Not long after the Fortune Gate female disciple left, a young man clad in a light blue robe with a holier-than-thou air walked in.
“Eldest Senior Brother.” Seeing this young man appear, Li Lu greeted.
This light blue-robed young man was precisely the Fortune Gate Ancestor’s eldest disciple, Pan Zhen.
“Junior sister, I heard that you’re searching for the whereabouts of Yin Yang Godly Water.” said Pan Zhen.
Li Lu did not conceal the matter, “Yes, I’ve just found out that it’s on the Path to Hell. I’m planning to make a trip over there.”
Pan Zhen’s expression immediately turned grim, “The Path to Hell! Junior sister, you have no idea how perilous the Path to Hell is, even a Tenth Order Highgod Realm master cannot guarantee the certainty of coming out alive once entered! And you...!”
Li Lu’s attitude did not waver, determination shone in her eyes as she shook her head at Pan Zhen, “Eldest Senior brother, don’t try to persuade me, I’ve already decided.”
Pan Zhen sighed, sounding unusually heavy, “You really don’t have the slightest feelings for me?”
Li Lu shook her head again, saying, “Eldest Senior brother, I have said it very clearly to you. I know you’ve been very good to me in the years I’ve been here, but I only see you as my brother.”
Pan Zhen’s voice became gloomy with an edge sharpness within, “Is it like the rumors outside are saying, because of that Huang Xiaolong?”
Pan Zhen had always thought that as long as he persevered, there would be a day when his feelings would get through to Li Lu, but the heavens seemed to be playing him. Over a decade ago, during the Alchemist Grandmaster Grand Competition, rumors about Li Lu and Huang Xiaolong suddenly began flying around. At that moment, Pan Zhen finally understood why she had been refusing him in the past.
That was because there was already a man in her heart!
And he had always occupied her heart!
Li Lu didn’t answer, sighing, “Eldest Senior brother, why do this to yourself?”
Anger seeped into Pan Zhen’s voice, “I won’t give up on you. Even if that Huang Xiaolong kills me, I’m not giving up.” He turned briskly and left.
Li Lu watched the blue-robed figure disappear from view.
Back in his own cultivation dwelling, Pan Zhen tersely sat down, a chilling coldness in his eyes. Without any indication, his fingers crushed the wine cup close to his hand into fine dust. His face distorted due to anger, bordering insanity, “Huang Xiaolong, if I can’t get it, you won’t be able to get it either!”
“Since it’s like that, Li Lu, don’t blame this Eldest Senior brother for being ruthless. Even though I can’t get your heart, your body is mine!”
“I’ll wait until she arrives at the Path to Hell before making a move.”
The echoes of delirious laughter traveled out from Pan Zhen’s cultivation dwelling.
...
Icebound Galaxy.
Huang Xiaolong slowly floated down onto the start of the Path to Hell.
Looking onward, the path in front of him was shrouded with a thick layer of yin ghost qi, one could hardly see if there was really an end to this road. As it was built from black star soil, the path itself was mottled with faint glittering starlight.
However, the starlight here was different from the usual romantic concept in the world outside, clear and bright. The starlight on this path gave a nefarious, frigid feeling.
Huang Xiaolong entered the Path to Hell in a flicker, flying onward.
The thick yin ghost qi floating in this place was highly corrosive and toxic, but Huang Xiaolong didn’t bother to create a protective godforce barrier around himself, letting it brush past his True Divine Dragon Physique as he flew further in. At this point, here in the lower realm, there were very few things that could physically harm Huang Xiaolong’s body.
As he continued flying deeper in, all that entered his sight was withered grass, black dead tree trunks, and barren hills. Occasionally, he could see one or two bones of some beast that he didn’t recognize.
Not a trace of life could be seen around him. It was a desiccated landscape filled death and desolation.
Half a day’s time went by swiftly.
Even so, Huang Xiaolong was still on the periphery of the Path, thus he rarely ran into any Yin Ghosts.
It was as if there was no end to this Path to Hell, it was a vast mainland in itself, exceeding the four galaxies combined by a thousand times, or even ten thousand times!
It was hard for Huang Xiaolong to imagine how this Path to Hell came to be.
Just how much black star soil was used to form such a vast and boundless land?
The crucial question was, what kind of power made such a vast amount of black star soil merge together, forming this Path to Hell?
Everything was a mystery.
Daylight in the Path to Hell gradually diminished. This place also had day and night.
Although there was no sunlight on the Path to Hell, the surrounding environment was usually dark grey. When ‘night’ fell, the waves of yin ghost qi rushing out from the void above were ten times denser than the ‘day, truly a blanket of the darkness. When night came, it was akin to falling into the darkest abyss.
Huang Xiaolong immediately discovered that both his divine sense and the extent of his eyesight was greatly impeded at night. Well, at least his godforce was spared.
He looked around and decided to find a place to rest for the night, continuing onward when daylight arrived.
After all, there were about seven months left until the said five-year deadline, there was no haste.
Huang Xiaolong surveyed his current surroundings, descending to an empty space in front of a high cliff wall. With a punch, he quickly created a cave and entered it in a flicker.
The mountains in the Path to Hell were extremely hard, reaching the point where a low-level Highgod Realm master could hardly shatter a ten-meter tall boulder. What Huang Xiaolong had just done, punching out a resting cave with his fist while not affecting other areas of the mountain was unheard of.
Huang Xiaolong arranged a simple defensive formation around the cave entrance, then sat down cross-legged to meditate, circulating his four divine fires.
The shimmering gray energy flowed out, entering his body.
Although he had a defensive formation set up, he still separated a fraction of his attention to keep watch outside the cave.
Roughly three hours later, the defensive formation glowed from an impact, enduring an attack from something.
Huang Xiaolong stopped cultivating, got up on his feet, and went out to the entrance. When he reached the cave entrance, he saw several Yin Ghosts gathering their ghost force to attack his defensive formation.
The Yin Ghosts on the Path to Hell were about three to four times the size of a human, with flesh and blood. However, both their flesh and blood were as black as ink.
The group of Yin Ghosts attacking his defensive formation was average in terms of strength, between mid and late-Tenth Order God Realm.
Huang Xiaolong was too lazy to move his hands, directly sending out a soul force sword that pierced through their bodies, completely destroying their souls.
However, several hours later, another group of Yin Ghosts came knocking at his cave.
Huang Xiaolong frowned, obviously upset. How did these Yin Ghosts find him?
Logically speaking, with the defensive formation outside his cave, these Yin Ghosts that only had God Realm strength shouldn’t be able to detect him. The troubling thing was that these Yin Ghosts’ soul did not retain memories like a human did. Even if Huang Xiaolong scoured their souls, he wouldn’t find much information.
After several groups of Yin Ghost attack, morning arrived.
Huang Xiaolong continued traveling onward.
As he got deeper into the Path to Hell, the frequency of Yin Ghosts appearing greatly increased, some even having strength equal to low-level Highgod Realm human cultivators.
Two days later, Huang Xiaolong descended on a mountain peak. He had just spotted a small village across the foothills of the mountain opposite him!
There was actually a village like this on the Path to Hell?
This was truly a surprise for Huang Xiaolong. He observed for a moment before flying towards the village.