txolops Chapter 122 The Yellow Springs Lead the Way, the Ghost Ship Crosses the River
Chapter 122 The Yellow Springs Lead the Way, the Ghost Ship Crosses the River
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Gu Yan leaned against the cold stone door, slid down to the ground, panting heavily without any regard for his image, clutching the jade box he had just stolen tightly in his hand.
"Are we safe now?"
Li Qingge's voice was weak. The long sword in her hand was not sheathed; the tip of the sword hung to the ground, and drops of crimson blood slowly dripped down the blood groove on the blade.
In that battle just now, most of the pressure was on Elder Wang's side.
However, in order to protect Gu Yan, she also withstood several of the gusts of wind from the overflowing demonic energy. At this moment, her internal blood and qi were surging violently, and she was slowly regulating her breathing.
"He won't die for now."
Gu Yan wiped the dust off his face, revealing a pair of shrewd eyes, and chuckled, "That old bastard's in for a rough time. The Demon Soldier lost his treasure, and right now he's probably playing whack-a-mole with them."
After they recovered, the two began to take in their surroundings.
The passage wasn't very long, and at its end was a hazy gray fog.
As you pass through the gray fog, the feel under your feet changes from hard stone slabs to slippery moss.
A bone-chilling cold swept over me, mixed with a strong, salty smell.
After walking several dozen steps, the view suddenly opened up before me.
This is a huge underground cavern with a dome so high that the top is invisible. Only a few glowing minerals, like stars, dot the darkness.
Before them lay a wide river.
The river water had an eerie, murky yellow color. The surface was as calm as a huge piece of topaz, without any ripples or the sound of flowing water.
The riverbank is lined with jagged rocks, and not a blade of grass grows there.
Countless stark white skeletons, like seashells washed ashore, are densely piled up on the black sand beach, stretching to the horizon.
"Is this the Yellow Springs?" Gu Yan pondered for a moment before asking.
The yin energy in this place is several times more terrifying than the corpse-raising ground above.
The divine and demonic Tai Chi diagram within his body operated automatically, and the dragon pearl continuously emitted heat, helping him resist the coldness of the outside world.
"Not quite the Yellow Springs, but close enough."
Li Qingge walked to the riverbank, picked up a stone, and threw it in.
"Thump."
The stone fell into the water and sank straight down without splashing, without making a gurgling sound.
"This is the Weak Water."
Li Qingge's expression was grave: "A goose feather can't float, and reeds sink to the bottom. This water has no buoyancy and is highly poisonous. Even a Golden Core cultivator would turn into a pool of blood within three breaths if they fell in. Moreover..."
She looked up at the sky: "There's an anti-flying formation here; we can't fly."
Upon hearing this, Gu Yan immediately withdrew the foot that he had stretched out to test the waters.
"Then we're trapped here and will die?"
Gu Yan frowned and pointed to the river, which was so wide that the other side could not be seen: "If we swam across, there probably wouldn't even be any bones left."
There must be a way.
Li Qingge's gaze was firm as she continued to search the shore.
Just then, the soul of the female corpse in Gu Yan's mind suddenly let out a cold snort.
"You ignorant junior, this is not the Weak Water at all, but the wastewater of the Sword Washing Pool, which is called the Sinking Sword River."
"Back when that old ghost had not yet reached the Divine Realm, he washed his sword here for a thousand years. The river water is mixed with the refined iron energy of countless broken swords, as well as his domineering and unparalleled sword intent."
"Each drop of water weighs a thousand pounds. Even if a Nascent Soul cultivator came, without a special method, he would be smashed to pieces if he fell in."
The female corpse's voice carried a hint of nostalgia, yet also a touch of mockery: "If you want to get there, you'll either have to endure the excruciating pain of being pierced by a thousand swords and swim across, or you can take out that token."
Gu Yan's heart stirred.
Token?
He remembered.
That was the Sunset Valley token that was traded with the Flowing Cloud Sect using the Blood Swordsman's clone.
I didn't expect this thing to be a VIP card?
