Why do I feel like Shi Qianzhang and the others are definitely not going to behave themselves...

Within Fengdu City's inner district, Wang Sheng looked at the jade talisman in his hand as the encrypted markings across its surface quickly faded.

At the side, Ling Sheng walked over carrying two wooden boxes. Inside were wine and dishes that the Nether Realm authorities had rewarded her master. It counted as generous treatment for Wang Sheng, since gathering the realm's rare delicacies required a great deal of manpower and resources.

The King of Hell selection would begin the day after tomorrow.

During this period, Wang Sheng had personally witnessed how the Nether Realm's highest governing authority operated.

Countless meetings were held, with small ones following large ones. The same tasks were repeatedly emphasized. The command structure itself was somewhat chaotic. Some positions had two people assigned at once, while other positions remained vacant for half a day without anyone filling them.

Naturally, part of the problem came from Feng Jiu's infiltrators stirring up trouble from within.

Still, the overall impression that the Nether Realm authorities gave Wang Sheng was simple: they did not have many truly capable people. The structure itself was bloated, and most of them still clung to concepts from the Ancient Era.

Although the Nether Realm had once served the Heavenly Court, they held little attachment toward it. Their true faith rested with the Six-Path Wheel of Reincarnation, and the one they truly served was Houtu.

They managed to withstand Feng Jiu's first wave of infiltration most likely because Houtu personally intervened. If they had relied solely on the Kings of Hell and judges, they probably would have failed.

Many things were like this. From afar, they inspired awe. Once one entered the heart of it, they no longer seemed all that impressive.

After arranging the wine and dishes, Ling Sheng softly informed, "Master, another subordinate of a Ghost Emperor came earlier and invited you to a banquet. I declined on the grounds that you were cultivating."

Wang Sheng nodded. "Mm."

He picked up a piece of greens with his chopsticks, chewed a few times, then spat it aside.

The underworld chefs clearly had limited skill.

A faint smile appeared on Ling Sheng's face, though she quickly hid it again, seemingly afraid Wang Sheng would notice.

Her brow twitched slightly. "Master, someone is coming."

Wang Sheng nodded and signaled for her to remain where she was. He lowered his head again and continued picking through the dishes with visible dissatisfaction.

Not long afterward, several people stopped outside the tent. A general serving under the Western Ghost Emperor led a cloaked figure toward the entrance.

The general naturally reached out to lift the tent flap. The instant his left hand extended forward, a strand of sword radiance flashed. Two fingers flew into the air. The people outside instantly froze.

"Xu Xian!" The general glared furiously. He raised his hand, pulled the severed fingers back toward himself, reattached them, and cursed angrily, "Are you looking to die?!"

A sword cry rang out from inside the tent. The burly man instinctively retreated two steps, his face filled with vigilance.

There was no helping it. Wang Sheng's reputation within the underworld had become far too terrifying. As the ruthless master of the Great Dao of Slaughter, he butchered Asuras as easily as cutting vegetables. He had even defeated Grand Dao Golden Immortal Realm Asuras in only a few exchanges.

Wang Sheng slowly asked, "Who dares intrude upon my sword array? Blades and swords have no eyes. Whether you live or die is none of my concern."

The general suppressed his anger. After glancing at the cloaked superior beside him, he could only grit his teeth and announce their identity.

The Dao Rhythm enveloping the tent dispersed, allowing the group to stride inside.

Smiling, Wang Sheng narrowed his eyes. He picked up another mouthful of greens and chewed it before casually saying, "The Black Emperor can move freely through a fully locked-down underworld. While threatening the Nether Realm, it seems your faction has already become completely lawless."

The cloaked figure removed his hood. It was still the same middle-aged man Wang Sheng had met in a tea house some time ago, but he was in a black python robe with a jade belt at his waist now. His sharp eyes remained fixed on Wang Sheng.

"We meet again, Xu Xian."

Wang Sheng lightly gestured toward the area before his long table. "Please, have a seat."

Threads of Dao Rhythm from the Great Dao of Slaughter condensed into a square stool. That display alone caused additional caution to appear in The Black Emperor's eyes.

The Black Emperor smiled. "I truly underestimated you, Young Hero. Daoist Friend, I've misjudged you several times already because of how powerful you are."

Wang Sheng just smiled faintly. After all, his strength had previously been limited. He had only recently fused with the Great Dao of Creation and was restricted to using the Great Dao of Slaughter alone.

Things were different now. After a long period of comprehension and repeatedly taking action and killing in the Nether Realm, he could finally rely on the Great Dao of Creation to unleash the Great Dao of Slaughter's true power.

Creation itself contained endless transformations. As long as one's comprehension reached sufficient depth, all possibilities could be realized.

Wang Sheng smiled. "So you've come looking for me again, Black Emperor. Are you still hoping to take me under your command?"

The Black Emperor smiled back gently. "A figure such as yourself is naturally worth inviting with all my effort. How much do you understand about the current situation of the world?"

Wang Sheng frowned slightly. "I should know quite a bit. Take the Nether Realm, for example. I know there has long been a faction secretly infiltrating it, and they have now formed a power bloc of their own. The Western Ghost Emperor, Northern Ghost Emperor, and Southern Ghost Emperor are that faction's leaders. They currently control half of Fengdu City's inner district while constantly probing the core region.

"Now that I have met you, I assume those three Ghost Emperors have already pledged loyalty to you. What confuses me, though, is whether you are also seeking to master the Great Dao of Reincarnation."

"Hahahaha!" The Black Emperor laughed for a while. Afterward, he finally replied, "Daoist Friend, you are only aware of one side of the matter."

