At this moment, Jia Zhuangyuan also put aside his usual flippant attitude. With a solemn expression, he said to everyone, “My guess was right—there is indeed a massive man-made structure beneath us. If I’m not mistaken, this underground city is only the beginning.”
Everyone looked at him in astonishment. Finally, Liu Dashao couldn’t help but ask, “Senior Jia, are you saying this city is merely the start of these underground constructions? Could there be even more cities or other structures ahead?”
A strange smile flickered across Jia Zhuangyuan’s face. Without directly answering, he said excitedly yet mysteriously, “If reaching our destination were this easy, would it even be possible? I suspect this ‘Wuji Daozang’ is beyond your imagination. You should feel fortunate just to witness it once in your lifetime.”
With that, he turned on his flashlight and started searching for a path downward.
Jia Zhuangyuan’s words stirred a strange unease in everyone’s heart—especially Liu Dashao’s. A massive city built hundreds of meters underground—who built it, and how? Could humans really possess such wisdom and power?
As Liu Dashao was lost in thought, Fan Debiao gave him a nudge from behind and said, “What are you thinking about? Everyone’s already gone down.”
Liu Dashao snapped back to reality. Jia Zhuangyuan was leading the way, with several others cautiously following him down the slope. Liu Dashao quickly joined them.
The descent to the bottom of the pit seemed treacherous, with no clear path—just jagged, hard rocks. The flashlight beams revealed that the stones appeared to be fused together, mostly black and grayish-brown, like cooled volcanic lava.
As the saying goes: climbing up is easy, but going down is hard. The uneven rocks made every step difficult, and progress was painfully slow. In this vast underground space, the beams from their flashlights seemed feeble and dim.
Fortunately, they encountered no strange underground creatures along the way. After about five minutes, they finally reached relatively flat ground.
The massive underground city stood silently not far ahead. From their new vantage point at the bottom of the pit, they now had to look up to see it.
Then, they noticed something extremely strange. When their flashlights accidentally shone onto the city walls, the entire structure began to emit a dazzling black glow.
Jia Zhuangyuan fixed his flashlight beam steadily on the wall. His eyes gleamed with an unusual light, his small eyes darting around as he swallowed hard. His hand holding the flashlight began to tremble slightly.
Seeing his strange behavior, everyone felt alarmed. After a deep breath, Jia Zhuangyuan turned to face them, his expression now calm, even somber.
Slowly, he said, “If I’m not mistaken, this underground city we’re seeing is… the legendary entrance to Fengdu Ghost City—the Yellow Spring Road.”
Liu Dashao stepped forward anxiously. “Senior Jia, did you say Fengdu Ghost City? Are you sure you’re not mistaken?”
Jia Zhuangyuan slowly nodded without speaking further.
Liu Dashao’s expression suddenly turned tense and serious. He gazed silently ahead, muttering, “Fengdu Ghost City… Fengdu Ghost City…”
Suddenly turning to Jia Zhuangyuan, he asked intently, “Could the legends actually be true? Does Fengdu Ghost City really exist in this world? Does it really lead to… that place?”
Jia Zhuangyuan looked at him calmly and replied in a low, deliberate voice, “I have a feeling the legends are all true. The path we’re on leads directly to that place.”
Their conversation left everyone confused. Fan Debiao quickly asked, “Dashao, what are you two talking about? What Fengdu Ghost City? What place?”
Liu Dashao sighed and said, “Few people probably even know the legend of Fengdu Ghost City. Let’s rest here for a while, and I’ll tell you the story. Whether we should continue forward or find another route, we should decide together.”
A strange feeling suddenly arose in Fan Debiao’s heart—Jia Zhuangyuan and Liu Dashao’s behavior suggested something serious was at hand.
Liu Dashao signaled everyone to rest on the spot and assigned Yang Weidong to keep watch.
Everyone sat down. Jia Zhuangyuan quietly moved a little distance away, turned off his flashlight, and disappeared into the darkness, clearly indicating he had nothing more to say.
Liu Dashao glanced at him, his lips moving as if wanting to say something, but finally just sat down, lost in thought about how to explain this ghost city to the others.
All eyes were fixed on Liu Dashao, waiting for him to clear their confusion.
