Secular world: My destiny has no taboos

Chapter 489: I am the spirit of the Shadow Sword!
Lin Beixuan sat on a high seat deep within the Netherworld Palace, the eerie blue ghost fire casting a chilling glow around him.

The ghost soldiers and spirits might find it comfortable to stay in such a dark environment as the underworld for a long time, since they don't have to worry about seeing sunlight, but Lin Beixuan couldn't accept it.

After spending half a month in this dark underground place, he felt like maggots were crawling all over his body.

After finishing the last few things in the underworld in the next two days, he will immediately return to the earth.

Judging by the timeline, the Fox Spirit God should have already returned from the White Immortal Clan by then.

Lin Beixuan was quite tempted after hearing about the cooperation with the Bai Xian clan.

Besides food, what Luozhou currently lacks most are medicinal herbs that can treat diseases and injuries.

In the previous battle against the starving ghosts, the Beiming army relied entirely on herbs from the fox spirit clan in Sheshan for its medicine supply.

However, the fox spirit clan is not primarily engaged in the cultivation of medicinal herbs, so that battle nearly depleted the medicinal herbs of Sheshan Mountain, which is why there are no herbal medicine shops in Wangfeng City.

Not only in Wangfeng City, but also in several other cities in Luozhou, herbs are no longer available for sale.

Lin Beixuan had racked his brains for a long time to figure out how to solve this problem, but he never expected that it would be Elder Bai who would send him this great gift.

Just as he was pondering this, Li Ping'an's voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Dad, what do you want to see me about?"

At this time, Li Ping'an had grown a bit older, looking about six or seven years old, only one year younger than Zhong Kui.

He floated in the air with his legs crossed, the baby hair on his head gone and replaced by jet-black hair, a soul-snatching lock wrapped around his waist, and a pair of scissors of joy and sorrow tied behind his back. He crossed his arms and had a somewhat arrogant expression.

During this time, while Lin Beixuan was reforming the underworld, Li Ping'an was not idle either. He led a team of underworld soldiers and servants to capture all the remaining starving ghosts in Luozhou.

Through these trials, his strength also advanced to the level of the Wraith.

The level of ghosts and demons was already quite remarkable when Lin Beixuan first entered the mortal world.

If Li Ping'an had possessed the strength of a demon, he and the Ghost Mother probably wouldn't have been controlled by the great-grandmother of the Ruan family, and they wouldn't have ended up in a large courtyard where everyone perished together.

"I called you here because there's something I need you to do." Lin Beixuan looked Li Ping'an up and down, a worry typical of an old father rising in his heart.

The child has grown up, but his temperament and personality remain indescribable: impulsive, unconventional, and reckless in his actions... Lin Beixuan saw every flaw he could think of in the other person.

"They say it's the father's fault if his son is not taught properly. Was I like that before?"

Lin Beixuan couldn't help but begin to reflect on himself.

He reached out to touch Li Ping'an's head, but Li Ping'an frowned and stepped back to avoid it.

"I'm not a child anymore, you can't touch my head!" Li Ping'an said seriously.

Lin Beixuan's outstretched hand froze in mid-air. After thinking about it carefully, it seemed to make sense. Even at the age of the other party, he still had his own stubbornness.

So he wasn't angry about it, but helplessly withdrew his hand and stared at Li Ping'an, saying, "Today, a living person who is about your age came to the underworld. He wants to join the underworld..."

Lin Beixuan gave Li Ping'an a general account of Zhong Kui's story, and the latter's eyes sparkled as he listened.

"His name is Zhong Kui? What a strange name!"

"Dad, do you want me to keep an eye on him? Don't worry, leave it to me. If anyone dares to secretly help him, I'll smash their head in!"

As he spoke, Li Ping'an even rolled up his sleeves, wanting to prove to Lin Beixuan that he had the ability.

The exaggerated joys and sorrows that were originally depicted had become quite fitting for seven-year-old Li Ping'an, like two long swords crossed together and bound to his back.

He gently removed the scissors of joy and sorrow, their sharp edges conveying an unparalleled sense of violence.

Lin Beixuan sighed upon hearing this, waved for Li Ping'an to put away the Sorrow and Joy Scissors, and said calmly.

“He is a talent I value. He will be just as capable as you in the future. Monitoring him is only one aspect. More importantly, I want you to protect him.”

"Protect him?"

Lin Beixuan nodded: "Right now he's just an ordinary person, and he might not be able to deal with those ghosts. You can offer him some help when the time is right, but don't be too obvious about it."

At this point, Lin Beixuan took something out of his Hundred Treasures Bag and handed it to Li Ping'an.

