Summoning the Gods: Start by creating the Eternal Night.

Central Territory, Ten Thousand Souls Canyon.

The perennial gray-black miasma shrouds the entire canyon in a dense, impenetrable atmosphere.

The canyon is crisscrossed by yin veins, and even the spiritual energy carries a bone-chilling cold.

Ordinary cultivators would have to think twice before even approaching the outer perimeter, let alone going deep into the area.

The palace of the Netherworld is hidden deep within the canyon.

At this moment, inside the main hall,

A man dressed in a wide robe of dark black with dark silver trim lay reclining on the main seat.

His face was cold and aloof, with a domineering and sinister air about him.

Surrounded by a faint, chilling black aura, he was none other than Ye Cangming, the Lord of the Netherworld Palace.

Three people were sitting on the left and right sides below.

The one sitting on the left is the Left Protector.

He was dressed in a tight-fitting black robe, and a hideous scar ran from his brow bone to his jawline.

His eyes were fierce like a beast's, his arm muscles were bulging, and his aura of menace was almost tangible.

On the right are, in order, the Dark Guardian and the Shadow Guardian.

The Dark Protector was of medium build, shrouded in a wide black robe, revealing only a pair of cold, emotionless eyes.

His skin was so pale it was almost sickly, and his aura was so gloomy it was frightening.

Shadow Guardian was slender, her sharp lines accentuated by her simple, all-black attire.

His face was cold and aloof, his eyes were sharp as blades, and his whole body exuded a chilling aura.

Ye Cangming lay on his side in the main seat, slowly opening his mouth, his voice calm and even:

"Not long ago, I sent the Right Protector to the Yunlan Sect and the City of Sin."

"He sent a message saying that Yun Feiyang, the Supreme Elder of Yunlan Sect in Yunzhou, has agreed to submit to our palace."

The left protector slapped his thigh with a loud clang, causing the sword at his waist to vibrate.

"That old bastard finally did something decent!"

The Shadow Protector lightly tapped the armrest of the seat with his fingertip and said:

"It all depends on whether he can persuade the City of Sin in Youzhou."

"If the forces in Youzhou submit, we can take the opportunity to consolidate our power, wipe out the Heaven and Earth Pavilion and other clowns, and completely dominate the entire Central Region."

Ye Cangming nodded slightly, the coldness in his eyes lessening a bit. Dominating the Central Region was a goal he had been planning for a long time.

Just then, an announcement came from outside the hall:

"Report! News has arrived from Lei Jinghong of Fenglei Pavilion!"

"Come in."

The elder of the Intelligence Hall strode in and bowed respectfully.

"Greetings, Palace Master; greetings, Three Protectors."

Ye Cangming raised his eyes: "Speak! What does Lei Jinghong have to say?"

The elder of the Intelligence Hall's expression changed slightly, and he said with a forced smile:

"News has come from Fenglei Pavilion... The Right Protector... he is critically injured and on the verge of death, and we have been asked to send someone to meet him."

"What?!"

The Left Protector suddenly stood up, his eyes wide open, his face filled with disbelief:

"Impossible! That old guy is a late-stage Land Immortal, who could injure him like this?"

The Shadow Guardian and the Dark Guardian also frowned, a look of surprise flashing in their eyes.

The Protector of the Netherworld Palace may not be considered unruly outside, but few in the entire Central Continent dare to provoke him easily, let alone seriously injure him to the point of death.

Ye Cangming's brows furrowed slowly, and the chill emanating from his body intensified suddenly, causing the temperature inside the hall to drop several degrees.

Did the message mention a reason?

"No, Your Highness!" The elder of the Intelligence Hall shook his head.

"It was only said that the Right Protector was still unconscious, and the specific situation was unknown. He was already in a critical condition when he was found."

Ye Cangming's brows furrowed even more, and his voice was as cold as ice.

"Left Protector!"

"Your subordinate is here!" The Left Protector stepped forward, his killing intent palpable.

"Take the Nine-Turn Returning to Origin Pill from the palace and go to the Wind and Thunder Pavilion immediately to find out the reason for this matter."

Ye Cangming's eyes revealed a murderous intent.

"Once we find out who did it, we'll have the Wind and Thunder Pavilion and the Cloud Mist Sect cooperate with you to... wipe them out."

The last few words, laced with undisguised murderous intent, were spoken as if about a trivial matter.

"yes!"

"I will make sure those who are blind know what will happen to those who mess with my Netherworld Palace."

The left protector clasped his hands in a fist salute, turned around, and strode away.

The Shadow Protector watched his retreating figure, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Your Highness, there seems to be something fishy about this."

"The Right Protector represented our Netherworld Palace on this trip, yet the enemy still managed to severely injure him."

"That means they're probably quite strong. Why don't they let the two of us go with them?"

A calculating glint appeared in Ye Cangming's eyes:

"Hehe~ Left Protector's departure is sufficient. I'd like to see whether the Wind and Thunder Pavilion and the Cloud Mist Sect are truly loyal to my sect!"

