(Part 1)

The dragon veins were naturally tightly guarded, but the Mortal Realm forces were very weak compared to the immortals. Hou Chi hid her figure, using her immortal power to keeps the guards in place, and walked deep into the veins along the passage.

A faint aura escaped from the ground, soft and peaceful, but wailing, resentment, and anger finally confided with the aura, almost breaking out from the ground, bringing a strong dark aura into the place with a few wisps of sunlight. A vigorous shout came, and the numerous spells suppressed the violent aura and returned the underground to tranquility.

Hou Chi was not surprised. The Soul-Suppressing Tower was passed down from ancient times and was the treasure of the Three Realms so there would naturally be a powerful immortal guarding the place. So since she went underground, she walked normally without erasing all of her traces.

An hour later, a majestic underground palace appeared in front of Hou Chi. A foot-tall green tower stood in the middle of the underground palace, with ancient Sanskirt engravings looking solemn and majestic. The light green halo illuminated the entire underground palace, turning it into a round halo, suppressing the roaring ghosts and demons of the underworld.

The Soul-Suppressing Tower was right in front of her, but Hou Chi hadn't taken a single step forward.

On a quaint cushion in the empty space in the middle of the tower, a white-robed old man looked at her quietly, with a pair of eyes of thoroughness and enlighten that had been through tens of thousands of years.

"The Soul-Suppressing Tower helps all the sentient beings of the Three Realms, Goddess, why are you here?" The old voice rang from the tower and fell into Hou Chi's ears. He had a peaceful expression and was not influenced by Hou Chi's identity.

Hou Chi was not surprised at all by the fact that this immortal knew her identity. According to legend, Bi Xi [1], the immortal guarding the Soul-Suppressing Tower, was born with the tower. He had been through numerous reincarnations and was already far away from the reaches of the Three Realms. Even the Heavenly Emperor couldn't interfere with his control of the Soul-Suppression Tower.

"Lord Bi Xi." Hou Chi bent over for a bow. Without being impatient, she said in a deep voice, "Hou Chi has a private matter and wants to borrow the Soul-Suppressing Tower for a hundred years, and I hope that you will allow this."

The person and tower coexisted. If Bi Xi was unwilling, even if the Soul Suppressing Tower was destroyed, she wouldn't be able to do anything.

Hearing this, there was some fluctuation in Immortal Lord Bi Xi's eyes, but his voice was still calm, "Goddess Hou Chi, the Soul-Suppressing Tower is related to the safety of the Mortal Realm. If not guarded, the Mortal Realm will be ravaged by evil spirits. There will be no peace, do you know of this?"

"Hou Chi knows, but...this is the only way." Hou Chi stepped forward with a solemn expression.

"God is respected by heaven and earth and should protect the world. How could you forget about the Three Realm's safety for something so personal?" Immortal Lord Bi Xi looked at Hou Chi and said in a deep voice, his eyes full of disappointment and disapproval.

"High Lord Bi Xi, I will never leave the Mortal Realm civilians in danger." Hou Chi whispered. Seeing Bi Xi's eyebrows move slightly, she put her hands behind her back, "Ancient books say that the Soul-Suppressing Tower was left by the ancient Ancestral God Qing Tian, and only the Power of Chaos can destroy it. It requires a god's power origin to suppress ghosts, otherwise, they'll eventually cause trouble, am I right?"

In this past month, Qing Mu was searching through the ancient books, and she had not rested well either. The record of the Soul-Suppressing Tower in Qingchi Palace wrote very clearly that if the Soul-Suppression Tower failed to find a god power origin within a hundred years, it would collapse. If she hasn't thought of this way to convince Bi Xi, she would have never come here.

Hou Chi's voice was particularly clear and determined in the empty underground palace. Bi Xi lowered his head and was silent for a moment. He stretched out his hand to stroke his gray beard. After a long time, he looked at Hou Chi, his eyes burning, "The books in Qingchi Palace are truly extraordinary. You are right, without a god's origin of power, the Soul-Suppressing Tower would indeed not last for more than one hundred years. Since you are aware of this, why have you come today?"

