“Your Excellency refers to this place as the Netherworld. Does it have any connection to the rumored Underworld? What exactly is this place? Our spiritual power has been sealed—is there any way to restore it? Most importantly, I have no intention of staying here and wish to return to the outside world. I would appreciate it if the elder could point me in the right direction.” Han Li frowned, then exhaled deeply as he spoke.
“Return? If it were truly that easy to leave, would we still be trapped here, living day to day in constant peril? You must understand, most people here were born in this Netherworld. Only a very few, like you and me, were sucked in by that strange mist. Most outsiders who enter are devoured by the Netherbeasts. Only those with exceptional luck survive due to various circumstances and manage to flee to the village. Our loved ones and friends are all still outside.” The old man shook his head with a sigh.
Hearing this, Han Li fell silent for a moment.
“As for what this place truly is, and whether it has any connection to the Underworld—who can say? However, many predecessors who arrived before us have speculated on this matter. One theory aligns with what you mentioned—that this is a spatial rift where the Underworld and the human realm intersect, which explains the dense Nether Qi here, yet prevents the formation of overly powerful Netherbeasts.”
“Another theory posits that there is no such thing as the Underworld—it’s merely a myth propagated by cultivators. They believe this place is actually inside the belly of the legendary demon beast—Rahu. Only a creature said to devour the sun and moon and traverse dimensions in an instant could explain why the strange mist appears in different seas and why this place only connects to the outside world every few years. After all, the legendary Rahu is known to lurk deep beneath the ocean and feed only at long intervals.”
“Rahu? Impossible! That’s even more far-fetched than the Underworld. I refuse to believe such a beast truly exists in our realm.” Han Li’s expression darkened at the old man’s hypothesis.
“Indeed, when I first heard this theory, I was just as shocked as you are now. But I must admit, as absurd as it sounds, there is some plausibility to it. If this were merely a spatial rift, it should remain fixed at a single point in the outside world. Yet, every time the Netherworld connects to the outside, those sucked in come from multiple distant seas—places they’ve never even heard of. For example, I hail from a small island in the Wan’nan Prefecture of the Great Jin Empire, while others come from the Five Dragon Seas, the coastal regions of the Tiansha Continent, or even the Chaotic Star Seas. Before meeting, none of us had ever heard of each other’s homelands.” The old man spoke leisurely.
“The Great Jin Empire! You’re a cultivator from Jin?” Han Li showed a flicker of surprise. That was the name of the superpower he had heard of back in Tiannan.
“Could it be that you, too, are from our Great Jin Empire?” The old man’s eyes brightened.
“Not quite. But I’ve heard a thing or two about it—that it’s an enormous nation! I’ve always longed to visit, but never had the chance.” Han Li shook his head.
“Is that so? What a pity. I truly hope I can return one day.” The old man’s face darkened with disappointment.
“Heh! If you ever visit our Great Jin, you’ll understand what a true cultivation world looks like. As far as I know, while there are many regions where cultivators thrive, none can compare to the scale and prosperity of our empire. Calling it the holy land of cultivators in this realm would not be an exaggeration.” The old man’s expression grew animated as he spoke of his homeland.
Han Li rubbed his nose, wearing a wry smile, though inwardly intrigued.
“Ah, forgive my digression. You asked earlier if there’s a way to restore one’s spiritual power here. I can tell you plainly—as long as you remain in the Netherworld, forget about recovering your former abilities. Aside from the Nether Qi, this place is also suffused with what we call the Spirit-Severing Qi. Normally deep within the earth’s core, it periodically erupts from below, permeating the entire space. Any cultivator within its influence loses all spiritual power and abilities—there’s no way around it. Isn’t that precisely why you were sucked in—caught between the rift’s opening and the eruption of Spirit-Severing Qi?” The old man chuckled.
Hearing this, Han Li felt a surge of frustration. If not for this misfortune, he wouldn’t have been dragged here by mere ghostly mist and could’ve been long gone, free and unfettered.
“Is there truly no hope of leaving this place? I find that hard to believe!” After a moment of silence, Han Li spoke with reluctance.
“Not exactly. There is a method to leave—open and known to all—but whether one can achieve it is another matter.” The old man stroked his beard, unhurried.
“What method?” Han Li’s heart leapt, and he pressed eagerly.
Nearby, Mei Ning, who had been listening with a fluctuating expression, also perked up at this.
“Well…” The old man hesitated, showing a trace of reluctance.
“Is there some difficulty, fellow Daoist?” Han Li’s expression shifted slightly.
“Don’t misunderstand—this isn’t something I’d hide! Though I’d welcome more cultivators in the village, I wouldn’t deliberately mislead you. I merely fear that in your eagerness to leave, you might throw your lives away.” The old man’s eyes narrowed meaningfully as he observed Han Li and Mei Ning’s reactions.
Han Li paused, then chuckled lightly.
“Rest assured, though I may appear young, I’ve cultivated for many years and won’t act recklessly. If the task proves impossible, I won’t throw my life away. Still, I’d like to hear this method of escape and see just how difficult it is.” Han Li’s smile faded as he spoke solemnly.
“Since you insist, I’ll hold nothing back.” The portly elder pondered briefly before agreeing. He stepped out of the hall, gazing into the distance as if lost in thought.
…
“Brother Han, what should we do? Are you truly planning to climb that Stormwind Mountain?” Mei Ning stood behind Han Li, biting her red lip. Her face was deathly pale, her hope shattered by the elder’s description of the escape method—she deemed it utterly unattainable.
“I haven’t decided yet, but I must at least try.” Han Li gazed at the sky, his tone indifferent.
Mei Ning’s expression flickered, but before she could speak, footsteps approached. A dark-skinned youth of about fifteen or sixteen approached curiously.
“You two are the newcomers, right? The elder sent me to show you to your quarters. As newcomers, you’ll receive free food for the first three days, but afterward, you’ll need to contribute. Otherwise, you’ll have to leave the village and fend for yourselves.” The boy spoke matter-of-factly, his dark eyes wide.
“Very well, lead the way.” Han Li replied neutrally.
The boy nodded and guided them wordlessly to a corner of the village. Soon, they arrived at a modest but tidy stone hut.
When Mei Ning saw that the hut contained only a single stone bed barely large enough for two, her face flushed crimson.
“Why is there only one bed?” she asked hesitantly.
“Aren’t a man and woman supposed to share a bed?” The boy blinked, puzzled.
Mei Ning’s face burned even hotter. Though she wished to explain, words failed her.
“We’ll sleep separately. Bring another stone bed.” Han Li, after surveying the room, turned and spoke calmly to the boy.
The boy pouted but complied and left.
“Rest for now. I’ll explore the village.” Once the boy was gone, Han Li spoke decisively to Mei Ning. She looked momentarily stunned but nodded silently.
Without hesitation, Han Li stepped outside, glanced around, and strode toward the central high stone platform. The method of manipulating Nether Qi intrigued him greatly.
No guards stood around the platform, allowing Han Li to approach easily. Given its height, the steps on one side were treacherously steep.
After circling the platform a few times, Han Li ascended effortlessly.
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