Chapter 154 Do You Want to Build a Heavenly Court and an Underworld?

After flying out of the Miaofeng Mountain headquarters, Ziwei had traveled less than ten minutes toward the west-south when he noticed a strip of dark clouds rapidly spreading toward his direction ahead.

The dark cloud was about ten zhang in diameter, filled with flashes of lightning and rumbling thunder, with faint golden light flickering within. Bean-sized raindrops fell ceaselessly, creating a localized linear rainstorm.

Ziwei hovered in mid-air, releasing the formidable aura of a mid-stage Core Formation grand cultivator without holding anything back. He then took a deep breath and said in a resonant voice, "Halt, Divine Dragon."

True to his word, the dark cloud stopped a dozen zhang away from him, ceasing its forward advance.

The next moment, the golden light within the dark cloud blazed brilliantly before subsiding.

Ziwei wore a friendly smile on his face, though he was secretly on high alert.

He did not know the origins or intentions of this divine dragon, nor what attitude it held toward humans.

Judging from the aura it emitted, it possessed a cultivation realm equivalent to the Core Formation stage, so he naturally dared not let his guard down.

After a few breaths, a human figure appeared within the dark cloud. As the figure moved forward, its form gradually became clear. It—or rather, he—walked out from the dark cloud and came to a stop three zhang away from Ziwei.

Clearly, the divine dragon only condensed clouds and rain automatically when maintaining its true dragon form; once it transformed into a human shape, it no longer possessed this characteristic.

Moreover, the true form was much faster in flight than the human form, which was why the divine dragon had maintained its true form while traveling.

When Ziwei clearly saw the other party's appearance, even with his usual composure, a look of astonishment could not help but appear on his face.

What he saw was a young man wearing the pristine uniform of the Zixiao Heavenly Group, possessing striking, handsome features and a free, easy, and calm demeanor.

That was not the main point. The main point was that Ziwei discovered his appearance bore an eight-tenths resemblance to Li Yunfei, as if they were biological brothers.

The man transformed from the divine dragon was likewise secretly guarding against Ziwei. With a bland expression and little emotion, he asked flatly, "Why does Your Excellency block my path?"

Ziwei smiled gently and said, "Ahead lies the capital, an area of vital importance to the human race. May I ask where the divine dragon is heading?"

The divine dragon replied, "I am heading to the capital to pay a visit to an old friend."

Ziwei's gaze flickered slightly as he tentatively probed, "I wield some influence in the capital, and I am acquainted with virtually all cultivators of any standing. I wonder which high personage the divine dragon wishes to visit?"

"Oh?" The divine dragon cautiously asked, "May I ask who Your Excellency is?"

Ziwei answered, "Qin Chuan, leader of the Great Xia cultivation organization Zixiao. They all call me Ziwei."

Upon hearing this, the divine dragon's eyes lit up. All vigilance vanished from him, and a faint smile appeared on his face. He cupped his fists and said, "So it is the leader of Zixiao. Forgive my lack of respect. The person I wish to visit is none other than Elder Chenlong of Zixiao."

A flash of "as expected" crossed Ziwei's eyes. Maintaining a calm expression, he cupped his fists in return and said, "The divine dragon shares an eight-tenths likeness with Elder Chenlong. Might I ask what relationship the two of you share?"

The divine dragon's smile widened slightly as he said, "Leader, please do not misunderstand. The two of us are not related by blood; rather, Elder Chenlong has shown great kindness to me. My arrival here today is precisely to pledge my loyalty to him."

Joy surged in Ziwei's heart, though he did not entirely trust these words yet. Right in front of the dragon, he took out his mobile phone and called Guo Qilin, asking her to inform Li Yunfei to make a trip here.

After hanging up, Ziwei said to the divine dragon, "This matter is of great importance. Please do not take offense, Divine Dragon."

The divine dragon replied openly, "It is no matter."

The two waited for a moment. Before the dark clouds had even dissipated, a streak of lightning came shooting across the sky from the north.

Seeing this, the divine dragon's spirits lifted. Feeling the overwhelming might emitted by that streak of lightning, he felt secretly humbled.

