Ministers Welcome the Great Emperor’s Return

Fire Ghost Hall stood a towering figure—not a beauty, but a hulking giant with three horns on his head and a ferocious face.

Fire Ghost King had originally been a human who died after being burned alive by heavenly fire in ancient times. After death, he became a fire ghost. Coveting the freedom of the Demon Realm, he had refused reincarnation and remained there for thousands of years.

He picked his nose while yawning sleepily.

He had lived such boring days for many years since obtaining the Fire Spirit Orb, and he was gradually beginning to hate his current life.

"If it really comes down to it, I’ll give the Fire Spirit Orb to Old Yama and find somewhere else to settle down. I’m sick of staying in this Fire Ghost Hall too."

Having to live in constant fear every day, guarding the Fire Spirit Orb and Fire Ghost Hall without ever leaving, made Fire Ghost King angrier the more he thought about it. He abruptly stood up, then flopped back down and continued dozing off.

He truly did not want to go on living like this, and he truly did not want to move either.

Fire Ghost King was pondering how to pass the day when the temperature throughout Fire Ghost Hall suddenly plummeted. He shuddered violently, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Lava Hell had actually cooled down?

"Could I have been alone for so long that my mind is starting to hallucinate?"

Fire Ghost King grumbled inwardly. The next second, he saw surging yellow river water rushing in from the distance, extinguishing much of the lava along the way.

"Mother of all ghosts, is the Demon Realm flooding?!"

Fire Ghost King stared in stunned silence until a yellow wave flipped him onto the ground.

The power within his body was rapidly diminishing.

"Oh no! There’s something strange about this water. It looks a little like the Yomi Water from the Netherworld Depths?"

Fire Ghost King’s face changed drastically. Since ancient times, Yomi Water had been the bane of ghosts. Any ghost touched by it would suffer greatly reduced cultivation at best, or a Scattered Soul at worst.

Fire Ghost King, who had not moved his backside in who knew how many years, shot to his feet. Seeing that things were going badly, he prepared to flee, still cursing as he did so. "That Old Yama is truly despicable. He actually used this method against me. Who knows where he got so much Yomi Water?"

Just as Fire Ghost King was about to leave, a flying sword blocked his path. The instant he saw the black flying sword, his entire body trembled.

"What kind of treasure is this? It has such dense and pure Netherworld aura, as if it were nurtured in the Nine Underworlds."

"Who in the entire Demon Realm, other than the long-disappeared Great Emperor Fengdu, could refine such a magical artifact?"

"Great Emperor Fengdu has returned?!"

Fire Ghost King stopped and did not dare move. On one hand, he held reverence for the legendary Great Emperor Fengdu; on the other, he wanted to see who the flying sword’s owner was.

Outside Fire Ghost Hall, three figures appeared.

Xu Changqing said loudly, "If Fire Ghost King wishes to leave, please leave the Fire Spirit Orb behind first. We certainly will not make things difficult for you."

Fengdu circled through the air a few times before swiftly flying back to Chu Yang’s side.

Fire Ghost King asked curiously, "Is this your sword?"

Chu Yang nodded.

Fire Ghost King continued, "Where did you get this sword?"

Chu Yang frowned. "What does that have to do with you? The fact that I haven’t attacked you already shows considerable restraint."

If not for the fact that Fire Ghost King had stayed honestly in the Demon Realm for thousands of years and had never harmed a single person, Chu Yang would not have wasted so much breath on him.

Fengdu possessed absolute suppression over ghosts. Let alone Fire Ghost King, even if King Yama himself arrived, Chu Yang would not fear him.

"No!" Fire Ghost King’s gaze darted about, as though he were somewhat afraid, yet he still shook his head in refusal. "I worked hard to obtain this thing. How could I possibly hand it over so easily? Unless…"

"You curse that little Yama in front of me a few times, then spit on his portrait and stomp on it a few times. Then I’ll consider giving you the Fire Spirit Orb."

Li Xiaoyao was nearly unable to endure the heat any longer and only wanted to leave this damned place quickly. Seeing Fire Ghost King dragging things out, he could not help but curse, "What the hell is wrong with you? Hand over the Fire Spirit Orb already. I don’t have time to play with you."

Fire Ghost King said in a deep voice, "Since you refuse, yet still want to steal my Fire Spirit Orb, then you must be that little Yama’s people!"

The moment he finished speaking, Fire Ghost King attacked Li Xiaoyao and Xu Changqing. Strangely, however, his attacks always went around Chu Yang, as if he did not dare strike him.

Chu Yang found it amusing, the corners of his lips curling up. This was a good chance to see how much Li Xiaoyao’s swordsmanship had progressed.

After several exchanges, Li Xiaoyao sensed something was wrong. After dodging Fire Ghost King’s attack, he roared, "Why have you been chasing us around and attacking us this whole time? There’s another person standing over there—why aren’t you attacking him?!"

Fire Ghost King answered with complete honesty, "I don’t dare attack him."

Xu Changqing looked at Fire Ghost King in surprise. This was only the first time the other party had met his junior brother Chu Yang, so why was he so afraid?

Fire Ghost King did not look as though he were pretending.

