This was their greatest confidence and reliance. With the Ghost Cavern, even an army of hundreds of millions wouldn't be able to fill this bottomless pit. It could devour everything without so much as a burp. They had no fear of being besieged. If not for this, Ghost Mother would've been eradicated countless times already for her deeds.
The ones here now were none other than Ghost Mother's Nine Ghost Children.
These Nine Ghost Children weren't adopted or created through some technique—they were truly born from Ghost Mother's own womb. They shared her direct bloodline, inseparable and bound by the deepest maternal connection. That closeness, spiritual synchronicity—it made them some of the most troublesome beings in existence. And shockingly, each one of them had reached the True Spirit Realm.
Coupled with the mysterious trait of "Ghost Mother undying, Ghost Child unkillable,"the Nine Ghost Children had become virtually untouchable. Their behavior had always been domineering and lawless. Each had a distinct personality:
First Sister – Calm
Second Sister – Joyful
Third Brother – Maniacal
Fourth Brother – Arrogant
Fifth Sister – Fearful
Sixth Brother – Greedy
Seventh Sister – Bloodthirsty
Eighth Brother – Gluttonous
Ninth Sister – Vain
Despite their differing temperaments, they were all born with extraordinary talent. Under Ghost Mother's protection, they grew at astonishing speeds. Though they were only at the True Spirit Realm, once they unleashed their powers, they could even battle cultivators at the Dao Platform Realm. Still, when it came to Yi Tianxing, they harbored a natural fear. Previously, the First Sister and Ninth Sister had acted, with the Ninth Sister kidnapping the child—only to be smashed mid-flight by a flying golden brick, her body shattered.
Even after reviving at Ghost Mother's side, the damage to her True Spirit remained. Her face—usually brimming with vanity—was now pale and fragile, showing unprecedented weakness.
That trauma, that fear, had seeped into her soul.
After all, Yi Tianxing's reputation was well-earned. He had carved his name into history through the carnage of the Divine-Demon Battlefield, his fame built on mountains of Eternal Night corpses. His power and legacy were beyond question—and now, they had experienced it firsthand.
"Mother, why did we have to take Yi Emperor's child?" the First Sister asked calmly. "Yes, the infant's physique is special—but the forces tied to him are simply too vast. In the Yang Realm, the Great Yi Dynasty already controls the Hanhai Domain and stands as an overlord. Its national fortune is like oil on fire—blazing, rising fast. They're now one of the top-tier forces in the world. And in the Underworld, Yi Tianxing married a daughter of the Meng family. That newborn is their heir. The Meng family will never let this go. Meng Qi is best friends with the Underworld King, and now she's mobilized a million ghost guards for this."
"If we stay hidden in the Ghost Cavern, fine—no one can touch us. But the moment we step out, we'll be hunted by all sides. It's said that in the Yin-Yang Trade Market, there's now a bounty board with Mother ranked number one. Killing you once earns a reward of ten billion Eternal Coins. Even mighty powers of the Underworld would be tempted by that."
Her calm disposition allowed her to clearly assess the situation. To be honest, this wasn't looking good for them. The Ghost Cavern was powerful—but it wasn't flawless or without weaknesses. She couldn't shake the feeling that they had provoked a massive catastrophe this time.
So she voiced her concern again, reminding Ghost Mother.
"Don't worry, First Daughter," Ghost Mother said, taking a deep breath, her eyes flashing with deep meaning. "I deliberately took Yi Emperor's child to lure him here. If I hadn't, how would he ever step into the Ghost Cavern? My true goal is to make him come here, personally."
"Rest assured. Everything is under my control."
She didn't share her true intent with the Nine Ghost Children.
Meanwhile, back in the Yang Realm.
At the moment Yi Tianxing left the Great Yi Dynasty and entered the Underworld, a spatial ripple formed outside the Hanhai Domain at the Iron-Blood Great Wall. Four figures appeared in the void.
Each figure exuded an awe-inspiring divine power—deep and vast as an abyss.
This was the divine pressure of True Gods. Gods were the embodiment of laws. When facing a god, one was essentially confronting the Laws themselves. The stronger the god, the more this became true. At the pinnacle of evolution, some gods could not even be looked upon directly. To gaze at them would shatter one's mind and dissolve one's body.
The four figures were none other than the Gods of Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning.
They had arrived so quickly thanks to the intervention of the Nine Heavens Dao Sovereign, though even he had only sent them to the border of Great Yi. Not inside. After all, this was the First Emperor Dynasty, the supreme luck-bearing nation of the Human Race. No one dared to trespass lightly.
"What a magnificent Great Yi… what a true sanctuary of the Human Race," said Lady Lightning, gazing toward the heart of Great Yi despite the Iron-Blood Wall separating them. "Such thick national destiny… human civilization flourishing… truly a golden age. This kind of fortune grows by the moment. At this rate, they'll soon qualify to ascend to a Sacred (Holy) Court. If we interfere, we'll surely accrue immense karmic backlash. Yi Emperor is not someone to provoke lightly."
She knew that harming such a blessed realm would not go unpunished, even if it were by divine command.
"Yes," Lord Thunder agreed. "Great Yi is unmatched among the Human Race. But unfortunately, the Dao Sovereign has decreed their downfall. We cannot disobey. Even we cannot withstand the Dao Sovereign's wrath. We are bound by fate."
"To be clear," added Lord Rain, "we have no personal grudge against Great Yi or the Human Race. We're just following orders. We'll avoid harming the Immortal Cities directly—just influence the areas beyond. That way, the Dao Sovereign won't be able to fault us."
"There's no more to discuss," said Lord Thunder at last. "Let's begin. Form the Four Gods Celestial Phenomena Formation."
He led the group, and the others followed without objection.
"Four Divine Diagram!"
With a flick of his hand, a mystical array unfurled in the air. Within it, countless celestial phenomena stirred. It was like a chaotic primordial cosmos etched with ancient runes—an aura of divine will radiated from every line.
"Wind God takes the East – Summon Wind, Drive Clouds!"The Wind God spoke, transforming into divine light and taking position at the eastern node of the array. Winds surged.
"Rain God to the West – Condense Dew into Rain!"Rain God followed, taking the western position. Mist billowed upward.
"Lightning Mother to the South – Summon Thunderbolts, Command Lightning!"She took her place in the south, arcs of lightning dancing around her.
"Thunder God to the North – Shatter the Sky with Thunderous Roar!"Lord Thunder became pure lightning, anchoring the northern point.
With all four gods in place, their laws resonated with the diagram. Within it, wind, rain, thunder, and lightning surged together—forming a higher, more profound law: Celestial Phenomena.
The Dao of Celestial Phenomena encompassed all weather, all change: wind and cloud, thunder and rain, snow and storm. It embodied Heaven's will—its unpredictability, its omnipresence. Silent or violent. Formless and ever-shifting.
This was not an array for destruction.
The Four Gods had activated the other side of the divine diagram.
Once complete, the diagram disappeared—along with the Four Gods—quietly entering the Great Yi's lands, bypassing the Iron-Blood Wall. It spread silently and invisibly, seeping into every inch of space: land, islands, even the sea.
This was the diffusion of a Great Dao.
To the naked eye, the skies seemed unchanged. The clouds looked the same. But at that moment, across all of Great Yi…
Four new divine wills had silently entered the heavens.