“In ancient times, heaven and earth were divided, with the mortal realm above and the netherworld below. When humans awakened to spiritual cultivation, drawing upon spiritual energy to transcend ordinary life and achieve the Great Dao, the world began to change—and cultivators became the anomaly in this human realm.”
“Do you know how long it takes for demons, ghosts, gods, and monsters to cultivate? Perhaps they’ve been cultivating since the beginning of time, relying on natural treasures and ancestral bloodlines to challenge fate. Most races are destined to fail from birth due to their bloodlines.”
“Among them, humans are a uniquely special race. Even the most mediocre spiritual root has precedents for reaching the Nascent Soul or even the Tribulation Passage stages. It’s this tenacity to survive under heaven’s laws that has allowed humans to touch the edges of this world—the boundary between life and death.”
“Those Tribulation Passage powerhouses who’ve touched the Third Tribulation and beyond have sensed that the barrier of our realm cannot be broken. The first person to touch this barrier told a beautiful lie—he said that overcoming the Fifth Tribulation would allow one to shatter the void, and beyond the void lay the realm of immortals and gods, transcending life and death, omnipotent.”
“His initial intention wasn’t selfish. He wanted cultivators in this realm to have hope, believing that diligent cultivation would lead to ascension. But gradually, as more people believed him, the expectations of followers and disciples grew heavier on his shoulders.”
“The reality was that he couldn’t ascend, and later generations were slowly approaching his level.”
“So he devised a plan… Even if one day everyone realized his world-renowned teachings were empty words, he could maintain his lineage and glory by usurping the cycle of reincarnation in this world.”
“If there were no gods, he’d create one. Those who believed in his Great Dao could become immortal, essentially joining the ranks of celestials. He was indeed formidable, finding the Prison Lords who ruled the Nine Prisons of the human realm and challenging them in a pocket dimension… Then, he invited the world’s strongest cultivators, telling them he’d found a weak spot in the realm barrier. If they joined forces with him to break it, they could ascend directly without suffering the Five Tribulations.”
“For cultivators, the Five Tribulations are nearly insurmountable from the Third onward. It’s not just physical aging but also the dissolution of the soul that must be endured. All one’s past sins replay before their eyes daily… Surviving extends life by a hundred years, but failure leads to madness. The only way is to erase memories, facing the Fifth Tribulation with a clean slate to reduce suffering.”
“The powerhouses, each with their attachments, were unwilling to face the heart demon test of the Fifth Tribulation. They agreed to this invitation, unaware they were walking into an unprecedented deadly trap. Their cultivation and flesh were sacrificed, along with the Nine Prison Lords.”
“From that moment, everything that died in the mortal world lost the right to reincarnate. The instigator’s sect transformed the Nine Prisons in each State into Soul Nurturing Pools, binding all spirits within… Until they controlled the world’s reincarnation cycle. Youquan Creek was one such pool.”
Ji Yang spoke like a seasoned teacher, gradually revealing the dark side of the cultivation world from the beginning of time.
Nan Yan momentarily didn’t recognize Ji Yang. He displayed the demeanor of a supreme ruler, commanding attention with every word.
“So, what do you want us to do?” The Evil Dao cultivators listened in a daze. The Zen master asked, “Do you have a way to seize the Prison Lord position from Daosheng Tian?”
“I know the locations of other prisons. Consider joining forces to seize several Prison Lord positions from Daosheng Tian?”
Ji Yang’s tone remained calm, but a hint of madness seeped from his eyes—a hatred accumulated over countless years.
Li Chi was terrified. He’d never seen such a madman. Gritting his teeth, he said, “What grudge do you have against Daosheng Tian? Do you know who you’re up against—”
“I know. I’ve just seen enough of your foolishness… Falling into their hands is only a matter of time.”
“Then do you know where the next Soul Nurturing Pool is? Which hell?”
“Of course. There are only nine Soul Nurturing Pools. Forget about the one in Zizhou, and the one under Tianqiao Peak in Weizhou is too dangerous. If you want to oppose them… We need to control at least the special Soul Nurturing Pool in the Mountain and Sea Forbidden Decree.”
“You mean—”
“Fengquan Creek, the resting place of Feng Motian, lord of the Nine Prisons, and the entrance.”
“How confident are you?”
“He is.” It was Yin Que, who had just regained consciousness. “I can testify that he can help people avoid the trials of becoming a Prison Lord. But Ji Yang, I want to know, what’s the price? Sacrificing lives like in Youquan Creek?”
Nan Yan suddenly looked up, realizing—those demonic cultivators who died in Youquan Creek weren’t accidents, but sacrifices.
As Yin Que spoke, Ji Yang first turned to look at Nan Yan. With just one glance, Nan Yan knew he wouldn’t stop.
“Shaocang, what’s your bottom line?”
Ji Yang hesitated. He should have been eloquent, but now… He knew that beneath Nan Yan’s heart lay what Ying Zeweimost desired.
At least this, he couldn’t tolerate.
He had a myriad of more enticing arguments, but in the end, he answered coldly and directly—
“What if I don’t have one?”
Nan Yan stood up and said, “If you don’t, I’ll show you mine.”
……
It seemed like an autumn afternoon many years ago, after a seemingly playful drinking party. Ao Guanghan, avoiding those urging him to drink more, strolled to the flower tree where the old phoenix of the Red Emperor’s Jade Palace perched.
The phoenix flowers bloomed brilliantly and fiercely, as did the person napping beneath the tree.
