Daxia, Fengdu County.
At this moment, laughter came suddenly, causing the Ghost Empress Yan Zhi to stop in her tracks and look towards the source of the sound.
On the other side of Yue Wang, about eight or nine meters away, there stood a stone lion statue. Perched atop the lion's head was a man squatting, watching the Ghost Empress Yan Zhi with a smiling expression.
The man was dressed in ancient Chinese attire. Although the clothing was tattered from the passage of time, the intricate patterns and chaotic golden threads on the fabric indicated that this was not something an ordinary person in ancient times could afford. It was undoubtedly the garb of someone of high status.
Noticing Yue Wang's gaze upon him, the man's eyes shifted slightly, casting a sidelong glance at Yue Wang before adding casually, "Having been locked away for so long, I see there are quite a few powerful individuals outside now."
"Who are you?" Yue Wang's tone was deep, showing no sign of delight at the man's praise. Instead, he remained wary, his expression solemn.
Though he did not know who the man before him was, he felt a deep unease from him—on par with the Ghost Empress. Moreover, he did not recognize the man, making him an unknown figure of great concern.
'Just great—when it rains, it pours.'
He had yet to deal with the Ghost Empress, who had escaped from the Gates of Hell, and now another formidable target had appeared.
Furthermore, facing this man, Yue Wang felt an inherent sense of unease.
As a Buddhist disciple steeped in yang energy, he was highly sensitive to evil. Though the Ghost Empress exuded an eerie chill, it was not overwhelmingly uncomfortable.
But the man before him was different. Every inch of his being radiated a sinister, bone-chilling aura.
Yue Wang was certain. This man was an unrepentant executioner, and the number of souls who had perished at his hands was surely not small.
"Me?"
The man stood up from the stone lion statue, about to speak, when the Ghost Empress's voice cut in first.
"Black City God, you escaped from the Celestial Laws Prison?"
Upon hearing these words, Yue Wang's heart skipped a beat. 'Celestial Laws Prison?
That name sounded familiar.
The next second, as his memories of the Celestial Laws Prison resurfaced, his face changed dramatically.
At that moment, the man, resembling a noble from the underworld, smiled faintly. "Whether I escaped or not, you should already know the answer."
He ignored the Ghost Empress and Yue Wang, instead focusing on the wide-open Gates of Hell in the distance. His smile deepened.
"It seems my guess was correct. My escape from the Celestial Laws Prison was no accident."
Yue Wang listened to his words with an utterly confused expression.
However, the Ghost Empress's body trembled slightly.
"It's not just the Underworld—has the Heavenly Court also been affected?"
Even though her expression was obscured beneath her red veil, the astonishment in her tone made it clear.
At this moment, the man known as the Black City God grinned.
"Oh? Judging from your words, you weren't aware that something had happened in the Heavenly Court? What a pity—I was hoping you could tell me what's going on. But I can share a little of what I know."
Drawing out his words, he deliberately spoke slowly, pausing for effect.
"The two old women guarding me left in a hurry. They rushed off as if something urgent had happened."
Then the Black City God smirked.
"Since I've shared what I know, I wonder—our esteemed Ghost Empress Yan Zhi—would you be willing to share some information about the Underworld? For example… why didn't the Underworld stop you? How did they just let you walk out of the Gates of Hell?"
His words received no immediate response from the Ghost Empress. She simply stood there. It was unclear if she was processing the information he had given or contemplating something else.
"Hmm, seems like you don't want to share. The mighty Ghost Empress, so stingy?"
The Black City God took a step forward, descending lightly from the stone lion statue. His movements were as graceful as an immortal, his toes barely touching the ground.
Despite his overwhelming evil aura, his mannerisms were almost ethereal—an intriguing paradox of righteousness and wickedness coexisting seamlessly.
At that moment, the Ghost Empress Yan Zhi finally spoke.
"You are not worthy of my sharing."
"What a harsh thing to say. We're both specters of the netherworld, part of the same camp. Why can't we exchange a little information between allies?"
"Do not lump this king in with the likes of you." The Ghost Empress's voice was chilling, and even her self-address shifted to one of regal authority.
From her tone and the current situation, Yue Wang could tell that the two were not allies—quite the opposite. The Ghost Empress Yan Zhi seemed to loathe the Black City God with a deep-seated disgust, unwilling to be associated with him.
"Don't be so hostile." The Black City God remained unfazed, his grin unwavering.
"It's been a thousand years, and you're still as cold as ever—to everyone except your dear husband."
He waved his hand dismissively and chuckled. "Never mind, I wasn't expecting you to answer anyway. I'll give you the time it takes to drink a cup of tea—tell me where your damn husband is, or else…"
Boom!
The Ghost Empress Yan Zhi erupted with fury.
Yue Wang flinched in surprise. He hadn't expected her to attack so suddenly, launching herself at the Black City God.
However, he quickly understood—he wasn't foolish. The Black City God's words, "your damn husband," had clearly struck a nerve. Given how the Ghost Empress had spoken of her husband before, full of love and reverence, how could she tolerate someone insulting him? Let alone threatening to kill him.
In an instant, the Ghost Empress Yan Zhi clashed with the Black City God.
Unlike her fight with Yue Wang, where both had held back somewhat—leaving room for negotiation—this battle was different.
There was no room for reconciliation between these two. The Ghost Empress Yan Zhi wanted him dead, torn to shreds.
Their battle erupted with terrifying intensity. The ferocity surpassed even her previous fight with Yue Wang.
"What do we do now?" The two guardians approached Yue Wang.
At this moment, Yue Wang found himself momentarily sidelined. Yue Wang remained silent for a moment, not rushing into action. Instead, he asked, "Do you know who the Black City God is?"
He didn't immediately intervene in the battle. The situation had spiraled beyond his expectations. He had originally come to prevent spirits from escaping through the Gates of Hell. Even if he couldn't eliminate them, he could at least hold them back until reinforcements from the Underworld arrived.
But from the exchange between the Ghost Empress and the Black City God, he realized the situation was far worse than he had assumed.
It seemed the spirits escaping wasn't due to negligence or dereliction of duty.
Something had happened to the Underworld.
Because of this, he chose not to act hastily. He planned to observe the situation further before making a decision.
After all, neither the Ghost Empress Yan Zhi, who had escaped from the Gates of Hell, nor the Black City God, who had broken free from the Celestial Laws Prison, were benevolent beings.
"I think I've heard of the Black City God before." The one who spoke was an elder guardian—one with more experience than even Yue Wang.
"Tell me what you know." Yue Wang spoke while keeping his gaze locked on the battle between the Ghost Empress and the Black City God, ready to step in at any moment.
He then turned to the other guardian and ordered, "Report everything here to headquarters. Have them check the archives for records on the Ghost Empress Yan Zhi and the Black City God."
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