Chapter 119: A Deal in the Netherworld

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In the blink of an eye, three years had passed.

By now, Earth Home had become thoroughly integrated into the lives of all humanity, turning into a second world of habitation.

The real world, too, had undergone tremendous changes.

Technology had not been left behind, but cultivation had become mainstream as well. Through Earth Home’s exchanges, through contributions to their nations, and through risking their lives in the pursuit of wealth and glory, humanity had gradually transformed the martial world into the object of everyone’s envy and worship, replacing the entertainment industry of old.

Of course, where some rose above the rest, others were buried beneath the dust.

Although, after three years of unrestricted childbearing, the population had not declined but instead increased dramatically, the number of people who had died during those three years was enough to make anyone who learned the truth tremble with fear.

It was only because the nations had imposed strict controls and falsified the figures that no unrest had erupted.

But who was really so foolish as to believe otherwise?

Everyone was merely pretending.

The martial world had also been divided into several rankings.

There was the Martial Academy Ranking and the World Martial Ranking.

They were two entirely different things. The Martial Academy had been established jointly by various experts, and its students naturally received training far beyond that available to ordinary people. There were only two ways to join.

The first was to enlist in the army and obtain a place through one’s nation.

The second was to rank among the top ten thousand on one of the national lists under the World Martial Ranking, thereby gaining the qualifications to apply.

Thus, a consensus had formed: the World Martial Ranking was the Martial Academy’s beginner’s village. Only those who distinguished themselves there could receive the academy’s full support and cultivation.

What reassured ordinary people, however, was that the Martial Academy did not interfere in any affairs on Earth. Its existence was intended to deal with other worlds.

And the world currently being developed by the Martial Academy was the legendary Netherworld.

In the Martial Academy’s monthly headline reports, there would occasionally be news of this person or that gaining some benefit or earning some merit in the Netherworld. Such stories were the focus of humanity’s attention across the globe. Every name that appeared became even more famous than the celebrities of old, and countless boys and girls cried out that they wanted to marry them and bear their children.

Over the past three years, the world had been led astray by Zhang Kai, though fortunately it had not yet gone off the rails.

The result was that humanity had cultivated a number of experts—but many people had also died.

From the more than two million who had entered during the first trial, the various nations had provided nearly thirty million students over the course of three years.

The Martial Academy now had more than 1.27 million members.

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The mortality rate was nearly thirty to one.

That was only because Zhang Kai had secretly looked after them. Otherwise, not a single one of those thirty million would have survived.

Fortunately, things had stabilized by now.

The Martial Academy had occupied a territory in the Netherworld and established a firm foothold there, allowing it to infiltrate the Netherworld continuously.

At that moment—

The Netherworld.

Within a floating palace, a gathering of gods and ghosts was in full swing. They drank, feasted, and reveled, and the atmosphere was excellent.

Zhang Kai was among them, smiling as he raised cups with the surrounding gods and ghosts. Everything appeared perfectly harmonious.

Before long, however, several streaks of light descended and transformed into physical forms. Several great figures from the Underworld had arrived.

The moment they appeared, every god and ghost fell silent.

Zhang Kai held his wine cup and said nothing, smiling faintly.

“Daoist Zhang, you truly are an honored guest. It is rare indeed to have you here.” The Sovereign, dressed in a yellow robe, looked toward Zhang Kai and spoke calmly.

Zhang Kai replied, “If you had not threatened to destroy humanity’s settlement, I would not have come.”

“Hah. And what about the fact that you nearly destroyed the Netherworld? Why do you not mention that?” the Sovereign retorted with a cold laugh.

“That was an accident. If I had not been pushed so far, I would never have dared to do such a thing.” Zhang Kai smiled.

“Enough nonsense. You have been stirring up trouble in the Netherworld for the past few years, bringing living humans here in great numbers and sowing discord everywhere. The resentment of the ghosts is immense. What exactly are you trying to do?” the Sovereign demanded.

Zhang Kai said, “Is it not obvious? There are too many people in the human world, and they can no longer survive comfortably. For the sake of giving their descendants a better life, everyone wants to expand. Since the Netherworld and the human world are connected by no more than a strip of water, it is only natural that humanity would wish to develop this place as well. It is simply that your side has been rather unfriendly—shouting threats and calling for bloodshed, creating all these misunderstandings.”

The Sovereign was rendered speechless with anger. “Your invasion of the Underworld was a misunderstanding too?”

“Sovereign, that is not a fair thing to say. Everyone present is a great power of the Underworld, yet as far as I know, the Underworld is merely one organization within the Netherworld. The territory you occupy is only one part of the Netherworld. You cannot speak for the entire Netherworld.”

“And what of me? I am the Netherworld Spirit Venerable. Can I speak for the Netherworld?”

A strange humanoid creature spoke up. Four pairs of eyes stared fixedly at Zhang Kai.

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Zhang Kai smiled.

“You cannot represent the Netherworld merely because you have lived here for a long time. This is the Netherworld’s Netherworld, not the Netherworld of one family or one race. If your residence here means that this place belongs to you, then there are things that existed here long before you did—flowers and grasses, hills and rivers, and the like. They were present from the very beginning. You appeared later, seized this place, and then claimed that it belonged to you. So what does that make you?”

The four-eyed monster was rendered speechless.

It was nothing more than a convoluted sophistry.

“Daoist Zhang, judging by your words, you have no intention of withdrawing from the Netherworld?” the Sovereign asked.

“That is correct. It is humanity’s grand strategy. After all, we have to survive too. The human world is too small, and humanity is too numerous. As the administrator of the Underworld, you should be well aware of that from the records of life and death. The population is expanding every day. If this continues, even Earth will no longer be large enough to house us. You should all show us some understanding. The Netherworld is so vast—what harm would there be in assigning one region to us?”

“I fear you do not intend to stop at merely one region,” the Sovereign replied coldly.

Zhang Kai hurriedly raised his hand. “I can swear an oath upon the Forbidden. Humanity’s request is truly simple: we only seek a place in the Netherworld where we can survive. As long as it is large enough to accommodate us, that will be sufficient. If I ask for anything more, may the Forbidden strike me dead.”

At those words, all the gods and ghosts froze.

The Forbidden was an existence treated as taboo, something more terrifying than the Heavenly Dao. And at present, it was the Forbidden that controlled the great laws governing the Three Realms. To swear an oath before it was even more frightening than swearing before Heaven. At least among those present, not a single god or ghost dared to do so.

After a moment of silence, the Sovereign finally spoke.

“Very well. I can agree to divide a portion of the Netherworld and provide humanity with a place to live. But humanity must not cause further complications or create trouble.”

Zhang Kai’s face lit up with delight. “I knew the Sovereign was a man of honor. On behalf of humanity, I thank you. Rest assured, we only need enough space to live. We are truly asking for very little.”

“Let us hope that is so. If humanity continues to provoke us, do not blame me for failing to warn you,” the Sovereign said expressionlessly.

Zhang Kai smiled. “Then allow me to say one thing as well. I hope there will be no more incidents of gods and ghosts launching sneak attacks or bullying the weak with their greater strength. Otherwise, I will not hesitate to make ten suns rise over the Netherworld and let everyone enjoy a little warmth.”

The moment he said this, every god and ghost’s expression changed.

The sun from three years ago remained fresh in their memories.

That fellow could actually release ten suns at once! With so many suns appearing, even they would not be able to withstand it.

But then again, where had so many suns come from?

Since when could suns be bought wholesale?

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