Chapter 232. The Nether Springs and the Red Spider Lily, Someone Once Established the Netherworld
Chapter 232. The Nether Springs and the Red Spider Lily, Someone Once Established the Netherworld
One of the Nine Cauldrons lay within this very region they were in. Of course, the map did not mark an exact location.But for Lu Yuan, this posed little difficulty.
Previously, they had explored the half city that was the Celestial Court. What needed to be investigated had been thoroughly investigated.
Now, his target was clear—it was definitely within this half city of the Netherworld.
"Then we'll follow your lead, King Lu."
Jiang Ningxian expressed keen interest; she clearly wished to see the legendary Nine Cauldrons for herself.
After all, they were personally forged by Yu the Great. Huaxia could be considered her homeland; in other words, her roots lay here.
To witness with her own eyes the divine artifact that once stabilized the nation's fate carried immense significance for her.
Naturally, the four beast kings had no objections to the plan.
The Golden-Winged Great Peng was, in essence, Lu Yuan's mount.
Meanwhile, the Peacock King and the other two, having already joined the Celestial Court, now stood as his subordinates.
Lu Yuan's command was, to them, something to be executed without question.
At once, they began their search.
The general area could be narrowed down to this half city of the Netherworld.
Along the way, they encountered Earth's Awakened, as well as some Outer Cosmos beings.
Some of them were locked in battle with the yin soldiers. At first, they managed to gain the upper hand. But as time dragged on, the yin soldiers grew stronger and stronger with each return, until in the end, retreat was the only option.
There was no helping it. The yin soldiers could not be killed and the more they were slain, the more powerful they became.
No one could resist such an enemy.
When Lu Yuan's party came across Earth's Awakened, they would step in to assist. At the same time, they urged them to withdraw and not risk further danger.
There were simply too many yin soldiers. They patrolled throughout the city, and appeared at unpredictable intervals.
Without sufficient strength, there was no fighting them.
As for the Outer Cosmos beings, Lu Yuan and the others did not bother to interfere.
There was no need to do so.
As for those beings, as soon as they saw Lu Yuan, they tacitly chose to retreat immediately.
After all, Lu Yuan's reputation spoke for itself. Who could say whether a conflict would erupt?
At the same time, the group discovered that within this secret realm, there were many other regions beyond this city.
Mountains rose in layered ridges. Great rivers roared and coursed through the land. The secret realm resembled a miniature world of its own.
Those places bore spiritual fruits and herbs—minor providences that were swiftly seized by others.
However, all of these were not of concern to Lu Yuan.
Finally, they arrived at the very heart of the Netherworld city.
Unlike the Celestial Court, this place was nothing but an endless stretch of flat earth. A turbid yellow river cut across the land, dividing it into two. Clusters of flowers bloomed on the opposite bank.
However, the flowers were strange. They were saturated in a crimson hue and each wrapped in coils of blood-colored radiance, eerie and unsettling to behold.
They spread across the far shore without end. And upon closer inspection, at the center of every flower, one could discern faint human silhouettes standing within.
It was an unsettling sight.
A wooden arched bridge, its appearance evident from passages of time, linked the two banks. No one knew how long it had stood.
"Are these...the legendary Bridge of Oblivion, the Nether Springs, and the Red Spider Lilies?" The Nine-tailed Fox King spoke first. She had already assumed her human form, and her eyes were wide open in astonishment.
She was no stranger to myth and legend. Now, standing here within the Netherworld and before such a scene, it was impossible not to draw connections.
"This is unlikely to be the actual Netherworld of the Celestial Court. It's more likely that someone recreated them," Jiang Ningxian answered at once. She possessed deeper knowledge and offered her reasoning calmly.
"Does that mean that the so-called Netherworld actually exists?" Lu Yuan asked upon catching the key point in her explanation.
"Yes," Jiang Ningxian replied with a nod.
"Countless great wars have happened in this world. Rivers ran red with blood; corpses blanketed the earth. Humanity's Sages were overwhelmed with guilt and did not wish for the innocent to die in vain.
