The Netherworld, also known as the underworld, the devil's realm, and the place of seclusion, has different names for this place in the human world. According to the White-haired Witch, the four major realms of the human world, namely Middle-earth, South Barbarian, West Wilderness, and North Liang, all have an entrance to the underworld.

The entrance to the Western Wilderness is located at the Flaming Mountain. It is said that the fire at the Flaming Mountain has been burning since the beginning of records and has been burning for tens of thousands of years.

The entrance to the Nanman underworld is hidden in a cave, and only a few people know its exact location.

The entrance to the underworld in Middle-earth is the famous ghost city Fengdu. Fengdu is divided into Yang Fengdu and Yin Fengdu, which are actually two cities inside and outside the Ghost Gate. The city outside the Ghost Gate is Yangju, where humans live, so it is also called Yang Fengdu.

Yin Fengdu is the ghost town closest to the Ghost Gate, which is also the real ghost town Fengdu, where King Yama, one of the three great demon kings of the underworld, resides.

Every year on July 14th, the gates of hell open wide and dozens to hundreds of people go missing in Fengdu.

It’s not that King Yama doesn’t want to arrest more people, but he is worried that arresting too many people will anger the Jade Emperor in heaven.

The base of Heaven is in Middle-earth. How can the Jade Emperor allow these demons to do whatever they want?

However, King Yama would deploy his subordinates to capture those wandering outside when the gates of hell were wide open, and the Jade Emperor would turn a blind eye, after all, eating people was a common hobby of demons.

The three great demon kings are all innate gods of the underworld, and they are responsible for maintaining and stabilizing the underworld. Killing them will not only cause chaos, but even the underworld will be at risk of annihilation. Therefore, as long as these demon kings do not do too much and just secretly capture some people and take them back, the Heavenly Court will not interfere.

The people living in Fengdu have long been accustomed to it.

On the 14th of July, as long as you stay indoors at night, basically nothing will happen. Those who go missing every year are either foreign tourists or a small group of people who refuse to listen to advice and are self-righteous.

Not only the Heavenly Court, but even the government office is too lazy to care about the lives of these people.

When Cheng Long arrived at Fengdu with the White-haired Witch after attending the Peach Festival, it happened to be the 14th of July. There was almost no one to be seen in the streets and alleys, and only a few inns still had lights on.

"Master, the gate of hell is ahead."

The white-haired witch in black clothes pointed to a mountain outside the city and said.

Ghost Gate is an ancient building, tall and majestic, stretching across the mountain ridge.

When you pass through the Ghost Gate, you can seem to feel the boundary between life and death, and experience the mystery and impermanence of the yin and yang worlds. On both sides of the Ghost Gate, there are two large bronze guillotines, which are said to be used to behead those who have committed heinous crimes.

Cheng Long didn't know whether the evil guy was beheaded or not, but the big guillotines on both sides of the Ghost Gate were indeed stained with a lot of blood and had a sinister aura. With a little refining, they could be transformed into magic weapons.

Of course, Bingbing doesn’t like those of very low grade.

The July 14th here is different from the orthodox mythological world where the dead return to the human world to enjoy the memorial services of their relatives and friends. Instead, a light curtain emitting faint blue light emerges from which hideous, murderous monsters walk out from time to time. Their strength is quite impressive, and ordinary dead souls and evil spirits are simply unable to penetrate the barrier.

These low-level ghosts and evil spirits who force their way through the gates of hell usually have only one outcome.

Ashes!

Even those ghost generals, demon generals and monster generals with considerable skills have to pay a certain price.

When Cheng Long and his companions arrived at Ghost Gate, they happened to see a Yaksha with horns on his head. His skin was burned by the forbidden power of Ghost Gate, and his skin was torn apart...

“Tsk tsk tsk~~ I just got out of the gates of hell, and I met two hot-blooded humans. God is really kind to me!” The Yaksha holding a steel fork stared at the two of them with eyes like copper bells, looking sinisterly.

It was as if the man and woman in front of him were already a dish on the table.

"court death!"

The white-haired witch's eyes flashed with ferocity. She suddenly pulled out the Miao Dao given to her by Cheng Long and slashed in the air.

In an instant, a blood-red blade light, carrying a terrifying aura of annihilation, pierced through Yaksha's burning red chest.

How could a little Yaksha be a match for the female Asura in the Nascent Soul stage? He was cut in half by the sword light on the spot.

As his upper and lower bodies slid down at an angle, a weak warm current flowed into Cheng Long's body. The amount of energy absorbed by the Killing Technique was very small, but it was better than nothing.

"Why, even the soul is annihilated?"

The White-haired Witch killed Yaksha and wanted to devour his soul to increase her strength. Unexpectedly, she destroyed Yaksha's soul with just a casual blow.

