The Nether Capital

The lords fell silent.

Chi Ming gave his silent consent.

The golden-haired, blue-eyed small priest set a time and then said, "Then that concludes today's discussion. Everyone, you may leave..."

The ten individuals rose one after another. Some placed a fist to their chest, bowing slightly to bid the small priest farewell with utmost respect.

Others swept their large sleeves, walking away with heads held high.

Some exchanged glances, their hostility plain for all to see, as they left the table in anger.

Ten chairs, ten demon gods—they demonstrated their divergence and discord to the fullest.

When the crowd had dispersed, the smile on the small priest's face vanished instantly, turning cold.

She let out a helpless sigh.

"Sigh—"

The demon race had been huddled in the Demon Abyss for nearly ten thousand years—a time longer than her own life.

So long that the people here only knew the Demon Abyss, unaware that a broader world existed beyond it.

So long that they could remain complacent despite being confined to a single corner.

Intrigues, deceptions, and schemes were all they knew.

Even the demon gods could only see immediate interests, staring at their own narrow patches of land within this Demon Abyss.

They had forgotten that in the Demon Abyss of old, there were hundreds of demon gods and a hundred thousand demon kings. How glorious the demon race had been then.

Back then, their ancestors emerged from the Demon Abyss, marching toward the sunrise and sweeping across tens of thousands of miles of territory.

The humans, demons, and spirits had formed a global alliance to suppress the demons, yet they too had retreated in defeat.

Unfortunately...

Such brilliance existed only in historical texts and documents.

After the demon gods left, she departed as well. The black stone doors of the Crimson Demon Palace closed tight, the lights within extinguished as if the place were sealed once more.

......

On the south bank of the Nether Pool, atop a certain high terrace where the cold currents whistled and the crimson blazing flags fluttered, Chi Ming stood gazing at the vast expanse of the Nether Pool.

It was night.

For a thousand miles, the Nether Pool shimmered with a brilliant divine glow, as if the galaxy from the heavens had sunk into the water, illuminating the Nether Capital in pure white.

The Nether Capital was a city that never slept, yet also a city that never knew day; the night was even brighter than the daylight.

During the day, the sky was gloomy, like a rainy day.

At night, the sky was radiant, looking more like day than the daytime itself.

Even at night, this place was extremely lively.

Chi Ming, draped in a black fur coat, stood upon the high terrace, overlooking the Nether Pool with deep thoughts.

Someone behind him arrived uninvited, wearing a large white robe that concealed her entire form, yet it could not hide her graceful figure and the curves of her silhouette.

She stood beside Chi Ming, likewise gazing at the shimmering, white Nether Pool.

Neither spoke.

After a moment...

The woman spoke softly, breaking the silence. "Uncle Ming, have you told Chi Ji?"

Chi Ming remained motionless, merely giving a grunt of affirmation.

"Yes!"

"Did she agree?"

Chi Ming stated calmly, "She is my child. This is her responsibility; she has no choice."

The woman raised her hand, revealing a pair of hands as white as jade beneath her long robe, and slowly pulled back her white hood.

She revealed a mane of golden hair that danced in the cold current.

Leaning against the railing, she glanced at Chi Ming and said with a touch of apology, "Uncle Ming, I am sorry. I didn't expect them to target a child just to open the Nether Gate."

Chi Ming let out a low laugh. "'Them'? Do you think the nine of them would dare?"

The golden-haired woman fell silent, her eyes downcast.

Indeed.

Would they dare?

Among the ten demon gods of the Demon Abyss, the Crimson Demon had lived the longest, possessed the greatest strength, and held the highest seniority. Among the other nine demon gods, two were his disciples, and another was his fellow brother.

His influence in the Demon Abyss, in some respects, surpassed her own.

Even her elder sister had to treat him with respect and speak kindly to him.

In the entire Demon Abyss, who would dare touch his child?

Except for themselves...

She said softly, "You know, Sister simply wants to revitalize the demon race too much."

Chi Ming said nothing.

He did not deny it, but he did not believe it was right either, nor could he manage not to hold a grudge.

She spoke again, "Regarding the matter of the Nether Gate, regardless of anything else, you know that I am on your side, Uncle Ming."

Chi Ming glanced at her with a cautious, skeptical look, repeating the sentence he had said countless times, "The Nether Gate must not be opened."

The small priest took a deep breath, her eyebrows drooping. "I know!"

Chi Ming stood with his hands behind his back and whispered, "Persuade your sister well. If she persists in her ways, I, Chi Ming, will truly have no choice but to rebel against her."

The golden-haired girl's gaze froze, the expression in her eyes shifting unpredictably.

Chi Ming pondered for a long time before saying solemnly, "If she wishes to restore the demon race, I, Chi Ming, will have no complaints. In the future, if the Great Tribulation truly arrives as she claims, she only needs to say the word. Even if the Thunder Demon stands in the way, I will fight him without a second thought. I will follow Yun Zheng's example and use this remnant body to carve out a path for the demon race, facing death without fear. But if the Nether Gate is opened... you, I, and she... we will all become the sinners of the Demon Abyss, sinners for all eternity."

