"Bro, someone’s come to visit you in prison and brought you food!"
Quinn Shepherd peeled away the willow leaf at his brow and spoke to the giant infant suppressed inside the Qin‑glyph continent: "It’s a big girl, very pretty, but she’s got a snake’s tail—and she speaks with a man’s voice."
"I never turn down food!"
The infant looked up, overjoyed, then suddenly grew suspicious: "You’re not tricking me, are you? If you’re lying, I’ll beat you to death and eat you. If you’re not lying, I’ll eat you while you’re still alive."
Before Quinn could reply, Lady Lurien’s voice echoed roughly from the Nai River, chuckling: "Fenix Greenwood, I’m not here for you this time—consider it a reprieve. Sooner or later, you’ll end up in my hands."
Her body was clearly female, but the voice was thick and masculine—deeply uncanny.
Lady Lurien’s tail rippled as she swam forward along the Nai River.
The infant inside the Qin‑glyph continent flew into a rage: "You rotten little brother, you really are tricking me! Get in here and let me beat you to death—then I’ll rip off your head and legs and eat you!"
Nearby, Heaven Duke’s Ray‑Avatar and the Crimson Emperor’s Brain had already hidden deep within the Qin‑glyph mountains, terrified of being caught up in his wrath.
Quinn pressed the willow leaf back on his brow and laughed: "How come Lady Lurien is so tactful this time?"
Just as he spoke, huge bodies began swimming beneath the Nai River’s surface, speeding under the Naihe Bridge.
Quinn’s expression froze—those were countless Netherworld monsters and demon gods!
Led by Lady Lurien, the Netherworld demon gods surged through the Nai River with untold numbers of monsters in tow!
Under the river’s surface, those slick, pitch-black bodies were massive, yet in the fire-water currents they darted about as nimbly as fish. The sheer numbers made Quinn’s scalp tingle.
"The Four Netherworld Marshals stationed by the Heavenly Court in Youdu have arrived!"
Old Ox peered under the bridge and said, "This time, when they open Nether City, they’re aiming to turn it into another Mingdu. Once it’s built, Nether City will be as vast as Mingdu. I bet not only Lady Lurien, but also Marshal Noctis, Marshal Thunderbane, and Lord Deluge will make a move. Even Prince Umbral won’t be able to sit still."
He punched the Nai River, sending water and fire spraying everywhere, but couldn’t harm the demon gods and monsters beneath the surface at all.
That’s because the Nai River marks the boundary between Nether City and the Netherworld. Those monsters seemed to swim underwater, but in truth, they were moving through the Netherworld itself.
Old Ox’s martial arts were fierce and domineering, and as a High Heaven Hall Stage grandmaster, he was formidable—but he still couldn’t break through the boundary to strike those monsters and demon gods.
He only knew martial divine arts and wasn’t too familiar with Netherworld divine arts.
"Prince Umbral will make a move too?"
Quinn asked in confusion, "But Southern Heavenly King Aurora Yates is right here—does he dare show his face?"
Quinn had heard some of the tangled history between Aurora Yates and Prince Umbral; the Pioneer Emperor had quietly told him about their past.
Back then, Prince Umbral courted Aurora Yates, but on their wedding night he struck, murdering her and suppressing her corpse at the very bottom of the Nether Prison.
Now Aurora Yates is opening Nether City—does Prince Umbral really dare show up?
"If he does show up, I’ll have to admire his shamelessness."
Just as Quinn thought this, Nether City’s space began to shake—the sky split open, and Prince Umbral’s face appeared in the rift, two giant eyes rolling and scanning all around.
Quinn was stunned.
Old Ox said, "You underestimate his shamelessness. If Prince Umbral is here, these Netherworld monsters and demon gods can probably invade Nether City too."
Before he finished speaking, Prince Umbral’s mouth opened in the sky, muttering profound, obscure Netherworld speech. Churning demonic energy gathered at his brow and formed a vertical eye.
The vertical eye opened—a black beam shot down from the sky, slicing into the fire-water currents of the Nai River, splitting it apart. From the split river leapt demon gods, roaring loudly.
Prince Umbral’s gaze fell from the sky, cutting straight down, quickly reaching the Bridge Between Life and Death.
Sam Oxley roared, his body swelling into a sky-high bull-headed god. He punched out, shattering Prince Umbral’s beam.
