Chapter 20: Nine Nether

Luo Shan only felt his whole body weak and powerless; Ao Er Deng's magic was immensely strong, and without any barrier defense he was struck, feeling his five organs ache deeply. He knew it was the magical force that had penetrated his body, scattering his entire mana. Such wounds often prove fatal.

In fact, when he was first hit by Ming Guang and fell into Jiuyou, he should have died, but relentless effort and battle brought him back to the mortal world. Besides his life, he also shouldered the great mission of rescuing his parents and Xiao Tian. All this was exchanged for Xiao Yushan's life; he cannot and will not betray it.

Perhaps, from that day onward, his fate for the next half‑life was already set: to fight the mighty power of the Spirit God Hall to the death, or to cultivate magic, gain astonishing strength, crush Ming Guang in one blow, and rescue his parents. Such a goal is extremely distant, yet he has no other choice. He owes them, so he must repay it with his whole life.

However, although he could previously ignore life and death for the sake of battle, after meeting Qin Yan his heart could not help but stir. He is not a man who craves tenderness, yet Qin Yan has become a part of his heart that he wishes to protect. Even though their time together was only a few short days.

Luo Shan does not know where this feeling comes from; in fact, love always arises without warning, suddenly. At this moment, amid his severe pain, the feeling only grows stronger.

While his mind wandered, his consciousness suddenly cleared; though his body still throbbed, sensation returned. He opened his eyes and was astonished to see faint dark‑red light emanating from the pallid corpse of Ao Er Deng beside him.

In that instant he felt power fill his entire body. The light issuing from Ao Er Deng's body slowly seeped into his chest, bringing a strong, soothing force; his gravely wounded body seemed to revive in an instant. The shattered magical energy gradually reconsolidated and grew even stronger.

He did not know that his blood‑thirsty soul caused him, after slaying Ao Er Deng, to draw the latter's power from death. Ao Er Deng, as one of the Hall Masters of the Seven Halls of the Spirit God, possessed magical power that had already peaked far beyond Luo Shan's own. Now that he had fallen, his power was absorbed by Luo Shan's blood‑thirsty soul, not only healing Luo Shan's severe injuries but also further strengthening his own power. At this moment, in terms of magical strength, Luo Shan is still inferior to Ming Guang and Bafaliya, and not even equal to the living Ao Er Deng, yet he already surpasses Ge Te and Xilixiya. Coupled with the Creation Sword Art forged by the Sword God, he is actually capable of contending with the continent's emperor‑level masters.

As the power gradually filled him, he slowly rose to his feet, his mind still full of doubt, but the tangible surge of strength made him unable to hide his great joy.

In just over two months he first defeated Ge Te, then killed Ao Er Deng; two of the seven sub‑hall masters of the Spirit God Hall have already fallen to his sword, which suddenly gave him a boost of confidence in his own power.

If that is so, then perhaps he no longer needs to constantly evade the Spirit God Hall's pursuit. Luo Shan harbored such a thought. Perhaps it is time to end this period of avoidance. He should step forward to fight, continually strengthening himself in battle, eventually stand before Ming Guang, defeat him, and rescue his parents. Even if he ultimately loses, he can still fight a spectacular battle and be recorded in history.

Ao Er Deng's words to recruit him did not sway him, but his heart held a faint acknowledgment. A true man born in chaotic times should use his strength to achieve great deeds, even if he dies in battle, it would not be a regret.

Thus, as the Spirit God Hall's greatest enemy, he would brandish his sword and carve a bloody path among its masters. Ge Te and Ao Er Deng have already been defeated; the remaining hall masters—Bafaliya, Heisen, Xilixiya, Meikelun and Sakesen—are names he has known since childhood. Among these masters, some excel at protective spells, some at offensive techniques, some possess unparalleled magical power; together they are unstoppable. Moreover, behind them stands the meticulous and deeply scheming Grand Hall Master Ming Guang, whose power is also unfathomable. With a single move he once hurled himself into the boundless Jiuyou; had it not been for Xiao Yushan's desperate rescue and Mu Ze's opportunity, he would have been forever trapped in that terrifying hell, never to see light again.

Nevertheless, even though he knows the road ahead is arduous and the opponents so powerful, Luo Shan's heart no longer holds the fear he once had.

Now he only longs to see that person—the white‑clothed girl who suddenly appeared beside him in the boundless darkness.

She is like a lamp in the darkness, dispelling his endless confusion and giving his life a direction to move forward.

