372: Return to the Netherworld

"Rewards naturally follow merits!"

Xu Qing waved his large hand, his sleeve brushing lightly, and dozens of brilliant streams of light, like stars, flew out, instantly pouring into the bodies of the Xu Family's high-ranking members.

In an instant, the aura in the hall surged, and everyone's cultivation broke through, their faces showing unconcealable excitement.

As for Xu Ming and the other several Half-step Dao Lords, although they didn't directly break through, they each held a crystal-clear Cultivation Jade Slip. These Jade Slips all contained Dao Lord cultivation, enough to make their descendants' cultivation advance by leaps and bounds.

"Many thanks for Clan Chief's grace!"

All the high-ranking members bowed in unison, their voices filled with gratitude and reverence.

Xu Qing smiled slightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone, his tone gentle yet carrying an undeniable authority: "These are all what you deserve. However..."

He changed the subject, his voice suddenly grave, "My Xu Clan is not limited to this; we still have a longer road to travel. I hope everyone will work together to open an era of eternal peace for the Xu Clan!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions became solemn, and they bowed in unison, their voices resounding through the Clan Hall like a great bell: "We are willing to die for Clan Chief and open an era of eternal peace for the Xu Clan!"

Xu Qing nodded slightly, his gaze as deep as the starry sky, as if it penetrated time and space, seeing the future glory of the Xu Clan.

The hall meeting lasted for an hour. After the Elders retreated, only Xu Ming and the masters of the Six Veins and Eight Halls remained in the great hall.

Xu Qing sat in the main seat, his expression solemn, and slowly began, "Now, the resources of the Lower Realm are no longer sufficient to support the development of my Xu Clan. I have decided to lead the entire Clan to Ascend to the Ancient Land of Dao!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Ming bowed and said, "Clan Chief, this proposal is something this old man greatly agrees with. Seventeen years ago, we already had this idea, so we first allowed those ambitious Clan members to leave the Clan and head to the Ancient Land of Dao."

"Over the years, although many Clan members have perished, with the assistance of Young Master Yuan, we have successively established over a hundred strongholds in the Human Territory. Although most are third-rate forces, we have managed to gain a foothold."

Xu Qing nodded, his expression calm.

When he returned, he had already known about this matter. Besides the Xu Clan members, his Heavenly Army had also been dispatched to the Human Territory, laying the foundation for the Xu Clan's establishment in the Ancient Land of Dao.

"Since all of you agree, then after I handle the remaining affairs, the entire Clan will Ascend to the Ancient Land of Dao!"

Xu Qing's voice was firm, carrying an undeniable authority.

"Everything is at Clan Chief's discretion!" Xu Ming and the others clasped their fists in unison, their expressions respectful.

Xu Qing continued, "Then summon the Clan members on the continent, and you all handle the aftermath. Although we are leaving, the Lower Realm cannot fall into chaos; everything must be ensured to be in order."

"Yes!" Everyone responded in unison, their voices firm and powerful.

Afterward, Xu Qing spent all of the remaining trillions of family points, exchanging them for a large number of Cultivation Jade Slips, which he handed to Xu Ming.

The Ancient Land of Dao was fraught with danger, and the Clan members' strength had to be further enhanced to cope with future situations.

After everything was arranged, Xu Qing left the Clan territory.

His figure dissipated like an illusion, and the next moment, he appeared in the Netherworld.

At this time, the Netherworld was dim, and Evil Qi permeated the air.

Xu Qing stood in the Void Realm, his gaze sweeping over this familiar yet unfamiliar world, his brows furrowing slightly. Having not set foot here for many years, the changes in the Netherworld surprised him somewhat.

The originally cold and orderly Netherworld had now become increasingly chaotic due to years of continuous warfare, with Evil Qi faintly swirling in the sky, as if even heaven and earth were wailing.

A sweep of his Dao sense revealed corpses strewn across the land, and grievances soaring to the heavens, clearly because too many living beings had died, causing the Evil Qi in the world to become increasingly dense.

"I didn't expect the Netherworld to be in such chaos."

Xu Qing murmured softly.

Xu Qing's gaze, like a sharp sword, pierced through layers of the Void Realm, directly reaching the Ghost Realm of Fengdu.

