Chapter 124: An Era of Turmoil (Combined Two-in-One)

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Zhou Bai made a Dao Heart Oath, crafted by himself to avoid being deceived by Li Mouse. The essence was this: if he leaked this information, his spirit would develop flaws, and he would never enter the True Soul realm. Whether the oath was effective was uncertain, but the Lingyun Pearl in his Mud Pellet Palace emitted a ray of light. Zhou Bai felt no abnormality, as if this celestial Dao technique had shielded him.

Li Mouse, knowing Zhou Bai had sworn the oath, eagerly revealed the news. Then Zhou Bai learned what a world-shaking secret truly was. Compared to this, previous revelations were mere preludes.

Due to the corpse mutation on Tiger Dragon Mountain, many predecessors’ bodies in the back mountain underwent aberrations. Though most were suppressed, the founder of the True Unity Sect’s corpse increasingly decayed. As the founder’s corpse was the most important to protect, it was located at the source of the Yin energy outbreak. To prevent disaster, the corpse had to be removed first—an unavoidable step.

To seal this corpse, Li Mouse was dispatched to Tiger Dragon Mountain, and the reason was absurd. As a grave robber, he pushed his expertise to the limit, using divine powers to drill into the crevices underground. When he re-emerged, he was in a pitiful state but had indeed retrieved the founder’s corpse.

Removing the corpse was just the first step; eliminating the corpse-rot was paramount. Incinerating it to ashes would have been simplest but was strongly opposed by the True Unity Sect.

At this moment, the Equalizing King of the Nine Halls of the Underworld Bureau arrived. He claimed he would handle the matter, dismissed everyone, and borrowed a treasured artifact from the True Unity Sect.

This artifact, called the Soul Igniting Lamp, had existed on Tiger Dragon Mountain for thousands of years. Its symbolic meaning in the True Unity Sect outweighed its actual power, as it possessed little real might.

Every disciple, including the founder, swore an oath before the Soul Igniting Lamp upon joining the sect, and a fragment of their residual soul merged into it.

The Equalizing King never intended to purge the dense Yin energy from the corpse; instead, he took the opposite approach. He extracted the founder’s residual soul from the lamp, then, using secret spiritual materials, ensured the soul’s immortality before injecting it into the corpse.

What followed was a miraculous resurrection—the founder was forcibly revived. After communicating with the Equalizing King, he quickly joined the Underworld Bureau.

The impact of this revelation was explosive. Once it spread, no one in Jiuzhou would question the Underworld Bureau’s short history or low status again.

“Damn…” Zhou Bai couldn’t help but curse. Though Li Mouse never mentioned the name, how could Zhou Bai not know the famed Zhang Daoling?

As a Celestial Master, Zhang Daoling led a legendary life. Even before birth, his mother dreamed of an immortal delivering a divine message, heralding the arrival of the Star Chief.

Sure enough, upon waking, she gave birth. From birth, Zhang Daoling was no ordinary child; he showed extraordinary intelligence and had memorized the Dao De Jing and other scriptures by age seven.

Growing up, he abandoned officialdom to pursue Daoism, reaching the realm of terrestrial immortals within a decade before founding the True Unity Sect.

Most terrifyingly, legend holds that Zhang Daoling learned Dao techniques from the Supreme Lord Laozi himself. His profound cultivation mastered talismans and incantations, healing diseases and slaying demons effortlessly.

After retirement, Zhang Daoling devoted himself fully to cultivation, eventually ascending to immortality along with his wife.

Zhou Bai, familiar with Daoist practices, knew that transcendence meant abandoning the physical body and transforming the soul.

Hence, the resurrected Zhang Daoling likely was merely the remnant soul left when he founded the True Unity Sect.

Yet even this was formidable; though half corpse, such a pillar could elevate the Underworld Bureau to new heights.

Zhou Bai could already envision how Zhang Daoling’s influence would soon sweep across Jiuzhou.

Li Mouse chuckled, “This news is semi-confidential within the Underworld Bureau. Given our current situation, no one can stop the founder’s growth under the protection of the four hall masters. In just a few years, that old Celestial Master will return.”

