Chapter 402: Chapter 347: Yama Defeated, Western Regions Complete
The way ahead was shrouded in darkness, sunlight utterly absent, with heavy fog and chilling Yin wind howling ceaselessly.
The fleet halted, staring into the abyssal blackness. Zheng He furrowed his brows in deep thought.
"Master Marshal, perhaps we should turn back. The path ahead seems to lead nowhere."
The supervising eunuch trembled violently, his teeth chattering uncontrollably.
"Turn back? And leave the Jade Seal unaccounted for? How could I possibly retreat!"
Zheng He declared resolutely.
The last stop, Tianfang Country, was already at the farthest reaches of the Western Heaven.
Yet even in Tianfang Country, the Imperial Jade Seal could not be found. Against all advice, Zheng He decided to press further westward.
Crash!
The fleet plunged into this pitch-black realm.
The surrounding Yin wind roared, echoing eerie wails like the cries of ghosts and wolves.
"This is Fengdu Ghost Nation!"
Heavenly Master Zhang suddenly exclaimed.
A shiver ran through the crowd; none had anticipated crossing directly from the mortal realm into the Netherworld in an instant.
"Tang Ying, take a few men and venture deeper to scout ahead."
Zheng He instructed a young general.
Tang Ying, the current Dynasty’s Martial Arts Champion and the Grand Governor of the Westward Expedition Rear Camp, had rendered significant meritorious service throughout the journey.
"Understood!"
Tang Ying boarded a small boat, taking four trusted subordinates, and ventured into the dense black fog.
Five warriors delved into the underworld while the others awaited their hopeful return.
"This Netherworld and Underworld—do either of you know their origins?"
"The Underworld is the abode of the dead. However, this old monk knows little else."
Heavenly Master Zhang shook his head.
The Three Realms of this world are orderly and distinct. Apart from the Jade Emperor, their domains do not intersect.
Even Randeng Buddha, leader of the three-thousand Ancient Buddhas, held no authority over the Underworld and had only limited knowledge of it.
"In the mortal world, there is an Emperor; in the Netherworld, there is a Yin Emperor. This Yin Emperor is none other than King Yanluo, whose mastery of Taoist arts and Mysterious Techniques is unparalleled..."
A faint trace of concern could be heard in Heavenly Master Zhang’s words.
If the Imperial Jade Seal was indeed in King Yanluo’s possession and he refused to return it, this mission might become exceedingly difficult.
For countless millennia, Fengdu Ghost Nation had amassed unnumbered wandering spirits and wild ghosts. The Yang bodies of mortals in the Netherworld would be significantly suppressed.
King Yanluo himself, not to mention his supreme home-court advantage, was also backed by the other Nine Hall Masters of Yama.
This trial would be tenfold more challenging than all that preceded it.
The group waited for three days and three nights.
Just as everyone began to fear that Tang Ying and his men might never return...
A small boat emerged from the distant mist.
Upon closer inspection, they saw it was indeed Tang Ying and his group.
Tang Ying leapt aboard, and Zheng He immediately asked, "What did you witness in the Netherworld?"
"The Yin wind screams incessantly; wild ghosts roam aimlessly."
"How are the cities?"
"Just like in the Mortal Realm, they have streets and buildings. Outside Fengdu City stands Ghost Gate, and within Fengdu City lies the Yama Hall. The Yama Hall, crimson-walled and grand, boasts layered pavilions, mirroring the palaces of men."
"What manner of king is King Yanluo?"
"He wears a crown and imperial robes, with fiery red hair and an iron-clad face, exuding an undeniable aura of kingship."
Jin Bifeng suddenly seemed to recall something and asked, "What else did King Yanluo say?"
"King Yanluo said we may leave and sent along a gift through me."
Song Lin, Heavenly Master Zhang, Zheng He, and Jin Bifeng each brought out their own Exotic Treasures to offer.
The others were momentarily set aside, but Jin Bifeng only had a single sheet of paper inscribed with four lines of verse.
Jin Bifeng glanced at it and let out a wry smile, declining to comment.
After some probing, the issue came to light.
"This is a mocking remark from King Yanluo, accusing this humble monk of breaking the vow of non-killing."
Tang Ying spoke again, "Your Eminence, King Yanluo claimed that during this westward voyage, we slaughtered countless innocents, amassing overwhelming resentment. He foresaw disaster—our treasure ships would suffer cataclysmic shipwrecks. When I asked how to avert this, King Yanluo said the method was known to Your Eminence."
"I see,"
Jin Bifeng pondered briefly, instantly grasping the situation.
King Yanluo was demanding that he perform rites to deliver the souls of those wrongfully slain.
It seemed this westward voyage had brought much trouble to the Netherworld.
"Did King Yanluo hint at the whereabouts of the Imperial Jade Seal?" Heavenly Master Zhang asked, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.
All attention turned toward Tang Ying as he replied:
"King Yanluo admitted the Jade Seal was in his custody. However, he expressed no intention of returning it, claiming it bore no concern to us. ’The Emperor Star has appeared in the Western Regions; do not defy fate,’ he said."
"What nonsense! The Imperial Jade Seal is the paramount treasure of successive dynasties. Just because the Yuan Emperor lost it, retrieving our rightful property concerns him how?"
Zheng He fumed, pacing the deck in frustration.
The treasure lay within their grasp, yet they could not reclaim it, leaving him vexed.
Heavenly Master Zhang and Jin Bifeng could offer no solutions.
