Fantasy: Unparalleled Prince, Conquering the Heavens!-Chapter 694 - 698: Master of the Nine Cities_1

A quarter of an hour later, the Reincarnation Passages of the Molting Dragon Heavenly Court and the Extreme Demon Hall shifted from their original light-gold color to black.

Huang Youcai turned to look at Jiang Ziwen. A smile more contorted than a grimace of tears appeared on his face, yet, not forgetting his manners, he bowed and said, "City Lord, the Reincarnation Passage has been closed!"

He knew he was in serious trouble now. An investigation by the Nine Cities... That prospect was terrifying enough to cost him his ghostly existence! At this moment, his emotions were a tangled mess: resentment towards Jiang Ziwen, dread of the Nine Cities' investigation, and despair for his future. He used to be a City Lord. But ever since he met Jiang Ziwen, everything, absolutely everything, had changed.

"Stop looking so glum," Jiang Ziwen glanced at Huang Youcai and asked in a deep voice. "Tell me about the Ruler of the Nine Cities!"

Closing the Reincarnation Passage meant challenging the rules set by the Ruler of the Nine Cities and becoming their opposition. They needed to be fully prepared. At the very least, they had to gather detailed information.

"Yes, sir!" Hearing that Jiang Ziwen didn't even know about the Ruler of the Nine Cities, Huang Youcai felt even more despondent and mumbled, "The Ruler of the Nine Cities represents the most powerful forces in the Netherworld, comprising one palace, two sects, and six clans..."

"The six major clans are the Ghost Race, Asura Race, Hellhound Race, Bone Race, and Lost Soul Race!

"The two major sects are the Ten Kings Sect and the Hell Sect!

"And the 'one palace' refers to the Nether Palace!"

Pausing for a moment, Huang Youcai continued, "The Nether Capital, where we stand, is within the territory of the Ghost Race!"

Jiang Ziwen's eyes narrowed slightly. How time flies! Those who were once insignificant figures had now become the rulers of the Netherworld. In his era, the Ghost Race was merely a legion of Yin soldiers for the Underworld Palace. The Hellhound Race guarded the gates, while the Bone Race and Lost Soul Race were but forsaken groups wandering the wilds. Only the Asura Race held some sway, solely controlling the Sea of Blood. As for the Ten Kings Sect, the Hell Sect, and the Nether Palace—though he hadn't heard of these names, they felt uncannily familiar. There used to be the Ten Yama Kings; now there was a Ten Kings Sect. There used to be eighteen layers of Hell; now there was a Hell Sect. There used to be a Nether Monarch; now there was a Nether Palace... He'd never believe there was no connection between these past and present entities.

"The Ghost Race..." he mused. "All old acquaintances! I wonder if The Sutra of Ghost Control is still effective!" A sneer touched Jiang Ziwen's lips. If the Nether Capital were in the territory of the Asura Race or other powers, it might be somewhat troublesome. But being within the Ghost Race's domain would be much simpler. The Ghost Race was a force cultivated single-handedly by the Ten Yama Kings. Having formed such a vast Yin soldier legion, naturally, they would have left measures to ensure control over this army.

「Meanwhile.」

Tens of light-years away stood a grand and magnificent city spanning a thousand li. This city was named Ze Forest City. It was the heart of the surrounding region, governing dozens of other cities. The City Lord of Ze Forest City was named Gui Huo. With the surname Gui, he was a direct scion of the Ghost Race.

Gui Huo, who was in seclusion within the City Lord's Manor, suddenly snapped his eyes open and roared in fury, "Who dares to shut down a Reincarnation Passage without authorization?"

As a direct scion of the Ghost Race, he knew certain secrets. For instance, the existence of the Reincarnation Passages was tied to a grand plan, one crucial to the survival of the Ruler of the Nine Cities and capable of determining the very fate of the Netherworld. And now was a critical moment for implementing that plan. A thousand years ago, he had issued an order forbidding any City Lord from closing a Reincarnation Passage. But just now, he had sensed two Reincarnation Passages being closed. Who dared to defy his order? Were they courting death?

Gui Huo's eyes blazed with rage. With a wave of his right hand, the Void before him trembled. A surge of rolling ghost qi erupted, and an official seal materialized. It was carved into the shape of a roaring tiger, exuding an aura of extreme ferocity.

