Journey to the West: Starting with the True Lord of the Pure Land

Beyond the portal was not a strange passageway.

With one step, the surrounding scenery changed abruptly.

A chilling feeling, so different from that of the mortal world, permeated from all directions, penetrating straight to the soul.

Before Chen Jiao could even use the locust wood token engraved with the inscription "No Taboos," the yin energy dissipated silently upon contact with his body, failing to penetrate even slightly.

His expression remained unchanged, but he understood perfectly.

Jiang Xiao's true form is the Vermilion Bird, who governs the fire of Li and rules the south. He is extremely yang and strong, and naturally restrains the dark and turbid energies of the underworld.

He stared intently.

Before me stretched an endless wasteland shrouded in a thin mist, its color a lifeless grayish-brown.

Boundless and barren, a thin mist shrouds the land year-round, making it difficult to see far.

A chilling wind swept across the open fields, its sound mournful and plaintive.

Chen Jiao looked up and saw that the sky was low and dim, with no sun, moon or stars in sight, and no distinction between day and night.

What a desolate and mysterious place! It truly is:

A faint, chilling wind sweeps across the yellow earth; the darkness is so profound that there is neither sun nor light.

The road to the underworld is treacherous and difficult for souls to cross; the gates of the netherworld are deep and ghosts are busy.

The desolate wilderness is devoid of birds, and the desolate paths break one's heart.

Countless lost travelers come and go, all within the dreamland of reincarnation.

Only a narrow, winding dirt road stretched into the depths of the fog.

At the end of the road, the outline of a majestic archway can be vaguely seen, appearing and disappearing in the thin mist.

Chen Jiao walked along the dirt road. The further he went, the more the fog dissipated, and the clearer the archway became.

It was a tall gate built of unknown black rocks, with an ancient and simple style, exuding a solemn and majestic aura.

There seemed to be several large characters on it, shimmering with a dark golden halo, which was none other than—Gate of Hell.

This is the boundary between Yin and Yang. Once you pass through this gate, you will truly enter the underworld.

Along the road to the pass, the scenery gradually became more varied, with shadowy figures all around and the sounds of wailing and weeping rising up.

It can be seen that there are many black-clad ghost messengers wearing tall hats and with faces that are either blue or white, holding heavy black soul-catching chains, locking up groups of dead souls.

Most of the dead souls remained in the same position as when they died, their expressions mostly blank, following along in a daze.

There were also those who had recently died, whose minds were still sharp, who could not accept the fact that they were dead, and cried out and struggled incessantly.

"Go! Hurry up! Don't waste the time!"

A blue-faced ghost guard shouted sternly, brandishing his mourning staff and stirring up a gust of cold wind, which frightened the few dead souls in front of him, causing them to tremble and quicken their pace.

An elderly man dressed in a brocade robe, looking like a wealthy man, was clutching the chain around his neck and wailing:

"Officer! Officer! There must be a mistake!"

I am a wealthy man, and I was having a feast with my children and grandchildren just yesterday. How could I have ended up in this godforsaken place!

Let me go back! I promise you mountains of gold and silver!

Upon hearing this, the ghost guards escorting him impatiently jerked the chains and said in a sinister tone:

"Shut up! If the King of Hell calls someone to die at midnight, who dares to keep them alive until dawn? Once your lifespan is over, what good are mountains of gold and silver!"

"Get out of here! If you dare make another sound, I'll give you thirty lashes as a warning, to teach you the rules of the underworld!"

The old man's spirit dared not utter another word and followed, trembling.

A young man who looked like a scholar muttered to himself, "I have studied hard for ten years and have not yet passed the imperial examination and brought honor to my ancestors. How can I just die like this?"

It must be a nightmare! Yes, it's a nightmare!

As he spoke, he actually tried to run back.

A pale-faced ghost guard with a long tongue hanging down to his chest sneered, tightened the chains, and pulled the scholar back, causing him to stumble. He coldly rebuked him:

"Passing the imperial examination? Pshaw!"

When you reach the gates of Yama, his merits and demerits will be recorded to settle your life's score! Enough with the rambling, hurry onward!

How dare you linger before the gates of hell!

"Officer, my wife and children are still unaware of my death. Please allow me to go back and appear in their dreams to tell them..."

"Stubborn fool! A dream? That's something that happens after the seventh day after his death! Go now!"

