The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Netherworld

But his luck seemed to have just run out. The crevice wasn’t very long; it only took a few hundred steps to reach its end. If he wanted to continue exploring, he would have to climb up through the crack.

At this point, Li Xun hesitated. His injuries hadn’t healed yet, and if something happened along the way, it would be a long, arduous

journey. He’d probably wait a few days for his bones to heal before continuing.

But the crevice was so small, barren of vegetation and lifeless. Where would he find food for the next few days?

Furthermore, Li Xun was troubled by the fact that, in his haste, he had left the stone tablets he’d painstakingly recorded over the years on the platform. He might even throw them off the cliff, a move that would be heartbreaking!

After a long struggle, Li Xun finally decided to take the risk.

The crevice was actually quite easy to climb. Even a mortal without martial arts skills could climb several dozen feet by traversing the uneven cliffs.

Li Xun was worried about his injured ribs, so he didn’t dare to exert too much force, but his speed was still very fast. He used the rock wall to gain leverage several times and had climbed hundreds of feet. He stopped on a protruding rock to rest for a while. Only

when he climbed here did Li Xun see the first living thing.

It was a gecko, climbing up the opposite rock wall. At its speed, it would take at least half an hour to climb to the top.

Li Xun thought it was interesting, so he took a closer look, but he couldn’t take his eyes off it – unexpectedly, the gecko suddenly disappeared!

Just now, it was lying on the rock wall, but when its body jumped up another inch, it suddenly disappeared out of thin air! Looking at the rock wall again, it was still fine, without any abnormality.

There is a problem!

Li Xun raised his eyebrows, and he had already figured it out. He exerted force with his hand, picked up a piece of stone from the rock wall, raised his hand and hit it, and sure enough, the stone disappeared silently on that rock wall.

“An illusion!”

Li Xun’s spirits lifted.

He spent some time measuring the size of the hole covered by the illusion, and then threw more than ten stones in. After making sure there was no danger, he jumped through the rock wall formed by the illusion. When he looked up, he saw darkness in front of him.

The illusion not only transformed into a rock wall, but also blocked the light from the outside. There was not even a trace of light in the cave. But this did not bother Li Xun. He reached into his arms and took out an object. He rubbed it twice in his palm, and then light suddenly shone all around.

This object was the round stone that Li Xun picked up seven years ago. He had carefully examined the stone and found many differences.

Normally, it was just a round stone with a smooth texture. At first glance, it looked like a pebble washed by a river or the sea, but pebbles are never so round and flawless.

If rubbed a few times between the palms of his hands, the stone would glow brilliantly. The once grayish stone had become transparent, resembling priceless crystal.

Even more curious, a character appeared in the center of the stone. Li Xun carefully examined it, revealing it to be written in large seal script.

This inscription strongly resembled a natural formation, and Li Xun suspected it might have other uses, though he couldn’t verify them. For the past few years, he had simply used it as a lighting tool.

Arriving at a cave-like place, Li Xun approached with extreme caution.

Initially, the cave was just a corridor. He advanced slowly, constantly throwing rocks to test the waters to avoid being trapped by any mechanical devices or restrictions.

The corridor was not very long and was perfectly straight. The surrounding rock walls were smooth, not likely formed naturally. Even the dust was rare, suggesting someone had used magical powers to create it and applied a method to ward off dust.

Li Xun concluded that this must be a Taoist cave.

But why was the cave located there? Being sneaky was not like the usual behavior of the Mingxin Sword Sect.

While he was thinking about it, the corridor had reached the end, and the front suddenly opened up, revealing a rather large stone chamber.

Li Xun stood at the entrance of the corridor and looked carefully. He saw that the interior was simply furnished with a stone bed and nothing else.

Li Xun did not dare to go in rashly, and threw more than ten stones. Seeing that there were no restrictions, he took a step forward. The stone chamber was not very big, only more than ten feet in diameter.

