Chapter 135: The Lineage of the Yellow Springs, the Son of the Netherworld (Subscription Requested)

"Scripture of the Nine Palaces of the Yellow Springs and Cultivation Secrets"

A line of shimmering, radiant characters appeared in the void, glowing with divine light and wreathed in auspicious vapors. Several marvelous lotus flowers bloomed, creating a scene of breathtaking beauty. Both the text and the accompanying illustrations were vivid and lifelike.

A Taoist in yellow robes sat cross-legged upon a stone disc, possessing an ethereal, immortal demeanor yet exuding a chilling, sinister aura. Behind him, a river of the Yellow Springs, flowing through ancient and modern times, emerged faintly. In the very center of the river, pitch-black thunderous flames roared. Within these flames, a black-armored demon king with two horns took shape.

The light flashed like lightning, plunging directly into Lu Qian’s mind. A massive torrent of information flooded his consciousness, forcing him to close his eyes to digest it. Beyond the "Scripture of the Nine Palaces of the Yellow Springs and Cultivation Secrets," there were texts resembling encyclopedias and strange chronicles:

"The Hidden Taboos of the Nine Emperors of the Netherworld"
"The Ritual and Commentary on the Transmission of the Yellow Springs Yin Seals"
"The Records of the Ten Directions"

The "Hidden Taboos of the Nine Emperors of the Netherworld" detailed the distribution of power in the Netherworld. The Netherworld was unimaginably vast, not a flat plane, but composed of countless layers of worlds and secret realms. There were nine emperors in total, whose influence permeated every corner of the Netherworld. The lineage of the Heavenly River Taoist originated from the Yellow Springs Son of Heaven, who resided in the Yellow Springs Taoist Palace.

"It truly is a legacy of the Yellow Springs lineage," Lu Qian thought to himself. The Tongyou Temple had also obtained its opportunities from the Netherworld, which explained why their techniques were somewhat similar. The heritage of sects often had regional characteristics; schools that seemed completely unrelated might have been one and the same thousands of years ago.

"The Ritual and Commentary on the Transmission of the Yellow Springs Yin Seals" was a manual detailing the Yellow Springs Yin Seals. This was a form of writing native to the Yellow Springs realm, and mastering it would allow one to wield the arts of the Yellow Springs lineage.

"Excellent," Lu Qian felt a surge of joy. There were countless types of writing in the world, categorized into human scripts, ghost seals, demonic patterns, and devilish diagrams. With this skill, he would be able to learn many more profound spells in the future. Beyond the functions of the Yin Seals, the text also contained techniques for refining Taoist soldiers and guardian deities, all written in those same seals. If one could not read the script, one could not use the spells.

The final scroll was a map detailing the surrounding terrain. Lu Qian glanced at it briefly before losing interest. It provided a general overview, noting that this location was a remote corner of the Great Thousand World—a matter far too distant from his current concerns.

Lu Qian refocused his attention on the "Yellow Springs Scripture." This technique led directly to the Golden Elixir Tribulation; with this manual alone, one could establish an entire sect.

Scanning the information in his mind, Lu Qian mused, "So, there is so much depth to refining Qi into Essence and condensing it into Gang." Refining and condensing were not as simple as merely absorbing the energies. While those who absorbed the same types of energy should theoretically be equal in strength, the disparity in their cultivation levels often hinged entirely on the technique used.

The key lay in the meditation method integrated into the cultivation path—a method that served as a bridge, building upon the foundations of Qi refinement while preparing for the upcoming Dao Foundation stage. The Dao Foundation would condense the physical manifestation of the Dao, generating true power. The "Yellow Springs Scripture" could condense the "Yellow Springs Insightful Physical Body," imbuing one's power with the essence of the Yellow Springs.

"The first step is to visualize the Yellow Springs Thunder Ghost and establish the visualization map..."

After memorizing the manual, Lu Qian sat cross-legged and closed his eyes to meditate. In his sea of consciousness, the pitch-black world and the Yellow Springs river churned. The water surged and reversed its flow. The Flood Dragon, swimming within, watched the scene with suspicion in its golden eyes. Suddenly, black Yin-fire appeared in the sky, accompanied by rolling thunder. A Thunder Ghost—a demon with two horns and eyes like copper bells—slowly took form. Boundless pressure swept through the Yellow Springs world.

