Dao Cheng Gui Xian

Chapter 307 Inside the Mountain, a Dark Shadow Stirs, the River Styx (Part Two)

The alarm bell inside the flying boat rang continuously.

The entire hall was in chaos. Three doors to the VIP room opened, and three Nascent Soul cultivators emerged, their bodies shrouded in the power of heaven and earth, standing in the hall with an imposing presence.

The Nascent Soul's domain covered the ship's cabin, and the chaotic situation stabilized slightly. One of the Nascent Soul cultivators spoke coldly:
"Silence! Where is the person in charge?"

Upon hearing this, the Deng family steward, who had just instructed the VIP room to detour to Huangyuan Mountain, urged his Golden Core spiritual power and rushed towards the three Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

Before he could even get close, everyone heard a loud shattering sound.

The Golden Core Steward of the Deng family turned pale. He knew that the protective shield of the Sky-Crossing Flying Boat that isolated it from the cold current had shattered. In other words, the magic array of the Sky-Crossing Flying Boat was almost useless.

Sure enough, the lighting artifacts connected to the magic array in the hall flickered on and off in the next instant, and then the speed at which the entire flying boat was falling suddenly increased.

"Bang!"

Before anyone could react, the airship crashed violently, followed by the sound of huge waves crashing in their ears. It had plunged into the river.

The Nascent Soul cultivator who had just questioned the steward flashed with golden light in his left pupil, and an infant's arm reached out, grabbing the Golden Core steward of the Deng family and pulling him directly to his side.

"Tell me, what exactly happened?"

The steward of the Deng family tremblingly raised the talisman in his hand. The talisman, which was originally bright, was now half-extinguished.

The steward of the Deng family replied in a trembling voice:

"The Yin energy of Huangyuan Mountain is raging. When the flying boat turned, a small part of the magic array was destroyed by the soaring Yin energy. However, the flying boat was clearly still some distance away from Huangyuan Mountain. It seemed that a sucking force was erupting from Huangyuan Mountain at the same time, making it difficult for the flying boat to get rid of it. Now it is probably crashing into Huangyuan Mountain."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the three Nascent Soul True Monarchs changed slightly.

They knew far more about Huangyuan Mountain than ordinary people. This place had become increasingly turbulent in recent years, and even Nascent Soul cultivators were unwilling to venture there easily.

In the early years, when the evil spirits of Huangyuan Mountain frequently caused disturbances, it was said that the Great Venerable Zhenhai had personally come to investigate.

In the end, all that was left was the statement, "The implications are enormous!", and then the matter was dropped.

Therefore, some powerful factions began to warn their descendants not to easily venture into Huangyuan Mountain in search of illusory opportunities, lest they lose their lives.

But I never expected to run into them today?
The nascent soul that extended its arm from its pupils released the Deng family's golden core, and then another pair of eyes opened on its forehead, radiating divine soul power in all directions.

The other two Nascent Soul True Monarchs also activated their Nascent Souls to explore the surrounding areas.

Although they were Nascent Soul True Monarchs, they did not treat the Deng family's stewards as casually as the Taihe True Monarch from the Myriad Manifestations Pavilion beside them.

Although the steward of the Deng family was only a Golden Core cultivator, their ancestor was none other than the Nascent Soul stage expert, Deng Jiuyou!

The reason why Taihe Zhenjun dared to do this was because the Wanxiang Pavilion also had a Nascent Soul cultivator, but they did not have one behind them.

Before the three of them could even disperse, a shrill scream suddenly came from the deck of the airship.

The Zhoucang group, who had been in a state of emergency because of the support of three Nascent Soul True Monarchs, suddenly changed their expressions. The screams were not the result of ordinary fright.

Manager Deng also looked grim. Most of the guests were in the cabin, while those remaining on the deck were Deng's family members who operated the flying boat.