"Power of Reincarnation, reveal!" Gui Huo focused on the official seal, formed a hand seal, and chanted. The black seal erupted with intense radiance, shooting out hundreds of golden threads. Imbued with the power of causality, they extended in all directions.

Each golden thread represented a Reincarnation Passage. He only needed to check the color of the threads to determine which city's Passage had been closed.

Soon, Gui Huo locked onto his target. "Nether Capital!" he murmured, murderous intent flaring in his eyes. An immeasurable amount of ghost qi erupted around him as he mounted a shadowy cloud and vanished into the Void. He had to kill the City Lord of the Nether Capital as quickly as possible and then reopen the Passage.

「...」

「Elsewhere.」

After Jiang Ziwen ordered the Reincarnation Passage closed, the Molting Dragon Heavenly Court began to experience upheaval.

An extreme Yin force, potent enough to disrupt the Starfield and pierce through heaven and earth, erupted from an unknown dimension of time-space. It surged into the Sea of Fortune, fracturing one-tenth of the Heavenly Court's Fortune.

WAAAIL! The Fortune Golden Dragon cried out in lament. A pallid, deathly aura shrouded its violet-gold scales. Its dragon eyes dulled, losing all their luster as it grew listless.

In the mortal realm, countless Immortals who had perished in conflicts and Martial Artists who had succumbed to the Five Decays of Heaven and Man underwent undead transformations. Their souls, unable to enter the Netherworld, began to roam the lands between heaven and earth. Wisps of ghost qi permeated the world. The once clear sky became shrouded in Evil Qi, and rampant Yin winds corrupted the celestial laws. Soon, within the territories of the Molting Dragon Heavenly Court, Yin and Yang fell out of balance, and the order of heaven and earth began to invert.

"What..."

Deep within the Imperial Palace, the Molting Dragon Emperor, who was discussing the eradication of the Qin Dynasty's Saint's Court, was the first to sense the disturbance. His expression changed drastically as his vast soul power swept out in all directions to investigate.

His first instinct was an external invasion. Yet, after a thorough scan, everything appeared normal.

"What has happened?" the Molting Dragon Emperor murmured, looking up at the sky with a pained expression. That was one-tenth of their Fortune!

Soon, the guard responsible for monitoring the Reincarnation Passage ran over in a panic. "Your Majesty!" he cried, kneeling. "Grave news! For some unknown reason, the Reincarnation Passage has been closed!"

"What?!" Hearing about the Reincarnation Passage, the Molting Dragon Emperor's expression changed drastically. This was the Passage connecting to the Netherworld! Any mishap with it could shake the very foundations of the Heavenly Court and plunge it into a crisis of survival! With this thought, he abandoned all discussion of dealing with the Qin Dynasty's Saint's Court and rushed towards the Reincarnation Passage.

"The Reincarnation Passage!" Elder Demon Flame frowned. In all his countless years, he had never heard of such an issue occurring with a Reincarnation Passage. Why now, just as they were about to deal with the Qin Dynasty's Saint's Court?

"No, I must return and check!" After a moment's thought, Elder Demon Flame took a step, transforming into a streak of demonic light that flew towards the Northern Starfield.

He left for two main reasons. First, the Molting Dragon Heavenly Court's Reincarnation Passage had been closed. Until this problem was resolved, they would be too preoccupied to act against the Qin Dynasty's Saint's Court, making his continued presence a waste of time. Second, the timing of the closure was too coincidental; he worried that the Reincarnation Passage of his own Extreme Demon Hall might also be in jeopardy.

「...」

「Sky Sword Pavilion.」

In the Pavilion Master's hall, the Heavenly Sword Immortal sat on his chair, white hair cascading over his shoulders. Looking at the official document in his hand, he ordered loudly, "Hongyi, the Qin Dynasty's Saint's Court is about to ascend to the rank of Heavenly Court. Prepare a generous gift; we shall attend the ceremony!"

"Understood, Master!" Hongyi, who was practicing his swordplay outside the hall, replied before heading off to prepare the gifts.

The Heavenly Sword Immortal stood up, gazing towards the central part of the Starfield, and murmured to himself, "A Heavenly Court... If the Qin Dynasty succeeds in its ascension, the entire landscape of the Red Dragon Starfield will be reshaped! I hope everything proceeds smoothly tomorrow."

Joy and concern warred in his heart.