Chapter 36: Sentenced to Death; Candidate Ghost God

All the contained entities were stunned.

I let my guard down!

Could it be that being locked up for so long has worn us down too severely?

Xiang Xuanqing surveyed the various hells and grumbled: “You lot are nothing but trouble—I’m not even punishing you more, that’s already generous!”

“What’s this nonsense about a Youmingsheng Sect?!”

“You can play your own games, I won’t stop you—but you actually picked me as your sect leader? And chose Tai Sha Tiangong as your sect’s sacred artifact?!”

“Did you even ask my opinion? Did you consider how Tai Sha Tiangong feels?!”

“Why not pick these torture instruments as your Youming divine weapons?!”

“Um…” Just as Xiang Xuanqing was venting, a spirit in the Stone Mill Hell raised a hand, protesting: “Logically speaking, we really did choose this way.”

Xiang Xuanqing: “???”

The spirit said: “We divided all the hell worlds and contained universes into sacred sect caverns and blessed lands.”

“Each cavern’s distinctive torture instrument serves as its own divine weapon.”

“For example, my Youming divine weapon is these stone mills.”

With a rumbling sound, the spirit allowed the stone mills to crush him, then told Xiang Xuanqing: “If the sect leader takes a closer look, these instruments just received a slight boost in fortune, and their suppression power has correspondingly strengthened.”

“You’re proud of this?”

Xiang Xuanqing rolled his eyes and stared at him like he was an idiot:

“So you staged this whole farce, went around in circles, didn’t even get yourselves out—and ended up strengthening every single torture instrument and the entire celestial palace, just to make it easier to suppress yourselves?”

“Is that right?”

“...Seems like it is.”

The contained entities suddenly realized the truth and nearly broke down.

Why is this jailer so cruel?!

He kills you and then shreds your soul!

“You won’t even thank us,” said the spirit in the Stone Mill Hell, lifting his head haughtily and sneering.

Xiang Xuanqing found it amusing.

He carefully examined the hazy figure in the Stone Mill Hell.

“What was your name again? If I recall correctly, it’s Fei Mo Zhenjun, right?”

“It’s Fei Mo Yan Qing Zhenjun!” corrected the spirit in the Stone Mill Hell.

“Fine, Fei Mo Yan Qing Zhenjun.”

Xiang Xuanqing looked at Fei Mo Yan Qing Zhenjun and pointed toward the depths of the palace.

“Starting today, you are to be held in solitary confinement, assigned to Bingzi No. 1 Universe.”

“Huh?”

Fei Mo Yan Qing Zhenjun’s eyes went wide.

He hesitated, cautiously asking: “Sect leader, what do you mean?”

“No other meaning—I see you’re talented, so I’m giving you a private cell,” said Xiang Xuanqing.

“Of course, the Stone Mill Hell comes with you.”

With that, Xiang Xuanqing sent the dazed Fei Mo Yan Qing Zhenjun, along with his “Youming Cavern,” deep into the palace.

Seeing this, the contained entities’ minds stirred again.

Having been suppressed in Tai Sha Tiangong for so long, they knew its structure well.

The entire palace was divided into inner and outer universes.

The outer universe held them.

Inside the inner universe, Jia-sized universes contained demonic gods, Yi-sized universes held strange collections.

This Bing-sized universe had never appeared before!

Could it be…?

“Sect leader!”

In the Blood Pool Hell, the senior disciple Fu Zhu surged with excitement, his gaze locked on Xiang Xuanqing as he pointed to himself:

“I am the senior disciple of our Youmingsheng Sect!”

“Fei Mo is only ninth in line—he gets solitary confinement, so can’t you consider placing me in the inner universe?”

“Yes, yes!” Meng Huai reacted quickly too.

“I am the sect’s second disciple—I’ve summarized over one hundred and eighty thousand characters of Hou Tian Dao script from your Fengdu Edicts!”

“Even if I’ve done no great deeds, I’ve suffered greatly!”

“Can’t you put me in the Bing-sized universe too?”

Other contained entities began clamoring: “Me too! Me too!”

“Enough, enough!”

Xiang Xuanqing looked at them with disdain: “When I personally liberated you, you refused.”

“Now you stage a play, fool yourselves, yet still haven’t internalized the Edicts.”

“And you still want a private cell?”

“Stay right here and behave.”

With a thought, ten or more other worlds in the outer universe trembled and were transferred into the Bing-sized universe.

These were the spirits who had genuinely accepted the Fengdu Edicts and fully completed their self-liberation.

“Sect leader, you are wise!”

These disciples’ eyes burned with fanaticism—even as their punishments intensified, they welcomed them gladly.

“Fleshly suffering, true spirit eternal!”

“We turn toward Youming, willingly fall into hell—all for rebirth!”

The slogan echoed thunderously.

It was accompanied by loud chanting and cries of “Sect Eternal!”

Xiang Xuanqing found it embarrassing.

He looked at Meng Huai and others and said: “What kind of stupid name did you pick? ‘Youmingsheng Sect’?”

“Your entire congregation is locked up—what kind of ‘sacred sect’ is this? Does it even make sense?”

Fu Zhu, the senior disciple, chuckled: “If you think it doesn’t make sense, just let us out.”

“Dream on!”

Xiang Xuanqing didn’t even bother replying.

“No more calling it ‘Youmingsheng Sect’!”

“Since the sect leader dislikes it, let’s change the name!”

The second disciple Meng Huai said: “Everyone is studying the Fengdu Edicts, clarifying the true meaning of the Dao, and listening to the sect leader’s teachings.”

“I suggest we call it Chan Sect!”

“...”

Xiang Xuanqing gave Meng Huai a long, piercing look: “You’re a real talent.”

