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

Zhong Jiu picked up a document and handed it to Gong Cao: "Go to the north again and make the Black Mountain Demon Mother hand over the Thousand-Eyed Demon."

The Great Evil Demon King pledged allegiance to the demon clan leader, and the Thousand-Eyed Demon Ghost naturally found its own backer—the Black Mountain Demon Mother.

Five hundred kilometers north of Xingsha City lies the "Forbidden Land of Demonic Appearances," formed after the resurgence of supernatural phenomena. Originally an uninhabited area, it was teeming with ghosts due to the eruption of several yin caves. Later, it was occupied by the Black Mountain Ghost Mother, who established a mysterious ghost kingdom there.

This world is strangely revived, and the place where yin energy surges is the Yin Cave!

Although countless yin caves have sprung up across the earth, such a large yin cave is rare!

Legend has it that in this ghost kingdom there are thousands of ghost generals, eight ghost kings, and countless fierce and evil ghosts. Compared to the Black Mountain Ghost Kingdom, the power of the Thousand-Eyed Demon Ghost is like a shrimp seeing a dragon, utterly insignificant.

Even more bizarrely, this Black Mountain Ghost Mother has an eccentric personality. Since establishing the Ghost Kingdom, she has lived a secluded life, and even ghosts can only hear her name but never see her form.

The people of the Ghost Kingdom rarely venture out, hiding in the thick fog all day long, making it a high-risk forbidden area marked by humans.

The official's journey north was not only to capture the Thousand-Eyed Demon, but also to investigate the true nature of the Black Mountain Demon Kingdom.

But he had barely stepped into the forbidden area of ​​demonic possession when a chilling voice echoed from within the thick fog, interrupting him: "Your Excellency, go back."

Just as the official was about to state his purpose, the voice rang out again, filled with undeniable arrogance: "The Ghost Mother already knows your purpose. Tell the judge of Star Sand City that the Thousand-Eyed Demon has now submitted to my Black Mountain Ghost Mother's command and has been appointed the Ninth Ghost King. Wanting the person is absolutely impossible! If the Underworld has the guts, let that judge come and take them himself!"

"What a magnificent Black Mountain Demon Kingdom! What a magnificent Black Mountain Demon Mother!"

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The clerk's face turned ashen. He flicked his sleeves, turned around, and left.

Meng Jianglongjun's previous compromise greatly boosted his confidence, and he thought that no one dared to disobey the majesty of the Underworld. Now it seems that in the eyes of the true top experts, the previous battle was nothing more than a minor skirmish.

The reason why that old mudfish Meng Jianglong was willing to obediently bow his head is, to put it bluntly, entirely because he was afraid of the hard power of our underworld judges. If it were anyone else, he would have overturned the table long ago!

"snort!"

As soon as the clerk from the Inspectorate was gone, a string of sneers, full of disdain, came from deep within the thick fog.

……

The main hall of the City God Temple.

"Oh? The Black Mountain Demon Mother dares to refuse to pay homage to the ghost?"

After hearing his subordinate's report, Zhong Jiu did not get angry; this outcome was entirely expected.

Compared to Meng Jianglongjun's abrupt surrender, Black Mountain Ghost Mother's tough stance was more to his liking.

These demons who have become sentient are not so easily subdued.

If you obediently follow orders, you should be wary of any ulterior motives behind it.

Wen Tianxiang stroked his goatee, his eyes clear, and slowly said, "The Black Mountain Demon Mother is testing the waters, trying to see just how powerful the underworld is."

Chung Kau wants to establish rules and laws in the underworld of Nanling, and the Black Mountain Ghost Kingdom is an obstacle he cannot bypass.

That place has always been an "independent kingdom" of the underworld, occupying nine natural yin caves to build a city, and has been guarding its own gates for many years, never taking the orders of the underworld seriously.

As for the Thousand-Eyed Demon, to put it bluntly, he was just a pawn. The Underworld and the Black Mountain Ghost Kingdom were both using his name to test and strategize with each other.

If Zhong Jiu were to back down and not dare to send anyone to capture the ghost, the prestige he had painstakingly built up would surely become a laughing stock in the Three Realms; if he did send someone but they failed miserably, he would be ridiculed by the demons.

What was originally a multiple-choice question posed by Zhong Jiu was instead turned around and the Black Mountain Ghost Mother threw the difficult question back to the Underworld.

"Now we're in a dilemma."

Wen Tianxiang sighed softly, his tone grave, "The Black Mountain Ghost Mother was able to subdue the Eight Ghost Kings and rule over a ghost kingdom. Her strength is at least at the level of a Ghost Emperor. A direct confrontation is definitely not the best strategy."

"Moreover, the Black Mountain Ghost Kingdom is rooted in nine Yin Caves, and the Yin energy accumulated over the years is so intense that it has long become a forbidden place for living people to approach. The caves are surrounded by formations and filled with evil spirits. Even if we send out all our forces, we may not be able to wipe them out."

Zhong Jiu was not annoyed at all upon hearing this; instead, he nodded in agreement.

Wen Tianxiang was telling the truth; the strength of the Black Mountain Ghost Kingdom was indeed not to be underestimated.

Legend has it that within that Ghost Kingdom, nine cities are arranged according to the Nine Heavens Directions. The Black Mountain Ghost Mother resides in the main city, Dark Nether City, while the eight Ghost Kings each guard a Ghost City. The cities are connected by formations, forming an impregnable defense. Coupled with countless fierce ghosts and evil spirits, it is practically impregnable.

