Chapter 283

The ancestral statue of Pogaluo Buddha held a scepter, used a giant elephant as a mount, and above its head were traces of star orbits.

The ancestral statue was tall and intimidating, having existed for tens of thousands of years.

At this moment, Li Youyi could finally be certain that he had entered another spatial region. After all, the ancestral statue was hundreds of meters high, while the fissure entrance was only a hundred meters underground.

Inside the main hall was the "Ten Thousand Spirits Pilgrimage Sculpture Group."

More than a hundred passages were located behind the sculptures.

Some went up along stone steps. Some went straight ahead. Some led to the underground.

The underground immortal mansion was not flat.

The eighth path that Tang Wanzhou had been exploring was a path leading to the upper layer, two zhang wide, with smooth gold-stone structures on both sides of the passage, where murals, hanging lamps, and skeletons could be seen from time to time... a great war had broken out here in ancient times.

After walking a hundred miles along this path, the passage collapsed over a large area, forming steep cliffs.

Below the cliff, dark red magma flowed slowly, and heat overflowed; it was hard to imagine whether the lower world would be affected.

Everyone had high cultivation, so they wrapped their mounts in dharma Qi and jumped across quickly.

The deeper they went, the more complex the passages became.

There were many branch lines, like a maze.

Li Youyi had been memorizing and marking them.

Behind the thirty-eight riders, quite a few Wu Xiu followed from a distance. They had both strength and courage and wanted to fish in troubled waters.

After penetrating two hundred miles, the terrain and landscape of the underground immortal mansion became diverse; it was no longer just narrow and crowded passages, but caves, plains, stone mountains, and rivers appeared...

After traveling for a day and a night, the injuries in Li Youyi's body had recovered by sixty or seventy percent.

At the same time, he had completely absorbed the Star Day Pill he took when entering the underground passage.

His mental power stars had grown by nearly half, and he was full of energy; the whole person was not tense or depressed because of being in a perilous situation, but rather extremely excited.

At this moment, they had penetrated more than three hundred miles into the underground immortal mansion.

Ahead appeared a plain dozens of miles wide, with hard soil, and a large number of glowing thorn-like plants growing on the ground, slightly illuminating the darkness, and the entire space was misty.

Li Youyi raised his head and looked upward.

He could not see the top, only endless pitch black.

Everyone on the mounts became alert, with no more sense of relaxation.

Some of the Wu Xiu had already summoned their artifact battle soldiers and activated the scriptures on their armor.

Brother Tuoba Butuo whispered: "This is the furthest place I have ever been. It is said to be a cultivation field from the peak and prosperous period of the ancient Pogaluo Sect, now called the Nether Spirit Plain by explorers, and marked on maps sold at high prices."

"Swish—!"

From the dark thorn bushes came dense sounds of movement.

Then, a miasma mist rose and surged toward the thirty-eight riders of the Snow Sword Tang Ting.

Each mount felt the danger and growled restlessly.

Li Youyi sensed with his Mental Power Heavenly God Scripture that there were dense flying insects in the miasma mist, so numerous they could not be counted.

They looked like mosquitoes, fist-sized, with buzzing sounds.

"Alert, it's a swarm of Bone-Eroding Miasma Mosquitoes!" an old man in the Dao Seed Realm in the team roared.

"Boom!"

A dharma Qi palm print was struck out from the air, and the vibration of the air briefly dispersed the swarm. But soon, the swarm reassembled and pressed down like a blanket.

Li Youyi had read some "Collection of Fierce Insects" and had some understanding of the Bone-Eroding Miasma Mosquitoes; they were an extremely terrifying general-level fierce insect that could suck dry the blood of all living things in a city in a short time.

Encountering them, Dao Seed Realm Wu Xiu would also fall into a desperate situation, leaving no bones behind.

The Bone-Eroding Miasma Mosquitoes before them were much larger than described in the books, and there were many mutations.

That middle-aged woman of the Sister Wanyan clan took action first, releasing two commander-level exotic insects, "Seven-Colored Fireflies."

The two firefly exotic insects, wrapped in seven-colored flames, rushed into the miasma mist. Immediately, the Bone-Eroding Miasma Mosquitoes in the mist were constantly burned into fireballs and fell to the ground.

