Qin had left.
He had departed from Fengdu City.
Or rather, King Qin had assumed his post.
The Underworld had been transformed by Qing Xuan into ten regions.
The newly appointed King Qin journeyed to the Eastern Region, where a palace awaited him, his future abode.
It was also the place of his enfeoffment, where he would govern a territory.
Qing Xuan had turned the powerful beings painstakingly nurtured by Ghost Ancestor into his own vassals, akin to a feudal system. He was the great sect, and all future powerful beings of the ghost path would become his lesser sects.
Even as a peak-level powerful being, Ghost Ancestor did not possess absolutely loyal subordinates.
Once one became a powerful being, they naturally possessed pride and would not be loyal like a slave. Furthermore, Qing Xuan had severed the ties of command between Ghost Ancestor and the powerful beings of the ghost path.
Ghost Ancestor was helpless, but before the Underworld could fully mature, he could only reside in the Netherworld and still had to give Qing Xuan some respect.
Qing Xuan also showed him courtesy; even though Qin had become King Qin, he had not demanded an oath of loyalty to the Underworld from Ghost Ancestor.
Ghost Ancestor and the Nether Lord were inseparable; their fates were intertwined, an irresistible force.
Though a rift had formed between them, they were still on the same path.
And thus, the name Nether Lord spread amongst all ghost cultivators, no longer obscure.
Upon their return, the eighteen malevolent ghosts were kept, along with over a hundred lesser ghosts.
A grand and solemn palace was erected, ancient and desolate, its main plaque read: Nether Lord Palace.
Behind Nether Lord Palace was Three Lives, and beside the Stone of Three Lives was the Nether Lord. The eighteen malevolent ghosts were appointed as eighteen Ghost Kings, remaining in the palace to cultivate. The hundred lesser ghosts were at their beck and call, serving them, while Black and White Impermanence conveyed the Nether Lord's decrees.
This was Qing Xuan's deliberate elevation of the Xie and Fan brothers.
Though the Nether Lord was absent from the palace, his authority permeated it.
While the Nether Lord did not directly interfere in the affairs of the Underworld, his will was evident everywhere.
One day, Qing Xuan summoned Black and White Impermanence.
Qing Xuan smiled at them and said, "From now on, I need to enter a period of seclusion and slumber. You two must cultivate diligently and manage the affairs of the palace for me. Remember not to become arrogant due to favor."
Black and White Impermanence were both shocked and exclaimed, "My Lord, if the Underworld is without your oversight, how dare we act?"
"Heh heh, with the authority I have bestowed upon you, besides Ghost Ancestor, who else in the Underworld can harm you? Rest assured," Qing Xuan said with a smile, "Of course, if you encounter matters beyond your control, you may seek help from my true form. Though my countenance is cold, my heart is warm."
Black and White Impermanence knelt in gratitude, saying, "Thank you, my Lord, for your trust. We will not fail you."
Qing Xuan nodded and smiled, saying, "In the Primordial World, even a Golden Immortal Venerable has their pride, let alone a Taiyi powerful being?
But you two are rare and precious, loyal in serving your master. Though you have pride, it is only directed outwards. This is why I value you.
Although you are weak now, I have already arranged your future path. Becoming a Great Luo Golden Immortal is also within reach!"
Upon hearing this, Black and White Impermanence were overjoyed. If they were not ghosts, tears would have already streamed down their faces. They bowed their heads, saying, "The Nether Lord's grace, Black and White Impermanence shall repay for eternity!"
"Alright, you may go."
"Yes, subordinates bid farewell!"
Qing Xuan let out a soft laugh, walked to the Stone of Three Lives, and sat down cross-legged, saying, "It can begin!"
To the East, atop Jianmu.
Qing Ling smiled faintly and said, "Thank you for your hard work."
Qing Xuan, far away in the Netherworld, shook his head and laughed, "The Underworld is temporarily free of internal strife, I have made all arrangements.
Now I can be lazy and sleep well. The great tribulation is approaching, and this most dangerous moment is also an opportunity. I hope that when I awaken, you will have become a peak expert."
Qing Ling smiled and said, "I hope so. Let us begin."
"Let us begin."
