As the eye surveyed from a distance, Mount Fubo appeared progressively darker the higher one looked, becoming pitch black as ink by the time it reached the mountainside. Standing at the foot of the mountain felt like an overwhelming, boundless expanse of dark energy pressing down, instilling a profound sense of oppression. Yet, at this moment, Nie Kong’s field of vision suddenly cleared.

That increasingly dense layer of blackness did not merge with the vegetation of the mountain; instead, it floated silently in the void, maintaining a separation of several dozen meters from the ground. Most peculiar was the fact that the dark mist enveloping Mount Fubo in no way obstructed the external light from penetrating through.

If one disregarded the layer of dark energy, judging only by surface appearance, Mount Fubo was virtually indistinguishable from other mountain ranges, save for the noticeable presence of much ink-black flora scattered among the vibrant greenery.

Collectively, however, this was not how Nie Kong perceived the mountain.

Now situated within Mount Fubo, Nie Kong could more clearly sense the fluctuating currents of vitality and death surrounding him. In his perception, the concentration of life force on Mount Fubo was at least ten times that of the outside world, nearly comparable to the chilling currents found within the Senluo Ancient Cave in Lingyu City. Naturally, it still lagged significantly behind the pure Yin Ruins spiritual ley line.

If the sole pursuit were absorbing life essence, Mount Fubo would certainly be inferior to Lingyu City. However, the concentration of death energy here was equal to the life force—a strange and wondrous equilibrium that Lingyu City could never match.

“Truly a superb place for cultivation!” Nie Kong’s face involuntarily broke into a smile.

Almost simultaneously, sounds of astonishment echoed around them. These young boys and girls, stepping onto Mount Fubo for the first time, widened their eyes to their fullest upon witnessing such a bizarre spectacle. Even the stalwart Huang Shan, a man of mature appearance, was no exception this time.

After a while, the group snapped back to awareness. Led by Lin Jun and Yan Ya, they began ascending the mountain along the wide, stone-stepped path ahead. Along the way, pavilions and terraces were visible from time to time, and occasionally, the figure of one or two Mount Fubo disciples could be spotted amidst the greenery.

Seeing Lin Jun and Yan Ya pleasantly introducing the surroundings, the youths forgot their fatigue and chattered excitedly. Nie Kong had little interest in engaging with these children; instead, he focused on committing the local geography to memory while continually monitoring the ambient energy.

Clang!

Suddenly, a clear, resonant bell pealed from the mountainside, instantly spreading across the entirety of Mount Fubo. The piercing sound made the children’s ears ring; their babbling instantly ceased, and they exchanged startled glances, bewilderment clouding their eyes.

“Let’s hurry.”

Lin Jun glanced up toward the mountainside and chuckled, “That is the Sect Master summoning the other martial uncles and elder brothers. They will soon be selecting disciples from among you all—keep your spirits up…”

Relief washed over the youngsters, who then, as if injected with stimulants, huffed and puffed, quickening their pace, which caused Nie Kong to shake his head in silent amusement.

On the mountainside, an exquisite hall was nestled among the lush, towering trees—this was the Spirit Venerable Hall.

When the bell rang, only two figures occupied the spacious hall, making it appear sparsely populated. The bald old man among the two was Yan Luo, who had just returned to Mount Fubo. The other, with a haggard face and a thin, gaunt body, was Zhuo Yue, the Sect Master of this low-tier sect, Mount Fubo.

At that moment, both men wore extremely grim expressions.

“The Heart-Devouring Sect, Wind-Chasing Valley, and Yin Soul Sect are too utterly contemptible!” Zhuo Yue remained silent for a long while, only then twitching his lips slightly, spitting out a string of sinister characters; his tone barely contained rising anger.

Yan Luo offered no retort. In truth, the one deserving more scorn should have been the ‘Black God Sect.’

However, both he and Zhuo Yue could only curse the Black God Sect silently in their hearts. As the superior sect to Mount Fubo, the Black God Sect possessed overwhelming strength and could easily annihilate Mount Fubo at will.

In the Netherworld, a low-tier sect subordinate to a higher power held a status little better than that of a serf.

Of course, if the Black God Sect were to advance to a high-tier sect, and Mount Fubo consequently advanced to a mid-tier sect, even if the superior-subordinate relationship remained, the circumstances would differ considerably.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

A faint sound of air being sliced through was heard as two more figures entered the Spirit Venerable Hall. These two were of comparable age to Zhuo Yue and Yan Luo; one was corpulent and appeared benevolent and kindly, while the other bore a striking, diagonal scar across his left cheek, lending him a ferocious look.

Upon entering the hall, the two first offered a deep, respectful bow to the jade carving enshrined within the Spirit Venerable Hall, only then turning to salute Zhuo Yue.

At this moment, Yan Luo also rose and smiled, “Senior Brother Milo! Senior Brother Feng Hu!”

Milo waved his plump hand dismissively, settling opposite Yan Luo, and burst into loud laughter. “Junior Brother Yan, did you find any promising young talents during your trip to Shuiyun Town? You and the Sect Master snatched up all the last batch; you must save one for me today.”

Feng Hu’s eyes also betrayed a flicker of concern.

Yan Luo managed a wry smile. “Senior Brothers, please don’t be anxious. You will see them shortly… Oh, they have arrived.” Hearing this, Milo and Feng Hu immediately peered toward the hall entrance. The silhouettes of over a dozen people instantly entered their view…

Lin Jun and Yan Xiong led the way, and Nie Kong and the others finally arrived outside the Spirit Venerable Hall on the mountainside. At this elevation, the sky overhead was already shrouded in darkness, and the concentration of death energy had increased several times over that at the foot of the mountain; the life force concentration had risen correspondingly.