“Could it be that this is an abandoned place?”

Li Xun was a little disappointed, holding up the round stone and looking around. The room was empty, without any debris, so naturally there was no “oil and water” to be taken.

Li Xun shook his head and sighed, then laughed dumbly. If there was nothing to be taken, then there was nothing to be taken. He was open-minded about this matter and did not think about it anymore. He sat down on the stone bed and jumped up in shock the next moment.

It seemed that something was poking him.

Li Xun quickly used a pebble to illuminate the area. On the bed, he saw something resembling a stone slab. It was gray, the same color as the stone bed, and relatively thin, so he hadn’t noticed it earlier.

“What is this?”

He lifted the stone slab and held it against the pebble. The lines on it were rhythmic and rhythmic, with a subtle pattern, clearly carved by hand.

But as he held it, he realized it was more than just stone. Not only was the surface smooth, but a faint, cool aura lingered. After holding it for a moment, the hairs on his arms stood on end, and he felt a wave of discomfort.

“Could this be a treasure?” he wondered.

Li Xun, intrigued, sat down again. But then he felt something was amiss. He reached out and touched the bed, only to find it covered in black ash.

This was odd. The room was clearly dust-proof, and everywhere was spotless. Why was there dust here?

With a sudden thought, he stood up, holding up the light source, and indeed, he found something unusual: a slightly concave area in the corner of the stone bed, near the wall, dark and indistinct.

Li Xun climbed onto the bed and was delighted by what he saw. Within the slightly concave cave lay a pill bottle and a black bead.

Overjoyed, he exclaimed, “This is the first harvest since that little cave two years ago!”

He reached out and snatched the pill bottle and bead. Before he could examine them, his palm ached, a sudden, agonizing sensation as if on fire. A pain, no less intense than the “blood nightmare gnawing at the heart,” shot through his palm and pierced his heart.

Caught off guard, the blood nightmare lurking within his heart manifested for the first time, transforming into a scorching torrent that collided with the Yin Fire outside.

Both were of the same fire nature, but the blood nightmare was Yin within, Yang without, while the Yin Fire was Yang within, Yin without, their properties were diametrically opposed.

The violent collision caused Yin and Yang to merge, becoming one. The dual cores of True Yang and True Yin stood side by side, forming a Tai Chi shape that violently spun.

Li Xun felt his heart suddenly swell, as if his chest were about to explode. Everything went black, and he collapsed onto the bed, his mouth filled with black ash.

At that moment, the stone he had casually placed on the bed hummed and emitted a brilliant green light, intertwining brilliantly with the brilliance of the round stone in his hand, casting a chaotic light and shadow all over the room, like a ghostly realm.

“Why was I so careless today!”

Li Xun’s mind was filled with regret. It felt like a huge stone weighing down his chest, making him unable to breathe. Even the internal breathing method was useless.

He hadn’t felt this kind of throat-suffocating pain in years. He could only hold on, on the verge of passing out.

Suddenly, there was a sound, like an explosion in his head. The next moment, the bloating in his chest disappeared, replaced by the burning pain of Yin Fire emanating from his heart.

Compared to the “Blood Nightmare Gnawing at the Heart,” this was a completely different experience. Li Xun felt ice particles gushing out of his mouth and nose!

The Blood Nightmare and Yin Fire alternated between cold and hot within Li Xun’s body. Even though he was an expert at enduring pain, he couldn’t help but groan in pain.

The round stone used for lighting gradually dimmed from being rubbed for a long time, while the light from the stone slab on the bed grew stronger, a emerald green luster filling the room, making everything look eerie.

Gradually, the pain began to subside, and Li Xun felt his whole body go limp. He hadn’t felt this kind of collapse from pain in years, and he could imagine the agony of the Yin Fire burning him just now.

After several long gasps, Li Xun finally managed to rise from the bed, spitting out the black ash from his mouth, his heart aching with bad luck.