Although he does not know the direction of Luo Fu Gu De Shan Zhuang, he remembers drifting downstream along the Lin Quan He until Pei Er found and rescued him; therefore, if he follows the river upstream, he should reach the place where he once clashed with Ge Te, and thus locate Luo Fu Gu De Shan Zhuang. He then summoned his magical power and employed the Wind Riding Technique. With Ao Er Deng's power, his magic surged, making the Wind Riding faster; in less than half a day he reached the upstream of Lin Quan He. Before him rose a cliff towering into the sky. He vaguely recalled that when Ge Te caught up, he was gravely wounded and fell from this very cliff. Rejoicing, he climbed the cliff wall, followed the path forward, and soon the tall outer wall of Luo Fu Gu De Shan Zhuang appeared before him.

He vaulted over the high wall with little effort, his heart still elated, when suddenly the sounds of fierce combat echoed from within the manor, powerful magical forces swirling, seemingly from different masters, each overwhelmingly strong, none inferior to him. He immediately thought perhaps an outside invasion, fighting the Marquis of Luo Fu Gu. The Marquis had once protected him with all his might when the Spirit God Hall arrived, even at the cost of breaking with them; today, facing such a formidable external enemy, it was likely caused by himself. Moreover, Luo Fu Gu Shan Zhuang is Qin Yan's home; the manor is in danger, Qin Yan cannot wield magic, and although the Marquis protects her, the risk remains great. Thinking this, Luo Shan drew his long sword and, using Wind Riding at full speed, rushed toward the battlefield. As the two sides came into view, he saw Pei Er and the Marquis of Luo Fu Gu fighting to the death; then, in an instant of electric thunder, Ming Guang launched a dark light sphere, gravely wounding the Marquis and instantly engulfing Pei Er's figure. He had no time to think further, instinctively leapt forward and was directly thrust into that massive light sphere. As for the cause and effect, he could not attend to it.

Seeing Pei Er safe and sound, a great weight finally lifted from Luo Shan's heart. He recalled that in the past few days his thoughts had been solely on Qin Yan, never giving a second thought to Pei Er, who had saved his life. Luo Shan felt a pang of guilt.

"Luo Shan." Pei Er listened as he briefly recounted the recent events; though she found it unbelievable, as long as Luo Shan was safe she was satisfied. She was now trapped in the boundless darkness, suddenly seeing the boy she thought of day and night; she felt relieved yet more reluctant. "You fool..." tears glimmered in her eyes. "Why are you so foolish, charging in after me like this? This place is so terrifying, likely a one‑way entrance; why... why accompany me to our deaths?"

"If you hadn't rescued me back then, I would have died long ago. Now seeing you trapped in darkness, how could I abandon you?" Luo Shan spoke these words with utmost sincerity. "Moreover," he gave a slight cold smile. "Though Jiuyou is gloomy and terrifying, it may not be without an exit. As long as we do not give up hope, we will see the light again."

Yet, despite his words, Luo Shan felt uncertain. He had once escaped Jiuyou, but only with the aid of Xiao Yushan from beyond the realm. Xiao Yushan's cultivation was transcendent, even surpassing Ming Guang and others, nearly reaching the "Human Emperor" realm; together with Luo Shan's and Mu Ze's fateful encounter, they barely managed to break free. Now that Xiao Yushan is gone, he can rely only on his own strength, and escaping this hellish Jiuyou is far from easy!

"Pei Er," he said, gripping his sword hilt. "I know a friend here who has become a Death God, wielding life‑and‑death authority in Jiuyou. Let's go find him now; he must have a way to help us escape." Mu Ze's figure surfaced in Luo Shan's mind; though he did not know whether, after becoming a Death God, the other would still cherish their scant past friendship, at this moment he could only place his hope in Mu Ze.

"A friend?" Pei Er was puzzled. "How could you have a friend in a place like this?"

"I... a long time ago, I came here once," Luo Shan replied simply. "Pei Er, stay close to me; Jiuyou is filled with dead spirits, and a moment's carelessness can turn you to ash." He suddenly recalled that when he first arrived, he had joined an Evil Spirit Death God Tribe, at Mu Ze's strong invitation. So perhaps he too counts as a member of Jiuyou? Thinking of this, he couldn't help but laugh. If so, many of the dead spirits around might actually be his "companions".

At this thought, a sudden idea sparked in his mind. He still remembered the secret signal members of that "tribe" used to communicate; perhaps he could use the dead spirits to locate Mu Ze. After all, Mu Ze was once a member of the Evil Spirit Death God Tribe, and now that he has become a Death God, the tribe might have risen to prominence.

"Frost‑cold Jiuyou, night comes without winter!"

He suddenly summoned all his magical power and let out a long howl. These two lines are the greeting code of the Evil Spirit Death God Tribe; members of the same tribe answer with a corresponding reply, confirming each other as allies. At this moment Luo Shan roared the phrase with his overwhelming magic, and the surrounding dead spirits, feeling his supreme power, were all terrified. As for what he said afterward, he could not bother with it.

