World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 375: Murdering and Collecting Souls

While the Daoist elders and Daoist masters were locked in battle with foreign cultivators, the younger generation was in a van, slowly making their way home.

Wang Sheng's enchanted power recovery was far from quick. His Nascent Soul was drained, and he had exhausted himself too much. Even though he wished to join the fight, he no longer had the strength to even fly.

His master and the other seniors had already instructed him to return home and await news. Since the Daoist sects had already sent out their strongest combatants, whether he took part would not change much.

Beside him, Xiaomiao sat cross-legged. Having received a stern lecture from him, she finally realized just how much her weak cultivation limited her. She didn't dare argue back.

Shi Qianzhang leaned over with his phone, grinning. "Brother Sheng, look at the headlines on these websites. Each one is more ridiculous than the last."

"Mm?" Wang Sheng roused his spirit a little and looked at the images on the virtual screen.

Breaking News: Hua Republic Cultivators Unleash Furious Revenge On the Dark Faction, Sweeping Through Dozens of Cities!

Shocking! The Heavenly Tribulation Executor Withstands Hours of Assault from the Dark Faction. The Hua Republic's cultivation world Erupts in Fury!

Madness! These Hua Republic Cultivators Seek to Slaughter Every Last One of Our Cultivators!

Shi Qianzhang chuckled. "Feels just like those shameless clickbait sites from a decade ago in Hua Republic. They make a flashy headline, but the content is empty and weak."

"Mm." Wang Sheng nodded, then leaned back in his seat. Though tired, he still asked, "Have the casualty reports from the hijacking come out yet?"

"Uh... they have." Shi Qianzhang swiped across the screen and pulled up a simple chart. "The investigation unit released this half an hour ago. The numbers should be accurate."

"Amitabha. Those corrupt cultivators are truly lawless and intolerable to both heaven and earth." Huai Jing intoned Buddha's name, then lowered his voice. "Fei Yu, make a suggestion to the Daoist seniors."

"Suggest what?"

"They say the Eighteen Levels of Hell have already been restored, but the Small Nether Realm is still empty." Huai Jing ground his teeth and spat, "Killing those corrupt cultivators is far too merciful. Seize their souls and throw them into the Eighteen Levels of Hell instead. Let them boil in oil cauldrons! Let them hang upon frozen peaks and iron trees!"

Liu Yunzhi added, "I like that idea. Why not use the Eighteen Levels of Hell?"

Xiaomiao opened her eyes from meditation and raised her small hand. "I second that."

Shi Qianzhang calmly remarked, "We can even broadcast their souls being punished to the outside world. As long as primal qi continues to circulate, the foreign sects will always try to rise again. We have to clearly show them whom they may provoke and whom to never touch. Offend us, and the price will be paid in full."

Dale asked softly, "Wouldn't that be too cruel?"

Before anyone could answer, her phone began to vibrate. Dale frowned, offered an apologetic smile to the group, and went to the front of the vehicle to take the call.

Wang Sheng looked at the impassioned group before him. "It's already too late. The corrupt cultivators who were directly involved in this incident have already been annihilated. Besides, the Small Nether Realm does not belong to the Daoist sects. The Heavenly Court left it behind, and the immortal residing in it does not share direct ties with us."

"Everyone knows you have close ties with her, Brother Sheng," Shi Qianzhang winked at him slyly. "If you request it, it'll be as good as done."

Wang Sheng stroked his chin in thought." I'll talk to my master about it first, then consult with Sect Master Shen."

Excited, the group gathered around him, watching intently as he made two calls.

Wang Sheng explained Huai Jing's suggestion to his master. Qing Yanzi sighed with admiration for the younger generation's bold ideas and told Wang Sheng to wait while he asked the other Daoist seniors for their opinions.

In less than two minutes, Wang Sheng was told that they agreed. It was easy for Daoist masters to bind souls.

Wang Sheng and his companions had misunderstood one thing, though. According to the Small Nether Realm's laws, those guilty of unforgivable crimes would be completely obliterated, giving them no chance to reincarnate. Only those whose sins fell short of that were cast into the Eighteen Levels of Hell, where they would be tormented and reformed before being given another chance at life.

However, an unstoppable force had shattered the Reincarnation Stone in the Small Nether Realm. The souls sent there would be punished perpetually; they would never get the chance to reincarnate.

Qing Yanzi tasked Wang Sheng to contact the Hidden Earth Sect.

—Even if your sword spirit does not appear, your words carry more weight with the immortal in the Small Nether Realm than all the Daoist elders combined.

Wang Sheng felt powerless to even complain. He and Shen Qianlin really were innocent.

Soon, he contacted the Hidden Earth Sect. After over ten minutes of waiting, they finally agreed, and the situation shifted slightly.

Shen Suian of the Hidden Earth Sect created a group chat with the Celestial Master, Qing Yanzi, Chi Ling, and other important figures. He also added Wang Sheng, the "lightweight" among them.

Moments later, the group chat members' half-body projections appeared before Wang Sheng for a brief meeting. Chi Ling attended only as an official witness; she did not have to approve the matter.

Shen Suian went straight to the point.

