"Daoist Friend Xu Xian, this way please."

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Daoist Friend."

"Hahaha, not at all. I only waited here for a short while."

That's just polite talk, Wang Sheng thought.

Before the inner city walls of Fengdu City, he walked forward with Ling Sheng at his side. Meanwhile, the Nether Realm's ghost wardens followed around them from every direction.

It had already been half a month since Qinghua's "appearance." Every faction had naturally come for nothing; it had already been confirmed to be nothing more than a rumor.

Still, holding onto a sliver of hope, the experts from the Black Emperor's side and many other factions had gathered outside Fengdu City in an attempt to intercept Qinghua. In the end, it was all for naught. After vaguely pressuring the Nether Realm for a while, they all departed.

Meanwhile, Wang Sheng had already begun carrying out his plan to infiltrate the Nether Realm and make contact with its inner workings. Through the connections he had arranged beforehand and his friendship with a bearded old man serving as a judge within the Nether Realm, he successfully obtained the opportunity to enter the Nether Realm for an "interview."

Wang Sheng gave a simple and direct reason: he cultivated the Dao of Slaughter and wanted to comprehend the Dao of Reincarnation to complete himself and step onto the path of becoming a truly powerful being.

As for the King of Hell position, it did not particularly suit someone who had the Dao of Slaughter like him.

Wang Sheng managed to pass several rounds of the Nether Realm's tests and probing without incident. Getting through this door truly had not been easy.

The judge receiving Wang Sheng was Bian Zhong, a Golden Immortal who had served in the Nether Realm for several yuanhui. His cultivation aptitude was poor, but with guidance from the Nether Realm's experts, he still reached the Golden Immortal Realm and was considered a Class-One civil official.

By now, Wang Sheng had also gained a clear understanding of the Nether Realm's structure.

Its authority was actually divided into two major parts. A portion rested in the hands of the Ten Kings of Hell, while the other belonged to the Five Directional Ghost Emperors.

The former handled civil affairs, while the latter commanded military power.

The Five Directional Ghost Emperors also oversaw the realm's defenses. Meanwhile, the Ten Kings of Hell controlled reincarnation itself. In every sense, their status was actually above that of the Five Directional Ghost Emperors.

The soul reapers, ghost wardens, judges, and the Yanluo Halls formed the entire system governing the reincarnation of all living beings.

According to the intelligence that Wang Sheng and the others had gathered, Feng Jiu had already infiltrated the system of the Five Directional Ghost Emperors.

This point was later confirmed after Wang Sheng shared drinks with Bian Zhong once.

At the time, Bian Zhong had said, "I don't know when it started, but I suddenly couldn't understand the Nether Realm anymore. Almost overnight, comrades who once drank fine wine beside me turned into hidden knives seeking my life."

Wang Sheng asked, "Did some kind of turmoil happen in the Nether Realm before this?"

Bian Zhong did not say much. He merely smiled bitterly for a long while. Hence, Wang Sheng did not press further. Instead, he just kept drinking with Bian Zhong until they were both drunk.

He had since gained a rough understanding of the situation.

What had happened within the Nether Realm was clearly even more complicated than he had imagined. Moreover, it proved that his decision to infiltrate the Nether Realm from within had been the correct path.

Outside Fengdu City's inner district, the King of Hell selection had stirred the entire city into noisy excitement.

But throughout the inner city, a murderous aura filled the air. Guards stood watch every three steps, while patrols passed every five. The many armored ghost wardens and generals of the Nether Realm all looked at Wang Sheng warily.

He could only respond with his usual cold smirk while maintaining the image of the cold and merciless "sword-wielding slaughterer."

Walking beneath the towering inner city walls beside Bian Zhong, Wang Sheng spread out his immortal perception. Very quickly, he discovered that he could not probe too deeply into most areas because restrictions were blocking his senses.

If he used his true strength, he could naturally see through those restrictions. However, there was a good chance it would expose him as well.

The Nether Realm could not be underestimated.

Under Feng Jiu's pressure, they had chosen to compromise instead of submitting to Feng Jiu's control. That alone was enough to show how strong they truly were. It also proved how important the Nether Realm was to Wang Sheng's side.

Even after roughly three thousand steps, they still had not entered the true core territory of the Nether Realm. Instead, they arrived before a pitch-black ancient tower.

Bian Zhong gestured ahead and smiled. "Daoist Friend, this way please. A general inside has already been waiting for quite some time."

Deep down, Wang Sheng immediately became somewhat cautious. However, his confidence in his own abilities gave him courage as he walked straight in.

Bian Zhong frowned slightly. "You're..."

Ling Sheng said, "I am Master's sword attendant. I cannot leave his side."

Wang Sheng smiled. "Let her follow us. She's my maidservant. She won't cause any trouble."

Bian Zhong hesitated, as though wanting to say something, but he eventually nodded. He pushed open the somewhat worn wooden doors and led the two inside.

Within the ancient tower sat a seductive woman in a dark-blue dress and a blood-red cloak. She sat quietly in a wooden chair, her head lowered as she examined a jade talisman before her. Even after hearing someone enter, she did not bother looking up.

She's... at the Taiyi Golden Immortal Realm.

Wang Sheng clearly saw what seemed to be a small white flower quietly blooming behind her. It was the projection of her Dao and a reflection of her temperament. Strangely enough, it completely clashed with her appearance, which seemed tailored to invite disaster.

She remarked softly, "So you've arrived."

"We have," Bian Zhong replied with visible nervousness. He lowered his head and cupped his hands respectfully. "Reporting in, Inquisitor. I have brought him over. This is Xu Xian, a Taiyi Golden Immortal who cultivates the Great Dao of Slaughter. He has already received permission from King Qin Guang to join the Nether Realm and serve under us."