……

One day later, Youzhou, the City of Sin

In the back garden of the city lord's mansion, in a pavilion.

Indra sat alone at the stone table, holding a teacup in his hand, reviewing the intelligence sent back by the Underworld Detectives.

Suddenly, he frowned, abruptly looked up, and his voice, imbued with spiritual power, clearly reached the void above the City of Sin:

"Now that you're here, why not show yourself?"

As soon as the words were spoken, a ripple appeared in the void, and an old man with white hair descended from the sky.

The man who landed in the pavilion was none other than Wang Xuansheng, the fourth ancestor of the Wang family.

"Greetings, fellow Daoist." Wang Xuansheng bowed with his hands clasped, his expression calm.

Indra raised his eyes and sized him up:

"Who are you? Why are you spying on my Sin City? What is your purpose?"

"I am Wang Xuansheng of the Wang family of Yunzhou," Wang Xuansheng said frankly. "I hope you will forgive my intrusion."

Seeing that he meant him no harm, Indra raised his hand in a gesture of respect: "Please sit."

As he spoke, he flicked his finger, and the teapot flew automatically to the other side of the stone table, pouring him a cup of tea.

"Thank you, fellow Daoist."

Wang Xuansheng sat down, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

"May I ask your esteemed name, fellow traveler?"

"The Underworld, the Eastern Ghost Emperor, Indra."

Indra slowly put down his teacup.

"Tell me, what brings you here?"

So the force behind this City of Sin is called the Underworld? Wang Xuansheng thought to himself.

He had never heard of this name before, but since it dared to oppose the Netherworld Palace, it must be no ordinary force.

He composed himself, took out a storage bag and placed it in front of Di Shitian, then smiled and explained his purpose:

"Haha, the reason I've come here is that some time ago, a junior member of my Wang family came to Sin City and his words and actions were quite inappropriate. I've come to apologize for that."

He paused, then added, "Secondly, I heard that the Right Protector of the Netherworld Palace visited Sin City two days ago."

"I wonder if the one who ultimately rescued him was Yun Feiyang from the Yunlan Sect?"

Emperor Shitian naturally knew about Wang Ba, whom the Wang family had sent last time, and also guessed the Wang family's intentions.

It's nothing more than an attempt to test the reactions of all parties by creating the illusion of "cooperation" with Sin City.

Now that he has seen the Netherworld Palace suffer a loss, he has come to their door in person with sincerity, clearly wanting to find them to be allies.

"That's right, it's Yun Feiyang." Di Shitian nodded in acknowledgment.

Wang Xuansheng understood immediately, thinking to himself, "Just as I thought."

He looked up at Indra and said frankly:

"Fellow Daoist, you must have guessed why I've come, so I won't beat around the bush."

"Now that the Underworld has incurred the wrath of the Netherworld Palace and the Yunlan Sect, and my Wang family is also an old enemy of the Yunlan Sect, why don't we... form an alliance to fight against this powerful foe together?"

"An alliance?" Indra chuckled. "My Underworld has no need for that."

Wang Xuansheng was taken aback, then advised, "Fellow Daoist! The Netherworld Palace is powerful. If they join forces with the Cloud Mist Sect, then..."

Even so, I, the Underworld, have no fear.

Indra interrupted him, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable confidence.

"Alright, let's not talk about an alliance anymore."

"However... if your royal family is willing to submit to my Underworld, we can consider it."

He learned from intelligence that the Wang family was an ancient aristocratic family, but they gradually declined after the war between gods and demons.

Now that the world has been restored, families like these are naturally targets for various powers to win over or annex, such as their arch-enemy, the Yunlan Sect.

It was precisely because Wang Xuansheng discovered the connection between the Yunlan Sect and the Netherworld Palace that he came to them with sincerity to seek an alliance.

But Indra didn't care, after all, he had the entire Eternal Night Heaven supporting him.

They have no fear of the Netherworld Palace, so there is no need for them to form an alliance.

Even if the Netherworld Palace were to unite with many more forces, he would remain fearless and could simply send people from the Eternal Night Space.

Wang Xuansheng's expression darkened slightly as he was surprised that the other party would propose that the Wang family submit to them.

He had already humbled himself to seek cooperation, yet the other party treated him with such contempt, and he gradually grew dissatisfied.

"Hehe, fellow Daoist, you really know how to joke."

"My Wang family is an ancient and prestigious family; how could we possibly submit to another?"

"If you are unwilling, then please leave."

Indra picked up his teacup and said no more.

"My Underworld does not ally with any power."

Looking at his calm profile, Wang Xuansheng felt a mixture of surprise and uncertainty.

Is the underworld truly fearless, or is it simply arrogant and overconfident?

He remained silent for a moment, then finally cupped his hands in farewell and said, "Farewell."

Having said that, he turned and left.

……