Excessive ferocity due to caution

"This is……"

Upon seeing the broken bronze statue, Ji Chen immediately knelt on the ground!

"Lord Soul Holder!"

"This humble subject, Ji Chen, has come to report to the authorities!"

Chao Fei also prostrated himself in worship:

"Chao Fei, a commoner."

Zhao Yi stood beside the two men, not only refusing to kneel, but even shaking his cigarette case.

This scene terrified Ji Chen.

"Zhao Yi! What's wrong with you?!"

"This is the underworld! Put your chewing gum away right now!"

"Kneel down before the Lord Soul Collector!"

Zhao Yi remained motionless, squinting as he carefully examined the broken bronze statue on the seat.

Slightly——

The bronze statue seemed to move slightly in its seat.

This move completely stunned Ji Chen and his companion!

His eyes scanned the guards on both sides, trying to locate his sister, Ji Pa.

Soon, Ji Chen noticed his sister.

But Ji Pa kept giving him meaningful glances, as if telling Ji Chen not to interfere in Zhao Yi's affairs.

Ji Chen had grown up with Ji Pa since childhood and knew his genius younger sister very well. He could see that Ji Pa, who was always calm and composed, had a hint of panic in the depths of her eyes at this moment...

The panic in his eyes caused cold sweat to trickle down Ji Chen's temples.

it's over...

Could their recklessness have really offended the Soul Collector?

If that's the case, wouldn't they be doomed?

Thinking of this, Ji Chen immediately turned his face and whispered to Chao Xian:

"Senior Chao... think of something quickly!"

"What can I do? We're on their turf, what can I possibly do?"

Chao Fei's face was also very ugly.

He knew very well what kind of organization the Underworld was, and it wouldn't treat him differently just because he was a later god!

If they really offend the underworld, the situation will definitely not be better than being targeted by that guy deep in the Blood Sea!

After all, the rotting heads deep in the sea of ​​blood can only threaten them within the area of ​​the blood waterfall... but the underworld can capture them throughout the entire Avici Hell!

Moreover, they are currently trapped in the Soul Collector's divine palace, and they cannot leave unless the other party agrees!

Once the Soul Collector decides to arrest them, they will become prisoners in the underworld!

"Zhao Yi, kneel down now!"

"Don't be a hero at this time!"

"Angering the Soul Collector will benefit none of us!"

Chao Fei tried to persuade Zhao Yi, but the latter remained unmoved, still staring at the bronze statue on his seat.

squeak-

The bronze statue moved, slowly sitting up from its half-resting state.

The commotion, though small, put almost everyone in the Divine Palace on edge!

The atmosphere was tense, like a taut bowstring, ready to snap at any moment!

"..."

The palace was eerily silent.

No one spoke.

Neither the two people kneeling on the ground nor the staff standing on either side dared to move...

They could only watch helplessly as the Soul Collector rose from his seat and walked step by step down...

Each of its steps resounded heavily within the divine palace.

It felt as if he had stepped on everyone's souls.

Finally, the Soul Collector stopped in front of Zhao Yi.

The brief two-second standoff felt like centuries to everyone present.

Cold sweat trickled down his temples, dripping down his hair onto the ground of the shrine, where it dissolved into nothingness in the cracks of the bluestone slabs.

Ji Chen could clearly hear his own heartbeat.

It's ridiculously fast.

It kept pounding against his throat.

But soon, the Soul Collector made a move that no one present had expected.

He slowly bent down towards Zhao Yi.

"Holy crap..."

Those who witnessed this scene could only express their feelings in two words...

Except for Zhao Yi.

He wasn't surprised.

Because when Wu Guanwang met him, he also bowed his head to him.

The Soul Collector of a small place is naturally not as high-ranking as the Coroner King. In terms of both strength and power, even the Coroner King would nod to him, let alone this lowly Soul Collector.

"May I ask what brings you to my humble abode, sir?"

A stiff but distinct voice came from inside the mansion.

Everyone looked at Zhao Yi and the Soul Collector.

His expression was both shocked and eerie.

grown ups?

"Damn it... Zhao Yi, you've been hiding your true colors well!"

Ji Chen let out a strange cry, but quickly realized his attitude was inappropriate, immediately put on a smile, and said:

"Brother Zhao, you're truly a hidden master. If I offended you in any way before, please forgive me and don't hold it against me!"

Zhao Yi took out the cigarette box he had taken out halfway earlier and flicked a cigarette into his mouth.

"You haven't offended me in any way, so you don't need to apologize to me."

He paused, then looked at the Soul Collector:

Zhao Yi took out Chao Fei's notebook and recounted everything that had happened on the ancient battlefield, except for the part about communicating with the rotting head. After listening, the Soul Collector replied:

"The matter you mentioned has been on the radar of the Underworld for some time now."

"The Church of the Skull had long ago developed its own power in the Abyss."

"For thousands of years, the underworld has cleaned up countless times, but their main forces are not in the Avici Hell, so it is only a temporary solution and cannot be completely cleaned up."

At this point, the Soul Collector leaned closer and said in a voice only Zhao Yi could hear:

"In recent decades, the Skull Church seems to have set its sights on certain resources in the Underworld, sending an unprecedentedly powerful force. Moreover, due to the great battle on the ancient battlefield, the power of the Underworld has declined sharply, many of the ancestors have died in battle, and the remaining forces of the rebels cannot be wiped out. They also seem to have developed an unclear relationship with the Skull Church, which is a further blow to the power of the Underworld..."

"Of the original 36,000 ancestors, less than 3,000 remain..."

"Caught between internal and external problems, the Underworld has few resources left to utilize. The forbidden zones cannot be entered easily, otherwise, if they are ambushed by the Skull Church and the remnants of the rebel army, it will only further accelerate the decline of the Underworld's power..."

"I suggest you hold off on taking action for now, sir. I will report to my superiors later and take you to the Ten Courts of Hell to learn more about the situation before you make a decision."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yi nodded in agreement.

Chao Fei, who was standing to the side, glanced at the two of them, then lowered his head again, staring intently at the ground, seemingly lost in thought.

...

PS: First update, second update coming soon.