The Secret of the Underworld (Rewritten Version)
As the fog dissipated, the magnificent palace on the river gradually became clear through wisps of steam. It was splendid, yet carried an air of decay.
This was Yan Dan's feeling in that instant.
Liu Weiyang stood with his hands behind his back at the bow of the boat, taking out a string of dazzling, seven-colored glass beads from his sleeve. Suddenly, a brilliant halo rose above the misty, watery River of Oblivion. A gentle breeze swept by, and the mist on the river dissipated in an instant, revealing shimmering waves on the River of Oblivion, making the distant, undulating green mountains even more magnificent with increased clarity.
He exerted force, and the colorful glass shattered into pieces. The fragments gradually transformed into a faint human figure. The figure floated on the water, its face hazy, yet one could vaguely discern the myriad landscapes between its brows. Such a face was unforgettable, one who had seen it only once.
That was the primordial spirit of the evil god Xuanxiang.
With a flick of his sleeve and a gesture of respect, even his humble and polite manner conveyed a sense of superiority and nobility.
Yan Dan thought to herself, this Prince Xuanxiang was indeed a formidable warrior in his prime, but that was only one side of him. The reason he destroyed the Demon Realm himself was simply because he no longer wanted to be pushed to the forefront of conflict by his clan. If it had to wait until both sides were severely injured, perhaps it was better for him to back down first. After all, Liu Weiyang was his brother, his clansman; no matter how ruthless he was, he couldn't bring himself to kill a family member.
Xuan Xiang stood on the water, the surface calm beneath his feet, only shallow ripples spreading outwards. He looked at Liu Weiyang, slowly extending his hand, his sleeve slipping down to reveal the deep scar on his wrist. In the Demonic Image, Yan Dan had dreamt of him slashing his own wrist, each drop of blood transforming into a blood eagle.
Liu Weiyang also reached out his hand and gave it a firm grip.
Xuan Xiang smiled, a smile that was neither too deep nor too shallow, then turned and slowly walked into the distance, gradually disappearing where the sky meets the water.
The ship suddenly trembled slightly, presumably because it had bumped into the stone steps of the Underworld Palace that extended into the River of Oblivion.
The four people disembarked from the boat and stepped onto the stone steps in the water.
The stone steps were paved with a single piece of marble, so shiny that they reflected the shape of a person's silhouette.
Yan Dan still remembered to tow the boat to a safe place. This wasn't her first time back here, and she knew very well that without the boat, they would have to swim to find the Gate of Hell and then return to the mortal world, which would be such a desolate and tragic thing.
The group climbed the steps and saw that the bronze carved gate of the Underworld Palace was tightly closed, and the surroundings were devoid of human presence, as if resisting the visit of living people.
Yan Dan looked up at the magnificent and luxurious palace, and a sense of awe arose in her heart for no reason.
The Underworld Palace is the abode of the ancient gods, and every corner bears traces of their divine presence. Long, long ago, in the primordial chaos, heaven and earth were even connected. From this chaos arose the first god, Pangu, known as the Chaos God. After the creation of heaven and earth, Pangu merged with them, his primordial spirit forever annihilated. Following him, other creator gods appeared one after another: Nuwa, Tianwu, Bifang, Jubi, Shuhai, and Zhuyin. Like Pangu, these gods, too, were transformed into parts of the mountains and rivers in the flow of time.
To this day, no one knows how they created heaven and earth and all things, nor does anyone know how deep their immortal power was back then.
Once this intricately carved bronze door is opened, all these mysteries will be revealed. When she was cultivating in the Heavenly Court, she had heard several highly accomplished immortal lords of the Nine Heavens say that touching the mysteries of the Underworld Palace would lead to eternal damnation. The goddess Nuwa had carved a seal outside the Underworld Palace; any immortal lord or fairy who dared to open it would have their immortal essence shattered and be forever condemned to eternal damnation.
This seal is not unbreakable, but no one dares to say that he already possesses immortal power surpassing that of the goddess Nuwa.
Liu Weiyang bent down and picked up a piece of jade pendant with a chipped corner from the ground. He said calmly, "This belongs to Jidu Star Lord." He held the jade pendant for a while and then said calmly, "The Underworld Palace will appear when it senses a heavy aura of decay in a certain place. After the war between immortals and demons, Xuanxiang destroyed the Demon Realm, and the Underworld Palace appeared there."
