Chapter 133: Departure

"I am... Dijiang..."

Dijiang opened one of its fleshy palms, and a mouth on it emitted a deep, sonorous voice. Lu Qian was startled to realize that the moment Dijiang spoke, the Smoke Maiden had vanished.

*Crackle!*

The Mountain God crumbled into ash. However, Lu Qian knew this did not mean the Mountain God was truly dead. He could clearly sense the earth's energy within a radius of several dozen miles slowly converging. At this rate, it would take no more than ten hours for the Mountain God to resurrect.

Perhaps this was what they meant by "sheer force works miracles." The Mountain God could resurrect infinitely, but if killed countless times in a short period, it would be unable to re-coalesce for a while.

Yet, that this monster before him was actually Dijiang was something Lu Qian had not expected. Dijiang, also known as Chaos, was described in the *Classic of Deities and Strange Things* as a ferocious beast that would "harass the virtuous and cling to the wicked," and "dwell in emptiness, aimlessly biting its own tail, spinning around while laughing at the heavens." It was clearly a fickle and malevolent creature. This beast was not naturally born; it must have been a chaotic demonic fetus created by Xiangliu using forbidden arts.

*Whoosh!*

Dijiang transformed into human form, and the Smoke Maiden reappeared by its side. This gave Lu Qian a strange sense of unease.

"Hehe..." Shenzeng stood in place, chuckling for reasons unknown.

They passed through the garden and entered the palace. Suddenly, a chilling, icy sensation swept over them. The palace was wreathed in a thick, ghostly green mist. On both sides of the corridor were chambers with wide-open doors. On the left stood a tall alchemical furnace; the golden pills inside had long since turned to dregs, and the floor was covered in a thick layer of dust. As they stepped forward, dust billowed into the air. In the spacious room on the right lay countless withered remains—some human, some beast, and some hybrid monsters fused from both.

As they ventured deeper into the palace, it grew increasingly eerie and cold. The floor was carpeted in thick dust. Before them appeared a massive gate. The pitch-black stone doors, weighing tens of thousands of pounds, were thick and imposing, carved with all manner of monsters.

*Creak!*

The gates opened automatically. A damp, frigid aura rushed out. Inside was pitch black, evoking an instinctive chill in one's heart. Faint, strange cries echoed. The sound reverberated, though it was unclear if it was dripping water or the soft whispers of demons hidden in the darkness.

*Snap!*

Red Ghost snapped his fingers, and a spark of fire appeared at his fingertip. The flame carried a trace of warmth, illuminating the surroundings. The scene before them made one's scalp tingle.

They stood in what appeared to be a grand hall. Along both sides of the hall sat dozens of figures in lotus positions, as motionless as statues. Upon closer inspection, Lu Qian realized these were actual living beings. To his right sat an old man with the ethereal air of a sage, eyes tightly shut, a smile playing on his lips. His entire body was encased in a transparent shell, much like an insect trapped in amber. The main seat at the end of the hall remained empty.

"Are these people alive? No, they are dead," Red Ghost remarked, sensing no signs of life. However, judging by the ritual robes they wore, they must have possessed formidable cultivation in their lifetimes. Before each figure sat a desk holding jade scrolls and golden boxes; though covered in dust, it was clear these objects were extraordinary.

"Time to divide the treasures, and perhaps add a newcomer," Shenzeng chuckled coldly.

The other two turned to look at Lu Qian, wearing inexplicable smiles.

"What is the meaning of this?" Lu Qian’s expression grew grave, his fingers secretly forming a seal.

"The meaning?"

Shenzeng suddenly threw back his cloak. Red Ghost and the Smoke Maiden dissolved into green smoke, merging into Shenzeng’s eyes and mouth respectively.

"I quite like your nose; from now on, we shall be one," Shenzeng said slowly. "Do not worry, you will be well treated. Being my subordinate is a blessing you could never cultivate in a lifetime."