He had not expected that after successfully transforming into a dragon and condensing a dragon pearl within his body, his cultivation realm would leap across a major boundary—soaring from the peak of Spirit Awakening directly to early Core Formation—yet he could still feel such a heavy sense of oppression from this person.

He remembered that when the man had bestowed his enlightenment upon him, he had done so in the name of "a human Core Formation grand cultivator." Thus, his cultivation realm was undoubtedly at the late Core Formation stage.

The divine dragon had originally been a snake demon. Before meeting Li Yunfei, in order to understand humankind and find a suitable target to bestow enlightenment upon him, he had frequently sneaked into villages at night and secretly spied through villagers' windows.

By sheer coincidence, he had thus encountered television and learned much human knowledge from it, including the classification system of human cultivators, which gave him a decent understanding of these matters.

The streak of lightning shot to Ziwei's side, and Li Yunfei's figure materialized as the lightning dissipated.

Ziwei nodded at him and said, "You're here! This is the divine dragon, and he came looking for you."

Li Yunfei looked at the divine dragon, sizing him up from head to toe. Seeing that he had transformed into this appearance and specifically stated he was looking for him, how could he have any remaining doubts?

Right away, he asked the divine dragon, "It's you, right?"

Li Yunfei's question came out of nowhere. Ziwei was baffled, but the divine dragon understood his meaning, smiling and nodding as he replied, "It is me."

Li Yunfei sighed with emotion. "I didn't expect you to truly succeed. The journey must have been extremely perilous, right?"

The divine dragon reminisced with lingering fear, "Perilous is an understatement; it was a brush with death nine times out of ten. Because of that, the moment I succeeded, my gratitude toward you was all the greater."

Li Yunfei smiled faintly and asked, "What are your plans for the future?"

The divine dragon answered, "My coming here this time is to repay the kindness of making me who I am today."

With that, he cupped his fists, knelt on one knee, and said solemnly, "I am willing to follow my lord and render my utmost service."

Li Yunfei laughed and shook his head. He stepped forward to help him up and teased, "Where on earth did you learn all this? You're playing the part quite convincingly."

The divine dragon grinned and said, "From television, a TV series called *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*."

Speechless, Li Yunfei patted his shoulder and said, "Alright then! You can stay with me from now on, but don't say anything about following or rendering service."

"You are the Divine Dragon, and I am Chenlong. Meeting each other is also a form of destiny. Let us be friends and brothers, not master and servant. What do you think?"

The divine dragon gazed at Li Yunfei for a moment before finally breaking into a warm smile and nodding. "Very well, we shall be friends and brothers, not master and servant."

Satisfied, Li Yunfei nodded and asked, "What is your name?"

The divine dragon replied, "I haven't given myself a name yet. Why don't you give me one?"

Li Yunfei thought for a moment and said, "Ao Jin, styled Yunlong. How does that name sound?"

"Yunlong, a dragon entering the clouds—what a fine name." The divine dragon's eyes lit up, and he said with heartfelt admiration, "Wonderful, I shall be called Ao Jin, Ao Yunlong."

Li Yunfei cupped his fists and greeted, "Brother Yunlong."

Ao Jin likewise cupped his fists and greeted, "Brother Yunfei."

After exchanging formal greetings, the two looked at each other and smiled.

Ao Jin knew that the dragon clan usually bore the surname Ao. Since he had evolved from a black-browed non-venomous snake, giving him this name not only affirmed his identity as part of the dragon clan but also served as a reminder not to forget his origins.

Once a person forgot where they came from, they easily lost their minds and did inappropriate things.

Just like Ji Caiyun; she had forgotten what she truly was and draped the glory of the Nine Phoenixes over herself, which was why she developed that inexplicable arrogance.

It was not until today, after being battered by Honghong and receiving a stern wake-up call from Li Yunfei, that she finally realized she was not the Nine Phoenixes, nor even a nine-headed pheasant.

She began to learn to face herself squarely and put her position and mindset in the right place.

In reality, many people walked out of rural villages, only to start looking down on rural folk once they became city dwellers.

This was a classic case of forgetting one's roots—forgetting where one came from, and having no idea where one was going.

Judging by Ao Jin's demeanor, he was clearly a self-aware person who possessed a clear grasp of reality, so such a situation was unlikely to occur with him.