However, when he looked up, he was stunned.

In the azure light emanating from the stone, rows of golden characters appeared on all four walls!

These were clearly the key points of some kind of martial arts technique. The text was obscure and profound, with profound meanings, clearly something far more extraordinary.

Li Xun couldn’t recall so many key points in his haste, and simply glanced around in confusion. Finally, he spotted three prominent characters on the eastern cliff: “Records of the Netherworld.”

Li Xun couldn’t help but sit down.

It turned out to be “Records of the Netherworld”!

At this moment, Li Xun could only thank the old Taoist priest on Lianxia Mountain for his outspokenness. It was thanks to Taoist Mingyan’s knowledge of all things mortal and anecdotes from the Three Realms that he could finally grasp the true nature of the unique martial arts he was facing.

“Records of the Netherworld” was a renowned and mysterious tome in the Tongxuan Realm.

The great sects of the Tongxuan Realm are known as “Ten Mountains, Seven Seas, Three Cave Heavens, Nine Truths, Four Mysteries, and Six Absolute Lands,” representing thirty-three remarkable sects and six mystical lands both domestically and internationally. The “Minglu” is the canon of the “Ghost Devouring Shadow Sect,”

one of the Nine Truths. Since this sect boasts the title of “Nine Truths,” it must possess certain secrets.

According to Taoist Mingyan, the Ghost Devouring Shadow Sect’s “Six Sect-Guarding Methods” are on par with the Mingxin Sword Sect’s “Four Methods and Three Secrets,” naturally possessing extraordinary power.

Whenever he recounts this, Taoist Mingyan likes to cite the battle between Ghost Devouring Shadow Sect’s foremost expert, Mr. Ghost, and the Mingxin Sword Sect’s legendary Immortal Master Zhong Yin, on Zuowang Peak three hundred years ago, to illustrate the sect’s extraordinary power.

He also emphasizes that if the Ghost Devouring Shadow Sect had not split two thousand years ago, giving rise to the “Ghost Devouring Sect,” its power would likely be even greater.

Even now, a prestigious sect like the Mingxin Sword Sect has to be wary, demonstrating the sect’s immense power!

As the crown jewel of a sect like this, the Netherworld Record was naturally no ordinary item.

The six fundamental principles of the sect were all recorded in the Netherworld Record.

In other words, this book contained half of the Ghostly Shadow Devouring Sect’s secrets, particularly the foundational Netherworld Qi. Mastering it was equivalent to mastering most of this unholy sect’s secrets.

Li Xun stared blankly at these three words. No matter how profound and wise he might have been, he was now bewildered.

How could this be? How could this unparalleled text of this unholy sect be found right under the nose of the Bright Heart Sword Sect? And, by some strange coincidence, fall into his hands?

Li Xun looked around the walls until he finally spotted writing on a stone wall that didn’t contrast with the golden writing on the wall. It was blood red, just as eye-catching. “I am Mr. Ghost, the leader of the Ghost Shadow Sect. I fought Zhong Yin and was seriously injured and dying. I am about to return, unable to return the treasured ‘Record of the Netherworld’ to the sect.

” “Anyone who sees this in the future will be filled with my ghost fire, which has activated the scriptures. You should join my sect and diligently study this book to transform the Yin fire. Then, within a hundred years, when the ‘ghost spirit’ returns to life, you should enter my sect’s Yin Transformation Pool and retreat for three months to avoid future troubles.”

“If there are any self-righteous individuals who steal my treasured book and fail to return within the stipulated time, they can test the Yin Fire themselves to prove my words!”

Li Xun gulped, gazing at the blood-red inscription. “As expected of a man of the evil ways, even after death, his tone remains sinister, not the least bit like one about to die.”

Li Xun shrugged off Mr. Ghost’s threats and added, “If I’m unlucky, I might be finished in three years. Why should I wait a hundred years for you? It’s that so-called Yin Fire…”

He then considered the two objects that had just triggered the Yin Fire within him—the elixir bottle and the round bead—but now only the elixir bottle remained, with the black bead nowhere to be seen.

