Chapter 113: A Netherworld Conspiracy
Netherworld.
Just those two words sent shivers down Shang Yan’s spine, his face paling with fear.
Ordinary ghosts, upon hearing this name, might not react, unaware of its significance.
But he had lived for two hundred years, traveled extensively, encountered countless legends and ancient tales, and was a member of the Luo Xing. Naturally, he had heard of the infamous “Netherworld.”
Unlike the realm of ghosts accessed through the Path of the Netherworld, the Netherworld… was a truly perilous and forbidden land!
“But legend has it that the Netherworld was sealed by the Grandmaster centuries ago. Why would it—”
“The Lingluo Valley is behind this. Qiu Fei’s Lingluo Secret Art is treacherous and unpredictable. It seems she’s using the Yin energy gathered for the Path of the Netherworld ritual to break the seal.”
Yang Chanzhen flicked her sleeves repeatedly, dispersing the incoming black mist. “Centuries ago, the Lingluo Valley seemed to have some connection with a powerful demon in the Netherworld. Perhaps that’s how they learned the secret technique to break the seal.”
Shang Yan didn’t have the time to dwell on such ancient tales.
Looking at the increasingly fierce and overwhelming black mist, his heart filled with unease. He gritted his teeth and struggled to stand up.
“Is the Netherworld truly opening?”
“No.”
But Yang Chanzhen shook her head. “Look closely. The Netherworld passage is only slightly open, the seal is still intact. Those powerful demons trapped inside can’t escape.”
Shang Yan’s eyes narrowed. “So that means—”
“The Lingluo woman must have made thorough preparations for her scheme.”
Yang Chanzhen’s voice was heavy. “Since the Netherworld demons can’t come here directly, they’ll work from within, ‘choosing’ suitable vessels in the county. They’ve probably already selected their target and are using this opportunity to break the seal under everyone’s noses.
The only way to counter this is to disperse the overflowing Netherworld miasma before the demon emerges and completely close the passage. Only then can Jianggai County escape this calamity… But stopping this will be incredibly dangerous.”
As soon as she finished speaking, several blasts of black mist crashed down!
Yang Chanzhen’s expression turned serious. Her slender fingers flickered, and azure light erupted, forcefully dispersing the black mist.
But the shockwave made her stumble back a few steps.
“Mr. Shang, I’ll handle the situation here. Take your granddaughter and leave as soon as possible.”
Although she had a plan, it was just a theory.
Dispersing the Netherworld miasma would be incredibly difficult.
Otherwise, Qiu Fei wouldn’t have been so confident, as if victory was already within her grasp.
But…
“My roots… are here in this county. How can I leave?”
Shang Yan was silent for a moment, then endured his internal injuries and channeled his energy, shouting.
With a flick of his sleeves, black light surged out. “Even if it costs me my life, I will protect Jianggai County!”
Yang Chanzhen was stunned by his resolute expression.
He was a demon, yet he cared so much for a mortal town…
“Grandpa, I’ll help you!”
A young voice suddenly rang out.
Shang Yan’s heart trembled, and he looked back to see his petite granddaughter, Shang Han, running towards him. She pulled out the wooden hairpin from her bun, bit her lip, and threw it with all her might. It transformed into a streak of light, slashing through the black mist like a deadly weapon.
“Han’er, you—”
“If Grandpa isn’t afraid of death, then neither am I!” Shang Han’s face was cold and determined as she formed hand seals. “We will protect the academy, defend against enemies, and never retreat!”
Shang Yan’s expression flickered, then he looked up and shouted,
“…Good! You’re truly my granddaughter, so courageous at such a young age!”
“Since we’re already here, let’s give it our all!”
Seeing the grandfather and granddaughter risking their lives, working together to stop the spread of the black mist, Yang Chanzhen sighed softly.
They were both people of unwavering determination.
Very well, then she would fight this Netherworld… with everything she had.
…
Crack!
A strange sound rang out, and the world around her darkened.
Mao Ruoyu stumbled, disoriented, a wave of warmth surging within her. She quickly steadied herself.
She rubbed her forehead, her mind still hazy, then shook her head to clear her thoughts. She looked around in confusion.
Where was she?
She had been in the restaurant just now…
“Sir?”
She called out tentatively.
“Sir?!”
There was no response.
The scene before her was no longer the streets of Jianggai County, but a vast and gloomy tunnel, like a damp cave in the mountains.
Behind her was a solid wall covered in moss, with no visible exit, as if her path was completely blocked.
There was only one way forward: into the darkness.
But as she looked ahead, Mao Ruoyu’s face turned pale. The chilling coldness that enveloped her body filled her with fear.
She didn’t know what had happened.
She had been with Lin Tianlu in the restaurant, just about to stand up, when her feet suddenly felt unsteady.
