Chapter 263 - 290: The Yin Department System, Elder Hui De, 7 Hegemons and 3 Fiends

The resentful and wrathful Evil Qi crisscrossing the heavens and the earth was like a great vat of black dye.

Without the support of a physical body or the Power of Incense, souls lingering between heaven and earth are easily twisted into Demon Ghosts that know only slaughter.

The demonic god before him had once been a Mountain God who sheltered countless people. But after losing the Power of Incense, it had barely clung to existence for many years before finally transforming into a Demon Ghost.

At this moment, the one-armed Demon Ghost’s hatred soared to the heavens. For a moment, it even showed signs of transforming into a Fierce Ghost.

"Humans live by eating grain; without it, they die. Gods and spirits are the same. They feed on the Power of Incense. Cut off their Incense, and you sever their path to survival."

"It must have been difficult for you to hold on for so long."

Su Bai glanced at the Demon Ghost’s savage face. Though he spoke these words aloud, his thoughts ran much deeper.

’Why make someone a Mountain God after they die? It’s not for nothing.’

’Gods and spirits need the Power of Incense, which puts them under human control and compels them to shelter the populace. A clever move by the Dayu Immortal Dynasty.’

’Without the constraints of the Power of Incense, why would these beings willingly provide Shelter to the Ten Thousand Spirits?’

’However, this approach has its downsides.’

’People are forgetful. No matter how great a kindness, it can’t be remembered for all generations. After a few hundred or a thousand years, it will inevitably be forgotten.’

’Once they lose their value, or are no longer seen as effective, it’s inevitable they’ll be abandoned.’

"The Immortal Dynasty abandoned me! The people abandoned me! And even the Netherworld will not take me!"

The one-armed Demon Ghost roared at the sky. Its single remaining arm brandished a long saber that pulsed with a bloody light. Its shadow stretched out as it lunged toward Su Bai.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

"I will kill everything in this world!"

"Ah!"

Chen Teng jumped in fright and quickly yelled, "Be careful!"

"It’s already fallen to demonic madness."

Su Bai shook his head slightly, raised his right index finger, and casually flicked out a gleam of golden light.

BUZZ!

The golden light from his finger shot through the air, and the space around it instantly rippled.

But the ripples didn’t spread outward. Instead, they flowed inward from all directions, like countless waves converging on a single point to envelop the Demon Ghost.

AHHH!!

Amidst a series of miserable, ghostly howls, the Demon Ghost’s body was completely submerged by the enveloping golden ripples.

No matter what methods it employed or how much it struggled, it was unable to resist.

It felt as if the very space around it had solidified, crushing its Heart Spirit, making it impossible to move.

CLATTER!

A moment later, the screams stopped abruptly.

A thumb-sized black Round Bead fell to the ground, bounced once, and landed in Su Bai’s hand.

’In the end, it was just a Mountain God who had lost its mind—one that had to resort to possessing mortals. No matter how crazed it had become, how strong could it really be?’

"Th-... That’s it?"

Behind him, Chen Teng gaped, his face a mask of shock.

’That Demon Ghost was screaming so fiercely, its presence so terrifying, and it was suppressed with a single finger?’

’It seems the Netherworld really is in deep trouble.’

Su Bai rolled the black Round Bead in his hand, lost in thought.

After suppressing that Official from the State Mansion, he had gained a deeper understanding of the so-called Netherworld.

The Netherworld, it was said, had been forcefully created by the Netherworld Venerable Master of old, a being whose power was so profound it rivaled creation itself.

His identity was a mystery and his power was unknown, but according to the Official’s memories, he had long since vanished—or perhaps, passed away.

That Netherworld Venerable Master, in cooperation with the Dayu Immortal Dynasty, created the Yin Department, a complete system of divine spirits that included Mountain Gods, City Gods, Soul-Collectors, Left and Right Guardians, and more.

It wasn’t a system where losing the Power of Incense would automatically turn a being into a Fierce Ghost.

The only explanation was that the Netherworld had run into a major problem, so severe that it could no longer manage its affairs and may have even lost control.

However, the Netherworld was too mysterious; it was a place the living could not tread.

Neither Chu An, Huinian, nor even Qingming Daoist Chen Tianhua had ever been inside, so they had no idea what drastic changes had taken place in the Netherworld.

