In a desperate situation, Old Cai took Shui Miao and fled rapidly toward a crowded area.
This crowded place was exactly where numerous demons and monsters were scrambling to seize the Nine Tripod Cauldron. Right now, all the monsters were locked in chaotic combat, fighting so fiercely that the sky darkened and the sun and moon lost their light. Yet Ye Xian had already abandoned the cauldron and hidden himself elsewhere.
“What’s going on?”
“Why are there so many outsiders here in my Yellow Springs Sect?”
“Where are the strategist and the ghost generals?”
Looking down from the air, King of the Yellow Springs noticed that his sect had already become unrecognizable. Shocked, he paused mid-flight to look around, when suddenly he saw Ye Xian hurrying toward him.
“Senior Patriarch, you—you’ve succeeded in cultivating the Thunder Soul Body?”
Ye Xian, surprised and bewildered, came to the Yellow Springs King’s side and respectfully knelt on one knee.
“Stand up,” the Patriarch frowned as he looked at Ye Xian. “Quickly tell me, what exactly has happened to my Yellow Springs Sect?”
“Reporting to the Patriarch,” Ye Xian replied, “since you were injured and entered seclusion, a large number of demons and monsters have come to our Yellow Springs Sect to cause chaos. Even some Kings of the Underworld have arrived. They shamelessly claimed to be here for martial arts exchanges, but in reality, they slaughtered our core ghost generals until our backbone was completely destroyed. Then, even more shamelessly, they sent these demons to seize the Nine Tripod Cauldron. I resisted with all my might, but I was outnumbered and powerless to change the tide. Fortunately, the Patriarch has finally emerged from seclusion. With your divine might, you will surely eliminate all these demons!”
Ye Xian couldn’t tell whether the Yellow Springs King had successfully cultivated the Thunder Soul Body or not.
Therefore, Ye Xian acted quickly and came forward to test the situation.
“How despicable! These gods of the Underworld dare to take advantage of my misfortune. They are truly detestable!” The Yellow Springs King was furious.
“Patriarch…”
“Watch out, Patriarch! Ye Xian is a traitor!”
Suddenly, from a nearby mountain range, a white figure shot rapidly toward them.
“Hmm?”
The Yellow Springs King turned his head and saw that the person was Zhuge Suapan, whose soul body was extremely weak, clearly having just regenerated his spirit.
Seeing Zhuge Suapan, Ye Xian’s heart jolted in shock. He hadn’t expected Zhuge to have hidden a life talisman elsewhere!
“What’s going on?” the Yellow Springs King immediately flew toward Zhuge Suapan. “Who did this to you?”
“It was him—this Ye Xian!” Zhuge Suapan pointed at Ye Xian and accused furiously, “This heartless villain secretly colluded with Sima Zongheng to frame me. Then he sent all the ghost generals and soldiers to the Yellow Springs Swamp, leaving only a few chaotic ghosts to defend against the demons. He claimed to be preserving our strength, but in reality, he wanted to use the demons to kill the Patriarch and take his place!”
“Hahahahaha…” Suddenly, Ye Xian burst into laughter, his face beaming as he said to Zhuge Suapan, “Zhuge Suapan, you’ve miscalculated again, hahaha! Did you really think this old man had cultivated the Thunder Soul Body?”
Ye Xian had just extended his spiritual sense to secretly examine the Yellow Springs King and discovered that the King had not successfully cultivated the Thunder Soul Body, and his Yin energy was also on the verge of collapse.
“What…?”
Zhuge Suapan was shocked and quickly looked at the Yellow Springs King. Seeing the Patriarch’s expression, he was instantly stunned.
Zhuge Suapan had originally believed the Yellow Springs King had completed the Thunder Soul Body and gained immense power that could turn the tide. But now, the reality was completely different.
The Yellow Springs King turned back and looked at Ye Xian, “That boy who stole my spiritual energy—he was your doing too?”
“You mean Shui Miao?” Ye Xian glanced at Shui Miao and Old Cai nearby, his eyes flickered, then narrowed his eyes with excitement, raising his thumb toward Shui Miao and shouting, “Brother, you sure have good luck! I never expected you’d help me so much! Without you, this old man might have successfully cultivated the Thunder Soul Body. Good brother, wait for me—I’ll take back the Nine Tripod Cauldron and give it to you.”
…
Shui Miao and Old Cai exchanged glances.
