Chapter 154: Six Days on the Azure River

Both formidable masters were at the Great Perfection realm of the Void-Viewing stage. To strike simultaneously—let alone given Lu Xin’s current cultivation level—would require even an ordinary Yin-Yang master of the Return-to-Micro realm to exercise extreme caution. The exact second after Wang Qi vanished, he reappeared at Lu Xin’s side, brandishing a broadsword. His momentum was ferocious, whipping up black sands like a howling tempest.

Yet at that very moment, the young man did not move. Just three inches from Lu Xin, Wang Qi’s blade halted as a dazzling burst of cyan light suddenly erupted before his eyes. Giving him no time to react, Wang Qi was instantly blasted backward by a massive surge of spiritual power, crashing to the ground dozens of meters away, unable to rise for a moment.

Simultaneously, a figure in cyan robes with hair tied up stepped out from within the cyan light. Lifting his head, he let out a faint breath toward the sky, and the overwhelming sea of sword light vanished completely. The moment Huang Yu witnessed this, his expression shifted drastically. Terrified, he spat out the words, "Avatar Divine Talisman," and fled rapidly into the distance with his subordinates, without a shred of hesitation. Ignoring him, Lu Xin walked toward Wang Qi step by step with a cold sneer. A cyan glow still permeated his surroundings, emanating an aura that struck terror into the heart.

None of the disciples of the Netherworld Dao Sect dared to block his path; seeing the youth approach step by step, they could only retreat. Wang Qi managed to stand up, but blood spilled from the corners of his mouth, and he had lost all capability to move. Yet the distance between them was less than four or five paces now.

"An Avatar Divine Talisman, Li Chunfeng! Hahaha, I should have thought of it sooner. Otherwise, how else would he have let you enter this Ghost Domain of Fengdu!"

"Heh, Brother Wang, isn't it a bit too late to realize this only now? I, Lu Xin, have always been clear about gratitude and grudges, never easily offending anyone, yet never fearing anyone either. Since you have already harbored murderous intent toward me, do not blame me for being ruthless!"

"The innocent are not guilty, but holding jade brings a crime. There is no personal grievance between you and me. It is simply that on this path of cultivation soaring to the heavens, it is either you who die or I who live. The Yin-Yang Wandering Immortal Sword, the Jade Dew Sea Pearl, supreme Daoist treasures... in anyone else's shoes, their choice would be identical to mine."

"Nonsense! Your Netherworld Dao Sect is regarded by the world as a demonic cult precisely because your Dao heart is crooked. However, I will not argue with you about these matters today. Wang Qi, as long as you tell me two things, I will spare your life. How about it?"

When Lu Xin was merely three steps away from Wang Qi, he suddenly stopped. The young man’s gaze swept over the disciples of the Netherworld Dao Sect one by one before finally looking elsewhere. Seeing this, Wang Qi narrowed his eyes slightly and secretly slid his hand into his sleeve.

"What do you want to know?"

"First: what is your purpose in entering this Ghost Domain of Fengdu? Wang Qi, I hope you will tell the truth. Otherwise, you won't be the only one who dies."

"Hahaha, that's nothing much; telling you won't do any harm. A few days ago, Chang'an fell into turmoil, and someone secretly stirred up the primordial supreme Yin qi within the Ghost Domain of Fengdu—the so-called ghostly malevolent qi. By borrowing this to manifest Taiyin Youying, they attempted to destroy the Great Tang. Although Li Li Shi... although Li Shimin did not die, enormous changes have occurred in this spacetime. The Three Palaces and Nine Mansions have opened wide, and countless ghost clan relics will emerge into the world. Among them, there might even be ancient divine weapons. This is an immense karmic opportunity; how could my Netherworld Dao Sect fail to come?"

"Primordial supreme Yin qi?"

