Two Realms High Martial Arts: Gathering the Heavens to Become a Great Luo Immortal

Chapter 451 Beneath the Nine Netherworlds, the River of the Yellow Springs

The rift below the Nine Netherworld is tens of feet wide and bottomless. Only a continuous stream of cold, deathly energy, like a tangible gray-white smoke, rolls out, mixed with shrill screams and mournful wails that make one feel uneasy.

The rock walls at the edge of the fissure are an eerie dark purple, covered with natural, twisted patterns that resemble painful faces.

Li Xijun did not rush in, but first carefully explored with his vast divine sense.

The divine sense penetrated through layers of yin energy, extending downwards to an unknown depth, and finally, at a certain critical point, it touched a tough and cold spatial barrier that seemed to be woven from countless vengeful spirits and death intent.

Behind the barrier, a more ancient and profound Daoist aura, seemingly capable of devouring all life and light, faintly emanated, echoing a certain artistic conception he had sensed from the Reincarnation Chapter of the "Three Lives Cycle Sword Manual," yet it was even more sinister and deathly still.

"It is indeed connected to a unique grotto-heaven or a ruined world, where the deathly aura of the Yellow Springs is strong—what the old emperor said, that this place is the remnant of the Yellow Springs ghost immortals' cultivation site, should be true." Li Xijun made a preliminary judgment in his mind.

But to be absolutely certain, especially to confirm whether Li Qinghan was truly there, a thought flashed through his mind, and a profound sense of causality flickered deep within his eyes. Without drawing his sword, he simply used his finger as a guide, making a light stroke in the air—

A faint, almost imperceptible sword intent, seemingly capable of connecting all the myriad causes and conditions of the heavens, quietly emerged.

This sword intent was not used for attack, but rather, like the most precise detector, it followed the "causal line" between Li Xijun and Li Qinghan, tracing its path.

From a causal perspective, the causal threads connecting him and Li Qinghan, which were originally somewhat blurred due to spatial barriers, suddenly became much clearer and more solid as they pointed into the depths of the Nine Nether Rift.

The silk thread pierced through the cold, dark barrier, extending into the unknown depths. The aura emanating from the other end was faint, yet it carried Li Qinghan's unique coolness, resilience, and a hint of unease.

"Sister is indeed down there—and she seems to be in some kind of restrained or suppressed state, but her life is not in danger." Li Xijun made a more accurate judgment through the subtle feedback of the causal line.

The investigation is now complete, and everything has been confirmed.

Li Xijun no longer hesitated, his eyes shining brightly.

His perfectly harmonious and flawless Dharma body aura rippled slightly, silently repelling the chilling deathly aura that was encroaching from all around.

Faced with that tough and cold spatial barrier, he did not forcefully bombard it. Instead, he used his mind to communicate with the newly formed "Great Luo Primordial Heaven" within his body, drawing upon a trace of mysterious power containing the concepts of "Primordial Creation" and "Cause and Effect Connection" to envelop his entire body.

The next moment, he took a step forward.

The figure was like a pebble thrown into water, creating a tiny ripple in the space, but it did not provoke a fierce resistance from the cold barrier.

Under the influence of that mysterious power, the barrier seemed to "recognize" a certain aura of the same origin but of a higher status on his body, and actively opened a "gap" that could only allow one person to pass through.

Li Xijun's figure instantly disappeared into the churning gray-white death energy deep within the Nine Nether Rift.

After passing through a brief, soul-chilling passage, the scene before you suddenly changes.

He was no longer in the ancient deserts of the Western Regions, but had stepped into a strange world that was dim, desolate, and seemingly unchanging since time immemorial.

The sky was a somber, dark yellow, devoid of sun, moon, and stars, only a hazy light that seemed like an eternal twilight.

The earth was cracked, covered with fissures and the withered, twisted, and bizarre remains of plants.

In the distance, the outline of a ruined palace and broken, massive stone pillars can be vaguely seen, carved with hideous demons and incomprehensible ancient runes.

The air was thick with an overwhelming sense of death and resentment, along with a heavy, watery feeling, as if one were standing on the banks of a stagnant, filthy river of death.

This is the land of the dead, the ruins of an ancient ghost immortal's dojo, a forbidden zone for the living.

Li Xijun steadied himself, his gaze sharp as lightning, scanning the desolate world, his divine sense spreading out rapidly like a spider web.

The remaining rules of this world suppressed his divine sense to some extent, making it far more viscous and cold than the outside world. However, with his current divine soul strength and Dharma body status, he could still cover a fairly wide area.

Aside from the pervasive stillness and desolation, he did not sense any particularly active or powerful presence, nor did he immediately pinpoint the exact location of Li Qinghan or the Azure Dragon Venerable.

"This dilapidated cave seems to be shrouded in a deeper state of inertia or slumber—" Li Xijun frowned slightly, about to explore further.

However, just as his divine sense swept across what appeared to be an ordinary, dry riverbed, a sudden change occurred!

