"I am a being born in the Netherworld, born tens of thousands of years ago. In the entire Netherworld, I was all alone. I wanted to leave the Netherworld, but I was bound by it and could not break through the world’s barrier. Later, a more terrifying entity was born deeper in the Netherworld, and it took over my lair, forcing me to flee to the Wangchuan River." The voice of the Black Robed Person was full of helplessness.
Then came the mournful life of the Black Robed Person, whose lair was snatched away, leaving him to roam the Wangchuan River helplessly, constantly seeking ways to strengthen himself, hoping that one day he could go back, kill that monster, and reclaim his lair.
"There is actually a being in the Netherworld more powerful than you?" Zhang Chen was startled upon hearing this. To him, the Black Robed Person was already tough to deal with, how could there be an even more powerful existence?
"Tell me about that more terrifying existence," Zhang Chen asked.
The Black Robed Person scratched his head: "That monster is quite strange, an entity transformed from a mosquito, capable of devouring everything. Even if I see it, I have to run far away. I couldn’t escape in time before, and my body was swallowed by it. Otherwise, why would I be left with just a True Spirit to support me?"
As the Black Robed Person spoke, his teeth gnashed with a creaking sound, wishing he could kill that monster immediately.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen became vigilant but had no intention of courting more trouble, so he asked: "I want to seek out the Yifeng between heaven and earth, and the sand formed from fallen souls. Do you know how to obtain these?"
Though the Nine Bends Yellow River Talisman Array contains Yellow Sand, unfortunately, this Yellow Sand is derived from runes, not the true Yellow Sand.
"You want the sand formed from powerful souls falling?" The Black Robed Person looked at Zhang Chen with a peculiar tone in his voice: "How powerful the sand are you seeking?"
"Of course, the more powerful, the better," Zhang Chen replied.
"There is indeed a place where Innate Divine beings have fallen, and countless grains of sand are piled up endlessly, but I fear you lack the courage to retrieve it," the Black Robed Person said eerily.
"Grains of sand formed after Innate Divine beings have fallen? Do tell me more," Zhang Chen’s interest was piqued upon hearing this.
"This matter is also connected to that ominous creature," the Black Robed Person said. "In the Netherworld, there is a small Blood Lake, and the sand on the shores of this lake is entirely left by Innate Divines. If you dare delve into the Blood Lake, in its very center, there lies sand left by an unimaginably powerful existence, which will absolutely meet all your needs."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen’s heart was moved, but the Black Robed Person poured cold water on his thoughts: "However, that fierce creature guards the Blood Lake, treating the entire area as its domain. If you dare to steal sand from the Blood Lake, you’ll likely fall victim to that monster."
Zhang Chen looked at his Nine Bends Yellow River Talisman Array: "Can my Nine Bends Yellow River Talisman Array kill it?"
"It certainly can, but if you take the Nine Bends Yellow River Array to the Netherworld, the Yellow Springs’ wellhead will lose its anchor, and you’ll never be able to return," responded the strange creature. "Besides, the monster isn’t foolish; why would it rush into the Nine Bends Yellow River Talisman Array?"
Zhang Chen furrowed his brow: "Can we join forces to subdue the monster?"
"Joining forces would only make us a bite-sized snack for that monster," the Black Robed Monster replied bitterly.
Zhang Chen was silent for a long while before speaking, "Is there truly no way at all?"
"There is!" the Black Robed Monster said, "but accomplishing it is nearly impossible."
"Tell me about it, maybe it’s not as impossible as it seems," Zhang Chen replied.
Upon hearing Zhang Chen’s words, the Black Robed Monster did not refute but said, "There is a type of flower in this world, called Golden Wind Jade Dew. This flower is highly restorative and holds a deadly allure for Innate Spirits; once consumed by an Innate Spirit, it will surely induce a deep, transformative slumber. If you could find such a rare flower, you could lure that damned monster into eating it and then take the opportunity to sneak into the Blood Lake to collect the sand. Unfortunately, Golden Wind Jade Dew has long since gone extinct with the great transformations of heaven and earth, and it is incredibly difficult to find."
"Golden Wind Jade Dew?" Zhang Chen refused to give up, "Tell me about the shape and color of this flower."