Li Ping'an took it and glanced at it, only to find that it was a rusty iron sword that looked as if it had just been pulled out of the mud.

【Shadow of Vengeance (Blue): A bizarre and evil weapon forged in the karmic fire of the underworld. It was once buried underground where yin energy gathered, and was finally tempered by karmic fire. It does not harm the body when it strikes, but only devours the soul. Strength +10, Lightness +10, Charge -30. It can charge up and unleash a powerful sword beam, but it will consume a lot of the sword master's spiritual power. When the sword master is weak, there is a chance that it will backfire on the sword master.】

Li Ping'an brandished the Shadow Sword a few times. He was no longer a novice who knew nothing, so he immediately noticed the special features of the sword in his hand.

"Dad, are you sure you want to give him this sword? I'm afraid he'll be drained of his life force in no time, won't he?"

Lin Beixuan replied indifferently, "Find an opportunity to give him the sword, but be careful not to reveal your identity. It would be best if he obtained the sword by chance."

"You should stay by his side at all times until he has completely shed his ordinary identity and has the ability to protect himself."

Upon hearing this, Li Ping'an frowned, his little face immediately scrunching up.

"Then wouldn't I lose my personal freedom?" Li Ping'an quickly shook his head: "No, no."

Lin Beixuan seemed to have anticipated this, so he took out half of the Book of Life and Death and waved it in front of Li Ping'an.

Do you know how Wang Chao and Ma Han became Yin spirits?

Li Ping'an's gaze fell on the Book of Life and Death in Lin Beixuan's hand, his eyes widened and he exclaimed softly, "Could it be you, Father?"

Lin Beixuan nodded: "As long as you perform well, you will be the third Yin God in the Underworld. This time, having you work alongside Zhong Kui is a test of your character. After it's over, I will put you in charge of the Reincarnation Department."

Upon hearing this, Li Ping'an was startled, and his gaze toward Lin Beixuan was filled with astonishment.

He had begged Lin Beixuan for a long time but the latter had never agreed. Now, not only did Lin Beixuan promise to use the Book of Life and Death to help him advance to the rank of Yin God, but he also put him in charge of the Reincarnation Bureau.

Any one of them would have been enough to tempt Li Ping'an, let alone the two of them together, so he agreed without hesitation.

"Dad, you can rest assured and leave this matter to me. I guarantee I'll complete the mission perfectly!"

After Li Ping'an gestured to Lin Beixuan, he grabbed the Shadow Sword and left the Underworld Palace without stopping to find Zhong Kui.

Watching the other person's hurried departure, Lin Beixuan shook his head helplessly.

In his view, having Li Ping'an secretly follow Zhong Kui was the best option. Zhong Kui was born to work in the underworld, and he didn't want to waste the other's destiny and talent, nor did he want the other to grow up under the protection of the underworld, as that would not benefit him.

Besides, Zhong Kui is a living person, and it would be of no benefit to him to stay in the underworld for too long.

Li Ping'an was to secretly follow Zhong Kui, and unless in a life-or-death situation, Ping'an would not easily step in to save him.

"I should also say hello to Ma Han. He really likes Zhong Kui. Perhaps this is the unique attraction of those with the legendary judge's destiny!"

Lin Beixuan turned and walked into the darkness, his figure disappearing in no time.

The trials of Zhong Kui continue, but Lin Beixuan only checks on them occasionally when he has a spare moment, as he devotes most of his energy to incense offerings and accumulating merit.

Incense offerings, needless to say, are currently the most important source of power for the entire underworld.

Not only Lin Beixuan himself, but even the two mortal gods, Wang Chao and Ma Han, relied entirely on the incense offerings of the underworld.

As for merit, it's even more mysterious. Now Lin Beixuan has accumulated all his merit, but he has no idea where to use it.

Lin Beixuan could only plan to visit the Tianzun Temple after the matter was resolved and ask the Tiangang Venerable for an explanation of how to use merit.

Meanwhile, as the structure of the underworld continues to improve, the cycle of reincarnation has officially begun.

Lin Beixuan did not wait for the last strand of reincarnation energy, but leisurely used the five strands of reincarnation energy he had obtained to activate the Six Paths of Reincarnation Gate.

After the Five Paths of Reincarnation Qi merged into the Underworld, Lin Beixuan could clearly feel that his authority in the Underworld had become much stronger.

With just a thought, he could control whether the underworld expanded or contracted, and could change all things within it at will. He could even temporarily extinguish the cycle of reincarnation if he wanted, causing the underworld to collapse at an extremely rapid pace.

"It's as if I've become the underworld; wherever I am, that place is the underworld!"

Lin Beixuan took a deep breath and began to sense the power flowing through his body, a power imbued with authority.

