A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 204 The Hidden Spring
Gu Xu looked at the sudden phenomenon, sensed it for a moment, and then said to the golden light, "A large number of wronged souls and ghosts have gathered here. They were not allowed to go out of control before because the Black Mountain Demon was here to guard them. Now that the Black Mountain Demon is dead, these things have begun to stir."

Upon hearing this, Jin Guang's expression hardened. Although these wronged souls posed little threat to them, they were a great threat to the common people. If they were to wander outside, they would inevitably cause chaos. In the past, Jin Guang would have killed them all and burned them all in an extreme way. However, with his senior brother here now, he would surely have a better solution.

"Sect Master, please take your men back. You can leave this place to me. Also, Yan Hongye is still in Lincang City. If you have no further instructions, please let her return to Jinhua City."

"It would be best if my senior brother could handle it. As for Yan Hongye's situation..."

Jin Guang originally intended to take Yan Hongye back to Xuanxin Sect, but judging from his senior brother's words, there was probably another plan involved. If that was the case, then he didn't need to rush.

Thinking of this, Jin Guang nodded, then bowed to Gu Xuxing and led his men away quickly.

After Jin Guang and the others left, Gu Xu flew into the air and arrived above Zheyun Mountain. He sat cross-legged and looked down at the ghosts that were about to fly away. With a thought, a radiant treasure mirror appeared on his body. As soon as this object appeared, a clear light spread and covered the entire Zheyun Mountain.

Just as the "Purifying Soul and Cleansing Heart Mirror" sealed off Zheyun Mountain, Gu Xu's primordial spirit broke free and headed outwards. He used the Soul-Locking Heavenly Net technique, and immediately four rune nets rose around Zheyun Mountain, extending upwards continuously. The dark clouds that covered the sky were immediately pulled down, and upon contact with the runes on the nets, they instantly vanished.

The dark clouds in the sky were the malevolent energy gathered by the Black Mountain Demon through his evil arts. If we only target the ghosts below without addressing the root cause, it will only be treating the symptoms, not the root cause.

As the dark clouds in the sky began to thin, Gu Xu pointed at the "Purifying Soul and Cleansing Heart Mirror" in front of him. A flash of clear light appeared in the mirror, and a powerful suction force pulled up the wailing and howling ghosts and wronged souls below.

As the vengeful spirits were purified by the clear light, the black aura clinging to them was completely dissolved and removed. Those spirits who had not committed any evil deeds in their previous lives turned into specks of light under the Heavenly Sound of Valley Void's Salvation and dispersed with the wind.

Those who were evil in life were not so lucky. When the light shone on them, they were instantly transformed into pure souls, which were then absorbed into the treasure mirror and used as resources for advancement.

After circulating the energy for several hours, not a single ghost emerged from the dark abyss beneath the earth. At the same time, the dark clouds in the sky were swept away, and the sky became clear and blue. The power of the heavenly sun shone on the sky above Zheyun Mountain once again after twenty years.

Gu Xu reached out and cast several talismans into the black abyss. He closed his eyes and examined it for a moment, then withdrew his primordial spirit. With a movement, he entered the bottomless black abyss.

"The Yin energy here is abundant, and there is a spiritual vein underground. No wonder the Black Mountain Demon is cultivating here."

Gu Xu looked at the Yin energy rising from the Black Abyss and nodded in satisfaction. Although the Yin and Yang were unbalanced here, it was not a big problem. If a reversal array was set up with the Yin-Yang Gui, this place could surely be turned into a blessed land.

After diving for about half an hour, Gu Xu landed on solid ground. With a wave of his hand, clusters of firelight scattered in all directions, instantly illuminating the area. However, what he saw before him made Gu Xu frown.

Ahead stood a tall stone tablet, densely covered with writing. Gu Xu took a few steps closer, examined it for a moment, and was immediately shocked. This stone tablet actually recorded a shocking secret.

It turns out that the Yin Moon Dynasty was a branch of the alien demons in this world, whose purpose was to refine this world and devour all the spiritual energy of this region. However, it was blocked by the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect and several other sects. Not only was the Yin Moon Dynasty blocked in Sunrise Mountain City, but the passage between the two worlds was also sealed off, and thus it remained peaceful for a thousand years.

According to the inscription on this stone tablet, the demon from another realm discovered the secret of the seven-life estranged lovers and intended to use this power to break the seal and bring the complete power back to the world.