Ao Guanghan scoffed lightly. Once drunk, Nan Rao could sleep anywhere but a bed—rooftops, trees, flower beds, grass patches. He initially didn’t want to care for this drunkard, but after a few steps, he turned back, puzzled.
A Tribulation Passage cultivator shouldn’t be so unaware of someone approaching this close.
The phoenix gracefully flew down from the branch, seemingly reassured by his presence, and flew off to find food elsewhere. As Ao Guanghan approached, he picked up the tilted wine jar beside her and sniffed it, realizing she had added dream-tracing flowers to the wine.
Dream-tracing flowers, as the name suggests, were used for tracing dreams.
“Old thief?” “Nan Rao?”
He called out twice, but Nan Rao remained asleep, not even stirring when a flower petal fell on her brow.
His throat bobbed as he gazed at her face, a visage he had beheld for centuries. It remained as exquisite as if crafted by the combined efforts of all celestial beings, gods, ghosts, and demons. This very face bestowed both infatuation and heartbreak.
Ao Guanghan attempted to brush away the petal at the corner of her brow, but a wayward breeze caused it to fall, softly caressing the back of his hand. The sensation felt like a kiss, plunging him into deep self-loathing. He wondered whose memory still occupied Nan Rao’s heart and for whom she drank this jar of dream-recalling wine.
“Who are you thinking of now?” he pondered bitterly, unconsciously drawing closer. Suddenly, her alluring eyes beneath the raven hair flashed open. Upon seeing him, the corners of her eyes lifted in a mocking curve. Her feverishly hot hand grabbed his collar, pulling him close as she rasped, “Little brat, are you rebelling?”
No matter how many years passed, she still called him a “little brat,” disregarding his current status as the new lord of Chen State. Usually, this nickname would provoke him to wrestle and argue with her, but now he felt only embarrassment.
Before shame could color his cheeks, Nan Rao chuckled softly. She flipped him over, pinning him down, and kissed him as he had earlier imagined. He had called her shameless for so many years, but now he realized he could never utter those words again.
Her kiss lacked the rumored extravagance; instead, it was so focused that one might believe she deeply loved the other person. Yet, like every dream that must end, once the passionate heat subsided, she resumed her carefree demeanor.
“I saved your face. No need to thank me,” she said lightly, about to rise when Ao Guanghan caught her hand.
“Nan Rao,” he said, gazing at the scattered flowers above, “let’s stop this back-and-forth. Marry me.”
Nan Rao rested her head on her knees, glancing at him with a smile. “There’s a saying: those who find a dao partner young don’t aspire to transcend the void?”
It was believed that for cultivators devoted to the Great Dao, a Dao partner was a burden, and an emotional one was an even greater obstacle to ascension.
“As if anyone could ascend. It’s hard enough to live this life well,” he retorted.
“Ying Ze probably could, that’s why he doesn’t want me,” she mused.
“Stop talking about others. Will you marry me or not?”
Nan Rao’s smile faded as she stood. “There’s always been a doubt in my heart. Give me time to resolve it. If I can’t remember, we’ll continue like this.”
“Did you dream of someone?”
“My memories… they seem different from others’. I’ve forgotten things that others remember.”
“Could it be from that rebirth in Si State? Maybe your head was damaged.”
“If so, you might need to add medicine money to the bride price…”
…
“Dragon Lord? Dragon Lord?”
A thunderclap split the night sky, jolting Ao Guanghan awake at his desk piled with documents. He still clutched the blood phoenix hairpin he had so carefully chosen years ago. Rubbing his temple, he waited for the remnants of his midnight dream to fade before addressing the Dragon City Elder standing solemnly before him.
“What is it?” he asked.
“The Prince has brought back a traitor, suspected to be a spy from Zi State.”
Ao Guanghan, accustomed to such matters, replied disinterestedly, “Where was he caught?”
“In Cangxuan Valley…” Noticing Ao Guanghan’s frown, the Elder continued, “The Prince was eager to reclaim the spirit vein rightfully belonging to our Chen State. He led a group to investigate why Si State had been delaying for days. They happened to stumble upon the Extreme Pleasure Palace entertaining this Dragon Guard traitor.”
Ao Guanghan clicked his tongue in displeasure. “Such energetic youth, taking midnight strolls in enemy territory instead of resting… Wait, a Dragon Guard? That’s a Yuan Ying cultivator, isn’t it? He wasn’t missing any limbs?”
“No, no. When our people went to assist, they saw the Extreme Pleasure Palace shrouded in a ghostly aura. They also encountered that young lady surnamed Nan, whom you brought back last year.”
Nan Rao’s daughter…
Ao Guanghan remembered the girl. She indeed bore a striking resemblance to Nan Rao but possessed an innate calmness that Nan Rao lacked as if born to cultivate Buddhism.
“What happened?” he prompted.
“The Si State cultivators fled first, followed by countless malevolent ghosts. The Prince had the young lady shield him at the front. They barely managed to escape…”
“Wait,” Ao Guanghan interrupted.
“What would you like to know, Dragon Lord?”
“He had the girl shield him?”
“The Prince is somewhat afraid of ghosts, but…”
Before the Elder could finish, a sharp crack resonated as Ao Guanghan’s teacup splintered in his grip.
“Are you saying that a grown man, because he fears ghosts, needed a young girl’s protection to escape?”
“…Dragon Lord, the Prince is quite brave in all other situations.”
“Enough. Bring me my steel whip and prepare some spirit food. Children get hungry.”