From this mountainside to the summit was still several hundred meters, meaning the concentration of vitality and death energy would likely increase further. Nie Kong glanced toward the peak of Mount Fubo, his steps moving forward steadily, and soon, along with the other youths who had become noticeably constrained and deferential, he crossed the threshold into the Spirit Venerable Hall.

The instant they entered, the first thing the group saw was not the four figures seated within—Zhuo Yue, Milo, Feng Hu, and Yan Luo—but the jade carving enshrined within the hall.

“Uh? Is that…,” Huang Shan and the others moved forward without sensing anything amiss, but Nie Kong’s heart gave a slight jolt. Back in the Grand Evolution Hall of the Yin Ruins, the spiritual thought of the ‘Grand Evolution Spirit Venerable’ had once manifested as a beautiful woman; her visage was exactly the same as the jade carving before him.

Nie Kong instantly realized: the one enshrined in the Spirit Venerable Hall of Mount Fubo was the Netherworld’s spiritual deity, the ‘Grand Evolution Spi—’! Sensing the gazes of the four inside the hall sweeping over him, Nie Kong dared not look too long, quickly composing his mind and adopting an expression of reverence.

Moments later, Nie Kong felt a wave of annoyance and resignation in his heart. A low-tier sect was truly just a low-tier sect; their strength was pitifully weak. These four individuals inside must be the strongest figures on Mount Fubo, yet not a single one gave Nie Kong that sense of unfathomable depth.

This implied that they were most likely all only Fifth-Order Black Spirit Masters. Fifth-Order was equivalent to the Spirit Control Realm on the Heavenly Spirit Continent.

The Nie family from which Nie Kong originated was considered one of the Five Great Clans of the Great Accomplishment Empire, yet even on the entire Heavenly Spirit Continent, the Nie family was somewhat unremarkable. Despite this, among the nine elders of the Nie family, even the lowest-ranked, the Ninth Elder, was extremely close to the Void Spirit realm, while the Second Elder had long since become a Cave Spirit Master. As for the Great Elder, Nie Shenggong, he would likely break through to the Heavenly Spirit realm before long. In contrast, Mount Fubo, with only four Fifth-Order Black Spirit Masters, wasn't even fit to polish the shoes of the Nie family.

Of course, despite his internal critique, Nie Kong did not completely disdain the Black Spirit Masters here. It was rumored that there were tens of thousands of low-tier sects in the Netherworld, forming the vast base at the very bottom of the sectarian pyramid. The higher the tier, the fewer the sects, and the power level increased exponentially. The Super-Tier sects here should rival sacred grounds for Spirit Masters like Mount Moluo and Lingyu City.

“Begin…”

Zhuo Yue’s eyes swept over the crowd, pausing briefly on Nie Kong before waving his hand dismissively, then closing his eyes again.

Milo looked toward Lin Jun and bellowed, “Lin Jun, take out your ‘Ink Nether Pearl’ and have these little ones come forward one by one.”

“Yes…”

Lin Jun quickly opened the wooden box he carried and held up the Ink Nether Pearl.

Under Yan Ya’s direction, the nervous yet eager youths lined up.

Buzz…

The first youth placed his hand on the pearl, which expanded only twofold.

Seeing this, Milo chuckled and waved his hand: “We’ll leave this little one for Junior Brother Yan Luo. Next…”

The second youth—the Ink Nether Pearl expanded only twofold again!

“Next!” “Next!” “…”

By the fifth youth, the smile on Milo’s plump face had faded. By the ninth, his expression had become markedly displeased. Feng Hu, seated beside him, though silent, furrowed his brow deeper and deeper, clearly showing his dissatisfaction as well.

“Next…”

Milo waved his hand dejectedly, turning to Yan Luo and complaining stiflingly, “Junior Brother Yan, isn’t there a single one with slightly better aptitude?” Yan Luo wearily touched his bald scalp: “The good ones are all at the back.”

“Oh?” Milo’s spirits immediately lifted. He looked towards the sturdy figure of Huang Shan at the end. “You! Come!” Seconds later, upon seeing the Ink Nether Pearl swell to at least eight times its original size, Milo’s eyes blazed, and he grinned like the Maitreya Buddha from Nie Kong’s previous life. “Little fellow, how old are you?” “Eighteen.”

“Eighteen?” Milo hesitated slightly, but Feng Hu suddenly interjected, “Since Senior Brother Milo doesn’t want him, this disciple is mine!” Milo glanced fleetingly toward Nie Kong, whom Yan Luo had mentioned was at the very end. After a moment’s thought, Milo gritted his teeth and waved his hand: “Next… Oh, oh, oh…” A moment later, Milo shrieked and sprang up from his seat, his abundant flesh jiggling wildly, his eyes locked onto the massive, ink-black sphere where the light was exploding. He could barely believe his eyes. Not only him, but even Feng Hu struggled to remain seated.

Zhuo Yue, who had kept his eyes closed until now, snapped them open, astonishment etched on his face, but an instant later, a deeper note of regret appeared in his expression.

After a long pause, Milo finally blinked, his face flushed crimson, hopping ecstatically toward Nie Kong. He grabbed Nie Kong’s shoulder tightly, as if afraid the young man would fly away if he let go. “Little fellow, what is your name? How old are you?”

“Nie Kong… cough cough, I’ll be twenty-one soon.” Nie Kong managed a dry laugh, whispering the last few words close to Milo’s ear.

“Oh, oh, oh…” Milo seemed struck by lightning, crying out as he slumped back into his seat, his eyes rolling back. He pointed a trembling finger at Nie Kong, stammering, “You, you, you…”