"This is a bit troublesome." Gu Xu's expression became much more solemn. If it were just the Yin Yue Dynasty, the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect would be able to handle it. But if there is also an unknown alien demon, Gu Xu is not confident. After all, there were many cultivators who reached the Yuan Shen realm a thousand years ago, but they suffered heavy losses and paid a heavy price to severely injure the alien demon and close the boundary.

"We must inform the sect leader about this."

After pondering for a while, Gu Xu looked at the stone tablet in front of him and was about to put it away when suddenly a cracking sound came and cracks appeared. Gu Xu's expression changed, and he reached out to send his magic power to maintain it, but to no avail. In an instant, the tall stone tablet had broken into countless pieces, and dust and smoke billowed, obscuring the view.

Gu Xu swept away the dust with his sleeve and looked closely. He saw that the remaining stones were pitted and uneven, with no trace of writing.

Even so, Gu Xu still did not intend to leave the thing there. He reached out and took out a Qiankun Pouch, putting all the scattered stones inside. Just in case, Gu Xu also reinforced it with several seals.

Seeing that there was nothing else around, a flash of clear light appeared on his body, and he flew upwards.

After arriving at the top, Gu Xu reached out and scattered several array flags downwards, setting up a simple magic array to temporarily seal the Black Abyss. He then took out a jade talisman and transmitted the situation to Jin Guang.

Not long after, Jin Guang replied that he would send people to set up camp there after he returned. As for other matters, he would leave them to his senior brother to handle. All supplies were permitted and no further instructions were needed.

After examining the area, Gu Xu chuckled softly, then stood up. A faint divine light flickered in his eyes as he looked solemnly at the thick clouds above the Netherworld Spring. There was something else he hadn't revealed to Jin Guang earlier: the Heavenly Demon Realm Pass was the Netherworld Spring. Although this place was sealed by their ancestors, the sealing power had weakened over the millennia.

Despite the reinforcements provided by himself and Yan Chixia, it could not last forever. As long as the Yin energy in the human world persisted, the Netherworld Spring would eventually break open. If the Yin Moon Dynasty were to interfere, the timeline might be shortened even further.

"We can only do things step by step. If we get distracted, we won't be able to get anything done."

Gu Xu thought for a moment, took out a communication jade talisman, sent a message into it, sensed it for a moment, and then headed towards the Forget-Love Forest.

The jade talisman moved swiftly, and an hour later it had traversed two thousand miles to reach the outskirts of the Forgetful Forest. At this time, Sima San Niang was cooking outside when she saw the jade talisman in the sky. With a thought, she reached out and took it.

"It was Junior Brother Gu Xu who sent the message."

Sima San Niang looked at the sealing light on the jade talisman and knew that the matter was serious. She immediately put down what she was doing and headed towards the Forget-Love Forest.

After twenty years of continuous deployment, most of the Forgetful Forest has become clear, except for the area where the Yin World Spring is located in the center, which is still filled with miasma. Sima San Niang silently sensed for a while and headed towards a certain array point.

At this moment, Yan Chixia was inspecting the formation when he suddenly noticed Sima Sanniang approaching. He knew that if it wasn't something urgent, Sanniang wouldn't be in such a hurry to come, so he immediately stopped what he was doing.

"Third Sister, what brings you here?"

Sima Sanniang took a few steps closer, her face solemn, and said, "It's a message from Junior Brother Gu Xu via jade talisman."

He handed over the jade talisman in his hand, and Yan Chixia immediately took it. After seeing the sealing light on it, his expression turned serious. After breaking it open, a message came out from inside.

A moment later, Yan Chixia opened his eyes, turned around and looked at the location of the Yin World Nether Spring, his expression extremely solemn. Seeing this, Sima Sanniang walked to his side and asked worriedly, "Chixia, what happened? What did Junior Brother Gu Xu say?"

"My junior brother sent a message saying that there is a seal beneath the Yin World Nether Spring, where an ancient ferocious beast is hidden. Once released, the human world will become a hellish inferno. My junior brother has asked my wife and me to do our best to seal this place. He will find a way to completely resolve the problem as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Sima San Niang's expression turned serious. This Yin Shi You Quan was already difficult to deal with, and now a ferocious beast was lurking beneath it. Although the two of them were not weak in cultivation, they were simply not strong enough to contend with these two forces.

“My junior brother has never asked my wife and me for anything before. It’s rare for him to ask this time. Moreover, once this Netherworld Spring erupts, the first to suffer will be the common people. It is not something we chivalrous people want to see when the people suffer.”