It's just that the Black Mountain Demon Mother doesn't intend to wreak havoc on the human world for the time being; otherwise, with just a single command, the entire Nanling Province would have been swept away by demons, and countless lives would have been lost.

The clerk from the Inspectorate, feeling deeply aggrieved, still forced himself to speak up: "Sir, why don't we back down for now? Let's leave that Thousand-Eyed Demon alone for the time being, and settle accounts with him later when the Underworld's foundation is more secure!"

In his view, it would be unwise to break ties with the Black Mountain Ghost Kingdom and start a war over a Thousand-Eyed Demon.

If the Black Mountain Demon Mother is pushed too far and orders all the ghosts in the kingdom to attack, the Underworld currently only controls the Southern Ridge, and its foundation is not yet stable. The consequences would be unimaginable. Everything must be planned slowly and carefully.

"Retreat? Not even a single step!"

Zhong Jiu tapped his fingers on the table, the sound crisp yet chilling: "This matter appears to be a test, but in reality, it's about setting the rules! In the Southern Ridge Underworld, who truly calls the shots will be determined by this! If we back down even an inch today, they'll take advantage of us and trample our authority underfoot as a joke!"

A glint flashed in Wen Tianxiang's eyes, and he immediately nodded with a smile: "What you say is absolutely right, sir. Judging from your confidence, you must already have a brilliant plan, right?"

Having followed Zhong Jiu for so long, he naturally knew the judge's temperament well; he would never be so resolute about something he wasn't sure of.

"There's no brilliant plan to speak of; we have our own methods for dealing with these demons and monsters."

Zhong Jiu chuckled, turned to look at the clerk of the Inspectorate, and ordered, "Go to the Black Mountain Ghost Kingdom again and convey my oral message."

The clerk of the Inspectorate stared wide-eyed, his face full of disbelief. He had just been rebuffed, and going back again would only invite more criticism.

But he knew his subordinates' place and would never ask questions they shouldn't, so he immediately bowed and accepted the order: "Your subordinate obeys!"

Turning around, they stepped back into the thick fog, heading straight for the border of the Black Mountain Ghost Kingdom.

Before long, he arrived at the border of the Black Mountain Ghost Kingdom again, where several mocking and sarcastic voices immediately came from the thick fog.

"Oh, isn't this a lowly official from the underworld? Why are you slinking here again? Did your judge run out of options and send you to beg for mercy?"

"Hahaha, I bet nobody dares to come, so we can only use you, you coward, to fill in! Get back here right now, with your skills, you're not even enough to fill our teeth!"

The demons' maniacal laughter rose and fell, their contempt undisguised.

The clerk of the Inspectorate, his face ashen with rage, gripped the token at his waist and, suppressing his fury, shouted at the thick fog, "My judge has ordered! The Thousand-Eyed Demon has wreaked havoc on the mortal realm, committing countless atrocities; he deserves to die! But for now, I'll grant your Ghost Mother face and spare his life for nineteen days. When that time comes, he will surely perish!"

Upon hearing this, the laughter in the thick fog abruptly ceased. After a moment of deathly silence, an even more violent uproar erupted, shaking the surrounding yin energy to its core.

"Hahaha, this is hilarious! Is this underworld official at their wit's end, starting to talk nonsense?"

"My Black Mountain Ghost Kingdom has a Ghost Mother presiding over it, eight Ghost Kings protecting it, and the Nine Cities Grand Formation supporting it. How dare you spout such arrogant words?"

"Alright! Grandpa will wait these nineteen days. I'll see if your underworld has three heads and six arms, or if you can still flatten my Black Mountain Ghost Kingdom!"

None of the ghosts took it seriously, thinking that the clerk of the Inspectorate was just putting on a brave face and talking nonsense.

The clerk of the Inspectorate, too lazy to waste words with these brats, said coldly, "We'll see the outcome in nineteen days!"

Although he didn't know what Zhong Jiu's backup plan was, the judge was always shrewd and resourceful. Since he dared to make such a statement, he must be very confident.

Just wait, in nineteen days, these arrogant ghosts will pay the price!

He sneered inwardly, then turned and swiftly returned to report.

After he left, the ghosts in the thick fog stopped laughing, but their expressions gradually became serious, and they began to whisper among themselves.

A monstrous demon with a blue face, fangs, and black blood dripping from its eye sockets rubbed its claws together, its eyes gleaming: "Do you think the underworld might really have some trump card? Otherwise, how dare they be so arrogant?"

A short, malevolent ghost with a tongue that dragged down to its chest immediately spat, spittle flying everywhere mixed with eerie energy: "What's there to be afraid of! Pure nonsense! If the underworld were truly capable, they would have already stormed in; why would they give us a nineteen-day deadline?"

The red-haired demon, wielding a blood-dripping, demon-headed broadsword, slashed through the air, unleashing a streak of black smoke. He snarled, "Whatever tricks he tries! If he dares to come nineteen days from now, don't bother the Ghost Mother and the Kings; I'll chop that judge brat to pieces with one stroke and show him who's the real boss of the Southern Ridge Underworld!"

"You? You got slashed by a lowly underworld soldier last time and it took you three days to recover. You still have the nerve to say that?"

The evil spirit beside him joked, which made everyone laugh.

Joking aside, these ghosts knew perfectly well that this was no small matter and was not something they could get involved in.

Amidst their laughter and chatter, the group dared not delay and immediately sped towards the depths of the Black Mountain Ghost Kingdom, eager to report this matter to the Ghost Kings as soon as possible.