In the dim world, two large armies were fiercely clashing, their battle cries shaking the heavens, and Evil Qi surging like a tide.

The Netherworld, where even Emperor Realm experts were rarely seen, now had even Kings joining the fray, the brutality of the battle was startling.

Just then, a cold and profound gaze swept from the depths of the Ghost Realm of Fengdu, as if it could penetrate all illusions.

Xu Qing's heart tightened, and he quickly withdrew his Dao sense, shielded his true body, and concealed himself in the Void Realm.

That gaze swept like thunder but found no abnormalities, eventually slowly retracting.

Xu Qing's eyes were deep, and he pondered inwardly.

That gaze just now was none other than the Ancestor of Bei Yin!

The Ancestor of Bei Yin, the supreme existence of the Netherworld, a true Immortal Monarch, whose strength was comparable to the Lord of Stars and Moon, and who could even be called a Half-step Dao Ancestor.

Although Xu Qing had broken through to the Late Stage of the Dao Lord Realm and claimed he could suppress an Immortal Overlord, he still had some distance to go when facing such ancient existences.

Moreover, these old monsters who had lived for countless years possessed an endless array of trump cards. If he couldn't kill them in one blow, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Now is not the time to confront him."

Xu Qing thought to himself, his figure flashed, and he left the vicinity of the Ghost Realm of Fengdu.

A moment later, his figure appeared at the entrance to the Abyss.

The Abyss, this barren land of exile, was once the prison of the Abyssal Race.

The upper Abyss had a harsh environment and scarce resources. The races living there became brutal and disorderly in their struggle for limited resources.

The further down one went, the more powerful individuals could transform the land, and the environment gradually improved, even forming a relative order.

Xu Qing descended continuously, passing through layers of the Abyss, finally reaching the ninety-ninth layer.

The strongest individual of each layer of the Abyss would be recognized by the Abyssal Will and become the Abyssal Dominator, and the Dominator of this layer was A Hui.

In the center of the Abyss, an ancient and mottled city stood majestically, as if it had endured countless years of trials, yet remained indestructible.

Beside the city, a Turbid River, tens of thousands of miles wide, flowed ceaselessly. The river water, like a yellow Dragon, came from the distant sky and flowed into the endless distance.

This great river was called the "Turbid River" and was revered as a sacred river by the Abyssal races.

It was said that its source came from the deepest part of the Abyss, flowing backward from the one hundred and eighth layer to the first layer through some mysterious means.

And it was the existence of this river that provided the basic conditions for the survival of the races in the upper Abyss.

Xu Qing's gaze swept over the Turbid River, then landed on an ancient, thousand-zhang palace in the center of the city. The palace, built with King-level stone materials, exuded a wild and weighty aura, like a sleeping giant beast that could awaken at any moment.

"Who?"

Suddenly, a rough and deep voice sounded from the depths of the palace. Immediately after, two crimson, lantern-like eyes lit up in the darkness, staring intently at Xu Qing.

However, the vigilance in those eyes quickly turned into surprise.

A hundred-zhang giant with a bull's head and human body stepped out of the darkness; it was A Hui. He quickly came before Xu Qing, knelt on one knee, his voice filled with excitement: "Master! You have come!"

Xu Qing smiled slightly, his eyes filled with approval: "Not bad! Among everyone, you have the deepest Opportunity!"

He had scanned him with the System and found that A Hui was able to break through to the Dao Lord Realm not by external forces, but by activating his ancestral Bloodline and entering the Ancestral Secret Realm, where he obtained an ancient Legacy.

Although the current A Hui was only in the Early Stage of the Dao Lord Realm, he possessed the combat power of a Middle Stage Dao Lord, and with his Bloodline Power, he could even contend with Late Stage Dao Lord experts.

Upon hearing this, a hint of pride flashed in A Hui's eyes, but he quickly lowered his head and respectfully said, "Master, all of this is due to your cultivation. If you had not granted me the Opportunity back then, I would not have achieved what I have today."

Xu Qing waved his hand and said indifferently, "Although the Opportunity was given by me, your ability to reach this point relies on your own efforts. I am here today to discuss an important matter with you."