Although he was anxious, he had no other choice. He had a premonition that things were going to get complicated today, because just now, the light from the talisman in his hand suddenly went out.

This means that all the inscriptions and magic arrays carved on the hull of the flying boat have collapsed.

From the moment it was suspected of falling into the unknown river until now, only two or three breaths have passed, yet so many magic arrays have been annihilated in an instant?

What kind of power is this?
Why did such a big change happen when it was his turn to be on duty? Manager Deng felt helpless, but when he thought of the person in the VIP room, he felt a little more at ease. But why hasn't the other person come out yet?

Should we notify them?
Just as Steward Deng was hesitating, a sound of water suddenly came from inside the cabin.

The people inside the boat instinctively searched for the source of the sound of water, when suddenly another shrill scream rang in their ears.

"Oh, my leg!"

"What is this?!"

The three Nascent Soul cultivators quickly looked over and saw that a large hole had appeared in the northeast corner of the cabin, near the foredeck, and dark, deep water was pouring into the cabin through the hole.

"Hiss! Flying sword, Taihe, be careful! Don't let your divine soul touch the black water!"

"Old Man Qing Shi, what's wrong?"

After giving them a solemn reminder, Taihe Zhenjun gently stroked the forehead of the old man with the blue stone and asked.

Upon hearing this, the old man of the green stone hurriedly replied, "This black water can not only corrode flesh and blood, but also erode the soul!"

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone inside the boat instinctively gathered around the three Nascent Soul cultivators.

However, the four or five people who were originally corrupted by the black water suddenly fell to the ground with a thud, their shrill screams echoing through the cabin, but then they fell silent after a moment.

Upon closer inspection, the four or five people had already been corroded by the black water and were completely mutilated. In the blink of an eye, their flesh and bones were gone, and not even a trace of their souls could be seen.

"Ho!"

Gasps filled the air, and everyone was horrified. Even the three Nascent Soul cultivators became solemn. The True Monarch, whom the Old Man Qing Shi had referred to as the Flying Sword, solemnly said:

"The airship is dissolving!"

The moment he finished speaking, a crack appeared between his brows, and a sword of divine souls flew out from it, slashing straight towards the sky.

Without the protection of the magic array, the flying boat was naturally unable to withstand the sword strike of a Nascent Soul cultivator. With a crack, the roof of the flying boat was split open, and the three Nascent Soul cultivators stepped out and disappeared into the cabin.

The Deng family steward followed closely behind, and the rest of the group also channeled their spiritual power and rushed towards the outside world.

Outside the flying boat, there were no stars or moon, only a deep and silent stillness; this was clearly not a normal night.

The void was filled with a sinister aura. Some guests who were only at the Qi Refining stage had their spiritual power frozen before they could even circulate it a few times, and they fell from mid-air.

"Thump. Sizzle!"

In the blink of an eye, the corpse dissolved and merged into a patch of dark river water.

The group hovered in mid-air, all looking down with lingering fear.

The enormous flying ship, about two hundred feet long, had already melted more than half of itself. If they hadn't escaped from the ship's hold earlier, they would probably have been completely destroyed as well.

Nevertheless, the group felt no joy at surviving the ordeal, for the omnipresent Yin energy was also eroding their spiritual power, and it wouldn't be long before they too fell into the river.

No, we need to find a place to stay first!

The three Nascent Soul cultivators in mid-air, though not as panicked as the others, still had solemn expressions.

However, at this moment, all three of them were staring at the two figures that were quietly suspended not far away.

A tall, slender figure, dressed in a black and gold robe.

Another figure stood like a mountain, clad in heavy blue armor and wielding a heavy blue hammer!
The three were taken aback for a moment, then reacted simultaneously, bowing respectfully to the figure in the azure heavy armor and greeting him:

"Greetings, Envoy of Chongyuan Sea Patrol!"

Li Wushou, standing not far from Chongyuan, was also somewhat surprised upon hearing this.

