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

The Crimson Demon King suddenly opened his eyes, a crimson light sweeping across the hall before finally landing on the Thousand-Eyed Demon: "Ninth Brother, you've dealt with the Underworld before, what's your opinion on this?"

The Thousand-Eyed Demon shook his head and smiled bitterly, his eyes filled with apprehension: "Based on my understanding of that judge of the underworld, this guy is ruthless and extremely ambitious. Giving up easily is definitely not his style."

He knew perfectly well that he was no match for the Underworld on his own. He had only dared to retaliate before because the Great Evil Demon King had taken the lead. Now that he was living under someone else's roof, he had to exaggerate the "terror" of the Underworld.

Ideally, he should incite the ghost kings to fight to the death with the underworld so he can reap the benefits.

"What?"

Iron Claw Ghost King stroked his sharp claws and said in a deep voice, "The Underworld is still talking about establishing laws in the Southern Ridge? But they wouldn't dare to make such a boast without real ability. We'd better keep our cool."

The Crimson Prison Ghost King waved his hand, his tone calm: "Everyone, please be patient. Nineteen days will pass in the blink of an eye, and the outcome will be clear then. Ninth Brother, keep a close eye on things and report any unusual activity immediately."

"Thank you so much, brother!"

The Thousand-Eyed Demon hurriedly bowed, but a calculating glint flashed in his eyes.

The ghost kings closed their eyes again, and the hall returned to deathly silence, with only the yin energy flowing silently.

Time flies, and the eighteenth day has arrived in the blink of an eye.

The Green Ghost King rushed into the main hall, his face filled with certainty: "In my opinion, the Underworld and the netherworld are completely too afraid to come! The net I personally laid out is so tight that not even a fly can get in, let alone a soul messenger. There's only one day left; they can't cause any trouble!"

"So what are they really up to? Have they really given up?"

"Could it be that what he said before about 'giving face to the ghost mother' was true?"

The ghost kings frowned, becoming more and more confused the more they thought about it.

They had all previously believed the Green Ghost King's prediction that "the underworld would infiltrate and assassinate," but now that there was no sign of the underworld, it seemed as if they had made a mountain out of a molehill.

"What a load of rubbish!"

A hot-tempered ghost king slammed his hand on the chair and roared, "What kind of person is the Ghost Mother? Does she need the underworld to give her face? I think she's just using this as an excuse to delay!"

After a moment's hesitation, the Green Ghost King suddenly spoke up: "Brothers, I've secretly sent a few of my men to gather information these past few days. Perhaps they can clear up our doubts."

"What?"

The Iron Claw Ghost King's eyes widened like copper bells as he sternly rebuked, "The Ghost Mother has long ago issued a strict order forbidding anyone from leaving the Black Mountain Ghost Kingdom without permission. How dare you disobey, Second Brother?"

The Green Ghost King glanced subconsciously at the empty main seat, his tone firm: "If anyone is to blame for this, I will take full responsibility! I'm just curious, who exactly is this suddenly appearing underworld official?"

"What else could it be? Just some underworld force!"

The ghost kings were all puzzled, but the Thousand-Eyed Demon had a glint in his eye and vaguely guessed what was going on.

"That's not all."

The Green Ghost King's tone turned serious. "According to my subordinates' reports, the human world has a completely different understanding of the Underworld. They don't regard the Underworld as a power at all; instead, they believe that the Underworld is the very law that governs reincarnation and rules the world!"

"dominate?"

The ghost kings were taken aback at first, then burst into laughter, their tone full of mockery.

"Hahaha, the mere underworld dares to call themselves rulers? They should take a good look at themselves in the mirror!"

"Why should they rule over us? Did God bestow this upon them?"

The Thousand-Eyed Demon spoke at the opportune moment, his tone calm yet resolute: "It really is ordained by Heaven."

The hall fell silent instantly, and all the ghost kings turned their gazes toward him.

The Thousand-Eyed Demon took a deep breath and slowly began to explain the legends of the Underworld: "There are two kinds of ghosts in the world. One kind is formed after a person dies, carrying the memories of their previous life, and naturally knows that the Underworld is the one that governs reincarnation; the other kind is born from the resentment of the underworld, just like you brothers, who have never been to the human world and naturally do not understand the laws of the gods."

He paused, then added fuel to the fire, saying, "The Underworld governs the Bridge of Helplessness, the Stone of Three Lives, and the Six Paths of Reincarnation. All ghosts should be under their jurisdiction. Now that the judge is going to establish the laws of the Southern Ridge, he may sweep across the world tomorrow. Who knows, one day, even our Black Mountain Ghost Kingdom will have to bow down and submit."

These words struck a nerve with the ghost kings, instantly igniting the entire arena.

A terrifying ghostly aura erupted instantly, causing stones from the roof of the palace to fall in a flurry.

"He dares!"

