Chapter 130: Farewell to Heaven, First Exploration of the Netherworld
After a brief stay of over a month in the Nine Heavens Palace, Ye Li had solidified her cultivation at the peak of the early stages of the Divine Power Realm and gained a deeper understanding of the Six Paths of Samsara Sword. She decided to leave. While staying in the palace was safe, the overly comfortable environment was not conducive to her path. She needed battle, pressure, the search for breakthroughs on the brink of life and death, and, most importantly, the search for the fragments of the Samsara Mirror.
One day, she went to the Purple Sky Palace, where the Yaoguang Palace Master resided, to bid farewell. The palace was shrouded in mist, and the Yaoguang Palace Master sat upright on a nine-colored cloud platform, a celestial rhythm flowing through her, as if she had merged with the entire Heavenly Palace.
"Have you thought it through?" Yaoguang Palace Master slowly opened his eyes, his gaze as deep as the sea of stars. "The Netherworld is extremely dangerous. Even Nascent Soul cultivators dare not easily enter it."
Ye Li bowed and said firmly, "The path of cultivation is like sailing against the current. Since I have chosen this path, I will not fear the dangers. Moreover, the fragments of the Samsara Mirror are scattered across the world. Since the Netherworld Ghost Realm may contain clues, I must go there to investigate."
The Yaoguang Palace Master stared at her for a moment, then nodded gently: "Since you have made up your mind, I will not force you to stay."
With a flick of her jade hand, two objects flew slowly towards Ye Li. One was a jade talisman emitting a purple glow, engraved with mysterious runes; the other was a scroll dotted with starlight, revealing countless stars flowing within it when unfolded.
"This 'Purple Sky Amulet' holds my full power, potentially saving your life at a crucial moment," the Yaoguang Palace Master explained. "This star map records secret and dangerous areas throughout the spirit world, including several known entrances to the Netherworld, as well as some forbidden areas that require your attention."
Ye Li solemnly accepted it, sensing the terrifying power contained within the jade talisman and the vast information within the star map. He expressed gratitude, "Thank you, Palace Master, for your generous gift. I will definitely keep your teachings in mind."
"Remember," the Yaoguang Palace Master's tone turned serious, "The Samsara Mirror is of great importance. You must not reveal it easily until you are strong enough. The Netherworld Ghost Realm not only contains dangerous ghosts, but also may harbor other forces seeking the Samsara Mirror."
"Junior understands." Ye Li saluted again.
After leaving Zixiao Palace, Ye Li went to see Envoy Yun Ying again to thank her for her care. Yun Ying, knowing that she was going to the Netherworld, specially gave her a bottle of "Pure Heart and Pure Soul Pill" to resist the erosion of resentment in the ghost realm.
After completing her preparations, Ye Li arrived at the Tiangong's inter-dimensional teleportation array. This array was more magnificent than any she had seen outside, consisting of nine jade pillars carved with dragons, with the power of time and space flowing through its center.
"Please show us your pass token." The deacon guarding the teleportation array said respectfully.
Ye Li took out the Purple Sky Order bestowed upon her by the Yaoguang Palace Master. The deacon's expression became even more respectful upon seeing this, and he quickly activated the formation. As the nine jade pillars lit up simultaneously, a beam of light shot up into the sky, and Ye Li's figure gradually dissipated in the light.
The teleportation process was even longer than expected, as if traveling through the vast river of time and space. After an unknown amount of time, when the light faded, Ye Li found herself in an unfamiliar star field.
The stars were sparse here. In the distance, a dying star emitted a dim red glow, surrounded by a vast mass of cosmic dust and shattered stellar debris. According to the star map, this place was already on the edge of the spirit world, not far from Ghost Gorge, one of the entrances to the Netherworld.
Ye Li summoned the star boat prepared in the Heavenly Palace. It was a silver flying boat only three meters long, with defensive runes engraved on its surface. It was extremely fast and most suitable for solo long-distance travel.
After flying in the void for more than ten days on the starship, we saw many strange sights along the way: there were nebulae that were giving birth to new stars, binary star systems that were entangled with each other, and even a star field completely covered by ice and snow.
One day, a massive crack appeared in the void ahead. From afar, it looked as if the sky had been torn apart. The crack was as black as ink, emitting a cold, deathly aura, and even the surrounding space was distorted.