Wang Qi’s words left Lu Xin deep in thought. Regarding the matter of Taiyin Youying, Li Chunfeng had already explained it. At the time, Li Chunfeng’s exact words were: "Someone used an alien demonic vessel to stir up the primordial supreme Yin qi within the Leylines of the Ghost Domain of Fengdu... wanting to use this to bewitch the Tang King." Lu Xin had not thought too much about it back then, but looking at it now, his entry into the Ghost Domain of Fengdu seemed almost predestined by fate.

"If the calamity of Chang'an unfolded without your Netherworld Dao Sect stirring up trouble behind the scenes, I doubt anyone would believe it. Since the affair of Taiyin Youying caused the Three Palaces and Nine Mansions within the Ghost Domain to open wide, why didn't the major sects send high-level experts directly? Relying merely on disciples of the Void-Viewing stage like yourselves to acquire any treasures is probably no easy task, right?"

"Hahaha, are you truly ignorant, or are you feigning stupidity on purpose? This spacetime of the Ghost Domain of Fengdu is different from the Greater Thousand World; the power within it imposes severe suppression on Yin-Yang masters above the Return-to-Micro realm. The higher the cultivation, the stronger this suppression becomes. If high-tier Yin-Yang masters wish to enter, they must seize a specific celestial timing. Yet such occurrences are exceedingly rare. At least for now, even if the sect masters of the major orthodoxies were to enter, they would not be able to unleash even ten or twenty percent of their magical power. Otherwise, how could you and I have crossed paths?"

Wang Qi frowned as he spoke, his gaze staring at Lu Xin carrying a deeply complex expression. At this moment, he could no longer quite see through the youth before him. At least under the coercion of the Avatar Divine Talisman, he had developed a profound wariness toward Lu Xin.

"So that's how it is. No wonder Master didn't agree to the people of the Nine Stars Gang, but insisted on sending me here to stumble upon an immortal opportunity. Yet initially, Zhao Li and the others seemed completely unaware of this matter."

Pondering inwardly, Lu Xin kept his expression utterly calm on the surface, revealing neither depth nor shallow roots. Then, fixing his gaze on Wang Qi for a moment, he spoke again. The matter he was about to inquire about next concerned the future of the entire Great Tang realm. This was precisely why he was willing to let Wang Qi go.

"Second: was the war between the Turks and the Great Tang something you planned all along? The Netherworld Dao Sect intends to contend for the Central Plains, am I right?"

"Who told you about this—"

"Hmph, don't rush to answer. If I am not mistaken, after Wang Li was defeated by Xiang Yu at the Battle of Julu, he was not captured, but fled alone to the grasslands. Ever since then, he concealed his name within the borders of present-day Xueyantuo, founded a mountain sect, and established the Netherworld Dao Sect. Yet his Wang family had served as Qin generals for generations, possessing glorious renown; naturally, they were unwilling to accept the fall of Great Qin at their own hands. Wang Li wanted to restore the state, allowing Great Qin to endure for ten thousand generations. Unfortunately, the Hegemon quickly fell to Liu Gao... to Liu Bang. The Great Han secured the realm, leaving the Netherworld Dao Sect with no choice but to wait on and on. Now, you believe that Li Shimin has newly ascended the throne, the world's Yin and Yang are confounded, and rebellions are rising everywhere, presenting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. However... I would rather hope that all these guesses of mine are entirely wrong."

As Lu Xin spoke, he paced back and forth before Wang Qi, as if he had already cast his previous grievances far beyond the nine heavens. Upon hearing his words, all the disciples of the Netherworld Dao Sect changed color. Even Wang Qi, who was exceptionally skilled at controlling his emotions, experienced a violent twitch in his eyelids.

"What on earth are you trying to say?"

"I want to know what you plan to do next. Although the Great Tang has not been founded long, Li Shimin is surrounded by numerous capable ministers and fine generals. Merely among high-level Yin-Yang masters, there are Tan Zongxiao, Yuchi Gong, and others. Coupled with my Master and that Yuan Tiangang, no matter how deep the foundation of your Netherworld Dao Sect may be, you will not have much chance of victory. To achieve great things, you must resort to covert schemes and devious ways. And the war between the Great Tang and the Turks is merely a tiny fragment of your grand design."