The cracked soil at the bottom of the riverbed suddenly softened and surged. Then, without warning, a thick, yellowish river water with a pungent, putrid smell gushed out from the ground, instantly turning into a towering wave that swept towards Li Xijun's location!

This is no ordinary stream of water; it is the water of the Yellow Springs!

The most iconic manifestation of power in the Yellow Springs Ghost Immortal Dojo contains a terrifying Daoist charm that washes away memories, cleanses the true spirit, and dissolves life force!

Wherever the river flowed, even the deathly still, dark yellow air emitted a hissing, corrosive sound, and the space itself seemed to distort.

Countless pained and distorted faces seemed to float and wail in the river, emanating a resentment and deathly stillness that struck the very depths of the soul.

"The waters of the Yellow Springs—" Li Xijun's eyes narrowed.

Based on the old emperor's fragmented descriptions and his own understanding of the cycle of reincarnation, he was well aware of the terrifying nature of this thing.

This water is extremely poisonous and filthy to living beings.

If an ordinary Dharma Master were to come into contact with this water, his protective aura would be eroded and pierced within moments. His soul would be as if it were being pierced by a thousand needles, and his life's memories, emotions, and cognition would be forcibly washed away and stripped away. In the end, he would be transformed into a puppet with only a blank soul left, like a walking corpse, sinking into the Yellow Springs, never to be liberated.

At the Grandmaster level, the Dharma body and the divine soul are more closely integrated, which may allow them to sustain themselves for a few more breaths, but they would never dare to let the Yellow Spring Water touch their physical body.

Once touched, it often requires a drastic measure, immediately severing the contaminated limbs or even part of the Dharma body's origin; otherwise, the death intent of the Yellow Springs will flow upstream, polluting the core of the soul, resulting in either the severing of one's path or, in severe cases, the collapse of the soul.

Even a high-ranking expert who has attained the Dharma Body, with the power of their Dharma Body and their own grotto-heaven world, can resist the erosion of the Yellow Spring Water, but would never be willing to soak in it for a long time.

Continuous confrontation will consume a large amount of the Dharma body's essence, and the strange Daoist charm of dissolving and assimilating contained in the Yellow Springs Water is a continuous pollution and threat to any "self" consciousness that seeks transcendence and independence.

This is, after all, the core creation of a true immortal-level grotto-heaven, representing an extreme manifestation of the Yellow Spring Ghost Immortal's own Great Dao.

"As expected of the Daoist temple left behind by the Yellow Springs Ghost Immortal, the water of the Yellow Springs is indeed domineering." Li Xijun praised inwardly, but showed no fear on his face.

He did not flinch in the face of the overwhelming, foul-smelling waves of the underworld.

Firstly, he possesses the original dark law, which is the end and destination of all things, a "nothingness" that is purer and more essential than the deathly stillness of the Yellow Springs.

No matter how strong the Yellow Springs Water is, it is still a manifestation of death within the scope of "existence". When it encounters the primordial darkness that represents "ultimate nothingness", it is like ice and snow meeting the scorching sun. It will only be swallowed up and dissolved, and its essence will not be harmed.

Secondly, and most importantly, he had already thoroughly mastered the "Three Lives and Tribulations Sword Manual" of the Sword Sect's founder, and based on this, he condensed the Dharma Image of the Fengdu Emperor, who governs reincarnation and holds the power of life and death. Now, he has even integrated it into his own "Great Luo Primordial Dao".

In terms of understanding and mastery of reincarnation, death, and the path to the underworld, he is the most orthodox successor of this lineage, and even surpasses his predecessor!

This water from the Yellow Springs might be highly poisonous to others, but to him it might be a tonic; at the very least, it could never turn into a poison.

"Disperse."

Li Xijun didn't even use the power of the original darkness. With just a slight thought, a trace of the true meaning of reincarnation, originating from the "Three Lives and Tribulations Sword Manual" and the Dharma Image of the Fengdu Emperor, naturally flowed around his body.

The mighty, surging waves of the Yellow Springs, upon touching this wisp of truth, seemed to encounter their natural enemy and abruptly froze!

Countless pained faces, bobbing in the waves, all revealed expressions of terror. The river itself emitted a trembling sound that was almost a sob, and its forward momentum suddenly decreased, even showing signs of receding on its own!

It seemed to "recognize" this aura.

They share the same origin as the sword immortal who nearly annihilated the Yellow Spring Ghost Immortal with a single sword strike and redefined part of the cycle of reincarnation!

Furthermore, the true meaning of reincarnation emanating from the person before him was even more harmonious and profound, carrying a supreme sense of dominating everything.

The Yellow Springs River, which in ancient times caused martial artists from all the major sects to turn pale at the mere mention of its name and countless Dharma Aspect Grandmasters to fear like tigers, seems to be driven by some kind of instinct, wanting to reverse its course and retreat back beneath its dried-up and crumbling riverbed.

The surging waters of the Yellow Springs roared back and forth, their sound like someone crying and screaming, echoing throughout the shattered world.

