Examining the City God

Pei Si's guess was not without reason.

Qingfeng: "So this Sword in the Eyes was created by Senior Dongfang."

Pei Si was also deeply moved. From his senior sister's description, he could sense the extraordinary spirit of the King of Xia.

This story is just too familiar!

They forged nine tripods to subdue demons, the Tushan fox clan, and Yingzhao to assist in killing Xiangliu.

This is just a replica of the story of Yu the Great controlling the floods!

This place has so many similarities to my past life. Here is Mount Qingcheng, there is the Dragon-Slaying True Lord, our sect also has a Erlang, and even a Xia King...

Countless images flashed through Pei Si's mind as he silently processed this information.

Mingyue: "Senior Dongfang is indeed a genius."

That era was truly a gathering of outstanding talents.

Pei Si: "Did Daoist courts exist in ancient times?"

Qingfeng tapped Pei Si's head with his knuckles and said unhappily, "You obviously haven't been studying properly. The Dao Court was founded in the medieval period by the most outstanding seekers of the Dharma at that time."

"They established the lineage of Lusheng and united the four continents to fight against the Corpse Immortal, the king of all Dharma Corpses."

In fact, the Corpse Immortal has always been the biggest and most troublesome opponent.

It is unknown when or why the Corpse Immortal was born; all that is known is that it has existed since time immemorial.

They have been in a standoff with the Dao Court since the Middle Ages, and countless seekers of the Dao died in the great battles during the late and chaotic periods.

This truly touched upon Pei Si's blind spot in knowledge.

He only knew that the Corpse Immortal could transform those who sought the Dharma after death into Dharma Corpses.

Pei Si: "Senior sister, please tell me more. Junior brother loves to listen."

A look of reminiscence appeared in Qingfeng's eyes as he said, "The war between the seekers of the Dharma and the Corpse Immortals is known as the War of Cause and Effect."

Do you know why?

Pei Si shook his head.

A battle of cause and effect? ​​He had never even heard of it before.

Qingfeng's eyes were cold as he explained to Pei Si, "From embarking on the path of seeking the Dharma, one may eventually become a Dharma corpse, and that is the consequence."

The source of all this is the Corpse Immortal.

In order to completely end the Corpse Immortal and sever this karmic connection, it was called the War of Karma.

Ten years ago, Bai Yujing led the four continents of Qingming World to launch the 2,226th War of Cause and Effect.

Back then, Mingyue and I were still young. Our lineage of slaying dragons, along with our master and eldest brother, participated in that battle of cause and effect.

Upon hearing this, Pei Si nodded and said, "In the 2226th battle of cause and effect, the Corpse Immortal was not eliminated."

Why is it so resilient to being killed?

"There must be many powerful seekers of magic in Baiyujing and the four Daoist courts."

Pei Si voiced his doubts.

At what level is the Corpse Immortal's strength?

Qingfeng shook his head and continued, "Even the Grand Celestial Master who was stationed in Baiyujing could not wipe it out."

The Corpse Immortal seems to possess the supernatural power of immortality.

Even if they are killed, they will revive after a period of time.

Pei Si: "What a hopeless era."

He had never seen a real Dharma Corpse. His only contact with a Dharma Corpse was in the inherited secret realm around the former Shu King, where he personally witnessed Li Shiwei transformed into a Dharma Corpse.

"Senior Sister, after this Dharma Corpse is killed, will it revive?" Pei Si asked.

"No, once a Dharma Corpse is killed, not even a remnant of its soul remains," Qingfeng replied.

In the battle of cause and effect, almost all the seekers of the Dharma who participate in the battle will become the minions of the Corpse Immortal after death.

In other words, the enemy's magic corpses will increase as you fight them.

However, if a war of cause and effect is not launched and the Dharma Corpses are allowed to develop unchecked, the entire Azure Netherworld will soon become a paradise for Dharma Corpses, just like the Great Cloud Dynasty, where Dharma Corpses occupy the throne and control the entire dynasty.

My junior brother is right, this is indeed a hopeless era.

Demons and monsters roam freely, strange and bizarre things happen everywhere, and there are also beings like corpse immortals entrenched at the ends of all those who seek the Dharma.

How to avoid causing despair.

Pei Si asked, "Senior Sister Qingfeng, if Senior Sister Mingyue and I were chosen by the Corpse Immortal and our true blood were used to transform us into Dharma Corpses, would you be willing to harm us?"

Qingfeng paused for a moment, looking at Mingyue and Peisi with a complicated expression, and said firmly, "Junior brother, at that time, I will sever all ties with family and friends. I hope you will make the same choice."

Mingyue: "If I become a Dharma Corpse, please do not hold back and kill me with all your might."

Pei Si, with a solemn expression, also said, "Me too."

Qingfeng continued, "King Xia was unique; in ancient times, he did not cultivate the path of the sun, but instead cultivated the virtue of wood."

"Senior Sister Mingyue, didn't you even ask her anything?"

Mingyue shook her head and said, "I haven't spent much time with King Xia. I've spent most of my time absorbing the sword intent and sword energy from the four immortal swords. I didn't have time for idle chatter."

