Whenever the topic of the Corpse Realm came up, John Chou's expression grew grave.
"Those guys, without question, will likely choose to cooperate with Emperor God and his group. But Tan Tian is a major headache. As for the others, except for Luantian Xuekui, that Luna Quay fellow hasn't shown up yet—he might be plotting something. When we get back, it's best to ask Luantian Xuekui about it."
"These matters can wait for now. Once Ethan Zhang returns, I need to start searching for my Hundred Ghosts and reclaim my Bloodbane Power. That's the priority."
While we were talking, Zhang Xiaochun and Li Jiayuan started arguing. We went over to them and saw that there were hardly any spaces left on the board—it was clear the game would end in a draw. It was Li Jiayuan's turn.
"Brother Li, it's a draw. Hurry up."
"Not necessarily. Let me think for a moment."
John Chou squatted down, studied the board seriously for a while, then started to smile.
"Both sides still have a chance to win. It's just a matter of whether you see it or not."
After a while, the two finally shook hands and called it a draw, then turned to ask John Chou about it.
John Chou explained everything to them in detail, and only then did they suddenly understand.
"When it comes to chess, you're still the best, John Chou. No one's ever beaten you."
Li Jiayuan said this, and Zhang Xiaochun nodded in agreement.
"Whether you go first or second, the destination is always the same—victory. Do you remember what I used to tell you?"
Both nodded. At that moment, I noticed a large number of skeletons in the distance, starting to investigate our surroundings.
"This is such a hassle, John Chou."
Soon, Yuna Ji descended, and it was clear that other Ghost Sovereigns were also arriving one after another.
In less than ten minutes, all the Ghost Sovereigns had arrived. Except for Mona Ouyang, everyone brought someone: Basil Bertram brought Serena Jing; Lord Shenyang brought Madam Gongsun and Pei Min; Redmond brought Zifeng and Wuming; Yunmei brought Nungpo, and there was a young, unfamiliar Specter—a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy, cold and handsome.
John Chou began to explain everything in detail—all that had happened before.
"John Chou, do you really think cooperating with the Underworld Court is foolproof?"
Mona Ouyang muttered, and Redmond's face grew noticeably serious.
"From a profit perspective, either side offers huge advantages. But I still lean toward the Underworld Court—stability is best. If everything falls into chaos, that's bad news for me."
Lord Shenyan didn't voice an opinion, choosing instead to rely on John Chou's judgment.
"I agree that stability is essential. I've had enough of fighting."
"Uncle, how can you..."
Just as Serena Jing started to speak, Basil Bertram raised his hand to interrupt her.
"Serena, these things have nothing to do with us anymore. Times have changed. As long as everyone can live freely, that's enough."
I understood that for Basil Bertram, who'd long lost the will to fight, his approach was reasonable—especially now that his relationship with his daughter Leah King was repaired. He clearly didn't want to get involved.
"Anyway, I don't think cooperating with the Underworld Court will end well."
Mona Ouyang continued, and the discussion grew more chaotic as everyone started talking at once.
"Everyone, the three-day deadline is just hours away. Let's get serious and think about what we need to gain from working with the Underworld Court."
With just one sentence from John Chou, everyone fell silent—including myself. I also wanted something from working with the Underworld Court, especially the list of these Forsaken. I planned to track them down one by one.
"They're here."
Yvonne May spoke; she was the only Ghost Sovereign who hadn't voiced any opinion.
A rumbling sound echoed. We all looked toward the towering, smooth mountain wall. With a bang, both sides of the wall split open. Two red beams of light shot out instantly, forming barriers hundreds of meters away on either side of us, then circled behind, completely enclosing the area.
With a whooshing sound, the Underworld Marshals appeared before us—ten in total. I saw the Day Patrol and Night Patrol who hadn't chased us earlier. One was white, one was black, their true forms hidden, faces covered except for eyes and mouths. That gluttonous fellow was here too; he plopped down, licking his lips and patting his belly.
"Long time no see, Boss Redmond, haha."
As soon as he arrived, the glutton greeted Redmond, who nodded. Apparently, their business partnership was now on track—which explained why Redmond had decided to cooperate with the Underworld Court.
Lady Meng approached, leaning on her cane. The Ten Marshals of Hades formed two rows, standing apart. Then, three wide chairs rose from the ground, spaced two or three meters apart. Numbers appeared on the chairs: one, five, and ten.
It was obvious: First Tribunal Judge King Quentin, Fifth Tribunal Judge Bao, and Tenth Tribunal King of Reincarnation. A ball of red light appeared above the chairs.
A majestic, booming laugh rang out. On the left, a stern-faced man with angry eyes and a curtain crown appeared—King Quentin. In the middle, a black-faced man with a crescent moon mark on his forehead—Judge Bao. On the right, an elderly man with graying beard, nearly ancient—King of Reincarnation.