As he spoke, Red Ghost and the Smoke Maiden reappeared, blocking the exit.

"Fellow Daoist, do not panic. Look at me, am I not perfectly fine? My strength has even increased. Trusting Master Shenzeng is the right choice," Red Ghost said with a laugh.

"Hehe, to thank you for bringing me to the Nether River Secret Vault, I shall make this quick. You will be liberated soon."

"Become a part of my body, and let us create a great enterprise together. Hehe!"

Shenzeng’s black pupils spiraled, and his mouthless face emitted a manic laugh. The air around them seemed to freeze. At the moment he met those eyes, Lu Qian’s Yin Spirit felt a flicker of trance. Fortunately, having been on guard, he recited the Cleansing Heart Mantra, instantly regaining some clarity.

"Command!"

Lu Qian exhaled sharply. The Mysterious Gold Sword Pouch flew out. A dazzling burst of golden energy erupted, illuminating the hall as brightly as day, blinding those who looked upon it. The golden energy, like agile fish, rapidly divided into countless long golden swords.

*Whoosh! Whoosh!*

The swords shot out, targeting the Smoke Maiden.

"Ah!"

The flying swords were incorporeal, moving with the speed of light. Before the Smoke Maiden could react, they pierced through her Yin Spirit. She broke through her protective baleful energy, but the sharp golden aura ruthlessly shredded her Yin Spirit, a torment more severe than slow slicing. Once her protection was shattered, the Yin Spirit was exposed and dissolved like snow in the golden light.

From Lu Qian’s sudden strike to the Smoke Maiden’s total annihilation, the entire process took less than two breaths. The Mysterious Gold Sword Pouch, refined by Lu Qian to the Fourth Heavenly Layer, was over ten times more powerful than before. The golden energy could not only take physical form but was sharper and far heavier. Over the past year, he had consumed nearly two thousand tons of metal to forge it.

After killing the Smoke Maiden, Lu Qian broke through the encirclement, casting a wave of Mysterious Frost Yin Baleful Energy as he retreated. The baleful energy spanned fifty feet, jade-green and chilling, causing frost to bloom on the floor.

"Ugh! A master of baleful energy!"

Red Ghost accidentally touched a sliver of it, and the icy cold felt like a maggot burrowing into his bones. His arm was covered in spiderweb-like ice cracks and instantly froze into ice shards; the excruciating pain nearly caused him to faint. Even Shenzeng couldn't help but retreat half a step.

"In just one short year, this man has mastered the baleful energy?" Shenzeng’s voice was maniacal, his anger replaced by joy. "Excellent, he is truly worthy of my interest."

A mere Smoke Maiden was nothing. Lu Qian was truly a genius from a prestigious sect. His potential surpassed any other genius he had ever seen.

"Pursue him!"

In that brief delay, Lu Qian had already flown out of the hall. Before leaving, he had seemingly snatched several golden boxes and jade scrolls. His Yin Spirit soared through the air, with a crystal dome ten feet above his head. The dome was irregular, protruding from the mountain, resembling a massive piece of crystal ore rather than a ceiling. It seemed the entire vault was built inside a crystal mine. Lu Qian felt there was something deeply wrong with those lifelike figures in the hall.

"You want to leave!"

*Whoosh!*

A wave of black mist surged, and Shenzeng blocked his path again, with Red Ghost close behind. They were hovering above the abyss.

"You are truly relentless!" Lu Qian sneered. Around him appeared the Soul-Refining Banner, God-Slaughtering Spike, Yin Talisman Sword, Bone Calamity Needle, and Black Prison Lock... Amidst rolling blue clouds and baleful energy, Lu Qian’s face was grim, his dark eyes flickering with lethal intent. With the enhancement of his various spells and artifacts, the power he unleashed was no less than that of a late-stage Soul-Nurturing expert. If he didn't use the Soul-Nailing Blood Arrow, the two of them would be hard-pressed to overcome him for a while.

