Chapter 1

The sky and earth were vast and desolate, surrounded by a thick, oppressive aura that permeated the air.

In the midst of this vast, oppressive aura, an ancient path stretched straight ahead, its end indistinct, with ghostly shadows flickering in and out of sight, eerie and terrifying.

On both sides of the ancient path were crimson flowers of the other shore, swaying gently, their light flickering with a mysterious, melancholic beauty.

Yang Xuan, dressed in plain clothes, his long hair disheveled, walked along the ancient path, his hands bound by an unknown chain.

Ahead and behind him were others like him, all expressionless, led by robed figures shrouded in dark, oppressive auras, heading deeper into the ancient path.

Twenty years ago, he had been transported to become a prince of the Great Liang Kingdom.

A day ago, he died, killed by Empress Xiao of the Great Liang Kingdom, and found himself on this path to the underworld.

At this moment, a vast, black city loomed ahead, and all the souls beside Yang Xuan were shaken, their gazes fixed on the massive city.

The city was immense and imposing, with a surging, oppressive aura rising from it, forming a huge, cold, ghostly face in the air, overlooking the entire city.

Above the city gate, three large characters glowed with a chilling light, too daunting to look at directly.

The City of Fengdu!

"Beep!"

"Detected that the host has entered the underworld, the check-in system has been activated."

"Check-in at the City of Fengdu, reward: the Netherworld Scripture."

"Do you want to check in?"

At this moment, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in Yang Xuan's mind.

A... system?

Yang Xuan was stunned. This... you really waited until I was dead to show up?

Check-in?

As a穿越者 (穿越者 means "穿越者" in Chinese, which can be translated as "transmigrator" or "穿越者"), Yang Xuan, of course, knew what a system was for.

"This damn system is really bizarre, only activating after I'm dead." Although Yang Xuan cursed, he was still delighted inside.

"Do you want to check in?"

Just as Yang Xuan was delighted, the system's voice echoed in his mind again.

"Check in!" His eyes flashed, and he said inwardly.

"Beep!"

"Check-in successful, reward: the Netherworld Scripture. (The Netherworld Scripture is a ghost cultivation technique on par with the Nine Transcendences Technique.)"

"The host can check in once daily, anywhere in the underworld, with more mysterious places offering greater rewards."

"Repeated check-ins are possible, but the rewards will gradually decrease."

At this moment, Yang Xuan understood that his golden finger had arrived.

Although it was a bit late, it finally came before he was reborn.

He knew that now that the system was activated, he could only stay in the underworld, as the system could only be used there.

If he were to be reborn, the system would be useless.

Therefore, he must not leave the underworld.

At this moment, he thought of Empress Xiao, that heartless woman.

He had worked hard to become the crown prince, only to be framed and exiled to the cold palace by that woman.

That wasn't all; she even poisoned him.

Now that his system had awakened, he had to stay in the underworld.

When he reached a certain level, even if her brother were a celestial being, what could he do?

If King Yan orders you to die at the third watch, who dares to keep you until the fifth?

"Hurry up, dawdling!" At this moment, a ghost officer whipped a group of souls.

"You are about to enter the City of Fengdu. Do not look around, or you might offend the deities within, and you might lose your chance to be reborn." A ghost officer warned.

Yang Xuan's mind was not at ease; it seemed the City of Fengdu was not peaceful either.

It made sense; in this world, the hierarchy was strict, with demons, immortals, and deities high above, and ordinary souls like them were not taken seriously.

At this moment, the cultivation methods and various essentials of the Netherworld Scripture were imprinted in his mind.

Yang Xuan was astonished by the Netherworld Scripture; this ghost cultivation technique was terrifying, comparable to the Nine Transcendences Technique, which was said to be cultivated by the great god Pangu. How could it be an ordinary technique?

He knew that whether he could stay in the underworld depended on the Netherworld Scripture.

In his lifetime, he had been a prince of the Great Liang Kingdom and had seen some records. This world seemed to have just experienced a great battle, a battle for deification.

The world was in turmoil, and the underworld, as the destination for souls, was short-handed.

At this time, anyone who showed exceptional ability could be absorbed into the underworld as a ghost officer.

The underworld was in dire need of people.

"Listen up, the Lord of the Mansion is inspecting today, personally judging. Behave, or you will know the consequences." At this moment, a ghost general at the gate of the City of Fengdu said solemnly.

Hearing this, the many souls, though not showing much expression, were clearly surprised.

The Lord of the Mansion?

Yang Xuan muttered, and suddenly his expression changed. "The first judge of the underworld, Lord Cui?"

For a moment, Yang Xuan thought of many things. This was an opportunity for him. If he could seize it, he might not have to reincarnate.

If he could gain Lord Cui's favor and stay by his side, his life in the underworld would be much easier.

Lord Cui, Cui Jue, was a significant figure in the underworld, second only to the Ten Kings of Hell.

Yang Xuan pondered how he could stand out and stay in the underworld.

At this moment, the many souls had already entered the City of Fengdu.

The City of Fengdu was filled with oppressive aura, and the city gate was adorned with red lanterns, their flames flickering, and ghostly auras abounding.

A chilling aura permeated the air, and the surroundings were vast, accompanied by the distant, eerie screams, making it terrifying.

The City of Fengdu was vast and boundless, and the entire underworld's administrative institutions were located within it.

Outside the City of Fengdu was the vast underworld, boundless and endless.

At this moment, the many souls walked for a long time in the City of Fengdu and finally arrived at a majestic hall.

The hall was chilling, with a surging, oppressive aura, and the dark red pillars were carved with fierce ghostly images.

The walls were adorned with fierce ghostly murals, their eyes wide and intimidating.

This place was the Fifth Hall of the underworld, a judgment office under the jurisdiction of King Yan.

At this moment, the souls entered the hall to be judged.

The innocent were released from the City of Fengdu, crossing the Bridge of Sighs to enter the cycle of rebirth.

The guilty were sent to hell to suffer punishment.

"No... I was wrong, I was wrong, I won't dare in my next life, please have mercy, Lord Judge!" At this moment, a heart-wrenching scream echoed from the hall.

"Hmph! Next life? Endure the punishment first, then talk about the next life."

"Disloyal and unrighteous, abandoning wife and children, neglecting the elderly, causing the wife and children to starve to death on the streets, and the elderly to be devoured by wild beasts. Judgment: boiling oil punishment, confined to hell for a hundred years."

As the cry echoed, a majestic voice from the hall made everyone's hearts tremble.

Boiling oil?

Yang Xuan couldn't help but shudder and lowered his head, reviewing his life of over twenty years.

Fortunately, he had not committed any heinous crimes.

Yang Xuan looked around and saw that the other souls were also filled with fear.

Some were even trembling.

Swish!

At this moment, a soul rushed out, trying to escape.

"Trying to escape? Once in the underworld, you still want to escape?" A ghost officer shouted.

Immediately, several ghost officers rushed out, capturing the souls trying to escape.