After he broke through the VIP room and entered the void, Chongyuan followed closely behind. The two looked at each other curiously, but neither spoke, and they became cautious and wary of each other.

The twelve patrol envoys of the Fubo Domain include six Nascent Soul cultivators and six top-tier Nascent Soul cultivators. I never expected this person to be one of them.
No wonder his soul is so profound, comparable to that of a talisman master.

Chongyuan nodded slightly in return for the greetings from the three Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

The three Nascent Soul True Monarchs not only did not feel slighted, but were actually quite flattered.

Even Taihe Zhenjun, who also came from a top-tier power, was the same.

Despite being only a Nascent Soul cultivator, Chong Yuan wields the Heavy Water Pearl bestowed by the Great Venerable Zhenhai, making him almost comparable to a Nascent Soul cultivator.

In fact, the other Nascent Soul True Monarchs among the Twelve Sea Patrol Envoys were the same, each wielding a World Treasure bestowed by the Great Venerable that rivaled the Divine Transformation Great Power.

Only in this way can one represent the Great One in inspecting all directions.

As the steward of the Deng family was responsible for receiving the flying boat, he naturally knew the identity of Chongyuan's Sea Patrol Envoy.

In fact, the Chongyuan Sea Patrol Envoy was one of the first to arrive at the flying ship today. He looked travel-worn, as if he had just returned from the sea. After boarding the flying ship, he began to meditate.

It was precisely because of the presence of the Chongyuan Sea Patrol Envoy that he did not feel despair about the current situation.

However, at this moment, he was more curious about the Li Zhenren, whom he had never been able to see through, than the Chongyuan Sea Patrol Envoy.

The other party had actually left the flying ship before Chongyuan Patrol Envoy, without anyone noticing?
How could a Golden Core cultivator be faster than three Nascent Soul cultivators?
As expected of the distinguished guest whom the Celestial Ancestor Biluo secretly instructed to be treated with utmost care.

Moreover, the other party was not surprised when they heard the identity of Chongyuan Patrol Envoy. Just who is this Master Li?

Three Nascent Soul True Monarchs were also curious about Li Wushou. After exchanging greetings with the Chongyuan Sea Patrol Envoy, they began to scrutinize Li Wushou closely.

They weren't surprised by Li Wushou's keen insight, because Li Wushou arrived later, and they were already in the VIP room at that time, unaware that Li Wushou was alone.

In their view, it was impossible for a Golden Core cultivator to detect the anomaly faster than them; the other party must be accompanying the Chongyuan Sea Patrol Envoy, and most likely a disciple of the Great Venerable lineage.

After looking at them for a while, they still didn't recognize them.

Li Wushou was naturally aware of everyone's gaze, and even Chongyuan, the patrol envoy who had been on guard, was secretly observing him, but Li Wushou paid no attention to it.

Since the flying boat crashed into Huangyuan Mountain, Li Wushou hadn't really looked at this obviously unique place, and he hadn't even had time to observe the miracle the old beggar had mentioned.

The moment the flying boat crashed into the Blackwater River, he sensed something unusual about the dark figure behind him!
The other person kept twisting their body, their emotions inexplicable.

He seemed both excited and apprehensive, somewhat at a loss for what to do.

Even though Li Wushou tried to calm the other party down several times, no matter how hard he tried to control himself, his instinctive emotions seemed to be difficult to suppress, and he appeared to be unable to control himself.

Li Wushou was also somewhat puzzled by this.

Just as I was about to comfort the shadowy figure, a question suddenly popped into my mind.

When did the shadowy figure appear behind me?
Li Wushou himself didn't really remember how long it had been, but he vaguely remembered that it should have been shortly after his first trip to Huangyuan Mountain, which he estimated to be several decades ago.

At that time, Li Wushou always felt that he was different from ordinary people, not only in terms of his bones and internal organs, but also because others had shadows, but he did not, so he always draped a piece of hemp cloth over himself wherever he went.