After a long silence, Liu Dashao raised his head and began, “Legend says there is a Pingdu Mountain in Fengdu, which is the forty-fifth blessed land among the Daoist seventy-two sacred sites. According to the ‘Biographies of Immortals’ from the Eastern Han Dynasty and ‘Biographies of Immortals’ by Ge Hong of the Jin Dynasty, during the Han Dynasty, Wang Fangping and Yin Changsheng once came here to cultivate Daoism and eventually attained immortality, ascending to heaven. As their fame spread, many immortals came to visit. For example, the legendary Immortal Lady Ma once visited Wang Fangping but missed him. To this day, traces of her stay remain, such as ‘Immortal Lady Rock’ and ‘Magu Cave.’ Additionally, Lü Dongbin also visited Wang Fangping and Yin Changsheng. Later, ‘Wang and Yin’ were misinterpreted as ‘Yin Wang’ (King of the Underworld), and thus Fengdu became the capital of the underworld ruled by King Yama. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the Five Pecks of Rice Sect flourished in Sichuan. Fengdu belonged to Bashu at that time and was one of the early strongholds of Daoism. The sect incorporated many elements of witchcraft, earning it the name ‘Ghost Dao,’ with its priests called ‘Ghost Officials.’ This mixture of immortals, people, and ghosts led to the formation of the ‘Ghost City.’ Thus, the originally sacred Pingdu Mountain gradually became shrouded in ghostly energy, with numerous underworld deities flooding into Fengdu, turning it into the earthly version of the underworld. This is the commonly known Fengdu, but the real Fengdu’s location remains unknown, known only in records as the true gateway to hell.”
He paused, took a few sips of water from the flask Fan Debiao handed him, and continued, “That’s the history of Fengdu Ghost City. Whether it’s true or false, and how much exaggeration there is, only those who recorded the Daoist scriptures know for sure.”
Just as he finished speaking, a strange crackling sound suddenly echoed through the vast, silent underground space, sounding eerie and terrifying.
Everyone immediately stood up, scanning the surroundings in alarm, trying to locate the source of the sound. Only Jia Zhuangyuan remained seated, calmly saying, “It’s the sound of the Manjushage flowers growing. They’ve been asleep for a thousand years, waiting for us to awaken them.”
“Manjushage flowers?” Cai Qingchong asked in surprise. “Aren’t they supposed to grow on both sides of the Naihe Bridge leading into the underworld?”
Jia Zhuangyuan replied with a faint voice, “You think Fengdu isn’t the underworld?”
Cai Qingchong stared at him in disbelief, his inner shock indescribable.
With the crackling sound of the Manjushage flowers growing and Liu Dashao’s somber narration, everyone felt a chill run through their hearts.
Just as Liu Dashao finished speaking, a strange creaking sound suddenly echoed. Jia Zhuangyuan shouted, “No good! The city gate is opening!”
With a loud crash, a strange yellow light burst from the opening city gate. In an instant, everyone’s blood ran cold. This scene was too incredible, too eerie!
The yellow light from the gate was dazzlingly bright. Slowly, it was as if they were watching a sci-fi movie, watching the entire Fengdu Ghost City gradually light up. In a moment, golden light illuminated the entire underground space.
At the same time, everyone saw countless huge, vivid red flowers blooming around the city and along the opened passage. These enormous red flowers were incredibly vibrant and beautiful, yet they had no leaves or branches, giving an eerie, surreal feeling.
Looking at this scene, everyone was too terrified to speak. After a long silence, Jia Zhuangyuan slowly said, “The ghost city, the Manjushage flowers, the path to the underworld—we’ve seen them all. What happens next? No one knows. The Naihe Bridge? Or the Eighteen Levels of Hell?”
His words finally snapped everyone out of their shock. What should they do? This was the real question on everyone’s mind.
All eyes turned to Liu Dashao and Jia Zhuangyuan. Jia Zhuangyuan shrugged, gave a bitter smile, and said, “Don’t look at me. Honestly, I know no more about Fengdu Ghost City than young Liu here.”
Liu Dashao’s expression was grave as he said, “Now, I think we have no choice. The blooming Manjushage flowers mean we’ve already been entered into the underworld’s records. No one can leave this place anymore. Only by going forward might there still be hope of survival.”
Fan Debiao finally couldn’t hold back and asked, “Why? What does the blooming of the Manjushage flowers mean? Why can’t we leave? I was hoping we could all escape this cursed place and find another way out.”
Liu Dashao gave a bitter smile and said, “The Manjushage flower, also known as the Hell Flower, according to Daoist teachings, means that when you see it, you’ve already arrived in hell. The scenery you see may seem familiar, but in reality, we’re already in hell—no one can escape. Additionally, the Manjushage flower is also called the ‘Manjushage,’ the only guiding flower of the underworld. When you see this flower, you are already dead. Although you retain memories of your past life, once you step onto the path to the underworld, you will forget everything.”
Cai Qingchong then said, “Dashao, I think your explanation is too far-fetched. We’re still alive, right? Our memories haven’t been lost. If we leave now, there shouldn’t be any problem, should there?”
Liu Dashao suddenly sat down, closed his eyes, and fell into meditation, refusing to speak further. Jia Zhuangyuan looked at him and sighed deeply before sitting down as well.
Fan Debiao looked anxious, glancing between Liu Dashao and Jia Zhuangyuan, feeling helpless.
Suddenly, Cai Qingchong made a decision. He turned to Fan Debiao and said, “Debiao, let me try. I’ll go back the way we came. If I can make it out of this valley, then we can all find another way out.”
Everyone, feeling uncertain and anxious, agreed. After all, they didn’t fully believe Liu Dashao’s words. Testing it out would make things clear.
