Chapter 1 The Underworld

"Move faster!"

"You're all dead, you're ghosts now. Hurry up."

"You were a prince? A million subjects, thirty thousand cavalry? In the mortal world you were a prince, but in my Yin Underworld you're nothing!"

Crack!

Crack!

One by one, tall and burly ghost soldiers, faces twisted in ferocity, roared and lashed out with whips that crackled with electric light. They struck those souls, especially the one who had bragged about being a prince—he was whipped dozens of times, beaten until his soul grew thin and nearly dissipated before they stopped.

"I should be dead, so... is this the Underworld?" Ji Ning appeared out of nowhere, curiously observing the unfamiliar surroundings. He heard the prince's bluster and grew even more puzzled. "A million subjects? Thirty thousand cavalry? Earth is a modern society now—where would thirty thousand cavalry come from?"

"Hurry!" The tall, burly ox-headed ghost soldier, his whole body glowing with a cyan light, glared at Ji Ning and roared.

Ji Ning moved forward with the line.

Countless white-clad figures formed long queues, slowly advancing. At the end of each line, a white-clad figure would appear out of thin air. Some shook their heads and sighed, some wailed loudly, some shouted and cursed, some looked bewildered and confused.

"My father is the Great Snow Mountain Demon King! How dare you hit me! I'll eat you, roar!"

"Stop!"

"Ah!"

These souls, just entering the Yin Underworld, thought they were still alive. When whipped, many angrily shouted and cursed, but soon they were beaten into understanding... they were dead. No matter how glorious their lives had been, after death it all came to nothing.

...

Time passed. Ji Ning had been walking in the endless procession of souls for a long time. He dared not speak; speaking would earn him a lash from the ox-headed or horse-faced demons. He trudged on numbly for what felt like an eternity. Fortunately, ghosts knew no hunger.

One day, after walking numbly for a long time.

"Ji Ning!" A voice like rolling thunder echoed across the heavens and earth, reverberating. The countless souls all looked toward the horizon. Ji Ning looked too. In the distance, a vast black cloud rolled in, and atop it stood a colossal ox-headed ghost god radiating black light.

This enormous ox-headed ghost god was tens of thousands of zhang tall, like a towering mountain. Riding the black cloud, he arrived from the horizon in an instant.

"Ji Ning." The colossal ox-headed ghost god, standing on the black cloud high above, looked down. His eyes shot out two beams of golden light ten thousand zhang long, streaking across the sky and enveloping the dumbfounded Ji Ning below.

The golden light from the colossal ox-headed ghost god's eyes wrapped around Ji Ning, and he vanished from the line. The ordinary ox-headed and horse-faced ghost soldiers all cowered in silence. All the souls stood stunned, only snapping out of it after a long while.

...

In the endless black clouds high above, the ten-thousand-zhang ox-headed ghost god stood on the cloud.

He extended his palm, and on it stood a tiny speck—Ji Ning.

Ji Ning was completely bewildered.

Heavens.

A ten-thousand-zhang tall ox-headed giant before him, and he was in the giant's palm?

"Ji Ning." The ox-headed ghost god looked down at the tiny speck in his hand.

"I have been ordered by Lord Cui to fetch you," the ox-headed ghost god said to Ji Ning on his palm. Then he waved his hand, and Ji Ning was taken into a void space. The colossal ox-headed ghost god rode the black cloud and vanished at the horizon.

...

Inside Fengdu City of the Underworld.

It was a quiet study, with a bookshelf and a desk in the center. A middle-aged man in a green robe was reading a book.

Ji Ning stood there.

"Why does Lord Cui want to see me?" Ji Ning wondered. He didn't know Lord Cui at all. He was just a mortal; how could he know any immortals? If he had powerful connections, he wouldn't have suffered from illness all his life in his previous life. So why had Lord Cui sent the ox-headed ghost god to bring him here?

"He summoned me, but now he doesn't speak." Ji Ning began to observe the study.

The study was simple. The only decoration on the wall was a painting.

"That is..." Ji Ning looked closely. It was a painting of a woman. Her feathered robe flowed with natural rhythm, and her smile inspired more reverence than the great Buddhas in earthly temples. In an instant, Ji Ning was completely absorbed in the painting. The woman's face, her long hair, her feathered robe—all possessed extraordinary magic.

"Oh?" The middle-aged man in green looked up, glanced at the painting of the woman on the wall, and said in surprise, "I didn't expect him to have such insight."

"Wake up!" The middle-aged man gave a soft shout.

Ji Ning felt his ethereal state of mind shatter instantly, fully awakening. He realized he was still in Lord Cui's presence.

Lord Cui closed his book and looked over. Ji Ning's expression changed, for from his angle, he could barely make out the cover of the book in Lord Cui's hand—three characters: The Book of Life and Death!

Lord Cui was reading the Book of Life and Death?

"I have reviewed your life," Lord Cui said, smiling at Ji Ning.