Therefore, he often doubted whether he was human!
The old beggar and Chen Gou'er were certain that it was him, but they couldn't give an answer regarding the fact that there was no trace of him.

One day, Li Wushou woke up in a dilapidated temple and suddenly discovered that he had grown a shadow.

Only then did Li Wushou believe that he really was a human!
However, his growth order was somewhat different from others. He grew a shell first, and then slowly grew a shadow, bones, and internal organs. After the shadow grew, Li Wushou became more and more convinced that one day his bones and internal organs would also grow.

He was overjoyed for a long time, but strangely, the old beggar slept for several days.

At first, Li Wushou and Chen Gou'er thought he was dead. They had already dug a pit and were about to bury him when the old beggar woke up and started cursing at them.

He hadn't thought anything was unusual before, but now Li Wushou couldn't help but make the connection.

Could it be that my shadowy figure has some connection to this place?
Judging from the old beggar's demeanor, he was clearly quite familiar with Huangyuan Mountain; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so confident in taking him and Chen Gou'er to see some kind of miracle.

However, something must have happened, otherwise the old beggar wouldn't have said that the miracle had changed drastically.

Moreover, this turn of events was something the old beggar probably didn't want to see, which is why he started cursing.

Li Wushou had intended to ask the old beggar some questions, but after his mind was drawn into the Three Immortals Pavilion, he discovered that the old beggar was standing in front of the incense table, burning incense, and this time the incense was actually golden.

Li Wushou could see clearly that the substance contained in the golden incense was exactly the same as the golden finger bone that the old beggar had revealed when he bit off his finger last night.

This is actually incense made from bone powder by the old beggar!
With a start, Li Wushou's expression also became serious.

The old beggar was so serious, so the changes here must be related to that "He" in some way, right?
However, since the old beggar did not offer any warning, the probability of "He" personally taking action at this moment is probably low. This place is far from the eerie mist, and the rule-based Dharma body should also be quite restricted.

So, is it Mount Bulao?

Or did the other party make their move many years ago?
Li Wushou's mind was in turmoil, his thoughts a jumble of emotions.

Just then, the dark figure behind them jolted violently, as if a cat's fur had stood on end.

The guests, who were initially relieved to have the sea patrol envoy in charge, suddenly heard a series of screams coming from their direction.

Li Wushou focused his gaze on the crowd and saw that the three Foundation Establishment cultivators who had been standing firmly in the void just moments before now had empty chests, their internal organs seemingly hollowed out in an instant.

The three of them still had disbelief in their eyes before they silently fell into the Blackwater River and melted into nothingness.

"What's going on here?"

"Something, something in the darkness, killed them."

The surviving guests roared as they approached the Nascent Soul True Monarchs and the Chongyuan Sea Patrol Envoy.

"what"

"Help! Coast Guard, help!"

During the journey, several more screams were heard.

Holding the hammer, Chongyuan's eyes narrowed, and a hint of murderous intent appeared between his brows. It was less sinister than the aura that permeated the void, but more ferocious.

"Be bold!"

With a sharp shout, a flash of blue light appeared in the azure heavy armor, and Chong Yuan took a step to the side, blocking behind a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

The blue hammer in his hand crashed down from the air, and the surrounding Yin energy suddenly dispersed in all directions, creating a vacuum.

"boom!"

The void trembled and exploded, cracking open in numerous places, as a dark figure was smashed out of the void by a heavy hammer.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator, who had survived the ordeal, looked back and happened to see the dark figure appear. He was instantly terrified and gasped.

This dark figure, nearly two zhang long, resembled a cheetah, with its six legs treading on the void to dissipate the force of the heavy hammer of the Chongyuan Patrol Sea Envoy.

The black leopard has two heads, but they are not symmetrical.

One of them was already rotten and drooping on the neck, while the other looked either newly born or pieced together, because the head didn't quite match the dark body.

