Flowing Cloud Gathering was no longer safe to stay in. The End Times Cult's retaliation had come swiftly and viciously. Though only a few elite cultists in their thirties had led a band of underlings, and they were nothing to fear, getting entangled with them would inevitably invite more trouble and drag this peaceful little town into it. Moreover, the towering, overwhelming resentment rising from the direction of Lanruo Temple hung over them like a sword, reminding them that this was not a place to linger.
The four people and one pet did not hesitate. Taking advantage of the unrest that had thrown Flowing Cloud Gathering into slight chaos, they swiftly left the town from the east. Holding the Compass, Su Yan focused Energy Trace on sensing the surrounding environment for the traits of "the convergence of yin and yang" and "water essence." Combined with Monk Hui Ming's vague guidance, they hurried eastward.
They passed through a forest of withered trees shrouded in pale gray miasma, crossed an ancient dried-up riverbed covered in deathly white pebbles, and finally stopped at the edge of a jagged ravine.
The ravine was bottomless, and bone-piercing cold vapor rose from within. The faint sound of running water drifted up from below, yet it was hollow and eerie, as though it could freeze one's soul. Looking down from the edge, they saw a stream at the ravine's deepest point. It was only several meters wide, its current black as ink, while scattered blue phosphorescence floated upon its surface. Not a blade of grass grew along its banks. Only twisted shadows, as if struggling in agony, occasionally surfaced before vanishing again.
"This is it." Su Yan felt the clear feedback from the Compass—extreme yin energy and faint water essence had reached a strange balance here, creating a natural boundary between yin and yang. "This underground river is likely an exceedingly faint manifestation of a branch of the River of Forgetfulness in the mortal world."
The yin energy here far surpassed that around Lanruo Temple. Even the air seemed to have solidified into cold gel. Bai Zhi had to constantly maintain the aura of the Heart Calming Incantation, while Mo Hen's mechanical joints gave off faint creaks as they were eroded by yin energy. Xingxuan was extremely uneasy. The star vortex at its tail spun at high speed as it growled threateningly down into the ravine. It instinctively loathed this environment of absolute deathly stillness.
Yun Ji surveyed their surroundings and said softly, "The spatial barrier here is exceptionally weak. It is indeed possible that a ferryman passes through this place."
There was no time to lose. Su Yan took out the three sticks of Netherworld Guiding Incense and lit them according to the method Hui Ming had taught him, using his own Star Power as the catalyst.
There were no ordinary flames. Only three cold, ghostly sparks, seemingly capable of absorbing the surrounding light, glimmered at the incense tips. A strange, cool fragrance spread through the air. It was not unpleasant, yet it carried a pull that reached straight into the soul.
The incense smoke curled upward, but instead of dispersing into the air, it seemed drawn by an invisible force. It descended straight down into the bottomless ravine and merged with the black stream below.
In an instant, a strange phenomenon erupted!
The yin wind within the ravine suddenly intensified, howling like the sobs of ten thousand ghosts. The once quietly flowing black stream abruptly began to boil—not with heat, but with cold! Countless ghostly blue lights emerged from the riverbed, turning into twisted, agonized, bewildered faces of lost souls. They struggled to approach the source of the incense smoke, letting out soundless wails. The temperature throughout the ravine plummeted once more, and a layer of black frost instantly formed across the rock walls.
Everyone held their breath and circulated their spiritual power with all their strength, resisting the soul-piercing chill and the erosion of resentment.
After roughly the time it took for an incense stick to burn, a hazy light appeared without warning above the black stream, where lost souls gathered and ghostly radiance flickered.
It was an ancient lantern of unusual design, giving off a dim yellow but exceptionally steady glow that dispelled the darkness and cold from a small area. The lantern hung from the bow of a small boat.
The boat had neither oars nor sails. Its entire body was made from some dark wood that looked as though it had been soaked in river water for countless ages, and its hull was carved with indistinct runes. A figure in a heavy straw rain cape and a broad conical hat stood silently at the stern. His face could not be seen. All they could sense was an aura as deep, ancient, and indifferent as the River of Forgetfulness Water beneath their feet.
He held a long bamboo pole. When its tip touched the water, it did not create the slightest ripple, yet the small boat silently cleaved through the lost souls gathering on the surface at an unnatural speed. It arrived beneath Su Yan and the others at the bottom of the ravine. An invisible pulling force descended over them.
"Board."
A hoarse, dry voice, as if it had not spoken for a thousand years, rang directly in their minds without the slightest trace of emotion.
Su Yan exchanged looks with his companions, then nodded and leaped into the ravine. The invisible force caught them with perfect precision, setting them steadily aboard the strange boat, which was scarcely more than several meters long. The vessel did not even sway.
At close range, the ferryman seemed even more mysterious. The straw cape and conical hat completely concealed him; only his build suggested a humanoid form. The bamboo pole in his hand was black as ink, as though it absorbed all light. Aside from the lantern, the boat was completely empty.
"The fare." The ferryman spoke again, his voice still echoing directly in their minds.
Su Yan took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "May I ask what sort of fare you require, Senior?"
The ferryman fell silent for a moment. His conical hat lifted slightly, as though he had "looked" at Su Yan. That gaze pierced through the hat, cold and penetrating.
"You have an unfulfilled promise." The ferryman's voice remained utterly calm. "Use that as payment."
An unfulfilled promise? Su Yan froze. Many things immediately came to mind. Was it a promise to his sect? To Xingxuan? Or perhaps... to this world, in some unseen way? He could not determine which one the ferryman meant.