He understood, presumably, that this was the so-called Yin Fire.

He didn’t bother to tidy up the stone bed, so he simply jumped down and walked around the four rock walls, taking in the entirety of the Netherworld Record.

This remarkable tome is truly one of the most profound classics in the Tongxuan realm. Its text is difficult to understand, but every word seems to hold untold mysteries.

Li Xun’s cultivation is still relatively inchoate, and it’s still too early for him to encounter these subtle techniques. After reading just a few sentences, he felt dizzy and quickly closed his eyes to calm his mind. It took a long time for him to recover. Only then did he realize

that the vast treasure trove

before him was not something that could be easily absorbed. Fortunately, the “Record of the Netherworld” wasn’t simply difficult to understand; it did include some foundational material.

Li Xun reviewed the more superficial material, but his understanding was limited

. However, he was pleasantly surprised to discover a simple method for reading the “Record of the Netherworld.” Simply by concentrating his mind on a single formula, the contents would naturally appear before his mind, eliminating the need for such impressive displays.

He also discovered another formula, an introductory formula specifically tailored for “reputable and upright” practitioners like him.

With this, the original inner breath and bright energy can be exchanged in quality and form, avoiding the detection of the elders of the sect. What he wants to do is already quite obvious.

Therefore, Li Xun admired Mr. Ghost’s scheming even more: “Maybe because of this incident, a variable has been inserted in the Mingxin Sword Sect… Do you know if I count?”

After laughing at himself, he no longer delayed and concentrated on practicing two simple spells. In just half an hour, he was able to use it freely, so he covered up the light of the stone and put it in his arms.

During this time, he also opened the pill bottle to see how much he had gained. Inside was a small half bottle of “Biyin Pill”, which is also a well-known healing medicine in the Tongxuan world; he looked up this name from the “Youminglu”, and for him, it came just in time.

Li Xun took a pill first to warm the wound, and spent another half an hour, feeling He was in high spirits, laughing heartily.

Perhaps today was truly his auspicious day.

The room was shrouded in darkness. Li Xun sat cross-legged in the center of the stone chamber, practicing the basic techniques of “ghostly and bright energy.”

Having obtained this secret manual, Li Xun’s heart was already beating wildly. It wasn’t that he thought this book would instantly make him a supreme master, capable of cleaving through the void with his palms and slashing through bloody bodies with his sword.

Rather, he naturally wondered if this, one of the most renowned unorthodox texts in the Tongxuan Realm, contained a method to dispel the blood nightmare within him.

He remembered clearly that just as the Yin Fire entered his body, the Blood Nightmare had indeed manifested for the first time, clashing with the Yin Fire. In the past, even during his daily torment, it had never been so obvious.

Now, the Yin Fire had settled into his heart, seemingly coexisting peacefully with the Blood Nightmare. But upon closer inspection, he sensed a change.

With these two deadly elements combined, any change could lead to Li Xun’s unforgettable death.

That was why he was so eager to master the basic techniques found in the Netherworld Record. He

was currently cultivating the most fundamental technique from the Netherworld Record, “Soul Reincarnation.”

Initially, this technique involved gradual transformation, which would not only fail to advance cultivation but would actually affect the purity of one’s internal energy. However, if this obstacle were overcome and mastered to perfection, the nature of one’s internal energy could be transformed. This method of usurping power seemed like a brilliant tactic of poaching.

With such ingenious methods, it was no wonder that the Ghostly Shadow Devouring Sect had become so renowned in the Tongxuan Realm.

Li Xun didn’t care about the means; as long as it benefited him, it was all he needed.

It took him three days and nights to complete the initial stages of his practice, transforming his inner energy into ethereal energy. Although it took the better part of an hour, and the resulting “ethereal energy” wasn’t very potent, he was still delighted.