Gu Yan's eyes darted around, but he didn't take it out immediately. Instead, he pretended to be in despair and slumped on the ground, groping around on his body as if he were looking for a lifeline.
"It's all over, it's really over. We're surrounded by wolves in front, tigers behind, and we're even being fed turtles in between."
With a sob in his voice, Gu Yan pulled out his belongings one by one: "I should have known better than to be greedy for this cheap deal. My eighty-year-old mother is still waiting for me to come back and take care of her..."
A palm-sized, jet-black iron plaque with the words "Sunset" engraved on it was "accidentally" pulled out of his pocket and rolled to Li Qingge's feet.
"bite."
The sound of the metal plate falling was exceptionally crisp.
Li Qingge was still racking her brains for a solution when she heard the noise and looked down. A look of surprise flashed in her clear, cold eyes.
With a wave of her hand, the token fell into her grasp.
"Sunset Valley Token?"
Li Qingge looked at Gu Yan with some surprise: "Where did you get this thing?"
This token is the key to the core area of Sunset Valley.
Even among the major sects, the number of these tokens is extremely limited, and each time a secret realm is opened, it becomes the focus of competition among various forces.
She originally had one, but she used it when she opened the Demon-Sealing Gate.
Unexpectedly, this seemingly unremarkable Gu Changsheng actually possessed such a treasure.
"This thing can save lives."
Li Qingge didn't think much of it, after all, Gu Yan's strange methods along the way had already made her somewhat numb.
Without further ado, she took the token and walked to the riverbank, tentatively infusing it with spiritual energy.
"Buzz".
The black token trembled, emitting a visible dark light.
The light was very soft yet extremely penetrating, shooting into the thick gray fog in front of them.
Immediately afterwards, a cold wind swept across the previously calm river surface.
A strange sound was carried on the wind.
The sound was like wood oars scraping across water, or like some kind of rusty mechanism turning.
"Squeak... squeak..."
The sound was getting closer.
Gu Yan narrowed his eyes, and his pupils, which had opened up the vision of the paper world, pierced through layers of mist to see an outline.
That was a ship.
A dilapidated awning boat covered with water plants and moss.
At the bow of the boat hung a pale white paper lantern, its flame flickering and emitting a faint blue light.
At the stern, stood a figure wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat.
The figure remained motionless, holding a long bamboo pole in its hand. The pole was inserted into the water without creating a single splash.
"A ghost ship?" Gu Yan swallowed hard.
"This is the ferryman."
In his mind, the female corpse's voice rang out again, tinged with apprehension: "Be careful. This ferryman is neither alive nor dead, but a sword slave that old ghost forged back then. It only recognizes the token, not the person, and it has a strange temper. Don't say anything carelessly on the boat, and definitely don't look back."
"Don't look back? What will happen if you do?"
Gu Yan's heart tightened.
"Look back...you'll see something you shouldn't see, then jump down yourself," the female corpse sneered.
As they were talking, the awning boat broke through the fog and silently docked at the shore.
The man in the straw raincoat kept his head down, so his face was not visible. Only a hand, as dry as tree bark, emerged from under the raincoat and gestured "please" to the two of them.
His movements were stiff, giving off an indescribable eeriness.
"Get on the ship."
Li Qingge took a deep breath, tightened her grip on the sword, and took the lead in stepping onto the shaky springboard.
Gu Yan hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and followed.
Stepping on the deck made a creaking sound, as if it might fall apart at any moment.
The two had just stood still.
The man in the straw raincoat gently tapped the rocks on the shore with his bamboo pole.
Like an arrow released from a bow, the awning boat glided into the vast Chenjian River in an instant.
The surrounding scenery rapidly receded.
The skeletons on the shore and the towering cave ceilings were quickly swallowed up by the thick gray fog.
In the vast expanse of heaven and earth, only this lone boat remained, along with the swaying white lantern at its bow.
The cabin was very cramped, only allowing two people to sit facing each other.
In the middle was a worn-out little table with a dried-up wine jug and two chipped wine glasses on it.
Gu Yan huddled in the corner, trying to keep herself as far away from the man in the straw raincoat as possible.
It's so quiet here.
