Summoning the Gods: Start by creating the Eternal Night.

Ghost King Sect, Sect Master's Hall.

The flickering candlelight reflected the oppressive atmosphere inside the hall.

The elder of the Intelligence Hall stood bowing before the hall, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

He reported in a trembling voice to the Ghost Butcher sitting in the main seat:

"Sect Master, we have searched Youzhou from top to bottom, but we still haven't found the exact location of the Underworld!"

The burly, ferocious-looking Ghost Butcher, with half his face covered in dark blue ghost patterns, was a formidable figure.

Upon hearing this, he slammed his hand on the armrest and said in a deep voice:

"If we can't find the location of the Underworld, have we not even found a single clue?"

The chilling aura emanating from him caused the temperature in the hall to plummet, and the elder of the Intelligence Hall was so frightened that his legs went weak.

"Reporting to the Sect Master, after the Underworld appeared in Sin City last time, it seemed to have vanished into thin air."

"Not to mention the sect, even their own people haven't shown their faces again!"

"Useless! What's the point of keeping a bunch of good-for-nothings like you around!"

Ghost Butcher roared, his eyes flashing with ferocity.

"Could it be that the underworld has burrowed into a crack in the ground?"

The elder of the Intelligence Hall trembled, but forced himself to speak:

"Sect Master, do you think... this Underworld might just be a front?"

"Perhaps this force doesn't even exist; it was just something fabricated by the powerful out-of-state expert Li Wujiu invited last time to scare us?"

Ghost Butcher frowned, lost in thought.

This conjecture is not without merit.

The appearance of the Underworld was too sudden. Although it had shown great strength in Sin City last time,

Only one terrestrial immortal made a move, and there was no further action afterward, which indeed resembled a brief rescue by a powerful figure from another state.

"Any news from Sin City?" Ghost Butcher pressed.

"Have any unfamiliar experts come and go?"

The elder of the intelligence hall quickly replied:

"Since the last battle, Li Wujiu has purged the disloyal elements in the city and restored order."

However, he himself never left Sin City, nor was there any indication that any powerful stranger had entered.

"So that means..."

A ruthless glint flashed in Ghost Butcher's eyes.

"Perhaps we really guessed wrong."

"There's no such thing as the Underworld; it's just that Li Wujiu spent a fortune hiring experts from other states to put on a show!"

"If that's the case, then things will be much easier."

"By annihilating Sin City, Youzhou will completely belong to my Ghost King Sect!"

The more he thought about it, the more sense it made, and his tone became excited.

Once Li Wujiu is eliminated, no one in the entire Youzhou will be able to rival the Ghost King Sect.

When the time comes, we can expand our territory and accumulate strength. When the five regions are united, we might be able to compete for the position of hegemon!

Just then, heavy footsteps sounded outside the hall.

An elderly man in a gray robe, with a withered face, slowly walked in.

It was none other than Gui Xuan, the Supreme Elder of the Ghost King Sect.

Upon seeing this, Gui Tu quickly rose to offer his seat and bowed respectfully.

"Supreme Elder!"

Gui Xuan walked unhurriedly to the main seat and sat down.

His cloudy gaze swept over the elder of the Intelligence Hall, and he spoke indifferently:

"Is there any place within Youzhou that you haven't investigated?"

The elder of the Intelligence Hall paused for a moment, thought carefully, and then hesitated before saying:

"Reporting to the Supreme Elder, it seems... it seems there really is such a place, but there's absolutely no way anyone could exist there!"

"Oh? Where?" Gui Xuan raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Death Valley!"

The elder of the Intelligence Hall blurted out, then quickly added,

"But that place is shrouded in poisonous gas and deathly aura year-round, and is teeming with countless venomous insects and beasts."

"Forget about establishing a power base, even a highly skilled cultivator might not come out alive!"

"Therefore, I believe that the underworld could not possibly be there."

Gui Xuan fell silent upon hearing this.

He was well aware of the dangers of Death Valley.

In his early years, he attempted to explore the valley but was severely injured by an ancient beast that had lived for countless years, and he still feels lingering fear to this day.

But for some reason, hearing this name always made him feel uneasy.

Ghost Butcher sneered from the side:

"Elder, you need not worry."

"In my opinion, our previous guesses were wrong!"

"There is no underworld at all; they are just experts from other states that Li Wujiu invited."

"Once we confirm this, we'll march directly on Sin City and take it down in one fell swoop!"

Gui Xuan rubbed his temples, suppressing the unease in his heart.

Perhaps I'm just overthinking it.

In a place as desolate as Death Valley, it is indeed impossible for anyone to establish a power base.

"Fine," he waved his hand.

"Your intelligence department should continue to keep a close eye on Sin City. Once it is confirmed that there is no such thing as the Underworld, report immediately."

"We'll seize this opportunity to wipe out Sin City and take control of the entire Youzhou!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

The elder of the Intelligence Hall felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly bowed and withdrew.

Only Gui Tu and Gui Xuan remained in the hall.

Gui Tu looked at Gui Xuan and asked cautiously:

"Elder, are you still worried about the Underworld?"

