The Earth God had an incident. This kind of thing was not unheard of. Though he was a deity, he was merely a terrestrial immortal, not particularly powerful. There were quite a few beings in the mortal realm capable of killing an Earth God.
But no matter what, the Earth God was still a deity. Once he died, the Heavenly Court would surely pursue the matter. Especially since the deceased Earth God was in charge of the land of the Great Xia Imperial Capital. There was no way the Heavenly Court wouldn't notice. It had already been several days.
"Was it done by the Black City God?" As soon as Qin Ye spoke, he immediately dismissed the idea.
The Black City God killing the Earth God and his wife was certainly possible, but it shouldn't have been enough to hide it from the Heavenly Court for such a long time.
Moreover, as Qin Ye recalled his conversation with the Black City God, it didn't seem like he was the one who killed the Earth God.
No matter how he thought about it, the only possibility was that something had happened to the Heavenly Court. But what could have happened to the Heavenly Court that even the death of an Earth God left them without time to appoint a new one?
"Could it be that another mythology has invaded?" Qin Ye muttered to himself, speculating.
"If that's the case, which mythology could it be? Heaven? The Greek Olympus?" Unable to figure it out, Qin Ye simply stopped thinking about it.
No matter what had happened to the Heavenly Court, with its vast foundation, it wasn't something for a mortal like him to worry about.
"Forget it, I'll head back first."
He glanced at the time—it was getting late. Instead of making random guesses here, he might as well return to the hotel, take a bath, order some takeout, and watch a pay-per-view movie.
As for the Earth God's death, Qin Ye planned to ask other Earth Gods about it. After all, the Great Xia didn't have just one Earth God in the capital—every piece of land in the country had an Earth God overseeing it.
"The Black City God probably escaped because of the Earth God's death." Qin Ye walked back while opening the map.
"Since I can't find the Earth Goddess of the capital, I'll ask the Earth Gods in other places. I should be able to find out why the Earth God and his wife died and what happened to the Heavenly Court."
While Qin Ye was checking the map to find an Earth God near the capital to inquire about, elsewhere…
———
At a City God Temple in the capital.
In front of the temple hall.
A censer burned with curling incense smoke. Apart from a few worshippers carrying fruit and snacks for offerings, there was also a middle-aged man standing beside the censer.
He wore tattered ancient clothing, and whether it was his attire or his celestial aura, he stood out starkly from the surrounding people. Yet, not a single person paid him any attention.
To be precise, no one could see him.
The Black City God stood right there. He ignored the worshippers around him, only staring intently in Qin Ye's direction. His smiling expression carried a trace of helplessness and a hint of sentiment.
"I thought the Celestial Law Prison could hold you, turns out I was overthinking it."
Even though the Celestial Law Prison had been taken by Qin Ye, the Black City God wasn't angry or anxious. His temper flared only briefly before he quickly regained his composure, once again smiling inscrutably.
"The Celestial Law Prison still isn't enough to deal with you—I need to think of another way…"
As he muttered to himself, he quickly formed a plan in his mind. Unconsciously, he turned his head and looked toward the grand hall of the City God Temple behind him.
His gaze landed on the City God statue standing inside the hall.
As a false god who had killed the City God and stolen his incense offerings, standing now within the City God's domain, even inside his temple, yet the City God had not appeared.
"Not just the Earth God—even the Mountain Gods and City Gods are missing." The Black City God's narrowed eyes flickered with light.
In truth, it wasn't just the 749 Bureau and Qin Ye investigating the Earth God's disappearance—the Black City God was also looking into it. And compared to the 749 Bureau and Qin Ye, as someone who had been imprisoned by the Earth God and his wife, he understood the Earth God's disappearance the best.
That's why, from the moment he escaped the Celestial Law Prison, while his clone searched for the Ghost Empress Yan Zhi, his true self went to investigate the Earth God. Through his investigation, he had long known the Earth God was dead—before the 749 Bureau and Qin Ye.
Moreover, he also learned about the disturbances in the underworld from the Ghost Empress Yan Zhi's emergence from the Ghost Gate.
He had gathered much more information than anyone else. That was why his clone and true self were far apart—so when Qin Ye escaped from the Celestial Law Prison, his clone had not yet reunited with his true self.
While his true self investigated the Earth God's incident, he followed the clues to the mountain-dwelling Mountain Gods and visited the City God Temple, only to find that neither the Mountain Gods nor the City Gods were anywhere to be found.
Upon discovering this, unlike the 749 Bureau, which felt nervous and tense about the disturbances in the underworld and the Earth God's disappearance, the Black City God was all smiles.
"This is quite a favorable situation."
He was a divine criminal wanted by the Heavenly Court. Now that both the Heavenly Court and the underworld were too occupied to deal with him, it was only good news for him. He no longer had to worry about being hunted by the Heavenly Court or the underworld.
He could act recklessly, doing whatever he pleased. Or rather, he could now use any means necessary to strengthen himself, without worrying about interference from the Heavenly Court or the underworld.
Thinking of this, the Black City God took a deep breath. Instantly, the curling incense smoke from the censer beside him was sucked into his mouth. He slowly exhaled.
"There are probably no more clues to be found in the mortal realm. I need to visit the underworld to figure out the truth. This might be my chance—it might also be my chance to kill that damned guy."
With the Earth God dead, the Mountain Gods and City Gods missing, and the Ghost Empress running rampant in the mortal realm with no one guarding the Ghost Gate, along with the Ten Yama Halls Seal in her possession, he had reason to believe that the number of deities dead in the Heavenly Court and underworld was not just the Earth God—there were likely more, possibly even some of the Ten Yama Kings.
As this thought crossed his mind, the Black City God's smile grew even wider. He softly muttered a phrase, "A whale falls, all things thrive."
Just as he said, a whale, as a dominant force in the ocean, creates massive ripple effects upon its death, bringing growth and prosperity to countless marine creatures.
Deities were the same—the dominant beings among all spirits. Their deaths would also bring massive ripple effects, presenting great opportunities for others.
The Ghost Empress Yan Zhi obtaining the Ten Yama Halls Seal was the best proof of this.
The Black City God did not want to miss such an opportunity. Once he decided, he acted.
He stepped into the City God Temple and, without anyone noticing, replaced the City God's statue with his own incense-receiving effigy.
While investigating the Earth God's disappearance, he hadn't been idle—he had already replaced quite a few City God statues. Now, seeing that this temple's City God was also missing, he wasted no time taking action.
Then, he left, heading straight for the underworld.
———
Meanwhile…
In the largest uninhabited mountain area near Fengdu County, the Ghost Empress Yan Zhi chose this place as her base.
———
At the same time, that very night…
The 749 Bureau received Guan Xinghe's report, confirming the Earth God's death, the Heavenly Court's turmoil, and the underworld's chaos. A series of urgent orders were issued.
Vehicles heading to the "Hell Abyss" accelerated their journey. Onboard were the cultivators recruited for the mission. The 749 Bureau, preparing for the coming crisis, expedited its plans.
———
Simultaneously…
Elsewhere in Great Xia, undercurrents surged.
Ancient sects such as the Maoshan Sect, the Shenxiao Sect, and the Longhu Sect, as well as hidden great demons and reclusive cultivators, all took notice.
The disappearances of the Mountain Gods and City Gods could no longer be concealed.
The butterfly effect began.
As time passed, the hidden tides rose.
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/ZenonTL
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.