The small priest was lost in complex thoughts. Her throat tightened as she couldn't help but ask again, "Are the Nether Beasts really that terrifying?"

Chi Ming looked back at her and asked in return, "What do you think?"

The small priest looked toward the north bank of the Nether Pool, her gaze extending further and further...

The Nether Gate was right there on the north bank.

Behind the Nether Hall, before that mysterious grey mist.

Legend had it that a long, long time ago, the ancestral demons were born in the Nether Pool.

Born alongside them were not only demon people but also Nether Beasts.

The records stated that the Nether Beasts were mindless, naturally bloodthirsty, and perverse, delighting in feeding on the demon race. The demons had suffered greatly because of them.

The Demon Records once wrote that the Nether Beasts lived by the banks of the nether water, surviving by hunting demon people.

Nether Beasts could also dive into the depths of the Nether Pool, swimming freely.

This continued until a peerless leader emerged among the demon race. He led the ancestral demons to drive the Nether Beasts from the banks into the Nether Pool, then from the Nether Pool to the north bank, eventually banishing them behind the grey mist.

Because the Nether Beasts were immortal and could be resurrected upon touching nether water, that leader forged a cage to suppress them, using a Divine Demon Gate as the formation eye to seal them away.

As long as the Nether Gate did not open, the Nether Beasts could never emerge.

From then on, the entire Demon Abyss became the domain of the demon race.

The ancestral demons began to recuperate and grow on the banks of the Nether Pool.

That leader was the legendary Demon Lord of the demon race, their spiritual icon.

It was he who saved the demon race.

And it was he who granted the demon race new life.

However, the Demon Lord eventually vanished into the long river of time, just like others in mythology. Everyone knew his name and had heard his stories, but no one had seen his face.

In fact, there was no way to even verify if he had truly existed.

Later generations only knew that the gate truly stood there, high enough to touch the heavens and wide as a hundred feet, never collapsing over millions of years.

They only knew that the misty land behind the gate was boundless and forbidden to gods; from time to time, roars could be heard from within, deafening and never ceasing for a single day.

Later still, the ancestral demons declined for unknown reasons, and a new demon race was born. Inheriting the bloodline of the ancestral demons, the Ten Surnames of the Heavenly Demon race stepped onto the stage of history, opening a new chapter.

They built the Nether Capital on the south bank of the Nether Pool and the Nether Hall on the north bank.

They founded the Nether Religion, and the ten keys that could open the Nether Gate were distributed equally among the ten great heavenly demon families.

Then came the demon sovereigns and the priests, changing from generation to generation...

Among them, the key held by the Chi Surname of the Heavenly Demon race—which was also the Demon God Command—was in the hands of the patriarch, Chi Ming.

Now, the high priest had performed three thousand divinations, and every single one was ominous. She claimed that the Demon Abyss would face an unprecedented catastrophe in the near future.

The demons of today were very likely to vanish under this catastrophe, just like the ancestral demons.

She racked her brains and pondered deeply to find a way to break the calamity. Her intention was to open the Nether Gate, release the Nether Beasts within, and tame them.

She wanted to use the power of the Nether Beasts to deal with the future catastrophe and to emerge from the Demon Abyss to dominate the Central Plains, restoring the former glory of the demon race.

This was an incredibly mad plan, yet it somehow gained the support of many people.

Perhaps because they had been suppressed for too long, they all wanted to vent their frustrations.

Perhaps they were simply moved by the desire for the power of the Nether Beasts and had lost their minds.

It was impossible to say for sure.

Of course, if there were those who agreed, there were those who opposed.

Chi Ming was one of them. He believed that if the Nether Beasts emerged, the Demon Abyss would fall. He did not believe their generation could tame the Nether Beasts that even the ancient demons could not.

The small priest was also one of them. She felt the plan was too bold and thought her sister was too extreme.

Even though she had always been part of the pro-war faction and harbored deep hatred for all living beings in the world outside the Demon Abyss, she had never thought of relying on a power that did not belong to her.

She only wanted to rely on herself. She only believed in herself.

With differing opinions came a rift, and conflict erupted. For the past four years, the Nether Capital had become increasingly unstable.

The small priest said nothing. She knew her sister was wrong, but that was still her sister, and she had never thought of betraying her. She only wanted to stop her and tell her she was wrong, but her sister would not listen, so she had sought out Chi Ming to provide secret support.

However, even she hadn't expected that her sister, who had been proud all her life, would actually target a child to force Chi Ming to compromise.

Her sister had changed; she had become increasingly erratic.

Seeing that she had no response for a long time, Chi Ming didn't bother to argue further. After all, they were sisters, and the Gold Family only had this pair of sisters left.

He never expected her to be of one mind with him, nor did he ever place his hopes on her.

He simply said calmly, "I have finished playing the part I was supposed to act for you. Remember your promise; do not harm Chi Ji..."

With that, he turned and left, descending the terrace and disappearing among the towering pavilions.

The small priest was left alone, standing in the cold current, gazing at the gloomy sky above in a daze.

At times she laughed at herself; at others, she sighed with sorrow.

The future of the Demon Abyss? It was hazy and vast.