Meng Huai beamed.

“Thank you, sect leader! Thank you, sect leader!”

“I’ll move right away—”

“Move? No need to move.”

Xiang Xuanqing waved his hand and issued the decree: “The god of Qiao Ming Mountain, Meng Huai, is sentenced to death!”

The will of Tai Sha Tiangong echoed in query.

[Execute immediately?]

Xiang Xuanqing replied: “Execute repeatedly!”

“Execute for one thousand years.”

[Affirmative.] The Fire Sea Hell world began to boil; across the boundless sky, infinite laws transformed into divine chains descending from above.

Meng Huai was forced to reveal his true form and instantly sealed within the void.

Then, a massive black Dao guillotine descended from the heavens, radiating majestic power and rolling waves of death.

All this happened too swiftly for Meng Huai to anticipate.

“No!”

He cried out: “Sect leader, I’ve served the sacred sect! I’m still useful to Youming! I—ah!”

A piercing scream.

The might of the Dao guillotine was terrifying—Meng Huai’s spiritual body could not withstand it and instantly disintegrated.

Yet the law chains remained, still hanging in the sky.

For such a death sentence could not fully annihilate a primordial spirit.

From the Blood Pool Hell, a single undying true spirit glowed faintly—Meng Huai revived.

His spiritual body had barely reappeared when it was seized again.

“Sect… ah!”

Meng Huai died again.

A true spirit flickered, and He came back to life.

The guillotine immediately came down.

“No… ah!”

Meng Huai died again.

Time and again, Meng Huai died over and over.

And for the next thousand years, every moment, He would exist in a state of superimposed life and death.

Dead, yet not entirely dead; alive, yet not entirely alive.

This is called repeated execution.

“So terrifying!”

The other containment objects, seeing this, fell utterly silent.

Death penalty isn’t terrifying, for though their bodies perish, their Dao endures—they cannot truly die.

But to repeatedly execute them by exploiting the immortality of primordial deities—who could bear it?

The warden is truly a man darker than the [Dark Demon God]!

Xiang Xuanqing warned the containment objects, “Founding a sect is not something you’re ready to play with.”

“Stay put, and stop trying to pull any stunts!”

“Yes, yes, yes!”

“Master, please leave slowly, leave slowly!”

Across the outer cosmos, in all major worlds, the containment objects dared not stir again, respectfully watching Xiang Xuanqing depart.

Blood Pool Hell.

Fu Zhu exhaled deeply: “I was terrified!”

He gazed into the Fire Sea Hell, where the screams were gradually fading.

“Meng Huai is now fighting the Great Dao guillotine with all his strength, isn’t he?” Fu Zhu murmured.

When his second brother Meng Huai was executed, Fu Zhu, as the eldest brother, had his heart in his throat, fearing he’d be next.

Fortunately, Xiang Xuanqing turned and left.

He had guessed why Xiang Xuanqing chose Meng Huai as the target.

First, a warning—to deter them from reckless actions.

Second, to drain Meng Huai’s power.

Fu Zhu knew Meng Huai’s cultivated Dao was “Performance.”

Just now, Meng Huai had orchestrated this grand drama, even performing himself—surely he received a boon from the Dao.

Coupled with the fortune granted by founding the Youmingsheng Sect, among all the containment objects, Meng Huai gained the most.

His power must have recovered to some degree.

He could see it clearly; the warden could see it even more clearly.

Other Hells.

The containment objects were considering another matter.

“The suppression of the instruments and cells has strengthened—how are we supposed to endure this?!”

Xiang Xuanqing had already forged a new batch of suppression artifacts, and then, because Fei Mo’s loose tongue, the instruments and Tiangong were further enhanced…

“Wait a minute!”

“Could it be that’s why Fei Mo got special treatment?”

The more they thought, the more plausible it seemed.

…

Inside Fengdoudadian.

Xiang Xuanqing recalled everything that had just happened, lowering his head in thought.

When he originally created the “Fengdu Statutes,” his intent was twofold: to establish order in the Underworld, and indeed, to use it as a means to convert certain deities into his own allies.

But Xiang Xuanqing had never seriously considered founding a great sect.

For this group to suddenly create the “Youmingsheng Sect” at this moment was sheer nonsense.

With all this idle time, Xiang Xuanqing would rather have directly built the Underworld’s order and assembled his underworld bureaucracy!

“Still, they’ve accidentally hit the mark—they’ve genuinely produced a group of devout followers.”

Watching the dozen figures reciting sutras within the Bing-character universe, Xiang Xuanqing’s expression turned peculiar.

Once he let go of his attachment, the speed of their self-redemption was astonishingly fast.

“I’m actually seeing a glimmer of them transforming into ghost deities!”

“This is downright bizarre.”

Xiang Xuanqing pinched the bridge of his nose.

This was precisely why he hadn’t disbanded the Youmingsheng Sect outright, and instead confined these deities within the Bing-character universe.

“If they truly succeed, this becomes an opportunity to strengthen the Underworld—I cannot let it slip away.”

The Underworld still lacks vitality, resulting in a severe shortage of divine reserves.

To accumulate foundation, establish order, and transform the Underworld into the ultimate haven for all beings, he needed fresh blood.

“Fall into the Underworld, be reborn anew.”

“Since you seized this chance, I’ll grant you this opportunity.”

Xiang Xuanqing had already reduced the suppression pressure on them within the Bing-character universe.

He hoped some among them might emerge as ghost deities.

Even if they couldn’t produce beings as powerful as the Five Ghost Emperors,

gathering a few Yans would be fine.

Even if only ghost generals appeared, it would suffice.

“Can’t all dozen candidates fail?”

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PS: One more chapter, to be posted at 10 PM

(End of Chapter)