Absolute Destiny Game.

Chapter 553 Meeting an Old Friend

This time, Qin Chuan finally didn't refuse and readily agreed.

"Of course, of course! Please wait a moment, Immortal Master. I will arrange for someone to handle this matter immediately, and I will make sure that you are reunited with your old friend as soon as possible!" King Yama was very straightforward and immediately issued a series of orders.

The efficiency of the Yama King's Palace was indeed astonishingly high when it was needed most. Less than half an hour later, another ghost official came to report, bringing good news.

"Your Majesty, Immortal Master Suifeng, most of your friends have been brought here and are waiting in the side hall. Please proceed to the 'Hall of Welcoming Souls,' and I will guide you."

Xiao Jie felt a surge of excitement and joy. It had finally succeeded! He suppressed his excitement and bowed to the King of Hell, saying, "Thank you for your great help, Your Majesty!"

"You're too kind, Immortal Master. Please go and meet your old friend." King Yama said with a warm smile.

Xiao Jie said no more and followed the ghost official away from the noisy main hall.

Once Xiao Jie's figure had completely disappeared outside the palace gates, Yan Jun Qin Chuan's smile slowly faded, and he raised his hand and waved it gently.

Suddenly, the celestial music and dance in the hall came to an abrupt halt. The ghost generals, judges, civil officials, and strategists who had been drinking, making merry, and laughing loudly all stopped what they were doing, put down their wine cups, and turned their gazes to the Lord of the Underworld on the throne. The playful expressions on their faces vanished, leaving only solemnity and gravity.

"My esteemed ministers," the King of Hell's voice regained its imperial majesty and composure, "what do you all think of the three strategies offered by the Immortal Master Suifeng just now?"

A ghost general clad in jet-black armor with a ferocious face spoke first in a deep, gruff voice: "Your Majesty, I believe that the strategy of 'driving away the tiger to devour the wolf' might be worth a try! In any case, we have already begun to collect the relatively strong wandering souls from the River Styx to replenish our military supplies. Now we are simply expanding the scope to the entire Sea of ​​Reincarnation!"
Although those wandering ghosts and spirits are mediocre in combat and lack intelligence, they can still serve as competent cannon fodder, used to deplete the rebels' arrows and magical energy. If they are killed on the battlefield, their souls scattered, which relieves some pressure on the cycle of reincarnation. If they are lucky enough to kill a few elite rebels, that would be an even greater surprise!

“That’s exactly right!” another ghost judge who looked like a civil official chimed in. “The brilliance of this plan lies in the fact that it requires almost no actual cost to obtain a large army out of thin air!”

Another ghostly minister, wielding a judge's pen, cautiously inquired, "Your Majesty, should we also implement the 'quenching thirst with plums' and lottery-style methods? Perhaps they could better appease the Sea of ​​Reincarnation..."

Yan Jun Qin Chuan shook his head without hesitation, a cold smile appearing on his lips: "No need. Since there's a 'drive the tiger to devour the wolf' strategy to choose from, why waste precious reincarnation slots on 'looking at plums to quench thirst'? If those wandering ghosts truly have the determination to reincarnate, then let them fight to the death and earn their merits! If they don't even have the courage to fight to the death and make a name for themselves, then naturally they have neither the guts nor the value to escape the Sea of ​​Reincarnation and follow the false emperor in rebellion! Trash should stay where trash belongs!"

"Your Majesty is wise!" the ministers echoed in unison.

At this moment, a seemingly shrewd and calculating ghost slowly spoke, his tone tinged with doubt: "Your Majesty, that immortal said he was going to Guyun Prefecture to ask for reinforcements... Isn't this too far-fetched? The immortals of Guyun Prefecture have been living in seclusion for a long time, how could they easily intervene for the sake of my Underworld? This matter... cannot be trusted so easily?"

Upon hearing this, King Yan Qin Chuan chuckled, his laughter carrying a hint of absolute confidence: "Hehe, my dear minister, you worry too much. Immortals are not bound by the Three Realms, nor by the Five Elements. They fear neither heaven nor earth, but what they fear most is being entangled in 'karma' and suffering the backlash of the Heavenly Dao. Since he personally made a promise and accepted the mission in front of me, he has already formed a karmic bond with my Underworld. In order to avoid the karmic backlash of failing the mission, he will certainly do his best! As for how many helpers he can find... that depends on his ability and fate."

He stood up, his gaze sweeping over the assembled officials in the hall, his voice suddenly becoming impassioned: "My beloved ministers, act immediately! Following the Immortal Master's plan, head to the Sea of ​​Reincarnation and recruit the 'Meritorious Army'! Tell them that if they want a next life, they must exchange it for the heads of the rebels! Prepare the army, gather provisions and weapons! The decisive battle is approaching!"

"That false emperor thinks he's all-powerful and is incredibly arrogant. I deliberately feigned weakness, abandoning thirteen ghost cities in succession to embolden him and lower his guard. Now is the time for us to mobilize our elite forces and launch a thunderous counterattack! When the immortal reinforcements from Lonely Cloud Prefecture arrive and our meritorious army gathers, we will surely wipe out these villains in one fell swoop and restore the Netherworld!"

The ghostly officials inside the hall immediately became excited, rising to their feet, bowing respectfully, and shouting in unison:

"Your Majesty is wise! Your strategic planning and decisive victories are unparalleled!"

