Chapter 132: The Underground Palace

"What place is this? It’s so mysterious," Jun Yao asked, full of curiosity.

Jiang Xiaofei smiled and said, "Naturally, it is the treasure left behind by the King of the Underworld."

Jun Yao was startled. "You really found it?"

"Of course," Jiang Xiaofei replied with a smile. "Although I didn't discover it myself, Protector Su just sent a telepathic message saying she had found it!"

Jun Yao felt a surge of joy. "Then let’s go see it immediately."

"Mm." Jiang Xiaofei nodded, took Jun Yao’s hand, and they vanished from the Corpse King Pavilion.

When they reappeared, they were in a vast subterranean palace. The four walls were covered in ancient ghost-pattern carvings, depicting a scene of ten thousand ghosts on a pilgrimage. It was eerie. Above the scene of the pilgrimage, a great sun shone down upon the ghosts, as if purifying the darkness within them and compelling them to prostrate themselves in worship.

If one looked closely, the object of this mass worship was a woman. However, she faced the great sun, making her features impossible to discern, and her back appeared hollow, as if something had pierced straight through her body.

Walking through the palace, Jiang Xiaofei was amazed. Although he did not know in which era this place was built, his intuition told him it had at least a ten-thousand-year history. The ghost patterns on the walls were similar to those in the *Underworld Ghost Path* manual, yet far more complex and obscure.

Jun Yao was also astonished. Though she had been to the Corpse King Pavilion before, her father had never mentioned that such a massive palace lay beneath it. The patterns on the walls felt strangely familiar, though she could not quite place them.

Seeing Jun Yao lost in thought, Jiang Xiaofei frowned slightly. "What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? If this place makes you uncomfortable, we can leave."

Jun Yao shook her head. "No, it’s just that these ghost patterns look familiar."

"Oh!" Jiang Xiaofei frowned. "Do you know what is written on them?"

Jun Yao shook her head again. "I don't know, but I do recognize two lines."

"What do they say?" Jiang Xiaofei asked quickly.

"It seems to speak not only of the Great War between Immortals and Demons but also a war between ghosts and gods, the awakening of Demon Gods, and the chaos brought upon the Three Heavens."

"What does that mean?" Jiang Xiaofei was baffled. "By the way, how do you recognize those two lines?"

Jun Yao shook her head. "I don't know. It just feels like I’ve seen them somewhere before."

"What?" Jiang Xiaofei was stunned. He grew increasingly suspicious, a thought surfacing in his mind: perhaps Jun Yao, like Lan Lianshuang, was the reincarnation of a mighty being. But that seemed too incredible to believe!

***

Seeing Jiang Xiaofei distracted, Jun Yao asked with a slight frown, "What’s the matter? You look like you have a lot on your mind."

"I'm fine," Jiang Xiaofei replied, shaking off his thoughts. "Let’s keep moving. Protector Su must be getting impatient."

"Mm," Jun Yao nodded, and they continued forward.

As they ventured deeper, the passageway narrowed, but the ghost carvings on the walls grew denser, depicting scenes of great battles. Though he couldn't decipher the meaning, Jiang Xiaofei could feel the earth-shattering atmosphere radiating from the images—an atmosphere filled with grief, tears, pain, joy, and the descent of some form of divine will.

He frowned as he watched. A monumental event must have occurred in that era, but what exactly could have triggered such a war? Though he could not read the patterns, he could feel the catastrophe depicted—a disaster that threatened all living things, for which the gods themselves had fought to the death.

Just as Jiang Xiaofei was pondering this, he heard footsteps ahead. He looked up and saw Su Muhe approaching.

"Why did you come out?" Jiang Xiaofei asked, relieved to see her.

"I came to find you! I’ve been waiting for ages; I thought you might have gotten lost."

"Apologies, I was delayed," Jiang Xiaofei said with a smile. "What’s the situation ahead?"

"Please follow me, Master Fei," Su Muhe said, turning back.

Jiang Xiaofei and Jun Yao followed closely. As they went deeper, the ghost patterns vanished, replaced by a solemn, spacious hall. On all four sides, ferocious ghost-face statues hung upside down, as if guarding something.

Several women, guards of the Si Residence, were present. Upon seeing Jiang Xiaofei, they bowed in respect.

Jiang Xiaofei nodded in acknowledgment and turned to Su Muhe. "You said the treasure had been found, but I don’t see anything."

Su Muhe replied solemnly, "We haven't found the treasure itself, but we have discovered a door."

"Where is it?" Jiang Xiaofei asked, frowning.

***

"Right here," Su Muhe said, pointing straight ahead.

Jiang Xiaofei looked in the direction she indicated. Indeed, there was a door, but it was so cleverly concealed within the stone wall that it was nearly impossible to spot.

"Have you tried opening it?" Jiang Xiaofei asked.

"Not yet," Su Muhe replied.

"Why not? Is it stuck?"

"No," Su Muhe shook her head. "I wanted you to open it yourself once you arrived, Master Fei."

"Very well." Jiang Xiaofei nodded. "Give me the *Underworld Ghost Path*."

Su Muhe immediately produced the manual and handed it to him. Jiang Xiaofei took it and walked toward the door, pressing the book against the stone.

As the power of the *Underworld Ghost Path* surged, the door opened automatically. A long-sealed, musty scent wafted out, a testament to the antiquity of what lay within.

"Shall we go in?" Jiang Xiaofei asked Jun Yao once the air had cleared.

Jun Yao nodded, and they stepped inside, followed closely by Su Muhe and the guards.

Once inside, Jiang Xiaofei was amazed to find an independent space, vast and seemingly boundless. Floating in the void were countless suits of armor, various weapons, and scrolls of profound ghost techniques.

Even Jun Yao was stunned by the sight, while Su Muhe and the guards stood frozen in disbelief.

The sheer quantity of armor and weapons surpassed the total inventory of the entire Si Residence! And the ghost-path manuals were so rare that they would surely spark a war among major factions if discovered in the outside world.