41: Refining Huangquan Mountain and opening the Netherworld Passage

Gu Changsheng calmed his mind and focused his thoughts, tapping the '+' sign five times.

Boom—

An intense bone-marrow-draining sensation hit him, and a large amount of Lifespan was extracted, pouring into the attribute panel.

Visibly, fine wrinkles appeared on his face, neck, and arms, his temples instantly turned gray, and he looked like an old man on the verge of death, as if he would collapse the next second.

Now, only a little over three months of Lifespan remained on the panel.

At the same time, the Yellow Springs Free and Unfettered Wonderful Method was forcibly elevated to the sixth tier.

“This time, it almost exhausted all my Lifespan... Fortunately, I finally found a glimmer of hope.

It turns out... this Yellow Springs Mountain is the core of the entire Immortal Cave, and even the Secret Realm.

I only need to use the [Treasure Refining Art] to refine more than 30% of the Yellow Springs Mountain's Restrictions, and I can barely control the Secret Realm and open the Nether Passage.”

The [Treasure Refining Art] was a spell that emerged when the Yellow Springs Free and Unfettered Wonderful Method reached the sixth tier.

It used Yellow Springs Qi to cleanse Magic Treasures, washing away any Divine Soul imprints and refining them.

This Yellow Springs Mountain before him was essentially a mountain-shaped Magic Treasure.

Yun Niang was merely a wisp of the Yellow Springs Great Emperor's split Divine Soul, barely controlling the Immortal Cave area.

“Treasure Refining Art... given the volume of Yellow Springs Mountain, even refining 30% would take at least thirty years... Fortunately, Yellow Springs Mountain is a famous mountain.

Combining the Treasure Refining Art with the Mountain Refining Art from the Yuanshan Body Fusion Technique will greatly increase efficiency.”

Without further ado, Gu Changsheng sat cross-legged on the stone lotus, manipulating two sets of hand seals, and various mysterious auras emanated from him.

The earth pulse Qi of Yellow Springs Mountain was continuously extracted and refined into Nine Nether Yellow Springs Evil.

Unlike before, this Nine Nether Yellow Springs Evil was not absorbed into his body, but rather permeated the core of the earth pulse in a mysterious way, outlining intricate patterns.

A faint, almost imperceptible connection was born in his heart.

“Indeed, with both methods combined, the efficiency of refining Yellow Springs Mountain has increased by at least a hundredfold.

In no more than three months, I will be able to refine the Yellow Springs Mountain's Restrictions to over 30%...”

Gu Changsheng slowly closed his eyes.

Inside the Immortal Cave, Yun Niang frowned slightly.

“Strange, why do I suddenly feel a bit restless...”

As a wisp of the Yellow Springs Great Emperor's split Divine Soul, she knew very well that a Cultivator's sudden premonitions were often not simple but had a specific meaning.

“Could it be related to that brat...”

Yun Niang remained silent for a moment, her expression gradually turning grim.

“Hmph, that brat is somewhat extraordinary.

The demonic cultivation method he practices is of extremely high grade, not even inferior to our sect's sacred method.

But so what?

With such a heaven-shattering Opportunity before him, it's hard not to be tempted.

The more of a Genius one is, the more highly one thinks of oneself.

Perhaps he already believes the Legacy of this Immortal Cave is his for the taking.

Even if we take ten thousand steps back, without the soul return talisman I bestowed, and with the Nether Passage closed, no one can escape this place.”

It turned out that Lord Qiantang's three-hundred-year-plus scheme was merely one link in Yun Niang's calculations.

Three months later, Gu Changsheng suddenly opened his eyes, a hint of pleasant surprise in his gaze.

“Finally, 30% refined... and even... an unexpected bonus...”

At this moment, controlling a portion of the Secret Realm and opening the Nether Passage was no longer an issue.

He even discovered a loophole in the Immortal Cave's Restrictions, specifically where the medicine garden was located.

Using this loophole, he could sneak in and steal Spirit Medicine.

In the Human Realm, any ordinary medicinal herb, after tens of thousands of years of growth, could transform from mortal to spiritual.

Let alone Heaven And Earth Treasure.

Thinking of the medicine garden full of Spirit Medicine, Gu Changsheng couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.

The lowest grade Spirit Medicine there was of the Purple Qi Dragon Ginseng variety, ranked Earth-grade.

Their age even exceeded ten thousand years.

Even a Dongxuan Realm Old Ancestor would fight tooth and nail for them.

“Forget it... better to avoid extra trouble.

Once I run into that person, fighting within the Immortal Cave puts me at a disadvantage.

Unfortunately, my Lifespan is about to run out, and I must return to the Human Realm quickly to replenish it.

