Chapter 399.1: The Violet Palace Is Finally Formed, Qi Yuans New Ability

Chapter 399.1: The Violet Palace Is Finally Formed, Qi Yuan's New Ability

The Strange Painter painted with utmost seriousness, using her own life as pigment. With a single stroke of the brush, an aura of life and death flowed from its tip. Black and gray alternated with red and white with each brushstroke.

From the Jade Maiden, she had learned that he was no ordinary being. The Jade Maiden also knew a little about what the Strange Painter had done for him. Thus, the Jade Maiden had instructed her to do her best, saying that Qi Yuan was most likely refining a magical treasure related to the yin energy.

However, from her conversations with Qi Qi and those great beings of the Underworld, the Strange Painter could clearly sense Qi Yuan's ambition. What he wanted wasn’t merely to refine a magical treasure, but to establish the Underworld that existed only in myths and legends.

When the Jade Maiden first heard this, she merely laughed. "The true Underworld? Even a Major Principle realm cultivator would not dare claim they could achieve it. It exists only in legends."

Generally, a Yang Spirit only governed a single Major Principle realm. Constructing the Underworld required far more than a single Major Principle: life, death, yin, yang, and reincarnation. Even if every Major Principle Heavenly Venerable across the Nine Heavens gathered together, they likely still could not create the Underworld.

The Strange Painter did not understand that much, but she knew Qi Yuan was not merely speaking empty words. The Brush of Mountains and Rivers trembled.

Amid the gloomy atmosphere, the sweet voice of a little girl came from the painting.

"Ghost Gate Pass. Nine out of ten never return."

"Ghost Gate Pass, where yin and yang are reversed, life and death are thrown into chaos. Grandma's here, so don't be afraid."

The Strange Painter's expression changed. Hazy and indistinct, countless shadowy figures appeared upon the Ghost Gate Pass she had painted. With innocent and childlike voices, they chanted nursery rhymes, which sounded chilling and terrifying. A strange thrill, mixed with fear, slowly crept up her spine.

For some reason, she felt that every single apparition was staring directly at her. Some were walking, gazing at the sky, or asleep—yet every pair of eyes was fixed upon her.

Just then, Qi Yuan’s voice resounded like heavenly thunder, sacred and majestic. "Ghost Gate Pass is complete!"

As he stood within the Myriad Phenomena Gate, overlooking this world, the Ghost Gate Pass took shape. The children-like apparitions finally looked away from the Strange Painter. Instead, they secretly glanced toward the boundless, towering figure above the heavens.

The Strange Painter's face stiffened. No, it truly is the Ghost Gate Pass!

Her heart was about to leap out of her chest. She simply could not understand how she did it. Suppressing her emotions, she continued painting. The Brush of Mountains and Rivers danced across the canvas. Scene after scene was born. Countless gloomy auras and things invisible to the naked eye poured madly into the Underworld.

Qi Yuan narrowed his eyes, unable to see anything. "Are there guests visiting my house?"

He could not see anything. The guests were unknowable. The other Heavenly Venerables also narrowed their eyes. Qi Qi seemed to sense some presence, yet she couldn’t make out anything.

"Yiya... ah... nue!"

"Ha... ceng... ya..."

Qi Yuan listened intently. His ears, capable of hearing the sounds of the world, finally caught some chaotic noises. Some were shrill, while others sounded like ghosts wailing. There were also crackling noises like maple branches going down in flames, scattering sparks. Muffled sobbing, mixed with the sound of spirit money burning, entered his ears.

He appeared surprised. "There’s an infestation in my home?"

With eyes as sharp as divine blades, Qi Qi gazed toward the Underworld. "What petty creature dares cause trouble here?!"

The majesty and enigma of the Empress Earth swept across everything. The Underworld trembled as it was cleansed. Even the apparitions seemed to realize the overwhelming might of Empress Earth and what she represented.

They no longer babbled incoherently, condensing everything into a single sound, seemingly trying to communicate with Qi Yuan and Qi Qi. "...ka... Please..."