Then, the world around her had changed instantly.
It had all happened so suddenly.
“Hoo!”
Mao Ruoyu clutched her chest with her right hand, taking several deep breaths to calm herself down.
She couldn’t panic.
Although the environment was strange and eerie, if she lost her composure, she would be too afraid to move.
“First, I need to find a way to escape…”
Her thoughts suddenly stopped.
Because she quickly realized that the wall behind her… wasn’t made of earth.
It was…
Countless black bones.
Skeletons piled upon each other, forming a terrifying wall that stretched as far as her eyes could see. A chilling aura emanated from it, making her step back in fear.
“C-could this be the real… Path of the Netherworld?”
Crack!
Suddenly, a skull on the wall turned, its empty sockets staring at her.
A chill ran down Mao Ruoyu’s spine, her pupils constricted, and an uncontrollable fear surged within her.
“He… he…”
The skull slowly emerged from the wall, its jaw trembling, letting out a chilling, low rasp.
Then, it opened its mouth wide, letting out a sharp shriek. A shadowy, almost tangible figure formed around it, lunging towards her!
“Ugh!”
Mao Ruoyu’s heart pounded, and she quickly raised her hand, casting the Yin technique she had prepared.
As a ripple of energy spread out, the terrifying creature, almost upon her, suddenly froze in mid-air.
But its body was still trembling, as if struggling desperately to break free from the control of the Yin technique!
“This is no ordinary demon or ghost!”
Mao Ruoyu gritted her teeth, maintaining the technique as she quickly glanced around the wall.
But with just one look, she was horrified to see that the skeletons embedded in the wall were all trembling, as if about to come alive!
—This is bad!
She had initially planned to stay put and wait for rescue, but the current situation… didn’t allow her to linger any longer!
With that thought, she quickly shouted, forcefully dispersing the demon before her. Without hesitation, she turned and ran.
There was no way back, no place to hide. She could only run forward!
…
“Ha… ha…”
Mao Ruoyu didn’t know how long she had been running. She was drenched in sweat, her body exhausted and numb.
But she couldn’t stop.
Glancing back, she saw countless skeletal demons roaring and shrieking, chasing after her relentlessly. If she stopped for even a moment, she would be torn to shreds!
“Ah?!”
But Mao Ruoyu suddenly felt her foot stepping into empty air. With a scream, she tumbled over the edge of a cliff.
Splash!
She fell into a pool of water, struggling and sputtering before finally managing to stand up, coughing violently.
“Roar—!!”
The roars of demons came from above, making Mao Ruoyu tremble. She instinctively looked up.
Countless demons surged out of the cave, roaring and shrieking, like a black torrent, pouring towards her!
Mao Ruoyu’s face turned pale, and she instinctively raised her hand to cast another Yin technique, making a last stand.
But at that moment, a wave of ice swept over them, instantly shattering and obliterating the demons. The chilling cold transformed into a howling storm, forcing the remaining demons back.
“…”
Mao Ruoyu stared blankly at the spectacular sight, the cliff above frozen into a massive ice wall.
Her body trembling, she quickly turned to look in the direction the ice had come from…
It was a vast pool of water.
As if in a dream, sparkling ice crystals danced and spun around her, a breathtakingly beautiful sight.
But what shocked Mao Ruoyu the most was the figure kneeling in the center of the pool.
A woman with white hair.
Her ethereal beauty and aloof aura captivated Mao Ruoyu at first glance.
But her attire was a bit strange. A blue dress and white gauze were intricately wrapped around her body, accentuating her curves and revealing her long, slender legs. Her body was almost bare, a seductive yet sacred sight. Her snow-white hair cascaded down her shoulders, and her silk robe floated around her like ripples in the water.
“I didn’t expect anyone to stumble into this place after hundreds of years.”
The white-haired woman smiled faintly.
“And with such mediocre strength, to actually make it here unharmed. How peculiar.”
Mao Ruoyu instinctively tried to sense her aura, but was surprised to find that there was nothing.
She quickly bowed. “May I ask who you are, Senior?”
“I’m no senior. Just an ordinary ghost practitioner who was trapped here long ago… Nothing special.” The white-haired woman chuckled softly. “Our encounter is quite a coincidence.”
“I still have to thank you for saving me, Senior. Otherwise, I would have been devoured by those demons.”
Mao Ruoyu’s expression was complex. “But could you tell me where we are and why there are so many demons here?”
“Oh?”
The white-haired woman looked surprised.
“You don’t recognize this place?”
“I was in a town not long ago, planning to participate in the Path of the Netherworld…”
“Path of the Netherworld?”
The white-haired woman looked confused, but then continued, “I don’t know what that is. But this realm is called the ‘Netherworld,’ a place beyond the mortal world, where countless demons and ghosts are sealed.”
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