Cosmic Trading System

This world has aspects of both yang and yin.

The myriad heavens and worlds are yang, representing life and solidity, while the Netherworld is yin, representing death and intangibility.

However, while there are countless heavens and worlds, there is only one Netherworld.

As the saying goes, "The Dao produces one, one produces two, two produce three, and three produce all things." It is also said, "When yang reaches its peak, yin is born; when yin reaches its peak, yang is born."

It is said that when the myriad heavens and worlds were first born, the Netherworld did not exist.

As the myriad heavens and worlds developed, the Netherworld gradually came into being, appearing to be a case of yang producing yin.

Like many Spirit Worlds, the Netherworld initially only had nine levels of space, and each level of space was very clear. Hence, ten mighty beings were born within the Netherworld, with nine each ruling over one level, and one overseeing the entire Netherworld, known as the Ten Yamas.

As time went by, one powerful being after another rose to power in the Netherworld. The title of the Ten Yamas remained, though occasionally there were changes in power. Moreover, new spaces within the Netherworld were gradually breached, and one peerless genius after another was born.

Only when the eighteenth level was breached did this state come to a pause. Since then, the Netherworld had eighteen levels of space and was referred to by many knowledgeable beings in the Spirit World as the Eighteen Layers of Hell, still ruled by the Ten Yamas.

The Netherworld controls the punishment, reincarnation, and is quite special for the departed spirits.

After another long period of time, a peerless Ghost Practitioner was born in the Netherworld, breaking through the nineteenth level of space. Subsequently, the breakthroughs were unstoppable, all the way to the twenty-sixth level. The Netherworld once again witnessed significant development.

Although the spaces of the Netherworld, unlike those of the Spirit universe, did not gain a trace of Origin Force from the outside after breaking through one level, making it extremely difficult to break through higher levels of the same universe.

However, when a new space in the Netherworld was breached, the breaker would gain a trace of the Netherworld's Origin Force, and the difficulty of breaking through higher levels in the Netherworld increased as well.

In history, only the strongest Nether King, who ruled over the entire Netherworld when there were only eighteen levels of space, managed to break through two levels, and not consecutively at that. The peerless Ghost Practitioner who broke through eight consecutive levels of the Netherworld was simply unthinkable.

The name of that Ghost Practitioner was Blood Emperor, who overnight became the supreme being of the Netherworld, the strongest existence there.

Most powerful beings' titles have their origins.

The title 'Blood Emperor' is no different. It was earned during one of the Netherworld's openings to an accessible universe. A formidable encounter for a Ghost Practitioner can also be a great fortune for spirits. In that battle, the Ghost Practitioners of the Netherworld fought fiercely against the powerful spirits of the Spirit World.

Wielding a blood-colored longsword, the Blood Emperor slaughtered so immensely that rivers of blood flowed and countless strong beings from the Spirit World fell. His name shook all the heavens and worlds, thus securing the invincible title of Blood Emperor of the Netherworld.

The Blood Prison Sword was the treasure used by the Blood Emperor at that time. It was said that with one swing of the sword, numerous spirits' lives were reaped. The sword could exert tremendous power without the need for the Blood Emperor to operate it.

Even the legend goes that it was because of obtaining the Blood Prison Sword that the Blood Emperor achieved such power so quickly, and also because of that sword that he managed to break through so many levels of the Netherworld in rapid succession.

In any case, the Blood Prison Sword and the Blood Emperor were unmatched; this was something all Ghost Practitioners at the time acknowledged.

Latter on, the Blood Emperor vanished without a trace, until the twenty-seventh level of the Netherworld was breached, the twenty-eighth level... all the way to the thirty-sixth level.

The Blood Emperor never appeared again.

Because the Netherworld once again gave birth to many brilliant Ghost Practitioner powerhouses, even recently, the legend of one Ghost Practitioner is not any less remarkable than the Blood Emperor's once was. Thus the legend of the Blood Emperor began to fade gradually.

However, this Saint Lord Level Ghost Practitioner happened to have experienced the great battle that occurred when the Blood Emperor earned his name, fighting against the powerful beings of the Spirit World.

It had personally seen how terrifying the power of the Blood Emperor and the Blood Prison Sword in his hands were. It also clearly knew that the Blood Prison Sword wielded by the Blood Emperor was genuinely powerful and not just a legend.

Even if the Blood Emperor didn't take action, just the movement of the Blood Prison Sword alone could kill it as easily as crushing an ant!

Therefore, when it suddenly saw the Blood Prison Sword and felt its aura, how could it not be shocked? How could it not be afraid?

Whoosh!

Then, an astonishing scene unfolded. That Saint Lord Level Ghost Practitioner turned and fled. Yes, not just leaving, but fleeing, as if pursued by a flood or fierce beast, where lagging even slightly meant being swallowed whole.

"What is this..."

Lin Yun was also very surprised.

The Blood Prison Sword, he had heard this name for the second time. The first was in the Heavenly Principle Tower space, where the powerful Ghost Practitioner, Lord Black, seemed to believe that the Bloodthirsty Sword in his hand was the Blood Prison Sword.

Could it be that the Bloodthirsty Sword in his hand wasn't really called the Bloodthirsty Sword, but the Blood Prison Sword, and that this sword had a significant origin?

Or maybe Lord Black and the Ghost Practitioner just now both got it wrong...

No matter what, Lin Yun didn't dare to linger there any longer. He quickly put away the Bloodthirsty Sword and fled quickly into the distance.

Actually, Lin Yun had a vague guess in his heart. Maybe, Lord Black, as well as the Saint Lord Level ghost practitioner from before, weren't mistaken; the Bloodthirsty Sword in his hand could indeed be the Blood Prison Sword they spoke of.

