Splash, splash.
The waters of the Yellow Springs River surged mightily across the Netherworld Soil, their churning waves laden with an immensely dense breath of death.
Following the course of the Yellow Springs River, Xiao Ping'an walked toward its source.
The source of the Yellow Springs River was the Yellow Springs, said to be the foundation of all the Netherworld Soil in the Underworld and a remarkable land of fortune.
Xiao Ping'an soon reached the end of the Yellow Springs River and saw the true Yellow Springs.
Rumble.
An incomparably vast spring appeared in the void, its waters cascading down from the starry sky like a waterfall, a magnificent sight.
It was hard to imagine that the source of the Yellow Springs River would be such an enormous and beautiful spring.
When the water first flowed out of the Yellow Springs, it was like Divine Source Liquid, giving off an incomparably sacred presence and containing immensely rich spiritual Qi.
But once this Yellow Springs water, so like Divine Source Liquid, fell onto the Netherworld Soil, it immediately underwent a fundamental change, becoming the surging, roaring waters of the Yellow Springs River.
The Yellow Springs gushed forth day and night, and its waters had given birth to countless Yin gods in the Netherworld Soil.
"So this is the legendary Yellow Springs!"
Xiao Ping'an looked at the spring in the void, that land of fortune.
His eyes shone as he carefully examined the place where the Yellow Springs lay.
After seeing it, Xiao Ping'an felt even more certain that this Netherworld Soil must be a tract of Burial Soil from the Perfect Era.
How precious was the Yellow Springs River?
Legend had it that the Yellow Springs River could give birth to gods and could also be used to evolve Netherworld Soil.
Whether in size or quality, the Yellow Springs before him was the largest and finest in the entire Nine Heavens and Ten Lands.
Its presence was intertwined with that of the entire Netherworld Soil world, the two inseparable, with life being nurtured within death.
It was precisely because of the Yellow Springs that the entire Netherworld Soil could continuously produce so many high-quality Yin gods.
At the same time, the mysterious presence emanating from this place allowed the Dark Supremes of the Underworld to remain sealed here for long periods.
Xiao Ping'an took a step into the Yellow Springs and carefully sensed the essence liquid flowing out.
The sensation was marvelous. Like Divine Source Liquid, it was incomparably sacred.
Yet after flowing onto the Netherworld Soil, it was tainted with the presence of the netherworld in the blink of an eye.
Xiao Ping'an was certain that the essence of heaven and earth flowing from the Yellow Springs would be immensely beneficial to all cultivators.
One could even say that, to those Yin gods, this place was like a Fortune Source Eye, a wondrous place that could improve their physiques and bloodlines, a divine land that could forge their foundations in the Great Dao.
Xiao Ping'an sat cross-legged in the Yellow Springs, quietly contemplating the divine charm of the Great Dao here.
After contemplating it for some time, he soon sensed a corpse.
In a deep pit beneath the Yellow Springs waterfall lay a mysterious corpse, constantly devouring the mysterious substance in the Yellow Springs River.
After examining it, he came to a sudden realization. This was the ancient corpse the Netherworld Venerable had dug up with his own hands, most likely the Corpse Emperor of later years.
The corpse was now soaking in the Yellow Springs water, in the hope that one day it would gain sentience and prove the Dao again.
Looking at the corpse absorbing the mysterious substance in the Yellow Springs River, Xiao Ping'an immediately summoned Yongsheng.
When Yongsheng arrived, he immediately fished the corpse out and ran off with it, his eyes shining.
Here in the Netherworld Soil of the Underworld, he was like a fish in water.
He had already dug up at least dozens of damaged ancient Supreme corpses and devoured their origins.
He had also devoured countless other origins. To him, this truly was a blessed land of great opportunity and fortune.
Xiao Ping'an had no interest whatsoever in the Corpse Emperor's corpse; he only needed to make sure it posed no danger.
He then continued contemplating the mysteries of the Yellow Springs here.
After contemplating them for a while, divine light flickered in his eyes.
This was a place where death had reached its utmost limit, a place capable of nurturing new life once more.
No wonder it was said that the Yellow Springs of the Underworld seized the fortune of heaven and earth. Only after carefully studying it now did he realize that the legend was by no means a wind from an empty cave.
The formations here also bore countless densely packed Dao patterns. According to Xiao Ping'an's deductions, this place should, like the Ninety-Nine Dragon Mountains in the Kunlun Secret Realm, allow one to live a new lifetime.
Perhaps the transformation would take a very long time, and one would need to spend ages here to live a new lifetime.
But this place was indeed wondrous.
Xiao Ping'an immediately decided to make it a backup location as well.
If he could live a new lifetime in the Immortal Ascension Pool of the Ninety-Nine Dragon Mountains on Mount Kunlun, he would go to Mount Kunlun.
If something unexpected happened there, Xiao Ping'an would use this place where the Yellow Springs lay as a backup for living his fourth lifetime.