A moment later, the swarm of Bone-Eroding Miasma Mosquitoes fled and disappeared into the darkness.

The two firefly exotic insects flew back and were collected into the insect bag by the Sister Wanyan woman.

"What powerful Seven-Colored Fireflies; commander-level exotic insects against these fierce insect swarms are a complete suppression of bloodline."

"Madam Sister Wanyan's two Seven-Colored Fireflies already have combat power comparable to two Dao Lotus Wu Xiu."

"Fortunately, there are insect tamers traveling with us; otherwise, just this swarm of Bone-Eroding Miasma Mosquitoes would be enough to give us a headache for a while."

Li Youyi had been observing the two Seven-Colored Fireflies just now; they were indeed powerful, having grown to the peak state of commander-level exotic insects, easily killing and repelling a general-level fierce insect swarm.

This Nether Spirit Plain was quite dangerous; subsequently, they encountered two soldier-level fierce insect swarms and one general-level fierce insect swarm, all of which were repelled by Madam Sister Wanyan and the old man Shan Ze using insects.

Li Youyi did not have the opportunity to release the seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors.

Passing through the plain, there were very few Wu Xiu left following behind the thirty-eight riders.

Before them appeared a steep stone wall, dozens of zhang high.

On the stone wall, some ancient pictures and texts were drawn, the lines and characters emitting white fluorescence.

Li Youyi and Brother Tuoba Butuo followed Tang Wanzhou closely and climbed this stone wall. Above it was another stone wall, layer upon layer, as if built by man.

Tang Wanzhou finally stopped, sitting on the back of the three-tailed snow fox, her expression extremely serious, looking at the riders behind her: "The Wu Xiu who can pass through the Nether Spirit Plain and reach this place can be counted on one's fingers."

"This is the location of the Star Fire Altar of the ancient Pogaluo Sect, four hundred miles away from the main hall at the entrance of the underground immortal mansion."

"I said that when we penetrate deep into the underground immortal mansion, I would tell you the true purpose of this trip. Now, it is time!"

Behind the team, a deformed Wu Xiu with an ape head and a very strong aura asked: "The Young Monarch is so cautious; is she worried that if told in advance, information will leak?"

Tang Wanzhou scanned everyone present, her eyes deep and sharp, her tone cold: "The thirty-eight riders on this trip are all top experts, and everyone's strength is unquestionable. But what we are going to do on this trip is of great importance, not a thousand-year-old medicine, nor a Daoist scripture; this monarch has to be a bit cautious, and I hope you all understand."

The old man Shan Ze asked: "Is the big event the Young Monarch mentioned related to this Star Fire Altar?"

"Indeed, everyone follow me!"

This ancient Star Fire Altar, each layer was dozens of zhang high, the cliff walls were smooth, and only Dao Seed Realm Wu Xiu could climb them relatively easily.

Most of the mounts were left below the altar.

Tang Wanzhou climbed to the fourth layer of the altar, jumped off the three-tailed snow fox mount, walked forward, searched for a moment, and struck out with a palm, hitting an area on the stone wall where the pictures and texts were broken.

"Boom!"

A stone gate a zhang high opened accordingly.

She carried a stone lamp emitting cyan radiance and walked in the front; footsteps echoed in the passage.

"Li Youyi, this monarch found that Spirit Platform Flame Star Stone fragment inside this altar by accident."

"Thank you, Young Monarch, for the reminder."

Li Youyi secretly observed the various pictures and texts on the stone wall and released his Mental Power Heavenly God Scripture to probe every area he passed.

If he could find another Spirit Platform Flame Star Stone fragment, plus the Star Day Pill, he would be confident in breaking through to a two-star Spirit Reader in a short time.

They arrived at the core area inside the altar.

The Wu Xiu all let out exclamations, gathered around Tang Wanzhou, and looked at a stone wall dozens of zhang high. On the stone wall, many pictures were drawn, telling an ancient story.

"That is... that is Pogaluo Buddha?"

Brother Tuoba Butuo pointed to a figure on the mural, which was extremely similar to the ancestral statue of Pogaluo Buddha in the entrance main hall.

In the mural.

