"No wonder!"
Feng Bingwen's lips twitched. It was quite a coincidence, really. If you were to say he was unlucky, there was no need to say so. Being placed under house arrest like this was only his own fault.
"What a coincidence!"
"It is indeed quite a coincidence. They usually only try once in a century, and each time they usually give up after no more than a year. This time, it's just a six-month confinement, which probably won't work either."
The Imperial Void Cauldron said lazily that since Feng Bingwen himself had no objection to the current situation, he was too lazy to say anything more, since he couldn't cause any trouble here anyway.
"But didn't you just ask that senior if they were going to get together?"
Feng Bingwen frowned, somewhat puzzled. He had genuinely thought that the Netherworld Path was about to accomplish something earth-shattering, and that he had just stepped in at the moment of its success. If that were the case, he felt that even being suppressed on the spot wouldn't be unjust.
"Didn't you see what happened? That little Jiezi didn't care about the kindness I showed him back then. He was almost ready to turn against me. I had to say some nice things to coax him."
Yu Xu Xian Ding said helplessly. He had lost face in front of this junior this time, and probably wouldn't be able to get it back.
"So that tough look you had was all an act. I thought you were really that strong!"
Feng Bingwen curled his lips. He had really been fooled just now. It turned out to be a silver spear with a candle tip, all show and no substance.
"Heh, even if I have the power to shake the heavens and the earth, someone has to use it first. Who told that certain little Taoist priest to be so useless? I could only barely manage to run away with him. It's a pity that his back is too weak!"
The Immortal Cauldron of the Void immediately retorted, becoming sarcastic and mocking.
"I came to the Netherworld Path to seek out books, not to cause trouble or show off. You brought me here and almost ruined my plans. I didn't scold you, so what right do you have to turn around and criticize me? Besides, that senior didn't do anything to me; he just let me stay here and read. I couldn't be happier!"
"You're spineless!"
"You're the most promising one!"
Without even thinking, Feng Bingwen retorted.
"You brat! You little brat!"
What is the Netherworld?
Feng Bingwen pretended not to hear and abruptly changed the subject.
You think I'd tell you?
"This place is the Netherworld Path. Even if you don't tell me, I can ask someone. But if something goes wrong, I'll have to trouble you to share the burden with me."
"Pah, you heartless brat! If you really cause trouble, see if I'll help you or not. I'll just run away and leave you there to be tortured by this bunch of guys who like to extract souls and refine corpses!"
Yu Xu Xian Ding cursed and swore. He discovered that this kid had a rebellious bone growing on the back of his head. At first, he treated him as a reliable senior and was very respectful. But now that he was familiar with him, he was like a hedgehog covered in thorns, which was particularly prickly.
You can't possibly abandon me and run away!
Feng Bingwen raised his hand and pressed his temples, a calm smile of confidence appearing on his face.
"Moreover, cultivators from the Netherworld Path cannot harm me!"
"You do have some cleverness!"
"So, what exactly is the Netherworld? The idea of creating a new realm seems too absurd, doesn't it?"
Feng Bingwen pressed on, as it was hard for a cultivator not to be curious about such things, and with his current strength and status, he was qualified to inquire about secrets.
Moreover, this seems to be an open secret among the higher-ups in the cultivation world, since they even know about a single artifact, even if its grade is indeed quite high.
"What's so absurd about it? It's just that you're not very knowledgeable!"
Yu Xu Xian Ding scoffed at Feng Bingwen's words.
"Yes, you are right, senior. I am ignorant and would appreciate your guidance. May I ask where this concept of the Netherworld comes from?"
Upon hearing this, Feng Bingwen was filled with surprise and admiration, but after careful consideration, he was filled with doubt and confusion.
Because this goal is too grand and extraordinary, it sounds impossible to achieve at all, at least it is not something that the Netherworld Path Immortal Sect alone can accomplish on its own.
"The concept of the Netherworld was passed down by the Daoist Master!"
"Daoist Venerable!"
Feng Bingwen looked at him with admiration, sat up straight, and adopted a serious and solemn posture.
"Explain in detail!"
"When the Daoist Master transcended the heavens and earth, he surveyed the world and declared that the world was flawed, its laws incomplete, and the immortal realms and the netherworld nonexistent. Then, the Netherworld Path was established by a group of people!"
