Chapter 1 The World Turns Upside Down

An arrow cleaving the heavens, piercing the underworld, all ghosts kowtowing, resentful energy swirling back.

Longjing-xiansheng’s first arrow was unexpected even for Huma. In the eyes of the Zhang and Meng family patriarchs, it ignited a fervent gaze as they stared at the sky above the underworld with a chilling air:

"Our ten clans have borne so much weight and expended so much effort to maintain stability in this world, painstakingly preserving the peace of this underworld, preventing the myriad evil ghosts from causing trouble. Yet, you, a daring evil spirit, dare to dream of cleaving the heavens and destroying this peaceful world?"

"..."

"As expected of an evil spirit crawling out of hell, constantly plotting to wreak havoc on the world..."

The Meng family patriarch glared and shouted to the Zhang family's third master, "Distinguished Zhang family, do you truly lack the ability to subdue him?"

If the underworld were cleaved open and wronged souls were released, the Meng family would be the most affected. Such a change in the City of Wrongful Deaths would destroy their years of meticulous management in an instant. Now, the Meng family was the most furious.

Facing his subtle dissatisfaction and even questioning tone, the Zhang family's third master also said grimly, "These monsters hide in the mortal realm, learning powerful skills, ungrateful and ambitious. Unfortunately, there's still a leash in my Zhang family's hands!"

Immediately, he turned, took a whip from the side, and suddenly lashed it heavily at the twisted, grotesque monster squatting beside him.

The monster, with its youthful face, was originally leaning against his feet with great dependence, but the whip made it jump up quickly, scurrying away with its head in its hands. The Zhang family's third master cursed, "What do I keep you for? Hurry up and go!"

"Hehe, hehe..."

Terrified by the whipping, the monster actually scurried on all fours, climbing swiftly towards the ruins.

The Zhang family's third master's eyes were cold and indescribable. "Audacious and deserving of death!"

"Let's see how much you can bark with this leash on!"

As he spoke, his face darkened, and he said to the Meng family patriarch beside him, "Brother Meng, I will re-tether this dog's leash, but dealing with that evil spirit will depend on you..."

The Meng family patriarch nodded grimly. The Zhang family clearly had a method but insisted on letting the Meng family exert some effort first. They wouldn't reveal their true methods until they suffered from the first arrow. What was their motive?

"Wuwu..."

Above the spirit platform now, on the ruins, countless wandering ghosts were originally intimidated by Huma and dared not approach. But when this monster jumped off the wooden boat, it carried a perverse and sinister aura, scaring them away like frightened fish.

It seemed that, to the resentful souls of the underworld, this strange thing was also an extremely evil and insidious entity.

"Hm?"

Huma had long been paying attention to this strange thing. Since he was protecting Longjing-xiansheng, not even the myriad ghosts could approach, let alone this thing. With a whoosh, before it landed on the platform, he suddenly threw a punch, carrying a gale-force wind, aimed at its face.

This punch carried the force of a pillar of purple Taisui, an extraordinary amount of power, enough to smash an iron lump into mincemeat.

Unexpectedly, this thing looked like a wild beast, leaping onto the platform, but it possessed some kind of mysterious instinct. Its eyes glowed with purple light, and the moment it landed, it instantly seized a position.

Its aura even caused some kind of irresistible change on the ground. Then, the monster somersaulted awkwardly, raised its arm, and caught Huma's punch.

"Hiss..."

Huma was suddenly shocked, "What is this thing? It can take my punch?"

No!

Immediately afterward, he realized the problem. It wasn't that this thing was strong or hard.

But when he threw that punch, his fist became lighter and lighter. The monster's blocking action, however, seemed to receive some kind of mysterious blessing, becoming harder and harder. With this ebb and flow, it wasn't injured by the punch.

...This monster, in the instant it got close, had occupied the "Prosperity" position within the Ten Gates of Misfortune, and as it seized this position, the platform immediately changed.

His own "Prosperity" position was squeezed into the "Loss" position, so his punch became lighter and lighter, while the monster's strength in that position was blessed, becoming heavier and heavier, instantly shifting the balance of offense and defense.

"Pfft!"

However, even with the weakening effect, Huma's punch was still powerful, knocking it head over heels, its face scraping across the ground. It cried out in surprise and fear, screeching and howling. On all fours, it immediately seized another position.

The "Growth" position.

As it seized the "Growth" position, Huma was squeezed into the "Injury" position.

The Ten Gates of Misfortune – Auspicious and Inauspicious, Hidden and Revealed, Prosperity and Loss, Growth and Injury, Emperor and Deficiency – each presented contrasts, interlinked with each other.

As the monster seized the Growth position, the scrapes on its face immediately healed, but Huma's punch, which should not have caused any damage, inexplicably caused a faint ache in his fist bones, and this ache was steadily intensifying.

"This thing can manipulate the Ten Gates of Misfortune left by Longjing-qianbei?"

Huma was greatly shocked. He saw the monster cackling, turning to look at him, drooling with greed. Then, it jumped, its figure disappearing.

