The Path Toward Heaven

The elder of the Center Sect, Wei Chenzi, attempted to assassinate Zhao Layue and was then killed to silence him. These were all arranged by that person.

The Dace Devil in the Muddy River and Xiwang Sun’s scheme that had led to the event involving Liu Shisui were all arranged by that person.

Both of these events had been aided by the Underworld. It meant that that person still had sufficient influence in the Underworld even today.

The Underworld Emperor’s face was too pale to express a more terrible look, but his eyes displayed a peculiar glow, from which anyone could sense his anger at the moment.

Those audacious servants and useless idiots would be willing to be maneuvered by a human…

As he was about to denounce them, he suddenly thought of his own experience, and remained silent.

After a silent pause, he asked, “Where did Taiping’s reputation come from? Don’t those servants of mine know it was he who had harmed this emperor?”

“He had reentered the Underworld three hundred years ago,” Jing Jiu said. “It wasn’t too hard for him to acquire his current reputation based on his ability and his connections in the Underworld. If he isn’t stopped now, nobody will be able to stop him from doing whatever he intends to do when he recovered his Cultivation state.”

The Underworld Emperor pressed while staring into his eyes, “Do you think that he will change the imperial court of the Underworld?”

“The reason the Underworld doesn’t have a new emperor yet is because you have no way to appoint a successor;” Jing Jiu said, “but more importantly, it is the Underworld Master who refuses to usher in a new emperor in your name. On the other hand, the Underworld Master can’t declare the war with the human race without a new emperor; all he can do is maintain the current situation. But, if that person enters the Underworld again, what do you think will happen?”

That person could instigate the war between the Underworld and the human race, like he had done to instigate the war between the Old Ones and the orthodox Cultivation sects.

Jing Jiu still couldn’t figure out what benefits that person would acquire from the destruction of the Old Ones, but he was certain about what that person wanted from the war between the Underworld and the human race.

“As long as I’m still alive, the inheritance of the Underworld emperor will not be cut off. As far as the future war is concerned…it has nothing to do with me, a prisoner.”

The Underworld Emperor continued, “You use the potential mishap in the human world to threaten me; it’s really ridiculous. Shouldn’t you mostly worry about Taiping’s escape?!”

“You will die eventually,” Jing Jiu said.

It had suddenly become quiet in the green valley.

Jing Jiu continued, “When I have a high enough Cultivation state, I’ll go to the Underworld and pass the Method of the Underworld Emperor onto the successor you appoint, that or help him take the throne of the emperor.”

The Underworld Emperor’s black pupils wavered as he exclaimed, “The Royal Seal of the Underworld is in your hands?!”

“Yes,” Jing Jiu confirmed.

The Underworld Emperor fell silent again.

During the negotiation back then, the human race suddenly changed their mind and launched an attack at him.

He had vaguely sensed the threat beforehand, so he had dodged the first barrage of attacks. As he was about to employ the Royal Seal of the Underworld to stun that practitioner Bai to death and then flee in the midst of chaos, a powerful energy had suddenly struck down from the Thunder Region, shattering his Soul-Fire; he almost died from it.

That energy was a terror beyond imagination. The heavenly calamity the human swordsmen encountered during their ascension was probably the same.

He vaguely guessed the origin of that energy, feeling a sort of despair. As his Underworld Wheel was disturbed temporarily, the Pen of the One-Cottage House entrapped him and he was also knocked out by a horn coming out from the clouds.

When he woke up, he found himself locked in the Fiend Prison. And his Royal Seal of the Underworld was gone and nowhere to be found.

Over the years, he had figured where the Royal Seal of the Underworld would end up. The most possible place to have it was the Cloud-Dream Mountain; but who would have thought that it was in the hands of a disciple of the Green Mountain?!

Yet, he suddenly thought of another possibility, asking, “Did the human race give my Royal Seal of the Underworld to Taiping as the reward?”

“Yes,” Jing Jiu confirmed.

The Underworld Emperor laughed out loud, and it was full of mockery and contempt. “That guy is even more pitiful than I. He is nothing but a dog that helped his master catch the biggest game, but he doesn’t even get to drink the meat soup. All he got is a bone he can never bite through.”