Ji Ning was startled.

His life?

Scenes from his past life surfaced in his heart. His father was the project leader at a biology research institute, with a high salary; his mother was an ordinary teacher. Born into such a family should have been good, but he was born with a terminal illness. Doctors said it would be a miracle if he lived to fifteen or sixteen.

Thus, he couldn't go to school or play with children his age. Even a half-hour walk outside each day left him exhausted. His frail body and constant pain made him withdrawn as a child. And overhearing in the hospital that he would die in his teens—the fear of knowing his own death early—tormented his young self, making him even more isolated.

Fortunately!

Fortunately, there were books and the internet.

Books and the internet gave him a 'spiritual world,' preventing his personality from becoming twisted. Through them, he voraciously absorbed knowledge, began to understand the world, broadened his horizons, and gradually found inner peace, viewing the world more rationally and calmly.

He learned that there were many more unfortunate children in the world. After all, he still had parents, food, and clothing.

And he sought his own value. He couldn't just wait to die. He had to accomplish something in his life. So he asked his father for a hundred thousand yuan and started working online. He had only wanted to add some color to his life, but unexpectedly, he achieved real success.

In a few years, he amassed a huge fortune.

But his worsening terminal illness made it clear he wouldn't live much longer. His parents didn't need his support, and the money would just go to waste. So before his death, he gave it all away to poor, sick, and suffering children across the country.

"I can't change my own fate, but I can change the fate of countless poor, sick, and suffering children!"

That was the cry from the deepest part of Ji Ning's heart!

After donating all his money and waiting for death, he hadn't expected to die like that—while walking on the street outside the hospital with his parents.

"Born into suffering." Lord Cui said softly, "Suffering did not warp you; instead, it unleashed astonishing power within you, enabling you to amass great wealth. And even more rare... you gave away all the wealth you earned!"

"Eighteen years old, die." Prefect Cui remarked, "Able to sacrifice oneself to save others, and a stranger at that—rare."

Ji Ning said, "Prefect, you flatter me. If I had a long life ahead of me, I might not have been willing to do that. According to the doctors, I have at most three months to live. Trading my less-than-three-month lifespan for a little girl's decades of life—worth it!"

Prefect Cui smiled, then opened the ledger of life and death in his hands, his voice soft yet filled with boundless authority: "Ji Ning, in your life you have saved over ten thousand people, accumulating great merit. Entering the Six Paths of Reincarnation, you shall enter... the Path of Heavenly Beings!"

"The Path of Heavenly Beings," Ji Ning murmured.

Prefect Cui sighed, "To enter the Path of Heavenly Beings through great merit is rare, and to achieve this on Earth is even more so. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, you gave away your vast wealth to help children, earning you immense merit. Otherwise, you might not have entered the Heavenly Realm."

"What do you mean, Prefect?" Ji Ning was puzzled.

"Humans are born without good or evil," Prefect Cui said. "Children mostly have no distinction between good and evil; it is their later experiences that gradually change them... If you helped adults, you might have helped some good people. But good and evil are hard to distinguish. If you helped some evil people, your merit would instead be diminished."

Ji Ning pondered.

"Originally, the ledger of life and death decreed that you would live only to sixteen. But because of your accumulated merit, you lived to eighteen," Prefect Cui remarked.

"What?" Ji Ning was shocked. "Can what is decreed in the ledger of life and death be changed?"

"Of course it can be changed. Why not?" Prefect Cui laughed. "Even I can easily add a hundred years to someone's life. Let alone the ledger of life and death... Even if Heaven wants you dead, it will leave you a sliver of hope. A person's fate—the innate destiny is the foundation, but it can still be altered by later efforts."

Ji Ning was lost in thought.

Indeed.

The ancients said, 'If Heaven sends calamity, it can still be avoided; if you bring calamity upon yourself, there is no escape.' If Heaven wants you dead, it still leaves a sliver of hope. The ledger of life and death only sets the innate destiny; later, one can still strive.

"I believe there are many with great merit. Why did you summon me alone?" Ji Ning asked his doubt.

Prefect Cui smiled, "Because you and I are from the same hometown."

"Same hometown?" Ji Ning was startled. "You are also from..."

"Yes, in your so-called 'modern' terms, I am also from Earth!" Prefect Cui smiled. "But from the Sui and Tang dynasties."

Sui and Tang?

Ji Ning was overjoyed: "I heard those ghosts talk about kings and demon lords—none of them were from Earth."

"It's normal that they are not from Earth. The infinite time and space are divided into the Three Realms: Heaven, Earth, and Man," Prefect Cui explained. "Heaven is the Heavenly Realm; Earth is the Underworld; Man is the Mortal Realm. The Mortal Realm has three thousand major worlds and billions of minor worlds... Each of the three thousand major worlds is vast and magnificent, with immortals and demons appearing and disappearing. The billions of minor worlds are much smaller, with sparse populations. Our hometown is one of them. Even as our hometown has developed to this day, it has only a few billion people."