"Don't worry, Junior Brother Gu Xu mentioned in the message that all the necessary materials for setting up the array will be sent over. With your sealing array in place, it's not impossible for it to last for a year or two." Knowing what his wife was thinking, Yan Chixia added, "Although my wife and I are no longer members of the Xuanxin Sect, our daughter is still cultivating in the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect. If she makes a great contribution, I will have the face to meet Junior Brother Gu Xu and ask him to take good care of Hongye within the sect. If he can offer some guidance, it will be enough to make Hongye's future journey smoother."

Upon hearing this, Sima San Niang's expression immediately softened, and she said, "I hope so, Chixia. Tomorrow I will go into the cave with you. It's better to do this sooner rather than later, in case something unexpected happens."

Yan Chixia nodded unconsciously when he thought of the Yin Yue Dynasty. After that, the two of them checked the array flags, replaced the damaged ones, and then immediately withdrew. After resting for a night, the two of them, dressed in military uniforms and carrying wooden boxes, walked into the cave.

“I reinforce it every year, but the miasma in the cave is getting stronger and stronger.”

Yan Chixia frowned as he looked at the black and red miasma filling the cave, which made it difficult to see anything beyond three feet. He then cast a Flame Talisman, but the talisman's light turned to ashes in just a few breaths under the influence of the miasma.

"Now the miasma in the underworld is gradually becoming more and more abundant, and there is nothing we can do about it. Although it is better to dredge than to block, this is the only option for now."

Sima Sanniang formed a magic seal with both hands, and the wooden box behind her opened instantly. Beams of yellow light shot out from inside and rushed into the depths of the cave. Then, a yellow light shield parted the miasma on both sides, opening up a path in the middle.

"Walk."

Seeing Sima San Niang clear a path, Yan Chixia called out, and the two of them moved and rushed into the depths. With the formation maintaining the flow, the miasma only lingered on the outer perimeter.

The two walked to the deepest part of the cave, where they saw a network of runes intertwined, covering the pool below that was emitting black miasma. The miasma and the runes made a hissing sound when they touched.

Looking at the runes that had dimmed slightly, Yan Chixia's expression turned grim. The seal that had been reinforced half a year ago had been eroded so badly.

"Third Sister, I will temporarily withdraw my formation. Seize the opportunity and shoot the Twin Arrows at the protective gem of the Moye Sword."

Upon hearing this, Sima San Niang nodded solemnly and took out a black and white arrow about half a foot long from the wooden box behind her. This was the "Two Extremes Arrow," a demon-slaying weapon of the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect.

This item is made by collecting the Yin and Yang energies of heaven and earth and refining many precious materials. It has the effect of hunting demons and eliminating evil spirits, upholding righteousness and warding off evil. However, this item is extremely difficult to refine, and the most crucial step can only be completed by a master of profound knowledge.

Twenty years ago, in the battle of Honghe Village, the Xuanxin Sect used up all of its remaining arrows. Because the sect was severely damaged, it had not been able to re-forge them. Later, Gu Xu forged two dual-polar arrows because of the Yin Shi You Quan (a type of spring in the underworld), and both were sent here.

However, Sima San Niang knew that even if everything went smoothly, she could only use one sword. One reason was the lack of time, and the other was the Yin and Yang energies transformed by the Mo Xie sword.

This sword has guarded the Netherworld Spring for many years, and its aura has almost merged with the Netherworld Spring. If too much external force comes in and cannot be converted in time, it may break its suppression of the Netherworld Spring. If that happens, the consequences will be unimaginable.

Sima Sanniang drew her bow with both hands, and two arrows automatically rested on the bow. A black and white aura swirled around it. Yan Chixia saw that his wife was ready, turned to look at the pool, took a deep breath, and produced a talisman. He formed a hand seal and chanted an incantation.

"Heaven and earth are boundless, the profound heart and righteous law pave the way for heaven and earth, by decree!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the talisman burned rapidly. Just as it turned to ash, a beam of crimson light suddenly shone on the pool. The talismanic net was illuminated by this light, and a crack immediately appeared in front of it. At the same time, Yan Chixia drew a circle with his right hand in front of him, and the crack widened several more times.

The array of runes cracked open, and the miasma in the pool immediately rushed towards the gap. However, as soon as it touched the gap, it was burned by a ball of raging fire. But as more and more miasma came in, the fire got smaller and smaller. Seeing this, Yan Chixia shouted loudly.

"Third Sister!"