It was so quiet that I could only hear my own heartbeat.
Li Qingge sat cross-legged, closed her eyes to rest, and seized every moment to recover her spiritual power.
Gu Yan couldn't calm down no matter what she did.
His vision of the paper world never closed; he was always vigilant about the movements around him.
From this unique perspective, what he saw was far more terrifying than what the naked eye could see.
Beneath that calm surface of water lies not nothingness.
Instead, it was crowded with densely packed shadows.
Those were the phantom images of countless broken swords, swimming and darting around the bottom of the ship like living fish.
Each sword was adorned with a distorted human face, greedily gazing at the presence of living beings on the ship.
Even worse, several pale arms were trying to cling to the gunwale, attempting to capsize the small boat.
But whenever they approached, the white lantern at the bow of the boat would flicker, emitting a faint halo that drove them back.
"That was close..."
Gu Yan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
If it weren't for the token that summoned this ship, and if they had tried to force their way in, they would have long since become nourishment for these sword spirits.
Just then, the ship suddenly shook violently.
"What happened?"
Li Qingge suddenly opened her eyes and placed her hand on the hilt of her sword.
Gu Yan peeked out.
A huge vortex appeared in the mist ahead.
At the center of the vortex, a black stone island can be vaguely seen.
On that rocky island, there was a giant sword that was ten feet tall.
The greatsword was entirely crimson, and even from a great distance, one could feel a scorching sword aura emanating from it.
"That's..." Li Qingge's pupils constricted sharply, "The core of the Sword Cleansing Pool, the Heaven-Burning Sword?"
She recognized the origin of the sword, her voice filled with barely concealed excitement.
Don't get too excited yet.
Gu Yan frowned.
Because he saw that the man in the straw raincoat was not punting the stone island, but deliberately avoiding it and heading into the deeper darkness.
"Senior! Could you please come closer and take a look?"
Li Qingge couldn't help but speak up and shout at the man in the straw raincoat.
That Heaven-Burning Sword is a legendary high-grade Earth-rank spiritual weapon. If she could obtain it, it would be enough to elevate her strength to another level.
"Senior! Could you please come closer and take a look?"
Li Qingge couldn't help but speak up and shout at the man in the straw raincoat.
That Heaven-Burning Sword is a legendary high-grade Earth-rank spiritual weapon. If she could obtain it, it would be enough to elevate her strength to another level.
However, the man in the straw raincoat ignored him, his rhythm with the bamboo pole remaining perfectly steady as he continued to move firmly in the predetermined direction.
"It doesn't understand human speech."
Gu Yan tugged at Li Qingge's sleeve and whispered, "Besides, that sword is excellent, but you need to be alive to wield it. Look at what's underwater."
Li Qingge followed Gu Yan's finger and looked in that direction.
Countless huge bubbles were seen churning in the waters surrounding the stone island.
Strange fish, each as thick as a bucket and covered in sharp barbs, were swimming frantically around the giant sword.
Those were saber-toothed demon fish, each possessing strength comparable to the late Foundation Establishment stage.
There are hundreds or even thousands of these demonic fish.
After seeing it clearly, Li Qingge's face turned pale, and she silently sat back down.
She understands the saying, "Greed knows no bounds."
The small boat continued onward, circling around the deadly whirlpool.
After an unknown amount of time, the fog ahead gradually dissipated.
A magnificent underground palace came into view.
The palace was built against the mountain and was constructed entirely of black basalt, with a rugged and ancient style.
The palace gates were tightly closed, and two enormous stone lions stood majestically in front of them.
Above the main gate hangs a weathered plaque with three large, elegant characters: Burial Ground.
It's neither a treasure vault nor a hall of heritage.
Instead, it is the place where bones are buried.
These three words exude a strong sense of foreboding.
"arrive."
The man in the straw raincoat stopped what he was doing for the first time and said softly.
The small boat gently docked at the shore.
There are no bones here, only a neatly paved bluestone path that stretches all the way to the palace gate.
Gu Yan and Li Qingge disembarked.