"At every moment, countless souls of the dead from the three thousand major worlds and billions of minor worlds come to the Underworld! How many souls do you think there are in the Underworld?" Prefect Cui looked at Ji Ning.

Ji Ning was stunned.

Heavens.

Three Realms?

The Mortal Realm alone is so vast, and Earth is just one of billions of minor worlds. As an Earthling, he had always thought Earth was the center! But now he discovered... Earth was merely one of billions of minor worlds, not even among the three thousand major worlds. For a moment, a sense of loss filled his heart.

"Among the three thousand major worlds and billions of minor worlds, there are naturally many with high merit. But it's rare for a fellow townsman to have such high merit, especially with your weak innate destiny. It's quite remarkable! Having nothing to do, I thought I'd meet you, my young fellow townsman," Prefect Cui said with a smile. "You are about to be reborn, so let me tell you about the Six Paths of Reincarnation."

"The Six Paths of Reincarnation are: the Path of Heavenly Beings, the Path of Asuras, the Path of Humans, the Path of Animals, the Path of Hungry Ghosts, and the Path of Hell."

Prefect Cui explained, "The Path of Heavenly Beings and the Path of Asuras both lead to the 'Heavenly Realm' among the Three Realms."

"The Path of Humans and the Path of Beasts both lead to the 'Realm of Humans' among the Three Realms."

"The Path of Hungry Ghosts and the Path of Hell both lead to the 'Underworld' among the Three Realms."

"The Path of Celestials—that is the path you are about to be reborn into." This immediately made Ji Ning listen attentively. Prefect Cui remarked with emotion, "This is the best one. You will be reborn into the Heavenly Realm, born of heaven and earth, becoming a celestial. From birth, you will be a primordial lifeform! Only those born of heaven and earth are worthy of being called 'primordial lifeforms.'"

"Born of heaven and earth, not born of a mother?" Ji Ning was astonished.

"Of course," Prefect Cui said with a smile. "Otherwise, how could they be called primordial lifeforms? Strictly speaking, heaven and earth are your parents!"

"After being born in the Heavenly Realm, your cultivation speed will be astonishing, and you can easily join the Heavenly Court to become a heavenly soldier or general," Prefect Cui remarked.

Ji Ning blinked.

A heavenly soldier or general?

He would become a heavenly soldier or general in the future?

"Celestials have another advantage. When you turn sixteen, you will awaken your past-life memories," Prefect Cui said with emotion. "I am meeting with you this time only because your merit is extremely high and you are from my hometown. I didn't expect that as soon as you came here... you would become so engrossed in viewing the Nuwa Painting, showing extremely high comprehension. To help you stand out among the heavenly soldiers and generals, I will also give you a hand."

Ji Ning was overjoyed. Help? How?

"Look at this Nuwa Painting," Prefect Cui said, pointing at the wall beside him.

Ji Ning looked.

That painting of a woman—was it actually Nuwa?

"What is depicted here is the supremely benevolent and holy Pangu Goddess Nuwa," Prefect Cui said with reverence. "Since Pangu opened heaven and earth and fell, only Goddess Nuwa has been able to reach Pangu's level. Goddess Nuwa can destroy heaven and also mend it, and even create life. The most intelligent of all races, 'humans,' were created by Goddess Nuwa. She has comprehended eighty-four thousand paths and is the undisputed supreme existence in the Three Realms."

"The highest of the Three Realms?" Ji Ning was stunned.

He had long heard of Nüwa creating humans and mending the heavens in myths and legends.

"This painting is a visualization technique, but you cannot fathom its mysteries," said Lord Cui with a smile. "Although you will obtain visualization techniques when you become a heavenly soldier or general, they will not compare to this wondrous method of mine. I now impart this visualization technique to you, to fulfill the fate between us."

"Thank you, Lord Cui." Ji Ning bowed deeply, nearly touching the ground.

"No need to thank me. It's just a visualization technique, not a cultivation method or an immortal demon secret art." Lord Cui pointed at Ji Ning's brow.

Boom!

Ji Ning felt a thunderous roar in his mind, and a colossal Nüwa appeared within his consciousness.

"Wake up," Lord Cui said, looking at Ji Ning. "Remember, visualize often, and you will surely refine your soul. Of course, you are about to be reborn and must drink Meng Po's soup; your memories will temporarily vanish. When you turn sixteen, you will recall this visualization technique. That will be enough to help you stand out among the heavenly soldiers and generals! This visualization technique merely gives you a bit more chance on the path of immortality. To become a celestial immortal, there are still countless tribulations... I hope you succeed, so that when I ascend to the Heavenly Court, we may meet again."

Ji Ning's heart surged with excitement.

Heavenly soldiers and generals?

Immortality?

How he looked forward to it.

"Go now." Lord Cui waved his hand.

Whoosh.

Ji Ning had vanished.