Chapter 532: The Ferryboat of the Netherworld

As the Yellow Spring Water churned, the runes on the ancient bridge grew brighter, as if guiding the incoming souls' path.

The cultivators stood at the bridgehead, a nameless fear welling up in their hearts.

They witnessed one heart‑pounding scene after another; souls rose slowly from the Yellow Spring Water, their forms blurred as if shrouded in mist, yet their hollow eyes and twisted faces revealed endless anguish and despair.

These souls tread heavily across the ancient bridge, each step seeming to recount the joys and sorrows of their former lives.

They had no words, only those hollow eyes, as if scrutinizing each cultivator's soul.

The cultivators instinctively retreated; many began to wonder whether this place was truly the legendary underworld.

The underworld of endless legend—a mysterious place that absorbs all beings' souls, condenses the Yin‑Virtue Golden Wheel, and is used for reincarnation.

This is the hub where myriad souls transmute, the boundary between life and death, and the end of all secrets.

A shock unlike any before surged in the cultivators' hearts—how could they have inexplicably arrived here?

Could it be that they are all already dead?

Longling's face turned unusually grave; she clenched her fists, silently chanting an ancient incantation to invoke the White Bone Dharma Appearance, attempting to communicate with those souls.

But the souls seemed to hear nothing, moving forward mechanically, ultimately swallowed by the Far Shore of the Yellow Spring and vanishing into endless darkness.

"This is impossible—how could we have died?" a young cultivator trembled, his eyes filled with fear and disbelief.

"Silence!" Longling snapped at him, her voice firm: "We aren't dead yet; though this place is eerie, our physical bodies remain, we still breathe, our hearts still beat. This is undoubtedly an illusion of the underworld, but since we are alive, we still have hope of getting out."

The cultivators exchanged glances, a hint of resolve in their eyes.

They were all strong warriors who had survived countless tribulations and would not give up easily.

Yet at that moment, a strange laugh suddenly came from the far end of the ancient bridge, filled with mockery and madness, as if ridiculing the cultivators' ignorance and insignificance.

The cultivators turned and saw a huge shadow slowly coalescing in the mist, its form constantly shifting—sometimes like a gigantic skull, sometimes like a ferocious demon.

"Welcome to the underworld, foolish living beings." The shadow emitted a piercing voice steeped in the breath of death: "This is the resting place of your souls, the end of your fate."

The cultivators gripped their weapons; they now faced not a bodily foe but a soul‑devourer, likely a guardian of the underworld.

"Everyone be careful—this might be the underworld's gatekeeper." Longling warned, eyes wary: "Its power differs from anything we know."

The shadow let out a manic laugh, then split into countless tiny shades that surged at the cultivators like evil ghosts.

The cultivators' spells and treasures seemed ineffective against these shades; they easily pierced the defenses and struck straight at the souls.

The cultivators felt an unprecedented fear; their souls trembled under the shades' assault, realizing that the battle here was no longer a contest of strength but a clash of souls.

Longling drew a deep breath, began chanting an even older incantation, traced complex trajectories in the air, and formed a massive light shield that protected the cultivators within.

Golden light flickered on the shield—that was the Yin‑Virtue Golden Wheel condensed by Longling; its power opposed the underworld's, safeguarding the cultivators' souls.

"We can't just wait to die here; we must find a way out." Longling declared loudly, voice resolute: "Though the underworld is terrifying, it also has rules—if we discover them, we'll find a path to life."

The cultivators nodded and began searching the ancient bridge for possible clues.

They found that the runes on the ancient bridge seemed to point toward a certain path; these runes were related to the underworld's rules and were the key to the road of life.

An elder cultivator suddenly spoke, voice calm and wise: "I understand—these runes are the underworld's guidance; they tell us that only by letting go of obsession can we find an exit."

The cultivators began trying to release the fear and obsession in their hearts; their souls were purified in the process.

They discovered that when they relinquished obsession, the power of the evil‑ghost shades began to wane, no longer able to easily pierce the cultivators' defenses.

"Found it!" a young cultivator shouted excitedly, eyes gleaming with hope: "As long as we let go of obsession, we can weaken those evil ghosts' power."

The cultivators focused their minds; their souls were elevated in the process.

They found that when their souls were purified, the runes on the ancient bridge began to shine more brilliantly, as if pointing toward a path to the road of life.

Longling led the cultivators along this path; their souls were elevated in the process.

They found that when their souls were purified, a light began to appear at the far end of the ancient bridge—the exit to the road of life.

The cultivators followed closely behind Longling; their souls were elevated in the process.

As the cultivators stepped onto the ancient bridge, their steps were heavy and slow.

With each step a cultivator took, the runes on the ancient bridge emitted a faint glow, as if responding to their souls.

Suddenly, strange visions appeared in their sight—successive scenes of past memories unfolded like phantoms on the bridge, leaving each person shocked and panicked.