Just like the sky above—it had been grey since the day she was born, and it had never changed.

......

Outside the Nether Capital, in a broken temple that had been abandoned for untold ages, Xu Xian was flipping through a book, reading about the interesting tales of the Demon Abyss from a novel.

At nightfall, the little book spirit finally woke up. It popped out unexpectedly, sat on Xu Xian's forehead, stretched, and let out a small yawn.

It rubbed its little eyes, looking bleary-eyed like a tired fool.

Little fool!

"Yawn..."

"Oh, you're awake?"

"Mm-hmm," it said in a sweet voice. "How long did I sleep?"

Xu Xian waved his hand, flashing five fingers. "Five days."

The little book spirit was surprised. "That long?"

Xu Xian grumbled, "I thought you were dead."

The little book spirit choked for a moment before stating a painful truth. "Even if you die, I won't."

Xu Xian wanted to argue, but on second thought, it was true. Besides, after not seeing it for five days, he actually missed it quite a bit. It was rare for him to be so concerned about someone—it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he'd been longing for it day and night.

"As long as you're awake. You should use that move sparingly in the future."

"Mm-hmm!" The little book spirit nodded like a chick pecking at grain, then emphasized on purpose, "But it was really cool, wasn't it?"

Xu Xian rolled his eyes, feeling that this little thing was becoming increasingly fond of showing off. He wondered who it took after.

He changed the subject. "Tell me, can that single strike that cut a thousand miles kill a saint?"

The little book spirit stroked its chin, thought for a moment, and analyzed, "Probably not. My imitation sword domain can barely restrict ninth-stage tribulation transcendents; a saint is out of the question. It’s easy to miss, and if you miss, you're helpless."

"In other words, as long as it hits, it can kill?" Xu Xian summarized.

The little book spirit said ambiguously, "It depends on the situation."

"Hmm?"

"Anyway, don't think about it. For you at the sixth stage to want to kill a ninth-stage one is too difficult. Wait until the seventh stage. Once the third sword is drawn, you can handle ordinary eighth-stage cultivators without sacrificing your sword. As for the ninth stage, you should at least have the power to fight."

Xu Xian rubbed the bridge of his nose and gave up dejectedly. The difference between the eighth and ninth stages was indeed massive.

The eighth stage was simply reaching a certain level of cultivation, but the ninth stage required the recognition of the Heavenly Dao. The triple lightning tribulation was the Heavens' test for you. Pass it, and you live and soar; fail, and you die and enter reincarnation.

As for the Immortal Realm, it wasn't just lightning tribulations. After the nine heavenly thunders fell, if one wanted to ascend and shed their mortality, they still had to pass the Red Dust Tribulation and slay their inner demons.

There were many in the eighth stage under the heavens, but those who could successfully cross the lightning tribulation and step into the ninth stage were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

According to Wen Qingxue, Li Qingshan had been at the peak of the eighth stage for a long time, constantly consolidating his cultivation and not daring to trigger the lightning tribulation. In his words, failing would be too embarrassing. If he were struck to death by his own tribulation, he wouldn't just lose face—he wouldn't even have a face left. It would be too humiliating.

The ninth stage was good, but face was also very important.

So he had been waiting and preparing all this time. Xu Xian wasn't surprised; this was indeed something Li Qingshan would do. For the sake of his so-called face, he had suffered so much in silence, preferring to let himself be frustrated rather than lose that sense of dignity.

"Since you're awake, let's enter the city tomorrow."

The little book spirit replied, "We've reached the Nether Capital."

Xu Xian looked through the door of the broken temple toward the outside. In the dark night, the distant sky was bright, white as moonlight. "Look, that's it over there."

"Oh!"

A sleepless night passed. The next day, just as the white light on the horizon receded and the earth was illuminated by plants, Xu Xian had already left the broken temple and hurried toward the gate of the Nether Capital.

From the young man's perspective, a high wall separated the entire Nether Capital from the outside world. That wall was nearly a hundred meters tall, connecting to the Nether Pool on one side and extending to the end of his vision on the other.

There were eight gates in the wall—four for exiting and four for entering, completely separated.

There were gates for carriages, for people, and for goods.

At the four exits, there were only a few scattered demon soldiers on guard, wandering about. The exit paths were also deserted; except for some passing merchant carriages, idlers were extremely rare.

On the other hand, the four entrance gates were heavily guarded. There were not only soldiers on duty but also patrolling squads, led by seventh-stage cultivators. The general stationed atop the wall was an eighth-stage member of the Heavenly Demon race.

There were even demon people dressed like scholars at every gate, responsible for recording the information of those coming and going.

Which gate one used also mattered. Above the three gates for people, the words 'Heaven', 'Earth', and 'Mortal' were written in sequence. The meaning went without saying—the flow was separated by wealth and status.

Xu Xian naturally took the Mortal Gate, which had the strictest inspections, the fiercest soldiers, and the most people.

"Take out your Nether Capital residency permit!"

"I don't have one!"

"Then do you have a travel pass issued by the Demon Court Office?"

"Don't have that either."

"Go over there and register."

"Okay!"