The Black Robed Monster then described the flower’s color and appearance; as Zhang Chen listened, he felt a sense of familiarity, as if he had seen it somewhere before.
Then a light bulb went off in Zhang Chen’s head as he recalled that member of the Fox Race who had possessed Chai Chuanxin. Hadn’t he taken a red flower from that person’s body back then? The flower closely resembled the one the Black Robed Monster was describing now.
As the Black Robed Monster continued to describe it, Zhang Chen found it increasingly peculiar, a strange smile appearing on his face as he thought to himself, "Could it be? Just a coincidence?"
Once the Black Robed Monster finished, he concluded, "In any case, don’t think about it, Golden Wind Jade Dew is extinct in heaven and earth, making it impossible to find. I’d advise against plotting anything within the Blood Lake."
Zhang Chen interrupted the Black Robed Monster: "Wait, let me show you something."
After speaking, Zhang Chen walked into the vast Yellow Sand to hide his presence, lest he be ambushed by the Black Robed Monster while he entered the Spiritual World.
Zhang Chen reached the deepest part of the Yellow Sand, sat in meditation, and entered the Spiritual World, summoning Fox Fairy Nannan: "Go fetch that red flower we hid, and bring it out when I summon you."
Fox Fairy Nannan nodded obediently and went to fetch the red flower.
Zhang Chen awoke from his Meditation Realm and then summoned Fox Fairy Nannan; the Fox Fairy appeared in the Nine Bends Yellow River Talisman Array obediently, holding a small red flower.
The Fox Fairy’s gaze swept over the Nine Bends Yellow River Talisman Array, a look of horror in her eyes: "What is this eerie place? It’s terrifying; I feel like even a grain of sand here could strip me of my Spirituality."
Hearing the Fox Fairy’s words, Zhang Chen smiled and did not answer, then put her away and walked out of the Yellow Sand to stand before the Black Robed Monster:
"Look at this, is it the Golden Wind Jade Dew you mentioned?"
When the Black Robed Monster saw the red flower, he was astonished: "It’s really the flower! Where did you get it? Didn’t it go extinct long ago with the changes in heaven and earth?"
Zhang Chen did not answer the Black Robed Monster’s question but instead asked with a smile, "Shall we get started now?"
Upon hearing this, the Black Robed Monster said, "The flower you have is called Jade Dew—there’s another flower that grows with it, called Golden Wind. Only when the two flowers combine can they be called Golden Wind Jade Dew, and it becomes a mighty weapon. Jade Dew can induce sleep and evolution, while Golden Wind can strip one of cultivation, making someone who has reached the pinnacle of cultivation fall back to ordinary. Thus, Golden Wind Jade Dew becomes unforgettable."
Zhang Chen thought about the sense from the small red flower in the Spiritual World; could it be the location of the Golden Wind?
Should I enter the Spiritual World to gather the Golden Wind?
Just as he was pondering this, the Black Robed Monster spoke: "The Jade Dew alone is enough. That monster isn’t stupid; even if you present the Golden Wind, it won’t consume it. I recognize Golden Wind Jade Dew, and that monster, being a mosquito and fond of nectar, should recognize it even better than I do."
"Let’s proceed swiftly," the Black Robed Monster urged.
Zhang Chen looked at the Black Robed Monster with surprise, not expecting the monster to be even more eager than he was.
"You don’t understand my plight; I lost an essential item to that creature. Now that there’s hope of retrieving it, of course, I’m excited," the Black Robed Person explained.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen remained vigilant, wary of being tricked by the Black Robed Monster, then said to the Black Robed Person, "Give me the Jade Dew; you go first."
After hearing Zhang Chen’s words, the Black Robed Monster carefully handed over the red flower and then transformed into a wisp of black smoke, slipping into the Yellow Springs’ wellhead.
The next moment, a light flickered in the Yellow Springs’ wellhead, forcibly opened by the monster, and like an eel, it slipped inside with a shushing sound.
Seeing this, Zhang Chen followed the path cleared by the Black Robed Monster, diving in right after.
At this moment, Zhang Chen was secretly amazed by the Black Robed Monster’s formidable power, which was beyond his imagination. The creature could anchor coordinates and forcefully traverse between two realms; its strength was undoubtedly extraordinary. He must be cautious when dealing with this ancient being.