Zhou Bai suddenly understood, “No wonder the True Unity Sect invested resources in paving the way for disciples joining the Underworld Bureau. It must be the founder’s will.”

“Of course. Though corpse Dao is but a branch of ghost Dao, since the Underworld Bureau is willing to revive a lineage, they naturally spare no effort to bolster the True Unity Sect.”

Zhou Bai fell silent for a long while, as if witnessing history’s wheel turning before him—either to drift with the current or seize the chance to ascend.

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The positions of the Ten Hells’ Yama Lords increase periodically but the total number remains unchanged. With their cultivation, centuries or millennia are but fleeting moments.

Li Mouse hoped Wang Zhen could become a hall master, enabling him to connect with two hall masters simultaneously.

Ambition stirred in Zhou Bai’s heart. With his unique opportunity, even Zhang Daoling was no obstacle.

Though not hopeful this time, he was certain the position of Ten Hells’ Yama Lord would be his someday.

“So, with that, the Underworld Bureau’s dominance in Jiuzhou is unshakable?” Zhou Bai asked.

Li Mouse shook his head. “Though my cultivation is only at the True Body stage, my information is reliable. The cost paid by the Underworld Bureau in Xuzhou was greater than expected, and the northernmost Youzhou has been overrun by demons—completely fallen.”

Zhou Bai was speechless. Unlike Xuzhou, in southern Jiuzhou demons could not hold ground, so reclaiming it would be easier.

But Youzhou, surrounded on three sides by the sea, was easy to defend but hard to attack. Demons had likely become a significant force. Trading a province for a Zhang Daoling was uncertain gain.

Upon reflection, Zhou Bai suspected the Underworld Bureau’s plans extended beyond this; the True Unity Sect was likely only the first step.

Why had Zhang Daoling’s corpse mutated? Surely the Equalizing King played a role. The resurrection technique must require extensive preparation and forethought.

Next, they might target other Daoist factions. Even the orthodox True Unity Sect had defected. Others included Maoshan of Qingzhou, the Miao domain of Yunzhou with corpse drivers, and smaller sects practicing paper talismans and painted skins.

To Zhou Bai, the Underworld Bureau’s terrifying expansion signaled Jiuzhou’s grave crisis. Even the relatively peaceful south had the Xuzhou incident, let alone the north.

This realization heightened Zhou Bai’s urgency to strengthen himself. The Vermilion Fruit was secured, and Li Mouse had gathered materials for the Heavenly Tribulation. Soon, he could prepare for it.

Once he killed Liao Wu’s first incarnation in Xuzhou, he would immediately undergo the demon path’s heavenly tribulation.

He had a glimpse of controlling the True Soul; the Lingyun Dao Pearl’s celestial power indeed guarded his spirit.

This allowed him to attempt bold methods, such as advancing divine powers in the demon and ghost paths to accelerate cultivation.

Besides demon and ghost paths, his Daoist, Buddhist, and demonic paths remained peripheral; he needed to integrate them seamlessly.

Of course, Zhou Bai wouldn’t act recklessly—the trauma of losing control once still haunted him. If his True Soul went awry, total destruction of spirit and soul would be the mildest outcome.

He had to adjust his cultivation carefully, finding a method suited to him.

After conversing with Li Mouse for half a day, mainly about the heavenly tribulation but kept vague, Zhou Bai wasn’t worried about suspicion. After all, no one in the Underworld Bureau’s history had cultivated both ghost and demon paths.

Gathering materials for the tribulation was easy, especially with Shen Wuchen and several True Body cultivators in Wancheng. Li Mouse soon passed the materials to Zhou Bai.

Inquiring about Xuzhou, Li Mouse said the chaos was settled, but demons couldn’t be completely exterminated—just less rampant.

Liao Wu’s first incarnation’s location, though not near Xuzhou’s center, was remote, possibly harboring demons the Underworld Bureau hadn’t cleared.

This was good news for Zhou Bai. With demonic elites eliminated, no matter how tricky the remaining demons, he was confident in his survival.

