After a dreamless night, deep meditation restored most of Su Yan's condition. Morning sunlight filtered through the inn's wooden window, casting mottled patches of light across the room. The air carried Flowing Cloud Gathering's distinctive fresh scent, mixed with medicinal herbs and spiritual plants. Yet the moment Su Yan opened his eyes, a faint, inexplicable flutter passed through his heart. It did not come from himself, but from the Compass linked to his mind in his arms.
He took out the Compass. On its silver surface, the dim blue point representing the Netherworld Beacon still flashed steadily. But beside it, the black skull mark left by the Sower seemed... slightly more active than it had been last night? Though it remained tightly suppressed by the Compass's silver light, that ominous darkness pulsed once, extremely slowly, like a heartbeat. It gave off a faint, barely perceptible pull toward Lanruo Temple.
"An illusion?" Su Yan frowned slightly and focused his senses, but the feeling vanished again. The skull mark returned to deathly stillness. Still, he believed the Compass's warning could not have arisen without cause.
With that doubt in mind, he went downstairs to meet up with Mo Hen and the others. While they had some spirit-grain porridge and pastries in the lobby of the Immortal Guest Inn, they overheard several cultivators at the next table speaking in low voices.
"Did you hear? Around midnight last night, fellow cultivators from Heavenly Secrets City observed a flash of ghostly light in the direction of Lanruo Temple. It was like a meteor flying backward, but it carried an indescribably sinister aura!"
"Exactly! Teams wanted to investigate early this morning, only to discover that the yin energy around the outskirts hadn't dispersed after the Ghost General was eliminated. Instead, it seemed... even denser? Some people even claimed they heard wails more shrill than before!"
"There are strange things every year, but this year has more than usual. That cursed place is too damned eerie. Best not get involved."
The rumors confirmed Su Yan's unease. Lanruo Temple's hidden danger had not been completely resolved by the Ghost General's death. Instead, the broken seal might have drawn out an even deeper darkness, or perhaps... triggered some sort of chain reaction.
"Looks like something happened there again after we left." Mo Hen put down his bowl of porridge, his expression grave.
"Amitabha. Could the Ghost Princess in that temple have used this chance to grow stronger?" Bai Zhi asked worriedly.
Yun Ji sat quietly to one side. Her gaze behind the clouds seemed to pierce through the inn walls toward Lanruo Temple. "Karma is entangled. Pull one hair, and the whole body moves. The Ghost General's dispersal broke the balance. Whatever had been lurking naturally had to emerge."
Su Yan took a deep breath and suppressed the urge to return and investigate at once. Their most urgent task was to determine a route to the Netherworld and improve their overall strength to face greater dangers, rather than getting trapped in the potentially deeper mire of Lanruo Temple again.
"Let's gather information about entrances to the Netherworld in Flowing Cloud Gathering first, then decide what to do."
The group left the inn and headed first to the small central square of Flowing Cloud Gathering. There was a simple mission board here, covered with low-level tasks such as gathering materials and clearing out nearby monsters. Su Yan quickly looked through it but found no directly relevant information.
Next, they entered a teahouse beside the square called the Hundred Knowledge Pavilion. All sorts of people gathered here, making it the best place for cultivators from every path to exchange information, rest, and chat. They found a quiet seat by the window, ordered a pot of calming tea, and the four listened intently to the conversations around them.
"...Want to enter the Netherworld? Difficult! The official Yin-Yang Paths are all controlled by the major sects and the Underworld Yin Division. Ordinary people aren't allowed through. As for those wild Yin-Yang Rifts, they're far too dangerous. Space Turbulence alone can kill you!"
"I heard that some people who cultivate ghost arts or have special connections can contact ferrymen and take the River of Forgetfulness. That's relatively safe, but the fare isn't something ordinary spirit stones can cover..."
"Underworld Guides? You'd need great merit in life, or elders from your sect making arrangements after your death, before you could ask them to guide a soul down there. A living person wants to take that route? Unless you're Master Zhong's disciple or have King Yama's special approval!"
The scattered information fit roughly with what Monk Hui Ming had said. For living people entering the Netherworld, ferrymen and Underworld Guides were two relatively "viable" paths.
Su Yan's heart stirred. Secretly activating the Compass's [Energy Trace] function, he let his invisible perception quietly spread like ripples across water, scanning the energy auras inside and outside the teahouse. Most cultivators possessed upright, peaceful energy, or energy marked by their respective sects' traits. However, when his perception swept past a gaunt man in the corner selling Yin Soul Beads as "Netherworld specialties," the Compass conveyed an extremely faint but fundamentally filthy sensation of the same origin as the End Times Cult!
The man looked ordinary, only level 25, but his eyes shifted constantly and he concealed his aura exceptionally well. Without the Compass's mystical power, he would have been almost impossible to notice.
Su Yan exchanged a look with Mo Hen. Understanding, Mo Hen rose without drawing attention, pretending to be interested in the materials at the stall as he struck up a conversation with the man. Su Yan continued using the Compass to lock onto him, sensing the subtle tracks of his energy flow.
Half an hour later, Mo Hen returned and said in a low voice, "I found out. He's just a minor lackey, responsible for buying materials containing death energy in Flowing Cloud Gathering. He should be an outer member of the End Times Cult. He revealed that his superiors have been pressing them lately. They need a large amount of Vengeful Spirit Dust and Yin Fiend Grass, apparently to conduct a large ritual at a place in the Netherworld called Yin Soul Ravine. It will happen soon."
