Others might not realize it, but how could Zhao Li not know? This wasn't some new divine power—this was clearly the very Creation Cube he had once traded away. Yet the transformation it had undergone was so shocking that he could barely believe it. In such a short amount of time, it had changed beyond recognition. It could now even be used to synthesize and profit from treasures, turning it into a tool for outrageous wealth generation. Zhao Li was practically sick with regret.
Why hadn't the Creation Cube displayed such miraculous powers when it was in his hands?
Truly, comparison breeds resentment.
Still, despite his regret, he didn't say much. After all, their transaction back then had been fair and voluntary. Once the deal was done, it was no longer any of his business. He had no right to complain.
In fact, he could already imagine that the Creation Cube now was vastly more powerful than it had been before. Its grade had clearly been elevated—originally a mere Yellow-grade, but now, it had undoubtedly surpassed that tier, at least reaching the Profound-grade. With a change in grade, comparing the past to the present was meaningless.
This… was simply fate.
He didn't even want to ask more. Just thinking about it hurt too much.
"Well then, the marketplace is wrapping up. Why don't we go up front and share a few drinks?" Zhao Li suggested.
Yi Tianxing smiled and nodded.
To encounter an old acquaintance in the Underworld—this was a rare stroke of fortune. Considering how vast the Underworld was—matching the scale of the Living Realm—the odds of such a meeting were close to none. Clearly, there was fate involved.
"Let's go," Zhao Li grinned.
Yi Tianxing stored the projected cube back into his treasure trove. This round of synthesis had earned him a fortune. Treasures and items now piled high in his pagoda. And while this business of synthesis was lucrative, it was something that needed to be cultivated long-term—slow and steady.
They arrived at a nearby tavern.
Under the attendant's guidance, they went straight to the fifth floor.
Zhao Li grabbed the menu and ordered a full table's worth of signature dishes. Then, he had the waiter bring up two bowls of Meng Po Soup and a jug of fine wine.
Looking at the emerald-green liquid, Yi Tianxing remarked meaningfully, "Zhao Daoyou, I heard that Meng Po Soup isn't something one can just order—it must be bartered for with rare treasures. Yet you were able to casually request two bowls. Seems your relationship with the proprietress isn't ordinary. Is she… your beloved?"
PFFT!!
Zhao Li spat out his drink on the spot, eyes full of panic as he looked around, then leaned in and whispered, "Yi Daoyou, don't joke like that! If the proprietress hears that, I'm a dead man!"
"Oh? Why are you so scared of her?" Yi Tianxing asked curiously.
"Not scared—respect, absolute respect," Zhao Li said with a forced grin. "The Meng family isn't some ordinary clan. In the Underworld, they're incredibly prestigious. And the weird thing is—the Meng family has only ever produced women. All of them stunningly beautiful. But to marry into the family, you must enter as a live-in son-in-law and swear lifelong loyalty. One slip, and the consequences are dire. Me? I'm not the monogamous type—I can't settle for a single tree when there's an entire forest out there."
Zhao Li struck a smug pose, flicking his hair and trying to ooze charm.
"Is the Meng family truly that powerful?" Yi Tianxing asked further.
"Heh… Meng Po herself is one of the few great cultivators in the entire Underworld. You tell me if that's powerful," Zhao Li said seriously. "And the Meng family—was created by her."
Yi Tianxing's heart stirred. Zhao Li had said created, not born from. Creation meant something else entirely—like how Nuwa created the human race, or how the River of Blood created the Asura Clan. This was life born from nothing, an act of divine-level creation. Only true great powers could do such a thing.
Yi Tianxing then changed the subject. "By the way, Zhao Daoyou, did you really come here to deal with the Red-Robed Ghost King? What exactly did he do to draw the ire of you ghost messengers? Sounds like you're not alone in this."
Zhao Li sighed. "To be honest, Yi Daoyou, you came to the Underworld at a pretty bad time. It's not peaceful here—far from it. With so many factions merging together, the Underworld is now a mess of competing powers. The original Yin Division and Underworld Court are still sealed. The Ten Yama Kings and Great Ghost Emperors are all in seclusion. They could intervene, but doing so is difficult until the Heavenly Dao seal lifts. Once that happens, things will get even more chaotic—conflict will reach a boiling point."
