Next, the guide was replaced by the Grandmother. She held an oil lamp in her hand and walked at the very front. The only thing left in everyone's sight was this single point of light; they couldn't even see the ground beneath their feet.

After walking for an unknown length of time, Xu Lang suddenly realized the people around him had all disappeared!

"The Netherworld journey... I'm walking into the depths of the Netherworld. Will I be able to get out when the time comes?"

Xu Lang had a feeling of stepping into an abyss, walking into darkness.

Taking a deep breath, he quickly reviewed the situation.

The Netherworld was a major power, similar to the Dorm Survival Game. The two should have some kind of cooperative relationship.

In the vast jungle of the world, the Dorm Survival Game was not the only one!

The Netherworld Invitation was the Netherworld's method of recruiting talent... but he already bore the mark of the Dorm Survival Game, and the Dorm Survival Game probably wouldn't let go easily either.

"If I can't pass the checkpoint, I'll most likely be permanently left behind... If I pass, I'll take away benefits. This is my gamble with the 'Game,' and also the gamble between the Dorm Survival Game and the Netherworld."

In the darkness, Xu Lang's thoughts rose and fell.

If this guess was correct, then the question arose: if everyone in the Platinum Luxury Apartment died, could the Epitaph bring everyone back to the Mad King Building? Or would they be resurrected in the Netherworld?

This was a problem!

"Damn it, Building, I hope you're not that useless!"

When it came down to it, if it really came time to use the Epitaph, Xu Lang would still feel a bit panicked.

Unless absolutely necessary, it was better not to use it.

Better to honestly use Nightmare Coins to reinforce and pass the checkpoint.

Xu Lang felt he couldn't rely on the Building. What if the Building wasn't even willing to collect his corpse, letting him resurrect in the Netherworld? That would be a huge mess.

The Taleblade Demon Box could serve as a teleportation relay station, but once inside the Netherworld, his connection with the marked ones weakened. Too many variables, not worth considering.

The world ahead gradually brightened. Xu Lang saw the Grandmother walk into a great hall, and he followed inside.

Cao Yaxuan, Wang Yazhi, and the other players also arrived one after another.

Xu Lang looked back and saw a massive golden archway, behind which was endless darkness.

The last one to walk in from the darkness was Tao Xiu. Seeing Xu Lang looking at him, he quickly turned his body slightly, his expression awkward.

"See these ten Yin Marshal divine statues? Take a stick of Incense, light it in front of their altar, and you can pledge allegiance under their command and receive a task..." The Grandmother's words suddenly halted. She abruptly turned her head, her eyes fiercely fixed on Xu Lang: "Kid, taking that thing out, are you looking for death?!"

Xu Lang hurriedly put away the Taleblade Demon Box in his hand, smiling awkwardly: "Sorry, sorry. This is my important item. I don't feel safe without holding it."

Hearing this, the Grandmother flicked her sleeve and snorted coldly: "That's how it is. Go and pay homage to the Yin Marshals separately. Time limit: one ke."

[The Grandmother issued the task "Light the Incense": Complete the homage to a Yin Marshal within fifteen minutes. Violators will be punished by the Grandmother. No reward.]

The Grandmother was serious. The system gave everyone a task.

On the altar table ahead, Incense sticks were placed. The group of players hurriedly went to take one each, then observed the ten great divine statues.

These ten statues were embedded into the wall at their backs, towering and majestic. Their forms were each different, unique and distinctive.

Just then, the Hundred Flowers Contemplation Emperor walked over.

"I have a scouting item and found out some information. Do you want to hear it?" the Hundred Flowers Contemplation Emperor said.

"Tell us," Sherry's eyes lit up.

None of them were fools. They knew the task they would receive later must be related to the characteristics of the Yin Marshals.

Paying homage to a Yin Marshal whose nature aligned with one's own might increase the probability of completing the task.

"This one is Bo Li, the Prison-Suppressing Marshal, responsible for suppressing fierce and malicious ghosts in hell, maintaining hell's order..." The Hundred Flowers Contemplation Emperor looked at a Yin Marshal with a blue face and fangs, wearing armor, holding a Demon-Suppressing Bell, with flame reliefs swirling around its body.