Otherwise, I would simply stay here for a year or two and completely refine Yellow Springs Mountain.

By then, simply by relying on the Immortal Cave's Restrictions, I could suppress and kill that person with a single thought.”

Gu Changsheng sighed.

At this moment, his face was covered in wrinkles like tree roots, his hair and beard were all white, and dark yellow age spots appeared all over his body, subtly emitting a peculiar scent of decay.

On the panel, his Lifespan was less than three days.

“So be it, at most I'll just wait another sixty years... I'll jot this grudge down for now.”

Gu Changsheng's mind stirred, communicating with Yellow Springs Mountain, and immediately the earth shook.

The Nether Qi in the Void Realm surged like waves, parting to reveal a passage, at the end of which appeared a scene from the Human Realm.

It was the Nether Passage.

“It's time to go...”

Gu Changsheng transformed into a blood-red streak and flashed through.

At this moment, he controlled part of the Secret Realm's authority, and the Netherworld Beasts along the way dared not obstruct him.

Suddenly, a surge of malevolent intent rushed towards him.

“Don't even think of escaping!”

Looking back, a scarlet phantom shot out from the Immortal Cave, its face blurry, bearing an eighty percent resemblance to Yun Niang.

However, as soon as the phantom flew out of the Immortal Cave, it began to melt at a visible speed, like snow meeting spring sunlight.

“So, you were indeed watching me... but it's too late.”

Gu Changsheng let out a cold shout, and the Restriction power in the Void Realm transformed into a profound yellow giant sword, slashing down fiercely.

With a scream, the red-clad phantom was split in half from head to toe.

A wisp of spiritual light escaped from the red-clad phantom.

It was a wisp of Divine Soul.

“Go.”

Within his heart space, the Divine Ability seed spat out a faint glow, flying from Gu Changsheng's fingertip.

It darted through the Void Realm like a shuttle, instantly annihilating that wisp of Divine Soul.

The Nine Nether Soul-Seizing Underworld Light was inherently a supreme Divine Ability for attacking Divine Souls.

Killing a wisp of split Divine Soul was incredibly easy.

“Hmph, to stop me from leaving, she didn't hesitate to defy the Restrictions laid down by the Yellow Springs Great Emperor and split off a wisp of her Divine Soul... Unfortunately, my Nine Nether Soul-Seizing Underworld Light specializes in attacking Divine Souls.”

Gu Changsheng looked coldly towards the depths of Yellow Springs Mountain.

“Just wait... sixty years from now, Gu will repay this grudge a hundredfold...”

He looked up at the sky.

In the scene, trees were lush and full of vitality.

It was the Human Realm.

Finally, he was getting out.

Yellow Springs Cave Abode.

At this moment, Yun Niang was bleeding from all seven orifices, looking like a mad demon, two streams of bloody tears flowing from her eyes, her face as hideous as a malevolent ghost.

Black Qi surged from her fair palms, growing long, sharp black claws, frantically tearing at her surroundings.

“The pain!”

“That damned little thief!”

“Ah!”

The excruciating pain from her Divine Soul almost made her faint.

“No... my Divine Soul is about to fall into slumber... I must go back and recuperate...”

Yun Niang painstakingly pried open the crystal coffin and lay inside.

As the coffin closed, a mysterious aura nourished her Divine Soul.

“A huge loss... half of my Divine Soul is gone... it will take at least a thousand years to recuperate... I can only hope for the contingency plan I left before...”

...Whoosh—

A figure walked out from the Yellow Springs Cave entrance.

“Finally... I'm out... Haha.”

With the breeze caressing his face, Gu Changsheng couldn't help but laugh up at the sky.

Compared to the Human Realm, the Yellow Springs Secret Realm was too dead and oppressive.

He turned back to look; the cave entrance was a pitch-black void, with surging waves of Nether Qi within.

At this moment, it was rapidly closing.

“Indeed, my perception of Yellow Springs Mountain is rapidly declining... Apart from slaying the revived Qiantang River Jiao Dragon sixty years later, even I have no way to enter the Yellow Springs Secret Realm.”

Having refined 30% of the Yellow Springs Mountain's Restrictions, Gu Changsheng was barely half a master of the Yellow Springs Secret Realm.

However, with the Yin and Yang realms separated, as the cave entrance closed, his Divine Soul connection with Yellow Springs Mountain was completely imperceptible, naturally preventing him from opening the Nether Passage.

“The most pressing matter is still to replenish my Lifespan as quickly as possible...”

Gu Changsheng muttered.

Suddenly, he frowned; two streaks of light, one black and one yellow, streaked across the sky in the distance, chasing each other.

Their auras were extraordinary, both belonging to Spirit Building Stage cultivators.