Da Zaojun

Chapter 197 Huangquan Crossing

Song Wuji was walking on the road to the underworld, with the Yellow Springs Stream right next to him.

The stream was filled with silt, from which glittered faintly, resembling pearls.

Occasionally, one can see some ghostly plants by the stream, but they all look strange, with veins like human blood vessels or an eyeball growing on a flower bud, blinking.

Occasionally, you might see a white bone tree, its leaves resembling willow branches, but entirely covered in black strands.

Tian Chenghuang said that the Yellow Springs Road is an official road, so you must not leave the Yellow Springs Road and go to the side, nor linger around. If you see anyone or hear any sound, it is best not to respond or answer.

The most taboo thing is the Yellow Springs water, which can dissolve souls, and there are some monsters that can live in the Yellow Springs water.

Of course, if Song Wuji is good at fishing, he can find a better fishing spot and maybe catch some treasures.

For example, those glittering things are actually the most precious things, such as fragments of destiny, inheritances, treasures, or even spiritual treasures...

Song Wuji drifted forward, feeling that the yang flames on his body were being suppressed severely, while the yin flames were faintly excited.

This yin fire was the flame that Song Wuji had sucked from the throats of hungry ghosts when he dealt with them. This gave Song Wuji's flames a special characteristic called "Flame Mouth," which allowed him to put food into the flames and feed the hungry ghosts.

This hungry ghost flame, in the netherworld, possesses a "black" quality that devours yin energy, unlike ordinary flames which are orange-yellow, or even bright white or blue.

But why don't I see any wandering ghosts or spirits on this road to the underworld?

As Song Wuji walked, he thought to himself that these days, he had been wearing the copies of the "Kitchen God's Precious Proclamation" made by the people of the city. The City God said that as long as this precious proclamation was lit, it could be transformed into a sumptuous meal, just like the paper ingots folded in the mortal world, which could be used to help ghosts.

However, it is unknown whether the Netherworld has the effect of "cause and effect arise from thought," as Song Wuji had just had such a thought.

Then they heard voices calling out, "Song Wuji! Song Wuji!"

Song Wuji did not respond or turn around, but squinted to observe.

But on the road to the underworld, a cloud of mist gathered at some unknown time, and a tall, thin monster appeared. Its body was half solid and half ethereal, its head was a long-haired ghost, its neck was a wooden pole, and a white paper lantern emitting green light hung from its chin, with the word "mourning" written on it.

[Eighth-Rank Lantern-Carrying Soul Guide. Fallen]
Looking at the name above his head, Song Wuji knew that this might be a ghost official from the underworld before the great change of demons, who was specially assigned to guide the way and act as a street lamp on the road to the Yellow Springs.

But now it has fallen. Speaking of the Dream Soul Demon that Song Wuji killed before, he had the remnant of the Netherworld Soul Reaper, which should be similar to this Soul Guide. I wonder if he has the remnant of the Netherworld Soul Reaper.

Song Wuji immediately spat out a ball of flame, which was the Samadhi True Fire. This flame was only a small ball, but it landed on the lantern-carrying soul guide and quickly ignited. The messenger let out a strange cry, and a string of green flames flew out from the lantern on his head, carrying a bone-chilling cold. He tried to use fire to fight fire, but it was no use at all, and it was quickly burned out.

They refined several items.

[Primal Ghostly Aura, Low Grade] *30
[Original divinity. Lower grade]*3
[Ritual implement: Guiding lamp]

[The Edict of the Messenger of the Underworld]
There are only talismans and edicts, but no official positions... The talismans and edicts are like the twenty-four offices of the City God, without any official divine positions, but they can still be considered part of the underworld system.

But... is Samadhi Fire really that effective against ghosts and spirits?

Song Wuji recalled the Legend of the White Snake he had read in his previous life, where Bai Suzhen used the Samadhi True Fire to burn the Black and White Impermanence, who were at least considered Yin Gods and had official positions, unlike these random messengers.

After putting these things away, Song Wuji continued on his way.

But after that, it was as if they had stumbled upon a den of monsters.

"Young master, come and play! Come and play!"

A faint female voice came from behind, and then a monster appeared with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a snake.

Song Wuji thought to himself, "Could it be that just because I had a thought about Bai Suzhen, this thing was conjured up for me?"

[Grade 8. Red-spotted, red-scaled beautiful snake]
Song Wuji stopped using the Samadhi True Fire and tried other supernatural powers. He snorted and used the supernatural power "Swallowing the Blade".

The two large swords that had been swallowed earlier flew out of his nostrils, grew larger in the wind, and, carrying the sharp energy of Geng and Xin, slashed towards the beautiful snake.

Upon seeing this, the beautiful snake spat out a mouthful of blood, but she was no match for it. In an instant, she was cut into three pieces by two swords.

The part that was still attached to the head was thinking of using a transformation technique to turn into a small red snake and escape, but Song Wuji pointed his finger and activated "Igniting Fire" from the Seven Methods of the Kitchen God. Instantly, a burst of fire burned it, refining it completely.

This time, however, Song Wuji dared not let his mind wander.

[Primal Ghostly Aura, Low Grade] *30
[Original Demonic Energy. Low Grade]*10
[Poison-repelling bead]

Song Wuji put these away. This beautiful snake woman didn't have any magical treasures on her, only an inner core, which she refined into a poison-repelling pearl, and it could be considered a kind of material.