"Evil spirits dread, heaven's thunder rages." After an unknown time, a trembling voice answered, "You… you are also of our Evil Spirit Death God Tribe? Who is your... guide?" The spirit, clearly shaken by Luo Shan's overwhelming magic, could barely speak. "Guide?" Luo Shan was momentarily stunned, then understood. "It's Mu Ze, right?"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding dead spirits immediately began chattering. "Lord Death God..." "He actually dares to address the Lord Death God by name..." "Shh! If his guide truly is the Lord Death God, his status must be extraordinary; those brothers who just attacked them may now be in trouble..." "I didn't act, so whatever happens, if the Lord Death God blames anyone, it's not my concern." "Hey, we can't be sure this guy even knows the Lord Death God; he might be an impostor." "But he recited our tribe's code; it's unlikely to be false." "We can't say that outright; our tribe is now at the brink, could be invaded at any moment. Though the Lord Death God's might is terrifying, facing a joint assault from the Fire Spirit and Wind Spirit tribes, the Blue Spirit tribe, though not yet engaged, may eventually side against us under such pressure. In such times, there will inevitably be spies trying to infiltrate our tribe for intelligence."

"What tribe?" Pei Er looked at Luo Shan with a blank expression. "These are all matters of Jiuyou; I'm not very clear on them," Luo Shan replied simply, shaking his head. "Among you," he turned to the whispering dead spirits, "since some of you belong to the Evil Spirit Death God Tribe, take me to Mu Ze; otherwise, disperse now so as not to hinder each other here."

"Who seeks the Lord Death God?" a sharp voice suddenly rang out. Almost simultaneously, a red beam surged toward Luo Shan. The dead spirits surrounding him screamed and fled; those unable to dodge were instantly struck, unable even to utter a wail before turning to ash. Luo Shan frowned slightly, instinctively pulling Pei Er behind him, swung his long sword, and a pure white light gathered at the tip, instantly weaving a powerful protective barrier. The beam struck the barrier, merging like water and milk, vanishing in an instant, yet Luo Shan's barrier quivered, showing a clear crack.

In this sudden clash, from the feel of the magical collision, Luo Shan realized the opponent's strength was slightly below his, yet the power was still enough to contend with a lower‑tier "Emperor‑level" master. He did not expect such a figure to exist in Jiuyou.

"Kid, your strength is impressive," the man said, slightly startled, clearly not expecting Luo Shan to possess magic capable of matching him. "You're also of the Evil Spirit Death God Tribe? I didn't expect the Lord Death God's ranks to contain such a master. Wind God, you claimed there were no more talents in the Death God Tribe; you were wrong this time, weren't you?"

"Ha, Fire God, you think that aside from the Lord Death God, there's no opponent in Jiuyou; you were mistaken," a sinister voice replied simultaneously. "What's the plan now? With our combined strength, eliminate this kid first, then tackle the Lord Death God? Or just stand here and chatter while waiting for the Lord Death God to wipe out both our tribes?" "Wind God, your tongue is truly sharp," the one called Fire God sighed. "If that's so, then strike."

While they spoke, Luo Shan was already on guard. As soon as they finished, two towering figures appeared in his view: one clad in red, fierce‑looking—presumably the Fire God; the other in blue, with a grim smile—clearly the Wind God. Both exuded an aura of slaughter and death, sending a sudden chill through Luo Shan's heart. Yet, inexplicably, a sense of exhilaration spread through his mind.

His blood‑thirsty soul began to stir again, yearning to gut the two opponents before him!

"Hey, you there, be careful," a dead spirit whispered, stepping back a few paces. "These two are renowned figures of Jiuyou, chieftains of the Wind Spirit and Fire Spirit tribes. With constant internal strife among the tribes, the Wind and Fire Spirit tribes have openly allied against us; when they see members of the Evil Spirit tribe, they must kill them. I must go… good luck to you." As soon as the words finished, the spirit's figure...

"No," Pei Er replied bluntly. "Why would I abandon you? If these two are weak and you kill them, I need not flee; but if they are truly powerful, even you cannot match them, how could I leave you alone to survive?" "Pei Er!" Luo Shan's heart raced. "Why won't you listen to me! Even if I can't defeat them, escaping isn't impossible. If you slip up, wouldn't I be guilty for a lifetime?"

"You fool..." Pei Er felt warmth in her heart, her face flushing slightly. "Don't say any more; I want to be with you, to live and die together. In this dark, cold..."

However, at that moment, everyone heard a booming voice, carrying an authority that seemed able to pierce everything.

Luo Shan instinctively turned his head and saw, in the darkness of Jiuyou, a man in a white cloak suddenly appear.

"Brother Luo Shan, long time no see."