First, the fur is grayish-white; second, the head's defenses are clearly inferior.

Facing Chongyuan's heavy hammer, the opponent's neck remained unharmed despite taking the hit head-on, but the aftershock of the hammer caused the opponent's head to bleed profusely.

With his rich combat experience, Chongyuan immediately noticed this. He swung his heavy hammer and disappeared from his spot, about to deliver another blow to the opponent's head.

But the next moment, a faint light flashed in the void, and the opponent directly slapped the void with a claw. The five sharp claws cut through the void, and the figure disappeared from the spot with a swish.

Then everyone heard a splash as the other person plunged headfirst into the Blackwater River.

The Sea Patrolman Chongyuan struck the Blackwater River with his hammer, but the blow missed, creating waves on the river.

Immediately afterward, a wave surged up, and the black leopard, which had just plunged into the Blackwater River, reappeared, riding the waves and soaring towards the sky with the group.

Everyone hurriedly retreated, and the three Nascent Soul cultivators simultaneously opened their domains to try and withstand the onslaught of the giant wave.

But in the next instant, the black water directly eroded the three people's domains, leaving them riddled with holes, and the three of them groaned in unison.

With the reminder from the old man of the green stone, they knew that the black water was extremely corrosive to flesh, blood, and soul, but this was their domain, which contained the power of heaven and earth.

How could it corrode so easily?

What exactly is this black water?
The three were shocked, and the Chongyuan Sea Patrol Envoy also looked solemn. He finally knew what this black water was. The legend was actually true!

Seeing everyone in danger, Chongyuan had no time to be shocked. A bright blue light shone on his brow, and a drop of azure dew quietly appeared.

Li Wushou glanced at the dewdrop with some surprise. He sensed the aura of boundary power on it, and it was not weak. Was this the boundary power generated by the boundary treasure that the other party possessed?

The next instant, the dewdrop broke through the void and hovered in front of the black water waves. With a flash of blue light, it transformed into a vast ocean, and a huge amount of seawater poured out and rushed towards the black water waves.

Despite the surging seawater, it could not extinguish the black water spray, but it managed to barely block the onslaught of the black water spray.

The three Nascent Soul cultivators, along with Steward Deng and others standing behind them, quickly seized the opportunity to escape the area attacked by the Black Water Waves.

With a loud "crack," the blue sea dispersed, while the black waves continued their relentless assault on the void, instantly cracking it open. Two Foundation Establishment cultivators, who were a beat too slow to react, were swept into the waves and disappeared.

With a splash, the black leopard turned around, riding the black water waves.

Its six webbed feet allow it to walk on water, and the black water that melts anyone who touches it is no different from seawater to it.

The black water churned, and an even larger wave was about to form.

The crowd was terrified at the sight, and some even looked on in despair.

The three Nascent Soul cultivators were also shocked, though they knew Huang Yuanshan well enough to know him.

But when did this dark and gloomy place, the Blackwater River, and the Xuan Leopard appear in Huangyuan Mountain?

Taihe Zhenjun forced himself to calm down, and asked Chongyuan in a slightly trembling voice:

"Lord Chongyuan, what exactly are this Blackwater River and this Xuan Leopard?"

Chongyuan took the lead and stood in front of everyone. A bright blue magic orb had appeared between his eyebrows at some unknown time. The magic orb was filled with surging power, which was not much different from Li Wushou's current Taiji Dojo.

Upon hearing Taihe Zhenjun's question, Chongyuan slowly spoke:
“This should be the River Styx! The Great Venerable once said that there might be an entrance to the River Styx beneath Mount Huangyuan.”

Upon hearing this, Taihe Zhenjun was struck as if by a heavy blow, muttering repeatedly, "There really is a River Styx? How is that possible?"

The other two True Lords, Qing Shi Sou and Fei Jian True Lord, seemed somewhat confused, clearly having never heard of the Styx River.

