Chapter 45

In the myriad heavens and countless realms, in some unknown corner, a gigantic tower as black as ink rose up in the void!

The tower has eighteen floors, exhaling a dense black aura; a person standing before its eighteen levels looks as tiny as a speck of dust!

In front of the tower flows a great river through the void!

The river's water is also black, with skeletons drifting within; as the water moves it makes a gurgling sound.

The pitch‑black water spreads to the distant horizon, its destination unknown!

Here lies the Underworld's main base, a place that makes the Emperor Realms of all heavens and realms tremble with dread!!

At this moment, a man clad in a black hooded robe suddenly flashes into the sky above the black river.

He looks slightly anxious, then darts hurriedly into the top floor of the eighteen‑story black tower!

The space inside the top floor is vast and grand!

Rows of thick, jet‑black pillars support it, resembling a transcendent hall.

At the deepest part, there are three platforms!

Upon each platform sits a majestic figure, each looking like a deity!

These three are the three hall masters of the Underworld!

The Great Hall Master Cangfeng Laogui, the Second Hall Master Zhai Xing Laogui, and the Third Hall Master Huang Shi Sou!

All three are peak warriors among the Emperor Realms, each having reached the Ninth‑Peak Emperor Realm and cultivating a strand of celestial aura strong enough to contend with the three palace lords of the Heavenly Court!!

While the three hall masters were seated in cultivation, the hurried man in the black robe arrived beneath the platforms, first bowing respectfully to the three masters, then saying, "Honored hall masters, Kunxu Zi has fallen!!"

Swish! Swish! Swish!

As soon as the words finished, the three hall masters opened their eyes in unison, their sharp gazes seeming to pierce the void, striking fear into anyone who looked.

"What did you say?!" Third Hall Master Huang Shi Sou, dressed in a straw raincoat and conical hat, looked like an old farmer working the fields.

His face was furrowed with deep lines, as if weathered by countless years; squinting, he stared at the reporting man in the black robe, his voice hoarse and sharp!

And he is also Kunxu Zi's master!

Kunxu Zi is the most satisfactory disciple among all his students, and also his heir!

Now that his beloved disciple has fallen, he first feels anger, then slight surprise.

He knows Kunxu Zi's strength best; mastering spatial laws, his assassinations and escapes are top‑tier across all heavens and realms!

Although Kunxu Zi's cultivation is only the Eighth‑Peak Emperor Realm, his abilities are such that many Ninth‑Level Emperor Realms cannot contend with him!

Given that, how could Huang Shi Sou not be extraordinarily surprised upon hearing his disciple's fall!!

"Kunxu Zi's life talisman shattered; he… has fallen!" the man in the black robe stammered, standing below and reporting, unable to look directly at the three masters on the platform, as if sitting on a bed of needles!

"It was only an assassination of a continent‑level Emperor on Jiuzhou Continent; how did he end up falling?" Second Hall Master Zhai Xing Laogui narrowed his eyes slightly, also showing some surprise, "That shouldn't happen, right?"

Two days ago, the Underworld received a huge contract, and the client was more than willing to spend money!!

To satisfy the client, Second Hall Master Zhai Xing Laogui strongly recommended that the never‑failed Kunxu Zi undertake the assassination.

After all, Kunxu Zi is famed as the Emperor Realm reaper; since his debut, he has never missed an assassination, even successfully killing a Ninth‑Level Emperor, so entrusting this contract to him is reassuring!

Moreover, the target this time is merely an Emperor on the eastern fringe of the Jiuzhou Continent, within the countless heavens and realms!

According to Zhai Xing Laogui, the highest cultivation of an Emperor on Jiuzhou Continent is only the Fifth‑Level Emperor!!

Kunxu Zi has even killed Ninth‑Level Emperor Realms; how could he fall in such a place?

"It seems Kunxu Zi has met a tough nut," Great Hall Master Cangfeng Laogui, who has six arms, said with a calm, unmoving expression as if a trivial person had died, "No wonder the client was willing to pay such a high price."

"Honored hall masters, the Underworld never gives up on a contract once taken," the man in the black robe added, "But even a veteran Heaven‑shaped size assassin like Kunxu Zi fell at the opponent's hands; should we still send other assassins to fulfill this contract?"

