This humble Taoist priest, Qianhe, begins his quest for immortality by slaying demons and monsters.

The floodwaters surged.

As the battle between Bai Suzhen and Fahai intensified, the floodwaters spread to the cities of Suzhou and Hangzhou.

The screams were incessant...

Bai Suzhen and Fahai were already locked in a fierce battle, so they had no time to care about the people of Suzhou and Hangzhou.

At first, the people of Suzhou and Hangzhou were unaware of the great danger that was about to befall them.

The river wind was even more biting than usual, and the air was filled with a damp and oppressive atmosphere.

In the distance, dark clouds, as black as ink, rolled and gathered, spreading towards the city of Suzhou and Hangzhou.

When the leading edge of the flood reached the edge of Suzhou and Hangzhou, the scene resembled the prelude to the apocalypse.

The river water surged and broke through the dikes on the outskirts of the city.

The once incredibly sturdy dikes that protected the city were as fragile as paper in the face of the flood driven by demonic power.

In an instant, a wall of water roared and swept in.

The floodwaters swept into the villages on the outskirts of the city. The simple farmhouses were no match for the surging force.

The thatched roof was easily torn off, and the wooden pillars snapped in the flood, making creaking sounds, as if they were the farmhouse's last lament.

The villagers fled in terror, but the flood was too fast.

Some elderly people and children were instantly swept into the flood, their cries drowned out by the roar of the flood.

In the murky floodwaters, only blurry figures could be seen struggling, their hands reaching futilely into the air, trying to grab anything that could save their lives, but they were quickly swallowed up by the flood and disappeared without a trace.

The livestock also suffered a devastating blow. The cattle, which had been grazing peacefully in the fields, were now being swept away and thrown about by the flood.

Their enormous bodies appeared insignificant in the flood, swept away by the torrent as they raced along.

Some cattle tried to stand firm, but the force of the flood repeatedly knocked them down, and they could only drift with the flood until they were submerged.

Chickens, ducks, and other poultry were utterly helpless. They flapped their wings in the floodwaters, uttering desperate cries, and soon disappeared into the vast expanse of water.

As the floodwaters continued to pour in, the streets of Suzhou and Hangzhou were not spared.

The bustling commercial street was instantly transformed into a vast expanse of water.

The shop sign was torn down by the flood and swirled in the water.

Those exquisite goods, such as silk, porcelain, and tea, were washed away and scattered by the flood.

Precious silks were soaked in water, their colors becoming murky, like stained works of art; porcelain pieces collided with each other in the water.

The sound of breaking was incessant, and fragments were scattered everywhere by the water; the tea leaves were washed away by the flood, and the once fragrant tea leaves now only emitted a damp and rotten smell.

The floodwaters rushed into residents' homes, smashing wooden doors and breaking windows.

The people inside panicked and rushed upstairs in hopes of escaping the flood.

However, the floodwaters rose too quickly, and some houses were unable to withstand the pressure and began to sway.

Huge cracks appeared in the walls of the house, and with a dull thud, the house collapsed.

In the instant the houses collapsed, people screamed in despair as they were buried under the rubble and quickly submerged by the flood.

The city's waterways, which were originally the city's lifeline, have now become accomplices in the devastation of floods.

The water in the riverbed had already overflowed, merging with the floodwaters to form an even more turbulent torrent.

The bridges were washed away by the flood. Those beautiful stone bridges that once spanned the river broke into several pieces under the impact of the flood, and the stones were swept away by the flood and sank to the bottom of the water.

The temple was also severely damaged in the flood.

The temple bells sounded so faint amidst the roar of the flood.

The temple gates were breached by the flood, the Buddha statues were submerged in water, and the sacred temple was defiled by the flood.

The monks could only watch helplessly as the temple was destroyed. They held prayer beads in their hands, chanted Buddhist scriptures, and prayed for Buddha's protection, but the flood continued to rage mercilessly.

The schools in Suzhou and Hangzhou were not spared from this disaster.

Those well-read students could only struggle to survive in the flood.

The books were soaked by the flood, the paper became soft and rotten, and countless classics, historical texts, philosophical works, poems, and songs were destroyed in the flood.

The university buildings were destroyed by the flood; that place, which symbolized knowledge and civilization, is now nothing but ruins.

The flood also destroyed the granaries in Suzhou and Hangzhou. The granaries, which were originally full of grain, are now filled with water.

The grain floated on the water's surface and began to mold and rot after being soaked by the flood.

This was undoubtedly adding insult to injury for the people of Suzhou and Hangzhou. Even if they survived the flood, they would still face the threat of famine.

In the flooded city, there were floating corpses everywhere—the elderly, children, women, men, and the carcasses of livestock.