These memories felt so real, as if they were reliving the pivotal moments of their lives once again.

Some cultivators saw the vows they made in youth, some saw the parting of loved ones, and others saw the mistakes and regrets they had committed.

These memories were like daggers, stabbing their hearts, forcing them to halt their steps and sink into deep contemplation.

"What is going on?" a cultivator's voice trembled, his eyes filled with confusion and fear.

Longling drew a deep breath, her eyes firm and deep, as if she could see through the secret behind all these illusions: "This is the power of the ancient bridge; it is testing us, making us confront our past. Only by truly letting go of the past can we continue forward."

The cultivators exchanged glances, knowing Longling's words were correct.

They began striving to calm their emotions, seeking strength from these memories rather than being troubled by them.

On the ancient bridge, each step the cultivators took felt extraordinarily heavy.

The cultivators' strides were no longer firm; their eyes reflected images of the past—memories sealed by time, like awakened wraiths, unfolding one after another before them.

Every cultivator sank into profound shock; their hearts were bound by past regrets, sorrow and remorse surging like a tide, nearly overwhelming them.

An elder cultivator saw a scene from his youth—the moment his master lay dying.

The master's withered hand gripped him tightly, eyes full of expectation and reluctance, yet he, due to a moment's hesitation, failed to fulfill the master's final instruction.

That scene was like a thorn, deeply piercing his heart, leaving him unable to let go to this day.

His steps staggered; the regret in his heart weighed like a stone on his chest, making it hard for him to breathe.

A flash of tears appeared in his eyes—a deep self‑reproach and sense of helplessness.

He knew that if he had been a bit more resolute back then, perhaps everything would have been different; but now he can only carry this regret onward.

Another cultivator, named Yun Fei, saw his hometown—a village razed by war.

He saw his parents, desperately calling his name amidst the flames, while he, absorbed in cultivation, had drifted away from home and failed to protect them when they needed him most.

That scene was like a sharp blade, tearing his heart apart.

Yunfei's hands trembled, his eyes filled with tears, his heart filled with longing for his parents and anger at his own helplessness.

He knew that choosing the path of cultivation meant giving up reunion with his family, but now he wished he could return to the past, even just to see them one more time.

There was also a young female cultivator who saw her childhood sweetheart lover, who died in the claws of a beast the day before their wedding while trying to save her.

She saw her lover's last smile, a smile meant to reassure her, but she hadn't been able to tell him in time that she was willing to give up everything just to be with him.

The female cultivator's tears silently fell, her heart felt as if torn apart, the pain almost making her unable to stand.

She knew her lover was gone, yet she still had to move forward; this was an opportunity her lover had bought with his life, and she could not give up.

Every cultivator had their own regrets, these regrets like chains wrapped around their hearts, leaving them unable to be free.

Some of them even began to doubt whether they should continue forward, whether they should return to the past to make up for those regrets.

However, at that moment, Longling's voice sounded again, hoarse but full of power: "We all have regrets, we all have a past, but these are the price of our growth.

"We cannot return to the past, but we can turn these regrets into strength and continue forward."

His words were like morning and evening bells, awakening the cultivators lost in the past.

They knew Longling was right; they must not linger in the past, must let go to continue forward.

Yunfei clenched his fists, a determined light flashed in his eyes; he knew he must turn his longing for his parents into strength, to protect more lives and fulfill the protection he had failed to complete.

The female cultivator wiped away her tears, a resolute light flashed in her eyes; she turned her longing for her lover into strength, to help more people and complete her lover's unfinished undertaking.

The cultivators one by one rallied, began to face their regrets and accept their past.

They knew these regrets were part of their lives, the marks of their growth.

As their mindset shifted, the runes on the ancient bridge began to emit a softer glow; the images of the past gradually blurred and finally dissipated into the air.

The cultivators' steps became firm again; they continued forward, although their hearts still held sorrow and regret, their eyes were filled with determination and hope.

As their mindset shifted, those phantoms gradually became blurred and finally dissipated into the air.

When they finally finished crossing the ancient bridge, the sight before them once again shocked them.

At the end of the ancient bridge, a rotting ancient ship lay moored there, black as ink, dilapidated, as if it might fall apart at any moment.

Yet, the mysterious light hanging at the ship's prow flickered with a chilling glow, as if summoning them.

"It seems that to leave this place, this ancient ship is surely our only chance." Longling said in a low voice, his eyes fixed on the ancient ship.

Although the cultivators' hearts were filled with doubt, they knew there was no other choice.

They had to board this ancient ship to continue their journey, stepping onto it carefully; the planks beneath their feet creaked, as if protesting their weight.

When everyone was aboard, the ancient ship suddenly shuddered, then slowly drifted away from the bank, swaying toward the far shore of the Yellow Springs.