"Why don’t you dare attack him?"

"He might be Great Emperor Fengdu’s reincarnation."

"Who is Great Emperor Fengdu?"

"The Demon Realm was originally governed by Great Emperor Fengdu. He was a god born at the same time as the Three Sovereigns, but Great Emperor Fengdu later disappeared, and the master of the Demon Realm became that little Yama."

"Why do you think he is Great Emperor Fengdu’s reincarnation?"

"Because only Great Emperor Fengdu could refine his magical artifact."

Fire Ghost King suddenly flew into a rage. "What right does that petty Yama have to become the master of the Demon Realm? I refuse to accept it! The master of the Demon Realm can only be Great Emperor Fengdu!"

Li Xiaoyao and Xu Changqing exchanged a glance, then pointed at Chu Yang and said in unison, "That’s right. He is Great Emperor Fengdu!"

Chu Yang: "???"

Fire Ghost King suddenly fell silent.

Li Xiaoyao coughed dryly. "Fire Ghost King, Great Emperor Fengdu wants the Fire Spirit Orb in your hand. Will you give it to him?"

Fire Ghost King nodded without hesitation. "If it is Great Emperor Fengdu, I can give it to him."

He pulled out the Fire Spirit Orb from somewhere and respectfully presented it to Chu Yang, his attitude exceedingly devout.

The name Great Emperor Fengdu was quite useful. It was almost on par with Jing Tian’s "General Fei Peng."

Chu Yang accepted the Fire Spirit Orb and gestured with his eyes for Xu Changqing and Li Xiaoyao to leave. The two silently backed away, preparing to depart from Fire Ghost Hall.

But the next second, an extremely terrifying fluctuation of spiritual power erupted behind them, forcing them to stop.

Xu Changqing turned around and saw Demon Lord Chonglou, his face full of fury.

Did I offend him somehow?

"This is not something you should have. Return it to me!"

Chonglou thrust his palm forward, and red demonic light crashed toward Xu Changqing. The entire Fire Ghost Hall trembled from the strike.

Only by joining forces did Li Xiaoyao and Xu Changqing manage to block it.

Chonglou still intended to continue attacking.

Chu Yang flashed in front of them and snapped, "A dignified Demon Lord actually goes back on his word!"

Chonglou sneered and looked at Chu Yang with disdain.

"How could I compare to you?"

"Great Emperor Fengdu!"

Chu Yang: "???"

"No, I think you’ve misunderstood something. Listen to my explanation."

He had only wanted to fool Fire Ghost King, yet Chonglou was the one who had fallen for it. Looking at Chonglou, whose rage soared to the heavens, Chu Yang felt that things were going badly.

At that moment, Fire Ghost King suddenly stepped in front of them.

"Do not disrespect Great Emperor Fengdu!"

In Chu Yang’s eyes, the foolish Fire Ghost King suddenly looked so adorable.

"You seek death!"

Chonglou used his hand as a blade and slashed through the air.

The strike, radiating red demonic light, seemed to transcend time and space. With irresistible force, it sent Fire Ghost King flying and instantly collapsed more than half the hall.

The might of a single blow was terrifying beyond measure.

Chu Yang’s expression grew grave. Demon Lord Chonglou’s killing intent was extremely strong today, completely different from before in Lei Zhou.

Why had things suddenly turned out this way?

Recalling what Chonglou had said earlier, a thought suddenly flashed through Chu Yang’s mind. Chonglou was so enraged because of the Sacred Relic Pearl.

He looked down on Xu Changqing, and he was even more furious that Zi Xuan had paid an unbearable price to save Xu Changqing.

"Demon Lord, calm your anger. If you came for the Sacred Relic Pearl, I still have a way to remedy the situation. There is no need to make such a fuss."

The frightening aura around Chonglou abruptly diminished. He still stared coldly at Chu Yang, seemingly waiting for what he would say next.

"The Five Spirit Orbs and the Sacred Relic Pearl are linked by the same essence. As long as we gather the former, we can repair the Sacred Relic Pearl."

"We have already obtained three Spirit Orbs. Gathering all five is within reach. What do you think, Demon Lord?"

A faint smile rested on Chu Yang’s face, making him appear completely confident.

Chonglou remained silent for a while. Compared to venting his anger meaninglessly, repairing the Sacred Relic Pearl was what mattered most.

"I will spare him once more for now." Chonglou said coldly, "If the Sacred Relic Pearl cannot be repaired, everyone will pay the price for it—including you, Great Emperor Fengdu!"

Brother, I told you that you misunderstood!

Why do you keep calling me Great Emperor Fengdu?!

Chu Yang glanced at the severely injured and unconscious Fire Ghost King. Only after confirming there was no one else around did he explain, "Demon Lord, you truly misunderstand. I am not Great Emperor Fengdu. Fire Ghost King mistook me for someone else!"

Chonglou said expressionlessly, "If you are not Great Emperor Fengdu’s reincarnation, how can you travel through the Demon Realm in your physical body? Or are you, like me, actually a demon?"

Xu Changqing and Li Xiaoyao looked at Chu Yang with suspicion.