"I stand here with Lord Ketu. The gate is engraved with the seal of the goddess Nuwa, which cannot be opened by anyone tainted by immortal energy. I didn't believe it then. I had been a celestial lord in the Heavenly Court for a thousand years, in charge of the rites, arts, and rituals of the Six Realms. I didn't think that the immortal power of those ancient gods was beyond my reach." Liu Weiyang sighed softly. "Back then, I was too focused on my own cultivation and thought I had the ability to challenge the ancient gods. In reality, I was just a frog in a well."
Yan Dan was heartbroken upon hearing this: Liu Weiyang was once the Heavenly Supreme Purple Void Holy Emperor, arguably the most powerful and skilled cultivator in the Heavenly Court, even her formidable master admitted he was inferior. If he was still considered a frog in a well, then shouldn't she just end her own life as soon as possible?
"I tried to break the seal at the entrance of the Underworld Palace, but I disturbed the undead inside. Even now, thinking about that situation still makes me..." He lowered his eyes and said softly, "Later, I was seriously injured and fell down the steps of the Underworld Palace. I could only hold onto the last step. At that time, the Underworld Palace was drifting back to the River of Oblivion from the Demon Realm. If I had let go, I might have been crushed under the Underworld Palace. The Underworld Palace itself likes the aura of decay and death, and at that time, I had a decaying immortal aura on my body." He stopped abruptly when he said this.
Yan Dan stared at the jade pendant in his hand, and suddenly a pair of slightly upturned eyes flashed into her mind. That person had once told her that in this world, friends may not necessarily share joy, and enemies may one day become friends. She remembered it clearly, including the look in his eyes when he spoke, so cold and chilling.
Yan Dan suddenly shuddered: "So you were pushed down, otherwise how could you have fallen into the River of Oblivion and lost all your memories?" Liu Weiyang turned his head and looked at her calmly. "The one who pushed you down was... Lord Jidu." She recalled the thousand years she had spent in the Netherworld and finally understood everything that had been lingering in her heart.
Liu Weiyang tossed the jade pendant in his hand to her and said in a low voice, "It seems you've met Jidu Star Lord before."
Yan Dan took the jade pendant, only to find that the jade was cold to the touch and had no warmth or life force on it: "I always thought that he was just a mortal named Zhao Huanqin."
"Zhao Huanqin is the name that Jidu Xingjun used in the mortal world."
Yan Dan looked down at the misty waters of the River of Oblivion, tossed the jade pendant in her hand into the water, and slowly sighed.
Suddenly, Liu Weiyang said, "These things originally had nothing to do with you, but now that you're all involved, I should make things clear. Now, it's time to part ways. I'm going to the Underworld Palace, and you should return to the mortal realm through the Gate of Hell. The Yin energy here is too heavy; it's not good to stay here too long."
"What?" Yan Dan was startled. "But last time you..."
Liu Weiyang shook his head slightly: "There are many things here that I don't know but really want to know. If it's worth risking my life for it, or having to relive my past, it's worth it. Besides, I no longer have immortal energy and don't belong to any of the Six Realms, so I can go in."
It turns out, it was time to part ways.
All good things must come to an end.
Moreover, Liu Weiyang was always perfectly clear about what he was doing, leaving no room for others to question him. Perhaps for this reason, Tang Zhou and Yu Mo remained silent, simply patting him on the shoulder before bidding him farewell.
Yan Dan remained silent, but Liu Weiyang said calmly, "Yan Dan, now that I think about it, it's a real pity that I couldn't take you under my wing back then."
This should be considered a compliment, right?
Yan Dan smiled slightly: "If that's really the case, with a young, handsome, and promising master like you, I'm sure I'll develop feelings for you over time. At that time, you'll have to accompany me in a forbidden master-disciple relationship—ah, Tang Zhou, why did you hit my head?"
Tang Zhou withdrew his hand expressionlessly: "Do you think a young, handsome, and promising immortal lord would accompany you to do such a boring thing?"
