"Fellow Daoist Yi, you're truly alive! This is wonderful. It's really great to see you're safe."
Hearing the shout, Zhao Li turned his head. The moment he saw Yi Tianxing, a heartfelt smile lit up his face. He strode forward quickly, his voice booming with relief. The scene of Yi Tianxing being struck by the Ghost Mother was still vivid in his memory.
The Ghost Mother's Child-Mother Nirvana Golden Needle had been overwhelmingly fierce.It was a harrowing sight—its eruption was like the end of the world. Yi Tianxing's body had been torn apart, his flesh shattered. Though he had managed to escape, no one knew if he had truly gotten away. Without seeing it for themselves, no one could be sure. Now, seeing Yi Tianxing once more brought immense relief.
"I told you before, even the Ghost Mother couldn't kill me so easily."
Yi Tianxing smiled lightly and asked, "Fellow Daoist Zhao, what happened to Red Flame City? It looked fine before—why is it now in ruins?"
"It was the Ghost Mother," Zhao Li replied bitterly. "After the battle with you, she seemed furious. Before being re-sealed by the Heavenly Dao, she struck at Red Flame City with her palm. That one strike completely destroyed the entire city. Many inhabitants of the Underworld were either killed or injured, even the Yin Soldiers and Messengers weren't spared. If not for the presence of Ghost Gate Pass, not a single life would have remained."
Even recalling that scene, Zhao Li's face changed subtly. It was not a pleasant memory.
"She's really petty," Yi Tianxing commented, shaking his head.
"Let it be. Since this place has become a Ghost Gate outpost, being a ruin isn't so bad. At least, other powers won't come nosing around and causing trouble," Zhao Li said with a grin. "Oh right, the proprietress of the Yellow Springs Inn has been missing you. When we met a few days ago, she specifically asked about you, complaining you hadn't visited. Since this place is ruined, let's go to the inn and have a drink. My treat."
There was a playful look in his eye as he winked meaningfully at Yi Tianxing.
"Alright then, let's go to the Yellow Springs Inn."
Yi Tianxing smiled and nodded. He was genuinely interested in the food there. Underworld cuisine, strange though it might appear, had a unique appeal.
Before long, they arrived at the Yellow Springs Inn.
The inn looked just as it had when Yi Tianxing last left it. A seven-story building radiating an ancient aura, surrounded by thick yin energy. A mysterious force seemed to draw all surrounding yin qi toward the inn.
It was clearly a cultivation treasure ground for Underworld beings.
Around the inn, green Yellow Springs Rice exuded a rich fragrance. The rice was ripe and ready for harvest, and a number of skeletons could be seen in the fields, carefully swinging sickles to reap the grain.
Yellow Springs Rice was a precious resource, beneficial for Underworld cultivators and considered a rare delicacy. Just a few grains could fill an entire bowl. The inn's signature spirit rice.
"Fellow Daoist Yi, we're in for a treat. The Yellow Springs Wine brewed from this rice is a rare treasure. And the Yellow Springs Rice Cake and Rice Dumplings are absolutely divine. Every time I eat them, I can't stop thinking about them afterward."
Zhao Li's eyes lit up. With the rice being harvested, it was sure to appear in their dishes soon. Yellow Springs Rice resembled glutinous rice in the living world. Though its nature was similar, the flavor and qualities were unique.
"Let's go. Just hearing about the food is making me impatient."
Yi Tianxing chuckled. His Gourmet Cells were already dancing, sending waves of pleasure through him.
At the inn's entrance, a tiny skeleton was doing the welcoming.
"This is the Yellow Springs Inn. Please, come in, honored guests," the skeleton screeched in its eerie voice. To ordinary folk, it would've been terrifying, but in the Underworld, it was completely normal.
"Little one, don't tell me you've already forgotten me?" Yi Tianxing asked with a smile.
He recognized the little skeleton—it had greeted him on his first visit to the Underworld.
"You're Master Yi! I'll inform the proprietress right away. Please head upstairs!"
The skeleton's eye flames flickered with excitement. Clearly, it remembered him and was thrilled to see him alive. Yi Tianxing's battle against the Ghost Mother had long since become legend here, and many Underworld cultivators revered him.
The little skeleton was no exception.
Having thought him dead, it was thrilled to see him again.
With a clack-clack, it ran to the back, clearly to inform the proprietress.
"This little guy... Alright, Fellow Daoist Yi, let's head upstairs. The proprietress should be along soon. I wanted to tell you something while we have a moment."
Zhao Li's face darkened slightly.
"Oh?"
Yi Tianxing nodded, and they headed upstairs to a private room.
Once seated, Zhao Li wore a bitter expression. "Fellow Daoist Yi, I've failed you. I messed up the matter with your sister."
"Nannan? What happened?" Yi Tianxing's expression turned serious.
He had sensed something was wrong with Zhao Li earlier, which was why he approached him directly. And now it was clear—something had gone wrong.
"You asked me to escort Nannan back to the living world. With the Reincarnation Pill, it should've been easy. At first, everything went smoothly. The pill helped her restore her body and return to life without issue."
"But right after she revived, we were attacked. Foreign beings ambushed us. It was utter chaos. The enemies were too many, and in the mess, Nannan and I got separated. I couldn't find her again. I returned to the Underworld, rallied the Yin Soldiers, and went back... but everything was gone. No sign of the attackers, no trace of Nannan. I've been searching ever since. No news at all."
"I have truly failed you," Zhao Li said, full of remorse. He had been furious then—returning with an army only to find nothing. The fury had stayed buried in his heart.
He had never stopped searching. He even asked other messengers to help, but there was still no news.
"This kind of misfortune..." Yi Tianxing sighed inwardly. Nannan's life had never been smooth—always filled with tragedy. He couldn't help but feel deep compassion for her. If possible, he truly wished she could stay by his side and experience a peaceful life.
But he could sense—she was still alive.
Her name still shone clearly on the Fengshen Roll, and her aura of fortune remained. This meant she was alive. But where she was, and how she was doing, was unknown. All he could do now was trust her to survive on her own.
"She has the nearly-complete North Sea Heaven-Devouring Art. As long as she survives, her continuous devouring will eventually lead to transformation—step by step into a divine body, even a sacred body. These hardships will become priceless wealth in her future cultivation. Nannan, your brother will always wait for you—to meet again someday."
The thought flashed through Yi Tianxing's mind.
He wasn't apathetic, but there was little else he could do now.
If even Zhao Li and the messengers couldn't find her, he had no better options. Worrying would accomplish nothing.
"The heavens protect the virtuous. I believe in her fate as the Princess of Great Yi—her destiny won't let her fall so easily. At most, this is a period of trial. She'll overcome it and emerge stronger."
Just then, a melodious voice echoed from the doorway. The speaker, unsurprisingly, was Meng Qi, the inn's alluring proprietress.
With a sway of her curvaceous form, she entered the room and sat across from Yi Tianxing, giving him a long look before smiling.
"Seems my investment wasn't in vain. That was the best business decision I've ever made. You're now the ruler of the Great Yi Empire—I suppose I should call you Emperor Yi now."
The news of Great Yi's ascension to Empire status had reached the Underworld as well, passed down by the Heavenly Dao. When Meng Qi heard it, she had been shocked. To rise to empire level during such turbulent times was truly a feat to behold.
She was more than pleased.
Establishing trade between the worlds of the living and the dead required a strong enough power base. A kingdom might not suffice—but an Empire certainly would. Now that Yi Tianxing had returned to the Underworld, the implications were obvious.
He now possessed the ability to open the channel between Yin and Yang, allowing travel and trade between realms.
And that was the most crucial key of all.