Chu Qing's situation was a little dire.
Because:
Ever since he had used the ritual, fallen into the underworld, and slain the Outsider Seven Colors, he had temporarily been crippled.
In the underworld, the sandalwood incense had turned into fiery meteors and severely wounded Seven Colors.
The Incense Burner had been like a Taotie, grinding away Seven Colors's soul.
Then:
Before he could even look around the underworld, his soul had been expelled.
Then:
He discovered that his Spirit and Energy were draining away at a mad pace.
The ritual brought him and his enemy's souls into the underworld, first requiring a portion of Spirit and Energy as payment.
Once they emerged from the underworld, it would draw out more Spirit and Energy.
Part of it continued to pay the price.
The other part was drawn by the ritual's strange power, scouring away the underworld's power clinging to his soul.
Even with the blessings of Dragon Sinews, Fish Dragon Dance, the Third Heaven-Connecting Path, his second profession as an Anomalous One, Outsider Bone, and other treasures—
At this very moment, the Spirit and Energy he recovered was not even enough for the ritual to draw away.
He swallowed secret medicine.
He frantically activated his secret teachings.
Yet:
The Spirit and Energy they produced was drawn away at once.
"This is paying the price!"
In the unseen, Chu Qing gained an insight.
This was the price of entering the underworld.
"Before, I often told people I would send them to the Netherworld for a walk!"
"I never expected this world to truly have a Netherworld."
There were Outsiders!
There were Unorthodox Paths!
There were ancient-law martial artists!
There was the Millennial Calamity.
And now, there was even an underworld.
"Just how vast is this world?"
"When will I be able to