The moment their feet touched the ground, the awning boat behind them, along with the man in the straw raincoat, seemed to have completed their mission, turning into starlight in a gentle breeze and disappearing onto the river.
The black token also fell from Li Qingge's hand and flew back into the river on its own.
"Never to return?"
Gu Yan watched the small boat disappear, and his heart skipped a beat.
The meaning is quite obvious.
This transaction is a one-way ticket.
Either you obtain the inheritance and find another way out, or you stay here forever and be buried with that great being.
"Since we're here, let's make the best of it."
Li Qingge, on the other hand, seemed quite calm, or rather, she had already made up her mind.
She straightened her somewhat disheveled clothes, picked up her sword, and walked towards the palace.
Gu Yan sighed and could only follow.
The palace gates were not locked.
Li Qingge reached out and pushed him.
"Rumble..."
The heavy door slowly opened, making a series of scraping sounds.
The world behind the door was beyond their expectations.
There were no traps or mechanisms as one might have imagined, nor piles of gold and silver treasures, only a huge training ground.
The training ground was surrounded by racks of all kinds of weapons, with knives, spears, swords, halberds, axes, battle-axes, hooks, forks, and so on.
It has all eighteen kinds of weapons.
In the center of the training ground stands a huge stone tablet.
In front of the stone tablet, with his back to the two people, stood a person.
The man was dressed in a blue robe, with a tall and straight figure, long hair flowing down his shoulders, and holding a scroll in his hand, softly reciting to the stone tablet.
Looking at his back, he exudes a refined and scholarly air.
"Someone's there?!"
Gu Yan and Li Qingge were both startled and prepared for battle.
How could there possibly be any living people deep inside this underground palace that has been sealed for thousands of years?
unless……
The man seemed to sense the movement behind him and slowly turned around.
When Gu Yan saw the person's face clearly, he felt his scalp tingle and a chill run down his spine.
It was an extremely young and extremely handsome face.
He had sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, and a face as handsome as jade.
But half of his face was normal flesh and blood, while the other half was bare white bone!
Gu Yan had seen that face before.
The person depicted on the back of the fragment of the painting inside the crystal coffin in that grand hall is none other than the person right before our eyes!
That powerful being in the Nascent Soul stage!
Is he... still alive?
"Isn't it a pleasure to have friends coming from afar?"
The half-human, half-skeletal man in the blue robe smiled faintly at the two of them, revealing a set of white teeth and half of a terrifying gum.
His voice was gentle and warm, yet it sounded particularly jarring in the deathly silent hall.
"Young friends, have you come here to play chess with me?"
As he spoke, he casually waved his hand.
In the center of the once empty training ground, a stone table, two stone benches, and a black and white chessboard suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
"sit."
He pointed to the seat opposite him, his eyes sincere, like a hospitable host.
Li Qingge's palms were covered in sweat as she gripped the sword.
She couldn't sense any presence from this person.
He stood there, as if he didn't exist in this world.
This is a manifestation of returning to simplicity and reaching the pinnacle of cultivation.
"May I ask your honorable title, senior?" Li Qingge's voice was somewhat hoarse.
"I haven't used the name in so long that I've forgotten some of it."
"It's him! It's him! That heartless bastard! He really isn't dead! He's turned himself into a weapon spirit! Kill him! Kill him for me!"
Gu Yan's head throbbed from the shout.
Kill him?
Sister, look at that aura! Am I supposed to kill her?
Gu Yan forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, suppressed his fear, stepped forward, and bowed respectfully.
"So it's Senior Burial Sword! I've heard so much about you! I'm Gu Changsheng, and I've come specifically to... uh, to pay my respects!"
"Greetings?"
The man in the blue robe looked at Gu Yan with a half-smile, his gaze seemingly able to see through his soul.
"If you're here to pay your respects, why do you carry the scent of my unfortunate wife?"
He sighed softly, and the skeletal hand gently touched the scroll in his hand.
"Is she... alright?"
This question, asked with utmost gentleness, actually concealed a deadly intent.
The next second, countless weapons on the surrounding weapon racks emitted excited buzzing sounds and began to slowly rise into the air, pointing towards Gu Yan and Li Qingge.