This primordial world is not serious!

"Prison Chief!"

When Xuanqing was inspecting various containment items and passed by the Fire Sea World, a Divine being whose Spiritual Light had been worn down to but a glimmer called out to him.

It was the deity of Qiaoming Mountain—Meng Huai.

"Prison Chief, please let me go!"

Meng Huai made a plea to Xuanqing; the Fire Sea World was truly a Fire Sea Purgatory, and Xuanqing was using the entire strength of the Netherworld to wear him down.

Even Innate Divine Beings need only a speck of Spiritual Light to remain immortal in this world.

Meng Huai was also about to break.

He earnestly said: "As long as you're willing to release me, the entire Grotto Heaven of Qiaoming Mountain is yours!"

"Since ancient times, I have collected many items and have quite the family wealth..."

"Foolish!"

Before Meng Huai could finish, Xuanqing shook his head.

He chided: "When I kill you, the entire Grotto Heaven's collection will also be mine."

"..."

Leaving the stunned Meng Huai behind, Xuanqing continued forward.

Good, they can't even comprehend this simple truth now, it seems their senses have indeed suffered greatly.

Step by step, burning this fellow to death is just around the corner.

Xuanqing added more fuel to the flames for Meng Huai.

Immediately following, wails rose from the Fire Sea Purgatory: "Fengdu, damn you!"

"I won't let you off even if I become a ghost!"

Xuanqing said leisurely: "No worries, if you turn into a ghost, you'll still be under my management."

"In that case, you'll have to serve the Netherworld forever and ever."

After hearing this, Meng Huai was stunned once again and even forgot to scream.

In his heart, there was no grief or helplessness, nor desolation or lament.

Instead, he thought:

"Is there such a good deal?"

Becoming a ghost, could I still have a life?

"Prison Chief, wait up, I've changed my mind!"

Meng Huai became excited, he cried out at the top of his lungs: "I want to become a ghost! I want to become a ghost! I want to serve the Netherworld!"

"Serving forever and ever!"

Although it sounded like becoming a ghost wouldn't free him from Xuanqing, it was at least better than staying in this broken place!

Staying here, sooner or later one would be wrung dry, completely becoming the growth nutrients for the Netherworld.

"Prison Chief, we're also willing to repent!"

"We want to become ghosts too!"

"Isn't it just serving the Netherworld? Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Say it earlier and we would have given in long ago."

A casual remark from Xuanqing ignited half of the "shelter".

One world after another began to tremble, and Divine Chains of Law that stretched across All Heavens buzzed.

The majesty of the boundless Great Dao was activated, Innate divine scripture acted as Decrees, reinforcing seals over and over again.

Yet, despite this, the prisoners still called out and strove.

They were extremely agitated, as if they saw the first light of hope.

As for ghosts, everyone has a concept of them.

Living in the Netherworld, how could one not know of such things?

Moreover, Xuanqing would often recite the Fengdu Decree Book in the Taisha Heavenly Palace, intending to convert them and erode their senses through it.

As for the possibility of losing one's freedom by becoming a ghost, the need to abandon one's original form, to work for Xuanqing and whatnot.

For the current containment items, could these even be considered issues?

Better dead than unfree?

Wrong!

We long to embrace the Great Dao, to experience a new life.

The suffering of flesh, the Ascension of the True Spirit!

Right at this moment.

"Prison Chief, quickly teach us how to truly become ghosts!"

"Don't force us to kneel and beg you!"

Xuanqing was surprised by the prisoners' cheers.

Are these guys' bottom lines so low?

Didn't they used to be so high-minded and confident that they could outlast me, their Prison Chief, and escape from the Netherworld?

Of course, no matter how much they caused a stir, Xuanqing paid no attention to these guys.

All Innate Divine Beings with countless schemes up their sleeves, what's with this charade of pledging allegiance?

How they had tricked him and the Ming River in the past, Xuanqing remembered clearly.

If not for the difficulty in killing Innate Divine Beings, Xuanqing would have wiped them all out long ago.

Now...

"Just obediently stay in the Taisha Heavenly Palace!"

Xuanqing surveyed the area and snorted coldly: "Your greatest value is to rot completely here."

"I will turn your Dao, your Laws, and everything you have into nutrients for the growth of the Netherworld."

"In the future, when my Netherworld becomes immortal, so shall you all be eternal."