"Eventually, they channeled their divine arts and established the Netherworld so that the departed might have a path to reincarnation."
This was the story stated in the Jiang Clan's historical archives. Its authenticity was uncertain, but the credibility was exceedingly high.
As soon as he heard the tale, realization dawned upon Lu Yuan and many mythological stories of Huaxia likely originated from a true event.
At the very least, the Celestial Court and the Netherworld had both once truly existed in some form.
"Alright. Let's cross to the other shore," Lu Yuan said, without dwelling on the issue further. He was intent on crossing the river to seek out one of the Nine Cauldrons, the Yongzhou Cauldron.
The group then stepped on the Bridge of Oblivion, crossed the Nether Springs, and arrived at the land where the Red Spider Lilies bloomed.
Upon setting foot on the land, the eerie aura vanished completely and was replaced with an unsettling tranquility.
Within each Red Spider Lily, the shadowy figures flickered, dispersed, then reformed. The same cycle repeated itself again and again.
Lu Yuan took a closer look and realized they were not true souls. Rather, they were remnants of will left behind by the dead—strikingly similar to the celestial troops and yin soldiers they had encountered.
So... the Primordial Dragon's army most likely died on the path of conquest? Lu Yuan pondered as he recalled his conversation with the Primordial Dragon and tried to piece the various fragments together to form the larger truth.
Then, another question surfaced.
Who had left behind this Kunlun Secret Realm?
Why did this person create yet another Heavenly Palace and Netherworld?
And judging by their state, the process seems unfinished.
Jiang Ningxian's brows were furrowed together as she scrutinized the surroundings.
"King Lu, Fairy Jiang, come take a look at this," the Spirit Monkey sounded from the side.
The four beast kings did not know of Jiang Ningxian's true identity, but they knew she was no ordinary individual. As such, they addressed her respectfully as Fairy Jiang.
Lu Yuan and Jiang Ningxian exchanged a glance and immediately approached without hesitation.
Where the Spirit Monkey was, there was a raised mound of earth where not a single stalk of Red Spider Lily grew upon it. Even the soil's color differed distinctly from the surrounding ground.
"This is..." Lu Yuan's heart tightened at the sight; his expression turned grave as well.
He gestured for the others to step back then gathered power in his palm.
Boom!
The earth was torn open in an instant.
The raised mound now lay fully revealed before them.
It was an altar that was not large in scale and its appearance told of its old age.
The altar itself was formed from nine kinds of soil, each of a different color.
Another nine-colored altar?
Lu Yuan's thoughts stirred. This was already the third one that he came across.
Shennongjia, the peak of Mount Tai and now Kunlun.
Yet Lu Yuan said nothing and merely turned to look at Jiang Ningxian beside him. He was curious to see her reaction.
Jiang Ningxian was momentarily stunned by the sight. She turned to look at Lu Yuan as well, and their gazes met.
Both were exceptionally perceptive and knew something of these nine-colored altars.
"Lu Yuan, where is that small cauldron of yours?" Jiang Ningxian didn't offer any explanation and went straight to the point.
Through this journey, both of them had gained a better understanding of each other, and even the way that they addressed each other implied a sense of familiarity.
Lu Yuan naturally knew she meant the small bronze cauldron.
He pondered for a brief moment before flipping his hand, and the cauldron appeared in his palm. Like before, it looked ancient and evoked an indescribable air of mystery.
The four beast kings were puzzled. However, they remained silent and observed from a short distance.
Lu Yuan seated himself cross-legged. He then summoned the Great Luo Sword Embryo and sliced open his palm just as he had done back at Kongtong Mountains and also at the Mausoleum of Mount Li.
Hummmmmmm!
As his fresh blood poured into the small cauldron, the cauldron began to emit strands of gentle, luminous radiance.
The nine-colored altar before them responded in resonance and shimmered with resplendent light.
As the two glows intertwined, the altar began trembling.
Then, a pillar of light shot upward from its center, piercing the heavens. It seemed like something was about to emerge from that column of light.