"Your Majesty's decree will be obeyed! We will exert all our strength to quell the rebellion!"

"The true lineage of the Underworld will prosper for eternity! Your Majesty's divine might is boundless, and you will surely sweep away the evil influence and restore the order of reincarnation!"

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At this moment, Xiao Jie, led by the ghostly official, had arrived at the side hall—the "Hall of Welcoming Souls." The hall was furnished in a relatively simple and quiet style, contrasting sharply with the luxurious and noisy main hall. Xiao Jie paced back and forth, feeling quite uneasy. Was he finally going to succeed? He couldn't help but recall the horrific scenes of his companions' deaths. Time had passed, and those memories, like yellowed, worn pages, had become incredibly clear because of the impending reunion, as if they had happened just yesterday.

At this moment, a ghost judge dressed as a scholar, holding a dossier, walked in and bowed respectfully to Xiao Jie.

"Reporting to the Immortal Master, the whereabouts of most of the souls of the friends on your list have been ascertained and are on their way. However, their circumstances are different, and I have been ordered to explain this to you first, so as not to cause you any confusion later."

Suppressing his excitement, Xiao Jie took a deep breath and asked, "Oh? What are the differences? Please tell me."

"Most of the names provided by the Immortal Master are people who died just half a month ago. They have not been immersed in the River Styx for long, and their spiritual intelligence and memories are relatively well preserved. They have all been successfully found and are being brought here. They will soon be able to meet the Immortal Master."

"Among them, two are quite special. One is named 'Nightfall'. This girl seemed to have a connection with the underworld in her previous life, and was given a special duty or destiny. After her death, she did not fall into the River Styx, but her soul was directly guided by the laws of the Yellow Springs and went to work in the 'Yellow Springs Guardian Office'. Now she is a Yellow Springs Envoy."

"There is another person named 'I Want to Become an Immortal.' This person had extraordinary cultivation in life and had already condensed his Yang Spirit. Even after death, he was still surrounded and protected by the pure incense and vows of the gods. Therefore, he was appreciated by Lord Yama and specially appointed as a god general of the underworld. He is currently serving in the army. These two have been urgently dispatched back and are now waiting outside the hall."

The Ghost Judge flipped through the file and continued, "Besides that, there is another soul named 'Deidara,' whose soul was severely burned by an extremely powerful 'Fire of Separation,' leaving him mentally confused. However, since he is a friend of the Immortal, Lord Yama has granted special permission for us to retrieve the precious 'Soul-Soothing Saliva' to nourish his soul. Given time, he should be fine and able to regain his senses."

He paused slightly, lowering his voice: "There are also some of your friends who have been dead for a long time, and have been immersed and washed in the River Styx for years, so their souls and memories are... somewhat incomplete. Especially the three of them, 'I Shall Seal the Heavens,' 'Listen to the Rain,' and 'Han Luo,' are in the most serious condition, having lost most of their memories, and are left with only some instincts and fragmented impressions... When you meet them, please... be aware and be mentally prepared."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jie was overwhelmed with mixed emotions, a powerful blend of sorrow and relief welling up within him. He was relieved that after enduring so much hardship, he was finally about to reunite with his old friend and fulfill his initial promise; yet, he was also saddened to learn that someone had suffered memory loss, and even if resurrected, it would likely be difficult to recapture the complete bond and shared memories of the past. It seemed that even becoming an immortal, possessing the power to move mountains and overturn seas, ultimately made it impossible to achieve perfection; there would always be irreparable regrets.

Fortunately, after becoming an immortal, his will had become more resilient and open-minded. He quickly adjusted his mindset, buried that trace of sadness deep in his heart, and nodded calmly.

"Thank you for your trouble, Judge. In that case, please invite Ye Luo and myself, who wish to become immortals, in first. I would like to meet them first."

"Please wait a moment, Immortal Master. I will invite you both in immediately!"

The Ghost Judge turned and walked towards the palace door. Soon, the door opened again, and two figures walked in one after the other.

The person walking in front was dressed in an ancient-style dark-colored robe embroidered with gold, and had a long sword hanging at his waist.

Her face was as cold and aloof as the moon, her skin was so fair it was almost transparent, and her eyes were deep and deep like a cold pool, exuding a sense of detachment and an unapproachable aura.

Although she was a ghost official, she still retained the cold and stunning beauty she possessed in life, only now her brows held a touch of the majesty and mystery of the underworld.

The other person following closely behind was a completely different character. He wore an extremely heavy set of Nether Iron Soul-Forged Armor, the armor plates thick and gleaming with a cold, eerie luster, with ferocious ghost heads carved at the joints.

He wore a full-face 'Soul-Suppressing Helmet' that completely obscured his face, leaving only two eerie green slits visible around his eyes, within which flickered cold ghostly flames. His physique was exceptionally robust, almost reaching the temple entrance, and with each step he took, the ground seemed to tremble slightly, radiating a heavy, oppressive aura as imposing as a mountain.

Seeing those two familiar yet unfamiliar figures, Xiao Jie was filled with a mix of emotions. Yes, it was Ye Luo and Yu Chengxian.

When old friends meet again, even though they are separated by life and death, their identities have changed, and their appearances have changed drastically, Xiao Jie still instantly recognizes their identities.

A thousand words in my heart ultimately condensed into a complex and poignant cry:

"Nightfall... Ascension to Immortality... How have you been?"

(End of this chapter)