Li Yunfei did not mention Ao Jin's origins or the process of how they met in front of Ziwei, nor did he explain exactly what kindness he had shown the dragon. This was out of consideration for Ao Jin's dignity, ensuring others would not learn his true background and look down upon him.

However, while Li Yunfei gave him face, Ao Jin himself could not truly regard himself as some noble, high-and-mighty divine dragon.

In truth, had Li Yunfei not been a dignified Core Formation grand cultivator, if someone else had bestowed enlightenment upon him, he might not have completed his transformation within a little over a month, let alone directly turned into a five-clawed golden dragon.

If the person bestowing enlightenment had been an ordinary person or a low-tier cultivator, he would most likely have turned into a four-clawed black dragon or yellow dragon, which would only have been slightly better than a jiao dragon or a carp that leapt over the dragon gate to become a three-clawed dragon.

Li Yunfei turned to look at Ziwei and said, "Back then, he..."

"Ah..." Ziwei raised a hand to cut him off and smiled, "Everyone has a past they prefer not to share with others. If they don't wish to mention it, then we won't mention it. I won't pry for the bottom of it."

"Otherwise, how much of what you say would be true and how much false? Rather than listening to half-truths, it is better to ask nothing at all. You only need to tell me whether he is a friend or an enemy."

Both Li Yunfei and Ao Jin laughed. Interacting with someone who was both intelligent and emotionally astute was a great pleasure.

Li Yunfei turned his head toward Ao Jin and asked, "Well?"

Ao Jin smiled. "A remarkable person. I believe working under his command will be quite pleasant."

Li Yunfei chuckled, looked back at Ziwei, and said earnestly, "He is my good friend, my good brother, and he will also be a most capable commander in Zixiao."

Ziwei nodded, extended his right hand to Ao Jin, and smiled warmly, "Welcome to Zixiao, Comrade Yunlong."

Ao Jin reached out and shook his hand, smiling, "Please offer me your guidance, Comrade Ziwei."

The three of them looked at each other and burst into a hearty laugh.

...

In the assembly hall.

After Li Yunfei left, the crowd waited for about a quarter of an hour before Ziwei led Li Yunfei and another person—who bore an eight-tenths resemblance to Li Yunfei—into the hall.

Everyone rose from their seats to greet Ziwei, and then cast curious gazes toward Ao Jin.

Wearing a gentle smile, Ziwei waved a hand to signal the crowd and walked onto the podium accompanied by Li Yunfei and Ao Jin.

Li Yunfei was pondering where Ao Jin should sit when he saw Ziwei lead Ao Jin to the center of the podium. Figuring Ziwei must have his own arrangements, Li Yunfei calmly returned to his seat.

Zhang Ziying, sitting right behind him, looked at Ao Jin, then turned back and was about to ask Li Yunfei something when Li Yunfei's voice echoed in her ear via sound transmission: "He is that checkered keelback snake, but from now on, you must forget that fact."

"Do not mention his origins to anyone or leak his background. He is a dragon—a Great Xia divine dragon from the South China Sea. Do you understand my meaning?"

Zhang Ziying's gaze flickered slightly. Understanding instantly, she gave a soft "Mn."

"Apologies for keeping everyone waiting. Let me introduce a new comrade to all of you."

Ziwei gestured toward Ao Jin and said, "This comrade's surname is Ao, his given name is Jin, and his style name is Yunlong. He hails from the South China Sea. As for his background and origins, I presume Qilin has already briefed everyone earlier today."

"Today is the joyous occasion of Comrade Yunlong breaking through his cultivation bottleneck. He has successfully condensed a dragon pearl within his belly, achieving the status of a Core Formation grand cultivator. Because of his prior ties with Elder Chenlong, he has voluntarily joined Zixiao."

At this point, Ziwei paused before continuing, "I propose appointing Comrade Yunlong as one of the Twelve Earthly Branch Elders. I will give everyone three minutes to discuss this, after which we will hold a vote."

As Ziwei's voice fell, the Heavenly Stem Venerables and Earthly Branch Elders on the stage, along with the high-ranking officials in the seating area, began exchanging glances with one another.

Though everyone's lips moved, their expressions shifted, and they occasionally nodded, not a single sound echoed through the hall. Clearly, everyone was communicating and discussing via sound transmission.

