Chapter 161: Shaking People

Nether Qi, although also a form of the world's vital essence that cultivators can absorb and use, differs from the balanced and tranquil world Qi; its nature is poisonous and chaotic.

However, for beings such as ferocious souls, demonic monsters, and zombies, Nether Qi is indeed an essential element for their survival.

To absorb Nether Qi for cultivation, one must possess a robust constitution that will not have spirit and will shaken by yin evil.

Precisely because Nether Qi has an absorption threshold, for ordinary people it is almost no different from poison; once tainted, it ravages their bodies and contaminates their souls.

After they die, they are directly transformed into ferocious souls, demonic monsters, or evil ghosts.

And now, before Mu Yi lies such a mortal realm, a world as if Nether itself; even the purest souls are constantly eroded in the human world, turning into Nether evil ghosts.

The soul deficit of this world is naturally filled by reincarnated souls from other worlds, causing the number of ferocious souls and evil ghosts here to proliferate endlessly.

After sorting out the threads, Mu Yi felt a pang in his liver; even if he eliminated the dwarf evil ghost, it would only be a temporary fix, not a cure.

This entire area has already been filled with Nether; before long, another evil ghost will travel along this great pit from Nether to the human world.

But Mu Yi cannot handle this trouble alone; he scratches his head helplessly, realizing he should recruit a few teammates or subordinates to deal with it.

A lone demon ghost barely steadied its form, saw its companion die gruesomely, and without looking back, tried to flee.

They didn't see Mu Yi strike; perhaps his ability to gulp down such a massive amount of Nether Qi made his strength unmistakable.

After all, the area he needs to clear lies within the Nether; entering the Nether is something he must do.

When the Six Paths Barrier gulped for a while, Mu Yi actually felt the barrier saturate; the Reincarnation Barrier's digestion couldn't keep up with the absorption speed, giving a near‑overstuffed sensation.

A few crow‑shaped demon ghosts looked emaciated and ugly, yet their bodies were far from small, resembling tiny cars.

To prevent his arrival from alerting the Nether monsters, Mu Yi decided that swift troops are priceless.

"Change formation, as swift as wind, full speed ahead!"

At this moment, they feared Mu Yi himself; the strong have always commanded respect.

"Raise shield, defend!"

No wonder the Heavenly Court shifts blame, demanding the Underworld expedite handling this world's Nether; for the celestial beings tasked by the Heavenly Court, the mortal realm has become a monster‑spawning point—any lapse invites ghosts from Nether to wreak havoc.

The multitude of yin soldiers couldn't help but feel dread; although they had obeyed Mu Yi's orders before, it was largely due to his status and the tiger talismans' dispatch.

Close contact between body and shield wall caused these demon ghosts to become dizzy and fall from the sky, only to meet a dense hail of spears.

From this viewpoint, the situation was worse than he had imagined.

Since Nether Qi can be absorbed by yin soldiers, he could do it too.

Shield after shield merged into a sheet, and a shield wall materialized before the demon ghosts.

Working like a draft through a hallway, this deep pit spontaneously channels Nether Qi from Nether into the mortal world; the Dwarf Ghost King crouches within the pit, able to absorb more Nether Qi than he could within the Nether itself.

Yet at Mu Yi's command, hundreds of arrows forged from Nether Qi shot through the air, pinning the demon ghosts like hedgehogs.

The cave entrance seemed to have something set up, resembling an illusion array, but it shattered instantly under the onslaught of the army's evil aura.

"Gah!"

Animals also possess souls; within the Underworld there are Leopard Tail, Bird Beak, Fish Gill, and Hornet, each overseeing the souls of land, sky, sea, and insect creatures respectively.

But theoretically this should appear in the mortal realm, not within the Nether.

"Form formation to meet the enemy!"

Mu Yi withdrew the barrier, leading three thousand yin soldiers to leap from the deep pit into the Nether.

Emerging from the cave, his eyes fell upon a barren wasteland, with a continuous range of Nether mountains behind, almost devoid of grass, looking utterly desolate—completely different from what Mu Yi had seen in the Underworld.

Pitch‑black eyes showed no trace of emotion, staring intently at Mu Yi as if he were a priceless treasure.

"Shoot!"

With rapid wing beats, then folding the wings, it dove from the heavens like an arrow.

The destination lay within the Nether mountain range; Mu Yi fought his way forward, slaying countless ferocious souls and evil ghosts before barely reaching the vicinity.

"Dong!"

"This is a bit messy!" Mu Yi looked at the demon ghosts' 'bodies' and tossed them wholesale into the Hell Path.