The Yellow Springs King roughly figured out what had happened and sighed to the heavens, “Heaven! What have I done wrong? I gathered wandering souls to establish the Yellow Springs Sect, taught them cultivation, discipline, and repentance, never allowing them to do evil. I have never committed any heinous crimes against Heaven. Why does Heaven treat me like this!”
“Patriarch, I, Zhuge Suapan, am willing to die with you!”
Zhuge Suapan was filled with grief and anger. Years of cultivation ruined in an instant, he couldn’t bear the blow and no longer wished to live.
“Hahahaha…”
Ye Xian laughed again. After a few laughs, he shook his head at the Yellow Springs King, “Old man, you’re really too naive. Did you really think you could survive in the Three Realms just by doing good? Let me tell you, in my previous life, I was Huang Mei, a deity of the Immortal Realm. Because I did good and submitted to Heaven, I ended up in this miserable situation. Watch me—I will return to the Immortal Realm, cause chaos in Heaven, and eliminate all those hypocrites who seek fame and pretend to be righteous!”
“Haha, Brother Ye, I’m willing to help you! Let’s first cause chaos in the Underworld, then go to Heaven and stir things up!”
Shui Miao and Old Cai flew over.
“Haha! Great!” Hearing this, Ye Xian was excited and nodded repeatedly, “Good brother, we’ll travel the Three Realms together!”
“But…”
Shui Miao frowned again, “Brother Ye, I can’t fight those demons. If the Nine Tripod Cauldron is taken by them, I won’t be able to improve my cultivation. How about I keep watch over this old man and Zhuge while you find a way to help me retrieve the Nine Tripod Cauldron?”
“That’s no problem!” Ye Xian was thrilled. Now that the Yellow Springs King was practically useless and Zhuge Suapan had just regenerated and was weaker than even a small ghost, handing them over to Shui Miao for supervision was no issue. Immediately, Ye Xian’s eyes lit up as he said, “You two wait in the back hall for me. I’ll go to the Yellow Springs Swamp and lead a million ghost generals to seize back the Nine Tripod Cauldron.”
“Great! Brother Ye, from now on I’ll follow you!”
Shui Miao suddenly knelt on one knee before Ye Xian.
Ye Xian quickly helped him up, “Brother, why are you doing this?”
Sighing, Shui Miao shook his head, “If my previous life was indeed the Hei Ming God, then I haven’t been much of an elder brother. No matter what my past was, in this life I only want to follow you. From now on, you are my elder brother!” Shui Miao appeared very sincere. If not for being a soul body, he might have even shed a few tears.
Hearing this, Ye Xian’s face lit up with joy, “Haha, the past is the past, brother. Don’t dwell on it. Go to the back hall and wait for me. I’ll be back soon.”
“Alright! Be careful, elder brother!”
Shui Miao looked at Ye Xian affectionately, filled with reluctance. It was a touching moment between brothers.
Ye Xian disliked being sentimental and vanished in a flash toward the Yellow Springs Swamp.
As soon as Ye Xian left, the Yellow Springs King coldly said to Shui Miao, “Kid, don’t be fooled by him. When he first came to me, he acted so affectionately, even more so than my own grandson.”
“Save your breath. Your time is up. Just wait for death.”
In a moment of desperation, Old Cai swiftly fled with Shui Miao, heading toward a crowded area.
That crowded spot was precisely where hordes of demons and monsters were fighting over the Nine Cauldrons Alchemy Furnace. At this moment, the demons and monsters were engaged in chaotic slaughter, battling so fiercely that the sky turned dark and the sun and moon lost their light. Yet, Ye Xian had long since abandoned the furnace and hidden away.
“What’s going on?”
“Why are there so many outsiders in my Netherworld Sect?”
“Where is the strategist? Where are the ghost generals?”
Looking down from above, Netherworld Ancestor realized his Netherworld Sect was almost unrecognizable. Shocked, he paused to survey his surroundings and suddenly noticed Ye Xian rushing over…
“Ancestor, have… have you successfully cultivated the Thunder Soul Body?”
Ye Xian wore an expression of astonishment and confusion as he approached Netherworld Ancestor, respectfully dropping to one knee.
“Rise,” the Ancestor frowned deeply as he looked at Ye Xian. “Quickly, tell me what exactly has happened to my Netherworld Sect?”