Truthfully, even without the seal, those high-level cultivators would still be in closed-door cultivation. At the beginning of the world merger, the laws of heaven and earth were in flux—the most active state for enlightenment. Any great cultivator would rather focus on comprehending these laws and absorbing the ambient spiritual essence. No one wanted to come out unless absolutely necessary. Missing a single day of this rare era could mean missing out forever.
"Since those powerhouses are all in seclusion, who's overseeing you ghost messengers? And how are the souls of the dead from the Living Realm being collected?" Yi Tianxing pressed.
These were secrets of the Underworld, and the more he knew, the better. Such information was rarely accessible in the Living Realm. Knowing more could help him eventually control intelligence related to the Underworld.
"We ghost messengers are currently under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Dao," Zhao Li explained proudly. "Until the seal lifts, the Heavenly Dao governs us directly. When we ferry souls to the cycle of reincarnation, we are rewarded with merit, which increases our cultivation. Being a soul ferryman is a hot job. Tons of Underworld cultivators are green with envy."
Their big boss… was the Heavenly Dao itself. You couldn't get more authoritative than that.
Moreover, the Heavenly Dao granted them merit as protection. Anyone who dared kill a ghost messenger would incur karmic backlash—a punishment that marked them on the Heavenly Dao's blacklist. Crossing tribulations or ascending would become nearly impossible—a one-way trip to death.
Of course, that didn't mean ghost messengers were invincible.
Some people simply didn't care. For short-term gains, they were willing to pay any price. Take the Red-Robed Ghost King for example.
"But isn't the symbol of ghost messenger status the Yin-Yang Token?" Yi Tianxing asked. "The Red-Robed Ghost King said whoever holds the token is a ghost messenger. So if someone kills one and takes their token, does that make them a ghost messenger too? Then couldn't the karmic backlash be cleansed with merit?"
"True," Zhao Li admitted. "Killing a ghost messenger and taking their token grants their power—but not the true status. Without proper recognition by the Heavenly Dao, they're not official. They gain the ability to walk between the realms but not the protection of the system. Unless they wash away their karmic sins and earn enough merit, they're still on the blacklist."
"If we let stuff like this slide, the entire Underworld order would fall apart. That's why we ghost messengers will never allow it. The Red-Robed Ghost King's actions have turned him into the common enemy of all ghost messengers. He will be hunted down."
Yi Tianxing nodded in understanding. If the ghost messenger system didn't react, their entire structure would crumble. To maintain unity and authority, they must retaliate.
"Zhao Daoyou," Yi Tianxing continued, "you said the Yin-Yang Token opens the path to the Living Realm. Does that mean it can send us back?"
"It can," Zhao Li confirmed, "but the road isn't accessible from just anywhere. You have to go to a specific location—Ghost Gate Pass. And the nearest one is under the control of the Red-Robed Ghost King. If you want to return, you'll have to deal with him first."
"So no matter what, the Red-Robed Ghost King is an obstacle that must be removed," Yi Tianxing said, nodding.
"If Yi Daoyou is willing to help, I guarantee your return to the Living Realm will be no issue at all," Zhao Li smiled.
Yi Tianxing was no ordinary cultivator. From the moment Zhao Li had seen him at the ghost market, he knew this man was extraordinary. And now, his cultivation aura alone gave Zhao Li a sense of crisis. His cultivation speed was monstrous.
And on top of that—he carried the aura of a sovereign.
"When do you plan to act?" Yi Tianxing asked after some thought.
"Soon. There's an auction at Huangquan Inn, and many ghost messengers will be arriving for it. Once it's over, we'll begin the operation. And let me tell you—this auction will have top-tier items. I heard from the proprietress that there will be Nine Heavens Rest Soil and even Primordial Chaos Source Stones—supreme materials for forging legendary artifacts. People are already scheming behind the scenes."
"And they're even auctioning off Bianhua, the otherworldly flower of the Underworld, as well as Forget-Love Water—a high-grade brew of Meng Po Soup made personally by Meng Po herself."
Zhao Li chuckled, eyes twinkling.This upcoming auction was shaping up to be a true storm of treasures.