Wang Sheng sneered inwardly. If he had claimed earlier that he knew very little, this old fox probably would have become suspicious immediately.

The Black Emperor added, "Your understanding of the Nether Realm's situation remains incomplete. How could I alone dare oppose Empress Houtu? Surely you know that she is the closest to sainthood in all of heaven and earth. To be honest, I am merely a subordinate serving under another master and carrying out orders on their behalf."

Wang Sheng's expression shifted slightly, and his acting skills erupted into full force. A trace of shock surfaced in his eyes before he quickly concealed it again.

The Black Emperor smiled faintly at the sight. "The Nether Realm is already under my master's control. Earlier, Emperor Qinghua and a group of insignificant troublemakers disrupted the situation, which allowed us to gather a large number of experts here.

"Half the forces in Fengdu City's inner district already belong to my master. Moreover, we can take control of the situation in Fengdu City's outer district at any moment. Outside Fengdu City, countless armies already lie hidden in wait.

"Empress Houtu refused to submit to my master, while those incompetent Kings of Hell came up with the absurd idea of electing another King of Hell. They even wished to offer the position of the Tenth King of Hell to my master in exchange for peace within the Nether Realm. It's truly laughable.

"See, my master possesses unmatched ambition and vision. What he seeks is this realm and the countless celestial bodies out there. We intend to claim everything, even the Nether Realm's Six-Path Wheel of Reincarnation, its authorities, and all the heroes gathered here."

Wang Sheng's brow furrowed deeper and deeper, though inwardly, he was already laughing. The Black Emperor certainly sounded imposing, but Wang Sheng knew the true situation of every faction involved, making the whole thing appear rather amusing.

At present, Feng Jiu's faction made up barely twenty percent of the total combat power inside and outside Fengdu City. The remaining eighty percent belonged to completely unrelated factions.

Feng Jiu's side clearly intended to subdue or heavily damage all the factions currently gathered in the city to reduce resistance once she later moved to sweep through the Immortal Saint Realm. Earth's cultivators had already predicted this long ago.

Of course, the forces that Earth's cultivators had secretly planted in Fengdu City currently amounted to... to be conservative, perhaps two or three thousandths.

There was no helping it. The factions in the Immortal Saint Realm were strong, and Feng Jiu's faction was also simply far too powerful. They had likely already mobilized most of their strength.

The Black Emperor deliberately waited for a while, giving Wang Sheng enough time to consider things before finally asking, "Well? Daoist Friend, are you now willing to have a proper discussion with me?"

The sword cultivator pondered briefly before shaking his head. "I still have no interest in joining your faction."

The middle-aged man frowned. "Why?"

Wang Sheng shrugged. "Because your group feels like bad guys who have committed every evil imaginable. Bad guys... usually do not get peaceful deaths."

The Black Emperor abruptly stood up. "You!"

Divine light burst from his eyes as he unleashed fierce pressure.

Wang Sheng just smiled faintly. He snapped his left fingers, making Yuan Tu let out a soft tremble. Behind him, a dark figure clad in black armor slowly emerged.

The shadow opened its pair of scarlet eyes, instantly neutralizing the Black Emperor's imposing pressure. Two beams of divine light then locked firmly onto him.

A longsword appeared in the Black Emperor's hand. Then he suddenly laughed. "I truly misjudged you once again. Daoist Friend, your Great Dao of Slaughter must have already reached major culmination."

"Not really." Wang Sheng picked up his chopsticks and stuffed another mouthful of food into his mouth, speaking vaguely as he chewed. "Otherwise, why would I still be desperately pursuing the Dao of Reincarnation?"

Black Emperor narrowed his eyes.

Wang Sheng frowned while chewing twice more. He then spat the food aside again. "The food in the Nether Realm truly leaves much to be desired. Black Emperor, if there is nothing else, then you should head back.

"While you're at it, tell your master something for me. I owe Empress Houtu a great favor from long ago. I came to the Nether Realm for two reasons: One is the Great Dao of Reincarnation. The other is to protect her.

"When your faction schemes against the Nether Realm, you'd best remember to take into consideration that the master of the Great Dao of Slaughter could go mad at any moment. As long as I remain here, no one will be allowed to insult the Great Virtuous Houtu."

The longsword in the Black Emperor's hand slowly turned. He seemed prepared to strike at any moment. Nevertheless, Wang Sheng simply sat there, smiling calmly. Ling Sheng stood quietly behind him with lowered brows and obedient eyes, showing not even the slightest concern toward the Black Emperor.

This was pure confrontation; a direct clash of wills.

Very soon, the Black Emperor stepped back. He snorted coldly, pulled his cloak back over himself, and turned to leave the tent.

The two people who had followed him looked at Wang Sheng as though they were staring at a monster. The instant Wang Sheng's gaze swept toward them, they shuddered and hurried after the Black Emperor.

After they left, the sword array once again enveloped the entire camp.

Only then did Wang Sheng breathe a sigh of relief.

A trace of helplessness showed in Ling Sheng's eyebrows as she softly commented, "Master, that was far too dangerous just now."

Wang Sheng muttered, "At this stage, there is no avoiding risks. Since the Black Emperor walked right to our door, we might as well reveal our full strength and give the Nether Realm something to measure against. I just don't know whether it will have any effect. If even this fails, then tomorrow, I will have to force my way into the Six-Path Wheel of Reincarnation." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Ling Sheng gave a soft, affirmative response. She was worried, but she did not dare question her master.

The facts soon proved that the Black Emperor had visited at the perfect time.

Less than half a shichen after the Black Emperor left, Qin Guang, the First King of Hell, arrived with King Yama.