Pushing the small boat into the River of Oblivion, one can still see Liu Weiyang reaching out and pressing his hand on the bronze carved door. Slowly, the bronze door opens, revealing a pitch-black interior that stretches to the horizon.
Liu Weiyang walked in slowly, and the gates of the Underworld Palace creaked shut behind him. The magnificent palace, which exuded an aura of decay, gradually disappeared into the mist.
A black whirlpool appeared on the River of Oblivion, and the small boat, unable to withstand the turbulence, capsized with a splash.
Yan Dan struggled in the water for a moment before finally reacting and shouting to Yu Mo, "That whirlpool is the gate to the mortal realm! Quickly form an array!" Yu Mo was even faster; he had already set up a barrier just as they were being pulled into the whirlpool's opening, protecting all three of them inside.
Beyond the whirlpool lay a long, pitch-black stone path. Various severed limbs floated and sank in the murky, greasy water that surged towards them. From both sides of the path, shrill screams of vengeful ghosts echoed, and eerie green will-o'-the-wisps occasionally flickered across the surface.
Yan Dan caught her breath and hurriedly said, "Whatever you do, don't touch the stone path on the side. Those are all evil spirits that have escaped from the Six Paths of Reincarnation. They eat people without spitting out the bones."
Tang Zhou glanced at her: "It's a good thing you were able to find such a way."
Yan Dan was furious: "What do you mean by this? We're already grateful to have a way out, why are you being so picky and choosy!"
Yu Mo pulled away her hands that were tightly holding him and said slowly, "I won't remove the barrier, you can let go now."
"No, there's a stretch of road ahead—" The barrier suddenly trembled violently, and Yan Dan almost bit her tongue. She immediately hugged it even tighter. She was right. The road ahead was winding and narrow, steep. Last time, she fell here and was so badly injured that it took her ten days to half a month to recover.
Yu Mo instinctively hugged Yan Dan tighter, but his vision grew increasingly blurry, almost to the point of being blinded. The only thing that remained clear was the light above him, which grew increasingly glaring.
Suddenly, everything brightened, and Yan Dan felt herself lose her balance, falling to the ground with a thud. Fortunately, she didn't land on the cushion, but instead landed on someone else. She slowly got up, looked around, and involuntarily let out a sigh of relief. Judging from the surroundings, she was still in her room at the inn. If she had fallen from the sky onto the street, she might have been mistaken for a monster and pelted with stones.
The person below said coolly, "Can you get up now? I really don't like being ridden."
Yan Dan snorted: "Tang Zhou, you call yourself a cultivator, yet you speak so crudely!"
"Then please don't sit on me, Miss. If someone sees you like this, I will ruin your reputation."
He had only uttered half of his sentence when two loud bangs rang out as the guest room door was kicked open. Three or five guards with swords stood outside, and a middle-aged man dressed in the fine clothes of an ordinary wealthy merchant stood in front of him, pointing a finger and exclaiming in a high-pitched voice, "Your Highness, this place is truly lewd. Your precious body cannot withstand such a filthy scene."
Yu Mo stood up leisurely, straightened his clothes, sat down in a chair at the table, slowly poured himself a cup of tea, and his gaze swept past the guards and eunuchs, landing on the woman in red behind him: "What are you doing here?"
Perhaps his tone was too impolite, for the row of guards immediately drew their swords, and the eunuch jumped up and down, shouting in a high-pitched voice, "You scoundrel! Are you out of your mind? How dare you be disrespectful to Consort Jiang? Guards, tie him up and drag him out!"
Consort Jiang walked gracefully to the doorway and smiled slightly. "I heard from Xuan Li that you had come to Nandu, so I remembered I had something to say to you, which is why I came." She turned to look at the attendants behind her and said gently, "You may all leave now. I have something to say to them alone."
Yan Dan immediately perked up her ears and listened intently: This Consort Jiang was Emperor Rui's most beloved person. Back then, the strange eye in Yu Mo's hand fell into her hands, and many grudges and affections arose between them. The entanglements in it must have been quite interesting.
Yu Mo slowly turned his head and said in a low voice, "Yan Dan, Brother Tang, I also have some things to say to this lady alone."
Yan Dan's disappointment was beyond words, but since the mountain lord had spoken, she couldn't disobey. So she reluctantly closed the door and left.
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