In response, Li Xijun's lips curled into a faint smile.

"Hmph, trying to escape?"

He's not here for sightseeing, nor is he here for passive defense.

This water of the Yellow Springs, which others would avoid at all costs, is, for him, an unparalleled resource for tempering his own "underworld" way, replenishing the foundation of his "earth" grotto-heaven, and promoting the progress of his Dharma body cultivation!

"Perfect timing! My Great Luo Primordial Heaven is newly formed, and the underworld's reincarnation aspect is still in its nascent stage. It desperately needs such wondrous objects, imbued with the rich essence of death and reincarnation, to solidify its foundation, accelerate its evolution, and spur the further evolution of my underworld!"

The moment a thought arises, the Dharma follows.

Li Xijun no longer concealed his aura. The void behind him rippled slightly, and a phantom of the Fengdu Emperor, wearing a crown and a black imperial robe, with his face hidden in the shadows of the underworld, slowly emerged.

The phantom held no weapon, only a slowly rotating gray-white wheel that seemed to encompass the life, death, and destiny of all living beings.

As the Wheel of Reincarnation rotates, it emits an immense and unparalleled suction force, not targeting the physical body, but directly acting on the primordial Daoist essence of the Yellow Springs water!

"boom-!!!"

The dim, yellowish waves of the Yellow Springs could no longer maintain their shape. They were forcibly pulled and broken down by the suction force of the Wheel of Reincarnation, turning into streams of incomparably pure death essence and fragments of the laws of reincarnation. Like rivers flowing into the sea, they surged wildly into the Wheel of Reincarnation in the hand of the phantom of the Emperor of Fengdu.

Through the initial refining and purification by the Wheel of Reincarnation, these primordial energies and fragments of Dao principles, through some mysterious connection, are continuously injected into the newly formed "Great Luo Primordial Heaven" cave within Li Xijun's body.

Within the grotto-heaven, the original layout, which had begun to take shape due to the integration of the Three Powers Dharma Image, was now undergoing a clearly visible change.

Above the sky, the trajectories of the stars became increasingly clear, and the power of order in the operation of the Heavenly Dao was strengthening.

Within the earth, the originally somewhat ethereal mountain and river veins, after absorbing some of the "weight," "bearing," and "returning" meanings contained in the Yellow Springs Origin, became more solid and stable, and the earth veins began to truly surge with faint but real earth energy.

Beneath the Nine Netherworlds, the dark region that served as the prototype of the "Underworld" underwent the most dramatic changes!

The injection of a large amount of pure death essence caused this area to expand and solidify rapidly.

The dim, yellowish phantom of the Yellow Springs began to flow truly. Although it was far less vast and filthy than the Yellow Springs outside, it already possessed the initial function of cleansing the remnants of souls and guiding the dead.

The outline of a blurry gate to the underworld appears and disappears in the dark depths, while the symbolic landmarks below, such as the Yellow Springs Road, the River of Oblivion, and the Bridge of Helplessness, gradually become clear as fragments of the cycle of reincarnation are integrated.

Although the phantoms of the Ten Kings of Hell have not yet materialized, the "rule framework" they represent—judgment, judgment, and reincarnation—is being slowly and steadily built up in this newly formed underworld.

The perfection of the "Way of Earth" directly benefited Li Xijun's cultivation of his Dharma Body.

His realm, which had only recently broken through to the Dharmakaya stage and still required a long period of meticulous work to solidify, was now becoming increasingly solid and profound at an astonishing speed, propelled by this massive amount of primordial resources.

The connection between the inner sanctum and one's physical body becomes even closer, as if each cell corresponds to a nebula or a mountain within the inner sanctum.

Stimulated by the source of death, his life essence not only did not weaken, but instead presented a strange sublimation of "living towards death" and "the cycle of life and death," becoming more resilient and profound.

The initial state of the Dharma body quickly stabilized.

The accumulation process that might have taken decades of arduous practice to achieve was greatly shortened by the "irrigation" of the Yellow Springs water.

"call----"

Li Xizheng slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, which carried a faint sense of reincarnation, completely dispelling the remaining deathly yin energy around her.

He felt the surging power within his body and the increasingly stable and benevolent cavern, and the divine light in his eyes shone even brighter.

Devouring the Yellow Springs to replenish oneself.

For him, the land of the Yellow Springs was indeed an excellent "treasure trove of resources" and "the gateway to enlightenment".

"Very well... What the old emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty said is indeed reasonable. If the world undergoes a great change and various grotto-heavens are born, and one obtains the right opportunity, it is indeed faster than one's own hard cultivation."

"The artifacts left behind by the Yellow Spring Ghost Immortal are extremely compatible with my Dao of Wu."

"Sister, Azure Dragon Venerable—it seems that before I go to find you, I might gain some unexpected benefits here."

He looked up into the deeper reaches of the Yellow Springs, where the deathly silence was even more profound, and an even more ancient and powerful aura slumbered.

Li Qinghan's causal path also points in that direction.