The yin soldiers behind Mu Yi exchanged bewildered looks; this place had been run by the Dwarf Ghost King for an unknown length of time, naturally possessing its own mysteries.

Human‑world Nether Qi is certainly inferior to that of the Nether, but the Dwarf Ghost King entrenches here because there is a passage linking the Nether to the mortal realm.

Mu Yi, with three thousand yin soldiers, rushed toward the destination at a breakneck pace.

While Mu Yi was fretting, he turned his head and saw his subordinate yin soldiers inhaling and exhaling Nether Qi; he froze for a moment, then a spark of inspiration struck.

The yin soldiers were happily absorbing Nether Qi, but suddenly the dense Nether Qi ceased; looking up, they saw the Nether Qi still pouring continuously through the pit, yet it was all being gulped by Mu Yi.

These evil ghosts can take the form of giant birds, or black cats, and even crawl back into their original corpses to cause trouble.

With Nether and the mortal world inverted, Mu Yi and his group leapt into the deep pit, only to emerge from another profound cavern.

The Six Paths Barrier unfolded, and the nascent Hell Path immediately began blocking the pit, gulping Nether Qi; countless yin evils surged like rivers, diving into the Hell Path.

Before Mu Yi could retract his gaze, several crow‑shaped demon ghosts swooped down from the sky.

There is only one reasonable explanation… those ghost kings and demonic monsters have begun abducting living beings from the mortal world into the Nether.

These should be called evil ghosts, also known as corpse souls; legend says that on the seventh day after death, the soul returns home, and those that refuse to return to the Nether become evil ghosts.

Every thirty to fifty li, mountain‑ruling ghosts set up strongholds, gathering hundreds of ferocious souls and constructing altar‑like structures.

According to Mu Yi's observations, such altars efficiently gather nearby Nether Qi; the larger the territory, the more Nether Qi it can amass, benefiting both artifact forging and cultivation greatly.

Mu Yi didn't know how this thing came into their hands, but he was certain that the chaos of the Nether was inseparable from its transmission.

But when Mu Yi arrived at the destination, he was stunned to see a massive city before him.

Mu Yi captured a few communicative ghosts from the surroundings and extracted the general situation from their mouths.

The area delineated by the Underworld is considered one of the Nether's blessed lands, situated at the heart of the Nether mountain range and one of the weakest points relative to the mortal world; after all, it's a site for constructing a minor Underworld, so its geography is crucial.

A good location naturally attracts everyone; ambition runs rampant in the Nether, so such a spot won't be left untouched—a ghost king called Rasaka Ghost seized it and founded a ghost kingdom.

"Rasaka Ghost?" Mu Yi squinted; the name didn't sound like a random invention.

From his perch on the cliff, Mu Yi gazed out and could see a colossal city stretching hundreds of li, sprawling across the ground.

On the towering outer city walls stood fully armored ghost soldiers wielding tridents, their bodies suffused with killing intent.

At intervals, one could even see ferocious demons lurking, their huge eyes scanning the surroundings.

It looked just like a human kingdom.

"How do we fight this?" Mu Yi couldn't help but complain.

Is it that my skill is too poor to match that of a Yin Commander, or is it that King Yanluo, jealous of being favored by Hou Tu Niangniang, is giving me trouble? As a mere small fry, how could I possibly conquer such a vast ghost nation?

What a joke—based on the frequency of monsters I've encountered along the way, this ghost realm must have at least hundreds of thousands of monsters; how am I supposed to tear down this so-called ghost nation with my head?

I can't win, I simply can't win.

Mu Yi also knew his own limits; with his three thousand Yin soldiers, he could try against a few thousand or tens of thousands of foes, but against hundreds of thousands or millions, it's better to forget it.

Even if they were millions of pigs, they might not be able to slaughter them all.

But having accepted the mission, if I return in such a dejected state, wouldn't that be a grave mistake? How would I explain it to Hou Tu Niangniang, whose opinion of me would suffer?

After reflecting on the pain, Mu Yi decided to call for help.

This is his first assignment in the Underworld; no matter what, he must complete it splendidly.

Calling for help is also a skill; any method that solves the problem is a good method.

He glanced at the fragments of the Ghost Gate Pass, then at the token from Dongdao Prefecture.

After a moment's hesitation, Mu Yi decided to use the Dongdao Prefecture token, hoping to borrow some troops from there.