This was the Thunder Ghost. Most Netherworld entities were Yin in nature, born of the world’s Yin energy, but the Thunder Ghost was born of Yin-thunder. It possessed a trace of lightning’s power and was exceptionally formidable. Once the visualization map was formed, the Yin Spirit would manifest its true shape, and as cultivation progressed, one could gradually inherit the abilities of the Thunder Ghost demon king.

*BOOM!*

The thunder rolled, and the Thunder Ghost solidified. Its overwhelming aura forced the Flood Dragon to lower its head.

"Awoo!" A trace of anger flashed in the dragon’s eyes. It raised its proud head high, its golden pupils displaying human-like emotion, as if saying: "How dare you seize my territory!"

*BOOM!*

Unable to bear it any longer, the Flood Dragon lunged upward with a roar. The Thunder Ghost looked on with a sneer of disdain.

*CRACK!*

Thunder-fire descended, striking the Flood Dragon and leaving it drenched in blood. Lu Qian was about to intervene but held back. The dragon seemed to be undergoing a transformation. As the fire struck, its scales fell away, revealing raw, bleeding flesh. The dragon gritted its teeth, refusing to howl in pain.

*BOOM!* *BOOM!*

Several more bolts of fire struck, tearing its skin to ribbons, yet the dragon would not yield.

*BOOM!*

In the depths of the void, a barrier seemed to shatter. Dark yellow scales began to regrow all over the dragon’s body. Above the Yellow Springs, a wave of evil, cold, pitch-black demonic energy emerged. Within this energy, shadowy figures swirled and ghosts wailed, forming a domain that engulfed the Thunder Ghost. The Thunder Ghost froze. Seizing the opportunity, the Flood Dragon pounced and swallowed it whole, taking its place in the center of the Yellow Springs. After consuming the ghost, the dragon looked triumphant.

A human figure suddenly manifested above the Yellow Springs.

"Has the visualization map changed?" Lu Qian stroked the dragon’s head and laughed, "You are quite cruel and cunning, aren't you?"

The Flood Dragon felt no shame; instead, it looked at Lu Qian with pride, as if showing off its achievement.

"Not bad. Ruthless and vicious!" Lu Qian praised. This was the nature of the Flood Dragon. In mythology, the Flood Dragon coveted the throne of the True Dragon. While possessing some divine attributes of a true dragon, it was also sinister, cunning, greedy, and deep-scheming, with a ferocious temperament.

He was not worried about the dragon turning on him. This creature was, in fact, two sides of the same coin—his own dark side. Now that the visualization map had been replaced by the Flood Dragon, he wondered what changes would occur.

With that thought, Lu Qian exited his sea of consciousness. In reality, his Yin Spirit opened its eyes, a brilliant golden light flashing within them.

*Whoosh!*

A ripple passed over the Yin Spirit. Dark yellow scales covered its body, its head elongated, fangs sprouted from its mouth, and its pupils turned golden. With eagle claws, dragon scales, and a serpent’s body, the Yin Spirit transformed into a ten-foot-long Flood Dragon and flew into the garden.

Its form was majestic and imposing, its gaze fierce and venomous. The three women nearby were pressed to the ground by its sheer pressure. Dark frost formed clouds around it, emanating a chilling cold that coated the trees in rime.

"Is this the manifestation of the Yin Spirit?" Lu Qian wondered in surprise. At the Tongyou Temple, he had seen the eight deacons manifest their Yin Spirits into various demons, assuming it was merely a technique for show. Now, he realized it was not a mere illusion, but a true manifestation of the Yin Spirit.

Swaying amidst the clouds and vapor, even the circulation of his True Water seemed to accelerate. "And I can use the physical body's Taiyin Golden Eyes and Yi-Wood Divine Thunder," Lu Qian thought. The Yin Spirit had transformed into the soul of a Flood Dragon, and his physical body possessed the strength of a dragon. Combining the two… would he not be equivalent to a body-refining cultivator with a true form manifestation?

A thought flashed through his mind.

As he finished his reflection, the dragon retreated into his physical body while maintaining its transformation.

*Swoosh!*

Upon entering his body, his flesh began to tremble violently. Countless small bumps rose beneath his skin, as if scales were truly about to erupt. A surge of the Flood Dragon’s cruel, treacherous, and usurping nature flooded his heart.

"This is bad!"

Lu Qian’s heart signaled an alarm, and he quickly withdrew his Yin Spirit. The physical transformation ceased. This was a literal transformation into a Flood Dragon; Lu Qian had no desire to turn into a monster, for such a path was far too narrow.