Quinn looked at the Nai River and saw countless monsters swarming like ants, madly crawling out—climbing from the Netherworld through the rift into Nether City.
"So that’s Old Farmer’s mount—the old ox."
Prince Umbral immediately noticed the bridge, laughing, "If it were your master, I might reconsider. Hey, Fenix Greenwood’s here too—your flesh belongs to me…"
At that moment, a blade-light shot skyward—Tanner Shue swung his saber at Prince Umbral, who only sneered and let the blade strike his face.
The face was split, then vanished from the sky—only for another face to appear, still Prince Umbral’s.
As Tanner Shue prepared to strike again, suddenly the dark heavens over Nether City filled with faces—hundreds of Prince Umbral’s handsome visages, blocking out the sky!
Hundreds of faces opened their mouths in unison, and from each mouth stretched an arm—hundreds of arms reaching down all at once!
Tanner Shue wielded his Imperial Gate Divine Saber, chopping down one giant hand after another, but more hands kept reaching down.
Sam Oxley stood on the bridge, his fists fierce and domineering, knocking back the grasping hands—but there were simply too many for him to hold off.
At the same time, the Four Netherworld Marshals crossed the Nai River, rallying tens of thousands of Netherworld demon gods and leading endless hordes of monsters to attack the gods and demons within Nether City.
Within Nether City, the roars of gods and demons shook the heavens as they rushed to meet the assault. The banks of the Nai River were instantly plunged into a terrifying slaughter.
Suddenly, as he was opening Nether City, Lord Hades soared over, spreading his cloak wide—at once, the vast God-City was enveloped beneath it.
With a flick, Lord Hades snapped his cloak open. Along the Nai River’s banks, everywhere was now bare, jagged white bone!
Countless monsters and demon gods, all turned to white bone by his power.
"Pioneer Emperor’s adopted son, you’ve got some skill! But your Netherworld divine arts still aren’t fully mastered!"
In the sky, giant hands snatched down, seizing Lord Hades’s cloak and lifting him up. Alarmed, Lord Hades let out a thunderous shout and drew his sword to hack at the hands grabbing him!
[End of Chapter. Please click next page to continue reading!]
Lady Lurien, Juyhuang, Xuanming, and Hanlei—the Four Netherworld Marshals—seized the chance to storm into the city, unleashing a massacre. Most of the gods and demons in Nether City were only Primordial Spirits; even though they’d regained flesh in the realm of the living dead, they couldn’t withstand the Four Marshals. Many were instantly annihilated, their souls scattered.
Suddenly, a great portal flew over and crashed down at the center of heaven and earth.
"Mingdu Heaven Gate!"
The gods and demons cried out in alarm. The Mingdu Heaven Gate’s power descended, and everyone’s Primordial Spirit was instantly crushed—one after another, they were forced to the ground, unable to move.
Aurora Yates floated up, barefoot atop the Mingdu Heaven Gate. Looking up, she smiled faintly and said, "Husband, why not come in person? Why only send a projection? I’d love to hear your sweet nothings again."
In the dark heavens, Prince Umbral’s many faces trembled, then merged into one—and slowly faded away.
"Aurora Yates, I truly wronged you. That’s why I won’t fight you—not because I fear you."
His voice grew more and more distant: "But my task is done. I didn’t split Nether City to stop you personally, but to let Netherworld’s power in. Lord Hades, you cut off Tu Bo’s horn to found Nether City—now it’s time to settle your grudge with Tu Bo! My work here is finished…"
Aurora Yates’s heart lurched—she hurriedly looked toward the Nai River.
Suddenly, the Nai River fell utterly silent.
The monsters and demon gods that surged from the river stopped fighting, frozen in place. Lady Lurien, Xuanming, and the other Four Netherworld Marshals stood guard before the demon god army, ready and waiting.
From the Nai River, a paper boat floated out, its lantern shining like a pillar, illuminating Nether City.
At the bow, an old man with an indistinct face stood up, lifted the lantern, his expression blank.
Then more and more paper boats floated out—countless boats flying from the Nai River, each with an old man holding a lantern bright enough to tear through the darkness.
The countless paper boats rose into the sky, their lanterns shining in all directions. The heavens shook, twisted, and shrank; the earth rumbled, mountains in the darkness collapsed into the ground, restoring the land to flatness!