This was Wang Sheng's first time hearing that King Qin Guang had personally approved this matter.

"Mm." The woman finally raised her head and carefully observed Wang Sheng for a while. Her pale-blue eyes seemed capable of seeing through both human nature and the human heart itself.

Soon after, she remarked, "You are not called Xu Xian."

Wang Sheng smiled calmly. "Then what should I be called?"

She's probably just trying to trick me.

He had already concealed his heavenly fate. Hence, he did not believe this person could see through his identity.

Wang Sheng calmly met the woman's gaze. As they looked at each other, he gradually took the initiative, even showing a hint of provocation.

"Hmph." The woman shifted her gaze away from Wang Sheng. "The Nether Realm is currently in troubled times. Anyone who comes here seeking to join our underworld offices is either harboring ulterior motives or plotting something in secret. How can you convince me that you did not come here for some other purpose?"

She then lowered her head and glanced at the jade talisman in her hand.

"Comprehending the Dao of Reincarnation? That's quite the excuse."

Before Wang Sheng could respond, Ling Sheng's expression turned cold. She stepped forward half a pace from behind him.

Wang Sheng raised a hand to stop her and calmly said, "Could you take a look at the sword in my hand?"

He then placed Yuan Tu onto the woman's table.

"If you recognize this sword's origins, then you should be able to understand why I came to the Nether Realm."

"How could your sword possibly be—Yuan Tu?! You're the successor of Ancestor Minghe?"

The woman's expression instantly filled with shock. She immediately stood up and flickered like a ghost, reappearing right before Wang Sheng. Barely half a meter separated them as she stared directly into his eyes.

"Who exactly are you?"

"Xu Xian, the Wandering Slaughterer."

"Where did you get Yuan Tu?"

"By chance, I picked up a scabbard. That eventually led to who I am today."

The woman took two steps back and turned toward the silver-white spirit sword resting on the table. Her expression became extremely complicated.

Wang Sheng curled his lips slightly. Bian Zhong stood nearby, looking completely confused.

A moment later, he urged, "Inquisitor, are you still going to keep investigating my background?"

"Have a seat." The woman walked back around to her seat. Her posture now was noticeably more proper, though her expression remained somewhat gloomy. "How did you know I belong to the Asura race?"

"Your eyes," Wang Sheng calmly replied as he sat at the wooden table.

Beside them, Bian Zhong's eyebrows rose slightly. This was also his first time learning that the inquisitor, who was responsible for overseeing every level of civil and military officials throughout the Nether Realm, was actually an Asura.

Before reincarnation had been established, the underground depths of the Immortal Saint Realm had once been a Blood Sea. It also served as Minghe's dojo.

Minghe once claimed that as long as the Blood Sea did not dry up, he himself would never die, but that was only a claim. Later, half the Blood Sea dried up, and the Three Pure Ones eliminated him themselves.

The Asura race's current situation was probably extremely miserable. Even one of their dignified Taiyi Golden Immortals was merely serving here as a civil official within the Nether Realm. "Merely" was not quite accurate, though. The inquisitor position seemed to have considerable authority.

The first thought that came to Wang Sheng's mind was whether the Asura race could be brought over to their side.

In truth, he identified her race through the Great Dao of Creation. He learned about it straight from her heavenly fate.

"My name is Po Feng," she said on her own initiative. "You came to the Nether Realm to search for Abi's whereabouts[1]?"

"No. I came to comprehend the Great Dao of Reincarnation," Wang Sheng replied seriously. "Daoist Friend, you can carefully sense my Great Dao yourself. I have already reached a bottleneck in the Great Dao of Slaughter. Recently, I've been constantly thinking about whether pure slaughter truly carries any meaning.

"After considering it over and over, the only answer I arrived at was a sigh. In the end, I decided to search for another Great Dao equal to Slaughter so the two could verify each other and allow me to comprehend their profound truths.

"As everyone knows, the Great Dao of Death and the Great Dao of Life are under Emperor Qinghua's control. If I wish to seek the Great Dao of Reincarnation, then the Nether Realm is the best possible choice. As for the King of Hell position, I can swear upon my Great Dao that I personally have absolutely no intention of aiming for it."

That part was true as well. He genuinely had no ambitions toward that position.

"Fine," the female Asura replied calmly. "Then swear it."

Bian Zhong nearly laughed aloud beside them. Wang Sheng, however, calmly nodded and raised a hand to swear an oath, repeating what he had just said.

If his words were false, his Great Dao would immediately react. However, nothing happened at all.

Such was the importance of words.

"Mm. You pass on this point," Po Feng said. She then asked, "Why didn't you wait until the Nether Realm's troubles settled down before coming here?"

"If the Nether Realm hadn't started a King of Hell selection, I would never have thought of this place," Wang Sheng replied while deliberately sounding somewhat arrogant. "Besides, with the sword in my hand, I can naturally come and go as I please."

Their back and forth continued. Po Feng asked questions, and Wang Sheng answered each one.

This was probably considered part of the review process before joining the Nether Realm's offices.

Half a day later, Wang Sheng already felt dizzy from the endless questioning, but he finally managed to pass the stage.

After receiving his token and officially joining the Nether Realm's immortal registry, Wang Sheng followed Bian Zhong toward his "temporary workplace."

Infiltrating the Nether Realm was only the first step.

Wang Sheng looked back at the two towering walls behind him, deep thought appearing in his gaze.

***

At the same time, within a small city of the Nether Realm.

A graceful figure wrapped in dense primal qi aura slowly opened her eyes inside a courtyard filled with exotic flowers and strange fruits.

She seemed to have sensed something.

1. This seems to confirm that Wang Sheng still does not have Abi, and Abi in C795 was meant to be Yuan Tu. However, we are still not entirely certain. ☜