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

"If the underworld is so powerful, why was there no movement before?" someone asked, looking puzzled.

An elderly man with white hair and bright eyes spoke up to explain: "The Underworld is not a force in the mortal realm, so it doesn't need to deliberately seek attention. It can even set the Heavenly Laws; its duty is to maintain the balance of heaven and earth, and it only intervenes in major events."

"Those who need to assert their presence are earthly forces like the Five Religions, who are not on the same level as the gods."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.

Someone else asked, "Since the gods do not concern themselves with worldly affairs, why do they specifically make things difficult for virtuous teachings?"

The old man sneered: "If someone dug up your house, would you just sit idly by and do nothing?"

The crowd burst into laughter, with one shaking his head and saying, "The Good Sect has stepped on a huge landmine! The Underworld's meaning is clear: to quell this matter, the Primordial Venerable himself must come!"

"That's right, the others aren't qualified!"

Do you think Yuan Zun will come?

"He had no choice!"

Those with discerning eyes have long seen through the situation; if one's strength is inferior, one can only bow one's head, there is no other way.

At this point, it's not up to Yuan Zun to choose whether to go or not.

For every second that its disciples are suppressed, the good fortune of the sect is wasted, and if word gets out, it will become a laughing stock in the entire cultivation world.

He had no choice but to personally visit the place and settle this mess.

"Serves you right!"

The disciples from other sects almost burst out laughing, their schadenfreude undisguised.

The three religions have been engaged in open and covert struggles for a long time. On the surface, they are amicable, but in secret they have long regarded each other as mortal enemies. Now that the Good Religion has suffered a major setback, they can only clap their hands in delight and have no other thoughts.

On this day, a middle-aged man with graying temples appeared on the streets of Kyoto. His Taoist robe was spotless, and his demeanor was otherworldly. He was none other than the Benevolent Lord.

With his level of understanding, he could control his appearance and age at will. A young man would appear frivolous, an old man would show signs of decline, but only a middle-aged appearance best suited his current state of mind as he tried to appear calm.

"With a deity presiding over it, the atmosphere is indeed extraordinary."

A glint of light flashed in Yuan Zun's eyes as he gazed at the City God's Mansion. A chilling aura of majesty swept over him, so suffocating that it made his heart sink.

He had explored this place before, but never before had he seen such a terrifying scene. He wondered if the gods had been hiding their true nature in the past, or if they were revealing their true form today.

But at this moment, none of that matters anymore.

He didn't bother to investigate further, his gaze fixed on the Five Elements Mountain at the entrance of the City God Temple, seeing right through it.

He can condense mountains using the five elements of heaven and earth, and breaking them is even easier for him.

But would he dare?

A bitter smile tugged at the corner of Yuan Zun's mouth, his eyes filled with resentment.

He's here to apologize, not to escalate the conflict. Forcibly rescuing someone? Don't even think about it.

Yuan Zun slowly walked towards the City God Temple, surrounded by a faint Daoist aura. His temperament was outstanding, yet he exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay.

People along the way stopped to watch as he headed straight for the City God Temple, and they already guessed his identity.

The disciples of the Benevolent Sect, who had been suppressed under the Five Elements Mountain with only their heads showing, were overjoyed upon seeing him and cried out in anguish, "Yuan Zun, save me!"

"Master, save me!"

They were suffocating under the weight of the mountain, with no way to break free. If Yuanzun hadn't come, they didn't know how long they would have been suppressed. At this moment, they looked like children who had suffered a great injustice.

But Yuan Zun didn't even lift his eyelids. He walked straight to the temple gate, bowed respectfully, and said in a humble voice, "Junior Yuan Zun greets the Divine Lord."

A deep, resonant voice came from the depths of the temple, containing only two words: "Come in."

As soon as he finished speaking, a passage leading to the Netherworld unfolded before him. Yuan Zun did not hesitate for a moment and stepped inside.

The crowd that had been watching outside the door instantly surged forward, and a buzz of discussion erupted: "That's Yuan Zun? The leader of the Benevolent Sect?"

"Who else could it be but him! I never expected that Yuan Zun would be so respectful in front of the City God."

"How can he be disrespectful? The City God of Kyoto is the highest authority in the mortal realm, how dare he be so insolent?"

"Do you think Yuanzun can reach an agreement? Shanjiao has suffered a huge setback this time."

"It's hard to say, it all depends on the City God's decision. Shanjiao has already lost face and popular support, and has even had 20% of its fortune reduced, which is painful enough."

That 20% of the fortune was enough to cripple the good sect, but whether the City God would let it go leniently or exterminate it completely, no one could fathom the City God's intentions.

Not only the onlookers thought so, but Yuan Zun himself was even more uncertain, secretly praying, "I hope the City God is kind-hearted and will forgive Shan Jiao this time."

As he spoke, he arrived at the gate of the City God's Mansion in the underworld. Looking up, the enormous mansion resembled a lurking beast, coiled in the darkness, its imposing presence terrifying.

The majestic city walls were densely packed with ghostly soldiers, each a veteran of the great battles of the underworld, their murderous aura soaring to the heavens and chilling to the bone.

Yuan Zun was shocked by what he saw, and was secretly alarmed. This kind of formation was definitely not as simple as he had seen before.