No wonder the Netherworld Venerable's corpse had been able to gain sentience here and prove the Dao again as a Heavenly Venerable.
Apart from the Netherworld Venerable's own talent and comprehension, this place where the Yellow Springs lay must have played the most crucial role.
The Yellow Springs and the Netherworld Soil nourished and complemented each other. Together, they could almost be considered an independent universe, even cut off from any connection to this world's Heavenly Heart Imprint.
It seemed that this so-called foundation of the Underworld really had descended from the heavens, arriving in this world from that Burial Soil.
It was unknown how it had fallen into the Netherworld Venerable's hands.
Rather than saying the Netherworld Venerable had founded the Underworld, it would be more accurate to say he had discovered this tract of Burial Soil.
Thinking of how both the Big Black Dog and the Netherworld Venerable had cultivated the Burial Cultivator Great Art in the original story and had once been buried for countless ages, it was not hard to explain how this Netherworld Soil had fallen into the Netherworld Venerable's hands.
Perhaps this very tract of Netherworld Soil was where Cao Yusheng had once undergone a transformation while cultivating the Burial Cultivator Great Art within it.
Since coming here, Yongsheng had obtained a nearly inexhaustible supply of strange origins and had devoured the Prison-Suppressing Emperor, the Yama Emperor, and the Corpse Emperor.
There was also the considerable quantity of divine metal and Nether Iron he had obtained, materials suitable for refining Extreme Dao Weapons, as well as countless heavenly treasures.
And there was the Fortune Source Eye, which could benefit their descendants.
Now there was also the Yellow Springs, a place where Great Emperors and ancient emperors could live a new lifetime.
Xiao Ping'an could not be certain whether others could live a new lifetime here.
But he was certain that he himself could definitely live a new lifetime here.
For Xiao Ping'an, this was truly an unexpected gain.
If he cultivated and comprehended the Dao here year after year, his chances of living a new lifetime would rise even further.
Without his noticing, the importance of this land of Yellow Springs had risen dramatically, even surpassing the Ninety-Nine Dragon Mountains of the Kunlun Secret Realm in Xiao Ping'an's mind.
Heaven knew how precious it was to have a place where, after cultivating and comprehending the Dao here repeatedly, living a third lifetime was almost a nail hammered into a board.
Being able to live a third lifetime meant truly setting foot on the Red Dust Immortal Path.
After all, proving the Dao in one's first lifetime was difficult, but not enough to drive people to despair.
Taking an Immortal Divine Medicine in one's second lifetime was standard for ordinary Supremes and Heavenly Venerables. Whether one could live a third lifetime independently was the key to setting foot on the Red Dust Immortal Path.
Before long, Yongsheng unexpectedly brought the Corpse Emperor's corpse back.
Yongsheng put the corpse, dressed in ancient clothing from an unknown era, back into the waters of the Yellow Springs River.
He silently watched the corpse as it continually devoured the mysterious substance.
The corpse had not yet developed intelligence. Yongsheng intended to observe it closely, watching the changes in its flesh and soul to gain a more thorough understanding of the Netherworld Venerable's longevity method. He also wanted to comprehend the mysteries of the Reincarnation Seal.
Although the Netherworld Venerable had once given Xiao Ping'an detailed instruction in the method of cultivating the Reincarnation Seal, and Yongsheng had naturally received all that experience from Xiao Ping'an, he decided it would still be better to observe it personally.
After all, Xiao Ping'an could walk the path of transformation through nine lifetimes, but it would be difficult for Yongsheng to do the same.
After all, he had been refined from Xiao Ping'an's body of faith. Although he had been granted independent life, making him similar to a Saint Spirit, there were still considerable differences.
It was truly difficult for him to forge a path of his own and set foot on the Red Dust Immortal Path.
The Netherworld Venerable's Reincarnation Seal method had undoubtedly lit a guiding lamp for him.
In fact, Xiao Ping'an had also given him another path: to try to find Wang Bo, who possessed the Chaos Body.
Then he could use the Carefree Heavenly Venerate's possession method to forcibly merge with Wang Bo's body and primordial spirit. With Yongsheng in control, he would ultimately devour Wang Bo's primordial spirit and body completely.
This method amounted to forcibly seizing the fate of Wang Bo, the Chaos Body.
Yes, Xiao Ping'an might call that mysterious, ineffable thing fate.
For although he had granted Yongsheng independent life, he had a vague feeling that, for Yongsheng to truly become independent, he still needed to seize another person's fate, thereby replacing that person's fate.
Xiao Ping'an had set his sights on Wang Bo, the Chaos Body.
But at this time, Xiao Ping'an did not know where Wang Bo, the Chaos Body, was hiding.
After all, to live a new lifetime by transforming into a Chaos Body, he needed a reference. He could hardly turn into a Chaos Body just by imagining it out of thin air.