Ancient monarchs, sitting on the throne of the world, mostly cultivated the path of the sun.

Therefore, the position attained through the path of the sun can be called "King of the World" or "Lord of the State".

With Xia Wang's achievements, if he could cultivate the path of the sun, he should be able to attract the attention of the "King of the World" rank.

This is yet another unsolved mystery.

Pei Si: "If we could see the will of the Xia King, wouldn't it be enough to ask him?"

Mingyue patted Pei Si on the shoulder with a smile and said, "Give it your all, and let your two senior sisters benefit too."

Previously, in the Dao Sect Secret Realm of the Great Yan Dynasty, the junior brother saw the will left behind by the master of the secret realm and took good care of the two of them. It was truly a case of being tripped up by an opportunity as soon as you step out the door.

"Tell me honestly, was my good fortune with Qingfeng last time also thanks to you?" Mingyue chuckled and pinched Pei Si's cheek.

Qingfeng blinked her peach blossom eyes, and instead of being as serious as she had been when she said that relatives and friends should be estranged, and friends should destroy friends, she covered her mouth and smiled.

Pei Si could only scratch his head and nod in agreement.

He only wanted that cultivator from the Purple Mansion to take care of his two fellow disciples a little, but he didn't expect that cultivator from the Purple Mansion to go to such lengths.

Qingfeng: "Junior Brother is always willing to play dumb to fool others. He does great things but doesn't tell us, waiting for us to find out."

"Look at Junior Brother's mouth, it's practically stretched to his ears."

"Hahahaha." Mingyue burst into laughter.

The junior brother's personality is really quite adorable.

Pei Si stood with his hands behind his back, exuding an air of superiority.

However, he felt that he hadn't done anything particularly outstanding in the secret realm.

Pei Si: "Senior sisters, do you think if we wait here at the bow of the ship, a sea monster might just crash into us and deliver an opportunity to us?"

"Hehe, junior brother, I think you've had too much to drink," Qingfeng and Mingyue said in unison.

boom!

suddenly.

A loud bang was heard.

However, the boat they were on remained completely still.

The three of them walked to the side of the boat.

Then the carcass of a sea monster surfaced.

It is over five meters long, with a streamlined body that resembles an elongated squid. It is deep blue, with eyes that look like a pair of giant lanterns emitting a yellow light, and two large claws that are nearly two meters long.

It looks like Anomalocaris.

Qingfeng looked at Pei Si with a puzzled expression, then at Mingyue, placed the back of her hand on her forehead, and whispered, "Senior Sister, perhaps I'm just too drunk."

Mingyue's lips twitched slightly.

My junior brother is so lucky.

But a few seconds later, another loud bang was heard.

The carcass of an identical sea monster floated to the surface.

Mingyue touched her forehead and said in a deep voice, "Perhaps I also drank too much."

Soon after, the bodies of the two sea creatures turned into foam.

Two fragments, shimmering with a faint light, were lifted up by the foam and floated into Pei Si's hands.

A dragon-shaped pillar suddenly emerged from the bottom of the water.

The two fragments in Pei Si's hand floated into the mouth of the dragon.

The next second, his figure disappeared from the spot.

He opened his eyes again.

He was already inside a study.

The bookshelf was filled with classics, histories, philosophical works, and literary collections, and a flood of memories rushed into his mind.

Pei Si: "You've become a scholar again."

In the study, besides the Four Treasures of the Study (writing brush, ink stick, inkstone, and paper) and classics, there was also a bronze mirror.

Pei Si looked himself over. He was wearing a blue round-neck shirt, a black square hat, and a pair of blue cloth shoes.

The typical attire of a scholar.

He was a scholar who passed the imperial examinations and was a government-subsidized student in the county.

Tsk.

He is still somewhat inferior to Senior Sister Mingyue. Senior Sister started as a high-ranking sword cultivator, while he is just a scholar who cannot even kill a chicken.

Looking at myself in the mirror, I saw heavy dark circles under my eyes, as if I hadn't had a good rest in a long time.

Pei Si went through the memories in his mind and realized that being a government-subsidized student was not so easy.

A Linsheng was a scholar who received free food and drink from the imperial court.

But these free meals and drinks aren't free; there's an assessment every three months, and if you fail, you'll be downgraded.

The original owner was quite wealthy, and his family paid great attention to his education, buying a whole study full of classics, histories, philosophical works, and a large collection of writing implements.

Later, due to poor investment decisions, the family fortunes declined.

The only decent piece of clothing he has now is this Confucian robe he's wearing.

Another day of worrying about daily necessities.

In preparation for the intensive assessment, I've barely rested these past few days, working through the night, which has left me feeling exhausted.

Suddenly, Pei Si felt dizzy and disoriented. His vision went black, and he fainted.

He was bedridden.

Da da da.

Suddenly, Pei Si heard a series of crisp hoofbeats.

A young clerk in black robes rode a tall, white-browed horse. He held official documents in his hand and summoned Pei Si.

