Even as Bai Xiaochun felt lost in his thoughts, the person behind the second prince and Chen Manyao stepped forward and spoke in a raspy voice, “It seems everyone is assembled. In addition to escorting the second prince here, Fellow Daoists, I have been appointed by the Grand Heavenmaster to preside over the opening of the Necromancer Kettle.”

He was a middle-aged man, and completely expressionless, with ice-cold eyes. There was also something cold about his raspy voice that pulled Bai Xiaochun out of his reverie.

“Fellow Daoist Deathcrier, Fellow Daoist Cloudpeak, Fellow Daoist Redsieve, might I ask for your assistance?” A mere step took the man to a position above the Necromancer Kettle. As he did, Duke Deathcrier, as well as the two old-timers who had come with Zhou Hong and Xu Shan, nodded and followed along.

Above the Necromancer Kettle, they all began to perform incantation gestures, causing ripples to spread out as deva power descended.

Soon, intense rumbling sounds could be heard, and the Necromancer Kettle began...