Upon hearing this, Sima San Niang aimed at the Mo Xie Sword, which had revealed its true form in the pool, and released her hands. In the blink of an eye, a lightning bolt struck the protective gemstone, and the two arrows instantly transformed into a ball of black and white energy, quickly merging into the Mo Xie Sword.

"Crimson Glow, it's done!"

Upon hearing this, Yan Chixia immediately clasped his hands together and closed the broken formation again. In an instant, the rune network shone brightly once more.

Sima San Niang stepped forward and stood beside Yan Chixia, watching the changes taking place in the pool ahead. She saw that miasma was still rising from the bottom of the pool, turning the entire space as black as ink. Only a faint red light flickered in the center, which was the location of the Mo Xie Sword.

Just then, the Moye Sword, having absorbed the positive energy of the two polar arrows, emitted a dazzling red light. Streams of intense yang energy continuously burned away the miasma. In just a short while, the miasma that filled the entire pool space was completely dissolved.

That's not all. The dark pool of water was firmly sealed by fire patterns, and with the surrounding suppressing force, the double sealing force significantly slowed down the rate at which the miasma was generated.

"Third Sister, it seems that the Netherworld Spring will not erupt again in the short term, but just in case, you should still set up several more layers of magic arrays."

Upon hearing this, Sima San Niang said, "Hmm, Chixia, when I shot the protective gem just now, I seemed to sense the aura of Junior Brother Gu Xu on the sword, and according to my calculations, it seems to have been earlier than when you first discovered it."

Yan Chixia smiled wryly and said, "You read that right. Junior Brother Gu Xu did discover this place earlier than me, and he even left behind a sword aura, which was used when I first sealed the Yin World Nether Spring. I only found out about this afterwards."

Upon hearing this, Sima San Niang blushed slightly. The couple had originally intended to use their discovery of the Yin Shi You Quan (a place name) to send their daughter to the Xuan Xin Zheng Zong (a sect of martial arts), but now it seemed rather unworthy of their attention. Fortunately, their junior brother Gu Xu hadn't exposed them, otherwise the couple would have been utterly ashamed.

“Chixia, there is one more Two-Pole Arrow. I plan to set up the ‘Two-Pole Refining Spirit Array’ on the outer perimeter to use the array’s power to dissipate the miasma that has been released. Moreover, as long as there is no shortage of Two-Pole Arrows, this array can continue to operate. It will consume a lot of resources at any time, but it can buy a lot of time. I believe that the beasts on Junior Brother Gu Xu’s side will agree.”

Yan Chixia pondered for a moment upon hearing this. This "Two Elements Refining Spirit Array" is one of the three killing arrays of the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect, second only to the "Heavenly Gang Two Extremes Array". It is specifically designed to dissipate invisible energy, and it is quite suitable for use here.

"Let's do it this way. I'll explain it to Junior Brother Gu Xu in detail."

Sima San Niang nodded and chanted the incantation. Three-inch-long crystal pillars flew out from the wooden box behind her. Under Sima San Niang's guidance, they formed a circle. There were nine on the inside, their color as white as jade, and eighteen on the outside, their color as black as ink. After falling around the pool, with a flash of light, the twenty-seven crystal pillars suddenly grew to a height of about ten feet.

The runes on it flashed, and strands of energy connected with each other. As the light flowed, a huge yin-yang pattern leaped into the air. As it rotated, black and white energy descended and connected with the twenty-seven crystal pillars. After rotating thirty-six times, the entire formation became a perfect whole without any obstruction. The remaining miasma outside was polished by the energy and instantly disappeared.

Sima Sanniang felt relieved as she watched the "Two Elements Refining Spirit Formation" being successfully set up. However, she felt a wave of exhaustion and her body went limp, almost collapsing to the ground. Fortunately, Yan Chixia was watching over her and immediately stepped forward to support her when he noticed that something was wrong with Sima Sanniang's expression.

"Our magic power is severely depleted. The formation here is already complete, so we shouldn't stay any longer. Third Sister, let's go."

With that, Yan Chixia picked up Sima Sanniang, packed his bags, and transformed into a streak of red light, leaving the cave. In less than a moment, he was back in the wooden house.

Just as Yan Chixia and Sima Sanniang completed the sealing, Gu Xu, far away in Zheyun Mountain, had already noticed something. He got up and looked at the miasma that was no longer gathering above the Forgetful Forest. Gu Xu was immediately relieved. In the next period of time, he would have to find a way to completely solve the problem of the Yin World Nether Spring.

(End of this chapter)