—The Hidden Earth Sect fully supports this idea. The immortal of the Small Nether Realm have also said, 'Send as many corrupted souls as you please. The Eighteen Levels of Hell have more than enough room.'

—We do have one problem, though. The Small Nether Realm no longer has King Yanluo to determine the types and lengths of punishment. The heavenly order is strict, and every immortal in the Netherworld has a fixed duty that cannot be overstepped. Someone else has to step in to pass judgment on these souls.

The Celestial Master frowned.

—None of us has ascended. Who could be worthy to take such a role?

Shen Suian didn't hesitate to answer.

—A reincarnated immortal. Fairy Hua Qing was once a deity of the Heavenly Court. She attained the Fruit of Longevity, and her name is inscribed in the Immortal Record. Could she not serve as an acting judge?

Wang Sheng's eyes widened. "You want my senior sister to become the judge?"

Everyone present immediately imagined Mu Wanxuan seated in the Yanluo Hall, her face stern and the Judge’s Brush in her delicate hand. Beneath her stood rows of blond-haired, blue-eyed souls crying their innocence.

Shen Suian smiled at Wang Sheng.

—She's the only one who has the qualifications to meddle in the affairs of the Small Nether Realm. Lady Meng is still recuperating; it is best not to disturb her. All that we require from Fairy Hua Qing is a small gesture anyway. Though the Small Nether Realm has its rules, we can still arrange assistants, clerks, and secretaries for the judge. Don't you think that would suffice, Secretary Wang?

Wang Sheng was speechless.

Clearly imagining something entertaining, Shi Qianzhang stifled his laughter.

Qing Yanzi gave his input.

—Let us entrust this judgment to my two disciples. We shall act as temporary enforcers of the Small Nether Realm, seizing and delivering the souls of corrupt cultivators. This is not solely for revenge; this will also serve as a warning to the foreign powers and force them into restraint.

Though Shen Suian agreed, he still issued a friendly reminder.

—Just be careful not to seize the wrong souls. The Small Nether Realm has many methods of interrogation. Only those burdened with sin may be thrown into the Eighteen Levels of Hell.

The sect master of the Hidden Earth Sect discussed it for a while with several Daoist elders. The matter was then concluded.

Mu Wanxuan would take the role of "judge," and Wang Sheng would become her "assistant judge." Once the Daoist masters returned, they would all head to the Hidden Earth Sect, enter the Small Nether Realm, and condemn the captured corrupt cultivators to the Eighteen Levels of Hell... with the whole process recorded like a little film.

When the meeting ended, Shi Qianzhang smiled teasingly at Huai Jing. "Great Monk."

"Yes? What wisdom do you wish to impart, Daoist?"

"Bodhisattva Kitigarbha[1] once vowed that he would not become a Buddha until the Nether Realm was emptied. Why are you sending people in of your own accord, then?"

Huai Jing shrugged and smiled. "I humbly walk the path of the Arhat. I have no such grand vow."

"Brother!" Xiaomiao tugged Wang Sheng's arm. "Does the great assistant judge not need a little assistant as well?"

Wang Sheng swiftly reasoned, "Your cultivation progress is still too low. You cannot withstand the yin qi of the Small Nether Realm."

"Fine... When we first went, Big Sister shielded me with her power, though. The yin qi didn't harm me," Xiaomiao pitifully countered, but she did not press her brother further.

After sweeping through most of Gambi, hundreds of Daoist masters from the Mediterranean to the Arctic began to change their methods.

They no longer just killed their targets; they also seized their souls.

Wang Sheng and his group spent half a day in the vehicle and another two hours on a transport plane bound to Base Twenty-Eight in northwest Hua Republic. Some of the hostages who hadn't yet been sent away and the Special Warfare Unit members stationed in the base gave Wang Sheng a warm welcome.

The scene quickly grew chaotic.

While Wang Sheng was at his weakest, a swarm of young girls, both cultivators and ordinary ones, rushed toward him. Bouquets buried him alive, and hugs overwhelmed him from every direction. The fragrances of perfumes mixed in the air until his head spun. One even left two faint lip marks on his face, and another shrieked, unwilling to be left out. The crowd soon descended upon him with frenzied kisses.

Wang Sheng froze completely. Out of fear of injuring anyone, he couldn't struggle free; all he could do was drift helplessly in their fervent welcome. Fortunately, mortal hands couldn't tear apart his Celestial Combat Garment and Flowing Celestial Robe.

In one corner, several overlooked cultivators watched in silence.

Huai Jing intoned Buddha's name. Liu Yunzhi drew a lemon from his storage artifact, peeled it, and sucked on it elegantly.

"Wait, Where's Dale?" Shi Qianzhang scanned the area.

Liu Yunzhi just tilted his chin toward the moving crowd ahead.

Shi Qianzhang pressed his hand to his forehead. Liu Yunzhi took out another lemon and offered it to him. Shi Qianzhang accepted it, then silently bit into the peel.

"Do not take photos," Xiaomiao reminded them softly. "If our senior sister sees and gets angry, it will not end well."

Huai Jing sighed. "Blessed is he who has such a sister."

Even he could not resist reaching over and snatching half a lemon from Liu Yunzhi's hand.

1. A Buddhist deity known as the guardian of the deceased and the savior of souls in the underworld. ☜