His mind had already begun to respond during this process. Daily practice with the techniques from the Netherworld Records generated a stream of Yin Fire within his heart, which flowed into his inner energy, significantly aiding his progress.

More importantly, another crucial element within his heart seemed to be losing its stability: whenever the Yin Fire was generated and released, the Blood Nightmare would fluctuate. For unknown reasons, the intensity of the daily “Blood Nightmare Gnawing the Heart” seemed to have decreased, though the magnitude was so small that Li Xun couldn’t pinpoint it.

For three days straight, apart from the time spent practicing the “Blood Nightmare Gnawing the Heart,” Li Xun practiced diligently every moment. Even when he grew tired, he would search the Netherworld Records for some practical techniques to try and alleviate his boredom.

The reason he fought so desperately was because time waited for no man.

Pessimistically speaking, he had only two or three more years to live. To extend his lifespan, he would have to climb half of Zuowang Peak within a mere thousand days, become a disciple of the sect, and then receive the “Spiritual Resonance Technique.”

After completing his studies, he would return home and pass the “Spiritual Resonance Technique” to Xue Sanren. Finally, it all depended on whether the evildoer would repent and spare his life…

Each of these conditions required immense luck, and the combined likelihood of achieving them was incredibly slim.

Li Xun understood this better than anyone.

As the ten-year deadline approached, his despair deepened with each passing day. He had been able to hold out until now thanks to his relentless training, the daily exhaustion naturally acting as an anesthetic.

But this arduous practice had an end. With the completion of the first stage of “Soul Reincarnation,” Li Xun no longer had any reason to continue his arduous practice. He could only leave the dark stone chamber with mixed feelings.

After emerging from the cave, he easily climbed out of the crevice, confirmed his direction, and then dived onto the platform. Fortunately, the package containing the stone slab had not been thrown off the cliff by the giant bird in the past three days.

He didn’t dare delay any longer, so he grabbed the package and ran. It wasn’t because he was afraid of the giant bird, but because he had a problem that needed to be addressed.

To be safe, he ran furiously for an hour, stopping only when he was dozens of miles away from the platform.

His frantic run left him drenched in sweat, which mixed with the black ash from the room, making him even more uncomfortable.

After three days of understanding and contemplation, Li Xun had roughly determined what the black ash was.

According to the “Records of the Netherworld,” when the cultivation of the Netherworld Qi reaches a certain level, the Yin Fire accumulates within the body, naturally forming a “spiritual pearl,” which is not much different from the “Tao fetus” or “infant” cultivated by the righteous path.

This spirit pearl is the key to controlling the Yin Fire within the body, crucial to the practitioner’s life and property. If the pearl is destroyed, or its connection to the practitioner’s mind is severed, the Yin Fire will immediately consume the body, reducing it to ash in an instant.

It seems that Master Ghost, in order to pass on his teachings, caused the spirit pearl to leave his body, resulting in this kind of death. The black ash

covering the bed is actually Master Ghost’s remains! This is also the reason for Master Ghost’s threat: “… diligently study this book to transform the Yin Fire. And within a hundred years, when the ‘ghost spirit’ returns to life, enter our sect’s Yin Transformation Pond and retreat for three months to avoid future troubles.”

Li Xun’s Yin Fire is external, incompatible with his true self. Initially, his cultivation was beneficial, but later, despite the formation of his spirit pearl, he faced a vast mass of uncontrollable Yin Fire. Pressured from both within and without, how could he survive?

That’s why it was necessary to enter the Yin-Transforming Pool, cleansing the body and merging the inner and outer Yin Fire into one. Not only would his life be safe, but

he would also benefit from Master Gui’s millennia-old Yin Fire, greatly advancing his cultivation. Of course, all this was still too far off for Li Xun. His immediate concern was the composition of the black ash.