This was an established rule of Zixiao's meetings: whenever a topic of discussion involved a specific individual, the deliberation was conducted entirely in private.

This was to prevent any remarks that might make the person in question feel uncomfortable from reaching their ears, thereby safeguarding internal unity.

Daoist Yuling asked Celestial Master Zhang, "Brother Daoist, what are your thoughts?"

Celestial Master Zhang replied, "Zixiao has always traditionally granted outsider races the honorary title of Elder. If we rashly appoint him as an Earthly Branch Elder, might it provoke dissatisfaction among the younger generation? What do you think?"

Daoist Yuling said, "I do not see it that way. After all, the dragon clan is different from other demon kinds and holds special significance for Great Xia."

"The cultural development of our Great Xia is practically inextricably linked with the dragon; every Great Xia person considers themselves a descendant of the dragon."

"In other words, the dragon clan cannot truly be considered an outsider race. I see no issue with appointing a genuine member of the dragon clan as an Earthly Branch Elder."

Celestial Master Zhang countered, "What about Tushan Honghong? She is also a Core Formation grand cultivator, and the Tushan clan shares a profound relationship with our human race as well—her ancestor was the wife of our human ancestor. Even she is merely an honorary elder. Treating them so unequally doesn't seem quite right, does it?"

Daoist Yuling smiled faintly. "Did you not notice? This divine dragon has a profound connection with Elder Chenlong. Perhaps Elder Tushan won't mind at all."

Celestial Master Zhang asked, "So, Brother Daoist, your view is that we should agree?"

Daoist Yuling chuckled, "How you decide is your own affair. I intend to agree; after all, this is Ziwei's proposal, and I estimate the chances of it passing are very high."

Celestial Master Zhang said, "Very well then! I understand."

The discussions among the officials in the seating area were much the same. They all believed that the dragon clan was distinct from other demon kinds and could not be lumped in together.

The emergence of the divine dragon from the sea had been witnessed by many ordinary citizens, and the state would certainly have to provide an explanation for it sooner or later.

Given the reverence Great Xia people held for dragons, having a true member of the dragon clan serve as an elder in Zixiao would carry extraordinary significance for the citizens and greatly benefit the enhancement of national cohesion.

Three minutes later, Ziwei spoke, "Time is up. We will now vote by a show of hands. Those in favor of Comrade Yunlong assuming the position of Earthly Branch Elder, please raise your hands."

The moment his voice dropped, the Heavenly Stem Venerables and Earthly Branch Elders raised their hands almost simultaneously, followed closely by their assistants behind them.

This was the second purpose of the assistants: they possessed voting rights as well, which meant the Venerables and Elders effectively held two votes—a sort of privilege or unspoken rule.

However, calculated by total head count, this extra vote did not actually play a decisive role and could not completely sway the voting results.

Still, the stance of the Venerables and Elders often represented the attitude of the sects they belonged to.

Since only a small fraction of the officials in the seating area hailed from sects while the majority came from the military, the fairness of the assembly hall was well-guaranteed.

There was no need for a manual vote count; a simple sweep of spiritual perception allowed everyone to calculate the tally clearly.

This time, Ziwei's proposal passed unanimously. Witnessing this, Ao Jin felt deeply gratified, and his sense of belonging to Zixiao increased substantially.

A smile appeared on Ziwei's face as he said, "Very well, please put your hands down. The results are out: the motion for Comrade Yunlong to assume the post of Earthly Branch Elder has passed unanimously."

"It seems everyone holds a welcoming attitude toward Comrade Yunlong's joining us. Now, let us invite Elder Yunlong to say a few words."

*Clatter...*

Warm applause erupted throughout the hall, and Ao Jin cupped his fists, bowing in a circle toward those on the stage and in the audience.

When he lowered his hands, the applause ceased on cue. Ao Jin said sincerely, "Thank you, comrades, for your recognition of Ao Jin. I am deeply moved. At this moment, I have thousands of words I wish to say, yet I know not where to begin."

Pausing for a moment, Ao Jin continued with deep emotion, "Since ancient times, my dragon clan has forged an unbreakable bond with the human race."