The Crimson Prison Ghost King roared, the sound of chains grinding together piercing the air, "I'll see if this so-called 'ruler' can withstand my Soul-Burning Iron Chains!"

"I don't believe in any divine laws! Anyone who dares to provoke us will be utterly destroyed!"

The Green Ghost King sensed the Thousand-Eyed Demon's provocation but did not expose it. The information he had gathered also indicated that the legends about reincarnation made him inexplicably uneasy.

River of Oblivion, Yama's Palace, the Six Paths of Reincarnation... Do these things really exist?

The Crimson Prison Ghost King suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice, "Further words are useless. There's only one day left. Let's wait and see just how much the Underworld really is!"

His gaze swept towards the main seat, where the Ghost Mother remained in seclusion, yet a strange unease arose in his heart.

Unbeknownst to anyone, their chatter had already reached a secluded, quiet room.

A soft, feminine voice rang out, tinged with inquiry: "The Underworld... the Law of Reincarnation?"

Meanwhile, on the high platform of the City God's Palace in Xingsha City, Zhong Jiu stared at the straw figure in front of him, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

After more than ten days of worship, the straw effigy had turned completely black, with wisps of karma clinging to it like maggots, emanating a chilling aura.

He began to perform mysterious footwork, his hands formed hand seals, and he chanted incantations.

After completing the full range of steps, Zhong Jiu's eyes gleamed with a sharp light, and he bowed respectfully.

With this bow, the high platform trembled violently, and the karmic forces that had been drifting between heaven and earth converged like a tide, all of them surging into the straw figure.

The two soul lamps on the straw man's head and feet flickered wildly, their flames burning intermittently as if they might go out at any moment.

Inside the Dark Palace, the Ghost Kings were on high alert, but they still didn't detect anything unusual.

As the sun set and the nineteen-day agreement drew to a close, the ghost kings gradually relaxed, and their mocking intent resurfaced.

"Hahaha, I knew the underworld was just bragging! To think they could take Old Nine's life in nineteen days? Pure wishful thinking!"

"Once this gets out, the Underworld will have completely lost face. Who will respect them in the Southern Ridge anymore?"

The Thousand-Eyed Demon also breathed a sigh of relief, his heart, which had been hanging in his throat, finally settled.

He straightened his back and laughed triumphantly: "You little brat from the underworld, you're nothing special! With your brothers protecting you, come and kill me if you dare!"

Before he could finish speaking, a sudden wave of drowsiness washed over him, and the Thousand-Eyed Demon's expression changed drastically: "Not good!"

As the Ghost King, he had long since escaped the weariness of mortals, and this anomaly was by no means accidental!

Before he could react, his body collapsed to the ground uncontrollably, and he fell into a deep sleep.

"Ninth Brother!"

The ghost kings were terrified and unleashed their divine senses to sweep through the dark palace, but they couldn't find a trace of the underworld even after searching every corner.

Just then, an aura a hundred times stronger than theirs suddenly erupted, as deep and vast as the ocean, pressing down on the Ghost Dynasty so that they could not bow down.

"The Demon Mother has emerged from seclusion!"

The ghost kings immediately knelt down, and a figure in black robes slowly appeared on the main seat. The figure was graceful, and the face was obscured by thick fog, so the appearance could not be seen.

The Ghost Mother's divine sense instantly enveloped the entire Dark Nether City, yet she still found nothing. She muttered to herself, filled with disbelief, "What kind of technique is this? It's invisible and intangible; even I can't detect it..."

The Green Ghost King stepped forward to investigate, but no matter how he called out to it or poured in ghostly energy, the Thousand-Eyed Demon Demon did not respond at all, as if it had fallen into an endless slumber.

An eerie silence enveloped the hall, and a chill spread from the depths of the ghost kings' hearts, chilling them to the bone.

On the high platform of Xingsha City, six feathered arrows had been driven into the vital parts of the straw doll that was bound to it.

Zhong Jiu slowly drew his bow, the arrow aimed at the straw man's chest, his tone icy: "The nineteenth day has arrived, Thousand-Eyed Demon, prepare to die!"

call out!

The arrow shot through the air and accurately pierced the heart of the straw man.

The straw figure let out a piercing scream, instantly bursting into black flames. Karma and soul power intertwined and burned, turning it into ashes.

Inside the dark palace, the Thousand-Eyed Demon suddenly sat up, clutching his chest tightly with both hands, letting out a heart-wrenching wail: "It hurts so much!"

Before he could finish speaking, his body collapsed with a thud. His three souls and seven spirits were torn apart inch by inch by an invisible force, and finally dissipated completely, leaving not even a trace of his soul behind.

Dead!

A deathly silence!

From the Ghost King to the Ghost Mother, the entire hall was deathly silent, as fear overwhelmed them like a tidal wave.

To take a ghost's life without anyone noticing—such a method is simply unheard of!

They finally understood that the underworld officials were not just bragging, but truly possessed the power to crush them!