"Hmph, when has the Underworld ever escaped a contract?" Cangfeng Laogui snorted coldly, "It's just a tough nut; since Kunxu Zi's brute force failed, we'll use a softer approach."

Speaking, Cangfeng Laogui shouted into the void, "Anmei, come here."

As soon as the words ended, a woman with an extremely seductive figure appeared beneath the platform, bowing respectfully to Cangfeng Laogui, "Master, did you summon me?"

She dressed in a daring, breezy outfit, her face exuding countless charms—sometimes looking like a loli, sometimes like a mature lady, sometimes purely innocent—so any man can see his preferred type on her face!

It makes one's blood surge upon seeing her!

The woman is Cangfeng Laogui's disciple, named Anmei, cultivated to the Ninth‑Level Emperor Realm, ranking first among the Underworld's Heaven‑shaped size assassins.

Although she has not slain as many Emperor Realms as Kunxu Zi, her assassin ranking surpasses his because the Emperors she has killed were of far higher quality.

She has cultivated a bizarre divine skill called "Life‑Death Dream Dao," capable of killing without a trace!

This skill creates a dreamscape; a single glance from her traps the target in the dream she weaves.

A lifetime of illusory dreams—when the dream's lifespan ends, the person trapped in it also exhausts their life essence in reality, withering away and attaining liberation!

And Anmei can unleash this skill in but a fleeting moment!!

That fleeting moment equals another's entire life, capable of draining their life essence!

The man in the black robe below, seeing the seductive woman appear, dared not look, fearing he might fall under her spell!!

"Go to the eastern realm of the Jiuzhou Continent and assassinate this person!" Cangfeng Laogui pointed a finger, and a handsome young man in white materialized in Anmei's mind.

"What a handsome young man." Sensing the white youth's looks in her mind, Anmei's face broke into an exceedingly charming smile.

She licked her lips, her gaze exuding endless allure, as if deeply interested in the white youth within her mind!

"Do not underestimate him or grow playful; Kunxu Zi has already fallen at the hands of this white youth," Cangfeng Laogui warned solemnly.

Hearing the words 'Kunxu Zi has already fallen to the white youth', Anmei's face showed a faint surprise, then she adopted a slightly serious expression and said, "Disciple understands!"

"Go then; the client wants us to kill him within ten days, time is running short!" Cangfeng Laogui reminded again.

"Disciple understands; I will surely bring back his head to avenge Kunxu Zi!" Anmei declared resolutely, then vanished.

After Anmei vanished, the man in the black robe also took his leave!

When the two had left, Cangfeng Laogui looked at Zhai Xing Laogui and asked, "They want us to assassinate such a tough target; who is the client?"

Zhai Xing Laogui has a duplicate outside, who commands the external Heaven‑shaped size assassins; all assassination contracts are handed over by him, and then he dispatches people to complete them!

Although when handing over contracts, the clients each employ various hidden methods to conceal their identities very well.

But Zhaixing Lao Gui still had a way to see who those employers were, for he was born with double pupils, able to see through falsehood!

"It's the High Priest of the Undying Sect!" Zhaixing Lao Gui said.

"Undying Sect?" Cangfeng Lao Guai muttered softly, "In recent years the Undying Heavenly Emperor seems to have vanished without a trace; I don't know what they're up to, to kill a person they actually came to our Underworld to hire an assassin!"

"Perhaps they're short-handed; I heard the Undying Heavenly Emperor is busy with a major undertaking and can't casually leave his palace, otherwise his people wouldn't come to us." Zhaixing Lao Gui said.

"Hmph, has the Undying Sect really fallen so low that they come to our Underworld to hire a killer for a single person, causing me to lose a disciple?" Huangshi Sou couldn't help but complain, obviously feeling heartbroken over Kunxu Zi's demise.

"Third brother, calm down; this time Anmei will surely be able to kill that white-clad youth, avenging your beloved disciple." Cangfeng Lao Guai comforted.

"As for Anmei, this little girl, I actually have confidence in her." Huangshi Sou nodded.

……