Gui Xuan sighed, "Ah! Better safe than sorry."

"I cannot rest easy until the underworld is eradicated."

"The cultivator who called himself the Eastern Ghost Emperor who appeared during the last siege of Li Wujiu was unfathomably powerful and was no ordinary person."

"If a force like the Underworld truly exists, we could suffer a great loss if we are careless."

Ghost Butcher said dismissively:

"Elder, I think you are overthinking it."

"Even if there really is a underworld, so what?"

"With you, sir, here, along with our Grandmaster Uncle who just came out of Ghost Prison, are we really afraid of them?"

Gui Xuan shook his head: "We must not be careless."

There are too many hidden powerful individuals and forces in this world.

"Our Ghost King Sect has been able to stand firm in Youzhou for thousands of years because of our ruthlessness and caution, not our recklessness."

He paused, then continued:

"Here's what we'll do: send another group of people to scout out the outskirts of Death Valley."

No need to go deep; just check for any unusual noises.

"Yes! I'll arrange it right away!"

Just as Gui Tu was about to turn and retreat, Gui Xuan suddenly called out to him:

"By the way, where is my junior brother now after he came out of Ghost Prison?"

Upon hearing this, Gui Tu's face flashed with embarrassment, and he quickly replied:

"After the Grand Master Uncle came out, he noticed that you were intentionally avoiding him, so he went to the back mountain."

He also set up a protective barrier, and never came out again.

Upon hearing this, Gui Xuan's eyes flashed with a complex emotion, and he murmured:

"Is that so... No wonder I couldn't sense his presence. It seems he went to keep his junior sister company."

Gui Tu tentatively asked, "Grand Elder, shall I go and invite Grand Uncle-Master out?"

Gui Xuan waved his hand: "No need."

"If there's nothing urgent, let him stay there for now."

"Go and arrange for the investigation of Death Valley."

"Yes!" Ghost Butcher dared not say another word and bowed as he withdrew.

Only Gui Xuan remained in the main hall, gazing towards the back mountain with a distant look in his eyes.

A sigh escaped her lips, a mixture of reminiscence and guilt:

"Sigh... After all these years, you still can't let go."

"But you don't know, my junior sister has always loved you..."

……

The back mountain of the Ghost King Sect was shrouded in mist.

An invisible barrier enveloped the area, preventing outsiders from prying into it.

Within the barrier, a simple thatched hut stood quietly.

Beside the house stands a solitary tombstone, bearing no name, only the image of a blooming ghost flower.

The ghost leaned against the tombstone, holding a gourd of liquor in his hand, gulping down strong liquor.

Wine dripped from the corner of his mouth, soaking the front of his shirt.

He was completely oblivious, staring blankly at the tombstone, his eyes sometimes bloodshot, sometimes lost in thought.

"Junior sister... I'm sorry..."

His voice was hoarse, filled with deep regret.

"It was my inner demons that caused me to go mad and accidentally kill you... I didn't mean to..."

He slammed the gourd to the ground, splashing wine everywhere.

His eyes instantly became bloodshot, and his expression turned violent.

"But why did you take that blow for Gui Xuan?!"

"Do you really love him that much?!"

"What do I lack compared to him?!"

"You'd rather die than look at me even once?!"

He grabbed his hair, as if he had gone mad, and screamed incoherently:

"No...it wasn't me...I didn't kill my junior sister..."

"I loved her so much, how could I kill her..."

"I didn't kill those sect disciples... I'm an elder, how could I kill them..."

Suddenly, he seemed to transform into a different person, a sinister smile spreading across his face, his voice cold and twisted:

"Heh heh heh! So what if I killed him?!"

"You were the ones who wronged me first!"

"Why is it that Gui Xuan is able to become the sect leader and be revered by thousands?"

"Why does my junior sister only have eyes for him?!"

"I'm so outstanding, yet I get nothing! They all deserve to die!"

The next moment, he suddenly hugged the tombstone again, pressing his cheek against the cold stone surface.

Tears mingled with the alcohol as they streamed down her face, her voice choked with emotion:

"Junior sister... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to... Please come back..."

He stood by the tombstone, sometimes frantic, sometimes filled with remorse, sometimes roaring, sometimes sobbing.

Like a trapped beast lost in the past.

Back then, he grew up with Gui Xuan and his junior sister, and they were like brothers.

He was infatuated with his junior sister, but he discovered that she was in love with Gui Xuan.

Later, he practiced demonic arts and went mad, accidentally killing his junior sister who came to stop him, and also implicating many disciples of the sect.

His master, mindful of their past relationship, did not execute him, but instead imprisoned him in the Ghost Prison, where he remained for hundreds of years.

Centuries of darkness did not diminish the obsession and madness in his heart.

Instead, it made that love-hate relationship even more distorted.

At this moment, he leaned against the tombstone, his fingertips gently tracing the ghostly flower on it.

A hint of tenderness flashed in his eyes, only to be replaced by madness:

"Junior sister, if I kill Gui Xuan to 'avenge' you, will you forgive me?"

"Or will you forgive me if I go down to apologize to you in person?"

....