Cai Qingchong nodded at everyone and turned to retrace their steps. At that moment, both Jia Zhuangyuan and Liu Dashao suddenly shouted in unison, “No!”
Cai Qingchong froze, turned back, and looked at the two of them. Liu Dashao stood up and said to everyone, “I know you don’t believe me, so I won’t stop Cai Qingchong from trying. But I don’t want him becoming a wandering soul. Does anyone have a sturdy rope?”
Fan Debiao responded, pulling out the remaining climbing rope from his backpack and handing it to Liu Dashao. Everyone looked at Liu Dashao in confusion as he approached Cai Qingchong, tying the rope around his waist with two tight knots. He said, “Cai Qingchong, some things must be proven to be accepted. Just remember, you must walk slowly, step by step. If anything changes, hold tightly to the rope around your waist.”
Cai Qingchong nodded uncertainly, indicating he understood. Liu Dashao then took a yellow triangular talisman from his bag and tucked it into Cai Qingchong’s chest, saying, “This talisman will protect your life and keep your soul intact.”
After tying the rope, Liu Dashao handed the other end to Fan Debiao and said to everyone, “Please hold this rope tightly—it’s the lifeline for Cai Qingchong.”
Everyone felt a chill—what did this mean? Even Cai Qingchong, about to step forward, felt a cold dread—could walking a few steps really be dangerous?
Despite their doubts, everyone grabbed the rope behind Cai Qingchong. Cai Qingchong began to walk slowly forward, with Fan Debiao and Yang Weidong carefully letting out the rope behind him.
Taking the first step, Cai Qingchong quickly glanced around—nothing seemed to change, and he felt slightly reassured. He took a second step, but suddenly noticed something strange. The light from Fengdu Ghost City became dazzlingly bright, and he felt a cold, eerie wind.
Cai Qingchong’s heart pounded with fear. He hesitated, then forced himself to take a third step. Suddenly, he felt dizzy, his consciousness becoming muddled. He looked around in confusion. A faint black mist slowly rose, enveloping him. The cold wind grew stronger.
Cai Qingchong bit his tongue hard, pain shooting through his body. Despite feeling unwell, he took a fourth step.
Suddenly, Cai Qingchong was horrified to see everything around him completely change! He found himself in a white, icy world, with bone-chilling cold wind piercing through him. His consciousness rapidly faded, and his last memory was seeing countless black shadows dancing wildly, shrieking, and lunging toward him with claws…
When Cai Qingchong regained consciousness, he opened his eyes to see everyone’s anxious faces. He felt weak, his whole body drained of strength, and his head throbbed painfully.
Seeing Cai Qingchong awake, Liu Dashao approached, squatted down, took Cai Qingchong’s left hand, felt his pulse, and asked, “How do you feel?”
Cai Qingchong gave a bitter smile and said, “Not too bad, just weak and with a headache.”
Liu Dashao nodded and said, “Fortunately, you only took four steps. Do you know? If you had taken nine steps, even the greatest immortal couldn’t save you. I told you—the Manjushage flower is the underworld’s guiding flower. When you see it, your soul is already marked. Each person has three souls and seven spirits. If you try to leave this place, each step you take will cost part of your soul. After nine steps, all your souls will be gone.”
Cai Qingchong shook his head helplessly and said, “I never imagined such a flower could exist in the world.”
At this moment, Jia Zhuangyuan walked over with a sneer and said, “Thankfully, I noticed something was wrong and had them pull you back. Otherwise, you’d already be in hell by now. You thought legends were fake? You thought ghosts and spirits were fictional? Young man, you should listen to the elders, you know?”
Everyone helplessly accepted his sarcasm, silenced by the undeniable reality.
After checking Cai Qingchong’s pulse, Liu Dashao said, “Good thing we pulled him back in time. His soul hasn’t been lost, just invaded by evil spirits. After resting a bit and taking one of my ‘Dragon and Tiger Golden Pills,’ he’ll recover in half an hour. Everyone rest for a while—we have no choice but to enter Fengdu Ghost City.”
Seeing Cai Qingchong’s condition, everyone reluctantly accepted Liu Dashao’s words. Whether they would live or die in Fengdu Ghost City was now up to fate.
After a half-hour rest, Cai Qingchong stood up and stretched, feeling mostly recovered. He gave Liu Dashao a nod.
Seeing that Cai Qingchong was fine, everyone stood up, ready to enter Fengdu Ghost City. Jia Zhuangyuan solemnly said to everyone, “There’s no need to say more—the Fengdu Ghost City must be entered. I hope everyone gathers their courage to face whatever may come. Let’s move out!” After what had just happened, everyone understood there was no turning back. A fearless, even resigned, determination quietly spread among them. Without further words, Liu Dashao called Fan Debiao and led the way.
Fengdu Ghost City gradually came closer. The city gate was now open, revealing a main street bathed in a strange, deep blue light.
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