After stopping my wild thoughts, I continued forward and, as expected, did not encounter any monsters. However, at some point, the path ended, and the Yellow Springs Stream merged into the Yellow Springs River, blocking my way. There was only one ferry crossing with a boat at the crossing.

Remembering Tian Chenghuang's instructions, Song Wuji knew that this was the only way to enter the second level of the Netherworld. The first level of the Netherworld was too close to the mortal world. The second level of the Netherworld was where all kinds of ghost kings and evil ghosts who occupied mountains were located. At the same time, the five trials that Song Wuji needed to pass were in the second level of the Netherworld.

After passing through the second level of the Netherworld, one enters the third level, which contains the Judge's Hall, the City of the Wrongfully Dead, and other places. Only from the third level onwards can one truly enter the Netherworld world. From there, one can see the Six Heavens of Luofeng and the Eighteen Levels of Hell.

By this time, there were already many ghosts at the ferry, but none of them boarded the boat. Instead, they held chopsticks in their hands and were trying to pick up things from the Yellow Springs River, seemingly trying to extract the light. However, they always failed. Occasionally, a drop of Yellow Springs water would splash on them, and it would be as if they had come into contact with concentrated sulfuric acid, corroding their souls and causing them to wail and wail in unbearable pain.

Song Wuji walked to the ferry and saw that the boat was bottomless but not sinking. There was a ferryman on the boat, dressed in a black robe.

[The Seventh-Rank Ferryman of the Yellow Springs. A Mystery]
The stove grid within Song Wuji's body glowed slightly, indicating that this guy had a remnant of the divine path within him, but the stove grid wasn't very interested in devouring anything, it was just a slight reminder.

When will we get to the other side?

The cunning boatman said, "Tickets: ten Yellow Springs Pearls."

But then he saw that he was holding a pipe, and what was burning on the pipe was not tobacco, but a pearl-like object. However, no matter how Song Wuji looked at it, this pearl did not look like a real pearl. Instead, it looked more like something made of white bone.

Pearls are all formed inside pearl oysters; it's impossible for pearl oysters to still be found in the Yellow Springs.

"Rent chopsticks to pick up food, one hour for each pearl lost in the Yellow Springs, credit is available."

"Rent a fishing rod, 5 Yellow Springs Pearls for one hour, no credit allowed."

"Why can't we just use a landing net? Why do we have to use tongs or hooks?"

Song Wuji thought to himself, "This Yellow Spring doesn't seem very deep. Why not use a net to catch it? Is there some kind of taboo?"

Thinking that he might have to take a boat back, Song Wuji didn't insist on going. Instead, he rented a pair of chopsticks and started picking up the Yellow Springs Pearl.

These chopsticks look like they're made of driftwood, but they feel somewhat like bone to the touch, and they all exude a cool, gloomy aura.

Song Wuji watched the ghosts picking up pearls for a while, but they all looked like they had suffered from cerebral thrombosis, or like the cafeteria auntie with Parkinson's disease and trembling hands. Every time they picked up a pearl, they gritted their teeth.

In his previous life, Song Wuji had also played the challenge game of picking up iron balls with chopsticks. He knew that picking up balls in water was easy, but with patience, one could definitely succeed. However, this was not the case.

Looking again, very few people actually managed to pick up a pearl.

Seeing this, Song Wuji stopped looking around, found a spot, and started picking up the pieces.

But when Song Wuji tried to pick up a pearl, it vanished like the moon reflected in water.

So Song Wuji went to grab another one, but it turned out to be fake too.

"?"

Song Wuji thought to himself, "These lost treasures, some are real and some are fake. The fake ones look so real that even I can't see through them?"

Song Wuji immediately summoned a gust of wind, but a cold wind blew in, carrying black energy. This wind made the little ghosts who were trying to retrieve the pearls scream in agony. It turned out that the wind was like a knife to them, tearing their flesh into pieces, one by one, as if they were being slowly sliced ​​apart.

But the surface of the Yellow Springs waters did indeed ripple, causing the illusory pearls to flicker in and out of existence, while only the real Yellow Springs pearls shone continuously.

After Song Wuji summoned a gust of wind, the Yellow Springs boatman looked up in surprise and smelled a "human scent" in the wind.

His eyes gleamed: "It smells like a stranger."

Song Wuji used his chopsticks to pick up the real Yellow Spring Pearl, but as soon as he touched it, monsters with gaping teeth, resembling leeches, rushed out of the mud and began gnawing at the chopsticks. Some even emerged from the water and sprayed Yellow Spring water at Song Wuji.

[Soul-Sucking Leech]
Song Wuji subconsciously unleashed his flames, and the sprayed Yellow Spring water was instantly evaporated into mist.

Song Wuji dared not touch the mist that the Yellow Springs water had turned into. A gust of wind blew it over and sent it to the boatman to test his skills.

But as soon as the mist touched the boat, it was absorbed by a yellow gourd hanging on the boat.

He picked up the chopsticks and also picked up the pearls, but the chopsticks were also chipped and pitted.

[The Lost Pearl of the Underworld] *1
The Pearl of the Underworld, formed from obsession, is refined by the waters of the Underworld, losing all memory and becoming utterly oblivious. It is unknown where it began or where it will end. Taking it can strengthen the spirit of the Three Treasures.

When an obsession loses its memory, it ceases to be an obsession. Forgetting its origin and its end... it transforms into a lost gem, becoming a pure crystallization of the soul.

(End of this chapter)