“Reporting to the Ancestor, ever since you were injured and went into seclusion, hordes of demons and monsters have come to cause trouble in our Netherworld Sect. Even some Underworld Kings have shown up. They are utterly shameless—on the surface, they claim to be here for sparring matches with you, but in reality, they have been slaughtering our core ghost generals. After wiping out our main forces, they shamelessly sent these demons and monsters to seize the Nine Cauldrons Alchemy Furnace. I resisted with my life, but I was outnumbered and powerless to turn the tide. Fortunately, you have finally emerged from seclusion, Ancestor. With your divine might, you will surely annihilate these demons and monsters!” Ye Xian couldn’t tell whether Netherworld Ancestor had successfully cultivated the Thunder Soul Body or not.
So, thinking on his feet, Ye Xian hurried over to test the waters.
“Despicable! These gods of the Netherworld dare to kick us when we’re down? How utterly vile!” Netherworld Ancestor was furious.
“Ancestor…”
“Ancestor, be careful! Ye Xian is a traitor!”
Suddenly, a white figure shot over rapidly from a nearby mountain…
“Hmm?”
Netherworld Ancestor turned to look—it was actually Zhuge Abacus, his spirit form extremely weak, clearly having just successfully reconstituted his primordial spirit after rebirth.
“…”
Seeing Zhuge Abacus, Ye Xian’s heart sank. He had miscalculated—Zhuge Abacus had actually hidden a life talisman elsewhere!
“What’s going on?”
Netherworld Ancestor immediately moved toward Zhuge Abacus. “Who did this to you?”
“It was him! It was Ye Xian!” Zhuge Abacus pointed at Ye Xian, condemning him angrily. “This deranged villain conspired with Sima Zongheng to frame me, then mobilized all the ghost generals and soldiers to the Netherworld Swamp, leaving only some disorderly ghost camps to resist the demons and monsters. On the surface, he claimed he was preserving our strength, but in reality, he was using the demons and monsters to kill you, Ancestor, so he could take your place!”
“Hahahahaha…” Ye Xian suddenly burst into laughter, grinning triumphantly at Zhuge Abacus. “Zhuge Abacus, you’ve miscalculated again today! Did you really think this old fool has successfully cultivated the Thunder Soul Body?” Ye Xian had just secretly extended his divine sense to probe Netherworld Ancestor and discovered that he had not achieved the Thunder Soul Body—his Yin energy was on the verge of collapse.
“What…”
Zhuge Abacus was stunned. He quickly looked at Netherworld Ancestor and, seeing the Ancestor’s troubled expression, froze in disbelief.
Zhuge Abacus had thought Netherworld Ancestor had succeeded in cultivating the Thunder Soul Body, greatly enhancing his power to turn the tide. But reality proved otherwise.
Netherworld Ancestor turned back to Ye Xian. “That boy who stole my spiritual energy—was he also someone you brought?”
“You mean Shui Miao?” Ye Xian glanced at Shui Miao and Old Cai not far away, his eyes narrowing slyly as he excitedly gave Shui Miao a thumbs-up. “Brother, you’ve got some incredible luck! I never expected you to do me such a huge favor! If it weren’t for you, this old fool might have already cultivated the Thunder Soul Body. Good brother, just wait—I’ll seize the Nine Cauldrons Alchemy Furnace and give it to you later.”
“…”
Shui Miao and Old Cai exchanged puzzled glances.
Netherworld Ancestor roughly understood what was happening and sighed deeply toward the sky. “Heavens! What have I, Netherworld Ancestor, done wrong? I gathered wandering souls here to establish the Netherworld Sect, taught them to cultivate the Dao, uphold discipline, and repent—I never allowed them to commit evil deeds. I have done nothing against the will of Heaven! Why must you treat my Netherworld Sect this way?”
“Ancestor, I, Zhuge Abacus, am willing to die with you!”
Overwhelmed with grief and indignation, Zhuge Abacus felt that years of cultivation had gone to waste. Unable to bear the blow, he no longer wished to cling to life.
“Hahahahaha…”
Ye Xian laughed heartily again. After a few moments, he shook his head at Netherworld Ancestor. “You old fool, you’re truly foolish. Did you think that being virtuous would allow you to stand firm across the Three Realms? Let me tell you—my previous life was as the Yellow Brow God of the Immortal Realm. It was precisely because I was virtuous and submitted to the Heavenly Court that I ended up in such a miserable state. Just wait—it won’t be long before I slaughter my way back to the Immortal Realm, wreak havoc in the Heavenly Court, and destroy all those hypocrites who seek fame and pretend to righteousness!”
