Immortal of the Nine Realms

Chapter 1405: Enlightenment Star’s Underworld

Upon hearing the name Li Shanzi, the black-robed old man’s expression eased considerably.

He then glanced up and down at Fang Chen and the others before saying, ”It seems you have just arrived at Enlightenment God Palace and are not yet familiar with the rules here. You should go back for now. When it’s time for you to enter the Underworld, someone will naturally come to escort you. You arrived so abruptly here, and without a guide, for that matter. If someone mistook you for spies, you would’ve been executed on the spot.”

Sensing the black-robed elder’s deep caution toward Li Shanzi, Lin Yuan casually asked, ”Senior, is the Underworld on the other side of this sea?”

The elder looked as if he were about to get angry, but he forced it down and replied while working, ”Yes, the Underworld is on the other side. But don’t be too curious for now. Once you start your duties, you probably won’t want to stay here even for a day.”

As he spoke, the black-robed elder’s expression suddenly changed. His gaze fell behind the group, and then he quickly put on a flattering smile and hurried forward. ”Core Disciple Ji, long time no see.”

Core Disciple Ji?

Lin Yuan and the others turned around to see Ji Sheng already standing at the very front of the group. He looked coldly at the black-robed elder, nodded slightly, and was about to board the ship.

The next moment, his steps paused as his gaze fell on Fang Chen and the others. He looked surprised.

”You’re here too? Who brought you?” he asked.

The black-robed elder was shocked. He cautiously asked, ”Core Disciple Ji, you also know these newcomers?”

”Mm, they were involved in the Forbidden Zone Battle this time, and one of them even became a core member,” said Ji Sheng with a faint smile.

The black-robed figures nearby, who were about to greet Ji Sheng, all drew in a cold breath.

One of them...? Who did that refer to?

Sensing the black-robed elder’s astonishment, Ji Sheng smiled faintly and explained, ”They uncovered a Forbidden Heart at Ancient Forbidden Zone No. 157. One of the unofficial cultivators among them successfully contracted it. Now, Li Shanzi is taking her to register and receive her own Black Dragon Boat.”

After speaking, Ji Sheng’s gaze landed on Fang Chen. He smiled faintly. ”How did you come here on your own? Who was responsible for guiding you?”

After the black-robed elder awkwardly explained the situation, Ji Sheng understood. With a bit of surprise, he looked at Fang Chen and asked, ”You’re from the Lower Six Realm?”

Fang Chen cupped his hands respectfully. ”That’s right.”

”Not many from the Lower Six Realms make it to the Upper Three Realms, and even fewer become cultivators of the Enlightenment God Palace. But I think I heard that the Killing Spiritual Division also accepted a cultivator from the Lower Six Realm. His luck is just like Hong Zhi’s, and now he’s become a core member too.”

Ji Sheng said with a half-smile, ”Maybe you know him. After all, the Lower Six Realms aren’t that big.”

With that, Ji Sheng bypassed the black-robed elder and boarded a light boat directly, not forgetting to call back, ”What are you waiting for? Get on.”

Fang Chen immediately led the others onto the light boat. During this, the black-robed elder didn’t dare to stop them and even bowed to send them off.

Only Ji Sheng and Fang Chen’s group sat on the boat. No other wandering souls were allowed on board. The boatman spirit rowed vigorously with a long pole. In a breath, the boat had already left the shore far behind.

Ji Sheng looked at Fang Chen and asked casually, ”I remember your name is Fang Chen, right? When you were in the Lower Six Realms, did you ever visit the Lesser Underworld?”

Fang Chen nodded. ”Yes, I have. It’s somewhat similar to here.”

”Indeed, it is a bit similar. But the Lesser Underworld is just a broken realm, an incomplete one. The strongest wandering souls there can only reach the first transformation.”

Ji Sheng smiled. ”But for cultivators in the Lower Six Realms, the Lesser Underworld fills their shortcomings. Without the blessings of Yin Lifespan, the spirit stones in the Lower Six Domains would have long been insufficient. That’s why countless cultivators dream of coming to the Upper Three Realms. It is only here that it somewhat resembles a cultivation world.”

Fang Chen asked casually, ”Core Disciple Ji, does the Nether Division here only oversee the reincarnation cycle of the beings of Enlightenment Star?”

”What else would it oversee?” Ji Sheng gave him a look. ”This is exactly why Enlightenment Star constantly produces talents. Nowadays, seventy to eighty percent of the core disciples of the Enlightenment God Palace come from Enlightenment Star. Before they became core members, they were just ordinary mortals.”

As he spoke, a thick fog suddenly appeared ahead. When the fog cleared, an extremely magnificent, seemingly endless bridge appeared before them. Within the nearby fog, vague images of more bridges could be seen, their number incalculable.

The light boat docked, and Ji Sheng led the group onto the bridge. Though they were people who walked the Path of Yin, they blended into the sea of wandering souls.

The liveliness here far exceeded what Lin Yuan and the others had imagined. Countless wandering souls crossed the bridge almost every moment.

Fang Chen had already confirmed that the design here was modeled after the Lesser Underworld. The entire process was about eighty to ninety percent similar, but compared to the simple, natural style of the Lesser Underworld, this place felt a bit more deliberate. The light boat, the white jade floor of the Yellow Springs Road, and this magnificent bridge—all bore signs of careful crafting.

Lin Yuan murmured to himself, ”The number of wandering souls here is simply countless.”

Ji Sheng snorted, ”Anyone new here is just like you. Normally, you can’t see them, so you assume they don’t exist. But when they finally do see them, you realize that this world runs far more differently than you had believed. Once you enter the Enlightenment Underworld, you’ll understand why the Enlightenment God Palace stands at the top in the Upper Three Realms.”

Fang Chen asked, ”Core Disciple Ji, when I was walking the Path of Yin in the Lower Six Realms, I saw the Forgotten River. That river is very mysterious. Why can’t it be seen here?”

”If it appeared here,” asked Ji Sehng, ”how many people do you think would be able to enter the Nether Division?”

He explained calmly, ”This is to protect those wandering souls. As for the Forgotten River, if you head southward within the Enlightenment Underworld, you can see its tributaries. If you’re curious, you can take a look when you get the chance, but don’t touch it lightly. Otherwise, even someone like me might become lost within it.”

See the Forgotten River?Perfect.

Fang Chen remained expressionless, but his steps became a little lighter.

If he could find the Forgotten River, he could return to the Lesser Underworld; if he could return to the Lesser Underworld, he could go back to the Lower Six Realms. Freely traveling between the Upper Three Realms and Lower Six Realms would make everything much easier.

Though this place was the Yin Division set up by the Enlightenment God Palace, it still belonged to the Floating Pagoda Realm.

Before they realized it, the group had already reached the end of the bridge. At the city gate, Nether Guards hurried forward to salute Ji Sheng when they saw him. Lin Yuan and the others didn’t think much of it. Since Ji Sheng was a core member of the Enlightenment God Palace, his status in the Enlightenment Underworld was naturally very high.

Ji Sheng led the group into the Enlightenment Underworld, and it felt like they had arrived in a new world. This place was so prosperous that it didn’t feel like the Underworld. If it weren’t for occasionally drifting wandering souls, they might have thought they had come to a bustling city in the mortal world.

”I have things to attend to. You can wander around by yourselves. When you’re tired, go back on your own,” said Ji Sheng before disappearing into the vast sea of souls.