The Ghost Mother's nature was no secret in the underworld. Her cultivation rivaled that of grand divine experts, and with the support of her Nine Ghost Sons, her cultivation speed was nine times that of a normal practitioner. If the Nine Sons combined into one, her power would directly reach the level of a Dao-Proving Realm overlord.
With such strength and influence, there was absolutely no reason for her to join Great Yi—let alone suddenly and without warning express a desire to submit.
Everything about this felt wrong—completely illogical.
What exactly was the Ghost Mother planning?
Kidnapping a child to lure Yi Tianxing over—such a move couldn't have been for something trivial. The cost alone was tremendous.
"Joining my Great Yi is no small matter. With your unclear origins and unpredictable temperament, how can I possibly agree?" Yi Tianxing looked at the Ghost Mother meaningfully and spoke slowly.
Her infamy in the underworld was widespread. She even had the vile habit of maintaining a harem of male concubines. Such behavior was disgraceful. Great Yi had its own dignity—when even the Nine Heavens Dao Sovereign had tried to intervene on someone's behalf, Yi Tianxing had refused them outright. And now, the Ghost Mother, whose motives remained unclear—how could he possibly accept her so easily?
Whatever the Nine Heavens Dao Sovereign had planned, it clearly wasn't the same as the Ghost Mother's.
But one thing was certain—they all seemed to need something from Great Yi.
"If you won't agree, that's fine," the Ghost Mother said with a sly smile. "But I trust you won't refuse me passage across the Yin-Yang Bridge."
"You want to go to the Yang Realm?" Yi Tianxing raised an eyebrow in surprise.
He truly couldn't figure her out. She changed topics constantly, giving the sense of a slippery and elusive personality—impossible to pin down.
"Indeed. Since I've been idle in the underworld, I'd like to visit the Yang Realm. The prosperity of your Great Yi is something one can't help but admire," she said with a chuckle, as if her words were completely innocent.
"If you simply wish to visit Great Yi, you may do so through the Yin-Yang Marketplace. Great Yi always welcomes any guests of goodwill," Yi Tianxing said calmly.
But he clearly didn't believe she just wanted to sightsee.
For a figure of her caliber, no sentence was ever without deeper meaning.
"Enough. Ghost Mother, stop beating around the bush. Spit it out. All this evasiveness just makes you look weak," Acha said coldly, clearly impatient.
"Heh, then take a look at this," the Ghost Mother replied with a smile.
Suddenly, golden light burst forth behind her head, condensing into a golden wheel of light. The light radiated righteousness, awe-inspiring grandeur, and divine sanctity.
"Impossible!"
Acha's expression changed drastically. She couldn't help but cry out.
"A Wheel of Merit? You actually have such immense merit? What is going on?"
Even Yi Tianxing was stunned. His shock was genuine. This was undeniably a Wheel of Merit—the manifestation of accumulated virtue so vast and pure that it condensed into a divine phenomenon.
Those who bore such wheels were universally recognized as having rendered immense contributions to Heaven and Earth, deserving of reverence from all. Even the strongest beings atop the cultivation world would not dare casually insult them.
The karmic backlash for harming such a person would be unbearable.
But the question was: How could the Ghost Mother possibly have such merit?
This wasn't something one could fake or obtain easily.
Everyone knew her reputation—seizing powerful men, taking concubines, abducting anyone who came near the Ghost Cave. Most never came out again. Even her Nine Ghost Sons often went out to capture other underworld cultivators—who also disappeared without a trace.
That kind of legend had persisted for countless years.
Without a doubt, her infamy was real. Few ever left the Ghost Cave. There was no record of her doing anything remotely meritorious.
So how could she have gathered such overwhelming merit?
It was laughable.
Anyone else might make sense—but her? It defied all logic.
"Surprised? Do you think I should be wrapped in karmic backlash, brimming with resentment, and have no merit at all?" The Ghost Mother gave a strange little smile. "That's what the world thinks of me, isn't it? Do you want to know why I have such immense merit?"