"During the Battle of Zhuolu, the dragon clan's ancestor, the divine dragon Yinglong, assisted our human ancestor the Yellow Emperor in defeating Chi You, establishing the brilliant Huaxia civilization. It can be said that this Huaxia civilization bears a portion of the dragon clan's dedication and effort."

"Later, when the land of Huaxia was threatened by floods, the dragon clan's ancestor joined hands with King Yu of Xia to tame the waters and bring blessings to the multitudes. Our two races cooperated closely, working hand in hand to weather those difficult ancient years."

"Afterwards, due to unknown reasons, heaven and earth underwent a drastic transformation, spiritual energy withered, and the dragon clan suddenly vanished without a trace from this land we so dearly loved."

"I know not whence I came, and I spent an unknown number of years in a daze. Yet ever since I gained sentience two years ago, I have known precisely where I must go."

With that, Ao Jin cupped his fists once more and stated, "Ao Jin desires nothing more than to inherit the aspirations of our ancient dragon ancestors, to join hands once again with the human race, and to forge new achievements and create brilliant glories for our Huaxia civilization."

Having spoken, he bowed deeply.

*Clatter, clatter...*

Applause far warmer than before rang out in the hall, mixed with overlapping cheers of approval.

Seeing this, Ziwei was thoroughly satisfied. Ao Jin's words were entirely appropriate; they not only expressed his stance and determination but also brought the two races closer together—truly excellent.

Though Li Yunfei and Zhang Ziying wore slightly strange expressions, they were inwardly nodding in agreement, surprised at how articulate this fellow was.

When the applause died down, Ziwei looked warmly at Ao Jin and said, "Ordinarily, given Comrade Yunlong's identity, the most fitting title for him would be Chenlong. However, since the position of Elder Chenlong is already occupied, we shall move down the sequence to Sisi (Snake). Does Elder Yunlong have any objections?"

"I have no objections. I will obey the organization's arrangements." Since Ao Jin was originally a snake demon, the title of Elder Sisi could not be more fitting, so how could he possibly object?

Besides, this was merely a title; the key lay in what it represented, not the title itself.

"Very well, then please take your seat, Elder Yunlong!" Ziwei gestured toward the empty space between Li Yunfei and He Ming.

Guo Qilin tactfully stepped forward to pull out a chair for Ao Jin. Expressing his thanks, Ao Jin sat down between Li Yunfei and He Ming.

He Ming nodded amicably at him, and Ao Jin returned the gesture with a smile and a nod.

After settling Ao Jin, Ziwei and Guo Qilin each returned to their own seats.

Yan Hexiang, serving as the meeting's host, stepped out from the side of the podium. Standing at the flank, he said solemnly, "The second plenary high-level management meeting of Zixiao is now officially underway. Will everyone please rise."

"Swish."

Everyone stood up.

"We will now proceed with the first agenda item: everyone will sing the national anthem together."

Yan Hexiang paused after saying this, then started the tune: "Arise... Ready... Sing."

"Arise..."

This song, which the people of Great Xia had been singing for over a hundred years, remained as stirring and blood-boiling as ever whenever it was sung.

With the national anthem concluded, everyone resumed their seats.

"We will now proceed with the second agenda item: the heads of various regional branches, combat regiments, and cultivation academies will report on the development of their respective departments this year."

Right away, the officials in the seating area began reporting on their branch developments from left to right. The main contents included the cultivation levels of their members, actions taken within their jurisdictions, the number of awakened individuals and rogue cultivators discovered and recruited, and major supernatural events that had occurred.

Overall, Zixiao's development this year had taken a giant leap forward, with its overall strength increasing almost exponentially.

The average cultivation level of official members had risen dramatically, and their numbers had grown significantly—surging from the 31,000-plus members announced when spiritual energy recovery first began, pushing close to the milestone of 50,000.

All trainees with Grade-A aptitude had essentially broken through the Light-Opening and Spirit-Refining realms, completing their academy training and becoming official Zixiao members.

Even trainees with top-tier Grade-A aptitude and some mid-tier Grade-A aptitude had reached the mid-to-late stages of the Light-Opening realm.

Within a month, Grade-B aptitude trainees would also graduate smoothly. By then, the number of official Zixiao members would experience a large-scale surge, surpassing 100,000.