The cries of the dead, the shouts of the ghost messengers, and the dragging of chains, mingled with the whistling of the wind, echoed through the dim world, further emphasizing the desolation and solemnity of the underworld.

Occasionally, a wandering soul would attempt to escape, but it would be immediately dragged back by the chains and subjected to several blows and lashes, leaving its soul dull and wailing, until it dared not cause trouble again.

Chen Jiao followed behind the procession of the dead.

A ghost guard escorting the dead suddenly sensed something unusual behind him; the presence of a living person was as glaring as a beacon in the darkness.

He glanced back and realized it was a living person; a clear look of surprise crossed his face.

He muttered under his breath, "Living people? Why are living people getting involved in this..."

Only after the ghost messenger took a closer look did he realize that this person was clearly a highly skilled cultivator, not an ordinary cultivator who had mistakenly entered the place.

The ghost messenger immediately shut his mouth, turned his back, pretended not to see, tightened the chains in his hand, and urged the dead souls in front of him to hurry up.

The three disciples of Master Shouyue were in the middle of the group.

As Song Yan and Song An entered such a gloomy place for the first time, they were inevitably a little nervous, their eyes constantly scanning their surroundings.

Master Shouyue held the Netherworld Walking Token, resisting the omnipresent Netherworld chill around him.

The line moved slowly.

Before long, it was their turn.

The imposing Gate of Hell is right before our eyes, the dark and towering archway exuding an invisible pressure and chill.

Although the three people held tokens, their yang energy was still conspicuous in this eerie place.

The open space in front of the pass was relatively spacious. A ghost general with a blue face and fangs, wearing black armor, was sitting imposingly behind a stone table that exuded a cold aura.

His face was ferocious, and his large, copper-bell-shaped eyes gleamed with an eerie green light as he scanned every dead soul and ghost messenger who passed by.

Behind him, two rows of ghost soldiers dressed in standard ghost armor and holding weapons stood solemnly.

The ghost general was examining a scroll of soul-summoning documents handed to him by a ghost messenger; the ghost script on it flickered.

He nodded slightly, and the ghost messenger led several souls through the gate.

After examining a batch of souls, the blue-faced ghost general raised his eyelids and saw the group of Master Shouyue approaching.

On his pale face, his large, ghostly eyes narrowed, gleaming with an eerie green light.

"Huh? A living person?"

He looked Shouyue and the other two up and down, lingering for a moment on the swords at their waists, his tone filled with undisguised surprise and hostility.

"How dare a living person, whose lifespan has not yet ended and whose soul has not left the body, trespass into my Netherworld?"

Do you know where this is?

As he spoke, the two rows of ghostly soldiers behind him stepped forward in unison, their weapons and chains clanging together.

Pairs of ghostly eyes, some hollow, some fierce, stared intently at the three of them, and a chilling aura emanated from them.

Master Shouyue felt a chill run down his spine, but maintained a calm demeanor.

She stepped forward, took out the locust wood token from her bosom, and said in a clear voice:

"General, please allow me to inform you. We have urgent business to attend to in the Netherworld. This is a token; please examine it."

The blue-faced ghost general glanced at the token casually.

When he saw the four ghostly characters "Walking in the Underworld," a faint glint flashed in his eyes. He tapped his thick fingers on the armrest of the stone chair but did not take the token.

Instead, it grinned, revealing its gleaming white fangs, and let out a few ambiguous sneers:

"'Walking in the Underworld'? That's quite rare."

He leaned forward slightly, and an even stronger, chilling aura enveloped him, his voice lowered.

"It is illogical for a living person to walk in the underworld."

Despite this decree, the rules of the underworld ultimately govern ghosts.

"If several living people go in like this, and if they disturb the spirits of the dead or inadvertently offend the underworld, I... won't know how to explain it to my superiors."

Upon hearing this, Master Shouyue's pretty face immediately turned cold.

How could she not hear the hidden meaning in the ghost general's words? He was clearly asking for a bribe!

She had been cultivating in Qingxu Mountain since childhood. Although her sect was not a top-tier sect, it was still quite well-known in the surrounding area.

Although Master Shouyue knew that there was much filth in the world, he never imagined that such blatant bribery would occur in this netherworld, at the gates of hell. How was he any different from the scoundrels and ruffians of the human world?