That's it?
Feng Bingwen was somewhat stunned.
That's all. What else would you like to hear?
That's it?
Feng Bingwen couldn't understand how something involving the Daoist Master could be explained in just a few words.
"Otherwise what? Do you think I know a lot? I wasn't even there at the time. I wasn't even cast yet. I only heard about it later."
Anyway, because of what the Daoist Master said, a group of cultivators founded the Netherworld Path. The purpose of this sect was to open up the Netherworld and perfect the order of heaven and earth.
"If the Netherworld is truly created, immeasurable merit should descend upon it!"
"That's for sure. And it's not just about merit. Once successful, a group of people will become saints on the spot, living as long as heaven and earth, immortal and free from disasters and calamities."
Yu Xu Xian Ding laughed. Although he was talking about something that people longed for, his words did not contain much respect or admiration. Instead, they carried a hint of disdain.
"So there are such great benefits, no wonder I've been able to stick with it for so long!"
Feng Bingwen nodded. That's right. The purpose of cultivation and seeking the Dao is to achieve immortality. One can attain immortality by wholeheartedly exploring the Netherworld. It's not surprising that one can persevere.
"Hey, that's just wishful thinking!"
"Senior, you don't think they have a good chance? You think the Netherworld Path can't succeed?"
Feng Bingwen asked curiously.
"I never said that you said it yourself, it has nothing to do with me."
"Senior, isn't that what you meant?"
"Kid, don't try to trick me. You've cultivated to this level now. Based on your knowledge, what do you think?"
"It's highly unlikely to succeed!"
Upon hearing this, Feng Bingwen pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head.
"Why? Do you know how many ancient beings are lurking in this Netherworld Path? I know of at least thirty-seven Celestial Immortals alone. As for the immortal beings above Celestial Immortals, I don't know how many there are, but there are at least ten. Do you know how enormous this power is?"
The Imperial Cauldron pressed for details with great interest, even revealing information that the alien race was extremely eager to know.
"Indeed, they are a force that no one can ignore. Not only among humans, but also in the entire world, they are a top-tier power. But even so, I don't believe they can create a true Netherworld!"
Feng Bingwen shook his head again.
"What's the reason?"
"The foundation is insufficient. Although the Netherworld Path is very strong, it is far from enough to open up the Netherworld. It is impossible to accomplish such a thing with the strength of a single sect or school, unless they just isolate themselves and entertain themselves!"
"You see things very clearly!"
"In my understanding, the Netherworld should be able to guide and contain the souls of all living beings in the world, and it has the responsibility of guiding them to rebirth. In terms of status, it should be equal to the world beneath our feet. Only an existence like the Dao Venerable can lead the creation of such a Netherworld, gathering the power of all living beings in the world, and only then is it possible to create one!"
"Tsk, I really didn't expect that something a mere child could understand would be so clearly understood by a group of old fogies who are stubbornly unrepentant and refuse to see the truth!"
Yu Xu Xian Ding chuckled, his words dripping with sarcasm, perhaps due to the earlier provocation.
"This is simply not something they can do."
"How dare you speak of the netherworld with such a mere artifact!"
A cold snort echoed in the deep hall, followed by a figure materializing from the ethereal realm, manifesting three zhang in front of Feng Bingwen. It was a handsome young man with a face like jade, three-dimensional features, and sharp angles. He wore a black robe, upon which hundreds of ghostly creatures roamed, making him a terrifying sight.
"You old codger, you've been eavesdropping for so long, you finally couldn't hold back and jumped out. I thought you could keep it up forever!"
"snort!"
The young Taoist stared at the three-legged, two-eared cauldron that emerged from Feng Bingwen's body, and snorted coldly. The entire hall trembled slightly, as if it would collapse under the wrath of this immortal at any moment. In the outer chamber of the hall, two ghost king maids prostrated themselves on the ground, trembling. Their souls were transparent, and they looked like they were about to collapse at any moment.
"What? Feeling embarrassed? Planning to take it out on those two brats?"
Faced with the wrath of yet another powerful being, the Imperial Void Cauldron remained indifferent, while Feng Bingwen, enveloped in its immortal light, remained motionless without any particular reaction.
