Ghosts and Gods of the Netherworld

They traveled swiftly and at great speed, and the old man led Tian Zhun to the foot of a mountain.

This mountain isn't particularly high or famous, but it's not far from Eastern Capital and is a necessary stop on the way to Prosperity Capital. There are pavilions on the mountain, and occasionally literati and poets would linger here and compose poems.

However, the old man came here but did not climb the mountain. Instead, he walked around the mountain with strange steps, rising and falling, following a certain rhythm.

Snap!

Not long after, a huge rock at the foot of the mountain loosened and made a soft sound. The old man immediately seized the opportunity, stepped over, and landed on the rock.

Swish!

The stone flipped over, and the old man and Tian Zhun vanished in an instant.

In the dark, damp cave, the light was dim, and the air was filled with the stench of decay and rot.

The old man carried Tian Zhun and carefully walked deeper into the darkness. His eyes flashed with a blue light, clearly indicating that he had poured his True Essence into them to make things visible in the dim environment.

The eyes are fragile and cannot withstand much force. However, those who practice martial arts strengthen their muscles, bones, and blood vessels. Although they cannot channel energy into their eyes in the early stages, as their physical condition improves, their hearing and vision become increasingly sharp and their vision naturally becomes more sensitive. They can see even in dim light. Like this old man, by infusing his True Essence into his eyes, he can see black as white.

Drip, drip, drip.

Inside the cave, water dripped intermittently, its clear sound blending with the old man's footsteps. As he walked, he reached the end.

At the end of the cave sat a person dressed in coarse cloth and straw sandals. The person had white hair and beard, and his face was full of wrinkles. He was skin and bones, and his body was somewhat deformed from sitting cross-legged for a long time.

Hearing the sound, the man slowly opened his eyes. His eyes were pitch black, with no visible whites or pupils, like two deep abysses.

"Meng Huaqin, what brings you here?"

The man glanced at the newcomer and called out a name. His voice was very soft and hoarse; it was impossible to hear clearly without paying close attention.

The old man holding Tian Zhun immediately said respectfully, "Greetings, Xu Shoulao. I have come here to seek your help. I would like to ask Elder Xu to treat this child." His name was Meng Huaqin.

As he spoke, he placed Tian Zhun on the ground.

At this moment, Tian Zhun was convulsing all over his body. He had wounds all over his body, but blue light flowed through the wounds, which was obviously being forcibly suppressed by Meng Huaqin's True Essence to prevent the blood from flowing out and to preserve his life force.

The man Xu Shoulao glanced down at Tian Zhun, a strange expression flickering in his dark eyes. Finally, he said in a low voice, "This man's heart has been invaded by Confucianism, and he has harbored evil thoughts, causing his foundation to crumble, which is why he has fallen to this state. You want to save him? But this man has violated the doctrines; he is dead."

Meng Huaqin quickly said, "Please, Elder Shou, have a clear understanding. This Tian Zhun comes from the Tian Lineage and is quite talented among the younger generation. This is his first trip, so it's normal for his State of Mind to be a bit off. Please help him!"

Xu Shoulao glanced at him and said calmly, "Since you have already abandoned us, why bother seeking help from a conservative person? Even if you are an expert in mechanisms, you still possess True Essence; saving him shouldn't be difficult."

Meng Huaqin then said, "Even if we can save him, we will destroy his foundation, which is tantamount to cutting off his future path."

Upon hearing this, Xu Shoulao shook his head again. "You should leave. The person who left behind the spirit of Confucianism is remotely sensing this place. Although I can confuse them for a moment and make it difficult for them to determine their location, it will still leave behind future troubles. Nowadays, there are fewer and fewer people willing to inherit the doctrine. Before the one to whom Heaven's Will is found, this old man cannot Void Ruins."

Upon hearing this, Meng Huaqin frowned, then gritted his teeth and suddenly said, "If Elder Shou is willing to help, I am willing to inherit this place ten years from now!"

"Oh?" Xu Shoulao let out a soft exclamation, glancing at Meng Huaqin. "It's rare that you have such an idea, but this child brought this upon himself. Why do you need to ask for help on his behalf?"

Having made his decision, Meng Huaqin calmed down and replied, "This matter arose because of me; I cannot be held solely responsible."

"Alright," Xu Shoulao glanced at Meng Huaqin a few times and nodded. "Then I have nothing more to say. Carry him over here. My legs are rotten and I can hardly move."

"Yes." Meng Huaqin nodded and moved Tian Zhun in front of Xu Shoulao, who then observed Tian Zhun's complexion and expression.

Tian Zhun's body was twitching uncontrollably, his face was ashen, and he was exhibiting manic and chaotic emotional fluctuations.

He took a deep breath, and a glint seemed to flash in Xu Shoulao's dark eyes. Then he slowly raised his hand, his arm trembling.

The simple act of raising his hand seemed to have exhausted all his strength. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, his withered and wiry hand finally trembled and landed on Tian Zhun's forehead.

Then, Xu Shoulao trembled violently, and an extremely powerful spiritual fluctuation rose from his body. Within this fluctuation was a vast spiritual force, similar to the power of the Heavenly Order, but it was exceptionally weak and monotonous. In addition, there was also a strong sense of People's Wishes!

Upon hearing this spirit, Meng Huaqin held his breath, sensing the essence within, revealing an expression of longing and reluctance, mixed with a hint of regret.

At this moment, Xu Shoulao spoke in a low, hoarse voice—

"When righteousness is lost in the world, the feudal lords will launch a full-scale attack..."

