The atmosphere in the room remained tense and deadlocked. At this moment, Xu Fu turned around and began to walk slowly.
At that moment, all ten Tribunal Judges bowed deeply. Their reverence was palpable, filling the air with oppressive silence.
"Don't forget what you promised Ethan Zhang."
"Don't forget what you promised Ethan Zhang."
Xu Fu turned his head again and burst into loud laughter.
Immediately, King Quentin, Judge of the First Court, shouted from behind.
"Saint of the Underworld, you don't need to—"
The Saint of the Underworld shook his head.
John Chou stared coldly at Lady Meng. In the end, he withdrew the beauty from her neck, and as he turned around, I caught a glimpse of his blood-red eyes.
King Quentin, Judge of the First Court stared at me and asked. I looked at him, saying nothing. Tension crackled in the air. The power in my body had completely changed. When my Heavenly Soul and I left Ethan Zhang's body, nine Wraith Fragments entered mine. What shocked me was how quickly they merged with my own power. I thought those fragments would lose everything and return to where they belonged. But unexpectedly, they fused with my strength almost instantly. The only explanation is that Ethan Zhang entrusted them to me, along with his wish.
"I said from the beginning, John Chou—the command is in your hands. Before this war spreads to Hell, all the forces of the underworld are yours to use freely."
King Quentin, Judge of the First Court spoke with a serious expression.
"We will break through again, push the boundaries once more. If one day, I wish to seize Hell for myself..."
"No problem, John Chou."
Judge Balthazar spoke up at that moment.
"If you have the ability to kill us, then Hell will be yours. It won't matter what you do after that."
"Apart from helping maintain stability in the living world and assisting in capturing lost souls, everything else will have to wait until the war begins. Only then will we negotiate further. We've granted them a privilege—free access to the underworld."
"Finally decided to show yourself, Saint of the Underworld."
John Chou looked over coldly. The beast beside the Saint of the Underworld let out a low growl, and the Saint of the Underworld placed a hand on its head.
The Tribunal Judges and Ghost Sovereigns stared at me, their faces twisted in shock and fear. I raised my fist, a cold smile cutting across my lips.
The beast slowly sank into the earth and disappeared.
At that moment, all ten Infernal Judges bowed deeply, showing utmost respect.
"Why have you come? King Kṣitigarbha, if you're only here to preach, you might as well turn back!"
I spat out the words viciously. King Kṣitigarbha said nothing, but approached us, respectfully making a Buddhist gesture and bowing.
"Amitabha. Everyone, this time I represent the underworld—thank you."
Immediately, the First Tribunal Infernal Judge shouted from behind.
Suddenly, a violent golden light exploded toward me, accompanied by a furious roar. I smiled, extended my hand, and with a deafening crash, Di Ting slammed into my palm. My smile vanished. I roared back, rage surging through me.
Scarlet chains snapped around Di Ting's body, pinning it to the ground. Black lightning writhed across the red links, burning into Di Ting's flesh. The beast howled in agony as the searing pain intensified.
"It is only right. All I have done in this life is but a fleeting dream, not even comparable to what Ethan Zhang has accomplished today. I am ashamed."
I said nothing, simply began to walk away slowly.
"There's no need to bring up anything extra. King Kṣitigarbha, you must have had another way at the last moment—why did you let him do that?"
I looked back at John Chou, nodded, and in an instant transformed into a streak of black lightning that blasted past the Gate of Ghosts. A thunderous crash shook the air. The ground caved in, rumbling as the entire tower at the Gate of Ghosts collapsed into rubble. Panicked ghosts nearby were instantly reduced to ash.
With a bang, King Kṣitigarbha was sent flying. Instantly, all ten Infernal Judges widened their eyes. King Kṣitigarbha, lying on the ground, stood up wordlessly as blood poured from the corner of his mouth. I laughed loudly.
"Aren't you a Buddha? You bleed too?"
"I am but a mere mortal monk, unworthy of claiming to be Buddha."
"Don't go too far, Earth Soul!"
The Seventh Tribunal Infernal Judge shouted in anger. Suddenly, I felt a force beneath me; as I leapt away, Di Ting appeared, glowing gold, and lunged at me with its jaws wide open.
"Kitty, go back to sleep."