The space that Aurora Yates, Tanner Shue, and Lord Hades had just opened together was instantly restored to its original state by the old Underworld Couriers!
"War-Dead Heaven Palace!"
Lord Hades roared, the earth shook, and in the darkness, city after city of black iron suddenly appeared—towering walls like forged black steel, deep within Nether City. This was the War-Dead Heaven Palace, one of the thirty-six palaces of the Kaihuang Heaven Court.
"Spirits of the Pioneer Era who died in battle!"
Lord Hades glared at the endless paper boats, drew his sword and raised it high, shouting fiercely: "Bones of the Pioneer Era fallen! I beg you—fight once more for the Pioneer Emperor!"
Boom. Boom.
From each black iron city came terrifying tremors. Inside, towering white-bone skeletons slowly rose, grasping tattered weapons, standing silently, blue flames burning in their eye sockets.
These were gods and demons who died in the Pioneer Era’s final battle. Their divine bones were buried in Nether City, but now, answering Lord Hades’s call, they awakened from death.
Suddenly, the gates of a black iron city swung open—a three-headed beast charged out, carrying a white-bone god, galloping forward at breakneck speed.
The white-bone god hoisted a tattered banner, the wind unfurling it—faintly, you could see the character for ‘Moon’.
Atop the Mingdu Heaven Gate, Aurora Yates stared blankly at the ‘Moon’ Banner—tears suddenly welled up and spilled down her cheeks.
That was her banner.
As the First Heavenly King, she commanded her own army of gods and demons. But before the disaster, she had left—to marry Prince Umbral.
Now, she saw her banner again—but her subordinates had become bone.
Even as bones, they still bore her banner!
The white-bone god raced forward; suddenly, the beast beneath him halted. With a heavy stomp, the god planted the banner beneath the Mingdu Heaven Gate, lifting his head and chest in proud defiance.
Behind him, countless white-bone gods and demons marched, stopping in perfect order at his back.
Gate after gate of black iron cities swung open, releasing even more white-bone gods and demons. They formed silent phalanxes, facing off against the paper boats in the sky.
On the paper boats, the old men shook their sleeves, sending forth countless paper men and paper horses that transformed into an army of gods and demons.
Neither side made a sound—they simply confronted each other in silence.
"To cut off Tu Bo’s horn is to pay a price."
On one paper boat, the Underworld Courier held his lantern and spoke with utter calm: "The rules of Netherworld cannot be broken. Today, Fengdu will be restored. No lives lost if you comply—if not, nothing will survive."
Aurora Yates and the others felt a chill. Tanner Shue clutched his wine jar, pouring drink down his throat and shouting, "Lord Prefect! I’m the one who chopped Tu Bo’s horn—if you want trouble, come for me alone!"
"You’re drunk again."
The old man on the paper boat glanced at him, replying coolly: "Don’t bother resisting. Over a million years, worlds destroyed for defying me are beyond count. Break the rules of Netherworld, and no one is innocent."
Aurora Yates sneered, "Mingdu is also Tu Bo’s horn! Why not destroy Mingdu instead of bullying us? Netherworld’s rules are nonsense—if someone stronger comes, they can twist your so-called rules however they want!"
The Underworld Courier frowned, saying no more.
The lantern light kept shining—Fengdu was about to be restored to its original state.
Lord Hades gritted his teeth, gripping his sword tightly, and said in a low voice, "Prepare for a fight to the death!"
The Underworld Courier sighed: "Stubborn as ever."
Suddenly, on the Bridge Between Life and Death, Quinn Shepherd carved a mask and tossed it onto a paper boat below.
The Underworld Courier looked down at the mask—a familiar ghost-face mask, streaked with two lines of tears.
The Underworld Courier looked up at the bridge; Quinn Shepherd said softly, "I understand now. I’m back."
The Underworld Courier shuddered violently. Suddenly, all the paper boats collided, countless Couriers merged into one, and he bent down to pick up the mask.
The old man stared at the mask for a moment, then put it on the back of his head.
"Shepherd."
He looked up at the youth on the bridge: "You’ve returned. Do you know how many years have passed?"
[Shepherd returns! Accidentally wrote 3,700 words—excitedly asking for votes!]