Next, she looked at the other statues, introducing them in a low voice.

"Yang Sui, the Daylight Patrol Censor, patrols during the day, overseeing good and evil..."

"You Jian, the Night Patrol Censor, patrols at night, overseeing demons and ghosts..."

"Xuan Ban, the Chief Supervisor of Hundred Beasts, supervises and commands the souls of beasts..."

"Zhu Hui, the Director of the Avian Department..."

"Ming Sai, the Water Spirit Official..."

"Fei Lian, the Insect Registrar..."

"Jun Xing, Punishment..."

While the Hundred Flowers Contemplation Emperor was talking to Sherry and the others, Xu Lang was also using his Nightmare Eye to examine the ten Yin Marshal statues.

After a moment, he glanced at the Grandmother, who was resting with closed eyes not far away, and took out the Killing Crystal.

Touched by spiritual energy, the Killing Crystal immediately disintegrated, transforming into a cloud of Blood Qi that enveloped Xu Lang.

This aura was vast and terrifying, causing all the players to look over.

Seeing this, Cao Yaxuan spoke up: "Xu Lang, there's no blood-red Yin Marshal here."

"The Grandmother probably wouldn't harm me," Xu Lang said with a smile.

"Fool, harming you is exactly the point! Quickly come before me to pay homage, otherwise when those guys come out, it'll be too late!" The Jun Xing statue suddenly opened its eyes and shouted: "With such heavy murderous aura on you, you should come to my Punishment Department!"

The Grandmother glanced at the Jun Xing statue but said nothing, her emotions unreadable.

Just then, the great hall trembled slightly, and a blood-colored vortex appeared in the center.

An evil god, four meters tall, with six long knives at his waist, stepped out.

He had a broad waist and stout body, a pair of sharp horns on his head, crimson skin, and walked barefoot on the ground as if stepping on everyone's hearts, pressing down on all the players so they dared not breathe.

Those strange eyes, emanating bloody aura, directly locked onto Xu Lang, terrifying and full of killing intent!

Instantly, an uncontrollable killing intent rose from the depths of Xu Lang's heart, forming a soaring blood-colored aura around him that shook the air, causing it to explode.

Transcendents were the world's overlords; their aura could make heaven and earth pale, alter the composition of matter. Xu Lang was now touching this threshold.

"So it's you who came, Naraku!" Jun Xing looked at this evil god, a trace of wariness in his tone.

However, the evil god didn't even glance at these statues, including the Grandmother. He stared at Xu Lang and said, "Not bad killing intent. If you want power, then come with me." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

After saying this, he turned and entered the blood-colored vortex, seemingly knowing Xu Lang would definitely follow.

In the instant before he entered the vortex, Xu Lang finally managed to probe his information.

[Nightmare Eye - Asura - Naraku: One of the Eight Generals under the command of the "Great Lord of Yama," master of the Asura Path. Once slaughtered millions of living beings, causing a world to fall into the Asura Path. Arrogant, unruly, cruel, and tyrannical.]

Slaughtered millions of living beings?!

Xu Lang was deeply shocked. Killing at this level could no longer be described as cruel or heartless; it was "Dao."

Killing was the path Asura - Naraku walked. Justice, evil, good and evil, indifference or heartlessness all seemed utterly meaningless.

Moreover, judging by the prefix, this evil god was actually an Asura!

Sherry's Book of Wisdom had once introduced the Asura race like this:

—Asura, one of the Mythical Races. Possesses blessings and divine power close to that of heavenly gods, with extremely long lifespans. Although they have the blessings of heavenly beings, they lack their virtue. Irascible, warlike, arrogant and unruly, ultimate warriors born for battle. Their image as god-slayers exists widely across the cultures of many worlds.

So-called Mythical Races are such that even if no one spreads their image, one day it will inexplicably appear in the minds of intelligent life, as naturally as realizing one needs to drink water and eat.

This phenomenon is similar to the Meme Contamination of tales, only more abstract and completely unreasonable.