The black-clad official dismounted, walked up to Pei, cupped his hands in greeting, and said with a smile, "Please, sir, proceed with the examination."

Pei Si looked puzzled.

The examination for government-subsidized students ended the day before yesterday, and he went to take it despite being ill. Why does he have to take another exam?

Pei Si: "I don't understand, the county school hasn't held any assessments recently."

The young official in black offered no explanation, only urging Pei Si to hurry on his way.

Pei Si had no choice but to drag his ailing body onto the white-browed horse.

The official in black cracked his whip, and the white horse galloped off.

However, the route was extremely unfamiliar and not the way to the county school at all.

Along the way, Pei Si pressed him for answers, but the black-clad official remained silent, only waving his whip.

Gradually, a mist began to spread.

The white-browed horse was completely unaffected and continued galloping in one direction.

Besides the fog, the roadsides were also covered with flowers.

The flower is shaped like a dragon's claw, resembling a blood-red flame. Its fragrance permeates the air, and it is clearly visible even in the mist.

Pei Si's lips twitched slightly.

The more I look at this flower, the more familiar it seems.

and many more…

Pei Si remembered.

Isn't this a spider lily?

The red spider lily grows on the road to the underworld in the legend of the netherworld.

So the black-clad official was urging him to hurry on his way, not on any other road, but on the road to the underworld.

and many more…

Pei Si remembered.

Isn't this a spider lily?

The red spider lily grows on the road to the underworld in the legend of the netherworld.

So the black-clad official was urging him to hurry on his way, not on any other road, but on the road to the underworld.

He could faintly hear the sound of the river flowing.

Pei Si: "The Yellow Springs?"

This sent him to the underworld.

Pei Si pondered.

At this time, the underworld had not yet severed its ties with the human world.

Perhaps one can learn some information about the underworld.

The fog gradually dissipated.

He saw the Yellow River, stretching for eight thousand miles, surging forward.

The white horse, without stopping, carried him to an extremely magnificent city.

Government office, main hall.

Guided by a minor official in black, Pei Si walked into the main hall.

He saw dozens of officials sitting in the hall, dressed in official robes, but Pei Si did not recognize any of them.

A table and a stool were placed under the eaves, along with writing brushes and ink.

The official sitting in the very center lightly tapped his finger, and a scroll appeared in front of Pei Si.

On the roll of paper, eight large characters were written in a flowing, elegant style.

"One person, two people, with intention, without intention."

Pei Si ground the inkstone, his brows furrowing slightly.

After a long while, Pei Si's brows relaxed, and he seemed to have a plan in mind.

Pei Si wrote down sixteen large characters.

Pei Si put down his pen, his expression calm, and looked at the several officials in the hall. He said softly, "I have finished answering. Please read it."

The examiner reached out and hooked the sixteen large characters written by Pei Si, which then detached from the Xuan paper and arranged themselves in the air.

"Those who do good with good intentions will not be rewarded. Those who do evil without good intentions will not be punished."

Pei Si remained calm and composed, looking at the examiners, thinking to himself, "Do they really think I'm uneducated? It's just an exam for the City God."

As expected, after the examiners circulated the document, they all praised it highly.

"We are short of a City God, and you are the perfect candidate."

Pei Si feigned surprise and said, "Ah, I've been appointed an official in the underworld?"

"Good. After receiving your official robes and seal, go and take up your post." The chief official nodded, a hint of appreciation in his eyes as he looked at Pei Si.

Pei Si bowed and thanked everyone in the hall.

He followed the black-clad official, received his official robes and seal, and instead of rushing to his post, he wandered around the underworld.

There are many official positions here, such as ghost messengers, ghost soldiers, ghost generals, and impermanent beings.

Every day, countless souls, ghosts, and strange creatures are escorted back to the underworld by underworld officials.

He even saw the great evil spirit above the demons, which was suppressed by the Yin General's army and sent to be tortured in the black rope.

The officials of the underworld in the same realm have absolute power to suppress the evil spirits.

If the underworld could still maintain contact with the human world, how could it tolerate such audacity?

A look of doubt flickered in Pei Si's eyes.

Why would such a powerful underworld be cut off from the human realm, with its officials unable to even reach the mortal world?

"Perhaps I can find some answers here?" Pei Si thought to himself.

"Are you also here to report for duty, sir?" a voice asked in my ear.

Pei Si turned his head and saw a handsome young man looking at him, wearing the same City God's robe as him.

"Brother, I am a new City God, and I haven't taken up my post yet. My name is Pei Xingyan. May I ask how you should address me?" Pei Si said with a smile.

"My name is Bing E, and I am the City God of Dongzhou," Bing E introduced himself, then winked at Pei Si and said, "I've heard that a new Buddhist monk who has attained the Bodhisattva level has arrived in the Underworld and is spreading Buddhist teachings. Would you be interested in coming with me to listen?"

Pei Si pondered for a moment.

Just when he was worried that no one would tell him about the customs and culture of the underworld, someone came to his door.

Pei Si grinned: "With pleasure."