The Nine Heavens Dao Sovereigns had not acted directly—they had chosen instead to lay out their plan using pawns. This, clearly, meant they held some reservations toward Great Yi. Perhaps there was even a deeper taboo that kept them from making a personal move. If that were the case, then there was room to maneuver—perhaps even a chance to turn the situation to Great Yi's advantage.
The Four Gods of Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning—clearly innate deities on the same level as the Snow Queen—if they could be subdued and integrated into the Great Yi system, it would undoubtedly be a tremendous boon. After all, let's not forget—the Investiture of the Gods could genuinely bestow divine titles.
"Four seasons and celestial changes… looks like the original plan needs to be brought forward."
A deep gleam flashed through Yi Tianxing's eyes as he murmured to himself, exuding an air of ominous power.
He had made arrangements long ago, and now the time was ripe to activate them. If he succeeded, these so-called celestial disasters would be easily subdued.
"If the plan succeeds, the national fate of my Great Yi Dynasty will skyrocket—reaching the threshold for advancement into a Sacred Court. In that case… this could actually be a good thing. I'll be giving the Nine Heavens Dao Sovereigns a surprise they won't forget."
Yi Tianxing thought silently.
He wasn't especially moved by the current crisis facing Great Yi. The path of Great Yi had never been smooth—it had always grown stronger through adversity. If the Dao Sovereigns wanted to test the people of Great Yi, then so be it. Trials led to growth, after all.
He might as well treat these celestial disasters as yet another challenge. A good one, even.
The situation in the Yang Realm was not immediately critical. It could be put aside for now, giving his court officials a chance to respond. This too was a kind of test—to see what solutions they would devise.
But at this moment, his true focus had to remain on the Ghost Cave. That was the immediate threat.
Whatever happened in the Yang Realm—could wait until the child was rescued.
"King of the Underworld, once inside the Ghost Cave, the paths diverge endlessly. Is there a way to find the correct route—one that leads directly to the Ghost Mother's lair?"
Yi Tianxing stood before the massive Ghost Cave and asked calmly.
The Ghost Cave appeared like an enormous mountain cavern, vast in scale. Its entrance looked singular—though there might be others, only one tunnel lay visible before them.
It was massive enough for over a thousand people to enter side-by-side without the slightest congestion.
Most terrifying of all was the vortex swirling within the entrance—pitch-black, like a portal to hell itself, capable of swallowing billions of lives in an instant.
"That vortex is the entrance," said the Underworld King, shaking his head. "Once inside, without coordinates, you're teleported at random. You could appear in any of the many branching tunnels. No one has yet located the exact position of the Ghost Mother's lair."
To be honest, mobilizing a million ghost soldiers was more about intimidation than actual deployment. The Ghost Cave's nature made large-scale invasions ineffective. Without a known path, sending all the troops in would accomplish nothing.
Only top-tier powerhouses could enter first, explore, and locate the correct route.
"Hmph. Just a Ghost Cave? You think that can stop me? Watch and see."
Yi Tianxing gave a cold snort. Since he had come, he naturally had a plan.
With a thought, a flash of yin-yang divine light appeared—and a bridge cloaked in that light manifested, its aura suppressing the entire surrounding void.
"The Innate Spiritual Treasure—Yin-Yang Bridge!"
The Underworld King's pupils shrank as he spoke in a low tone.
The reason the Yin and Yang realms could be connected was precisely because of this bridge. It could traverse both realms and cross spatial distances with ease. It excelled in piercing through space and finding designated targets.
Granted, in the chaotic Ghost Cave, where no destination was known, not even the Yin-Yang Bridge could instantly lock onto a location. But once the correct spot was identified, it could rapidly deploy millions of troops.
"Dragon Guard!"
Yi Tianxing shouted again.
Immediately, three thousand Dragon Guards clad in dragon-scale battle armor appeared. Each exuded a terrifying pressure. The surrounding ghost soldiers shifted uncomfortably, as if blanketed in an aura of death.
"Dao soldiers…"
Acha, the Underworld King, showed a trace of surprise in her eyes. These Dao soldiers were extraordinarily powerful—elite body cultivators, all of them at the top of their tier. Battle-hardened from oceans of blood. To raise them to this level would have cost unimaginable resources. Each one could hold the line alone.
