It was Little Hongtang.

She didn't even know when, but she followed him into the dream, and now her small face was pale, hiding behind him, trembling.

Clearly terrified, but she still came, and even helped him block the retreat.

The most critical point was that Little Hongtang usually wore a red dress, and in this place, the red dress was even more vibrant, even turning purple.

It was comparable to the Purple Qi flowing in the palace.

Hu Ma's cultivation had grown immensely, but he hadn't acquired much Purple Qi. Now, Little Hongtang seemed to be molded from Purple Qi, perfectly compensating for this deficiency, and she immediately stood firm in this Netherworld Palace.

"How bold!"

Unexpectedly seeing Little Hongtang appear, the swords and spears that had already forced their way to Hu Ma halted.

The civil servants on both sides paused, including the black shadow on the Dragon Throne ahead, simultaneously and sinisterly staring at her, with surprise in their eyes soon turning to fury.

They shouted harshly: "Little maid, funeral sacrifice, entered the human world by royal command, but escaped imperial mandate, dare to return now?"

In this Netherworld Palace, such rebukes and accusations seemed tangible, rushing towards Little Hongtang.

Facing these people, Little Hongtang was clearly terrified, her two short legs barely holding her up, sitting down on the ground, clutching Hu Ma's thigh tightly, wanting him to shield her.

On either side of the Dragon Throne, the maids holding Palace Lanterns also stared intently at Little Hongtang, mouths opening and closing as if cursing silently, while raising their lanterns high.

The purple light from the lanterns shone brightly again, seemingly sharing the same source as the Purple Qi on Little Hongtang. With their movements, the Purple Qi around Little Hongtang faintly wavered, beginning to be drawn strand by strand into the lanterns.

"What?"

If this were in the human world, it would be too chaotic to understand what was happening.

But now it was in the Netherworld Palace, Hu Ma was in a dream, and these people were even more soaked in yin soul, intertwined between them, Hu Ma immediately understood what Little Hongtang had experienced.

His face suddenly darkened, eyes erupting with endless hatred.

Little Hongtang, indeed, had escaped from the Netherworld Palace.

She was originally one of the child children buried with this Emperor, and after arriving in the underworld, because she was so naive in life, she naturally suffered abuse from the Evil Ghost in death.

It should have been endless darkness, but because the bloodline of Douyi was severed in the mortal realm, the Netherworld Palace became a rootless tree.

And she was truly a Living Soul, a genuinely clean soul, thus chosen by the Emperor Ghost, bestowed with Purple Qi, sent to the human world to be reborn, preparing to become one of the conduits connecting the Netherworld Palace and the human world in the future.

Only Little Hongtang took a wrong turn and mistimed her reincarnation path, ending up wandering the human world, eventually being discovered and taken in by Granny on her return to Shangjing, who pitied her and brought her back to Old Yin Mountain.

In fact, in recent years, the Netherworld Palace has sent out many people this way, but none seemed successful. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Either they got lost, or they were secretly eliminated, and over time, the Netherworld Palace gave up on this idea.

But now, seeing Little Hongtang appear, they were instantly furious, wanting to reclaim the Purple Qi and capture and punish her.

However, now, Hu Ma was there watching.

He had always wanted to know Little Hongtang's background, why this little girl was so different from others?

Incredibly strong, but not daring to fight or harm anyone.

Facing Blood Food, she had an extraordinary restraint... being practically a person molded by Purple Qi, she naturally had an exceptional ability to resist Purple Tai Sui.

But knowing before was fine, knowing now only brought an instant surge of shocked anger from his heart.

Thinking of her being forced to be a funeral object while still naive, abused after death, now seeing this little girl sitting scared on the ground, her small face pale and near transparent, a flame of unrestrained rage already blazed in his eyes.

Suddenly, with a wave of his large sleeve, he blocked the two lanterns shining at Little Hongtang.

Slowly he helped her up, using his body to shield her, softly saying: "Little Hongtang, don't be afraid, I'll stand up for you!"

"Can't even protect yourself, what can you stand up for?"

"Capture him, at least keep that little girl here!"

In the Netherworld Palace, the Evil Ghosts clamored loudly. The ghosts here were different; other underworld ghosts mostly lost their spiritual nature, knowing only gloom and brutality, having a semblance of fear and instinct.

But the ghosts in this Netherworld Palace, perhaps nourished by Purple Qi, mostly retained human-like thinking.

They feared they couldn't capture Hu Ma, but seeing his concern for Little Hongtang, they devised a plan.

If they captured her, they need not fear capturing Hu Ma.

Amidst their shouting, the wailing seemed like flies, gathering in groups, forming gusts of yin wind, rushing towards Hu Ma.

...

...

"Could it be that even you cannot hold steady before this Netherworld Palace?"

Meanwhile, on Da'ai Mountain, the State Preceptor was staring intently at his ten burning incense sticks.

Clearly seeing, among the ten sticks, one burned extremely vigorously, the incense smoke even more intense than the others, forming a continuous mist, enveloping Hu Ma.

And beneath Hu Ma, the soil began to soften, sinking, as if he was gradually being dragged underground.

He understood this was the Netherworld Palace trying to seize Hu Ma in a dream, pulling him from the human world into the Netherworld Palace.

But, because he had walked too far on the Bridge, he couldn't deal with the Netherworld Palace, but Hu Ma, with unprecedented ten Incense Sticks of cultivation, was he truly so vulnerable?

Amidst his doubt, he suddenly saw slumbering Hu Ma grit his teeth, a crackling sound, like sleep-talking, quietly speaking: "I will become a bridge, bringing mortal calamity to the Netherworld Palace!"

Rumble!

As soon as he finished, suddenly a blood-colored lightning appeared from the other side of the sky, abruptly drawn into the mountains, landing beside Hu Ma.

The next moment, a fierce wind arose, blood qi pervading.

...

...

In the Netherworld Palace, Hu Ma shielded Little Hongtang with one hand, pointing to the human world with the other, his arm and shoulder forming a bridge.

The next moment, with him as the border, a bridge emerged between the Netherworld Palace and the human world, indescribable gusts of putrid wind and blood rain suddenly pouring from the human world into the Netherworld Palace, shredding the countless civil and military ministers.

Even the rolling Purple Qi in the palace was disrupted by this blood qi, instantly losing form, retreating.

And with Little Hongtang shielded in one hand, his whole body covered in blood rain, he walked step by step toward the hall, intimidating the civil and military ministers with dread on their faces, his voice like Evil Gods scaring Evil Ghosts:

"The mortal world is facing calamity, going to destroy the unjust destiny of this world, you who are the most advantaged by destiny, how can you be spared?"

"..."

As he spoke, he slowly raised his hand, revealing a ferocious Evil Blade, falling from the human world into his dream, then to the Netherworld Palace, into his hand. Its blade was menacing, the handle adorned with a ghost head, emanating boundless murderous aura.

Hu Ma, gripping the blade, spoke in a low voice: "Once filled with murderous aura, today it shall be stained with blood."

"I rename you, from punishment officer to Emperor Xiao, accompany me in the Netherworld today, specializing in executing the Emperor's fate, are you willing?"

"..."

The Emperor's Great Saber instantly clanged, like an Evil Ghost's maniacal laughter.