Chapter 442: The Originator of the Ancient Turbid Qi

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"Houtu is merciful; she transformed her body into the Six Paths, initiating Reincarnation."

This old man, why was he starting to talk about ancient history now?

"So, what does this have to do with me meditating?"

Really, he truly did not understand.

Watching Tubo sigh, Lu Ying suddenly felt that the hunched old man before him was inexplicably world-weary.

It was clearly so painful when he hit people, so why was this sigh so sorrowful?

"Does the child know why the Demon Race was born?" Tubo raised his head, seemingly recalling something.

"I don't know..." Lu Ying shook his head; he truly did not know.

Although there were ancient records in the sect, they were mostly vague generalities, and the true reasons were never mentioned; even if there were a few words, to an observant eye, they were mostly fabrications, never facts.

"Sigh..."

Tubo let out another long sigh, causing Lu Ying to narrow his eyes—this strange old man, where did he get so much breath to sigh with?

If Lingxiang were here, she would definitely bring a bamboo stool, pick up some snacks, and urge him to speak faster—she loved these tales of intertwined love and hate the most.

In Lingxiang's words, not listening to a senior reminisce about the past was disrespectful; one should be full of anticipation, and when necessary, even cheer to liven up the atmosphere, which was the only way to give the senior enough face.

But how would Lu Ying understand these worldly ways? He could only stare blankly and wait for what came next.

It was unknown how much time had passed before Tubo blinked his moist eyes and continued.

Lady Houtu had a grandson named Kuafu; Kuafu's clan were the giants of the Lei Ze.

Although Kuafu was the grandson of Houtu, his giant bloodline was exceptional, his temperament was upright, and his spirit was extraordinary; though diligent and kind, he did not know how to be flexible.

When the years brought scorching suns, rivers dried up, trees withered, and crops failed, the Kuafu clan found every step difficult.

One night while resting, there was a sound like a bell, luring him into a dream, saying that the source of the suffering was the Golden Crow, and that driving it to Yuyuan would resolve the hardship.

The next day, upon waking from the dream, Kuafu left the tribe to chase the Golden Crow, eventually dying of thirst at North Marsh.

Kuafu passed away, his body turning into yellow earth, with lush Peach Forest growing atop it, transformed from his staff.

Upon hearing of her son's death, she was devastated, went to the North Marsh Peach Forest, saw his soul, and asked the reason, only then learning it was the work of evil villains.

"Old man..."

Tubo was displeased and raised the ruler in his hand; Lu Ying was very tactful and quickly changed his address.

"Mas... Master..." Although it was a bit awkward, a wise man does not fight when the odds are against him, "Isn't this just a storybook tale heard since childhood? What does it have to do with the Demon Race?"

Hearing this "Master," Tubo nodded in satisfaction, but his expression immediately shifted, and he glanced at Lu Ying with dissatisfaction.

"I was just about to get to that, but you were too quick with your mouth, insisting on ruining my mood."

Lu Ying was helpless and had to apologize, followed by a good while of coaxing before Tubo slowly began to speak again.

It turned out that what lured and deceived Kuafu in the dream was the Turbid Qi that had accumulated in the Netherworld, which had gathered into Evil Qi.

The Evil Qi was formless and had been blocked by the Houtu Breath for ten thousand years; it had to borrow a human body to escape the Netherworld.

At that time, the entrance to the Netherworld was still at Yuyuan, but Kuafu died and his form vanished before he could reach it.

Upon learning the reason, she jumped into Yuyuan alone, wishing to avenge her son, but unexpectedly she was defeated, and her body transformed into Taodushan, which is the entrance to the Underworld today.

The news reached Lady Houtu, and upon hearing that the souls of her descendants had nowhere to return to, she transformed her body into the Six Paths, which is how the current place of Reincarnation came to be.

Lady Houtu used the power of her body to suppress the evil spirits, making them unable to commit evil again, leaving them to wander within the Netherworld.

But what was unexpected was that the great cause of the Conferment of the Gods would leave behind a disaster, sending the soul of the Human King's son down here.

The evil spirits seduced the son of the Human King, borrowed the Sinking Rock of Youdu, and fused with him to forge an Adamantine Body. "This is the origin of the Demon Race..." Tubo smacked his lips, as if very dissatisfied with the ending of the story.

