Chapter 45: The Secrets of the Yin-Yang Universe

The Dao heart of Ming He faced a severe challenge.

He had died and been reborn countless times, and prided himself on being well-traveled and experienced.

Yet Xiang Xuanqing always managed to expand Ming He’s horizons in the most peculiar ways.

“Relax, relax.”

“It’s just a Soul-Grabbing Chain. Who cares how it works—as long as it’s effective.”

Xiang Xuanqing sat astride the majestic five-colored lion, turned back to look at Ming He, who was in disbelief, and laughed: “Look around—our achievements are remarkable!”

“These divine soldiers, divine beasts, and ferocious birds all kneel beneath your feet, bowing in submission.”

Ming He’s face darkened, his lips trembling with rage: “I’d rather have no such victories!”

He was a proper deity.

Even if he had to take subordinate deities or vassals.

They would never be subjects beneath his skirts!

Ming He stared at the surrounding spirits, all “soul-grabbed,” and nearly threw the cursed artifact away multiple times—but ultimately did nothing.

Xiang Xuanqing was right: at least, the Soul-Grabbing Chain was devastatingly effective against enemies.

Right now, on this battlefield of gods and demons, survival came first.

“Hey, you—come here.”

After searching for a long while, Xiang Xuanqing spotted a timid black fox among the stars.

“Big Brother Bai, don’t hit me, don’t hit me!”

“We’re from the same hometown!”

The black fox, seeing Xiang Xuanqing raise the Mourning Staff, slid on his knees from one side of the star-river to the other.

Like a meteor streaking across the heavens.

Thud—he knelt before the five-colored lion.

The entire motion flowed like water, swift and precise.

“Big Brother Bai, when we set out for battle, we all gathered for a farewell feast—we’ve met before!”

The black fox clung to the five-colored lion’s leg, looking up at Xiang Xuanqing with pleading eyes: “Big Brother Bai, do you remember me?”

“I’m Hu Shisan!”

Xiang Xuanqing stared, memories surging in his mind: “Black Fox City, thirteenth-generation solitary disciple—Hu Shisan?”

Hu Shisan was overjoyed.

He celebrated inwardly, then quietly corrected: “It’s Black Fox City’s thirteenth-generation sole disciple.”

“Although Black Fox City accepts only one disciple per generation, and due to our cultivation of the Black Fox Scripture, we must maintain a pure yang body...”

As he explained further, Hu Shisan’s voice grew quieter.

His head drooped, his eyes losing their luster.

“Fine, I’m single.”

Xiang Xuanqing smiled at the dejected Hu Shisan.

He and the deity vessel inhabited by Ming He were indeed from the same hometown as Hu Shisan.

All three hailed from the Seventeenth Star Region of the Black Path—Jin Que Star Region, Shen Ming Star.

The name of this body was Bai Wudi, First Divine General of Tian Zhou City on Shen Ming Star.

The deity vessel inhabited by Ming He was Fan Wujiu, First Divine General of Feng Ge City on Shen Ming Star.

“My Lord, My Lord...”

“Don’t leave, My Lord!”

“Sip-sip!”

At that moment, the spirits of the Black and White Paths, soul-grabbed, twisted toward Ming He and crawled.

Ming He’s eyelid twitched; he coldly said: “Shisan, you know sealing techniques, right? Bind them all for me!”

“Got it!”

Hu Shisan instantly perked up, plucked a tuft of fox fur, and transformed it into a Divine-Binding Chain.

Instantly, the hundred-odd divine generals and their spirit beasts and mounts on this battlefield were tightly bound.

“Big Brother Bai, some of these are our Black Path divine generals—should we let them go?”

Hu Shisan pointed to a dozen or so of the bound spirits.

“Check if any of them are from Shen Ming Star?” Xiang Xuanqing asked.

“None of them are.”

Hu Shisan sighed: “Of the thirty divine generals who departed Shen Ming Star, only the three of us remain.”

“If not for you two breaking through in the midst of death, we’d all be dead here.”

“Since there are no fellow townspeople, bind them all,” Xiang Xuanqing said, observing the battlefield’s shifting fronts while searching for Ruo Xi.

“Let their backer factions come to ransom them.”