"The master has ordered that you be invited in."

A bull demon slowly walked over; it was the old bull from the Xingsha City God's Palace, who had now obtained the divine position of "Bull Head" and become a proper Yin deity.

This guy's nature is hard to change. At this moment, he deliberately put on a cold face in front of Yuan Zun and pretended to scare him. His arrogant appearance made Yuan Zun's heart tighten.

"This is bad. This Ox-Headed General is so hostile. Could it be that the City God is unwilling to let this matter go peacefully?"

Yuan Zun became increasingly panicked as he thought about it. Intelligent people are very sensitive, and even a subtle expression can make him scrutinize it repeatedly.

Led by Niu Tou, Yuan Zun entered the City God's Palace. The palace was vast, with numerous temples scattered throughout, far more magnificent than any human could imagine. Yuan Zun was filled with regret as he looked at it.

If I had known this would happen, why did I send my disciple to provoke the City God? I truly regret it now.

"The master wants you to come in."

A ghost messenger walked over, pointed in the direction of the City God Temple, and spoke in a calm and indifferent tone.

Thank you.

Yuan Zun took a deep breath, suppressed his anxiety, and stepped into the hall, each step feeling incredibly heavy.

The City God Temple was brightly lit by candles. A man in a black official robe sat diagonally in the main seat, holding a book in his hands. He said in a calm tone, "Sit down."

The voice was gentle and kind, yet it carried an undeniable air of authority. Yuan Zun dared not disobey, but he did not dare to actually sit down. His gaze unconsciously swept over the City God of Kyoto.

Zhong Jiu exuded a scholarly air, his every move gentle and refined, radiating malice. Instead, he brought a sense of peace to those around him, causing Yuan Zun's tense heart to relax slightly.

Zhong Jiu put down his book, looked at him, and said with a hint of amusement, "The dignified Venerable of Benevolence, why are you so timid and hesitant?"

Yuan Zun quickly cupped his hands in greeting and said sincerely, "It's not that I'm afraid or timid, but my disciple has committed a grave mistake, and I feel uneasy. I beg the Divine Lord to punish me."

He adopted an extremely humble posture, appearing willing to accept punishment, hoping only to quell the City God's anger.

Punishment?

Zhong Jiu smiled faintly, avoiding the question, and pointed to the scroll in his hand, asking, "Do you know what I'm reading?"

Yuan Zun stared intently, then exclaimed in surprise, his voice tinged with disbelief, "This...this is the *Dharma Word Sutra* that I wrote?"

Zhong Jiu nodded, his tone sincere: "As the leader of a religion, one should have scriptures to pass down to posterity. Your 'Dharma Words Sutra' is full of profound truths, especially its compassion for all living beings in heaven and earth, which is truly vivid."

When Yuan Zun mentioned his work, a look of reminiscence appeared in his eyes, and he slowly said, "This is my humble work from several hundred years ago. At that time, the world had just been settled and chaos had not yet subsided. I wrote this scripture to educate the people and soothe their hearts."

When his masterpiece was mentioned, his usual restraint dissipated considerably, and Zhong Jiu's approval was undoubtedly a gesture of goodwill.

But the next second, Zhong Jiu's tone turned cold, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes, instantly shattering the calm: "But after establishing your own sect, you have forgotten your original intentions."

"Do you remember the words you once spoke in the scriptures? Do your actions today still align with the compassionate person you once were?"

Zhong Jiu's tone wasn't sharp, but every word was like a thunderclap, booming in Yuan Zun's mind and making his eardrums ache.

Yuan Zun opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word. Cold sweat instantly soaked through his Daoist robe. For someone of his cultivation level to lose his composure like this showed just how intense his inner struggle had been.

He has changed. Since becoming the leader of the Good Religion, his mind has been filled with expanding his power and vying for fortune. "Scheming" has become his daily routine.

He dared to scheme against his former comrades, the First Venerable and the Old Venerable, to scheme against the fate of the human race, and even dared to scheme against the Underworld. These were things he would never have dared to think about when he first started out.

In the past, no one dared to say these things to him. Zhong Jiu's words were like a wake-up call, causing him to fall into deep thought.

Yuan Zun was one of the most intelligent people in the world, and he understood things very quickly. At this moment, he realized that he had already deviated from his original path.

"Yuan Zun, you have lost your way."

Zhong Jiu shook his head and sighed softly, "It's not just you; the other sect leaders have also lost their way in the pursuit of power and fortune."

Looking back on the lives of the leaders of the five religions, each of them was once brilliant, but now they have all become slaves to fate, which is regrettable.

"Thank you for the reminder, Divine Lord."

Yuan Zun composed himself, bowed deeply to Zhong Jiu, and said with gratitude in his voice, "This junior has indeed forgotten his original intention, but he has not lost himself."

He gave a self-deprecating laugh, his tone full of helplessness: "What can the Good Sect do if it doesn't compete? The five sects are vying for fortune, and everyone is giving it their all. If I don't compete, the Good Sect will be eliminated sooner or later. I... have no choice."

"I will always remember the God's kindness and guidance, and I am deeply grateful."

Yuan Zun bowed down sincerely. With his extraordinary heart, he could naturally understand Zhong Jiu's goodwill.