However, the Grade-C aptitude trainees, who formed the largest base, were also expected to graduate entirely within three months due to a special reason.

In other words, three months from now, the number of official Zixiao members would exceed 200,000.

This special reason was the sign appearing across various parts of Great Xia indicating that ancient grotto-heaven relics were about to open.

Before an ancient grotto-heaven relic officially opened, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within and around its perimeter would experience an eruptive, geyser-like surge.

The concentration of spiritual energy there would be a dozen or even dozens of times that of ordinary blessed lands; cultivating in such surroundings for a day was equivalent to cultivating for over a month at the academy.

Therefore, during the period when Zhang Ziying was cultivating with Li Yunfei back in his hometown, the various academies had already arranged for trainees to undergo "field training," hauling all the students out to cultivate around the ancient grotto-heaven relics.

It could be said that over this past month, Zhang Ziying had not actually enjoyed any distinct advantage in cultivation speed.

The speed she gained from an unlimited supply of spiritual treasures and dual cultivation with Li Yunfei was matched by other trainees who simply hitched a ride on the ancient grotto-heaven relics.

Her sole advantage lay in Li Yunfei's primordial yang as a Core Formation grand cultivator—an advantage of a major realm, a gap other trainees could never bridge no matter what.

This was the first time Li Yunfei had heard this news. Because he frequently operated independently, he often fell out of touch with Zixiao's latest intelligence.

Had he known about this earlier, he would have taken Zhang Ziying to the ancient grotto-heaven relics long ago; who knows, perhaps those relics could even have generated dungeon instances!

Given that Zhang Ziying's cultivation speed was already dozens of times that of solo cultivation, if one added those dozens of times higher spiritual energy concentration...

How could reaching the peak of the Yin Spirit realm take half a year? A single month would have been plenty.

After listening to the reports from various departments, Ziwei issued instructions that after returning, each department should arrange for its subordinates to visit the vicinity of the ancient grotto-heaven relics in batches so as not to waste such a golden opportunity.

For once an ancient grotto-heaven relic officially opened, it would soon close again, at which point the phenomenon of surging spiritual energy would vanish and return to normal levels.

With the second agenda item concluded, the third item involved attendees putting forward various proposals useful for Zixiao's development. These were discussed openly by everyone and then decided upon via a vote.

Most of the proposals were highly constructive; since Zixiao had been established only recently, many aspects still required patching and refining.

Li Yunfei wanted to see if anyone else shared his thoughts, so he did not rush to put forward his own proposal.

In the end, however, he found that no one else had brought up the issue he wanted to raise, leaving him no choice but to raise his hand.

Seeing this, Ziwei smiled and said, "I wonder what good proposal Comrade Yunfei has?"

Standing up, Li Yunfei said, "My proposal relates to the undead crisis from some time ago. Previously, Comrade Liu Bin, assistant to Comrade He Ming, gave a report on related matters."

Li Yunfei naturally turned his head to look at Liu Bin, offering him a gentle smile. This naturally drew the gazes of everyone present toward him, giving the young man a wonderful opportunity to build his profile.

Opposite him, Liu Suibin stroked his clean-shaven chin with a pleased smile, while Liu Bin himself was immensely grateful.

Do not underestimate such a minor action and casual mention; this was what was known as elevation and cultivation, and the Liu family owed him a personal favor.

"The situation reported by Comrade Liu Bin primarily concerned granting ordinary people the ability to deal with fierce souls and grievances, as well as building ancestral shrines in various villages to enshrine the departed souls of villagers' ancestors."

With a serious expression, Li Yunfei said, "The proposal I wish to put forward is a step further based on this matter—it can be summarized in four words: establishing the Underworld Bureau."

Ziwei said with growing interest, "Tell us the details."

Li Yunfei nodded and continued, "Following the recovery of spiritual energy, due to the existence of various nether zones, an undead crisis broke out. Moreover, the departed souls of those who died natural deaths were also able to persist thanks to these nether zones, becoming wandering ghosts."

"Most of these wandering ghosts are elderly people who lived out their natural lifespans. Perhaps the departed souls of ancestors belonging to some of us here remain in this world. We certainly cannot simply round them all up like conscripts and incorporate them into the Myriad Soul Banner to become underworld soldiers and ghost generals."