Since he used the method of the Ten Gods to transform and upgrade the Seven Killings Sun Destiny to a Golden Destiny, he has consciously begun to accept the special power of authority that comes with it.

It is more majestic than the power of incense. If the path represents a type of power, then the corresponding authority is the king who can control this type of power. It not only allows Lin Beixuan to control his own power more freely, but also gives it power that exceeds the path itself.

It's like a key that unlocks a door to a higher level of power.

Lin Beixuan calmed down and carefully felt the power flowing through his body, gradually synchronizing with his heartbeat, allowing him to resonate with the entire Yin Si at all times.

Of course, Lin Beixuan did not forget to continue refining the remaining divine organs.

Having learned from past mistakes, his speed in refining divine organs far exceeded that of ordinary immortals.

The corresponding pathways frantically eroded his internal organs, skin, and bones.

With the blessing of authority, these forces can more easily penetrate into organs, accelerating their deification.

"It won't be long before I'm able to completely refine all my vital organs, and that will be the day I break through and become a Human Immortal!" Lin Beixuan thought to himself.

As time passed, two days quickly went by.

In the past two days, Lin Beixuan has finished handling the remaining affairs of the Underworld, while also keeping an eye on Zhong Kui's mission progress.

Although the infant spirit Li Ping'an was somewhat impulsive, he was not stupid. After Lin Beixuan specifically instructed Ma Han and the group of ghost soldiers not to interfere, they could only silently pray that Zhong Kui would be safe and sound.

Taking advantage of this moment, Li Ping'an buried the Shadow Sword in the outer area, in the Shadow Forest where Zhong Kui was about to leave the Underworld.

It secretly slipped into the Shadow Sword and transformed into the sword spirit within.

Lin Beixuan never expected that Li Ping'an would infiltrate Zhong Kui's side in such a way. It wasn't until he saw Zhong Kui use the various methods that the underworld messengers had taught him before he left, and after experiencing two near-death experiences, that he finally succeeded in capturing three ghosts lingering in the mortal world.

He sat quietly in the Underworld Palace, waiting for Zhong Kui to return. After dealing with Zhong Kui's affairs, he prepared to return to Wangfeng City.

After a long while, Zhong Kui appeared in front of Lin Beixuan, dragging his tired and injured body, clutching a slightly bulging bag tightly in his hand.

"My lord, Zhong Kui has not failed in his mission!"

Zhong Kui staggered forward two steps, almost falling to the ground.

Then a gust of cold wind blew him upright from his fall, allowing him to regain his footing.

Lin Beixuan didn't say anything praising him, but just looked at Zhong Kui with an appreciative gaze for a while, and said calmly.

"From today onwards, you will be the first living underworld official in the underworld, responsible for patrolling the realm between the living and the dead. If you encounter a ghost that should be in the underworld, bring it back to the underworld. If you encounter someone whose life is not meant to end, help them return to the living world."

"And most importantly, I hope you understand the difference between the living and the dead. We in the underworld have our own set of rules, so don't break them lightly."

"Although you are still young, I hope you can remember your efforts today and never go down the wrong path in the future."

Lin Beixuan didn't forget to warn Zhong Kui a couple of times.

According to the accounts of the judge Zhong Kui in the mortal world, although he was exceptionally capable, he also caused a lot of trouble for the underworld.

Lin Beixuan didn't know if his words could change the future of the young Zhong Kui in front of him, but he still had to say it.

It wouldn't be good if he were out there fighting on the front lines while his own carefully cultivated home was on fire.

After giving a few more instructions, Lin Beixuan summoned a ghost messenger and asked him to take Zhong Kui to Ma Han, and also to familiarize him with the duties of a ghost messenger.

Watching Zhong Kui leave, Lin Beixuan could now say that he had officially finished dealing with these matters in the Underworld.

He refocused his attention on himself, slightly raised his head, and his figure vanished mysteriously. When he opened his eyes, he was in Wangfeng City, sitting cross-legged on a soft bed.

The room was very quiet; even with the window slightly ajar, no sound could be heard from outside.

When his soul entered the underworld, his external body was in a state of meditation, and his power would operate in tandem with the soul in the underworld, making sure not to waste a single moment.

Shortly after Lin Beixuan woke up and got out of bed, the door to the room opened.

Shen Tingmiao entered, carrying a basin of water. It seemed she had been waiting outside the door for a long time, and pushed the door open to come in after discovering that Lin Beixuan had woken up.

Her first words upon entering the room caused Lin Beixuan to frown slightly.

"The Northern Underworld Army reports that they have discovered traces of the Evil Spirit Army around Huangque City."

(End of this chapter)