"Let us first deliver the wandering souls, then later discuss matters with King Yanluo,"
Jin Bifeng suggested.
The fleet docked on a desolate isle, promptly erecting dual Water-Land platforms—banners filled the skies, and drums thundered in all directions.
In this regard, Jin Bifeng and Heavenly Master Zhang displayed their expertise, while Song Lin merely observed in contemplation.
He seemed to be deliberating.
According to the original narrative, they did not retrieve the Imperial Jade Seal. Following the ritual, the fleet departed Fengdu Country.
Presumably, both Heavenly Master Zhang and Jin Bifeng recognized their inability to contend with King Yanluo.
The Yin Emperor, though nominally subservient to the Heavenly Court, operated with autonomy, much like the Buddhist Sect or the Eastern Loose Immortals. Internal affairs remained outside the Jade Emperor’s jurisdiction.
Even the Jade Emperor, desiring to revive a specific mortal, would need the Yin Emperor’s approval.
The Water-Land Dharma Assembly spanned three days and three nights.
In the depths of the Netherworld, green mist lingered.
Ten colossal dharma forms suppressed Fengdu.
Eyes furious, expressions solemn, their divine majesty oppressive like a prison.
The myriad ghosts and gods dared not raise their heads.
This was King Yanluo and the Nine Hall Masters.
Amidst them, King Yanluo resembled a fearsome ghost, his iron visage without partiality.
He gazed upon the Water-Land Dharma Assembly, a flicker of mockery glinting in his eyes.
"Life and death are divinely ordained. Both the Buddhist and Taoist sects defy divine will, stealing celestial mechanisms like petty thieves; they deserve their decline! In the future, the Western Regions will dominate the mortal world. Eventually, no one can escape the cycle of life and death."
In his palm, a jade seal inlaid with gold appeared, dragon-shaped and vividly lifelike, as though a divine dragon might leap forth at any moment.
To him, the Western Regions were merely a pawn.
King Yanluo’s aim was to weaken mortal Daoist traditions, forcing humanity to accept life and death as immutable truths.
In the future, humanity would merely remain human—higher ascension would be rendered meaningless. After all, why live so long? Heaven already had no shortage of immortals.
Admittedly, it seemed unfair to mortals, but wasn’t the essence of life that it must eventually end in death?
Soon, the Water-Land Dharma Assembly concluded. King Yanluo dispatched Yakshas to escort the guests away.
But at that moment, the three leaders below suddenly launched attacks simultaneously.
"Yanluo, you imp! Return the Jade Seal of Divine Shenzhou to us!"
Jin Bifeng revealed his dharma body, holding a bowl aloft, pouring Infinite Sea Water downward.
In an instant, most of Fengdu City was submerged, countless evil ghosts wailing mournfully within the deluge.
Heavenly Master Zhang soared atop a Grass Dragon, summoning Heavenly Soldiers and Generals.
The Four Marshals hesitated briefly upon realizing they had been summoned to the Netherworld.
Nevertheless, duty called, and they prepared to fight without complaint.
"Such insolence! Randeng Buddha’s monk Jin Bifeng, this monarch shall cast you into the Eighteen Levels of Hell!"
King Yanluo roared furiously.
Although this invasion stemmed from Song Lin’s machinations, Jin Bifeng bore the brunt of King Yanluo’s wrath.
King Qinguang, King Songdi... the Nine Emperors united their forces, leading millions of demons into battle.
Demonic Qi surged skyward, shaking the Yin Palace.
For the first time in centuries, countless evil ghosts swarmed like a tidal wave.
So vast was their legion that they drowned even the vast waters, crushing all hopes of resistance through sheer numbers.
Heavenly Master Zhang muttered under his breath, "Mr. Song, will this truly work?"
The two confronted the Nine Hall Masters together, while Song Lin stood alone against the terrifying King Yanluo.
"This shall be the final battle."
Before King Yanluo’s colossal dharma form, thousands of feet high, Song Lin appeared insignificant.
A tremendous palm descended upon him.
Song Lin stood motionless, calmly producing an Imperial Decree.
The decree transformed into radiant golden light.
A solemn and transcendent voice rang throughout the heavens and earth.
"Ten Thousand Nations Divine Continent, I am Supreme. Bearing the Imperial Edict, I summon the Six Palaces, from the Nine Heavens above to the Nine Springs below; those who defy my order shall be slain!"
Purple Qi extended for a thousand miles, and enormous golden eyes fixated on King Yanluo.
"Xuantian God? Impossible!"
King Yanluo could scarcely believe it.
Why would such an eminent figure descend to the Lower Realm? Was he not concerned that his very presence might shatter the Divine Continent, plunging countless beings into calamity?
Furthermore, Xuantian God suppressed demons and devils—any disturbance from his descent could also unleash disaster.
Something was amiss!
Song Lin had vanished.
Indeed, Xuantian God himself had not descended.
But the North Emperor Black Law had!
Of course, Song Lin hadn’t foreseen Xuantian God’s intervention.
He had only known of a sacred decree left behind, to be used in moments of extreme peril.
Had he known earlier, he wouldn’t have been so apprehensive.
A long-haired, bare-footed god stared down at King Yanluo.
He stared down at the countless ghosts and gods.
This Dangmo Ancestor’s renown echoed throughout the Ghost God Realm.
In the Mortal World, merely inscribing his name upon one’s door could scare away countless demons and ghosts.
Meeting Xuantian God’s gaze, King Yanluo quickly lowered his head.
Without so much as a single move, he admitted defeat.