Chapter 111: The Netherworld of Wa Kingdom

A month had passed since the proposal for peaceful coexistence was made.

Yet, within that month, not a single forbidden zone chose to coexist with humanity. Instead, many people had met unjust deaths within these forbidden zones.

Zhang Kai had been observing closely and upon realizing this issue, immediately understood that the existence of these forbidden zones was far from simple.

Perhaps it was truly a game of calculations on both sides.

But trapped in the middle, humanity was nothing more than pawns.

This made Zhang Kai’s situation quite difficult.

Taking action was unwise, but doing nothing was equally unacceptable.

He was being forced to make a choice.

Damn it all, he had mastered the golden finger power and even rallied all of humanity to his side. Now, with the perfect timing, favorable terrain, and unified people, everything was aligned—and yet, he was clueless about the path forward.

Could it be that there really was no third option?

Zhang Kai was mired in indecision.

Then, one day, a piece of news suddenly caught his attention.

A Netherworld Passage had appeared in the Kingdom of Wa, from which demons emerged to prey on people.

The news sent shockwaves across the globe, drawing widespread attention.

The Kingdom of Wa had been quite popular lately, largely because of two beautiful warrior maidens beloved by many, hailed as the nation’s dual pride.

However, the Netherworld Passage surpassed even the fame of those two maidens, for it symbolized a new realm—one that everyone had once imagined but never witnessed.

That very day, major powers dispatched warships straight to the Kingdom of Wa, while smaller nations submitted applications to get involved.

The Kingdom of Wa was torn between joy and worry: joyful that myths were reborn on their soil, reflecting their rich heritage and potential; worried because these demons showed no mercy, even eating their own people, behaving recklessly as the kingdom’s demons.

Most crucially, powerful foreign nations paid close attention and came directly without giving any courtesy, leaving the Kingdom of Wa unable to protest and forced to show gratitude on the surface.

Through his Bone-Transforming Dragon, Zhang Kai monitored the situation at the Netherworld Passage in the Kingdom of Wa.

The passage had appeared at Mount Fuji overnight, causing the surrounding vegetation to wither and thousands of local residents to perish. The area had since been evacuated and placed under martial law. The air there was thick with demonic, malevolent, deathly, and magical energies—clearly not a place of peace.

Yet, through the Bone-Transforming Dragon’s surveillance, Zhang Kai discovered that this Netherworld Passage seemed to be a forbidden zone itself.

This was astonishing.

Could a forbidden zone open spontaneously? And these demons, were they really unafraid of divine punishment?

Filled with curiosity, Zhang Kai decisively set out for Mount Fuji to investigate.

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With his current cultivation, he could remain invisible even standing right before someone’s eyes.

Passing through the martial law perimeter, he entered the area around the passage.

There, a massive fissure had appeared in the mountain itself, from which sinister energies seeped out—alongside the demonic and malevolent aura, lingering were countless vengeful souls and evil spirits.

Perhaps the intensity of this dark energy was so overwhelming it blotted out the sky, allowing these soulless malevolent spirits to survive.

And there were many—by his mental perception, there were at least eighty thousand, if not a hundred thousand, of these dark spirits nearby.

Indeed, the Kingdom of Wa had suffered heavy casualties.

After a brief contemplation, Zhang Kai bypassed the spirits and entered the fissure directly.

Once inside, the malevolent energy was even denser than what he had encountered in the Underworld.

The Underworld was dominated by yin energy, which was a natural part of the spiritual realm, just as the mortal world was rich in oxygen to sustain life.

But within this Netherworld Passage, evil energy, killing intent, demonic aura, and resentment intertwined as the dominating forces, with yin energy surprisingly the weakest.

These vengeful spirits were transformed under the influence of these malevolent energies—though lacking independent consciousness, they were fiercely hostile and capable of destroying any living being they encountered.

Perhaps the people who had disappeared around Mount Fuji had fallen victim to these spirits.

While pondering this, Zhang Kai’s eyes suddenly shifted, focusing on a distant direction.

He saw a line of lanterns moving forward.

It was eerie—no one held the lanterns; instead, they floated automatically, emitting a red glow.

Behind the lanterns was an ancient Wa palanquin carried by four burly men.

But these men were not human—their bodies were muscular and bare-chested, but their faces were anything but human.

Each had three eyes aligned across their noses and mouths that gaped wide like blood pits.

They were demons!

According to Wa legends, there were eight million demons.

These were likely one of those types.

But who was being carried inside the palanquin?

Zhang Kai’s gaze locked on, his spiritual light flickering as if trying to see through the veil.

At that moment, the palanquin stopped abruptly, the curtain flicked aside, revealing a pale woman’s face.

She wore heavy makeup, her lips bright red and small, her eyebrows two tiny dots above her eyes, dressed in a vivid red kimono reminiscent of an ancient Wa noblewoman.

The woman stared directly at Zhang Kai with greedy eyes.

In the next instant, the lanterns that had been leading suddenly vanished.

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When they reappeared, they surrounded Zhang Kai, forming a ring around him.

The woman in the kimono also appeared beside the lanterns, stepping delicately.

“It’s been many years since I last saw a cultivator from the Celestial Empire. Unexpected to meet one today. Your aura is quite enticing,” the woman spoke fluent Celestial Empire language, albeit with a slight accent that startled Zhang Kai.

Had she studied in the northeast region of the Celestial Empire?

“Do you intend to devour me?” Zhang Kai bared his teeth in a meaningful smile.

The woman covered her mouth to laugh: “Devour, there are many ways. My specialty is called ‘Suo.’”

Zhang Kai was puzzled.

Was this woman teasing him?

Ugh, he despised such improper women.

“May I ask your name?” Zhang Kai asked seriously.

The woman bowed slightly: “I am Akiko of the Sakura Art Pavilion. Since you have come to the Netherworld, would you care to stay with me for a while, noble sir?”

Zhang Kai smiled: “With such enthusiasm, how could I refuse?”

“Please, noble sir, enter the palanquin,” the woman said as the palanquin appeared beside Zhang Kai, its curtain lifting automatically to reveal the interior.

Indeed, it was a pocket dimension—small on the outside but spacious inside.

Zhang Kai calmly stepped inside and found himself by a table in a parlor.

Around the table were a group of women dressed in colorful kimonos, each similarly styled—some exposing thighs, others shoulders—with seductive figures and coquettish glances.

Akiko entered as well, standing by Zhang Kai’s side: “Allow me to serve you some wine, noble sir.”

Zhang Kai took a seat without hesitation. When one of the women poured wine, he smelled it—it was fragrant with cherry blossoms, the energy pure yin without any trace of evil or malevolent intent.

He drank deeply, feeling a coolness permeate his chest, a strangely pleasant sensation.

“Excellent wine.”

“You have great courage, noble sir,” Akiko smiled, leaning into Zhang Kai’s embrace.

He held her close, grinning: “Not only courage but endurance as well. Miss Akiko, would you care for a chat?”