572: Lu Xueqi (49)

Who did it?

Or was it caused by the remnant Soul of the Soul Devouring Beast itself?

"Are we... going to cross the River of Oblivion? And walk the Yellow Springs Road?" Bi Yao looked at the murky river, floating with countless suffering Souls, her face a little pale. Even though she came from the Demonic Sect, facing such a netherworld river that only existed in legends, she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread.

Legend has it that if a living person falls into the River of Oblivion, they will be eternally lost, losing all their memories.

And the Yellow Springs Road is a dead end with no return!

Su Han shook his head, pointing to the riverbank at the starting point of the Yellow Springs Road.

There, a dilapidated small wooden boat was tied, all alone.

The boat was paint black, looking ordinary, with a lantern hanging from its bow, emitting a faint green glow.

The lantern's halo illuminated a small, relatively "safe" area on the dim Yellow Springs River.

"There's a ferry," Su Han said, "The mark's information indicates that those holding a Netherworld Mark can use this boat to cross the river, step onto the Yellow Springs Road, and proceed to the core of the Seal. This might be the only way."

Lu Xueqi and Bi Yao looked in the direction Su Han pointed and indeed saw the small boat and the green lantern.

In this eerie environment, the boat and the lantern appeared particularly sinister.

But it seemed there was indeed no other path.

Retreat? The stone tablet entrance they came through was one-way; they had tried and could not return.

They could only advance.

The three exchanged glances, seeing the determination in each other's eyes.

Su Han was the first to step down the stairs from the tunnel exit, treading on the soft, damp earth by the River of Oblivion.

Closer to the riverbank, the putrid smell grew stronger, and the wails of the Souls in the river were clearly audible, disturbing their minds.

The light of the tianya sword and the white glow of the heartbreak flower automatically intensified, helping their owners resist this mental erosion.

They carefully avoided the spider lily bushes that spread to the shore—these eerie flowers always gave people an ominous feeling—and arrived beside the small wooden boat.

The boat was very small, looking like it could only accommodate three or four people at most.

Su Han tentatively stepped onto the bow.

The small boat swayed gently but did not sink.

The glow of the green lantern seemed to stabilize a bit.

Su Han motioned for Lu Xueqi and Bi Yao to board the boat.

The two women hesitated slightly, then also stepped onto the small boat one after another.

When all three were on board, the rope tying the boat automatically untied, then like a living thing, it retracted into the mud of the riverbank, disappearing.

The small boat, without oars or sails, began to move slowly on its own, heading towards the opposite bank of the River of Oblivion, in the direction shrouded by mist.

The green lantern's light enveloped the small boat, isolating the yellow river water and the struggling Soul phantoms outside its halo.

But even so, experiencing the Death Qi of the River of Oblivion up close still put immense pressure on the three, requiring them to circulate their spiritual Qi with all their might to resist.

The boat traveled at a moderate speed.

Su Han stood at the bow, staring intently at the approaching mist ahead, and the faintly visible outline of a huge pass behind the mist—the Ghost Gate Pass!

Just gazing at that gate made one feel a shiver, as if their Soul was about to be sucked away.

It was as if by passing through that gate, they would truly step into the infernal realm of eternal damnation, with no way back.

"Ghost Gate Pass..." Bi Yao murmured, her palms slightly sweaty.

Lu Xueqi gripped Tian Ya, her clear, cold eyes fixed on the giant gate, her body adjusted to its optimal state, ready to unleash a thunderous strike at any moment.

The small boat finally docked, gently bumping against the hard black earth.

The green light at the bow flickered a few times, its glow gradually receding.

Su Han was the first to leap off the small boat, his feet landing firmly on the ground.

The land by the shore was cold, hard, and permeated with a smell of dust and decay.

He turned back, extending a hand to help Lu Xueqi and Bi Yao.

After the two women landed, the small wooden boat, like a phantom, slowly sank into the mud by the shore and disappeared, along with the green lantern.

Their retreat was cut off.

The three stood at the starting point of the Yellow Springs Road, with the giant "Yellow Springs Road" stone tablet ahead, and the towering Ghost Gate Pass further in the distance.

The cracks on the stone tablet were clearer than when viewed from the opposite bank of the river; wisps of pure black Qi seeped out, twisting like living things, emitting a sense of chaos and devouring power, originating from the Soul Devouring Beast but appearing even more bizarre.

These black Qi seemed to be resisting the netherworld Death Qi of the entire space, yet also slowly eroding the Law here.

"The cracks in the Seal are more serious than imagined," Su Han walked to the stone tablet, extended his finger, and lightly touched a crack.

A bone-chilling cold and a sticky, repulsive sensation at the Soul level came from his fingertip.

The Netherworld Mark immediately reacted, a warm current surging out, dispelling that repulsive feeling.

"Can it be repaired?" Lu Xueqi asked.

Su Han shook his head: "The stone tablet is merely an external manifestation of the Seal; the core is beyond the Ghost Gate Pass. Without resolving the source, repairing the surface is meaningless. Moreover, these cracks were caused by an internal impact, combined with external... some kind of guided force."

His sharp gaze swept around; apart from the three of them, he couldn't sense the aura of any other living Soul.

Who was guiding from the outside?

Was it that mysterious shadow?

Or was there a problem within the Netherworld Sect?

"Let's go, be careful and vigilant," Su Han said in a deep voice, taking the lead and stepping onto the winding dirt path—the Yellow Springs Road!

The moment his foot landed, an invisible pressure suddenly descended!

It felt as if tens of thousands of pounds of weight pressed down on their shoulders, and even more terrifying, their Souls also seemed to become heavy, their thoughts slowing down slightly.

At the same time, the gray mist around them began to churn, and countless whispers, cries, and roars faintly emerged, disturbing their minds.

On both sides of the road, there was still an endless sea of spider lilies, but here the flowers were even bloodier, even blackish-red, emitting a rich, sickly sweet scent that made one dizzy upon smelling it.

Within the flower bushes, countless eyes seemed to be secretly peeking.

Lu Xueqi and Bi Yao immediately circulated their spiritual Qi, their protective lights shining, resisting this pressure and mental erosion.

The tianya sword emitted a faint hum, its azure sword light sweeping across, dispelling some of the approaching mist.

The light of the heartbreak flower was gentler, protecting a small area around the three.

Su Han, relying on the Netherworld Mark, had stronger resistance to this pressure. He walked at the forefront, his Divine Sense highly concentrated, sensing ahead.

The fluctuations of the Soul Devouring Beast's remnant Soul became increasingly clear, filled with madness, hunger, and a desire for destruction.

The Yellow Springs Road appeared straight but was actually winding and twisting, as if without end.

The three advanced under heavy pressure and the interference of eerie sounds, their speed not fast.

After walking for a while, a blurred figure suddenly appeared in the mist by the roadside ahead.

The figure was hunched, carrying a dim yellow lantern, standing by the road, seemingly waiting for something.

As they got closer, they saw it was an old woman, dressed in ancient clothing, with a withered face.

Her face was full of wrinkles, her eyes hollow, but a strange smile hung at the corner of her mouth.

At her feet, there was a dilapidated wooden bucket, filled with murky liquid, emitting an indescribable smell.

"Meng Po..." Bi Yao exclaimed softly, subconsciously gripping her Magic Treasure.

Legend has it that before the Ghost Gate Pass, there is Meng Po; only by drinking Meng Po's Soup and forgetting past memories can one enter Reincarnation. (End of Chapter)