"Heh, where on earth did little brother Lu hear such groundless fabrications? Although my Netherworld Dao Sect is mistaken by the world for a demonic cult, we have never harbored thoughts of contending for dominance under heaven or fighting for the Central Plains. We revere Our Lady Houtu as our ancestral master, practice the Heavenly Dao, and seek the fruit of divine immortality; why should we entangle ourselves in this mortal world of dust and perform such a cart-before-the-horse undertaking?"

Wang Qi’s gaze turned grave as he locked his eyes onto Lu Xin’s footsteps, his expression growing exceptionally grim. Upon hearing this, Lu Xin abruptly whipped around. At this moment, the distance between them remained merely three steps.

"You refuse to speak?"

"Hmph, groundless fabrications—how would you have me speak?"

"Fine! Since you seek death, I will grant your wish!"

Lu Xin spoke in a cold voice, suddenly taking a step forward as a dazzling cyan light erupted across his body. Li Chunfeng’s figure stepped out from the void, shattering the pervasive black sands. Seeing this, Wang Qi roared in fury and abruptly hurled a jade talisman toward Lu Xin. In an instant, a violent gale rose, the surroundings blurred into confusion, and Lu Xin found himself utterly unable to move his feet. This sensation lasted for three full years... three seconds, and when Lu Xin opened his eyes once more, the contingent of the Netherworld Dao Sect had vanished completely. Wang Qi, who had been within arm's reach, had likewise vanished without a trace.

"He actually escaped? How did he pull that off?"

Lu Xin’s brow furrowed tightly, his expression exceedingly ugly. Wang Qi escaping meant letting a tiger back into the mountains, which would spell immense trouble in the future.

"It wasn't he who escaped; rather, you were teleported to another location. Look around you—your current position is no longer where you were originally."

"Master?"

As Li Chunfeng’s voice echoed in his ears, Lu Xin trembled all over and hastily looked about. Wherever his sight fell, the scenery had indeed changed drastically. Previously, layers upon layers of mountains had stretched before him. Yet at this moment, a great river had appeared a short distance ahead. Viewed from his current spot, the river water was exceptionally clear, almost completely transparent. The riverbed was immensely wide, spanning at least a hundred zhang. And on the opposite bank of the great river lay a vast expanse of palatial structures.

"This is the Six-Day Blue River, upon which flows primordial heavy water. It is the center of the entire Ghost Domain of Fengdu. Crossing this river, you will be able to find one palace and four mansions, but it is fraught with grave dangers; you must proceed with caution."

"Master said I was teleported here—what kind of technique did Wang Qi use?"

"That was the power of the Void-Heaven Divine Talisman, capable of instantly shifting the physical body. However, that person's time to die has not yet come, and with your current capabilities, you cannot kill him yet. Xiaoxin, in this world, Master's power is severely suppressed. The Avatar Divine Talisman given to you can only be used three times; on the road ahead, you must exercise even greater caution."

"Master, I..."

Lu Xin wanted to ask further, but Li Chunfeng’s figure grew increasingly hazy and soon vanished completely. That was the state of depleted magical power. The Avatar Divine Talisman could only be used three times, and Lu Xin naturally would not continue expending talismans merely to ask questions.

"The fox seems to have been blocked outside the Ghost Domain of Fengdu by some mysterious power; I hope nothing has happened to him. Moreover, in this place, there must be more than just the Upper Profound Heaven Sect and the Netherworld Dao Sect operating. It seems I must first find a way out before anything else."

Sighing deeply inwardly, Lu Xin drew the map from his bosom and discovered that the exit of the Ghost Domain of Fengdu lay directly on the opposite bank of the great river. Without hesitation, he ran straight toward the riverbank. Yet after searching along the shore for a long time, he saw neither boats nor any sign of a bridge. The river water was exceedingly peculiar; although it was in motion, the direction of the flow shifted at any moment, and it moved at a glacial pace.

"This water... seems exceptionally viscous."

Lu Xin frowned slightly and stepped right onto it.