The bodies drifted with the floodwaters, crashing into debris from collapsed houses or trees, their limbs mangled beyond recognition.

The entire city of Suzhou and Hangzhou was filled with the aura of death, and the stench of decay grew stronger in the damp air.

When the city of Suzhou and Hangzhou was ravaged by floods and the people were plunged into despair, suddenly, a soft yet bright light shone through the darkness and chaos.

The light, like the first rays of dawn, instantly drew everyone's attention.

The source of the light was none other than the legendary innate spiritual treasure, the Lotus Lantern.

The Lotus Lantern emitted a warm and holy light, and wherever that light reached, the raging floodwaters seemed to encounter an insurmountable barrier and began to slowly recede.

The floodwaters receded rapidly out of the city, as if driven by an invisible hand.

Streets, houses, temples, and farmland that had been submerged by the flood gradually came into view.

The streets were filled with mud and debris, some houses were on the verge of collapse, and others had become ruins, but as the floodwaters receded, a glimmer of hope rekindled on these ruins.

The Holy Mother Yang Chan, holding a lotus lantern, slowly floated down from the sky.

She was dressed in a magnificent fairy robe, her clothes fluttering in the wind, like a fairy descending to earth.

Her face was exquisitely beautiful, radiating an aura of compassion and peace.

Her eyes were like the brightest stars in the sky, sparkling with endless kindness.

The Holy Mother looked down at the suffering people below, her eyes filled with pity.

She gently waved the Lotus Lantern, and the divine light from the lantern illuminated every corner.

Those people, weakened by the flood, felt a warm current flow through their bodies under the divine light.

Her pale complexion began to regain its rosy hue, and her weak body gradually regained its strength.

The wounded people's wounds healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and their pain disappeared as a result.

The people knelt down before the Holy Mother, shouting, "Thank you, fairy, for saving our lives! Thank you, fairy, for saving our lives!" Their voices were filled with overwhelming gratitude, and their eyes were full of reverence and hope.

At this moment, Bai Suzhen and Fahai were also attracted by the light of the Lotus Lantern and stopped fighting.

At the same time, a sword light flashed in the void, and behind the Third Holy Mother Yang Chan, Zhong Bai's expression was somewhat inscrutable.

The moment they arrived, their gazes fell on Fahai and Bai Suzhen, their eyes filled with murderous intent!
"Zhong Bai, what should we do?" The "deal" Yang Chan was referring to was naturally about Bai Suzhen. The flooding of Jinshan Temple caused countless deaths and injuries among the people of Suzhou and Hangzhou. This karmic burden should not be lightly forgiven.
Zhong Bai remained silent, his gaze fixed on Bai Suzhen.

In an instant, Bai Suzhen felt a chill run down her spine.

"Bai Suzhen, I have said that you can repay kindness, but you cannot harm innocent people."

Unfortunately, you didn't heed my words. For the sake of a mere mortal, countless people in Suzhou and Hangzhou have died. No matter whose disciple you are, I will kill you!

After Zhong Bai finished speaking, a stream of light shot out from his hand, and the sword energy swept across the area. Bai Suzhen, who was already weakened from fighting Fahai, didn't even have time to react before the sword light pierced through her body. Blood gushed out, and she died in no time.

This isn't the end of it; killing Bai Suzhen doesn't mean Fahai will be spared.

"Fahai, you die too!"

At this moment, Zhong Bai disregarded Buddhism and Taoism, and his sword light shot straight at Fahai. How could Fahai withstand the oppressive aura of a peak Human Immortal?

He watched helplessly as his body burst into flames without fire after being pierced by the sword energy...

Yang Chan witnessed the whole process but didn't find anything wrong with it. Whether Bai Suzhen and Fahai deserved to die was unimportant; Zhong Bai's desire for their deaths was enough.

After doing all this, Zhong Bai looked down at the city of Suzhou and Hangzhou and fell silent.

If Fahai and Bai Suzhen had been killed from the beginning, perhaps the people of Suzhou and Hangzhou would not have suffered.

Of course, this is just a hypothetical situation, and the actual outcome is no longer important.

"Zhong Bai, let's go. The matter in Suzhou and Hangzhou is settled, there's no need to dwell on it."

Yang Chan put away the Lotus Lantern. Zhong Bai and Yang Chan stayed in Maoshan for about a month before leaving. They met Zhao Ling'er and Mo Ling, and Yang Chan was very happy. As for why Zhong Bai came to Suzhou and Hangzhou after leaving the mountain, it was only because he felt uneasy.

Sure enough, upon arriving in Suzhou and Hangzhou, they discovered Bai Suzhen and Fahai battling it out...