Lu Qian had spent this time figuring out Shenzeng’s abilities. He was exceptionally strong in certain aspects, comparable to a Dao Foundation expert, but he had weaknesses—he relied on innate talents and lacked the comprehensive foundation of a true Dao Foundation cultivator.

"Stop struggling! You cannot escape."

Shenzeng opened his right hand, and endless black smoke poured out. Wherever the black smoke touched, rocks, iron, spells, and corpses lost their luster and crumbled into dust. It was as if they had endured ten thousand years, with all things withering and losing their utility. The Black Prison Lock vanished upon contact with the black energy; the Bone Calamity Needle spell failed... The black energy closed in from all sides. Lu Qian was truly trapped.

A smile curled Shenzeng’s lips. With the inheritance of the Nether River Secret Vault, plus Lu Qian himself, and the remaining features he would gather from the corpses in the hall, he would become a complete Chaotic Demonic Fetus and unleash a sea of blood across the world.

Just then, Lu Qian laughed. "I’m done playing with you! Goodbye!"

*Boom!*

A powerful aura locked onto them. The black fog was dispersed.

"This, such a powerful aura!" Shenzeng’s eyes widened.

High above, the crystal dome seemed to melt like ink, turning pitch black and vaguely forming a human face as massive as a mountain peak.

"Oh?" The face caught sight of Shenzeng, its voice containing a trace of pleasant surprise.

*Crack! Crack!*

The crystal shattered, and infinite black thunderous fire and primordial water erupted. The moment the face moved, the entire world of the Water Eye shifted—mountains shook, and thunder rumbled.

"No, the Water Eye is closing prematurely!"

"What is happening?"

"Don't worry about that, run!"

The people in the Water Eye world scrambled into the sky, fleeing the area.

"Retreat!" Shenzeng decided instantly.

Looking back, Lu Qian had already crossed the single-log bridge and reached the outside of the bronze gate.

*Clang!*

He slammed the bronze gate shut behind him. Shenzeng’s form crashed into the bronze gate with a thud. For some reason, no matter how he rammed it, the gate would not budge. A powerful force dragged Shenzeng into the air, where he was swallowed by the thunderous fire and primordial water.

"No! I am the Chaotic Demonic Fetus; how could I die here!" Shenzeng’s expression was twisted, and he cursed in despair. "Lu Qian! Even in death, I will not let you go!"

"A fine physical vessel, I shall take it. Ten years from now, when the Water Eye opens again, shall be the day of my resurrection." The mountain-sized face of black mist and ghostly fire emitted a withered, ancient laugh.

Everything returned to its original state, and the secret realm regained its silence. Lu Qian exited the secret vault into a world where the weather had turned, with torrential rain falling. The earth was still trembling. Everyone stopped and took to the skies. Lu Qian transformed into a white crane and hid among a flock of fleeing birds.

"That was close," Lu Qian thought to himself.

The haul this time was bountiful. Before leaving the hall, he had snatched the brightest and largest jade scrolls and golden boxes, which likely contained cultivation manuals and secrets, along with several rare earth-baleful artifacts.

The moment the black energy erupted from the crystal, Lu Qian had sensed the aura of the Netherworld Yellow Springs. The Nether River Secret Vault... could this "Nether River" refer to the Yellow Springs?

*Boom!*

The moment Lu Qian left the Water Eye, a golden light erupted from the location of the Nether River Secret Vault. Within the light, vague phantoms of various treasures could be seen. This scene was etched into the minds of all who saw it.

*Rumble!*

The Water Eye closed completely. Those who had not escaped were sealed inside forever. It was said that those who tried to use the Water Eye as their personal retreat never appeared again, mysteriously vanishing for unknown reasons.

"The next opening will be ten years from now."

Lu Qian felt a twinge of regret; there had been too many accidents, and he hadn't found the vein of Gang Qi. However, ten years was a wait he could afford. Many practitioners took several attempts to successfully refine Gang Qi, and the Water Eye had only been open for a few months after all.