"Ghost Gorge..." Ye Li said softly. She could feel the fragments of the Samsara Mirror in her sea of consciousness producing slight fluctuations.
As one approaches the rift, one feels its horror even more deeply. Countless shattered star fragments and the remains of monks drift along its edges, some still tinged with powerful resentment. Occasionally, turbulent void currents surge from the cracks, carrying a biting chill.
Ye Li put away her starship and activated the "Emperor's Scripture of the Netherworld." Extremely cold spiritual energy formed a thin layer of ice crystal armor on her body. This armor not only protected her from the erosion of Yin Qi, but also perfectly contained her vitality fluctuations, making her less noticeable in the ghost realm.
She took a deep breath and stepped into Ghost Gorge. In an instant, it was as if she had stepped from the world of the living into the underworld. The temperature around her plummeted, and even the light grew dim.
The gorge wasn't completely dark, but rather filled with a faint green will-o'-the-wisp fire that drifted through the air as if alive, illuminating the distorted and bizarre landscape. Beneath their feet lay the soft, sticky "Soul Swamp," from which pale arms occasionally emerged, attempting to drag living creatures into the abyss. An invisible "Soul-Devouring Wind" whistled in the air, whimpering and scattering the souls of cultivators with less powerful spirits.
Ye Li moved cautiously through it, the Xuanbing Sword already unsheathed, the blade emitting a faint cold light. She spread her spiritual sense, but in this ghostly area, her spiritual sense was greatly suppressed, and she could only explore the surrounding area within a hundred feet.
Before she had gone far, a group of low-level ghosts spotted her. These ghosts came in all shapes and sizes: skeletons, rotting zombies, and translucent spirits. They howled shrilly and lunged at her from all directions.
Ye Li's eyes turned cold, and she gently swung the Xuanbing Sword. A stream of icy sword energy spread out in a fan-shaped pattern. Wherever it passed, ghosts froze, then shattered into ice crystals. These low-level ghosts were not even a warm-up for her.
As we continued forward, the terrain became increasingly complex. Sometimes we had to cross bridges made of bones, with pools of boiling blood beneath them; sometimes we had to circumvent enormous stone sculptures of ghostly faces, their eye sockets ablaze with green will-o'-the-wisp; fire; and sometimes we had to dodge sudden spatial rifts, like invisible blades capable of tearing through a cultivator's flesh.
The deeper you go, the stronger the ghosts you encounter. Primal ghosts and ghost generals equivalent to the Yuandan realm begin to appear. These ghosts have already acquired a certain level of intelligence and know how to use the Yin energy in the ghost realm to launch attacks.
A fiendish ghost with a green face and fangs leaped from the darkness, its hands transformed into sharp claws, carrying a chilling chill. Ye Li didn't dodge, thrusting the Xuanbing Sword straight out. The tip of the sword flashed with a golden light of reincarnation. The ghost let out a shrill cry as it came into contact with the golden light, its body rapidly dissolving, eventually dissipating in a wisp of green smoke.
"The power of reincarnation really does have a restraining effect on these ghosts." Ye Li pondered. She discovered that attacks imbued with the power of reincarnation dealt far more damage to ghosts than ordinary attacks.
Along the way, she cleared out the ghosts that blocked her path while carefully sensing the fluctuations of the fragments of the Samsara Mirror in her sea of consciousness. After entering the Netherworld, the fragments were indeed more active than before, but the directional pull was still weak, as if obscured by something.
A few days later, she came to a black river. The water flowed silently, and black mist rose from the surface, emitting a thick aura of resentment. According to the ancient texts she had consulted in the Heavenly Palace, this was probably a tributary of the "Forgetful River," known as the "Forgetful Remnant Flow."
A dilapidated stone tablet stood by the river, with the words "Wangchuan" engraved on it in ancient characters. Beside the tablet lay many dead bones, some of which were still covered with tattered robes. They were obviously the remains of monks who had once attempted to cross the river.
Ye Li was about to find a way to cross the river when a sudden warning struck her. Without hesitation, she retreated. Almost the moment she did so, a black arrow of water pierced the ground she was standing on, corroding it into a deep pit.
"Crash!"
The river surged, and a massive figure slowly rose from the bottom. It was a monster resembling an ape, but covered entirely in black scales. Its eyes were like two black holes, and black saliva flowed from its mouth.