"What's going on?" Acha frowned.
This was far beyond anything she'd anticipated, and she clearly wanted an explanation.
"It's quite simple," the Ghost Mother replied, her smile fading to calm.
She waved her hand, and the massive palace behind her began to shift—moving away from its current position.
Once it was gone, behind it was revealed a massive black hole—a vast cavernous opening that emitted eerie waves of demonic energy, surging endlessly outward.
From within came the faint sound of twisted, monstrous roars—ghastly and unsettling.
It was as though countless terrifying demons lurked inside.
"That aura… it's from the Eternal Night World."
Yi Tianxing's expression changed dramatically.
He could not be mistaken.
This was the unmistakable aura of Eternal Night. After decades of battle on the Eternal Night Battlefield, he could identify it blindfolded.
For such energy to be leaking from a hole inside the Ghost Cave—
The implications were chilling.
"A passage to Eternal Night… inside the Ghost Cave? What is the meaning of this?" Acha asked gravely.
She knew instantly what it meant—and how terrifying it was.
Everyone in the Eternal World knew what Eternal Night was.
A passage like this—if discovered by the enemy, or worse, broken open—could lead to a catastrophe beyond imagining.
It would bring endless war.
The existence of a direct channel to Eternal Night was nothing short of horrifying.
"I'm not entirely sure of the details either," the Ghost Mother said. "But during the Great Fusion of the Myriad Worlds, this passage quietly formed inside the Ghost Cave. Since then, Eternal Night demonic energy has flowed continuously through it—and with it, wave after wave of Eternal Night monsters."
"At first, they were weak—first-tier, second-tier demons. Nothing I couldn't handle. But over time, their strength and numbers kept increasing. Now, they're already up to fifth and sixth tier. Based on the pattern, even stronger ones will emerge soon."
"So far, I've managed to hold the line. But eventually… I might not be able to. If I fail, I'll die—and the entire underworld will be consumed by war."
"But this underworld doesn't belong to me alone. Why should I bear this burden alone?"
She took a deep breath.
For decades, she had personally suppressed the passage—slaying an uncountable number of Eternal Night demons. In doing so, she had amassed a staggering amount of merit, enough to form the Wheel of Merit above her.
But the pressure was building. If she failed to hold the line, she would suffer immense karmic backlash.
So now—she wanted help.
That was why she lured Yi Tianxing and the Underworld King here. To drag them into the storm.
If she could secure their help, the Ghost Cave would become an unmatched wellspring of merit.
And in the process of slaying Eternal Night demons, they could harvest a vast trove of resources, treasures, and rewards—priceless gains.
"You want to join Great Yi to borrow its power—to help you suppress this passage," Yi Tianxing said gravely.
"Of course. And if I join the Emperor court, I can also borrow its destiny and break through my bottleneck," the Ghost Mother admitted openly.
"What about the cultivators who went missing in the Ghost Cave?" Acha asked.
"All those who entered the cave were thrown into this passage to fight the Eternal Night demons. Many died inside. I established a rule: survive ten years, and you may leave. But to the outside world, they must call themselves my concubines and can never reveal the truth about the passage. If they do—their souls will be destroyed," the Ghost Mother said with a calm smile.
"...Quite the Ghost Mother," Acha murmured coldly.
"If the Ghost Cave is to submit to Great Yi—if you wish to receive divine ordainment—then Great Yi will send troops to guard this passage. No matter the cost, we will ensure the Eternal Night demons never breach into the underworld," Yi Tianxing finally said after a moment of reflection.
He had never imagined the Ghost Mother harbored such a colossal secret.
If this were revealed—it would shake the entire underworld.
This passage was both a massive danger and a tremendous opportunity.
Just like the Ghost Mother—who had amassed unparalleled merit from suppressing it.
"Very well. I accept the ordainment of Great Yi. But—I hope to retain enough freedom," the Ghost Mother said with a light smile.
She clearly wanted to keep authority—to obey commands, not control.