Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 185: The Ritual Begins

Zhuang Chongyue opened his eyes and saw the ground standing upright.

It took him a few seconds to realize he was lying on the ground, his right cheek pressed against the dirt.

A blurred suona melody drifted past his ears, cutting in and out. It was impossible to tell clearly whether it was joyful or mournful.

It was dark and cold all around, and not far off, a circle of large red lanterns swayed gently.

…The aura of the Underworld.

Zhuang Chongyue instantly came to his senses and quickly got up.

What was going on?

Though over sixty years old, Zhuang Chongyue’s health was excellent thanks to top-grade elixirs. His physique rivaled that of a middle-aged man. And right before he had fallen asleep, he had clearly been lying in his villa bed in Country A. Everything had been perfectly normal.

He didn’t believe he had died of a sudden illness or an accident… and even if he had, his soul wouldn’t be handled by the Underworld.

None of this made sense.

“Welcome.”

A shrill, unpleasant voice said. Zhuang Chongyue looked down and saw a paper figure. It was grinning eerily, its two eyes misaligned, one high and one low, together forming the character for “two”.

Zhuang Chongyue frowned. “An Underworld envoy?”

“That’s right, that’s right. I’m Dian’er, here to receive you.” The paper figure grinned wider. “We know you. You’re the descendant of Zhuang Guiqu… the one who designed the Disaster Relief Tower. You ought to know about the rituals.”

“Everyone who comes here is a living sacrifice, helping to dispel disasters and resolve calamities. This is a great act of merit!”

While Dian’er rambled on, Zhuang Chongyue quickly calculated his odds.

Not long ago, he had received word that Cen Ling had died back in the homeland. Not only had no Immortal E’s spread across the mortal realm, but every elite follower sent to assist had vanished without a trace. They had all been devoured by the ritual. A total wipeout.

The so-called “Apocalypse Project” where the Guishan Sect steals all the Immortal E’s and sowed chaos had failed.

Zhuang Chongyue had raged at the news, but he hadn’t panicked.

Cen Ling’s death was unfortunate, but he had never been fixated on bloodline inheritance.

He was in good health and could live for decades more. He had cultivated many promising young people both at home and abroad. It was simply a matter of choosing a new candidate.

He was aware that earthquakes had been reported around Xushan and that public awareness of the Mountain God was returning.

Thankfully, the immortals had remained silent. No major news had shaken the mortal realm. No grand formations had been heard of. That meant the rumored Corner of Heaven’s Will hadn’t fully awakened. It was probably starved and mad, struggling wildly, with no rationality left to contaminate karmic threads.

Most likely, the Disaster Relief Tower had uncovered their plan.

The Underworld had sensed their attempt to steal Immortal E’s and had dragged him here to teach him a lesson. Even if the Guishan Sect knew about the Disaster Relief Tower, those who entered and left the ritual had their memories wiped, so no one could clearly recall what happened.

Too bad the Underworld’s plan was going to fail. Since he dared to make such a plan in the first place, he had prepared for a way out.

He adjusted his Taoist robe and followed Dian’er calmly to the ritual courtyard.

…Huh?

To his surprise, he wasn’t alone. Seven others were present.

All seven were senior members of the Guishan Sect stationed in Country A. One of them had even been born there and had never set foot in the homeland. His name shouldn’t have appeared in any Underworld records.

Something was off.

If the Underworld had only summoned him, negotiations with Country A’s metaphysical community might still be possible. But bringing this many people at once…

“Master!”

The group rushed over upon seeing Zhuang Chongyue, their faces marked with varying degrees of anxiety.

Having reached this level, they all understood how strange this situation was.

“Relax,” Zhuang Chongyue said with a calm smile. “I’ll handle it.”

He stepped in front of the watching Dian’er and bowed. “I understand the situation. Please allow me to meet the Tower’s warden.”

Dian’er’s grin widened. “But he doesn’t want to see you. I can’t help it.”

“I have important matters to discuss.”

Zhuang Chongyue’s tone turned cold. “I’ve heard about Cen Ling’s actions. The boy was arrogant and made mistakes. He and his followers have paid the price… I haven’t returned to the homeland in over ten years and couldn’t control the actions of domestic members. Punishing all of us for this… Don’t you think that’s excessive?”

Dian’er waved its hand. “Hey now, I’m just a little errand-runner. Orders come from the top. Complaining to me won’t change anything.”

“We have deep ties with Country A’s metaphysical community, bound by many contracts. If the Underworld overreaches and harms my people, it will create serious diplomatic fallout.”

Zhuang Chongyue’s voice grew heavy.

Dian’er: “That’s above my pay grade…”

“So the Underworld breaks protocol by abducting foreign souls, offers no restitution, and calls it even? That’s an act of war.”

Zhuang Chongyue smiled faintly and flicked out a scroll covered in foreign runes. In front of Dian’er, he slowly tore the contract to pieces.

This was no joke. He wasn’t a proper cultivator bound by conventions. If he was dragged into the Underworld, he had naturally arranged for backup.

He had long considered the possibility of being abducted alone.

This contract was with a powerful foreign evil spirit, capable of instantly pulling his soul back to his body. Technically, it didn’t have jurisdiction across national borders—but since the Underworld had broken the rules first, he was justified in retaliating.

That thing could easily take out a few Underworld minions. Only the Tower’s warden might pose a challenge to it.

The shredded contract ignited in flames. Zhuang Chongyue tilted his head and waited… but nothing happened.

