Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Shen Lian quickly finished what he was going to say. These people had lived for thousands of years, though they never doubted Shen Lian’s words, for them to forsake all their accomplishments in the present world and follow him to the unknown netherworld, they needed more time to consider.
But they also knew the limitations of training in such a place. They would only reach the level as high as Chen Jinchan. In addition, the celestials and gods had to endure more severe trials of Dao. They understood very well that after passing through the three major Dao trials, there would be never-ending human trials awaiting them. Those would be the most difficult trials. If they remained stagnant and did not advance, they might not be able to save themselves if they got involved in other trials.
The longer time a Daoist had achieved the state of immortality, the more they understood that the misfortunate that ensured would be more unbearable. This was also the laws of the heaven, or else the number of people with immortality would increase and cause only harm and not benefit to the universe.
Shen Lian iterated the reasoning of such, as he was also aware of his unwritten pact with Lu Jiuyuan, so there was only one such opportunity to the Netherworld, the promised place. In future, Shen Lian would never bring the celestials leave this place again, unless it is absolutely needed. This was so that he would not fall out completely with Lu Jiuyan.
Shen Lian now had his eyes closed silently as if he was in the fugue of universe, the immortal Zhenren too had their time to think.
A motion disrupted Shen Lian’s blending into the void. The River of Spirits situated between Zifu Peak and Taiyi Peak was rustling and emitting countless Qi of essence from the netherworld, which interrupted Shen Lian.
Shen Lian cast The Primordial Bagua to track its source, and he saw a picture of a sky-piercing enormous tree spiking out of the netherworld. Its root was deeply planted into the netherworld, its trunk extended into the void with no end.
At this moment, a ruthless bull was in a standoff against a serene bird under the mammoth tree.
They were both Bull King and Kui Li. They were finally going to have their ultimate fight, but for an unknown reason, the mammoth tree just sprung out, which Shen Lian guessed had something to do with the World tree in the urban legend.
He could not sit still with such an event going on. So, his mental state returned to his body, opened his eyes and told the celestials, “Gentlemen, something is happening outside. If you are not interested, you may leave now.”
They were not normal folks, especially Fahai who then asked, “What is it that is happening now? Let us go and see together. Even if the sky crumbles down, we lot can still help Zhenren Shen patch things up a bit.”
Everyone else agreed. After all, they were the top class of people in this heaven and earth. With the accumulated strength of theirs and Shen Lian the monster, they had nothing to fear.
Shen Lian replied, “Very well then, let’s not treat each other as outsiders.”
Soon, the grand hall shone in golden light and then turned into the sceneries in The Painting of Mountain, River, and Country at the size of a thousand feet, which carried everyone.
This was only when they realized that the original Qing Xuan River of Spirits suddenly rose. Chen Jinchan was casting his prowess to pick up those cultivators who fell into the river by accident.
When Fahai saw this, he exclaimed, “Chen my friend, let me give you a hand.”
He threw his kasaya into the source where the River of Spirits was flowing into Qing Xuan and blocked the flow of the Yellow Springs.
Fahai’s face was seemed to have become bloodshot, as the Yellow River of Spirits became heavier for an unknown reason, seemingly comparable to the essence of Yiyuan Chongshui. Even with his boundless mana and earth-shattering powers, he had to pour out all the mana he had.
A Daoist chuckled, “Fahai my Daoist brother, let me Long Quanzi give you a hand.”
This Daoist then pointed at the kasaya, and a ray of light emerged to support the kasaya.
Shen Lian nodded towards both of them and said, “Thank you, my Daoist friends.”
A nun holding a purifying then came out from the crowd and said, “Zhenren Shen, let me help wash that unlucky aura off you.”
Shen Lian initially could handle things himself, but since Master Jiunan, the current abbess of the Zizai Temple was so eager to help, he could not reject, so he replied with a smile, “Why, thank you.”
Master Jiunan nodded, “The pleasure is mine. Zhenren Shen, you were an old friend of my Uncle-Master Qixiu from thousand years ago. It is my pleasure to do some deeds for you.”
While she was talking, she poured the holy water out, a spiritual rain then ensued almost immediately. The essence Qi of the Yellow Springs quickly dissipated. Even those Daoists who were hurt from the essence Qi could also quickly stop their injuries and recover quickly.
With the help of Fahai and Long Quanzi, Chen Jinchan also managed to rescue those Daoists from the river.
He then moved in front of Shen Lian in a flash and asked, “Honored Master, what exactly happened there?”
Shen Lian replied, “I am not entirely clear with the situation as well. Let us have a look in front.”
Chen Jinchan said, “When the River of the Spirits turned unstable, Apprentice-Sister Fang has rushed in there to investigate. There is still no news from her yet.”
Shen Lian said, “With Yanying’s abilities, she should be fine. Let us go over together.”
The Painting of Mountain, River, and Country moved and carried the crowd into the source of the River of Spirits, all surrounded by the heavy yellow spring water, which was blocked by Shen Lian’s Water Repelling Incantation. Then Shen Lian ordered, “Fahai and Long Quanzi my friends, please retract your prowess, and let me handle this.”
Fahai relaxed his mind and withdrew his kasaya. The peaks of Zifu and Taiyi were seen to merge back together, completely blocking the River of Spirits. They would also need to wander through these two celestial mountains on their exit.
The others were very impressed with Shen Lian’s ability to move mountains and flip oceans. Shen Lian was really no ordinary character to be able to use those abilities so casually.
After swiftly walking through a long and deep tunnel, they appeared on the Yellow Spring, where they were surrounded by the Yellow Spring water with no end as if it was a different world.
Hongyuan the Venerable said, “Isn’t this the territory of the Underworld Demon Sect?”
As soon as he asked this, all the others wore a strange expression. Qing Xuan Daoist Sect’s River of Spirits was connected to the Underworld Demon Sect.
The Small Lei Yin temple of Zen study was situated on the Yin Mountain, where the Yin of Yin Mountain was the Underworld Demon Sect. So, Hongyuan would never recognize his neighbor by mistake.
Now some people were regretting this, as they accidentally found out about a big secret of Qing Xuan, or maybe Zhenren Shen might have other motives.
Though Shen Lian was slightly surprised, he was not shocked as he did have the similar speculation. Now he had gotten his confirmation that Qing Xuan had, in fact, some connection with the Underworld Demon Sect.
However, when he explored the River of Spirits previously, there was no such tunnel which they walked through earlier. There should be a restraint which prevented him from discovering this.
The unstable movement of the River of Spirits today could have broken through this restraint to reveal the tunnel that was directed to the Underworld Demon Sect.
Ye Liuyun would have had the most knowledge about this, but both the Underworld Demon Sect and Ye Liuyun had vanished for thousands of years.