Despite the harsh conditions on the peak over the years, Li Xuntian had done his best to maintain his image.

It would have been fine if he hadn’t known the whole situation, but the thought of floundering among the ashes for days was unbearable.

Therefore, finding water became his top priority.

The air where he stopped was humid and humid. Even though it was nearly noon, a thin layer of mist still formed, suggesting a source of water nearby.

He assessed his direction and plunged into the forest. A few leaps from the treetops brought him into view.

It was a vast lake, shrouded in mist, and with his eyesight, he couldn’t see beyond a few dozen feet.

Standing at the edge of the forest, he felt a rush of hot air rush towards him. It turned out to be a hot spring.

Li Xun wasn’t surprised by this wondrous place. His seven years on Zuowang Peak had already given him a deep understanding of the wonders of nature. Compared to a solitary peak towering hundreds of thousands of miles into the sky, what was this vast hot spring?

He cheered, and without removing his clothes, tossing his bag aside, he plunged into the spring, feeling the sudden surge in temperature, almost moaning with pleasure.

It was a rare day for him to be in such a good mood, with one significant achievement after another. Even now, a childlike spirit was rekindled, and he plunged deeply into the water.

He channeled his inner energy, but without exiting the water, he lifted a luminous boulder from the bottom and swam underwater, intent on exploring the wonders of this vast hot spring.

His water skills were already impressive, and with his powerful inner energy, he swam incredibly fast, covering dozens of feet in a few strokes.

The pool was indeed quite large, extending beyond the boulder’s illumination. Li Xun didn’t care, simply swimming around. He could see everything within a few feet, and he even spotted a few small fish living in the warm water.

His childish nature had taken over, and he simply competed with the fish in speed, darting around and following their movements, having a blast.

When he tired and surfaced, he found himself lost in the hot spring.

A thick fog of condensation surrounded him, blocking even the light from the pebbles. How could he know how far he was from the shore where he had entered the water?

Now, he was truly about to smile bitterly.

Just as he was about to settle on a direction and find the shore, he suddenly heard something, something like… the sound of water?

It wasn’t the sound of normal water flowing, but rather the rhythmic sound of water splashing and sloshing. And it wasn’t far away.

Initially, he hadn’t paid much attention, but as his attention shifted, he suddenly became aware of a faint silhouette in the direction of the water, almost invisible.

He immediately held his breath and unconsciously moved a little closer. The figure became more distinct, almost a sharp outline.

He could tell it was a woman, a woman in the shower. His

mind pounded. This was the moment when he should have been clear, but his thoughts went blank.

For seven years, he had struggled alone on Zuowang Peak, enduring the trials of life and death—and that wasn’t a big deal! The most terrifying thing was the loneliness and solitude of those seven years, without anyone to communicate with, to the point where even the instinct to speak had vanished. It wasn’t like

he hadn’t seen people before.

Over the past seven years, he had seen fellow disciples soaring by countless times, but for one reason, he had hidden himself like a thief, never mind even a greeting!

“Where on earth have I climbed to?”

This was his only question regarding his elusive goal.

From the anticipation and impetuousness of his initial ascent, to the numbness of the middle stages, to the increasingly uncontrollable fear of the present, throughout this long psychological journey, he had resisted countless impulses, licked his wounds alone, and continued on his journey in intense loneliness.

And now, without any mental preparation, he encountered the most terrifying moment of the past seven years—a figure only four or five meters away!

A gentle cry would have caught their attention, but the distance was beyond his ability to withstand.

So, before his brain could even return to normal, his body’s instincts had already taken over.

Retreat! Retreat!

Like a stray dog, he turned and tried to swim away. But he had forgotten one thing: besides him, who else on this peak was there?

“If I were you, I’d stay there and figure out how to apologize and make up for my reckless behavior!”

A female voice rang out, each word distinct and precise, yet devoid of any emotion.

Yet, in this sentence, Li Xun sensed an irresistible firmness and authority.