Zhuang Chongyue: “?”

He had clearly felt the contract activate!

Seeing that Dian’er was completely unmoved, a creeping dread welled up inside him.

Zhuang Chongyue quickly pulled out several more contracts and tore them all. Flames surged—but the surrounding Underworld aura didn’t waver in the slightest.

Zhuang Chongyue: “???”

Was the Tower’s warden really that powerful? Something had to have gone wrong…

On the pitch-black second floor, Officer Yuan stared down at Zhuang Chongyue with mixed emotions.

He had only seen the man’s face on a wanted poster before. To have the real culprit so close now felt unreal.

If not for the eerie crunching noises beside him, this scene might have felt dreamlike.

A few steps away, Fang Xiu leaned against the railing, gently asking Bai Shuangying, “That’s a rare imported ingredient. How does it taste?”

Bai Shuangying was chewing on a pale finger, making it bob up and down. He stopped chewing to answer solemnly, “It’s quite unique, but still nowhere near as delicious as you.”

They now shared three passionate kisses a day, with a late-night snack as a bonus. Bai Shuangying had never eaten so happily in his life, and Fang Xiu clearly enjoyed it too.

“I told you I’m the tastiest.”

Fang Xiu beamed. “Still, variety now and then isn’t bad. If there’s too much, just store the rest. Not sure if the fridge can handle it…”

Yuan Ye: “…”

He had to summon every ounce of willpower not to look at Bai Shuangying. The creature that had just attacked them had vaguely resembled a human. Before it could even strike, Bai Shuangying had casually torn it apart like picking vegetables.

Then came the unceasing crunching noises. It chilled him to the bone.

Was this really how gods exorcised evil? And what did Fang Xiu mean by “tasty”… He was curious but also had a gut feeling he didn’t want to know.

Downstairs, the noise from above didn’t reach them. Zhuang Chongyue stood still, his face dark.

He couldn’t find anyone. No one would answer him. And now that his soul was in the homeland, even if he escaped, he couldn’t cross the ocean to retrieve his body.

Not knowing what this Tower truly was, he had no choice but to wait.

…Fine. Even if they were forced to participate, it wasn’t the end.

So what if it was an E ritual? His cultivation was the real deal.

The Guishan Sect had long studied E’s in depth. Dealing with taboos wouldn’t be a problem. His followers were also top-notch. They could face even ghost immortals, let alone ordinary evil spirits.

Dian’er clapped its hands. “Now that you’re done with all that, let’s move on.”

“You all know what an ‘E’ is, so no need for more explanations. All you have to do in this ritual is survive.”

Zhuang Chongyue: “…That’s it?”

Dian’er beamed. “That’s it.”

Zhuang Chongyue’s tone turned cold. “I know that surviving the rituals allows the soul to return. If we play by your rules, how many rounds must we pass?”

“Once your merits are complete, your soul will naturally return.”

Dian’er’s sharp voice echoed. “Isn’t that your sect’s doctrine?”

That ominous feeling intensified. Zhuang Chongyue felt a chill run down his spine. Something up in the pitch-black ceiling seemed to be watching him.

If this was the Underworld’s punishment for the “Apocalypse Project”, why wasn’t it handled through formal channels? Why was even the punishment so ambiguous?

And if it wasn’t official policy, then whose will was this?

“Until your ‘merits are fulfilled’, the rituals won’t stop. You can return to the mortal world whenever our Lord deems it appropriate.”

Dian’er cheerfully drove the point home.

“You all seem quite energetic. Why not take a look at the first round? It gets easier the second time around.”

“…Fine.” Zhuang Chongyue thought for a moment and nodded.

Dian’er bowed to the group and skipped away.

“Master, this seems strange,” one of the core members said carefully. “At this rate, we’ll be trapped in the Tower.”

“No matter. As long as the ritual takes place in the mortal world, we’re fine.”

Zhuang Chongyue sneered. “Cen Ling may have failed, but he did one thing right.”

“He thought he could turn things around using Immortal E’s and left the Hierarch’s ‘Guishan Divine Words’ untouched.”

The core members perked up, hope igniting in their eyes. “You mean the sect’s Immortal Encounter E?”

“The Corner of Heaven’s Will is weakened beyond recognition. The Underworld has no reason to let it recover.”

“This is our best chance to harness its power, just like our Hierarch did.”

“If we can quietly cast the right spells in the mortal realm, awaken the Hierarch, and borrow strength from the Corner of Heaven’s Will…”

The group grew excited, whispering eagerly.

“My contracts are still intact—they’re carved into my soul. Even if they don’t work here, they may work outside.” Zhuang Chongyue reassured them. “There are many ways to break the deadlock. Let things unfold naturally.”

They still had hope!

……

Near Xushan, in a small village.

In the deserted settlement, Zhuang Chongyue brushed grass off his robe.

He looked at the outline of Xushan in the distance and couldn’t help but smile.

The Hierarch was watching over them. The Immortal Encounter E was right nearby. Casting spells here would be twice as effective!

However, they weren’t the only team present.

Three people stood not far away.

A strong man with graying temples, a mysterious figure with long hair and a mask wearing a white T-shirt.

…And a handsome young man in a red T-shirt, smiling with a hint of shyness.

“Hello there.”

The young man in red greeted them with a smile.

“You all look new here. Need help? I know this village. My grandma used to live here.”

“Rituals go better when we all work together. Let’s clear this round together!”

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The author has something to say:

Time for the cat to play with the mice—!!!

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