It had jumped from the "Growth" position to the "Hidden" position.

Entering this position, its entire being was hidden. Even if it was in front of Huma, he couldn't see it, only feeling something moving quickly.

"Bang!"

Huma couldn't see it, but he guessed its intention, and immediately took a step, blocking the steps.

He forced it out with a heavy punch, followed by all sorts of techniques, smashing at it.

But the monster was also instantly enraged, screeching and howling, jumping between positions, tearing and biting, like a ferocious beast, attacking Huma.

Huma's skills were far superior, but the monster manipulated the positions, seizing auspicious positions, prosperity positions, growth positions, or hidden positions. Constantly changing, it caused Huma to suffer all sorts of losses.

The solid ground beneath his feet, originally his greatest advantage, had become a shackle when it broke in.

At the same time, on the wooden boat, seeing this monster appear and prove more useful than the myriad ghosts, the Meng family patriarch's expression softened. He slowly waved his hand, redeploying the Yin soldiers, taking this opportunity to charge forward, trying to force Huma away from this place.

Huma knew it was strange and his heart tightened. "How should I deal with this thing?"

It looked weird and insane, but it should have been created using purple Taisui, combined with various secret methods, making it unexpectedly difficult.

The most crucial point was that it could manipulate the Ten Gates of Misfortune with its random movements. Longjing-xiansheng probably hadn't expected that his own skills of guarding the year would be rendered somewhat helpless by its jumping around.

Guarding the year was more than enough to protect himself, but not enough to hurt the monster.

"Dealing with it is simple?"

Just as that doubtful thought arose in Huma's mind, unexpectedly, a voice suddenly arose in his heart, "The art of guarding the year has countless special techniques."

"In the mortal realm, the path of the Ten Gates of Misfortune would never dare to be seen by a year-guardian. Once seen, he would die. Although this is the underworld, a land of creation, with infinite changes, most suitable for the method of misfortune, it is not impossible to deal with."

"..."

The appearance of this voice was too strange and too sudden, startling Huma, "Who is it?"

"I am the one who knows everything and says everything, keeping special techniques in my belly, specializing in guiding year-guardians. I am Bottle Master..."

As he wondered, a thin voice followed, "If there is anything you don't understand, you can ask!"

"Is it that jade bottle?"

Huma was surprised. He had just swallowed the jade bottle held by Zhou Family's fourth daughter. It was still causing trouble in his body. Only by enjoying the purple Taisui had he suppressed it. Who would have thought that it could speak and even guide him?

...This thing belongs to the Zhou family. Has it switched sides so quickly?

The jade bottle said, "The one loyal to the Zhou family has already taken Miss Zhou Four and run away. I am Bottle Master, only knowing how to answer questions and solve doubts, not caring who asks..."

This thing can hear my thoughts?

In his urgency, Huma moved his mind and tentatively asked, "How to deal with it?"

The Bottle Master's voice immediately sounded, "I have a method. Three goats opening the mountain, five ghosts carrying fate. Within inches, it is invincible!"

"..."

As the voice sounded softly, Huma was both surprised and delighted. He had suspected it before, but upon hearing this method, he no longer needed to doubt it. His Great Majestic Heavenly Duke General Seal had been cultivated to perfection, even surpassing perfection.

What was lacking was that, after opening the two gates of the mansion, he had never learned any special techniques of guarding the year. He only had brute force to use.

Now, listening to its words, he felt that between his body following his heart, he stepped out in an instant, seizing the "Illumination" position. This was one of the five Yin positions. Standing in this position, he was in the opposite position of the Hidden position.

He became increasingly clear in the opponent's eyes, and if there were stray arrows or broken stones, they would all be directed at this position. But the opponent, in the Hidden position, could not be seen, with clear advantages and disadvantages. The monster would definitely not seize it.

But Huma seized this position and immediately waved his fists and palms, twisting his waist to strike heavily, actually hitting three positions in a row.

In the eyes of others, it looked like he had transformed into three, with gusts of wind stirred up by his fists.

With a "thump," the monster was unable to dodge and was smashed down by this punch, breaking seven or eight ribs. It instantly spat out blood, groaning in muffled agony.

At the same time, on the Descent Spirit Platform, Longjing-xiansheng was already bowing for the second arrow, and unexpectedly, also spat out a mouthful of blood.

"How could this be?"

Huma, as a protector, guarded one side, only allowing Longjing-xiansheng to steadily shoot the seven arrows.

Although he was defending against the enemy, most of his mind was on Longjing-xiansheng. After regaining the ownership of this land, and injuring the monster, he saw Longjing-xiansheng being implicated, and immediately realized something was wrong, withdrawing a lot of his fist power.

But at this moment, he saw the monster being knocked out, also angrily screaming, turning to the wooden boat to complain.

On the wooden boat, the Zhang family's third master's face was blurred, but he saw a hideous and terrifying expression and shouted, "Beast, why haven't you used the heart-piercing nails..."