It was not a secret in the Three Realms that the Soul-Suppressing Tower required a god's origin of power, but a god's power couldn't be compared to the power of Chaos after all. If one wanted to activate the Soul-Suppressing Tower, at least half of one's power would be consumed. But no matter which high god it was, how could they willing to sacrifice in vain? After all, if half of their power was lost, they would immediately be reduced to a demigod, and the Three Realms would change.

"Immortal, in these next one hundred years, I will seal all my spiritual power here to replace the Soul-Suppressing Tower to guard the Mortal Realms and demons. After a hundred years, I am willing to help the Soul-Suppressing Tower guard the Mortal Realm at the cost of half of my power." Hou Chi raised her head, her expression sincere as she slowly said every word.

Bi Xi's calm face changed, and his eyebrows arched, "Little god, half of your power, are you serious?"

"Hou Chi doesn't dare lie." A clear voice sounded. Hou Chi looked at Bi Xi, her eyes shining brightly.

"Alright!" After a long while, Bi Xi laughed vigorously, "You only gain when you are willing to sacrifice. Little god, this old man promises you that if you are willing to sacrifice half of your power to help the Soul-Suppressing Tower guard the Mortal Realm, then I will guard here for you for these one hundred years."

"Immortal Lord Bi Xi, you..." Hou Chi was taken aback, wondering, without the Soul-Suppressing Tower, was Immortal Deity Bi Xi capable of guarding the Mortal Realm, which was full of dangers?

Bi Xi did not miss the surprise in Hou Chi's eyes. He slightly smiled, floated cross-legged in the air. His hands formed a semicircle and he whispered a spell softly. The Soul-Suppressing Tower slowly shrank, becoming the size of a fist and falling into the palm of his hand.

With the disappearance of the Soul-Suppressing Tower, the tyrannical roars in the depths of the underground palace suddenly became booming, with faint momentum as if breaking out of the ground.

Lord Bi Xi lightly hummed, and a green light was emitted from his body. He rose into the air, becoming a size smaller than the Soul-Suppressing Tower, and fell into the hall of the underground palace. In an instant, the arrogant roar just now stopped, and even fled to the depths of the earth with faint terror.

Hou Chi raised her eyebrows, amazed inside. The world only knew that Lord Bi Xi had the power to control the Soul-Suppressing Tower, but they didn't know that the two had already merged together. In fact, his power was not a single bit weaker than the Soul-Suppressing Tower. If he soared to the Nine Heavens, it was possible for him to be promoted to a high god. No wonder he could stay silent and guard the realm for her for a hundred years!

"Little god, your spiritual power should be used for another purpose. This old guy will not leave you here any longer, go now." He fell to the ground, and the small green tower in his palm flew over and stopped in front of Hou Chi.

It seemed like she couldn't hide her plan from Immortal Deity Bi Xi. Hou Chi's expression slightly moved. She took the small tower and solemnly bowed to the man in the air.

"Lord Bi Xi, one hundred years later, I will surely return your grace."

"Go, the Heavenly Emperor and Empress will sooner or later realize that the Soul-Suppressing Tower is gone. If you can't save the person you want to save, then half of your power will really be wasted."

A smiling voice sounded in the air. Hou Chi paused, narrowed her eyes, took a deep look at Bi Xi, then turned and headed out of the underground palace.

"Bi Xi, when Goddess Hou Chi returns the Soul-Suppressing Tower a hundred years later, do you really want to take half of her power?" A clear and crisp voice suddenly sounded in the underground palace. A dark green magical beast appeared beside Immortal Lord Bi Xi. It had a fat body, its limb short, with crystal clear wings on its back, and a pair of moist eyes.