Junior brother, weren’t we just fooling people?

How did you end up making it real?!

Only then did Chu Yang realize why Chonglou had so readily believed Fire Ghost King’s words.

When ordinary people entered the Demon Realm, their Physical Bodies would remain in The Living Realm, yet he could enter without restriction. In Chonglou’s eyes, this was the best proof.

The reason Chu Yang differed from ordinary people was because he also possessed the identity of a Soul Reaper. He had not crossed into the Demon Realm with his physical body, but had transformed into a spirit-particle state.

Yet no one else could distinguish that state, which was why this misunderstanding had arisen.

Seeing that Chu Yang could not explain himself, Chonglou said with displeasure, "A real man should admit what he is. Why hide it and refuse to acknowledge it? Are you afraid that I will not honor our previous agreement?"

"You need not worry about that. To me, a loss is a loss. It has nothing to do with who you are. I will not kill Xu Changqing either. I will only take the Sacred Relic Pearl’s remaining spiritual power from within him."

That murderous look you had just now was no joke!

And now you say you will not kill anyone?

Brother, do you have selective amnesia or something?

Chu Yang could not help rolling his eyes. In a completely resigned tone, he nodded. "Fine, fine, fine. So what if I’m Great Emperor Fengdu’s reincarnation? Just like last time, if you’re not convinced, we can have another match."

Chonglou nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Only with this attitude are you qualified to be my opponent!"

This guy was seriously sick!

He would not listen when people spoke nicely to him, yet he only felt comfortable when others gave him attitude. No wonder Zi Xuan did not care for him. Wasn’t he just a complete lunatic?

The ancients truly had not deceived him. Every demon was abnormal.

Just as Chu Yang openly "admitted" that he was Great Emperor Fengdu’s reincarnation, an even more melodramatic situation unfolded.

King Yama and Judge Lu led a large group of Ghost Soldiers along the lava paths extinguished by the Yomi Water and arrived at Fire Ghost Hall, just in time to witness Chu Yang confronting Demon Lord Chonglou.

From their perspective, Demon Lord Chonglou had taken the initiative to expose Chu Yang’s identity, and Chu Yang had rather helplessly admitted that he was Great Emperor Fengdu.

Coupled with Fengdu constantly circling above Chu Yang’s head…

The fact that Chu Yang was Great Emperor Fengdu’s reincarnation seemed to have become an ironclad truth.

King Yama’s scalp went numb. The man before him was very likely his former superior, the true master of the entire Demon Realm and even the Netherworld Depths!

Zhong Pan and the other Ghost Soldiers noticed King Yama’s shifting expression and immediately felt a chill in their hearts. They silently lowered their heads and did not dare speak.

This was a matter between the old and new masters of the Demon Realm. Insignificant underlings like them did not dare interfere.

"The Demon Realm has had a new master for many years. Your return through reincarnation at this time will inevitably bring some trouble. How about this? Let us alter the terms of our agreement. I will help you clear out the Demon Realm and assist you in reclaiming the throne as master of a realm."

"That way, while Fei Peng is absent, you can spar with me every day."

His icy words overflowed with killing intent. Chonglou showed no concern for King Yama’s dignity at all, speaking as though he would simply help Chu Yang take back the position of master of the Demon Realm.

Chu Yang felt his head ache. How was he Great Emperor Fengdu’s reincarnation? If he truly agreed to Chonglou’s proposal and killed King Yama, it would be strange if the Demon Realm did not descend into chaos.

If the Six Paths of Reincarnation fell into disorder, the God Realm would certainly react. If that drew the Heavenly Emperor here, Chu Yang could basically declare the game over.

Just as Chu Yang was about to reject Chonglou’s "kindness," King Yama stepped forward and bowed. "We ministers welcome the Great Emperor’s return to the Demon Realm."

Chu Yang’s expression stiffened.

Why were they joining in the chaos too?

King Yama secretly wiped the sweat from his face.

He did not know what agreement Chu Yang and Chonglou had made, but he knew that if he did not show his position now, the consequences would be grave.

Demon Lord Chonglou’s dominance over the Six Realms was no empty boast.

Great Emperor Fengdu might be able to contend with him, but a mere King Yama like himself, along with the Ghost Soldiers behind him, was clearly no match for Chonglou.

"Boring!"

Seeing them surrender so easily, Chonglou looked displeased and prepared to leave.

Before departing, he said to Chu Yang, "The Wind Spirit Orb is in the God Realm. You may have them retrieve it, but they must pass through the Well of Gods and Demons to get there."

"I can open the passage for you, but I have one condition: you cannot accompany them. They must obtain that Spirit Orb through their own strength. This is my test for Fei Peng."

Chu Yang frowned slightly.

There was currently no second way to reach the Well of Gods and Demons. Agreeing to Chonglou’s condition seemed to be the only option.

The God Realm would be manageable enough. After all, General Fei Peng’s reputation still remained, and it could spare Xu Changqing and the others much trouble.

The difficult part was that the Well of Gods and Demons contained not only miasma accumulated over tens of millions of years, but also strange creatures that were neither quite demons nor not demons. It was extremely dangerous.