After all these years, they had finally located the Ghost Mother's lair. Even the Underworld King, Acha, felt a rare sense of urgency.
"Underworld King, what level has the Ghost Mother's cultivation truly reached?" Yi Tianxing asked as he strode across the Yin-Yang Bridge.
"The Ghost Mother is one of the true overlords of the underworld. According to legend, her cultivation has already reached the peak of the Dao Platform Realm. Furthermore, thanks to her unique abilities, even Dao-Proving Realm powerhouses find it difficult to suppress her. It's said she possesses a secret technique that allows her to temporarily elevate her strength to the Dao-Proving level without any hidden dangers. That's why, even in the underworld, she remains a force to be reckoned with. No one dares take her lightly," Acha answered seriously.
Her own cultivation was at the Dao-Proving level—undeniably the mark of a true overlord in the world of cultivation. Breaking into the Dao-Proving Realm was as hard as ascending to heaven. Out of ten thousand Dao Platform cultivators, even one reaching the next level was seen as a tremendous success.
The odds were vanishingly small.
Many Dao Platform cultivators didn't even dare dream of reaching the Dao-Proving Realm.
There were two paths to reaching it.The first: proving the Dao through one of the 3,000 Heavenly Laws—competing directly with innate deities for dominion over a specific law. Only one being could claim each Law. If an innate deity had already claimed it, the challenger would have to fight a Dao Struggle—a battle to the death. The consequences of losing were self-evident. This path was exceedingly difficult.
The second path: forging one's own Dao—a wholly personal way forward. But this meant facing the tribulations of Heaven and Earth. If the practitioner failed to gain Heaven's acknowledgment, their Dao Fruit could not be etched into the void. Without this, ascension was impossible. Yet once successful, such self-forged Daos often made for stronger foundations than most who walked the first path.
Because it was your own Dao—perfectly tailored to yourself.
A single point of strength could unleash tenfold power.
That was the key.
For the Ghost Mother to remain at the Dao Platform Realm yet wield power rivaling Dao-Proving cultivators was a clear sign of how terrifying she truly was. Her abilities were far from simple.
"At the same realm, I, the Emperor, fear no one."
Yi Tianxing spoke firmly.
Among his peers, he considered himself second to none. His confidence came not from arrogance, but from victory after victory—carved in blood and fire. An invincibility forged in mountains of corpses.
"I very much look forward to seeing it with my own eyes," Acha said with great interest.
After all, in the Eternal World, few weren't curious about Yi Tianxing's strength. He had once stepped onto the Void Arena on the Battlefield of Gods and Demons. Unfortunately, he'd later vanished into the Eternal Night Battlefield. What happened there remained a mystery to most. Only Great Yi's soldiers knew the truth—and they weren't talking. But the consensus was clear: Yi Tianxing was monstrously powerful.
As they spoke, they reached a massive space through the Yin-Yang Bridge.
There, at the heart of the space, stood an enormous palace—the Ghost Mother's Palace—radiating a powerful aura of ancient grandeur and luxury.
"This is definitely the Ghost Mother's lair. We've found it for real," Acha said coldly, a smile creeping across her lips.
Strangely, no ghost cultivators were present. It seemed the Ghost Mother hadn't summoned her followers—or perhaps they'd simply arrived too quickly for her to rally her forces.
"Impressive. Truly impressive. Well done, Emperor Yi. I didn't think you'd be able to find this place using such a method. I must admit—I underestimated you."
A voice rang out softly. The Ghost Mother emerged, dignified and graceful. At her side stood her nine ghost children.
She didn't exude the cold, eerie aura one might expect from a ghost. On the contrary, she looked like a noble, elegant woman—majestic and composed. Her tone carried a peculiar charm, disarming and difficult to hate.
In her arms—she cradled the child she had taken.
"Ghost Mother," Yi Tianxing's eyes flickered with emotion as he saw the child. Most importantly, the child was unharmed. That was all that mattered for now—it brought a wave of relief to his heart.