If he became an incomplete Chaos Body, it would be difficult to rely on it to live a new lifetime.
Faced with the corpse destined to become the Corpse Emperor, Yongsheng treated it like a treasure.
Having devoured countless origins, Yongsheng now intended to spend some time digesting them before devouring more.
During that time, he would closely observe the Corpse Emperor's transformation.
Xiao Ping'an had been here for so long without seeing the Heaven-Penetrating Nether Treasure, so he decided to pay it a visit.
He would see whether the Heaven-Penetrating Nether Treasure had truly become an Immortal Artifact.
In truth, this Immortal Artifact would find it hard to display its full strength without a master controlling it.
For example, in the original story, after the Azure Emperor proved the Dao, he had suppressed the Desolate Pagoda's weapon spirit with surprising ease, intending to evolve an Immortal Domain within the pagoda.
What did that show? It showed that the true strength of an Immortal Artifact's weapon spirit might be no greater than that of a Heavenly Emperor.
So Xiao Ping'an felt he had nothing to fear from the Heaven-Penetrating Nether Treasure.
Even if it had evolved into an Immortal Artifact, he was confident he could smash it apart.
Xiao Ping'an left the Yellow Springs and headed deeper into the Underworld.
There were astonishing numbers of Yin soldiers and Yin Generals in the Netherworld Soil, all Yin gods born in this world.
Staying here, Xiao Ping'an felt as though he were living among a group of ghosts.
Although he disliked these ghosts, Xiao Ping'an did not kill them all.
After all, in this peculiar world, these Yin gods were also peculiar living beings, different from mere ghosts and evil spirits.
Waves of heat rolled toward him from ahead. Xiao Ping'an was startled when he saw the Fire Domain.
There was no vegetation, no magma, and nothing else to sustain combustion, yet a sea of flames burned fiercely.
From a distance, it was a mass of fiery red, but on closer inspection, the flames were divided into nine layers.
The first layer was red, the second pale blue, and the third milky white, flowing like milk. The fourth was black, blazing like nether fire, a blackness that chilled the heart.
The fifth layer consisted of golden flames.
The sixth layer consisted of purple flames, flowing like purple mist.
The seventh layer consisted of flames in five colors, their radiance soaring into the sky like five-colored clouds and mist.
The eighth layer consisted of seven-colored flames.
The ninth layer consisted of flames in nine colors.
The flames burned fiercely, dreamlike and terrifying.
Naturally, these flames no longer had much effect on Xiao Ping'an. What surprised him was that they were the flames of the Fire Domain on the Big Dipper in later ages.
There were even some fire-attribute Yin spirits living in this Fire Domain.
Soon, Xiao Ping'an heard a rustling sound. A small tree suddenly appeared, moving swiftly through the tenth layer of the Fire Domain as though it had grown legs.
It was a small tree over a meter tall, its flames formed entirely of mysterious Great Dao Runes.
The little tree of flames was only a little over a meter tall, but its fiercely blazing flames seemed capable of burning the world to ruin.
Legend had it that these flames could burn immortals to death, though whether that was true or not was unknown.
Xiao Ping'an could indeed sense the incredible Great Dao Runes in the flames. They truly were immensely powerful and inconceivable.
Small worlds were burned to ruin in the flames one after another, only to be instantly revived, as though the flames really could burn worlds to ruin.
There was also a little bird like a Phoenix, chirping atop it.
Xiao Ping'an stared at the flames and runes for a long time, until they entered a pitch-black cave.
Just as Xiao Ping'an was about to capture the little tree of flames and the bird for a closer look, a light as black as ink suddenly burst from the cave. Accompanied by a treasure wheel equally black as ink, it shot into the sky, growing larger and larger.
This was the legendary Heaven-Penetrating Treasure Wheel, the weapon with which the Netherworld Venerable had proved the Dao. It was Xiao Ping'an's first time seeing it.
"Who are you?"
"How dare you trespass into the place where I am in seclusion!"
That familiar voice was almost identical to the fat man's from years ago. The difference was that the presence it gave off was more than hundreds or thousands of times stronger than before.
"Heaven-Penetrating Nether Treasure, have you ever heard the name Overlord Heavenly Venerable?" Xiao Ping'an asked.
"Overlord Heavenly Venerable?!"
"Hmph! Why have you come to the place where I comprehend the Dao?" The Heaven-Penetrating Nether Treasure seemed very displeased that someone had come here to disturb it.
Xiao Ping'an looked at the weapon spirit within the Heaven-Penetrating Nether Treasure, the middle-aged fat man he had once seen, still in the guise of that fat Daoist priest, and truly felt that things remained, but people had changed.
"This is my territory now. I'm the boss here!" Xiao Ping'an snorted coldly. Since the Heaven-Penetrating Nether Treasure would not give him face, Xiao Ping'an would not stand on ceremony either.
(End of chapter)