Pogaluo Buddha held a scepter, raised both hands high, and countless stars fell from above his head, drawing light traces like a meteor shower, smashing onto the ground and kicking up countless dust.

Tang Wanzhou stopped below the mural and said solemnly: "A month ago, I accidentally broke into this place and saw the exquisite murals here, but I couldn't understand what some of the content represented. So, I went to the Zuoqiu Sect, consulted all the ancient books about the Pogaluo Sect, and finally understood the murals completely."

"The first mural tells of the ancient period, when Pogaluo Buddha witnessed a disaster event of falling stars."

"That star-falling catastrophe caused the death of countless living beings on the earth, mountains collapsed, rivers changed their courses, and dust covered the sky, with no sunlight seen for years."

"The second mural is about Pogaluo Buddha saving the dying and healing the wounded during the disaster, founding the Pogaluo Sect, collecting the stars falling from the sky, and analyzing their mysterious energy."

Li Youyi's gaze fell on the second mural.

He saw Pogaluo Buddha sitting high on a lotus platform, with countless believers below.

Dozens of stars emitted brilliant radiance, standing like dozens of giant mountains behind him.

Li Youyi secretly wondered if the Spirit Platform Flame Star Stone was one of them?

Tang Wanzhou walked below the third mural: "This one tells of Pogaluo Buddha casting dozens of stars into a 'Bright Star Book,' also known as the 'Pogaluo Sutra.' One star, one page of the bright sutra, forty-two pages in total."

"Pogaluo Buddha poured his life's efforts into writing words containing supreme dharma power on the book, and then he attained Buddhahood and left this land."

"With the 'Bright Star Book,' the power of light eternally shines on the Pogaluo Sect, and the ancestral court of the sect is immune to all evil."

Tang Wanzhou walked toward the fourth mural: "This tells of the years after Pogaluo Buddha left. An aggressive sect leader was born in the sect, who used the 'Bright Star Book' to fight in the Nether Realm of the Dead, constantly expanding the territory of the Life Realm."

"What? There is a treasure in the world that can dispel the dark and strange power of the Nether Realm of the Dead?" In the team, Sister Wanyan Shenxing, whose combat power could be ranked in the top three, said in disbelief.

The Nether Realm of the Dead was like a forbidden zone of life, surrounding the entire Lingxiao Life Realm, boundless and endless.

Dao Seed Realm Wu Xiu were already standing at the top of the human world and could initially come into contact with the truth and survival essence of this world.

The more this was the case, the more depressed they felt.

In the catastrophe a thousand years ago, more than ninety percent of the territory of the three hundred states of Lingxiao was swallowed, and those who survived lived in fear day and night.

"The death power of the Nether Realm can block all sunlight, turn all living beings into passing spirits, evil things breed, ghosts revive, cursed monsters run rampant, and all kinds of things wither," an old Spirit Reader recited.

Brother Tuoba Butuo was extremely excited and heroic: "If the 'Bright Star Book' really exists, we have a chance to recover the more than two hundred states swallowed by the Nether Realm of the Dead; every state recovered is thousands of miles of territory, with infinite resources, endless fertile fields, and then the population migrates, desolate villages become lively towns, and death nether soil turns into lush forests."

"At that time, minerals, land, pastures... we will have as much as we want; why bother to conquer the south and fight with the major human forces for the twenty-eight states?"

"We will fight north, into the Nether Realm of the Dead, recover the Life Realm, be recorded in history, and be immortal."

The Wu Xiu present were all boiling with blood, their eyes burning.

Li Youyi was very calm and looked at Tang Wanzhou.

She was extremely calm, with no ripples in her eyes, and walked toward the fifth mural: "Unfortunately, this 'Bright Star Book' was torn apart during a turmoil within the Pogaluo Sect, turning into pages of bright sutras."

On the mural was the scene of the "Bright Star Book" scattering, each page of the sutra flying out like a small sun.

Everyone sighed.

Li Youyi looked at the corner of the mural, thought for a moment, and said: "Look here! There is a small figure here, holding a page of the bright sutra, entering the depths of the Nether Realm of the Dead, instantly illuminating an area. Does this mean that as long as we find a page of the sutra, we can recover a piece of Life Realm land?"

(End of chapter)