According to Zhao Li, the Death God's Fishing Rod wasn't invincible. Its greatest weakness lay in its fishing line. With enough strength—or a willpower resilient enough to endure the pain of a soul-level attack—it was possible to break the line and escape the hook. There were even treasures or divine weapons that could sever the line outright, or those that simply weren't affected by soul-harming artifacts like the Death God's Hook.
For instance, those with soul-guarding treasures could forcibly block such attacks.
But clearly, the Red-Robed Ghost King had neither of these things. The fishing rod in Yi Tianxing's hands was a Heaven-Opening Divine Artifact, fused with the world's very essence. Its toughness was enough to drive one to despair; breaking it was no simple task.
Under normal circumstances, with a Profound-grade Death God's Hook, the Red-Robed Ghost King might have been able to break free. But not this time.
"I want to die. Just give me a clean death, let me die with dignity…"
His face ashen, the Red-Robed Ghost King muttered, utterly devoid of hope. He truly wanted to die.
He had just finished cultivating a powerful divine ability, expecting to dominate the battlefield, sweeping away all enemies in his path. Yet the reality was a brutal beating, being humiliated and literally planted into the ground like a green onion. Even his attempts to flee had ended with him being yanked back by a hook.
He was in total despair.
"I'm so pitiful… really, so damn miserable…"
He looked up at the sky. If the underworld ever held a contest for the most miserable and unlucky ghost king, he was sure he'd be one of the top contenders.
"I'm the Fire Ghost King, not some Unlucky Ghost!"
"Hmph. You want to die? It's not that easy. First, go tour the Eighteenth Layer of Hell, then suffer soul execution and obliteration. You devoured living souls, murdered ghost officials, stole the Yin-Yang Token, and seized control of Ghost Gate Pass. For any one of those crimes, you deserve death."
Zhao Li stepped forward, sneering.
These were unforgivable crimes—absolute capital offenses. If he didn't die, then who should?
"Brother, can you give me the Red-Robed Ghost King?"
At that moment, Nannan spoke up.
"Give him to you?"
Yi Tianxing paused, looking her over carefully, then glanced at the ghost king, as though considering something.
"He's a major criminal," Zhao Li quickly interjected. "Devouring souls is forbidden in the underworld. Letting him live would be a tremendous danger in the future."
What a joke. This guy was ruthless. If he ever escaped, the disaster he'd unleash would be unimaginable. They wouldn't even let him walk through Hell—he needed to be immediately destroyed, his soul shattered.
"Hold on," Yi Tianxing said calmly. "I caught him, which makes him my war spoils. I naturally have the right to deal with him. If I could capture him, I can certainly suppress him. If I don't allow it, he's not escaping."
With a mere thought, the Death God's Fishing Rod vanished, taking the Red-Robed Ghost King with it. He was transferred directly into the Heavenly Emperor's Tower, still hanging from the hook, suspended in midair. Escape was virtually impossible.
"Fellow Daoist Yi, please take care—this ghost king must not be allowed to survive. Also, the Yin-Yang Token must be returned. Of course, we are willing to compensate you for it."
Zhao Li's tone was serious. The Yin-Yang Token was the symbol of a ghost official's authority. If it fell into the wrong hands, the consequences would be disastrous, as proven by this very incident. Ghost kings using it to roam the world of the living, stealing souls—if that became common, it would throw both realms into chaos.
"No worries. The Yin-Yang Token is useless to me. It belongs to the ghost officials, and naturally I will return it. As for compensation, that won't be necessary."
Yi Tianxing replied with a calm smile.
The Red-Robed Ghost King clearly held some value for Nannan. Since he wouldn't be turned over to the ghost officials, the token was better used as a favor—a personal favor from the ghost officials, something far more valuable than mere treasures.
"In that case, thank you, Daoist Yi." Zhao Li nodded solemnly, clearly relieved.
Favors are two-way streets. Building rapport with someone like Yi Tianxing was definitely worthwhile. Besides, seeing how thoroughly Yi Tianxing had suppressed the ghost king, letting this one slide might actually be acceptable.
As long as the Red-Robed Ghost King ended up dead, it was fine.
"Red Flame City has descended into chaos. That inferno he unleashed wiped out almost all of his ghost army. Resistance has crumbled. What should we do with the city now?"
The Paper Craftsman asked, noting the eerie calm that had fallen over the city. Most of its inhabitants had fled, and the military was in shambles. Now that the Ghost King had been captured, the real question was—who gets to claim Red Flame City?
"The treasury of Red Flame City belongs to me. As for the city itself, I don't need it. You can take it."
Yi Tianxing made his stance clear. After all that fighting, he wouldn't walk away empty-handed. The real prize lay in the ghost king's treasure vault, surely filled with rare and powerful artifacts accumulated over a lifetime. That, he wouldn't give up.
"My Lord, we've found the vault!"
A burly figure hurried over—it was a member of the Heavenly Emperor's Dragon Guard, his body radiating lethal intent. Their slaughter in the recent battle had been devastating.
"Good. Tell the troops to guard the vault. No one gets close. Any violators—kill them on sight!"
Yi Tianxing ordered.
"Yes, sir!"
The Dragon Guard answered without hesitation. They followed Yi Tianxing's commands to the letter, no questions asked.
"Since Daoist Yi defeated the ghost king singlehandedly, it's only fair that the treasure vault is his. As for the city, we ghost officials will take it. However, the Ghost Gate Pass must be returned—it's a sacred underworld artifact."
Zhao Li said, his tone firm.
The Ghost Gate Pass was the gateway to the mortal realm. It had to be under official control. Anything else could destabilize the boundary between realms.
"Of course. The Ghost Gate Pass is best left with you officials," Yi Tianxing agreed with a smile. "Now that the city's situation has stabilized and the vault is located, shall we take a look?"
"With pleasure," Zhao Li replied. "I've heard the Red-Robed Ghost King was famous for plundering rare treasures in both worlds. This should be quite the eye-opener."
The vault lay beneath the city lord's mansion. Built from top-tier materials, it was shielded against divine sense and magic like wall-phasing techniques. Silent infiltration was nearly impossible.
Dragon Guards stood at attention in front of the vault.
Zhao Li and the others couldn't help but grow solemn. These guards, each at the Law Manifestation Realm, were fearsome—especially as they specialized in body refinement, making them virtually unmatched among peers. It was common knowledge: body cultivators dominated their level. Few could compare, and even those were rare outliers.
Yi Tianxing had three thousand of them. As Dao Soldiers, no less.
Zhao Li was sure: if they wanted, these guards could annihilate every ghost official in the city.
The vault doors opened.
A group followed Yi Tianxing inside.
It wasn't decorated in flashy gold, but was instead constructed of black materials that emitted a gloomy aura. Still, the embedded night pearls illuminated the space like daylight. Everything was visible.
The first thing they saw?
Mountains of Hell (underworld) Currency.
These coins shimmered faintly, unmistakably genuine and in wide circulation.
"So many hell coins… there must be over a billion here. The Red-Robed Ghost King was clearly quite good at plundering wealth. Just the coins alone are an unimaginable fortune."
Zhao Li's eyes lit up, marveling.
Indeed, this was just the beginning of the bounty that awaited them inside.