"Th-... Thank you for saving me, Immortal!"

When Su Bai’s thoughts returned to the present, he found Chen Teng already kneeling on the ground, kowtowing to him repeatedly.

The night had been a rollercoaster of emotions, and he had been thoroughly terrified. Now that the Demon Ghost was gone, his spirit finally relaxed, and he suddenly felt sore all over.

"Get up."

Su Bai said with a smile,

"Even if I hadn’t intervened, you would have, at worst, fallen gravely ill. As for possession, Fierce Ghosts can do it, but gods and spirits cannot."

The Power of Incense is the key for these beings to retain their self-awareness, but it is also a restraint.

If gods and spirits could possess mortals without restraint, wouldn’t that cause chaos?

All who belong to the Yin Department and are sustained by the Power of Incense are forbidden from performing Possession.

This is not just a decree of the Immortal Dynasty, but a fundamental rule—a law that applies to all gods and spirits.

Although this Demon Ghost had lost its Incense, it was once a Mountain God worshipped by the masses. Naturally, it could not have succeeded in possessing you.

As Chen Teng knelt on the ground, he felt a warm current emanate from the Immortal before him and wash over his body.

The soreness, fatigue, and even the scrapes from his frantic journey all seemed to disappear.

He found himself standing up, almost involuntarily.

Though he didn’t fully understand Su Bai’s explanation, he was endlessly grateful and thanked him profusely.

"Climbing the mountain at night is not a good idea."

Su Bai glanced at the Medicinal Herb Gathering Hoe hanging from Chen Teng’s waist. With that alone, he couldn’t even fend off a wild wolf, let alone a Demon Ghost.

"The Demon Ghost is gone. Go back to the Mountain God Temple for now. Tomorrow morning, head north. If you look carefully along the way, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for."

"Thank you for your guidance, Immortal! Thank you for your guidance!"

Hearing this, Chen Teng grew excited and said respectfully,

"May I ask your name, Immortal? When I get back, I will surely erect an Eternal Life Tablet for you, build a statue, and offer Incense day and night."

After another round of thanks, Chen Teng finally headed toward the Mountain God Temple.

’This man’s fortune is quite extraordinary,’

Su Bai thought, watching Chen Teng depart. A flicker of light rippled in his eyes.

He had practiced countless Cultivation Techniques, including the art of observing fortune. Among all the people he had ever seen, Chen Teng’s fortune probably ranked in the top ten.

As a thought crossed his mind, he turned his gaze toward the mountains.

There, a creature from the Netherworld was hiding.

’It must be one of the backers behind that Fierce Demon.’

"It seems tonight will be quite fruitful."

With a faint smile, Su Bai moved with the wind, vanishing among the mountains and ravines.

His movements were incredibly light and agile. Like wind slipping into the night, he came and went without a sound, his speed immense.

Boulders, trees, cliffs, and valleys were all like level ground beneath his feet.

It was as if he wasn’t running, but the world itself was pushing him forward.

...

WHOOSH!

The night was as black as ink, staining the sky and shrouding the mountains in darkness as the wind howled.

Celestial Origin Mountain seemed even blacker than all the surrounding peaks.

There were many peaks in this area, but the range was named for Celestial Origin Mountain, which had once been home to a temple called Celestial Origin Temple.

Although Celestial Origin Temple was only a small temple, it was a case of "a mountain’s fame depends not on its height, but on the immortal who resides there." The few old Monks in the temple all possessed considerable Cultivation, were highly respected, and were known for their efficacy. As a result, its Incense naturally flourished.

And the time of Celestial Origin Temple’s prosperity was precisely when all the nearby Mountain God Temples fell into decline.

Unfortunately, ever since the Gui Chen Sect arrived, Celestial Origin Temple lost its Incense and ended up in a far more wretched state than even those Mountain God Temples.

RUSTLE—

Under the vast, dark sky, a group of people made their way through the mountains. Before long, they emerged from the forest and saw a temple, overgrown with weeds, of which only ruined walls and rubble remained.

The temple before them was a desolate sight. The Stele outside the gate had weathered to the point that its inscription was illegible. More than half of the temple had collapsed, and the heads of numerous clay statues had been discarded outside.