"Return the child to me. Do that, and I will let bygones be bygones. As long as the child remains unharmed, we can settle this peacefully," Yi Tianxing said calmly, drawing a deep breath.
His words were sincere.
Even though he doubted the Ghost Mother would hand over the child so easily, as long as hope remained—he would not give up.
"Indeed. Hand over the child," Acha added.
"Very well. I'll give the child back, and we'll call it even."
The Ghost Mother smiled brilliantly, bent her head to kiss the child, and gently pushed the child toward Yi Tianxing.
It was so natural.
So calm.
So deliberate.
"What?"
Even Acha's jaw dropped in disbelief.
No one had expected this.
Yi Tianxing, too, was utterly stunned. But his hands didn't hesitate—he swiftly took the child and examined him carefully.
The aura of shared blood was unmistakable.
It was truly his child.
The child's constitution—the Hell-Suppressing Divine Body—was also impossible to fake.
After verifying everything, Yi Tianxing immediately sent the child into the Primordial Heavenly Emperor Tower. Carrying him in his arms would be both unsafe and inconvenient. Only within the Tower could absolute safety be guaranteed—even a Dao-Proving powerhouse wouldn't be able to touch him there.
Once the child was safely inside, Yi Tianxing finally let go of the tension in his heart.
Only now did he begin to assess the overall situation again.
He turned to look at the Ghost Mother—and felt a headache coming on.
He had expected a fierce battle to retrieve the child—but the Ghost Mother had simply handed him over. That completely threw off his expectations.
Worse still—he had just declared in front of everyone that as long as the child was returned unharmed, he would forgive everything.
Now that she had done exactly that, what reason did he have to attack her?
As an emperor, once you speak before the world, you cannot go back on your word. If he broke his promise now, he would not just lose face—he would damage the credibility of the entire Dynasty.
The consequences would be immense.
It was extremely awkward.
Even Acha fell silent.
The Ghost Mother's actions had been unexpected—and deeply uncomfortable.
Yet no one could move against her.
"Ghost Mother, what exactly are you planning? You abducted my child—was it just to lure me here? What is your true purpose?" Yi Tianxing's thoughts raced.
It was now clear that the Ghost Mother had done this deliberately. The child was bait.
But what did she really want?
"Emperor Yi. Underworld King. Why don't we go inside the palace and talk?" the Ghost Mother asked with a smile.
"There's no need. That palace is your lair. If you've set traps, it may not threaten us—but it'll be annoying. If you have something to say, say it here," Acha replied with a cold laugh.
She didn't trust the Ghost Mother in the slightest.
She'd only step into that palace if it was reduced to rubble.
Yi Tianxing said nothing, but his silence meant agreement.
"In that case, I ask that the Underworld King withdraw the ghost army from the Ghost Cave. What we're about to discuss isn't suitable for others to overhear. It wouldn't be good for either side," the Ghost Mother said with a gentle smile.
"Fine. I'll see what you're hiding," Acha said coldly.
With a wave, she instructed Zhao Li to withdraw the ghost soldiers still stationed on the Yin-Yang Bridge.
In the blink of an eye, only Yi Tianxing, Acha, the Ghost Mother, and her nine children remained.
The void fell eerily silent.
"Speak. You went through all this trouble to lure me here. What is it that you want? Out with it. I don't have time to waste playing games with you," Yi Tianxing said bluntly.
She had blocked any reason to fight—so unless he wanted to go back on his word, there was nothing he could do. Still, he wanted to know what her goal was.
"I didn't bring you here to scheme against you. In fact… I have a proposal—a great opportunity for cooperation."
The Ghost Mother smiled, her expression suddenly becoming serene and kind.
"You have my attention."
Yi Tianxing was calm now—his child was safe, so his focus had fully returned.
"It's simple. I wish to join your Great Yi Dynasty. I will accept divine ordainment and submit to Great Yi from this day forward."
The Ghost Mother's tone was slow, deliberate, and unusually sincere.
"Are you joking?"
Acha's expression changed. She sneered, looking at the Ghost Mother with unconcealed hostility.