"As the number of cultivators grows, the nether souls in this world will only increase day by day. How should these nether souls be arranged for when that time comes?"

At this point, the crowd broke into a lively discussion.

"That makes a lot of sense! If a cultivator or the relatives of cultivators die of old age, their loved ones surely cannot bear to watch their souls scatter into nothingness. Because of this, nether souls will inevitably multiply in the future."

"Indeed, we must effectively manage these nether souls; otherwise, in the end, there will be more nether souls at home than living people. What kind of picture would that paint?"

"Comrade Yunfei is truly visionary. This is an excellent proposal, though the specific execution will need careful deliberation."

"Don't rush, let Comrade Yunfei continue."

Waiting for the commotion to quiet down, Li Yunfei went on, "Therefore, I propose that Zixiao establish an Underworld Bureau, select a location that facilitates easy travel between the Yin and Yang realms at any time, and build a Ghost Gate."

"We can then dispatch underworld armies through there to enter the netherworld, build ghost cities, and have Zixiao appoint Ghost Emperors and Yama Kings to manage all affairs of the netherworld, such as gathering wandering ghosts and purging rebellious fierce souls and grievances."

"As for nether deities like City Gods, Earth Gods, and Mountain Gods in various regions, we can either select them from the underworld army or appoint them directly from the ancestral souls enshrined in various villages."

"This will not only maintain order between the Yin and Yang realms, ensuring the living and the nether souls do not interfere with each other, but also serve to monitor local environmental conditions and track the movement of tectonic plates."

"This way, we can anticipate potential natural disasters everywhere in advance, make preparations, and reduce losses to the absolute minimum."

With a hint of teasing in his voice, Li Yunfei added, "This will be much simpler, cheaper, and more effective than painstakingly researching seismometers or monitoring meteorological changes."

When he reached this point, even louder public discussions erupted in the hall.

Without a doubt, Li Yunfei's proposal was the most constructive one they had heard during today's meeting.

However, Celestial Master Zhang raised a query at this moment: "Comrade Yunfei, your proposal is indeed excellent, and it is something Zixiao is entirely capable of executing."

"There is one problem, however: we do not hold the means of reincarnation in our hands. Although the Blue Earth Star possesses both Yin and Yang sides, its spatial volume is finite. Whether in the Yang realm or the Yin realm, the available land and space are equal."

"The living are born and die, but once nether souls persist, provided no accidents befall them, they endure eternally. Thus, after many years, the nether souls in the netherworld will inevitably outnumber the living, or even crowd the Blue Earth Star to capacity. What shall we do then?"

Nodding, Li Yunfei replied, "The Venerable has hit the nail on the head. I wrestled with this very problem for a long time myself, but later I realized it is purely a case of groundless worry."

Celestial Master Zhang asked curiously, "How so?"

Li Yunfei smiled. "Judging by Great Xia's current mortality rate, the time we need to worry about nether souls running out of living space is at least 70 to 80 years away."

"At present, the highest cultivation level among Great Xia cultivators is merely the Core Formation stage. Matters like reincarnation are indeed too advanced for us; they are simply not something we can resolve right now."

"What about several decades from now, though? Perhaps by then, true immortals will have already emerged among us."

"Problems we cannot solve may well be utterly trivial in the eyes of true immortals."

"Therefore, we don't need to overthink things right now. Roads are walked out by people, and tasks are accomplished step by step."

"The universe is vast and boundless, full of mystery. Since spiritual energy has now revived and things from mythological legends are manifesting one by one, I believe that the Heavenly Court and the Underworld will eventually appear one day as well."

"So, do any of you have any interest in building this so-called Heavenly Court and Underworld with your own hands?"

Hearing Li Yunfei's explanation, everyone's eyes lit up, and they nodded repeatedly.

Daoist Yuling remarked, "That makes sense! Just because we cannot solve it now does not mean we won't be able to solve it in the future. We can at least lay the foundation first."

Celestial Master Zhang agreed, "Indeed. According to deductions by the Xuan Group's experts, when a cultivator's attainment reaches the Yin Spirit stage, and a martial artist reaches the Dao Integration realm, they can survive in outer space and cross the universe with their physical bodies."

