A River in the Netherworld, a Demon Hidden in the Mountains

"This great river is suspended in the air, and its width is astonishing!"

Qiu Yan looked up and saw the river in the sky clearly. He immediately noticed that the river was extremely wide. Upon closer comparison, it was not hard to find that the width of the entire river alone was probably as wide as Jiannan Circuit from east to west!

Just then, a melodious voice rang out. "This river is called the River of Forgetfulness."

"The River of Forgetfulness?" Hearing this name, Qiu Yan recalled records from ancient books and some legends from his previous life. "Is this the Netherworld?"

As he spoke, he turned back to look in the direction he had come from. What came into view was a mansion of moderate size, and the place he came out of was a small door, with darkness inside.

Upon seeing this, Qiu Yan's mind immediately cleared, and he understood some things.

"Metropolitan City God, your room is actually located in the Netherworld! No wonder every time I go in, I feel like I'm passing through a barrier, as if I'm stepping into another dimension. It turns out I entered the Netherworld from the Mortal World!"

As he spoke, he looked towards Yin Xiao'e.

Yin Xiao'e was still wearing her cold armor. In her left hand she held a small Incense Burner, and in her right hand she held a square seal with a city on the back, and tiny human figures flickering around it.

Yin Xiao'e knew what he was thinking, so she said, "This courtyard is my foothold in this Netherworld. However, it was only because you reached the Fifth Grade and your divine power could spread to the outside world and transform matter that you were able to come out of it. If you were not at the Fifth Grade, like Bai Wen and Huang Jue, once you came out, you would lose your mind if you were blown by this yin wind. Without guidance or protection, you would sink into the Netherworld and wander for who knows how long."

"Fifth-Rank Divine Seat, with such profound meaning?" Looking at the Incense Burner, Qiu Yan recalled the scene of passing through the screen and walking through the People's Wishes, only to jump out of the burner in the end. He asked, "This Incense Burner?"

Yin Xiao'e seemed to have anticipated Qiu Yan's question. She tossed the Incense Burner upwards, and the lid was lifted, revealing glowing talismans that emitted distinct Domain of Law.

Looking at the talismans and feeling the energy fluctuations, the true form's eyes widened instantly. "These are... the Core Talisman of a god!"

"That's right. All the deities in my Divine Office have their Core Talisman residing here. But for someone like you who was born a god, your Divine Body already has a rune position. Even if you join the Divine Office, the Original Edition runes still remain within your body. Only the runes for those who are granted a Divine Office reside in the furnace. However, if you don't have a position yourself, but are granted a godship, the rune position is formed in this furnace and resides in this furnace. At most, there can only be one rune projection in your Divine Body."

As Yin Xiao'e spoke, the Incense Burner drew the talismans back into its container. The lid fell back down, and she held the Incense Burner in her hand again, saying, "This Incense Burner is the Divine Office, and also the path between Yin and Yang."

"The Incense Burner is the Divine Office?" Qiu Yan himself seemed to understand upon hearing this.

Yin Xiao'e continued, "In the past, before you reached the Fifth Grade, you needed my guidance to enter this Netherworld room. But now that you've reached the Fifth Grade, you have the right to travel between Yin and Yang on your own. That's why I'm letting you cross the Yin-Yang Path to experience it."

The deity listened and nodded, understanding dawning on him. "The space behind that screen, filled with the People's Wishes, is the Yin-Yang Path."

"Once you have established a foothold in the Netherworld, you should also carve out a path between Yin and Yang. You will then gain some insights," Yin Xiao'e said, floating up into the air. "Now, why don't you wander around with me for a while, see the scenery of the Netherworld, and then find a place to settle down?"

"Thank you for your trouble..." the main body said, and also took flight, following Yin Xiao'e forward.

The Netherworld was vast and desolate, with the ground and sky both gray and white, appearing monotonous and oppressive. However, after the main body took to the air and looked down with focused attention, he discovered that on that gray land, there were actually many phantoms, with buildings and houses, and people coming and going, bustling about, just like in the Mortal Realm.