Qing Ling's primordial spirit detached, floating above his head. A long bridge of time was erected, and infinite Taiyin bright light flowed across it.
At one end of the bridge was Qing Ling.
At the other end of the bridge was Qing Xuan.
Within the flow of time, there was the passage of time, the essence of the Great Dao of Time.
The heavens were wide, and the earth was vast; a bridge spanned both ends.
A figure in white stood on the west of the bridge, and a figure in green stood on the east.
The white-robed figure was on the earth, the green-robed figure was in the sky.
Time began to flow, and time began to reverse.
The future carried the future, and the present carried the present.
Heaven and earth at that time were the present, and the current world was the world of the present.
The grand flow of time in the world now drove the small flow of Qing Ling's personal time.
One east, one west; one going, one coming.
The Heavenly Dao did not perceive, Hong Jun did not perceive, and the Lord of Light and Shadow on the Taiyin Star did not perceive.
The immense magical power, Dao power, within the physical bodies of the powerful beings of heaven and earth slowly flowed from west to east with the passage of time, rising from the earth and ascending to the heavens.
You are my past life, I am your present life; across the ages, we are one.
Under the name Daoist Qing Xuan, his initial self was a future incarnation, named Qing Luo.
The vast magical power, auspicious clouds, and Dao power of the powerful beings of heaven and earth all flowed into Qing Ling's body along with the passage of time through the ages.
In the East Wilderness, Jianmu in Dugguang began to tremble with a rumbling sound. Its dormant limbs began to grow again, growing vigorously. Day by day, year by year.
The branches of Jianmu rapidly ascended from the thirteenth heaven. After ascending for ten thousand years and more, it reached the height of the fourteenth heaven.
After another eighty thousand years of growth, it rose ten thousand feet daily, its height surpassing the heavens, its depth exceeding the earth, a great tree standing between heaven and earth.
The tremors in Dugguang lasted for a full one hundred and twenty thousand years, nearly one Yuan Hui.
At some point, living beings in the Southern and Northern Wildernesses looked up at the rising sun and discovered a tree in the eastern sky, incredibly tall.
Even across mountains and rivers, beings in the southwestern region of the Primordial World could see it.
All beings learned that in the distant East stood Jianmu, soaring into the clouds, a tree that could be climbed to reach the heavens.
Its form resembled a pillar, hence living beings also called it the Pillar of Heaven.
Only beings in the West could not see the Pillar of Heaven, as it was separated by the Undeterred Divine Mountain.
Unless the mountain collapsed, or the Pillar of Heaven was even taller than Undeterred, beings in the West would not be able to see it.
Among the beings of the East, they discovered that the divine tree, which had existed since ancient times, had become taller and larger, as if it were the center of heaven and earth, holding up the sky and the earth.
Below Jianmu, the Great Luo of the Yangyu tribe, Hao, felt the world become heavier. The power of suppression he received became stronger.
At this point, Jianmu, compared to twelve thousand years ago, bore the weight of four more heavens, a total of seventeen heavens' worth of weight, which even peak powerful beings would find difficult to resist.
After all, twenty heavens in cultivation did not equate to being able to withstand the weight of twenty heavens in the Primordial World!
In the Underworld, amidst a sea of shore flowers, a Daoist in white sat in meditation, eternally seated beside the Stone of Three Lives, indifferent to the myriad of worldly affairs.
On Jianmu, Qing Ling's auspicious clouds above his head were no longer only thirty thousand li wide?
Forty-eight thousand auspicious clouds rose through the heavens, myriad red threads traversed the golden bells above the clouds, ten divine sky lamps illuminated every expanse of auspicious clouds, an ancient umbrella leisurely shaded the blooming green lotuses, displaying the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. A long bridge spanned the flowing river of time. Great Wind Novel Network.
Qing Ling murmured to himself, "Seventeen heavens, and still three short."
Sacrificing the magical power and Dao power of his future self to augment the cultivation and realm of his true self was the greatest advantage of his self-created Three Lives Dao.
And the realization of this advantage required an impetus: the reversal of time!
However, the Great Dao of Time was dominated by Hong Jun, who was beyond reach.
Therefore, Qing Ling retreated to pursue the Great Dao of Time. This was why he had not hesitated to spend eleven Yuan Hui just to ascend the mountain.