"Yin Soul Ravine..." Su Yan committed the name to memory. This was very likely an important End Times Cult stronghold in the Netherworld.
Just then, a woman entered the teahouse. She wore a dark gown embroidered along the hem with Manjusaka Flowers. Her cool temperament carried a trace of ghostly aura. Her gaze swept across the room before settling on Su Yan's table, especially the Compass at his hand, whose glow had not been fully concealed. She walked straight toward them.
"Greetings, fellow cultivators." The woman's voice was ethereal, carrying a faint echo. "I am Gui Xiaoxiao, an Underworld Guide under the Wuchang Division. I see that you possess a rare treasure and bear a pure aura. You seem fated with the Netherworld, so I have come to meet you."
[Gui Xiaoxiao (Underworld Guide)] (Friendly Unit) Level: 45
Someone from the Underworld! And level 45 at that! Everyone's hearts tightened.
"So it is Lady Ghost Envoy. Please forgive my disrespect." Su Yan rose and cupped his hands.
Gui Xiaoxiao returned the gesture with a slight bow. Her eyes fell on the Compass, and a flicker of surprise crossed them. "This item... actually contains a faint trace of the Power of Reincarnation Order. Rare indeed. Are you all seeking a way into the Netherworld?"
Su Yan's heart stirred, and he answered frankly, "We are. We have urgent business in the Netherworld. Might Lady Ghost Envoy point us toward a clear path?"
Gui Xiaoxiao pondered for a moment. "For the living to enter the Netherworld is not impossible under Underworld law, but there must be a legitimate reason. You must also accept guidance, register your names, and abide by Underworld rules. I can guide you, but once you enter the Netherworld, you must assist my Wuchang Division with three official duties as a show of good faith, and submit to our division's temporary authority. It is mutually beneficial, and it will also spare you much trouble in the Netherworld."
She had extended the olive branch of Underworld guidance. The condition was that they work for the Underworld.
Afterward, Su Yan also told her what Monk Hui Ming had said about ferrymen.
Two paths lay before them, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.
Back in their room at the inn, the four began discussing it.
Mo Hen spoke first. "Underworld guidance comes with many rules and work to do, but it is reliable. With official backing, it is safer, and we can obtain Underworld intelligence and support. I think it is feasible."
Bai Zhi considered it. "From the perspective of purifying the End Times filth, gaining the Underworld's assistance might let us achieve twice the result with half the effort. It is only that being under their authority may hinder our movements."
Yun Ji's cool voice rang out. "Ferrymen move mysteriously. Their fare is unknown, and the risks are unpredictable, but we would have freedom of action and might reach the heart of the matter directly. Underworld guidance has clear procedures and offers protection, but we could easily become embroiled in disputes among Netherworld factions. And whether Yin Soul Ravine is connected to the Underworld remains unknown."
In the end, everyone's gaze focused on Su Yan.
Su Yan thought for a long time, his fingers unconsciously stroking the Compass's cold surface. The Compass conveyed a steady sensation beneath his hand, while the Netherworld Beacon on the Star Map in his mind remained clear as ever. He thought of the Sower's mark, Lanruo Temple's transformation, and the End Times Cult's ritual in Yin Soul Ravine.
"Underworld guidance is certainly reliable, but the timing may not be under our control. And once we are marked by the Underworld, our actions will inevitably be constrained." Su Yan spoke slowly, his eyes gradually hardening with resolve. "The End Times Cult's ritual is imminent. Time is pressing. Though the ferrymen's risks are unknown, the initiative will be more firmly in our own hands. I have decided that we will first try to find a ferryman!"
He looked at the others. "If we cannot find one, or if the fare is unacceptable, it will not be too late to return and seek Lady Gui Xiaoxiao."
Having made their decision, everyone felt more at ease instead. Just as they packed their belongings and prepared to leave Flowing Cloud Gathering to search, following Hui Ming's clue, for "a waterside where yin and yang meet and resentment runs deep," a commotion suddenly erupted outside the inn!
A cultivator ran frantically down the street, shouting, "Bad news! The demonic cultivator from Black Skull Cave west of the gathering had his hideout destroyed! Now his companions have come to kill! They say they'll find the culprit and take revenge!"
Su Yan and the others' expressions changed slightly. Black Skull Cave was precisely the small End Times Cult stronghold they had previously destroyed based on the Compass's clues! They had not expected the other side to react so quickly, with retaliation arriving in the blink of an eye!
At the same time, the Compass in Su Yan's arms suddenly trembled! This time, it did not point to the skull mark. Instead, it clearly pointed beyond Flowing Cloud Gathering, toward Lanruo Temple—a terrifying aura far colder and more immense than the Ghost General's blood fiendish energy, filled with endless grief and seduction, surged up like a tidal wave. It was as though a ferocious creature that had slept for centuries had finally awakened completely!
The Ghost Princess? No, this aura far exceeded their expectations!
Pursuers before them, a murderous evil behind them! The crisis was imminent, leaving them no room for a leisurely choice!
"Go!" Su Yan made his decision at once and rushed out of the inn first. "We can't drag Flowing Cloud Gathering into this. Leave this place first!"
The road to the Netherworld had yet to open, but the storms of the mortal world had already pushed them onto the crest of the waves once more.
Before you continue