She suppressed her anger, her voice growing even colder:

"General, we are disciples of the Pine Moon Sword Sect of Qingxu Mountain in Xiniu Hezhou. We are here on important matters for our sect, and we hope you will grant us this favor."

She introduced herself as a disciple, intending to let the other party know that she was not a rogue cultivator without any background, hoping that the other party could restrain their greed.

Unexpectedly, the blue-faced ghost general, upon hearing this, not only showed no restraint but instead burst into laughter, full of mockery:

"Qingxu Mountain? Songyue Sword Sect?"

He slammed his spear heavily on the ground, causing the dark mist to churn.

"This place belongs to the underworld, the netherworld!"

No matter what kind of sword sect or staff sect you belong to, no matter how illustrious you are in the mortal world, here, dragons must coil and tigers must lie low! You all must abide by the rules of the Netherworld!

The ghost general paused, then said in a chilling tone:

"Don't even mention your insignificant human sects!"

Even if a celestial star deity in the heavens breaks the heavenly rules and is cast down, passing through my gates of hell, who wouldn't behave themselves and behave properly!

"What are you juniors compared to me?"

His last sentence was delivered with a sudden rise in his voice, clearly a deliberate attempt to intimidate.

The ghostly soldiers behind them responded with a low murmur, their armor rubbing together, intensifying the yin energy.

The surrounding group of deceased souls, being escorted away, trembled and their cries subsided upon being struck by this malevolent energy.

When Master Shouyue heard that his words insulted her sect, her anger intensified, and her jade hand unconsciously pressed on the hilt of her sword.

But remembering the shopkeeper's admonition to "not overstep the bounds," and considering the heavy responsibility he was on this mission, he ultimately dared not actually act out in front of this life-or-death situation.

His face grew increasingly cold, his gaze sharp as lightning, as he stared coldly at the ghost general.

Seeing her unfriendly expression and her hesitation to speak, the ghost general's face darkened, becoming even more ferocious. He waved his hand impatiently and coldly snorted:

"Go away! Since you don't understand the rules, don't get in my way!"

Go back to where you came from! If you dare utter another word, don't blame me for being impolite and taking you all to the judge's court for judgment!

Master Shouyue gritted his teeth in annoyance, when his sleeve was gently tugged.

But Song Yan stepped forward, subtly blocking her path half a step, giving her a knowing look and shaking his head slightly.

Then Song Yan stepped forward, a gentle smile on his face, blocking most of the view around him.

He said in a gentle and amicable tone, "General, please calm down, General, please calm down."

"We are new to the Netherworld and are unfamiliar with many of its rules. We hope the General will forgive any offenses we may have caused."

At the same time, under the cover of his sleeves, Song Yan silently slipped several talismans, faintly glowing with precious light and brimming with spiritual energy, into the ghost general's cold claws.

At the same time, under the cover of his sleeves, Song Yan silently slipped several talismans, faintly glowing with precious light and brimming with spiritual energy, into the ghost general's cold claws.

Song Yan lowered his voice and chuckled softly, "It's just a small token of my appreciation, but it's meant to help the general and his brothers with their drinks."

We humbly request that the General show leniency and grant us this favor. If the opportunity arises in the future, the Pine Moon Sword Sect of Qingxu Mountain will surely repay this debt.

The ghost general was already impatient, and seeing this young cultivator approaching without any sense of propriety, he was about to reprimand him.

Suddenly, I felt a weight in my palm, a warm and smooth touch, with subtle fluctuations of spiritual energy.

His ghostly eyes drooped slightly, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw that six or seven talismans had been stuffed into his palm.

The talismans were all extraordinary, with a subtle, flowing light, intricate and mysterious, and imbued with spiritual energy. One glance revealed them to be excellent protective, exorcising, or spirit-gathering talismans.

It is considered a precious item even in the mortal world, and it is even rarer in the underworld.

The ghost general was overjoyed. His gloomy and arrogant expression melted away like ice and snow, and he instantly became amiable.

He first discreetly tucked the stack of talismans into his sleeve, and when he looked at Song Yan, his face was full of approval, as if to say, "You're quite savvy, kid." He even patted Song Yan's shoulder with his large, fan-like hand.

"Hahaha!"

The ghost general let out a hearty laugh and said repeatedly, "Easy, easy!"

I really like young people like you who know the rules and are reasonable!

With proper travel documents and a high-ranking disciple of a celestial sect on official business, it naturally complies with the rules!