But so what? Why did he have to meditate? This was a life-threatening matter.

Lu Ying was puzzled and asked without thinking; upon hearing this, Tubo slapped him, but it was a case of raising his hand high and letting it fall lightly.

"I am your master, could I possibly harm you?" Tubo feigned anger, "Ordering you to regulate your breath is to teach you how to cultivate in the Underworld; three years from now, you will definitely need it."

At that time, Lu Ying did not know that the "three years" in Tubo's mouth referred to today, and thought it meant "one can achieve small success in three years."

Of course, that is a story for another time.

"But once I meditate and regulate my breath, wouldn't I be absorbing the Nether Qi?" Lu Ying was very confused.

Really, he just didn't understand.

Master said, if you don't understand, you must ask!

Tubo scolded Lu Ying for being stupid, but he still explained it.

"When mortals cultivate, they must clear their meridians and refine their bones to be able to mobilize Spirit Qi; the Demon Race is the same, only they can use it flexibly from birth."

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"It is just that the Demon Race does not rely on Spirit Qi, but on Nether Qi, which is what they call 'Chu' in their own tongue."

"The source of 'Chu' is the Netherworld, and back then, when Houtu transformed into the Six Paths, she suppressed the Nether Qi for ten thousand years with just a single breath of power."

"This is the 'Houtu Breath,' and it still permeates every corner of the Netherworld today; it is just that this matter has never been publicized to others, and the Houtu Breath is so subtle as to be imperceptible, so no one knows of it."

Hearing the explanation, Lu Ying finally understood; Tubo's intention was for him to seek out that trace of Houtu Breath from within the pervasive Nether Qi.

The many ghosts and gods of Fengdu had not noticed it for so many years, so how could he, a mere mortal, possibly find it now?

Seeing Lu Ying hesitate, Tubo hurriedly leaned into his ear.

"If you can find the 'Houtu Breath,' even if it is only a tiny bit, it will be enough to suppress ordinary members of the Demon Race; if you are lucky, you might even be able to trade a few blows with a Demon Lord or Demon General."

Of course, the premise is to see how much one can find.

However, Tubo did not say this second half, fearing Lu Ying would be unwilling, but he had underestimated Lu Ying.

Hearing this, Lu Ying's eyes lit up; if it were truly as Tubo said, then there would be hope of killing his enemies with his own hands.

"I ask that Master please bestow your guidance!" Lu Ying cupped his hands.

"Good lad!" Tubo first laughed heartily, but instantly straightened his face and tapped the long ruler in his hand, "What are you waiting for? Why don't you hurry up and meditate!"

Hearing this, Lu Ying hurriedly sat down cross-legged.

While it was called sitting in meditation, it was actually not as simple as it sounded.

Daily morning meditation required not only looking inward to clear the meridians but also absorbing Spirit to replenish Qi; the so-called "Spirit" was the Spirit Qi that wandered freely between heaven and earth.

In normal times, this would not be difficult; after all, it was a daily task, and mere meditation was something he could handle with ease.

But now, he was in the Netherworld.

When absorbing Spirit, Lu Ying would always suffer from disordered Qi meridians due to the Nether Qi, and at the same time, voices would constantly linger in his mind, incessantly bewitching him.

And whenever this happened, the disciplinary ruler would strike Lu Ying's back fiercely, the pain waking him up instantly as cold sweat streamed down his body.

Yet he could not distinguish whether the cold sweat on his body was due to his wandering mind or the pain on his back.

In truth, Tubo did not use much force; the reason Lu Ying felt pain was that the ruler was no ordinary disciplinary ruler.

This ruler was named "Soul Suppressor," an object once held by Houtu, which was later passed down to Tubo.

For those with a clear mind, one strike would only cause physical pain; for those with a chaotic mind, one strike would stabilize the soul, and besides the physical pain, the soul itself would tremble.

The soul weighs no more than a few ounces, yet the pain that pierces to the bone is beyond compare.

Days like these lasted for over two years, and even now, Lu Ying would involuntarily shiver at the mere thought of them.

That pain was truly painful!

But this pain was worth it!

If not for these pains, Lu Ying would not be able to come and go freely in the Netherworld, nor would he have appeared before Long Qi.