Xuanqing, having spoken, did not turn his head as he walked deeper into the Heavenly Palace.

He spoke the truth.

When these Divine Beings are turned into nourishment for the Netherworld, they too become a part of the Netherworld.

Should the Netherworld ascend to become the supreme realm, They would be considered a kind of immortality as well.

But what use is such immortality?

As long as Xuanqing exists, They will have no chance of revival.

They saw the remnant will of the Chaos Demon God that had just been brought in.

Such existences, suppressed as soon as mentioned.

Even two of them were suppressed.

At present, the hope of outlasting the Prison Chief grows dimmer and dimmer.

"Forget it, if that damned Prison Chief won't teach, we'll enlighten ourselves!"

"So what if we transform into ghosts? We'll morph into one and show him!"

"Everyone, pull together. Whether we can become ghosts and thus embrace rebirth depends on this effort!"

The deity of Qiaoming Mountain, Meng Huai, shouted from the flames: "Flesh and blood endure hardship, True Spirit immortal!"

"We willingly fall to the Netherworld, to transform into ghosts!"

The captives responded excitedly: "Flesh and blood endure hardship, True Spirit immortal!"

"We willingly fall to the Netherworld, to transform into ghosts!"

Meng Huai called out again: "All this for the sake of rebirth!"

The captives became utterly fervent: "All this for the sake of rebirth!"

~~~~

"A bunch of drama queens."

Xuanqing sensed the commotion behind him and shook his head.

The deity of Qiaoming Mountain, Meng Huai, cultivated the Dao of a single word: Perform.

This word could mean evolve, transform, or even act!

Years ago, a novice Xuanqing was almost deceived by his Dao.

In the end, it was by sheer strength that he slew him and imprisoned his True Spirit here.

Meng Huai, that fellow, could be considered one of the first "residents" of the Taisha Heavenly Palace.

Quite a senior.

"Just a sliver of spiritual light left and still so noisy, it seems Meng Huai has been always acting these years!"

Xuanqing mused: "This time, the suppression ability of the Taisha Heavenly Palace must be upgraded, and then his punishment increased!"

Xuanqing continued deeper into the Heavenly Palace.

"Fengdu, if you dare, let me out!"

"Let's fight one more time based on true strength!"

Inside containment unit Yi-9, a pitch-black sphere of light saw Xuanqing and shouted loudly.

This was the [Evil Deity Heavenly Dao].

In its adjacent unit Yi-10, sits the [Unfortunate Heavenly Dao] silent.

Failure to transcend the trials of Heaven Creation has led its creator to perish and its Dao to dissipate.

Due to this, the [Unfortunate Heavenly Dao] had also fallen into profound gloom.

Put another way, it closed itself off.

Xuanqing glanced at them for a moment and casually added two more seals to them.

The causes of a Heavenly Dao's creation are many.

Some are aggregations of world rules, the underlying logic of a world's function.

Some are collectives of sentient beings' thoughts.

Some are creations of Innate Divine Beings.

And another kind emerges from the Innate Divine Beings themselves.

The saying, "My heart as the Heavenly heart, my reason as the Heavenly reason," describes the integration of a mighty being's Dao Heart into the Heavenly heart, becoming one with the Heavenly Dao.

This is a cultivation method, also known as "Union with Dao."

The [Evil Deity Heavenly Dao] belongs to the second category.

However, it underwent some unknown mutation and after gaining sentience, became an Evil God in practice.

The world it inhabited was thus influenced, turning into a haven for maleficent essences.

The [Unfortunate Heavenly Dao] is of the third category.

Xuanqing had thought about capturing a [Union with Dao Heavenly Dao] for study.

Unfortunately, such an opportunity has never arisen.

"Hey, don't go!"

"Come back!"

"Don't make me look down upon you!"

Ignoring the clamor of the [Evil Deity Heavenly Dao], Xuanqing arrived at the deepest section—Containment Unit Alpha-1.

Containment Station: Cauldron Hell (Version 91)

Contained Entity: Chaos Demon God [Gacé] (Remnant)

Contained Dao Fruit: [Darkness] (Authenticity doubtful)

~~~~

Note 1: Meng Huai: On Qiaoming Mountain… there is a beast, shaped like a badger with red bristles, its sound like the pomegranate, its name is Meng Huai. — Classic of Mountains and Seas, Volume Three, North Mountains Scripture

Note 2: Gacé [jié], Makara (a mythical creature).