Hearing Bingbing's muttering, Cheng Long smiled awkwardly and said, "Uh~~ Its soul has been devoured. The skills I practice are more domineering than the Shura Manual. The spirits of demons and monsters that die around me will be devoured by me..."

"Oh, then I will kill more demons for you and me to practice."

The white-haired witch smiled sweetly and did not take the matter to heart. The more domineering the man's practice was, the greater his potential was, which was what she liked to hear.

"It's good that you have this intention, go in!"

Cheng Long patted Bingbing's shoulders and urged her to step into the gates of hell.

The restrictions on the Ghost Gate prohibit entry but not exit. Any demons and monsters inside who want to get out will be attacked by the power of the restrictions. However, those who mistakenly enter the underworld can escape safely as long as they can reach the Ghost Gate alive.

Because the restrictions on the four entrances to the underworld were set by the Jade Emperor himself, their power was not particularly great, and the demons from the upper levels of the underworld could enter and exit freely.

If middle-level demons want to leave the underworld, they must pay a certain price.

However, it is almost impossible for the huge low-level demons to leave the underworld, and every one who breaks in will die.

The reason why the Jade Emperor did this was that with his strength, he was unable to completely seal the underworld. Also, it is better to open up than to block. If the upper class is given the privilege of free entry and exit, no one will think of breaking the ban.

Step into the gates of hell.

Cheng Long's consciousness spread out like a raging wave.

On the Yellow Springs Road, a group of confused and newly born undead are being led by some unknown force towards the ghost town of Fengdu. Further away, there is a place where blood is rising to the sky. Endless blood-colored mist is lingering, and the smell of fishy wind makes people want to vomit. The scarlet blood has gathered into a river, and countless twisted souls are flowing in it, wailing in pain.

Most people would be terrified if they saw such a terrifying scene, but Cheng Long's eyes lit up and he asked excitedly, "Bingbing, what's going on with the undead in the blood river 300 miles west of Fengdu City?"

The blood river is endless and there is no end in sight. If one could use the bloodthirsty beads to absorb it all, how much blood energy would be increased!
This is not a river at all, but the source of his power.

The only bad thing might be that the blood river is filled with resentment, and there is a risk of losing one's mind by sucking the blood energy from it.

But that is when you smoke in large quantities. There will be no problem if you smoke a small amount at a time.

"The Blood River is a place to punish evildoers. If a person commits sins in the world of the living, he will come to the Blood River after death to wash away his sins." The White-haired Witch answered truthfully.

"So that means all the evil spirits are here?"

"That's right. People who have committed few sins will all go to the underworld after death. The souls of the dead who can be sucked away by the blood river all deserve to die."

"If that's the case, then I won't be polite!"

Cheng Long suddenly hugged the white-haired witch's waist, and with a shake of his body, he came to the edge of the blood river that was full of blood and smelled fishy.

When she landed, a domineering suction force suddenly enveloped the White-haired Witch.

If Cheng Long hadn't been holding her slender waist, she might have stumbled and been sucked into the blood river by the force. At that time, her flesh and blood would have been corroded by the blood.

"How dare you even suck my woman..." Cheng Long was filled with anger. He suddenly took out the bloodthirsty bead and began to suck the blood from the blood river which was a fusion of various negative energies such as evil spirit and resentment.

"Master~~"

Bingbing's face was filled with joy as she watched the man using all his strength to activate the Bloodthirsty Pearl and protect her in his arms.

This feeling of being cared for and taken care of warms my heart.

It feels great.

She likes this feeling.

"what……"

The howling of ghosts and wolves, the creepy howling echoed through the night.

As the magic power gushed out of Cheng Long's body, the evil spirits that were originally bound in the blood river and constantly eroded by evil spirits and hostility turned into an invisible pure energy and poured into Cheng Long's body.

The endless river of blood split into a column of blood and rushed towards the bloodthirsty bead.

This column of blood is different from the blood river below. In the process of being swallowed by the bloodthirsty bead, the negative energies such as evil spirit, hostility, resentment, etc. contained in the blood are very few, and the only ones that are there are even purified by the magic power that wraps the bloodthirsty bead.

Cheng Long has never killed innocent people from the beginning. His powerful magic power is filled with righteousness. It is normal for his magic power to repel the negative aura contained in the blood river.

……

At midnight.

Fengdu, the Palace of Yama.

King Yama, one of the three great demon kings of the underworld, is wearing a black robe and sitting high on the dragon throne. He is greeting a group of loyal subordinates and enjoying the annual feast.

Some of the people who disappeared on the night of July 14th will be served on their table, and the rest will be kept for them to eat slowly.

But at this moment when everyone should have been celebrating, King Yama suddenly put down the wine bottle, stopped biting the fresh flesh and blood, and looked up in the direction of the blood river.