"Could you be more specific?" Su Yan asked tentatively.
"When the time comes, you will know." The ferryman said indifferently, "If you agree, we depart. If not, leave now."
This was an invisible contract, a shackle aimed at the future. Su Yan looked at his companions. Mo Hen's eyes were solemn, Bai Zhi looked worried, and Yun Ji gave a slight nod, signaling that he should decide for himself. Xingxuan rubbed its head against his leg, conveying unconditional trust.
"I agree." Su Yan no longer hesitated. Compared with sacrificing cultivation, lifespan, or treasures, an unknown promise was perhaps the best choice at present. He was confident that whatever he had to accomplish in the future, he could do it.
"Good."
The ferryman said nothing more. With a light tap of his bamboo pole against the shore—though it was not a physical shore, but the blurred boundary of a spatial barrier—the boat silently glided into the black River of Forgetfulness Water, heading toward endless darkness.
The moment they entered the true River of Forgetfulness, the scenery around them changed abruptly! The ravine vanished, replaced by a boundless expanse of black waters shrouded in mist. The river was thick as ink, and countless eyes seemed to peer from within it. Massive, twisted shadows could vaguely be seen swimming in its depths.
"Woo—"
A bizarre yin wind arose from nowhere. It did not blow against physical objects, but directly against their souls! Soul Devouring Yin Wind! Everyone felt their souls sway, as though the wind might tear them from their bodies! Bai Zhi's Buddhist light flickered violently, and Mo Hen immediately applied mechanical talismans that stabilized the mind to himself and Su Yan. Starlight blazed around Xingxuan as the Starlight Barrier activated on its own, blocking the invisible wind blades outside.
Then ethereal, bewitching singing and whispering rose from all directions, burrowing into their ears and penetrating their hearts. Heart Bewitching Demonic Sound! It stirred the deepest obsessions, fears, and desires in their hearts. Su Yan seemed to see the prosperity of the city from his past life and his parents' worried faces. Before Mo Hen appeared the most classified blueprints of Heavenly Secrets City. Bai Zhi heard her master's summons. Even the clouds around Yun Ji rippled slightly.
"Guard your minds! It is all illusion!" Yun Ji's cool voice was like icy spring water poured over their heads. At the same time, she formed hand seals, and a clear radiance spread outward, temporarily dispelling part of the demonic sound's influence. Su Yan circulated the Star Contemplation Method. The vision of a starry sky in his mind stabilized, suppressing his distracting thoughts. Mo Hen simply used a mechanism to temporarily seal his hearing. Bai Zhi chanted the Calm Heart Incantation, and Buddhist light shone everywhere.
Xingxuan had an exceptionally high resistance to this kind of mental attack, but it was even more wary of what lurked underwater. Suddenly, several pale, bloated Drowned Water Ghosts with sharp nails burst from the water and clawed at the edge of the boat!
"Get lost!" Xingxuan roared. Starlight Breath surged forth, and the silver-white stellar breath was especially damaging to these sinister creatures, instantly burning the water ghosts into wisps of green smoke. But more water ghosts rushed forward one after another, attempting to drag the boat into the abyss.
Mo Hen's mechanical crossbow bolts, affixed with evil-breaking talismans, fired with precise accuracy. Su Yan's Lightning Talismans seemed weakened over the River of Forgetfulness, but they could still effectively disperse the vengeful spirits that approached. Bai Zhi focused on maintaining the team's mental defenses and condition.
Under the ferryman's control, the boat was unbelievably steady. No matter how the winds and waves raged or how the ghosts attacked, it continued along a predetermined course. Though the bow lantern's glow was dim yellow, it was like a pillar that steadied the sea, lighting their way and driving away the malice that came near.
"This boat... what is its power source?" Mo Hen's professional habit flared up. He could not help muttering under his breath as he tried to examine the structure beneath the hull. "Neither metal nor wood, not driven by the current, nor powered by wind... Could it be relying on the rules of the River of Forgetfulness itself?"
The ferryman gave no response, as though he had not heard.
Bai Zhi watched the countless lost souls bobbing and struggling in the river, wailing in agony. Compassion rose in her heart, and she could not help pressing her palms together and softly chanting the Rebirth Incantation, hoping to offer them a trace of comfort.
"Stop."
The ferryman's hoarse voice rang out again, carrying an unquestionable command.
"You cannot bear the consequences of disrupting the Yin-Yang Order."
Bai Zhi froze. She could only stop, her eyes full of sorrow as she watched the lost souls.
No one knew how long they sailed through the darkness. It felt like an instant, yet also like a thousand years. The mist ahead gradually thinned, revealing a desolate, deathly silent riverbank. The land was dark red, and the sky was eternally dim yellow. There were no sun, moon, or stars—only twisted light and shadows.
The small boat gently came ashore.
"We have arrived," the ferryman said. "This place is the Netherworld."
Su Yan and the others stepped onto the unfamiliar land and immediately felt their bodies grow heavy. The gravity here seemed different from that of the mortal world, and the air was thick with deathly yin energy, making the circulation of their spiritual power far more sluggish. When they looked back, the boat and ferryman had silently vanished into the dense mist, as though they had never existed.
Only that final indifferent warning remained imprinted in every heart:
"Remember: death here may be a true end."
Beneath their feet lay the land of the Netherworld. Ahead awaited unknown danger and their mission. Su Yan tightened his grip on the Compass, feeling Xingxuan's resolute will, and turned his gaze toward the depths of this dim yellow, deathly silent world.
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