I subdue demons and monsters, and cultivate immortality in hell to become a saint.

"We are born free, and we embark on the path of cultivation precisely for freedom! Heaven has no right to interfere, earth has no right to interfere, and now a yin realm wants to seize power; how can we sit idly by?"

Another sect leader slammed his fist on the table, his voice filled with indignation.

"I used to think that the Underworld was just an ordinary force, but now it seems that they are clearly transforming into the mythical figure they are known for! We still don't know the upper limit of the Underworld's power."

"Back when we seized the treasure at Longyuan Mountain, a single bull-headed demon was able to turn the tide and reverse the course of events. In a few days, who among us won't be mindful of the whims of the Underworld? Who will dare to disobey their laws?"

Finally, a sect leader spoke in a cold voice, his words undisguisedly inciting and striking a chord deep within people's hearts.

Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked. Rather than being instigated, it was the very existence of the underworld that had offended them.

I can do whatever I want, what are you, the underworld, anyway?

Do you even have the right to condemn me and control my life?

This was probably the thought in the minds of most of the people present.

At this moment, an elder from one of the four sects glanced at them, a cold smile playing on his lips, and slowly spoke: "It seems the four sect leaders had already conspired together, hadn't they? Stop hiding your true intentions and reveal them!"

Those present are all old foxes who have lived for hundreds or thousands of years. They are shrewd and experienced. The fact that the four major sects are helping each other and singing in unison makes it obvious to even a fool that they have long been in cahoots!

The gathering of everyone here today is not solely the intention of Lingxiao Temple, but rather a joint scheme by these four sects!

Seeing this, Feng Xuanzi no longer concealed his intentions and spoke first, proposing, "I suggest that all sects join forces to curb the expansion of the Underworld! We absolutely cannot allow them to continue acting so recklessly. No one wants to one day be bound by the rules set by the gods and completely controlled by the Underworld, right?"

Still, no one responded. The suggestion was so groundbreaking that everyone was stunned and struggling to process the news.

Join forces to suppress the underworld?

What's the difference between this and directly opposing the gods?

Just hearing the word "underworld" is enough to make many people tremble with fear, let alone actively provoke it!

"Ladies and gentlemen, compared to the underworld in mythology, the power of this underworld today has far exceeded all limits! We have no idea what the Emperor of the Underworld is planning; perhaps he intends to create a transcendent force with authority far surpassing that of the mythical underworld!"

Seeing the hesitation of the crowd, Feng Xuanzi's tone grew increasingly urgent, "Do you really want to spend your entire lives subjugated in the Underworld, at the mercy of others?"

"Today, Nanling Province is a forbidden zone of the underworld; everyone must abide by their laws."

"Tomorrow, it could spread throughout the entire Yanhuang Kingdom;"

"In the future, the entire world will be under the control of the underworld!"

With things said to this extent, many people no longer hesitated and made their decisions immediately.

Zhihong of Honglun Temple was the first to step forward in response. He clasped his hands together and said firmly, "Amitabha! The Buddha is compassionate. People should be free and unfettered. How can they suffer the pain of reincarnation and be bound by the underworld? This humble monk sees the injustice of the underworld and wishes to do my utmost to join forces to curb its evil!"

Zhihong's words were not surprising at all, as he already had a grudge against the underworld!

The day Zhong Jiu killed Zhi Chen in the street, Zhi Hong kept this grudge in his heart and never let it go.

He often wondered to himself if one day his lifespan would run out and he would enter the underworld for reincarnation, would Chung Kau bring up old grievances and settle scores with him?

As soon as Zhihong spoke, three abbots from the Buddhist community immediately expressed their willingness to join the alliance.

After all, Honglun Temple and Lingxiao Temple were the leading Buddhist sects, so it was only natural for other Buddhist sects to follow their lead. In order to deal with the Underworld, Zhihong even temporarily put aside his old grudges with Xuanmiao Sect, which shows his determination.

However, many people from other sects still hesitated and showed apprehension.

"But we know nothing about the underworld! If we rashly cause trouble and anger the great gods of the underworld, the consequences will be unimaginable. We will all be buried with them!" A sect leader said in a low voice, looking troubled.

Upon hearing this, Feng Xuanzi sneered, his tone disdainful: "Whether the Great Gods of the Underworld truly exist is still unknown! Without seeing them with my own eyes, I absolutely refuse to believe it; moreover, according to common sense, the Great Gods of the Underworld shouldn't interfere too much in the affairs of the mortal realm. Currently, the Underworld's influence in the mortal realm is limited to the lineage of the City God of Xingsha City!"

Feng Xuanzi's words immediately dispelled the concerns of many people.

Following this, four more sects expressed their willingness to join the alliance and work together to suppress the Underworld.