Although Shen Tu didn't explicitly say so, Mu Yi, familiar with the legends, knew that this guardian must be bored stiff watching the gate in the Underworld; using Hou Tu Niangniang as a pretext, he gave Mu Yi the Ghost Gate Pass fragments so that Mu Yi could find them a worthy opponent.

If satisfied, he would surely grant Mu Yi a second, or even unlimited, summoning opportunity.

If used carelessly, it would truly become a one‑time consumable item.

He found a hill, stationed his three thousand Yin soldiers atop it, opened the Zongwang Panel, and prepared to head to Dongdao Prefecture.

"Consume 500 Zongwang Disaster Coins to teleport, fixed destination: Great Action World – Dongdao Prefecture – Mu Yi Manor."

"Yes!"

"Teleporting…"

When Mu Yi regained consciousness, he found himself in an exquisite room.

He pushed open the door and stepped out, whereupon a steward came forward to greet him.

"Are you Commander Mu?" the steward asked, having never met Mu Yi in person but recognizing him instantly from his portrait.

"Has the Dongdao Prefecture army returned victorious?" Mu Yi asked casually.

Before he left, he had heard from Lin Xuan that the Dongdao Prefecture army had won the war and would soon return to the city; he didn't know how many days he had been away.

"They returned victorious a month ago."

The steward's words made Mu Yi nod; it seemed the time flow between worlds was not vastly different, without the absurd disparity of one day in heaven equaling a year on earth.

"Commander Mu, are you looking for Commander Lin Xuan?"

"Commander Lin has been promoted; you can find him at the central government office." Lin Xuan had apparently instructed the steward, and before Mu Yi could ask, he spilled everything.

Following the steward's directions, Mu Yi found Lin Xuan in the government office.

Having earned merit in garrison duty, Lin Xuan hadn't been promoted in rank but had entered the government office, which counts as part of the inner circle.

Upon seeing Mu Yi, Lin Xuan showed exceptional enthusiasm, for he had owed his favor with the prefect to Mu Yi's influence.

"Mu Brother, I don't know what brings you here, but if there's anything I can do to help, I will certainly not disappoint you!"

After exchanging pleasantries, Lin Xuan warmly ushered Mu Yi to a seat, then personally poured him tea while asking.

"To be frank with Brother Lin, I have indeed come seeking assistance!"

"Oh? Mu Brother, please speak! Whatever you request surely isn't trivial; please elaborate." Lin Xuan lowered the teapot and inquired solemnly.

Mu Yi laid out his mission in full; since the Great Action World also falls under the jurisdiction of Heavenly Court and the Underworld, he didn't need to explain much, and Lin Xuan understood his meaning.

"I wonder how many troops Brother Lin can lend me?"

Mu Yi placed the Dongdao Prefecture token on the table and quietly regarded the other party.

"This matter involves the military; I dare not speak rashly. Please wait a moment, I will go consult the prefect!"

Lin Xuan apologized, picked up the token from the table, and ran toward the prefect's office.

Mu Yi sipped his tea, opened the sect mission interface, intending to post a task, but when he reached the reward field, he realized he seemed to have nothing he could use to reward others.

The decent equipment and items he carried had all been sacrificed to the Nine Cauldrons; aside from the gear he himself used, he was essentially penniless.

Annoyed, he closed the sect panel and fell into contemplation; the mismatch between his status and his strength is precisely why he now faces this predicament.

It seems he should be about to reach Transcendent before taking a divine post, right?

However, earlier he was also building the Reincarnation Barrier; every sip and bite is predestined, full of karmic wonder.

"Mu Brother, the prefect has agreed to lend you ten thousand elite troops!" Lin Xuan said excitedly.

"Really?" Mu Yi's spirit was shaken; with three thousand men there was little room to maneuver, but thirteen thousand would give him much more leeway.

"But the prefect has two conditions!"

Hearing this, Mu Yi raised his eyebrows, not surprised; being able to borrow ten thousand men unconditionally would be unthinkable.

"The first condition: those ten thousand troops must be under my command!" Lin Xuan raised a finger.

"That stands to reason!" Mu Yi nodded; he had anticipated that condition.

"The second condition: you owe Dongdao Prefecture a favor! If one day Dongdao Prefecture faces trouble, Mu Brother, you must lend a hand!"

Mu Yi fell silent for a moment; frankly, this exceeded his expectations.

"A favor is the hardest debt to repay in the world; reneging might carry a small penalty, but it could also cost one's life due to this karmic tie."

"Agreed!"

After a moment's thought, Mu Yi gritted his teeth and agreed outright.

As his first assignment in the Underworld, he must not mess it up no matter what.