Now that things are resolved, it's time to leave.

......................................................

At the summit of a deep mountain, Zhong Bai and Yang Chan were sitting cross-legged when suddenly, Zhong Bai's soul began to slowly detach from his body.

This process was not easy; it was as if an invisible force was pulling at him, trying to keep his soul in his body.

But Zhong Bai, with his powerful cultivation, overcame this obstacle little by little.

Finally, his soul completely separated from his body, and a transparent Zhong Bai, emitting a faint light, appeared in the spot.

His soul drifted towards the underworld.

The underworld, a mysterious and awe-inspiring place.

As he approached, the surrounding temperature gradually decreased, and a sinister atmosphere swept over them.

Soon, the gates of hell appeared before his eyes.

The Gate of Hell, a huge and ancient gate tower, stands tall in a mist.

The walls of the gatehouse are a dark gray, covered with various mysterious runes and patterns.

These runes emitted a cold, eerie light, as if telling the stories of the underworld and its past.

The gate was tightly closed, and tall ghost soldiers stood on both sides.

The ghost soldiers had ferocious faces, their eyes flashing with eerie green light, and they held huge weapons that still retained wisps of yin energy.

Zhong Bai floated to the gates of hell, and the ghost soldiers immediately noticed his arrival.

The ghost soldiers looked Zhong Bai up and down, sensing the aura of a peak human immortal emanating from him. Although they were somewhat puzzled, they did not dare to easily stop him.

After a brief discussion, they slowly opened the gates of hell.

The moment the door opened, a powerful surge of yin energy erupted out, like a black torrent.

Zhong Bai steadied himself and then slowly floated into the Gates of Hell.

The scene behind the gate was completely different from the outside. It was a dark world with no sun, moon, or stars in the sky, only a hazy gray mist.

The road was rugged and uneven, with all sorts of strangely shaped rocks and dead trees on both sides, and phosphorescent lights flickered on the dead trees from time to time.

Zhong Bai walked slowly along the road, feeling as if countless eyes were watching him from the shadows.

Occasionally, some wandering ghosts would drift past him. These ghosts were of various shapes and sizes; some were missing limbs, and some had distorted faces. When they saw Zhong Bai, their eyes showed curiosity and fear, and then they quickly drifted away.

As he walked, the sound of flowing water reached Zhong Bai's ears.

He knew that the Bridge of Helplessness was approaching.

Before long, the Bridge of Helplessness appeared before his eyes.

The Bridge of Helplessness spans a wide river, the water of which is a murky dark red, as if stained with blood.

The river water had a pungent smell and bubbles were constantly rising to the surface, making a chilling sound when they burst.

On the Bridge of Helplessness, many ghosts are slowly making their way forward in a queue.

On this side of the bridge, an old woman was distributing Meng Po soup.

His face was kind, but his eyes revealed a world-weary wisdom.

The soup in Meng Po's hands emitted a faint fragrance, which contrasted sharply with the pungent smell of the river water around her.

The ghosts accepted the Meng Po soup, drank it all, and then their eyes showed a mixture of confusion and relief before they continued walking toward the other side of the bridge.

Zhong Bai floated to the Bridge of Helplessness, but he did not walk onto the bridge like the other ghosts.

He simply stood there quietly, observing everything on the bridge.

He saw that some ghosts had various expressions on their faces before drinking the Meng Po soup, such as anger, sadness, and reluctance, but after drinking the Meng Po soup, they became as calm as still water.

After crossing the Bridge of Helplessness, the road leads to the palace of King Yama.

The road was even more sinister, with withered arms occasionally reaching out from the walls on both sides, trying to grab the passing souls.

Zhong Bai remained unmoved; his spirit shone with unwavering determination as he continued toward his destination.

Finally, the palace of the Wheel-Turning King appeared before him.

The main hall is magnificent and grand, with an architectural style that exudes an ancient and mysterious aura.

The roof of the main hall soars into the clouds, and is carved with images of various mythical beasts and deities from the underworld.

The main hall's doors were wide open, emanating a powerful aura.

Zhong Bai slowly floated into the main hall.

The main hall is very spacious, with various ancient artifacts and statues displayed around it.

At the far end of the hall, there was a huge throne, upon which King Chakravartin sat.

The Wheel King has a majestic face, wears a crown, and is dressed in magnificent clothes embroidered with various patterns symbolizing the power of the underworld.

His eyes were like deep black holes, as if they could see through the secrets of all souls in the world.

Zhong Bai approached King Yama and respectfully bowed, saying, "Zhong Bai greets the Fourth Ancestor!" (End of Chapter)