After the turmoil, only three city strongholds remained in Xuzhou, all with Underworld Bureau presence, allowing fastest communication and support.

These towns were now self-sufficient, previously reliant on the Bureau for grain. Planting resumed as summer approached.

Recently, the Underworld Bureau sent a demon path cultivator with a divine technique to accelerate plant growth, fully freeing manpower.

A day later, after acquiring materials, Zhou Bai bought some elixirs and provisions, then mounted his skinny horse and departed Wancheng for Xuzhou.

During his rest in Wancheng, the dragon aura of the Slacker fully transformed the skinny horse, turning it into a dragon breed.

As Slacker’s familiar, the horse’s further advancement to dragon type depended entirely on Slacker’s power, while Zhou Bai could exercise indirect control through his innate relic.

From then on, the skinny horse surpassed Ah Huang in status. Zhou Bai often gave it some drink when he drank.

The horse lived up to expectations, its travel speed steadily increasing. Though not at Zhou Bai’s full pace, it was stable and allowed him to cultivate unattended.

The journey was dull, with no sign of human life. Many villages were empty, indicating residents fled hastily.

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The closer to Xuzhou, the more numerous these deserted villages became. Some even bore skeletal remains, showing that the chaos had affected Yangzhou’s border.

Within days, Zhou Bai spotted a forest ahead from the flat terrain; the official road was overrun with dense weeds.

Abandoned for over a year, the weeds grew waist-high, thriving perhaps from blood-fertilization.

Zhou Bai dismounted to walk. Though riding offered better vision, entering the forest made a sudden attack risky—it might injure the skinny horse.

Despite the hostile environment, the horse remained carefree, but Ah Huang grew tense and sensitive, barking at every rustle.

Zhou Bai found a rope in his bag and bound Ah Huang’s mouth, wary that rash action might alert enemies.

“Better to stay quiet,” he thought, “preferably lure out some demons so I can have some action.”

Opportunity came sooner than expected. As they stepped into the weeds, sight was immediately obstructed.

Only the sound of rustling grass disturbed the stillness—some creature lurked within.

Terrified, Ah Huang clung close behind Zhou Bai.

The wind stirred the grass as Zhou Bai quickened his pace.

The weeds clung to Ah Huang like glue, gradually slowing him down.

At first, he struggled, but the yellowing stalks were unnaturally tough. No matter how fiercely he bit or tore, he couldn’t break a single stem.

Bound and terrified, Ah Huang watched helplessly as Zhou Bai walked away, tears streaming from his dog eyes.

His limited demonic aura flared but backfired: the weeds tightened, their sharp tips piercing his fur and drawing blood.

Encouraged, more weeds joined the assault.

Poor Ah Huang’s demonic aura was weak and his divine powers supportive at best; his once-strong body was overwhelmed by the invasive weeds.

Just as despair set in, Zhou Bai suddenly reappeared.

The dense weeds retreated rapidly into the ground, as if their previous attack feared resistance.

Stroking his newly grown scruffy beard, Zhou Bai murmured, “This shouldn’t be. If these are plant demons, how could they possess such intelligence?”

He pondered while swiftly grabbing several moving stalks.

Ah Huang broke free, suspicious yet obedient, unaware he had been used as bait.

Zhou Bai first kicked the dog aside, then exerted great strength—his power had long surpassed ordinary levels, evident from his dominance over the celestial hound.

The weeds wouldn’t snap, but the earth beneath churned violently. Soon, Zhou Bai pulled out a two-meter-wide fleshy mass.

Facing this grotesque, weed-covered entity, Zhou Bai was dismayed.

Without hesitation, he drew the Tang Dao sword from his waist; a cold gleam flashed.

Grass tens of meters around was cleaved in half by the sword’s wind, and the fleshy mass was cut similarly.

Inside were numerous animal and human corpses, with the core being a fist-sized maggot.

The maggot struggled a few times before being crushed to pulp by a single kick.

Zhou Bai gained some insight and heightened caution for his trip to Xuzhou. Encountering such bizarre demons at the border was a grave warning—not to underestimate the dangers ahead.