With a bang, I landed a precise punch on Di Ting's mouth, sending it flying toward the Infernal Judges. In an instant, it crashed into the grand hall, and with a thunderous boom, the hall bearing the Fifth Tribunal's plaque was reduced to ashes.
The Infernal Judges and Ghost Sovereigns stared at me in shock. I raised my fist, smiling coldly.
"The power you've left behind—I will use it well. I'll push it to the limit, surpassing everyone else."
After lowering my fist, I stared silently at King Kṣitigarbha before me.
"Answer me, Kṣitigarbha."
King Kṣitigarbha slowly raised his head and shook it slightly.
"I can't answer that question."
"Is that so!"
I sneered, slowly floating upward.
"What Xu Fu just said—who stands at the crest of this era's tide? Of course, it will be me."
"Have you completely absorbed Ethan Zhang's power? Or perhaps his Wraith Fragments?"
The First Tribunal Infernal Judge stared at me and asked. I looked at him, saying nothing. This was the most tense moment for me. The power in my body had completely changed. When my Heavenly Soul and I left Ethan Zhang's body, nine Wraith Fragments entered mine. What surprised me was how quickly they became homogeneous with my own power. I originally thought those fragments would lose everything and return to where they belonged, but unexpectedly, they easily merged with my strength. The only explanation is that Ethan Zhang entrusted them to me, along with his wish.
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"Wait a moment, Earth Soul."
At that moment, John Chou called out, and I returned to the ground.
"Your agreement with The Immortality Society isn't that simple, is it?"
John Chou looked at the Infernal Judges and asked.
The Infernal Judges said nothing. At that moment, Lady Meng stepped forward.
"Apart from helping maintain stability in the living world and assisting in capturing lost souls, everything else will have to wait until the war begins for further negotiation. We've granted them a privilege—free access to the underworld."
"Heh, don't tell me you really don't know what those people are after?"
I asked. Lady Meng looked at me, then shook her head.
"Whether we know or not, the march of war won't stop. In this precious time we've won, we must restore peace to the living world. Emperor God and his lot have suffered heavy losses, as has Tan Tian. Now, all we can do is prepare for battle with everything we've got. Whatever we do, we won't regret it."
I laughed loudly.
"All it cost was Ethan Zhang's life. For you, that's quite a bargain! Not only did you buy precious time to prepare, but you gained more troops. Though Divine Law did take a part away—and that part's connection to the Six Paths of Reincarnation won't be severed, will it?"
Lady Meng nodded.
"There's no point in saying anything now, Earth Soul. If you want to bring this war early, the underworld will stop at nothing to eliminate you first."
I shook my head.
"Provided you have the ability. If you don't believe it, try now."
Suddenly, a violent golden light surged toward me, accompanied by a furious roar. I smiled slightly, extended a hand, and with a thunderous crash, Di Ting slammed into my palm. I smiled, then abruptly wiped the smile away and roared.
Scarlet chains instantly bound Di Ting's body. It crashed heavily in front of me, black lightning coiling on the red chains, searing Di Ting's flesh bit by bit.
"I heard a voice! At the moment Ethan Zhang died—hahaha."
As I spoke, I floated up, and Heavenly Soul floated with me.
"That's the truth, John Chou. The rest is up to you to notify. Now I need to tell Ethan Zhang's wife what happened. As for you, come if you want—I will destroy the living world until not a single brick remains."
I looked back at John Chou, nodded, and in an instant transformed into a streak of black lightning that shot past the Gate of Ghosts. With a thunderous crash and a blast of violent air, the ground caved in, rumbling as the entire tower at the Gate of Ghosts collapsed into rubble. The panicked ghosts nearby were instantly reduced to ash.
I landed slowly in front of the Gate of Ghosts, turned to look at the Bridge of Remorse glowing in the setting sun, and the quietly flowing River of Forgetfulness. At that moment, I sensed a presence approaching—Sylvia Blue descended before me.
"Miss Sylvia."
"Where is Ethan Zhang?"
I gave a bitter smile, then tilted my head back and let out a long sigh.
"He's dead—nothing left, not even a trace."
Sylvia Blue's eyes widened in disbelief, her face instantly turning pale.
"What did you say?"
Sylvia Blue's voice trembled.
"I'm telling the truth, Miss Sylvia. That man created the tide of an era, but now he's dead."