"Netherworld Water Goblins!" Ye Li recognized this ferocious creature, unique to the ghost realm. According to historical records, Netherworld Water Goblins were born in the Wangchuan River, fed on resentment, and could control weak water. Their strength was comparable to that of a cultivator in the middle stage of the Divine Ability Realm, making them extremely formidable.
The water goblin let out a deep roar and waved its hands, transforming the weak water in the river into countless sharp arrows that shot towards Ye Li. These weak arrows contained strong corrosiveness and resentment, and even a cultivator at the Divine Ability Realm would not dare to take them head-on.
Ye Li unleashed her "Universe Traceless Step," weaving through the rain of arrows like a ghost. Her Mysterious Ice Sword danced, freezing and shattering the weaker arrows that couldn't be avoided. But the weaker arrows were too numerous, and one still grazed her arm, sending a chilling, resentful aura through the wound.
She quickly channeled her spiritual energy to force out her resentment, a sense of awe building within her. This Netherworld Water Goblin truly lived up to its reputation. Its advantageous location along the banks of the Forgotten River gave it an even greater strength.
Seeing its attack fail, the water goblin roared, and the entire remnant of the Forgotten River began to boil. Black water surged into the sky, forming a massive whirlpool that enveloped Ye Li. From within the whirlpool came the wails of countless resentful souls, disturbing her mind.
Ye Li felt dizzy and her soul seemed to be torn out of her body. She hurriedly maintained her spiritual clarity. The fragments of the Samsara Mirror shone brightly in her sea of consciousness, protecting her soul from being eroded.
"We must fight quickly and decisively!" Ye Li's mind raced. This water goblin could mobilize the power of the entire remaining stream of the Wangchuan River, and a long battle would be disadvantageous to her.
She held the Xuanbing Sword upright in front of her chest, the golden light of samsara radiating from the blade. "Six Paths of Samsara Sword—Animal Path, Soul Enlistment!"
This was a newly mastered sword technique, specifically designed to target the soul. The sword's light transformed into countless tiny golden runes, which shot towards the water goblin like chains. The goblin tried to dodge, but the runes seemed to have life, closely tracking the fluctuations of its soul.
"Ouch!"
The rune entered its body, and the water goblin howled in pain. Its movements became stiff, and its eyes were filled with confusion, clearly its mind and soul were greatly disturbed. Taking this opportunity, Ye Li merged with his sword, transforming into a stream of light that pierced the water goblin's forehead.
"Puff!"
The Mysterious Ice Sword pierced the water goblin's skull, and an extremely cold sword energy instantly erupted, freezing its entire body. Then, with a jolt of the sword, the ice sculpture shattered, and the water goblin transformed into countless ice crystals, dissipating into the air. Only a black bead the size of a pigeon egg remained—this was its natal soul bead, the ingredient used to refine certain special elixirs and magical treasures.
Ye Li put away her soul bead and breathed lightly. Although this battle was short, it was far more dangerous than before. If it weren't for her newly comprehended "Beastly Path" sword intent, it would have taken a while to kill this water goblin.
After this battle, she gained a deeper understanding of the environment and enemies of the Netherworld. The ghosts here were not only powerful, but also adept at using the environment to their advantage, and most of them had means of attacking the soul.
She took a moment to recuperate by the Forgotten River, restoring her condition to peak condition before continuing towards the direction where the Mirror of Samsara fragments were more noticeable. For some reason, she felt that this netherworld held a deeper secret than just the fragments of the Mirror of Samsara.
Along the way, she began to consciously collect some materials unique to the ghost realm, such as "ghost wood" and "ghost iron", which are rare in the outside world. At the same time, she also paid more attention to any anomalies in the environment, hoping to find more clues about the fragments of the Samsara Mirror.
The deeper into the ghost realm, the thicker the resentment in the air became, even beginning to affect the cultivators' minds. Fortunately, Ye Li had a Taoist artifact to protect her, and she also took the "Purifying Heart and Soul Pill" given by the Yunying Envoy, so she was not eroded by the resentment.
One day, she came upon a desolate plain, dotted with countless tombstones, forming a vast, endless cemetery. In the center of the cemetery, she sensed an unusually powerful surge of yin energy, as if something were awakening...
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