Three months later, in the Underworld, before the Hall of Life and Death.
The main gate slowly opened a crack. A short, stout ghost messenger slipped inside, nodded to his colleagues on either side, and hurried toward the main hall, shouting, "Lord Yama! The demon army from Blossom Mountain is almost here!"
"The demon army?" King Brightcourt's expression darkened. Pointing at the ghost messenger crouched on the ground, he asked in a low voice, "You mean, he brought a lot of demons?"
"A lot." The ghost messenger nodded vigorously.
"How many?"
"There are..." The ghost messenger lowered his head, counted for a while, then looked up and said, "There are several thousand."
"Several thousand?" All the Yama Kings present exchanged glances.
One of the judges whispered, "Should we summon the Yellow Springs Legion?"
"No need." King Brightcourt gritted his teeth and shouted, "Prepare to receive them—!"
"Yes, sir!"
A world shrouded in pitch darkness, swept by a biting wind—a demon army of two thousand flew forward in formation, gazes fixed on the scattered patches of forest below, marveling at the sight.
For most of them, this was their first time entering the Underworld.
Unlike the Heavenly Court, the Underworld and the mortal realm are not directly connected—there is no grand entrance like South Heaven Gate. Instead, a simple magical barrier separates these two entirely different worlds.
Of course, not everyone can cross this magical barrier. To perform the spell alone, one must be at least of the Spirit-Refinement Stage. With the Underworld's baleful energy so harmful to the living, it's no wonder that among these two thousand demons of Spirit-Refinement rank and above, few have ever set foot here.
After a long while, a towering mountain slowly appeared on the horizon.
The mountain, soaring a thousand zhang high, stood at the center of the plain. Flickering firelight dotted its slopes from base to summit. By the dim glow, Monkey—with his keen eyesight—could make out the strange sculptures scattered across its surface.
Monkey gestured for the entire force to hover in place, then turned to his Second Brother and asked quietly, "Is that the Hall of Life and Death?"
A demon clad in Blossom Mountain’s standard armor, with a grotesque purple face, drifted closer to Monkey and replied softly, "Yes. There are more lights than usual tonight."
"Probably preparing to welcome the Great Sage Equal to Heaven," laughed another demon with a green, ugly face.
The two strange demons—one blue-faced, one purple—were none other than Second Brother Youquan and Fourth Brother Yiyuan. Of Subhuti’s Nine Immortal Disciples, only these two could move freely for now; the rest remained in Crescent Star Cave, reflecting on their mistakes.
The baleful energy in the air grew heavier and heavier. The demon army touched down and began to march on foot.
Several hundred zhang ahead, a massive moat appeared before them—surely the legendary Stygian River.
Countless rickety single-plank bridges spanned the river, their numbers impossible to tally. Each bridge led to the Hall of Life and Death on one end, while the other ends radiated out in all directions. In front stood a stone stele inscribed with four large characters: 'All Roads Lead to the Same End.'
Monkey asked quietly, "Isn’t it supposed to be called the Stygian Bridge?"
Youquan smiled faintly. "Not so. The Stygian Bridge is beyond the Ten Courts, only used when souls are reincarnated. These bridges are for guiding the departed from all directions."
"I see," Monkey muttered, staring blankly at the struggling souls in the Stygian River. "Who are those people?"
Youquan explained, "Those who owe debts, those who steal joy after taking advantage—anyone who wishes to cross the Stygian River must first soak in these corpse-laden waters for a time. Only when their suffering has repaid the debts of the mortal world can they enter the Hall of Life and Death for judgment." Leading the demons, he turned aside. "The Stygian River’s baleful energy is deadly to the living; in the Underworld, it’s a natural barrier. But in front of the Hall stands a main bridge, reserved for Heavenly officials. That’s the way we’ll go."
"There’s only one bridge?" Heizi whispered. "Could they be lying in wait for us there?"
Monkey closed his eyes and carefully sensed the surroundings. "No sign of a large force. Everyone here is at least Refining Spirit realm—if there’s an ambush, it won’t matter."
Turning his face, Monkey instructed Wind Bell, "Don’t stray more than ten steps from me."
Wind Bell nodded nervously.
She stared blankly at Monkey, her hand hidden in her sleeve, clutching the Adamantine Ring tightly.
She herself wasn’t even sure why she’d come on this journey.
Birdie was in Tusita Palace, but should she really tell Monkey?
If one day Monkey learned he’d met Birdie before, and that she’d deliberately kept it secret, what kind of fury would he unleash? Would he ever forgive her?
Maybe he’d hate her, blame her, and never see her again.
Her small heart was filled with restless anxiety. Yet even so, she said nothing—like a stubborn child who’s done wrong, foolishly waiting to be found out.
Waiting for punishment…
The army set out once again.