The cultivators stood on the ship, their emotions complex: there was fear of the unknown, as well as anticipation for the secrets about to be revealed.

As the ancient ship slowly proceeded on the Yellow Springs water, the surrounding scenery became even more eerie.

The Yellow Springs water churned; in the mist on its surface, countless shadows of resentful spirits wandered, as if they were telling the ancient ship of endless grief.

The cultivators gripped their weapons, vigilantly scanning their surroundings, ready to respond to any possible threat at any moment.

Suddenly, the mysterious light on the ancient ship began to flash more frequently, its glow growing stronger.

In the light's glow, the resentful spirits in the Yellow Springs water seemed to be stimulated; they began to frenziedly crash into the ancient ship, attempting to cling aboard.

"Everyone be careful, these resentful spirits want to board the ship!" Longling loudly warned, releasing beams of light from his whole body, trying to dispel the resentful spirits.

The cultivators also unleashed spells, power intertwining in the air to form a solid barrier.

Although the resentful spirits' impacts were fierce, under the cultivators' defense they could not approach the ancient ship.

However, at that moment, the ancient ship suddenly shook violently; a powerful force surged from its hull, lifting the ship high before slamming it down heavily.

The cultivators lost their footing, some even being flung out of the ship into the Yellow Springs water.

"Come back quickly!" Longling shouted, reaching out his hand to try to grab the cultivators who had fallen into the water.

But the power of the Yellow Springs water was too great; it swiftly dragged the fallen cultivators down into the deep depths, vanishing into endless darkness.

Longling's face turned unusually grave; he knew the danger they faced far exceeded their imagination.

He began to chant a more powerful incantation, attempting to stabilize the ancient ship while also trying to counter the force of the Yellow Springs water.

With Longling's incantation, the ancient ship gradually stabilized, and the impact of the Yellow Springs water grew weak.

But the cultivators' hearts were filled with sorrow; they had lost companions, making their mood heavy.

The ancient ship continued onward; the resentful spirits around it gradually dwindled, and the Yellow Springs water grew calm.

But the cultivators' hearts could not find peace; they knew they had already lost some companions, and they would still have to face unknown dangers ahead.

Finally, the ancient ship reached the far shore of the Yellow Springs.

There lay a desolate tract of land, devoid of any sign of life, only endless darkness and silence.

Yet for the cultivators, this was a symbol of hope, for they had finally left the Yellow Springs water and still had a chance to continue exploring the secrets of the Heavenly Tomb.

Longling led the cultivators onto this land; their steps were heavy, but their will remained firm.

On this desolate land, the cultivators discovered some ancient relics, which seemed to conceal more secrets of the Heavenly Tomb.

They began to explore these relics, hoping to find a way to leave this place, while also hoping to locate their missing companions.

As they explored, they discovered that hidden within these relics were some ancient mechanisms and traps, which seemed to have been set up to protect the secrets of the Heavenly Tomb.

The cultivators must carefully avoid these mechanisms and traps, while also needing to uncover the secrets behind them.

In a chance occurrence, they found a stone tablet inscribed with strange runes inside an ancient stone chamber.

These runes seemed related to those they had seen on the ancient bridge before; they appeared to point toward a path leading to deeper secrets of the Heavenly Tomb.

The cultivators began to study these runes, hoping to find a way to leave this place from them.

As they researched, they discovered that these runes were actually an ancient password; only by solving this password could they find the road to freedom.

After some effort, they finally solved the password.

With the password solved, one wall of the stone chamber slowly opened, revealing a passage leading underground.

This passage was deep and dim, seemingly leading to deeper parts of the Heavenly Tomb.

Cultivators exchanged glances; they knew this passage might be their only chance to leave here.

They gripped their weapons tightly and cautiously entered the passage.

As they went deeper into the passage, they discovered that the walls were covered with even more runes and patterns.

These runes and patterns seemed to recount the history of the Heavenly Tomb, recounting those ancient deities and the secrets they created.

The cultivators walked while studying these runes and patterns, hoping to find more clues within them.

As they went deeper, they discovered that the end of the passage was a massive stone door, with the final set of runes carved upon it.

Longling stepped forward, he carefully examined this set of runes, then slowly chanted the incantation.

With his chant, the stone door slowly opened, revealing a bright world.

The cultivators were astonished to discover that they had actually returned to their familiar world,

They had actually succeeded in leaving the Heavenly Tomb, standing at the exit, their hearts filled with emotion and awe.

"We did it." a cultivator said emotively, his eyes filled with tears, "Not only did we uncover the secret of the Heavenly Tomb, but we also found the way home."

Longling nodded, his eyes revealing a hint of depth and resolve: "Yes, we did it."

He gazed at the ancient pagoda ahead; now, as the pagoda's power returned, the pagoda became increasingly unlike before, actually growing something like leaves, which seemed extraordinarily bizarre.