Yin Xiao'e then said, "These are all ghosts from Yuanning Prefecture. After their lifespan ended, they entered the Netherworld. After passing through the Hall of Yama, they had neither committed any major Karmic Sin nor accumulated much merit, so they cannot immediately Samsara nor go to the Eighteen Levels of Hell. Therefore, they were sent back here. When the time is right, they can ascend to the Yellow Springs and go to the River of Forgetfulness in turn."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Yan's heart stirred, and he asked in his true form, "Do all the ghosts from Yuanning Prefecture come here? I wonder if the ghosts from the surrounding villages also come here?"

He was recalling the previous incarnation he had sent to the Mountain God Temple for Samsara.

Although Qiu Yan held the rank of Divine Rank at that time, his divine power was insufficient and his rank was not high. At most, he could only send people into the underworld, but he could not explore the mysteries of the Netherworld, so he did not know the situation after the soul entered Samsara.

Yin Xiao'e replied, "I know you want to investigate the matter of the wronged souls in Zuoqu Village. However, although those ghosts are from Yuanning Prefecture, they suffered a sudden misfortune and can be considered as unjustly killed souls. Such souls are not under my jurisdiction. They are usually directly Samsara to make up for the deficiency of Yang and complete Yin virtue."

"Thank you for informing me." The true self nodded, expressing gratitude, but thoughts were racing through his mind.

Yin Xiao'e continued, "The mortal and the Mortal Realm cannot know about the affairs of the underworld. Many people think it's just a legend and don't take it seriously. They commit evil deeds without any bottom line, even engaging in all sorts of wickedness, corruption, and bribery, only seeking a moment of pleasure and exhausting all their virtuous karma. Such people only realize their regret after entering the Netherworld, but it's too late. There are also cultivators who believe they can achieve the Great Dao and be immortal for eternity, and they never have the chance to enter the underworld. However, they die prematurely and suffer in the underworld just like before, but it's still better than their body and soul being destroyed..."

As the two deities flew about, they looked down at the scene below and spoke to each other. Many of Yin Xiao'e's words deeply resonated with Qiu Yan.

Soon, the two gods flew to a steep mountain peak.

The Netherworld is vast and boundless, yet these mountains are taller and more precipitous than the famous mountains of the Mortal Realm. If they were placed in the Mortal Realm, they would certainly not be inferior to the Five Sacred Mountains.

Upon arriving here, Qiu Yan suddenly sensed something amiss with his clone 'Living Soul. A thought flashed through his mind, and his true self immediately spoke, "This is it."

Yin Xiao'e looked down and frowned, saying, "There are Demon Mark on this mountain. It must be that a ghost cultivator once tried to overcome his Heart Demon here, but failed."

"Heart Demon?" Upon hearing this, a flash of Spiritual Light struck him. As for the term "ghost cultivator," although it was the first time he had heard of it, he could easily guess its meaning from the name alone.

Yin Xiao'e nodded and solemnly said, "It is indeed Heart Demon, which comes from Beyond Heaven. It can affect anyone in the six realms of heaven and earth. It is invisible and traceless, and extremely dangerous. Even we gods must be careful and on guard."

"Could there be a hidden Heart Demon within this mountain peak?" The main body pointed downwards.

Yin Xiao'e shook her head. "That's not it. Heart Demon are invisible. There are only traces of cultivators who failed their tribulations left on this mountain, but such traces may be related to Heart Demon. There are precedents for this."

The deity then said, "Since there are no Heart Demon, there is no need to think about it anymore. To be honest, as soon as I arrived here, I felt a connection with this place. Sitting here is definitely not a mistake."

"If you insist, I can't say anything more." Yin Xiao'e flicked her finger, and a ball of divine power flew out, with thoughts surging within it. "This is the method for taking a seat in the Netherworld. Take it as a reference. At the Fifth Grade, the Divine Rank is not yet truly finalized, so you might as well construct it simply and supplement it later."

Thank you!

The deity grabbed the radiance, absorbed and combed it, and then its Divine Body suddenly plummeted like a shooting star, crashing into the mountain peak.

P. S.: Thanks to "Hard to Sever", "Three Young Masters of Orchid Pavilion", "I Am No Gentleman", and "Perfect Zhongzhou" for their generous donations!

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