Li Wushou, standing to the side, was also somewhat confused, as he had never heard of the Styx River either.

I wanted to ask the old beggar a question, but he remained standing motionless in front of the incense table.

The golden incense sticks were already lit, and the smoke from them filled the air. The old beggar's face was faintly visible in the smoke, and his expression was somewhat wistful.

After a moment of contemplation, Li Wushou did not disturb the old beggar. Instead, he focused his mind on the Tai Chi Daoist temple, intending to ask the talisman master a question.

Upon asking, the talisman master was also somewhat surprised. He was just as shocked as Taihe Zhenjun that the River Styx really existed.

Under his explanation, Li Wushou finally understood what the River Styx was.

Based on his previous insights and understanding gained from the Divine Shadow Play in the Red Makeup Domain, Li Wushou's understanding was even deeper than that of the Talisman Master.

It's even more stunning!
Through his understanding in his later years, Li Wushou learned that living beings in this world do not have reincarnation; once they die, they are gone, and there will never be a similar flower again.

The talisman master also said that the Immortal Mountain believed that the number of living beings in the world was constant and had a limit. Three thousand years of reproduction would just reach this limit, and therefore there would be a great calamity.

If we consider the energy that gives rise to all living beings in the world as a constant value, then everything makes sense.

Take humans for example. After death, the physical body dissolves and returns to nothingness, while the soul returns to heaven. The energy that gave birth to this person returns to heaven and earth after their death, and can then give birth to another person.

Even if captured and devoured by the Yin God, many years later when the Yin God dies, this energy will return to heaven and earth.

However, this is not a cycle of reincarnation; rather, it is someone gathering, aggregating, and redistributing resources.

Therefore, no matter how hard the Great Venerable of Divine Stealing searched, he could not find Senior Sister Hongzhuang, but he could always see some shadows of Senior Sister Hongzhuang, because Hongzhuang had already been scattered in this process.

Having figured that out, let's get back to the River Styx!
Legend has it that long ago, a powerful being with extraordinary cultivation appeared between heaven and earth.

It seems that the other party sensed the law of heaven and earth that disrupts the cycle of reincarnation, so they created this River Styx.

After a person in that realm dies, their physical body and soul do not return to heaven and earth, but go directly into the River Styx.

The other party attempted to use this to reverse the power of life and death, granting immortality to those within the realm.

Unfortunately, the number of living beings in this world is limited; there are limits to how many there are, and how few there are.

After this giant died, his realm disintegrated, and the River Styx became a legend.

However, about a hundred years ago, Mount Immortal was the site of a disturbance. The Heavenly and Earthly Venerables issued a proclamation stating that there might be information about the River Styx within the Fubo Domain.

For this reason, Mount Immortality sent some people into the Fubo Domain, and the lineage of the Venerable Eater also sent people, but they never returned. The Talisman Master always thought it was just a rumor!

Li Wushou was also deeply shocked after hearing this. Could it be that life and death could be reversed and millions of people could live forever?

The more you learn about these ancient deities and old gods, the more formidable they seem; each and every one of them is involved in very large-scale operations.

It stirs up inexplicable emotions in people!
Just as Li Wushou was learning about the Styx River, the situation suddenly changed. Four dark figures reappeared on the already surging Styx River waves.

The black bird flaps its wings, the black snake rides the waves, the black tiger treads the water, and the black fox spreads its tail.

Five black mystical beasts, all two-headed and roughly similar to the black leopard, with a new head growing from their broken and decaying heads, were riding the giant waves, preparing to engulf everyone!
Chongyuan's expression changed drastically, and the people behind him felt utterly hopeless.

Li Wushou was still pondering when the old beggar who had been keeping his eyes closed in the Three Immortals Pavilion suddenly opened them and said in a cold voice:
"Li Wushou, kill them for me!"

(End of this chapter)