
Standing on the little boat, Quinn looked around and saw countless boats laden with ghosts emerging from the darkness, streaming deeper into the Netherworld. The lanterns on these boats were dim, and from afar they looked like lanterns drifting through a pure black night sky.
King Yama had once told him that if he ever had the chance, he must visit the Netherworld. This time, his refusal of the Preceptor’s suggestion was partly for that reason.
King Yama had been vague, but Quinn still keenly sensed that his birth in the Netherworld couldn’t be simple. This summons from Tu Bo was also a rare opportunity—perhaps he could uncover the secret of his origins.
The little boat drifted swiftly, yet inside it felt as if they weren’t moving at all—only the dim, indistinct world outside was receding into the distance.
Quinn felt a tremor in his heart. He had boarded from High-Emperor Heaven, and looking back, he could still see it fading into the distance.
But aside from High-Emperor Heaven, Quinn saw countless other worlds—each one magnificent in its own way. From every world, little boats hung with lanterns sailed out, streaming endlessly into the dark.
From afar, the dark skies and dim lanterns of those worlds made Quinn’s thoughts wander. He couldn’t help but imagine their scenery—what epic or sorrowful stories might unfold there, what bold or passionate people might live within them.
"Actually, this is your fourth time coming to the Netherworld."
At the bow, the old Underworld Envoy hung his lantern, turned to face Quinn, and said calmly, "You were born in the Netherworld, so this is your fourth visit."
Quinn’s curiosity was piqued. He asked, "Senior, I have no memory of my birth. May I ask if you could tell me about it?"
"Your birth caused a great stir, shaking all corners of the Netherworld. In the end, the major powers unanimously decided to exile you."
He studied the old man’s face carefully, but still couldn’t make out his true features.
The old Underworld Envoy drawled, "So you were exiled. What happened after that, I don’t know."
Quinn was stunned, then chuckled, "I was just a newborn baby—how could I have caused such a commotion? And for you Netherworld big shots to exile an infant, isn’t that a bit heartless?"
"It was quite merciful, actually."
The old Underworld Envoy said unhurriedly, "Given what you did, just exiling you was already merciful. Afterward, the major powers were so pleased they celebrated for days."
"What exactly did I do?"
Quinn was even more puzzled. "What could a tiny baby possibly do?"
The old Underworld Envoy didn’t answer. The little boat sailed into another world, moving through the darkness. After a while, they entered a smaller world within that one.
Quinn looked up and saw the sun, moon, and five luminaries, as well as a sky full of stars—dazzling and radiant, shining with every color.
In the sky, there was a Divine Bridge, and atop it stood the Primordial Spirit of a god.
"This is the Divine Bridge Treasury of a powerful cultivator!"
Quinn exclaimed in surprise, "We’ve entered a powerful being’s Divine Treasury."
The old Underworld Envoy took out a register, glanced at it, found a name, and announced, "Han Zhen, your lifespan is up. I’ll return in three days to fetch you—settle your affairs."
The Primordial Spirit atop the bridge looked down, its gaze somber. "Understood. Thank you for granting me three more days."