The three thousand Dragon Guards stepped onto the Yin-Yang Bridge.
Though they were few in number, their gathered momentum was so formidable it overpowered the surrounding ghost army. A thousand enemies would not move them.
"Go!"
Yi Tianxing pointed toward the Ghost Cave.
In the next instant, the Yin-Yang Bridge extended directly into the vortex—piercing through the chaotic teleportation force and invading the interior of the Ghost Cave.
But it didn't just form a single bridge—instead, it branched into three thousand projections, each probing a different tunnel.
"Dead end."
"Path blocked."
"Not the Ghost Mother's lair."
...
Instantly, a stream of information flowed back through the bridge into Yi Tianxing's mind. The number of branching tunnels inside the Ghost Cave was utterly insane. The three thousand they had just scanned were barely a fraction.
Nearly all of them were dead ends or worthless.
Coordinates were marked before the Dragon Guards swiftly returned via the Yin-Yang Bridge. Once extracted, those tunnels were effectively catalogued. While they couldn't avoid being randomly teleported again, having coordinates allowed them to recognize and retreat immediately if they landed somewhere they'd already explored.
The first sweep failed—but the Yin-Yang Bridge went in again.
Thousands more tunnels were eliminated.
The process was fast—blisteringly fast.
"What an incredible Emperor Yi… he can even do this?"
Zhao Li watched in stunned awe.
The greatest terror of the Ghost Cave lay in its labyrinthine layout—it was the strongest natural defense. And yet now, under the Yin-Yang Bridge's relentless probing, it had been turned into a giant sieve.
This was something even the Ghost Mother had never anticipated.
"This is working! If we find the Ghost Mother's lair, I'll show her what the wrath of the Underworld King truly means!"
Acha smiled coldly. If they could locate her base, she had no doubt the Ghost Mother would pay dearly—perhaps even be wiped out entirely.
Inside the Ghost Cave—
A ghost soldier had rushed to report to the Ghost Mother.
"Reporting to the Ghost Mother: mysterious divine bridges have begun appearing throughout the tunnels. As soon as they confirm a dead end, they vanish. We've confirmed—Yi Emperor is using an Innate Spirit Treasure, the Yin-Yang Bridge, to probe the Ghost Cave. He's bypassing traps and false paths. If this continues, they'll find our lair soon—and when they do, the ghost army will charge straight in!"
The soldier was pale with panic—an expression rarely seen in the Ghost Realm.
No one had imagined the Ghost Cave could ever be cracked—and certainly not this violently and shamelessly.
"That Emperor Yi… terrifying. If he really finds us, this could become a catastrophe."
The eldest sister's expression darkened. This was no good news.
Their confidence had rested on the Ghost Cave as a defensive barrier. But now, with it breached, unease naturally followed.
"As expected. Even though I took him seriously, I still underestimated him."
The Ghost Mother muttered, her expression finally shifting.
Suddenly—
In the skies above the Ghost Mother's palace, space trembled violently. Without warning, a bridge of radiant yin-yang divine light, crystalline and majestic, broke through the spatial barrier and appeared directly overhead.
At the head of the bridge stood a towering Dragon Guard, eyes cold as he scanned the area—instantly confirming they had reached their destination.
"Damn it—it's the Yin-Yang Bridge! The Yi Emperor found us!"
The seventh sister, Bloodlust, snarled, her eyes flashing crimson.
They had just been discussing strategies—and now he was already here. Their plans were in complete disarray.
"Don't panic. Since he's here, we might as well receive him. This is the Ghost Cave. No one can act recklessly here—not even him."
The Ghost Mother barked coldly. Despite everything, she remained composed.
Outside—
Yi Tianxing received the report from the Dragon Guards and smiled faintly.
"Found it. The Yin-Yang Bridge has locked onto the core space of the Ghost Cave."
He gave a sharp command. All the projection bridges vanished instantly, and the three thousand Dragon Guards converged onto the main bridge.
Yi Tianxing stepped confidently onto it—headed for the Ghost Cave.
"This time, let's see where you run. Ghost soldiers—hear me! Board the Yin-Yang Bridge! We march on the Ghost Mother!"
The Underworld King shouted joyfully, following Yi Tianxing onto the bridge.