"Bi Bo, nothing can be predicted these one hundred years. If the Power of Chaos appears, the Soul-Suppressing Tower will be worry-free in the future." Immortal Lord Bi Xi stroked his beard with a deep meaning in his eyes.

"Didn't only the Ancestral God Qing Tian possess the Power of Chaos?" Bi Bo waved his small wings, his mouth pursed and his big eyes blinking.

"In addition to the Ancestral God Qing Tian, True God Shang Gu who inherited his bloodline also has the Power of Chaos."

Bi Bo shook his head for a long time, not understanding what Immortal Lord Bi Xi meant.

Bi Xi stretched out his hand, and the little magical beast flopped and landed in his palm.

"Bi Bo, go with Hou Chi and stay with her. You are a water-condensing magical beast with healing power. If she faces danger in the future, you can help her." Bi Xi patted Bi Bo's head and said.

"No, no, I won't go anywhere." Bi Bo turned around, his transparent wings hurriedly closing, his face full of disapproval.

(Part 2)

"She has the aura of a young god. If you can get on good terms with the unborn god, you don't need to work so hard cultivating in the future." Seeing that Bi Bo was trying to make it clear that he was too lazy to move, Bi Xi touched his beard and said bewilderedly.

"Really?" Bi Bo quickly turned his head and spread his wings. Seeing Bi Xi's stern face, he hesitated for a moment and stood up in his palm, then flew slantingly and obliquely outside the underground palace.

Compared to tens of thousands of cultivation in the future, it was better to be diligent now and listen to Bi Xi's words to help the little god.

"Bi Xi, you're not allowed to lie to me, or else I'll pull out your beard when I come back."

A crisp voice came from the distance and the old immortal who was stroking his beard felt his hand shake, accidentally tearing off a few strands and frowned with pain.

As Hou Chi was rushing to the Demon Realm, Feng Ran changed her appearance to mix in a crowd of congratulating demon lord into the Demon Emperor's back hall.

The annual New Year's festival in the Demon Realm was extremely grand, and the Third Heaven was even more crowded on this day. The Demon Emperor and the two highnesses left Chongzi Palace early in the morning, leaving only some demon deities to guard the place.

The Demon-Gathering Banner was the Demon Emperor's most valuable treasure, so he naturally wouldn't leave it in some random place. Feng Ran searched for a long time before faintly sensing a powerful aura deep in the stone chamber of Chongzi Palace, but when she carefully walked to the stone room, it was hard for her to take another step forward.

Seeing the enchanting and powerful formations outside the stone room, Feng Ran slightly frowned, touching her chin as she pondered.

Breaking the formation with force would surely alarm the Demon Emperor, so there would be no way to take the Demon-Gathering Banner away from the Demon Realm then.

"What, Lord Feng Ran, who is not afraid of anything, also has times of worrying?"

A playful voice sounded behind her. Feng Ran was startled. She turned her head calmly to see Chang Qing in teal clothing leaning against the railing not far away. Her expression relaxed and she changed back to her original appearance.

"Chang Qin, why are you here?" The two didn't meet again after the previous encounter. Feng Ran raised her eyebrows, looking puzzled, "And you recognized me, I clearly changed my appearance."

Chang Qin laughed and said, "I came to the Third Heaven to congratulate on behalf of the Demon Fox Clan and saw you in front of the main palace's entrance. You looked sneaky, so I followed you. Fortunately, the Demon Emperor is not in Chongzi Palace, or else you probably won't have been able to come in even through the back hall with this flamboyant aura of yours." Feng Ran's body carried a bit of evil aura, which was the reason why she could enter the Third Heaven unimpeded, but the Demon Emperor would recognize her at a glance.

"Really?" Feng Ran touched her nose, a little embarrassed. She had felt that she was quite low-key.

"Feng Ran, this is an important part of Chongzi Palace, why have you come here?" Chang Qin looked behind Feng Ran, her eyebrows straightening, "Are you here to take the Demon-Gathering Banner?"