“Heh, Brother Ye Xian, I’d like to lend you a hand! Let’s wreak havoc in the Netherworld first, then storm the Heavenly Palace!”
Shui Miao and Old Cai flew over.
“Haha! Excellent!” Ye Xian nodded excitedly. “Good brother, from now on, we’ll journey through the Three Realms together!”
“But…”
Shui Miao frowned again. “But Brother Ye Xian, I can’t defeat those demons and monsters. If they make off with the Nine Cauldrons Alchemy Furnace, I won’t be able to improve my cultivation. How about I keep an eye on this old fool and Zhuge here while you find a way to seize the Nine Cauldrons Alchemy Furnace for me?”
“What’s so hard about that!” Ye Xian was thrilled. With Netherworld Ancestor as good as useless and Zhuge Abacus freshly reborn—even a minor ghost could overpower him—leaving them under Shui Miao’s watch was no issue. Immediately, Ye Xian’s eyes gleamed with cunning. “You all wait for me in the back hall. I’ll go to the Netherworld Swamp and mobilize a million ghost generals to charge out and recapture the Nine Cauldrons Alchemy Furnace.”
“Great! Brother Ye Xian, from now on, I’m following you!”
Shui Miao suddenly dropped to one knee before Ye Xian.
Ye Xian quickly helped him up. “Brother, why are you doing this?”
“Ah!” Shui Miao shook his head and sighed. “If my previous life was truly the Dark Nether God, then I haven’t been much of an elder brother. So regardless of my past life, in this life, I only want to follow you. From now on, you are my elder brother!” Shui Miao appeared utterly sincere. If not for being in soul form, he might have even shed a few tears.
Hearing this, Ye Xian was overjoyed, his heart swelling with pride. “Heh, what’s past is past. There’s no need to dwell on it, brother. Hurry to the back hall and wait for me. I’ll be back soon.”
“Alright! Be careful, elder brother!”
Shui Miao gazed affectionately at Ye Xian, reluctant to part—a truly touching display of brotherly bond.
Ye Xian disliked sentimental goodbyes. In a flash, he sped off toward the Netherworld Swamp.
As soon as Ye Xian left, Netherworld Ancestor coldly said to Shui Miao, “Boy, don’t be fooled by him. When he first came to me, he acted even more devoted than my own grandson.”
“Enough talk. Your time is up—prepare to meet your end.”
Shui Miao quickly channeled immortal energy to envelop Netherworld Ancestor and Zhuge Abacus, drawing them into the Sacred Yuan Ring.
Netherworld Ancestor did not self-destruct his spirit. He still felt a glimmer of hope and refused to give up. Once inside the Sacred Yuan Ring, he suddenly found himself surrounded by vast amounts of purple lightning spiritual energy…
“Shui Miao, what… what is the meaning of this?”
What Netherworld Ancestor lacked most was spiritual energy. With enough, he could still cultivate the Thunder Soul Body.
Shui Miao’s voice echoed within the Sacred Yuan Ring: “Elder Netherworld Ancestor, you were right. I was only acting to deceive Ye Xian. He kidnapped my friend, Elder Bai Feng—how could I possibly collaborate with someone like that? He’s the type to betray me for his own gain, just as he kidnapped my friend to threaten me. I didn’t understand the situation and thought you were like him. I never meant to steal your spiritual energy and put you in danger—that was my mistake. Now, I’m returning all the spiritual energy to you. Quickly cultivate the Thunder Soul Body inside my Sacred Yuan Ring. I will do everything I can to delay him.”
“…”
Netherworld Ancestor and Zhuge Abacus exchanged stunned glances. For a moment, they were speechless.
The sudden turn of events was entirely unexpected.
Bai Feng nodded to Netherworld Ancestor and Zhuge Abacus. “Gentlemen, Shui Miao is a man of loyalty and righteousness. I am a female ghost who has cultivated for over five hundred years. Because he is compassionate and upholds justice, I’ve decided to follow him unconditionally, protect him, help him—even if it means dying for him, I have no regrets. So please believe him and cultivate quickly.”
“Ancestor, I believe what she says…”
Zhuge Abacus was utterly captivated at the sight of Bai Feng, his soul nearly leaving him.
“Shui Miao!”
Netherworld Ancestor took a deep breath and declared loudly, “Brother Shui Miao, I, Netherworld Ancestor, swear that from now on, you are my brother. Whoever dares to bully you, I will never let them off, even if it costs me my life.”