The three great demon kings of the underworld all have the cultivation level of the Tribulation Realm.

It's not surprising that it can detect what's happening three hundred miles away.

"My lord, has something happened?" General Niu, one of the three great demon generals under King Yama, asked in confusion.

"The evil ghosts in the blood river are wailing louder, and the power of the blood river is weakening..." At this point, a murderous intent flashed in King Yama's eyes, "Someone is stealing the power of the blood river. It's so audacious."

"Sigh~~"

The three demon generals, Ox, Sheep and Horse, as well as a group of judges from the underworld, all gasped.

The surging river of blood was so turbulent that even if they wanted to get close, they had to be very careful, for fear of being sucked into the river and suffering the cruel torture of being washed away.

I never expected that someone would dare to steal the power of the Blood River. They are simply seeking their own death.

"My king, the power of the Blood River is so violent, how could someone steal its power?" General Yang with a goatee racked his brains to figure out who in the underworld would seek death.

You know, even demons like these will turn into irrational beasts if they absorb too much evil energy.

In the entire underworld, there are only a few gifted people who are not afraid of evil spirits.

And these few are precisely the three great demon kings of today, innate gods born in the underworld.

"You can't be wrong. This official is still stealing the power from the blood river. Come with me and find out what's going on." King Yama put down the bloody meat in his hand, called on dozens of subordinates in the hall, and rushed over in a mighty force.

The Blood River is related to the operation of Fengdu City and is a vital part of the underworld. It is similar to the Eighteen Levels of Hell in the orthodox mythological world and must not be lost.

When a group of demons rushed to the Blood River, the level of the Blood River, which was more than ten feet wide, hundreds of meters deep and had no end in sight, had obviously dropped a lot.

The newly exposed riverbed on both sides of the river bank is dark red in color, while the old riverbed horizontal line is light red, making them very easy to distinguish.

The river level dropped by at least one meter, and countless evil spirits disappeared.

"Master, the one in the black robe is King Yama, whose strength is equal to that of the Queen Mother..." The White-haired Witch, who had been held in Cheng Long's arms, did not change her expression much when she discovered King Yama and his group.

The foundation of the underworld is far inferior to that of the heaven. Except for three demon kings whose strength is comparable to that of the Queen Mother, the strength of the other big demons and monsters is basically between the Jindan realm and the Yuanying realm. The demon kings and ghost kings in the Yinshen realm are extremely rare.

"In that case, let's take something fresh."

Cheng Long was too lazy to talk nonsense and directly turned the bloodthirsty bead around, controlling King Yama and his group of demons, the three demon generals, cattle, sheep and horse, and a group of judges from the underworld, leaving them completely unable to resist.

In a flash, he lost control of his body, and King Yama was also controlled tightly at the beginning.

But the next second, a yellow jade seal with a Pixiu carved on it floated out from the forehead of the ferocious-looking King Yama. Along with a beam of yellow light rising up, King Yama actually broke free from the restraints of the bloodthirsty bead.

After landing.

The King of Hell holding the Pixiu Jade Seal was horrified and stared at Cheng Long in amazement, saying in horror: "Who are you, you...?"

"The destined person who released Sun Wukong."

While Cheng Long increased the speed of sucking the blood of the demons, he stared at the jade seal in King Yama's hand. This thing could resist the Bloodthirsty Pearl of the middle-grade acquired spiritual treasure level, and it seemed to be very easy to do so, which meant that its grade was not inferior to the Bloodthirsty Pearl.

"Sun Wukong has been out of trouble for more than half a year, why don't you leave?"

King Yama frowned.

According to the original script, the destined person would leave this world after returning the golden cudgel, but now the destined person not only did not leave, but also came to the underworld to steal the power of the blood river. This is simply outrageous.

"none of your business!"

During the conversation, Cheng Long had already sucked dry all of King Yama's subordinates. Those with physical bodies turned into mummies, while the ghost kings and ghost generals without physical bodies were annihilated by his spiritual consciousness and turned into nutrients for himself.

This time, I really won.

The essence and blood energy alone absorbed nearly a million parts, and also annihilated tens of thousands of evil spirits. The warm current accumulated little by little will become a large one. If he goes back to seclusion and refines it, he will surely be able to break through to the celestial being.

After all, the cultivation progress bar on the panel was only twenty percentage points away from a breakthrough.

"..."

King Yama was so furious at Cheng Long's retort that his eyes were spitting fire, but he was hesitant and did not dare to take action.

"King Yama, right? Hand over the jade seal and I will spare your life!"

Cheng Long hooked his fingers at King Yama with an extremely arrogant attitude. Having once served as an immortal official in the Green Snake World, he could tell at a glance that this jade seal was one of the treasures of the underworld that controlled the power of the underworld. (End of this chapter)