"We have cultivated diligently for many years, only to control our own destiny. How can we hand over our life and death to the underworld? It is said that there are six realms of reincarnation in the underworld. Today we are high and mighty cultivators. If we are to be reborn as animals in our next life, I will never accept it!"

One of the sect leaders said through gritted teeth, his tone full of determination.

He thought that he had committed many evil deeds and killed many people in his life. According to the theory of reincarnation, he would most likely be reborn as an animal in the next life, as a pig, sheep, cow or horse, to offer his body or be driven by others to repay the sins of this life.

Ultimately, it's because the underworld hasn't shown enough strength yet, giving them a sliver of confidence to resist.

If the underworld were to truly unleash its full power, they might not have the courage.

After that, two more sects agreed and joined the camp.

In this way, there are a total of thirteen sects willing to join forces to suppress the Underworld!

The remaining six sects remained silent, their expressions hesitant.

Seeing all eyes on him, Jian Ming stepped forward, his posture as straight as a sword, his voice resounding and powerful: "My Sword Sect will not get involved in this mess!"

His gaze, sharp as a hawk's, swept over the crowd, each word clear and striking straight to the heart: "Since its emergence, the Underworld has swept away all demons and monsters, restored order to heaven and earth, and established clear laws. The vast Southern Ridge Province is now peaceful and prosperous, with its people living in peace and contentment. This is an immense merit!"

"In this chaotic world, our sect was helpless and did not contribute the slightest effort, so we should be ashamed. Now that the gods have stepped in to clean up this mess and have made an unparalleled contribution, what are you all doing, jumping out to oppose us?"

"You all speak so eloquently, claiming you don't want to be bound, but in reality, you simply don't want to abide by the laws of the underworld, or you covet the divine positions, treasures, and those unknown secrets of the underworld. How selfish you are!"

Jianming was always like this: upright, honest, and outspoken, never beating around the bush or being hypocritical.

"But I believe that people should have a sense of awe when they live in this world; if they lose their awe and act recklessly, what difference is there between them and evil spirits?"

"If we focus on our spiritual practice, even if we cannot perform good deeds and accumulate merit, as long as we do not commit evil acts, we will naturally not violate the rules of the underworld. What is there to fear?"

"If you insist on doing evil, and suffer the torments of reincarnation and descend into the eighteen levels of hell after death, then you have only yourself to blame and can't blame anyone else!"

"Our Sword Sect lineage acts uprightly and honestly, never fearing the underworld; on the contrary, we applaud it! If any disciple of our Sword Sect truly commits evil and violates the rules, and is cast into the eighteenth level of hell by the underworld, then he deserves it. Not only will I not stop him, but I will also applaud and cheer him on!"

After saying this, Jianming didn't wait for anyone's reaction before turning around and leaving, decisively and cleanly.

There's no point in talking to these selfish and self-serving people!

Yuan Kong watched Jian Ming's departing figure, his eyes instantly darkening and his aura turning colder, but in the end he did not make a move to stop him.

He knew in his heart that even if Jianming didn't participate in the alliance, he would never reveal what happened today.

Firstly, Jianming's character speaks for itself; secondly, if he dared to speak out, it would be tantamount to offending all the sects that had joined forces present, and Jianming wasn't that foolish.

Suppressing his displeasure, Yuan Kong's gaze swept over the remaining five sects, his voice icy: "The rest of you, what is your intention?"

"Our Qingyun Sect will not participate!"

"My Biyue Pavilion will not participate!"

"I'm sorry, but our Chaolu Sect agrees perfectly with Sect Master Jianming. We are unwilling to be enemies with the Underworld, nor will we participate!"

The remaining five sects successively stated that they all refused to participate in the joint effort to suppress the Underworld.

They were perfectly clear-headed and did not resist the underworld at all. Since its birth, the underworld had never infringed upon their interests. Everything they did was justified and justified. Every person they killed deserved to die!

As Jianming said, as long as you don't do evil, what is there to fear from the underworld?

If you are really afraid of the underworld, does it mean that you have a guilty conscience or have done something wrong?

Moreover, no matter how strong a cultivator is, how can they contend with a god?

The City God of Xingsha City alone is already unfathomable, let alone the powerful deities that may exist behind the Underworld.

They're not that stupid; they're not willing to gamble with the fate of the entire sect!

After the five sects expressed their stance, they all turned around and followed Jian Ming away without any hesitation.

Upon seeing this scene, two of the thirteen sects that had originally agreed to join forces panicked and wavered once again. They immediately stood up, cupped their hands to Yuan Kong and the others, apologized, and left.

As a result, the original seventeen powerful sects were reduced to only eleven sects that remained in the same place.