"How many years have our human space stations been up in space? Ordinary humans can rely on technology to build space stations in outer space; surely true immortals can build a Heavenly Court in space?"

With these two speaking up, everyone's train of thought instantly opened up.

Someone suggested that nether souls do not require oxygen or food; as long as yin energy is present, they can survive.

It was just that within the atmosphere, there were the Nine Heavens Profound Brake, thunder and fire gale winds, and harsh ultraviolet rays that would kill them, which was why they could not fly high nor travel into space.

However, if high-level cultivators used the Myriad Soul Banner to take them out of the Blue Earth Star and send them to settle on other planets far away from the sun where ultraviolet rays were weak, wouldn't that solve the problem of excessive nether souls?

For instance, Mars and Titan (Saturn's moon) bore morphologies extremely similar to the Blue Earth Star. While living humans might not yet be able to survive on those two planets, nether souls certainly could.

Besides, this was merely an expedient measure; perhaps by then, they would have long since resolved the issue of reincarnation anyway.

The more they discussed, the more excited they became. There was no limit to human imagination, and endless ideas emerged continuously—many of which even Li Yunfei had not anticipated.

Seeing this, Ziwei raised a hand to press down through the air, signaling the crowd to quiet down for a moment before saying, "Let us vote now. Those who deem Comrade Yunfei's proposal viable, please raise your hands."

"Swish."

Everyone raised their hands without hesitation, resulting in another unanimous vote.

Ziwei stated, "Very well, passed unanimously. Now, this matter requires an overall director. Who do you all think is most suitable to take charge?"

This undertaking was an immensely virtuous deed of enduring benefit to contemporary and future generations, one that would undoubtedly leave a heavy, brilliant stroke in history books.

Li Yunfei's reputation as the pioneer was already locked in; whoever became the overall director would become a founder and likewise earn a place in history, causing everyone's minds to stir.

However, this matter could only be handled properly by cultivators, so martial artists were naturally out of the running.

With a carefree attitude, Liu Suibin took the lead with a smile, saying, "Why trouble two masters with a single task? Since this matter was proposed by Comrade Yunfei, it proves he already has a mature draft in mind. Having him take charge is naturally the most appropriate course."

Li Yunfei hurriedly waved his hands. "Thank you for the high regard, Venerable Qianshang. However, I merely had a passing thought and possess no mature draft; I fear I would prove unequal to such a heavy trust."

"Besides, I am far too young and have no experience organizing an undertaking of this magnitude. A matter like this still requires an experienced senior to take charge."

Daoist Yuling and Celestial Master Zhang were immensely pleased, their gazes toward Li Yunfei filled with appreciation.

Ziwei, however, was secretly amused. While others merely thought Li Yunfei was modest, cautious, and unassuming of credit, he knew very well that the kid was simply trying to slack off.

Following a heated discussion, Ziwei finally made the executive decision to have Daoist Yuling and Celestial Master Zhang divide the work and take joint charge. With that arrangement, no one had any further objections.

Once this matter was settled, Li Yunfei asked Ziwei, "Comrade Ziwei, what has the ghost king Fu Rong been up to lately? Why haven't we seen him?"

Ziwei replied, "He spent over a month studying modern knowledge with me, and now he is passing it on to the underworld soldiers and ghost generals inside the Myriad Soul Banner. At night, he leads a group of ghost marshals and generals out to continue his in-depth studies."

Nodding in approval, Li Yunfei said, "Fu Rong has already surrendered his true spirit and can be trusted. Furthermore, as the foremost ghost in Great Xia currently, I believe we can appoint him as the Northern Underworld Fengdu Great Emperor, letting him lead the underworld army to work for the two Venerables."

Daoist Yuling's eyes lit up as he smiled, "This proposal is solid. Since this is fundamentally ghost business, how could he, a ghost king, not participate?"

Nodding, Ziwei said, "That is true. Very well, after the meeting, I will communicate with him. Does anyone else have any proposals?"

After a brief moment of silence with no response, Ziwei glanced at Yan Hexiang.

Yan Hexiang immediately announced in a booming voice, "We now enter the final agenda item of the meeting: Comrade Ziwei will deliver a concluding speech."

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