Perhaps separated by either time or space, nothing could truly be heard.

Qi Yuan remained calm, sounding rather helpless. "It seems I'll have to be a language teacher for once."

His attire transformed, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses appeared upon the bridge of his nose. A blackboard appeared behind him, while a piece of chalk appeared in his hand. "Little dirty things, repeat after me—A, O, E..."

The Brush of Mountains and Rivers continued moving. More and more dirty things appeared.

Qi Yuan dutifully played the role of a language teacher. Halfway through the lesson, however, he felt a little guilty. He didn't have a teaching license. Did this count as illegal teaching? Then, he remembered that he had a mental illness certificate, so it probably wasn't a problem.

Mountain ranges emerged one after another. The rivers of the Netherworld began to flow. The Eighteen Layers of Hell and the Hall of the Son of Heaven rose one after another. The Strange Painter trembled violently. She had painted for forty-four days. The Underworld was nearly complete.

At that moment, Qi Yuan put down the chalk and pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses. His voice was like divine law itself—majestic, sacred, and not to be blasphemed. "So, have you learned it, little dirty things? Can you tell me why you've come to visit my palace?"

Unfortunately, he couldn't see them, or he'd have charged them lodging fees. The Underworld fell completely silent. Neither ghostly cries nor any other inexplicable noises could be heard.

Within the Underworld, a white figure emerged, twisted and illusory. It bowed respectfully toward Qi Yuan, whispering, "...No... soul... borrow... return..."

Speaking these words seemed to exhaust every ounce of its strength. Every apparition turned hazy, gathering into the white figure before condensing into a stone stele. Upon it was carved a single word: death. Mysterious and unfathomable, the stele radiated all manner of strange auras, as though it contained the Major Principle of Death.

[Stele of the Dead. It seems to have come from another world.]

He finally gleaned some useful information. "So, it turns out my Myriad Phenomena Gate isn’t the only one that ran away? This Stele of the Dead as well? Then where's my family's well? Who carried it off?"

When he looked around and saw nothing, he felt dejected.

By this point, the Strange Painter had completed the Underworld’s overall structure, with only the finer details and divine aspects remaining. Qi Yuan would have to bestow its sanctity and law himself. Though the Strange Painter was trembling all over, her eyes shone brilliantly. She was obviously extremely satisfied with this painting.

Then, Qi Yuan's vast voice echoed throughout the Underworld, resembling the Great Dao itself. "The Netherworld is complete. Let mountains and rivers take form."

Within the central Netherworld, the mountains and rivers seemed to receive invisible seals. Every mountain transformed into a Ghost Mountain.

Following that, Qi Yuan commenced with his orders. "Eastern Ghost Emperor Yulei and Shentu, govern Mount Taozhi and Ghost Gate Pass. Southern Ghost Emperor, govern Mount Luofu and command the barbarian ghosts. Western Ghost Emperor, govern Mount Panzhong. Northern Ghost Emperor, govern Mount Luofeng. Central Ghost Emperor, govern Mount Baodu and oversee the Central Netherworld!"

The Five Ghost Emperors appeared one after another, their colossal frames and dreadful auras inspiring instinctive reverence. They bowed respectfully before Qi Yuan. "We obey your command, Heavenly Venerable!"

They transformed into five streams of light and departed toward the Netherworld.

Without stopping, Qi Yuan decreed in a solemn and boundless voice, "Let Naihe become the bridge. Let the River of Forgetfulness flow. Let the Terrace of Homesickness arise! Let the Eighteen Levels become Hell!"

...

"Let the Hall of the Son of Heaven judge yin and yang and determine reincarnation!"

"Let the Ten Kings of Hell each assume their rightful seats!"

"Let the Yin Son of Heaven reside within the Hall of the Son of Heaven!"

...

"Underworld King, enter Hell!"

"Earth Deity Who Emulates Heaven, Empress Earth, govern Reincarnation!"