Feng Bingwen could now clearly see that the Netherworld Path still didn't trust him. Even though he had agreed to be confined and not wander around, they still sent an immortal to keep an eye on him. This kind of person was probably not just an Earth Immortal, but someone above Earth Immortal.
However, this immortal had only been spying on him for a couple of seconds when he was slapped in the face. His presence had clearly been detected by the Imperial Void Cauldron, otherwise it wouldn't have said those words.
"Are you the Dao Child of the Supreme Dao? Your cultivation is not bad. Judging from your physique, you must be very young. If you are curious about the Netherworld, you can come and ask me. To presume to talk about the Netherworld with such a mere artifact would only make you a laughingstock."
This immortal, whose strength was beyond comprehension, ignored the noisy Imperial Cauldron and turned his gaze directly to Feng Bingwen, who was trying to maintain his composure.
It was precisely because this kid's identity was so sensitive that he made a special trip to take a look. Little did he expect that even though he had tried his best to conceal himself, he was still seen through by that artifact, which made him lose face.
"I'm making a fool of myself? Then tell me, young man, what have you Netherworld Path accomplished in the past tens of thousands of years? I'm afraid you haven't even done as much research as the Divine Path!"
The Imperial Void Cauldron, having been stomped on twice, showed no mercy. Even when facing a Celestial Immortal, it did not show weakness and was even more assertive.
Although the other party's cultivation level was higher than that of the bearded man from before, it was precisely because of their greater strength and more prestigious status that they were even less likely to resort to force or violence. As long as they could withstand the pressure, everything would be fine.
Moreover, if the other party were to argue with him over a mere object in this matter, and word got out, he would be the one who lost face. Either way, he wouldn't lose out.
After all, he was just a mere object, and he didn't need to worry about saving face.
"The reason why my Netherworld Path was founded was indeed related to your Supreme Path's Dao Venerable, but it was not only because of the Dao Venerable's influence, but also due to other factors!"
The young-looking celestial being solemnly corrected Feng Bingwen on the news he had just heard. The news was clearly wrong, and if it were to spread, it would inevitably affect the reputation of their Netherworld Path.
In time, public opinion will prevail, and falsehoods will become truth. If the cultivation world truly believes that the establishment of their Netherworld Path was solely due to a single sentence from the Supreme Daoist, how can their cultivators face the cultivators of the Supreme Daoist? Wouldn't that be putting them at a disadvantage for no reason?
"If you encounter the five signs of decay in the future, you should be able to keep your mouth!"
"..."
Feng Bingwen's lips curled into a smile. He felt that he should have chosen the safer way to join the sect in the first place. Otherwise, he wouldn't be sitting here like a child, facing an exceptionally serious celestial being, and having to watch helplessly as this spiritual artifact recklessly courted death.
"What you just said is also true. It is impossible for a single sect to open up a true Netherworld, but failure does not mean that this path is wrong."
The young celestial being ignored the Imperial Void Cauldron. If he responded with even a single word, or even just a single sentence, he would be the one who loses face.
"With the help of that artifact, you should have seen a corner of the netherworld that we have opened up."
"That's the Netherworld?"
Feng Bingwen's expression was somewhat puzzling.
"It can be considered one of the achievements, but that was an achievement from ten thousand years ago. One of your Supreme Dao immortals once visited and stayed at one of the places there. That's why the artifact was able to send you directly here by following the traces, but unexpectedly it has put a lot of constraints on you!"
"Although there were some twists and turns, I have finally achieved my goal and have no complaints."
Feng Bingwen smiled and waved the ancient book in his hand.
"Not bad, truly worthy of being a seed of cultivation for the Supreme Dao!"
The young celestial being's face showed approval.
"As for places like that, which can accommodate wandering ghosts and spirits, my Netherworld Path has accumulated no less than a thousand over tens of thousands of years!"
"What's the use of having a large quantity? They're just fragments."
Yu Xu Xian Ding continued to taunt, knowing he had backup. He would retaliate whenever someone mocked him, determined not to lose face.
“My Netherworld Path did not intend to create a Netherworld large enough for all living beings to reincarnate. A small Netherworld that can only accommodate the reincarnation of the human race in one continent is already enough.”
The young Taoist priest spoke casually, yet he revealed a great secret.
What are you saying?
(End of this chapter)
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