Hu Shisan was stunned: “Big Brother Bai, are you going back to your old trade—selling deities?!”

“This is the God-Demon Battlefield!”

“What if...”

Hu Shisan’s expression grew tense; Bai Wudi and Fan Wujiu had a poor reputation on Shen Ming Star.

Partly because they’d done many immoral deeds in their youth—trading deities was one of them. “What do you mean ‘deity trader’? That sounds awful!”

Xiang Xuanqing said: “We at least saved these bastards’ lives—what’s wrong with asking for compensation?”

“Can’t we work for free?”

“But...” Hu Shisan hesitated—weren’t all these beings on this battlefield your doing?

“Enough, don’t dwell on it. When we get the ransom, I’ll give you thirty percent.”

Xiang Xuanqing picked up two gourds from the battlefield, immediately refined them, and tossed them to Hu Shisan.

“Put Black Path spirits in the large gourd, White Path spirits in the small one.”

“Once this phase of battle ends, we’ll ask if anyone wants to buy them.”

You’re still going to be a deity trader... Hu Shisan clutched the two gourds and obediently stuffed the spirits inside as Xiang Xuanqing instructed.

Xiang Xuanqing had promised him a cut.

Ming He collected all the divine weapons and armor left on the battlefield.

He selected two swords that felt comfortable in his grip.

Let someone else use the Soul-Grabbing Chain!

I’m never using it again.

“I found Ruo Xi. Let’s go.”

Xiang Xuanqing whispered to Ming He.

Hu Shisan hurried to follow.

“Big Brother Bai, Second Brother Fan.”

Hu Shisan carried the two gourds: “You’ve defeated so many White Path divine generals and subdued some Black Path ones.”

“Our Shen Ming Star’s fortune must surge because of this!”

“Your rankings on the Black Path Newcomers List will surely rise.”

Hu Shisan grinned: “Maybe I’ll even ride on your coattails—my rank might climb a few spots too!”

“Maybe.”

Xiang Xuanqing was indifferent.

Besides the Black and White Lists, the Black and White Paths had a Newcomers List.

Both of them were ranked on the Black Path Newcomers List.

Bai Wudi was ranked 7,641st.

Fan Wujiu was ranked 7,713th.

He sat cross-legged atop the five-colored lion, striving to heal the body’s injuries.

Ming He used his divine powers to avoid drawing attention from the Tian Jun above.

As for Hu Shisan, whether from nervousness or simply because he was a naturally talkative bachelor,

he chattered incessantly along the way.

His talk revolved entirely around “fortune” and “Black List rankings.”

As Xiang Xuanqing sifted through Bai Wudi’s memories, he discovered that many major events in the Yin-Yang Universe were tied to these two things.

In the Ancient Era, the Yin-Yang Universe had been relatively harmonious.

The boundless star-seas operated independently; star-regions rarely interacted, and everyone lived their own lives.

Back then, there were no beings at the Tian Jun level—the highest cultivation was Tian Shen, equivalent to today’s Divine General.

There was no such thing as Black Path or White Path.

But at some unknown point, two lists appeared in the Yin-Yang Universe.

These were the Black List and the White List.

The Black and White Lists were fortune artifacts that divided the Yin-Yang Universe into Black and White Paths.

Any being on either list received cosmic fortune enhancement.

The higher the rank, the more fortune one gained.

And rankings are subject to change.

Spirits on the White List can rise in rank by defeating or hunting down higher-ranked Black List spirits, thereby gaining greater blessings of cosmic fortune.

The reverse is true for the Black List.

When this was discovered, all life in the universe went mad.

Thus began the Age of Slaughter.

In this age, countless spirits from both the White and Black Lists were drawn into an endless cycle of slaughter.

Until, simultaneously, the First Tian Jun emerged on both sides.

The two Tian Juns ended the chaos and established the rules.

Every one hundred thousand years, both sides unleash calamities, engaging in divine and demonic wars to vie for cosmic fortune.

Within each hundred thousand years, peace prevails, allowing limited friction.

Thus, the Yin-Yang Universe entered the Age of Calamity and Fortune.

Whenever the great calamity opens, Yin and Yang invert, and black and white are reversed.

The Yin-Yang Universe is now within this great calamity.

(End of Chapter)