Because, the True Martial Saint Lord had also mentioned that the Blood Prison Sword was supposed to be extremely powerful, perhaps not inferior to the Heavenly Principle Tower. However, the Bloodthirsty Sword is damaged now, and its power has diminished by who knows how many times.

The original owner of the Bloodthirsty Sword must have been incredibly powerful; Lord Black and the Saint Lord Level ghost practitioner from before probably recognized it. Indeed, the Bloodthirsty Sword must have once been extremely formidable.

So, was that why the Saint Lord Level ghost practitioner got scared?

Lin Yun knew that higher-level artifacts almost always possessed great Spirituality and could slaughter powerful beings with ease, even without an owner!

Even some strong artifacts separated from their owners could become powerful entities in their own right!

But the Bloodthirsty Sword was already damaged... its current power could not possibly pose a threat to that Saint Lord Level ghost practitioner...

However, the Saint Lord Level ghost practitioner was wary of the once formidable reputation of the Bloodthirsty Sword, and didn't think of this at the moment. He wasn't hurrying to leave right now, but once the other party realized this, it might be too late for him to escape!

...

"Brother Bull, what happened?"

"Yeah, Brother Bull, why have you come back? The two prey have started running; don't you want them anymore?"

The reaction of that Saint Lord Level ghost practitioner also caught the attention of the other two Saint Lord Level ghost practitioners, who flashed to the side of their companion and asked in quick succession.

While speaking, these two Saint Lord Level ghost practitioners looked in the direction where Lin Yun and the True Martial Saint Lord had left, their eyes quickly flickering.

They too had a faint realization that Lin Yun and the True Martial Saint Lord were not simple. If they hadn't noticed that their companion who had just fought with Lin Yun and the True Martial Saint Lord was acting strangely, they might have already given chase.

"Brother Wood? Brother Tiger? Let's go! Quick!" Seeing his two companions approaching and asking such questions, the face of Brother Bull ghost practitioner changed again, and he urgently urged them to leave.

"Go? Brother Bull, you have to make it clear first!"

"What exactly happened to you, Brother Bull?"

Seeing that Brother Bull ghost practitioner's reaction was off, Brother Wood ghost practitioner and Brother Tiger ghost practitioner felt a tightness in their hearts. They followed Brother Bull ghost practitioner quickly escaping towards the grey mist, and pressed him for answers.

Because they instinctively thought this was an open universe, where beings of any level could appear, they were already prepared to retreat at any moment. Therefore, the words of Brother Bull ghost practitioner led them to believe that he might have discovered some formidable being about to arrive.

"The Blood Prison Sword... The weapon that person just used was actually the Blood Prison Sword..." Brother Bull explained in a hurried tone.

"The Blood Prison Sword?" Brother Wood ghost practitioner and Brother Tiger ghost practitioner were slightly stunned.

As the legend of the Blood Emperor slowly faded in the Netherworld, and since the Blood Prison Sword was only one of the Blood Emperor's weapons, they hadn't been involved in that great battle like Brother Bull ghost practitioner and hadn't seen the Blood Emperor up close.

Naturally, their impression of the Blood Emperor and the Blood Prison Sword wasn't particularly strong, so they didn't react immediately.

"Yes, the Blood Emperor's artifact, the Blood Prison Sword! The weapon that human youth was using, that's the Blood Emperor's artifact, the Blood Prison Sword! The Blood Emperor might very well be here!" Brother Bull ghost practitioner said with a face filled with horror.

The Blood Emperor was an unpredictable ghost practitioner; it wouldn't go out of its way to kill spirits to increase its strength, and might even intervene to save a spirit being pursued by other ghost practitioners, based on its whims and moods.

Of course, should one offend the Blood Emperor, it wouldn't spare them just because they were ghost practitioners; there were many ghost practitioners in the Netherworld, they were all ghost practitioners!

In fact, the Blood Emperor had killed many spirits and even more ghost practitioners. The Blood Emperor's name resonated not only because of that one battle but also because the number of strong ghost practitioners it had killed was not small!

"The Blood Emperor? One of the Nine Emperors of the Netherworld, the legendary figure who disappeared from the Netherworld a long time ago?" Brother Wood ghost practitioner and Brother Tiger ghost practitioner finally caught on, their faces showing shock.

When the Netherworld developed to the Thirty-Six Heavenly Layers, the top-tier powers were not only the Ten Kings of Yama but also nine Ghost Emperors. It was said that these nine Ghost Emperors were the strongest nine beings in the Netherworld.

It was rumored that even the weakest of the Nine Ghost Emperors were at the Saint King Peak realm, and not just ordinary Saint King Peak, but comparable to even higher echelons.

Among them, a few top-notch ones had even broken through the Saint King Peak realm, reaching an even higher level of existence.

At the time when the Blood Emperor disappeared, it was said to have already reached this level of existence.

Therefore, even though the title of Nine Emperors had not yet spread when the Blood Emperor vanished, it was still placed among the ranks of the Nine Emperors by many ghost practitioners of the Netherworld, holding a high ranking among them.

The legend of the Blood Emperor, Brother Wood ghost practitioner and Brother Tiger ghost practitioner had also heard of it. Hearing Brother Bull ghost practitioner bringing it up, the memories in their minds quickly surfaced, and they were both considerably shaken.

The Blood Emperor, who had disappeared for so long, could possibly be in this universe? What was going on?

Could it be that the Blood Emperor had also discovered this space node connecting the Netherworld with the Spirit World, and wanted to take a share of the spoils?