One couldn’t use the Royal Seal of the Underworld if they hadn’t learned the Control of Soul-Fire.

The Royal Seal of the Underworld was the best treasure throughout the three worlds; but it was merely a stone in the Immortal Taiping’s hands, though it was a nice-looking stone.

Jing Jiu agreed with the Underworld Emperor that the Royal Seal of the Underworld was merely a stone in his hands; and it had played a role only this time.

“Is the Royal Seal of the Underworld in your hands?” the Underworld Emperor suddenly asked.

He had asked the same question before, but the meaning was totally different this time.

Jing Jiu said, “I’m not stupid.”

This statement also had several meanings, like his caution against the Fiend Prison or the Underworld Emperor.

All in all, what Jing Jiu attempted to convey was that the Royal Seal of the Underworld wasn’t on him at the moment.

The Underworld Emperor placed his hands on his back and fell silent for a long time.

During this silent interval, Jing Jiu did some reflections.

The reflection was a rare behavior for Jing Jiu.

Jing Jiu had already figured out all these matters back when he was behind closed doors on the Green Mountain, and he also made relevant arrangements; otherwise, he had no possibility of finding the Underworld Emperor here.

Calling him the Senior Master and the subsequent conversation were something he had planned beforehand.

But Jing Jiu suddenly found that he had nonetheless been influenced by some people, and that he had made a simple matter more complicated.

The negotiation didn’t require all the details for it to be successful, like what Gu Qing usually did.

And he didn’t need to pretend to care about the world like Zhao Layue did, or to talk so much like what Liu Shisui did, or to be shameless like Yuan Qü, which was even more useless.

Since he wasn’t a young disciple of the Green Mountain, it was impossible for him to be like them no matter how hard he tried.

So Jing Jiu decided to make the matter simpler. Even though he knew what the Underworld Emperor was to do, Jing Jiu didn’t stop him.

…

…

The Underworld Emperor suddenly remarked sentimentally, “You are like your Master in some aspects; unfortunately, you are too young and can’t help being naïve.”

Jing Jiu had already made up his mind, so he had no intent to speak more.

The Underworld Emperor was taken aback slightly before saying, “I know the Royal Seal of the Underworld is on you.”

Jing Jiu still looked at him silently.

Jing Jiu was probably afraid that he would play a trick on Jing Jiu, the Underworld Emperor thought, so Jing Jiu had a totally different behavior from earlier. His pale face revealed a mocking smile.

“I know how horrible that dark space is, where you can’t find the definite location and direction. Even if your Master and Queen of the Snowy Kingdom came here, they wouldn’t be able to find me. How could you do it? Of course, it’s because you have brought something that can connect with my mind, and there is only one such thing in the world, and that is the Royal Seal of the Underworld!”

Jing Jiu mused that this was such a simple deduction, so why would he bother repeating it one more time?

The Underworld Emperor said expressionlessly, “It’s really absurd that you have even tried to deceive me.”

Jing Jiu remarked suddenly, “Is it because you haven’t talked for so long that you have an urge to talk right now?”

“What are you trying to tell me?” the Underworld Emperor pressed.

“I know you actually don’t want to talk so much, but you need to kill some time to employ the Control of Soul-Fire.”

Jing Jiu continued while looking at him, “I believe that the Soul-Fire has already materialized in this space through the bottoms of your feet and turned into a large net to enmesh me at the moment.”

The black pupils in the Underworld Emperor’s eyes shrank a little, as he asked, “Since you already know, why didn’t you point it out earlier, or flee?”

“You are acting the same way as that person, trying to control everything. And I can’t give you the thing you want the most, so you are determined to do something. But, if I pointed out your plan or fled, the same thing would repeat itself over and over again, until you’ll give up all the hope. It’ll take too much time for us to try everything, because time is precious.”

Jing Jiu continued, “As such, let’s make it simpler. You hurry up to do what you are supposed to do. When your attempt is proven fruitless, then we can move to the next stage.”

The expression on the Underworld Emperor’s face was incredibly anomalous. “How do you know that you will win? Where did your self-confidence come from?” he demanded.