Upon hearing this, a powerful spirit immediately separated into a wisp, faintly the Unseen into Tian Zhun's body.

"Help! Help! Help!"

In the illusion, Tian Zhun was running with all his might. He was naked and looked extremely disheveled. His body was covered with wounds, with not a single patch of intact skin. Blood covered his skin and had already congealed.

The pain from his wounds caused him to scream incessantly, and the rapid running also caused his physical strength to drop quickly. His spirits plummeted, and he exuded a listless and lethargic aura, as if he might collapse and die at any moment.

Behind him followed a dark cloud, but upon closer inspection, it became clear that the cloud was not composed of mist or water vapor, but rather of countless Mechanical Puppet, densely packed together, each wielding a sharp blade, relentlessly pursuing Tian Zhun with murderous intent. The sheer ferocity of their aura was enough to send shivers down one's spine, giving one a sense of impending doom.

Just then, a voice came from the horizon—

The world has lost its sense of justice. The feudal lords are waging war against it!

The words were like thunder, booming and resounding, condensing into words in the air and bursting forth with surging spirit!

In an instant, the chaotic illusion trembled and froze for a moment!

The next moment, these eight characters disintegrated, transforming into rows of text.

The lack of benevolence and loyalty among rulers and subjects, the lack of kindness, filial piety, brotherly love, and virtuous conduct among fathers, sons, brothers, and elder brothers, and the failure of senior officials to be good at listening to and governing... all these are the beginnings of chaos in the world.

Why is this so?

They all doubt the existence or non-existence of ghosts and spirits, failing to understand that ghosts and spirits can reward the virtuous and punish the wicked.

This passage attributes all the chaos to a lack of belief in the existence of ghosts and gods, and an ignorance of the Unseen rewards and punishments that follow!

Every word resonated deeply within Tian Zhun, instantly giving him a moment of clarity. He stopped in his tracks, calming his State of Mind.

Suddenly, the illusion changed, and the Mechanical Puppet began to dissipate.

" In the Unseen, there are spirits and deities observing the changes in heaven and earth, rewarding good and punishing evil!" Tian Zhun said this last sentence, and his body actually released light. The fear on his face disappeared, replaced by a look of understanding.

"Yes! This is my State of Mind. All of this is my nightmare. As long as I remain steadfast in my heart, I will no longer suffer! I can even turn the tables!"

As soon as this thought arose, his figure instantly grew taller, and the thought radiated outwards, threatening to spread throughout the entire illusion, as if he had become the emperor of this place! Ruling over the universe!

This Tian Zhun is actually going to seize control of the illusionary realm!

Once successful, you can immediately escape from the illusion!

Just then...

Deep in Tian Zhun's heart, one sentence emerged—

The people are not governed by the boundaries of a territory, the country is not secured by the dangers of mountains and rivers, and the world is not intimidated by the advantages of weapons.

These three sentences shattered Tian Zhun's home-field advantage, causing the illusion to change again and start shaking. Tian Zhun let out a muffled groan, and the expression of understanding on his face instantly disappeared, turning into panic.

Immediately afterwards, the word "spirit" descended from the sky—

"The wisdom of spirits and deities cannot be found in secluded places and vast marshes, but in deep mountains and valleys, they will surely know!"

"The punishment of the gods and spirits cannot be won by the wealthy, powerful, brave, strong, or well-armored; the punishment of the gods and spirits will surely prevail!"

These two sentences transformed into a firm and resolute belief, settling in Tian Zhun's heart and instantly strengthening his resolve, a determined look appearing on his face!

But then, another thought welled up from the depths of my heart—

"Those who act justly will find many supporters, while those who act unjustly will find few."

The deafening sound shattered Tian Zhun's resolve in an instant!

This steadfastness is ultimately fake; it's simulated by external forces, created through hypnosis. How could it be truly resilient?

With his resolve shattered, Tian Zhun felt a sense of unease and sorrow. How could he not see that his own State of Mind had become a battlefield for others? A single thought from someone else would immediately trigger a corresponding thought in him. He prided himself on his exceptional talent, yet now even his mind was being manipulated. This was even more unacceptable than being killed outright!

Even though he already understood, he still couldn't help but get caught up in the clash between the two forces.

However, gradually, the spirit of the Secondary Sage Text that Qiu Yan had kept in his heart was constantly stirred up and gradually extinguished!

These spirits, like seeds, were planted in Tian Zhun's heart by Qiu Yan. They were not governed by a conscious mind, but would only resist on their own in response to external changes. Therefore, they could not mobilize the Heavenly Order, and could only exist in people's hearts.

The spirit emitted by Xu Shoulao could not mobilize the Heavenly Order, but it seemed to contain a certain Order within itself, constantly filling Tian Zhun's heart and eroding the Sage Spirit.

Outside, Xu Shoulao stroked Tian Zhun's forehead, remaining silent. Suddenly, he sighed deeply, "The Confucianism truly produces many outstanding individuals, capable of applying the Sage Spirit to such an extent. As for me... um? No! It's not just the spirit of Confucianism!"

As he was speaking, his expression suddenly changed, and his dark, unyielding eyes suddenly shone with a fierce light!

"This is..."

Boom!

Tian Zhun's body suddenly trembled, revealing an atmosphere of revelation, standardization, and formulation!

As he was surprised, Qiu Yan, who was sitting Eastern Capital Inn, also sensed something and suddenly frowned.

"Who did those two hire? They managed to forcibly obliterate the Sage Spirit and reveal the Legalist Spirit without even invoking the Heavenly Order! What kind of method is this? We must find out!"

ps:

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