He stepped aside to make way, waved to the ghostly soldiers behind him, and spoke in a loud voice:

"Let them pass! Let them pass immediately! Don't delay these immortal masters' important business!"

Upon seeing this, the ghost soldiers immediately sheathed their weapons and made way for them.

Seeing this, Master Shouyue felt a tightness in his chest, but he knew that this was the only way to handle the matter.

Without even glancing at the ghost general whose face changed as quickly as turning the pages of a book, she stepped forward and passed through the Gates of Hell.

Song Yan bowed to the ghost general again, then pulled Song An, who was still a little dazed and hadn't quite seen how his senior brother operated, and quickly followed.

Not far away.

Chen Jiao, trailing at the back of the line, took it all in without showing any expression.

However, he gained a more intuitive understanding of Song Yan's resourcefulness and the way Songyue Sword Sect handled matters.

Not long after.

The ghost general was quite pleased with himself, sitting on the stone seat, estimating that he should be able to get a good price for the few spirit talismans.

Suddenly, another person stepped forward. Looking up, they saw a calm and composed Taoist priest in crimson robes, whose yang energy was pure, clearly indicating that he was also a living person.

The ghost general was overjoyed, thinking to himself that he must have been in luck today. He had just gotten rid of a few, and now another one had come knocking on his door.

He immediately straightened his back, his face hardened, and his eyes slanted sideways, ready to imitate the model and try to squeeze some profit out of the student.

"Halt! This is a forbidden area of ​​the underworld, not for the living..."

The ghost general's routine reprimand had just begun.

Chen Jiao did not want to say more to him. He simply flipped his wrist, and the dark-colored token made of ancient locust wood appeared in front of the ghost general.

Seeing this, the ghost general frowned, feeling somewhat impatient. He thought to himself, "How can these cultivators in the mortal realm be so ignorant of worldly affairs? What good is that broken token?"

Just as he was about to use that unorthodox argument to give them a warning, his gaze swept over the front of the token.

Upon that glance, his pair of green, ghostly eyes suddenly shrank!

The front of the token does not bear the usual four characters "Walking in the Underworld".

The twisted and intricate ghost script exuded an even more ancient and solemn aura.

It was clearly "No Taboos"!

The ghost general was taken aback at first, then the arrogance and impatience on his face instantly froze, turning into a look of surprise and doubt.

This style...this aura...

He shuddered and practically sprang up from the cold stone seat, his movements flustered and disheveled, all traces of his previous arrogance gone.

The ghost general respectfully accepted the token with both hands, as if it were a hot potato or a priceless treasure.

He carefully flipped the token over, his eyes eagerly scanning the back.

There, four even more ancient and unrestrained ghost scripts, exuding a solemn aura, came into view.

"Thump!" A muffled sound.

The towering, blue-faced, fanged ghost general guarding the pass suddenly buckled at the knees and knelt down before Chen Jiao.

"This humble general greets Your Excellency!"

"Blind as a baton, you have dared to offend your esteemed presence! You deserve to die! You deserve to die!"

The ghost soldiers and demons behind him, who had been eyeing him menacingly, did not know what was going on, but seeing their general kneeling in such fear, how could they dare to hesitate for even a moment?

They immediately knelt down and lay prostrate on the ground, unable to get up.

The area in front of the gate fell into complete silence.

Only the mournful howl of the cold wind and the barely suppressed chattering of the ghost general's teeth remained.

Chen Jiao retrieved the token. He stared at the cold wood, especially at the four unfamiliar characters on the back, lost in thought.

The token's deterrent effect seemed to be far greater than he had anticipated.

"Sir"? That's a title...

He temporarily suppressed his doubts and did not question the terrified ghost general further at this time and place.

His gaze fell on the ghost general who was still prostrate on the ground, not daring to raise his head. His tone was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger, yet it made the ghost general tremble all over:

"Your rules at the gate are quite strict."

The ghost general banged his head on the ground, his voice trembling with fear, and hurriedly begged for forgiveness:

"My lord, please forgive me! I deserve to die! I truly had no idea that Your Excellency was here!"

The crime of collision is a sin that cannot be atoned even by a hundred deaths!

I hope that Your Excellency will consider my duty in guarding the pass and forgive me this time!

"This...this humble general is blinded by greed and utterly ignorant!"