Feng Ran nodded her head, saying, "Hou Chi needs the Demon-Gathering Banner to save someone. I came to the Demon Realm today for this reason, but I didn't expect that the Demon Emperor would set up a formation here. It makes things a lot harder."

"The Demon-Gathering Banner is the treasure of the Demon Realm, so it naturally will have more protection." Chang Qin stood up straight and said with a solemn expression, "Do you want me to help you?"

"Chang Qin..." Feng Ran was taken aback. She shook her head and said, "No need, I don't want to involve you in this. The Demon-Gathering Banner is too important for the Demon Realm..."

"It's fine, ever since Demon Lord Jing Yuan appeared out of nowhere, the Demon-Gathering Banner's effectiveness has greatly decreased. Besides, as long as the Demon Fox Clan does not fight against the Demon Emperor for power, I'll only receive a rebuke if we're discovered. I owe you a favor, and now I can return it to you."

After Chang Qin finished speaking, she smiled and silently recited a few words. The formation faded away and the door to the stone chamber was slowly pushed open. The blood-red Demon-Gathering Banner was placed on the stone platform in the room, filled with evil aura and red light that could pierce the sky.

She stretched out her hand, and the Demon-Gathering Banner flew out of the stone chamber and fell into her hands.

"Feng Ran, leave now. The Demon Emperor will sense that the Demon-Gathering Banner has been stolen. Hand it to Hou Chi as soon as possible, otherwise there will be some changes."

Feng Ran took the Demon-Gathering Banner in a daze and was speechless for a while. In the beginning, she and Hou Chi barely acknowledged each other. They would just bow to each other on the road. But now Chang Qin was helping them to this point...

A sharp roar came from the stone chamber, which awakened her suddenly. She looked up to see Chang Qin's serious and resolute face. Without saying more, she pulled her and ran outside Chongzi Palace.

"Feng Ran, what are you doing?" Chang Qin was taken aback and said anxiously. If she wasn't there to stop the Demon Emperor, it would not be easy for Chang Qin to leave the Third Heaven.

"I, Feng Ran, am not a person who ignores loyalty. How could I leave you here alone to suffer from the Demon Emperor's anger? Chang Qin, are you interested in fleeing with me just this once? The mountains and rivers outside the Demon Realm are not bad!" A heart voice sounded in the air. Feng Ran put the Demon-Gathering Banner in the Qiankun Bag, walking with her whip, and said as she smiled at Chang Qin.

Feng Ran was dressed in black, with long blood-red hair flying in the air, free and easy. Chang Qin was taken aback for a moment, then with a long laugh and bright eyebrows, "Why don't I dare, when I dominated this Demon Realm, you were still a small child."

The two laughed for a moment and fled outside.

The Demon-Gathering Banner was gone and the formation had been touched. The Demon Emperor, who was presiding over the New Year's Festival, had a darkening face. His eyes flashed brightly, leaving the demons in the square and flown straight towards the entrance of the Third Heaven.

In Chongzi Palace, two figures appeared above the stone chamber.

"My Lord, although the Demon-Gathering Banner is not of much use now, it is an item passed down to each Demon Emperor. You ordered Demon Deity Chang Qin to help Feng Ran seize the Demon-Gathering Banner, doesn't this make the Demon Emperor look bad? Feng Ran killed his son, he won't let go of her easily now that he has another thing against her." Zi Han looked at the man on the side and said suspiciously.

"With Chang Qin's personality, even if I didn't say anything, she would definitely help Feng Ran. I'm just going with the flow." Jing Yuan's phoenix eyes narrowed. His face was charming and he had on a full smile, "Besides, it's good for him to not forgive Feng Ran. I really want to know how Hou Chi will deal with having angered the leaders of both the Immortal and Demon Realms!"

This voice was charming and lingering. It was not a question, but rather a soft expectation.

Zi Han frowned slightly. His expression was startled, and he looked at the white-clothed youth in front of him, as if he heard an invisible murmur.