After making his vow, Netherworld Ancestor immediately sat down in meditation, focusing his mind to gather vast spiritual energy and continue cultivating the Thunder Soul Body.
Bai Feng felt somewhat embarrassed under Zhuge Abacus’s gaze. Biting her lip, she frowned and said softly, “What are you looking at? Hurry up and cultivate! Once you’re done, get out quickly. I don’t want to be stuck in here with two men.”
“Uh… alright, alright…”
Zhuge Abacus nodded awkwardly and promptly sat down to cultivate.
The Sacred Yuan Ring was abundant with spiritual energy—Zhuge Abacus had stumbled upon incredibly good fortune.
Seeing Zhuge Abacus’s shy demeanor, Bai Feng secretly smiled, feeling a subtle fondness for him.
Soon after, Shui Miao had Old Cai bring him to the back hall.
Then, Shui Miao urged Old Cai to quickly take Old Qin and the others away and not to compete for the Nine Cauldrons Alchemy Furnace, lest they fall victim to Ye Xian’s schemes.
After Old Cai hurried off, Shui Miao immediately found a spot to sit in meditation, closing his eyes to focus his spirit. He communicated with Bai Feng through their mental link, seeking guidance on cultivating the Wind Riding Technique. In the final confrontation with Ye Xian, the Wind Riding Technique would surely come in handy.
The Yellow Springs King did not self-destruct his soul body. He always felt there was still a glimmer of hope, so he was unwilling to give up. Once inside the Holy Yuan Ring, the Yellow Springs King suddenly saw a large amount of purple lightning energy enveloping him…
“Shui Miao, what are you doing?”
The Yellow Springs King desperately needed spiritual energy. If he had enough, he could still cultivate the Thunder Soul Body.
Shui Miao’s voice echoed within the Holy Yuan Ring, “Senior Yellow Springs King, you were right. What I did just now was only an act to deceive Ye Xian. How could I ever collude with someone who kidnapped my friend, Senior Bai Feng, to blackmail me? Such a person who betrays me behind my back will surely betray me for his own gain in the future. I didn’t know the truth and mistakenly absorbed your spiritual energy, putting you in danger. That was my mistake. Now I’m returning all the spiritual energy to you. Please cultivate the Thunder Soul Body within my Holy Yuan Ring as quickly as possible. I’ll do everything I can to hold him off.”
…
The Yellow Springs King and Zhuge Suapan exchanged glances, stunned by the unexpected turn of events.
Bai Feng nodded to the Yellow Springs King and Zhuge Suapan, “Seniors, Shui Miao is a person of righteousness and loyalty. I am a female ghost who has cultivated for over five hundred years. Because of his righteousness and sense of justice, I have decided to follow him, protect him, and help him, even if it costs me my life. So please believe his words and hurry up and cultivate.”
“Senior Patriarch, I believe what she says…”
Zhuge Suapan, seeing Bai Feng, was completely captivated, almost losing his soul.
“Shui Miao!”
The Yellow Springs King took a deep breath and shouted, “Brother Shui Miao, I, the Yellow Springs King, swear from now on you are my brother. If anyone dares to bully you, I, the Yellow Springs King, will never let them off, even if it costs me my life.”
After making the oath, the Yellow Springs King immediately sat cross-legged, focused his mind, and began gathering spiritual energy to continue cultivating the Thunder Soul Body.
Bai Feng felt a bit shy under Zhuge Suapan’s gaze. She bit her lip and frowned slightly, saying softly, “What are you staring at? Hurry up and cultivate! I don’t want to stay here with you two men any longer.”
“Uh… right, right…”
Zhuge Suapan nodded awkwardly and quickly sat down to cultivate.
The Holy Yuan Ring was filled with spiritual energy, so Zhuge Suapan was extremely fortunate.
Seeing Zhuge Suapan still acting shyly, Bai Feng couldn’t help but secretly smile, developing a subtle fondness for him.
Then, Shui Miao asked Old Cai to send him into the back hall.
After that, Shui Miao had Old Cai quickly take Old Qin and the others away, advising them to stop fighting over the Nine Tripod Cauldron to avoid falling into Ye Xian’s trap.
After Old Cai hurriedly left, Shui Miao immediately found a place to sit cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began exchanging thoughts with Bai Feng to learn the Wind Riding Technique. He knew it would definitely come in handy in his final confrontation with Ye Xian.
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