"By the way, it is truly troublesome when the dead leave the Underworld; all these souls must be sent back."
At that moment, Gu Chuan sensed that in the heavens and myriad worlds, the breach in the gate of the Underworld had allowed countless evil spirits to escape and wreak havoc. This exodus had led to endless slaughter and widespread devastation—a catastrophe of enormous scale.
Such a calamity would be nearly impossible to quell in a short time if the gods were to act alone.
"Enough—send all the evil spirits back."
After a brief pause, Gu Chuan withdrew a secret treasure from within himself—the Death Scepter. This was the most potent artifact born of the Underworld, the ultimate emblem of the Law of Death, wielded only by its supreme master. The scepter embodied the very power of death's supreme law.
Boom!
In an instant, Gu Chuan raised the Death Scepter and lightly struck the void. Ripples of empty space burst forth from his body—fluctuations of the Law of Death that quickly spread across all the heavens and myriad worlds.
Clatter~~
At that very moment, the bodies of all the evil spirits causing chaos suddenly froze. Stripped of their free will, they transformed into puppets under complete control. This was the overwhelming power of the Death Scepter—to instantly rob the dead of their ability to act, forcing them to obey without question.
"What's happening? Why have these evil spirits come to a sudden halt?"
One by one, the creatures locked in mortal combat with the spirits, convinced they would be overwhelmed, realized that their adversaries no longer attacked. Bewilderment rippled through the battlefield.
"I don't know… perhaps a great supernatural force has intervened and taken control of these entities."
"If that's so, it is truly remarkable."
"These evil spirits are terrifying—they fear not death, wield the power of death itself, and command myriad spells. They are nearly unbeatable."
"No doubt about it; they are immortal beings from the Underworld. After hundreds of millions of epochs of relentless battle, each has honed their combat skills to perfection. We stand no chance against them."
As the living debated in hushed tones, it became evident that each evil spirit was a battle-hardened warrior of invincible strength. Ordinary practitioners could never hope to stand against them, and countless lives were lost as they were slaughtered without mercy.
"Let's withdraw."
At that moment, Gu Chuan issued his command through the Death Scepter.
Clatter~~
Waves of Death energy surged through the void, like the very laws of death reaching into the depths of every spirit's consciousness. A hidden program was activated within each corpse.
"Yes, Lord of Death."
Hearing these words, the dead relinquished their battle and, like mindless puppets, began to march back toward the gate of the Underworld. The orders of the Death Scepter were absolute and could not be defied.
The gods, witnessing this anomaly, quickly took notice.
"What is going on? The evil spirits that escaped from the Underworld seem to be returning." A god observed that the rampaging spirits, now seemingly bereft of their own will, were autonomously returning to their origin.
With the spirits subdued, the sentient beings finally found a respite from the unending threat, avoiding further bloodshed.
"It was City Lord who acted."
Another god remarked.
"So that explains it. If the City Lord initiated this, then it all makes sense."
"As expected of the City Lord—with a single strike, he has resolved a catastrophe that had spread through the heavens and myriad worlds."
Many gods nodded in silent approval. After all, the Underworld was a realm specially opened by the City Lord of Chaos to accommodate the dead. It was only natural that the City Lord possessed the means to control these lost souls.
Still, seeing how effortlessly Gu Chuan quelled the calamity only deepened their awe and respect for him.
Clatter~~
Gu Chuan watched as scores of evil spirits, now lined up like obedient soldiers, marched toward the gate of the Underworld. At that moment, the four Chaos Demon Gods—previously ensnared by the evil forces—also broke free and promptly returned to the Underworld to ensure order among the returning dead.
Everything was restored to order. The pervasive aura of Death that had shrouded the heavens and myriad worlds rapidly receded, retreating back to the deepest regions of the Underworld.
Yet, despite the restored order, the devastation was extensive. The heavens and myriad worlds had suffered grievous losses, with untold casualties. In particular, the Prehistoric World, already ravaged by the Lich's War and beset by the attacks of evil spirits, now faced an onslaught of wild beasts emerging from secret realms, plunging it into endless warfare and bloodshed.
"The Prehistoric World!"
At that moment, Gu Chuan focused his gaze upon the Prehistoric World. Through myriad barriers, he witnessed the ruin wrought upon it. The catastrophe had inflicted severe damage on both the Wu and Monster Race, with countless lives lost or severely injured. Initially, these race had fought amongst themselves; subsequently, they were decimated by evil spirits. The most harrowing sight was the endless horde of wild beasts surging forth, overwhelming every defense.
As a consequence, the two major races were forced into perpetual retreat. Countless cities were reduced to rubble, and innumerable lives were ruined. Even revered beings such as Di Jun, Taiyi, Kunpeng, and the Twelve Ancestors of Wu—masters on the Quasi-Saint level—suffered grievous injuries that would take eons to mend. In effect, this catastrophe extinguished the prospects of these Wu and Monster Race becoming the dominant forces of the world, consigning them to oblivion alongside the ancient races.
Now, the Prehistoric World had been transformed into a barren domain, overrun by savage beasts.
"The time has come. We can now begin to build the World of the Six Paths."
A spark ignited in Gu Chuan's eyes. In that moment, he perceived that even in its desolation, the Prehistoric World harbored the promise of rebirth—the moment had arrived for it to evolve into the World of the Six Paths. Once this new world was formed, even doomsday powers would find it difficult to destroy. Moreover, even if the gate of the Underworld were breached again, evil spirits would rarely have the opportunity to wreak havoc.