They lay forgotten in the mud.

"Amitabha! Amitabha!"

An old, white-browed Monk pressed his palms together and chanted the Buddha’s name.

Seeing this, the young Monks behind him also pressed their palms together and began reciting Buddhist Scripture, as if to help the temple’s spirit pass on.

"I never thought the Buddhist Dao in this land would have fallen into such decay."

The white-browed elder, whose religious name was Hui De, reached out and brushed the weeds from the Stele. As he made out the three faintly visible words "Celestial Origin Temple," the compassionate smile on his face slowly faded.

In this day and age, the Daoist Sects had gone into seclusion and the Buddhist Sect was in decline. Meanwhile, factions like the Gui Chen Sect grew ever more tyrannical, threatening to overwhelm them both.

He didn’t know whether to find it laughable or tragic.

"The Gui Chen Sect’s influence is great. Within the Desolate Province, there are many temples like Celestial Origin Temple that have been abandoned for hundreds of years."

The young Monks’ expressions also grew grim.

They had traveled all the way from Yu Province and had seen too many abandoned temples. Some had become roosts for crows; others, shelters for beggars.

Still others had been burned to ashes.

Although they belonged to different traditions, they were all members of the Buddhist Sect. Seeing this, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of sorrow for a kindred group’s demise, their hearts heavy with dismay.

When had such a scene ever been witnessed during the height of the Buddhist Sect’s prosperity?

"When the Patriarch arrives, our Buddhist Sect will surely flourish again!" a young Monk declared with a determined expression.

"Such is the will of heaven. The Buddhist Sect was once powerful, but then the Netherworld Venerable Master burst onto the scene, establishing the Yin Department, opening the Netherworld, and ordaining its gods and spirits."

"The Immortal Dynasty was subtly backing his efforts, and from that point on, the Buddhist Sect fell into decline."

"It is a pity that even an existence as powerful as him eventually vanished."

Elder Hui De let out a long sigh.

No power in this world lasts forever. In its time, how mighty was the Netherworld?

At its peak, it could even challenge the Dayu Immortal Dynasty, and yet, has it not also fallen into decline?

It was just a shame about the Netherworld Venerable Master. A peerless figure like him would likely never be seen again.

"Pity that, although the Netherworld Venerable Master is gone, the suppression he left behind remains."

"Furthermore, those two Venerable Guardians, Bai You and Hei Ming, have not disappeared. Otherwise, the Patriarch would have achieved his Dao long ago..." an older Monk spoke up.

"Do not speak of this again."

Elder Hui De frowned and chided him.

"Without the deterrence of the two Venerable Guardians, Bai You and Hei Ming, do you think the Seven Heroes and Three Li would be content to remain in the sunless Netherworld?"

"If that deterrence were to disappear,"

"a tide of blood and chaos would surely be unleashed!"

The Seven Heroes and Three Li!

The name "Seven Heroes and Three Li" was not bestowed by mortals, but a title acknowledged by Heaven and Earth for the ten most powerful non-human entities in the Netherworld, second only to the two Venerable Guardians.

Every single one of them was a world-shaking, peerless Demon Fiend.

Without the two Venerable Guardians to keep them in check, if these ten peerless Great Demons were to break out of the Netherworld, the ensuing slaughter would be unimaginable!

"As for Martial Brother Huinian being captured by a mysterious expert, the grand elders of our temple will decide how to proceed."

"We are here to capture that Fierce Demon. This Demon is extremely bizarre; it took a direct hit from Martial Brother Huinian’s Demon Subduing Seal and still managed to escape and hide."

"We don’t know where it’s hiding now, so all of you must be careful."

Seeing that the others had fallen silent, Elder Hui De added a word of caution.

That Fierce Demon was quite bizarre—neither human nor fiend—and he feared it had a deep connection to the Netherworld.

Now that an enemy had been made, if they did not eliminate it soon, he feared the temple’s monks who were out practicing in the world would be in mortal danger.

That was why he had no choice but to track it down.

"Yes, Master!"

The young Monks replied in low voices, each taking out their Magical Artifact and assuming a defensive formation.

Following Elder Hui De, they slowly advanced toward Celestial Origin Temple.