Chapter 762

“The Underworld Passage has been opened?”

“How is that possible?”

After Li Yan received the news, he returned immediately; upon hearing this speculation, all twelve Yuan Chen members stared in shock, for the matter was too bizarre.

Mount Tai swallows Xihua, presses Nan Heng, towers over Zhong Song, surpasses Bei Heng, and reigns as the chief of the Five Sacred Mountains. In myth, after Pangu died, his head transformed into Mount Tai.

Legends say this place connects to Heaven, and since ancient times it has been the site of Fengshan sacrifices.

It is also said this place connects to the Underworld, governed by the Eastern Peak Emperor.

But no matter how many legends exist, no one has ever seen it.

Now to claim that the Underworld Passage has been opened is naturally unthinkable.

Only Wang Daoxuan, after his initial shock, furrowed his brows and stroked his beard: “Li Yan’s guess may be correct. Mount Tai is the sovereign of the Five Sacred Mountains, the Pengxuan Cave Heaven—nothing to take lightly. There is an old saying: ‘When Mount Tai is stable, the Four Seas are at peace.’”

“Only the opening of the Underworld Passage could explain such disturbances.”

Li Yan nodded: “Whether it is or isn’t, we must find out.”

Saying this, he stepped aside and called out to those behind him: “This is Elder Shoumingzi of the Jade Emperor Temple, well-acquainted with Mount Tai. I’ve asked him to guide us.”

Standing behind him was indeed Shoumingzi.

Earlier, inside the Jade Emperor Temple, after Li Yan learned the details, he asked if anyone could serve as a guide.

Others hesitated, but Shoumingzi, before being assigned to mountain defense, had once specialized in gathering intelligence on the Daoist world, and knew the names of the Twelve Yuan Chen.

Combined with his own concerns, he volunteered to lead.

Now he stared at the “Ruyi Treasure Pearl” and the “Five Directions Luo Feng Flags,” his eyes filled with shock; only when Li Yan spoke did he hastily bow: “It is nothing. If you all ascend to dispel calamity, how could a humble Daoist fear death…”

Before he finished, Li Yan cut him off: “No need for formalities, Elder. Mount Tai is vast and now a deadly place—time is critical. Tell us your assessment.”

Shoumingzi nodded and spoke: “I’ve been pondering on the way. Mount Tai is large. Based on direction and past records, five locations warrant suspicion.”

“First, the ‘Blood Maple Grove’ northwest of Dai Peak. This place was anciently called ‘Xing Hou Terrace.’ The ‘Records of Immortals of Mount Tai’ states that Xing Hou once slew demons here, his blood soaking the rock layers into crimson soil, hence the maple leaves remain perpetually crimson. Three days ago, disciples reported a deep fissure opening here, spewing sulfurous stench—we had no time to investigate…”

“Second, the ‘Inscribed Stone’s Shadow Cave’ on the eastern slope of Jade Emperor Peak. Legend says Emperor Wu of Han erected the unmarked stele to suppress the ‘Chiwen Abyss.’ In ancient times, a Daoist carved into the stele’s base to steal Yin Soul Stones, triggering seven days of earth tremors. Later, Wei-Jin Daoists set the ‘Nine Springs Yin Refining Array’ to quell the chaos—this is one of our key guarded sites…”

“Third, the Yin-Yang Ravine’s Withered Pine Ravine. The ‘Secret Annals of Mount Tai’ records this as the place where Huang Chao’s ‘Ghost Army’ passed through during the late Tang. Every thunderstorm night, will-o’-the-wisps march in formation. To be frank, Shi Xuanming’s artifact, the ‘Withered Pine Dragon Staff,’ was taken from the ravine’s demonic tree. Now that yin spirits rage across the mountain, its seal is likely broken…”

“Fourth, the ‘Fox Immortal Cave’ on Zhangren Peak. Legend says a white fox from Bi Xia Yuanjun’s retinue slew and devoured a cultist who preyed on children here. In the eighth year of Zhao Jianwu, a massive boulder on the mountain ignited and burned for eight days before extinguishing—this remains one of Mount Tai’s Daoist mysteries, and we’ve never uncovered its cause…”

“Lastly, the ‘Suspended Coffin Cliff’ on the Yin-Yang Boundary.”

As he spoke, he lowered his voice: “This place is the most perilous. In past dynasties, Qi and Lu suffered a demonic plague called ‘A Hundred Ghosts Carrying a Palanquin’—its poison spread endlessly, impossible to eradicate, and was sealed here by numerous Daoist masters.”

These places were each more terrifying than the last, yet none of them surprised the group.

Since ancient times, Shenzhou has always harbored demons too difficult to eradicate or too pervasively poisonous to destroy—capable only of being sealed within the spiritual apertures of Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands, gradually worn down by primordial Gangsha energy.

The Daoist sects managing these places bear responsibility for their watch.

If Mount Tai is in crisis, these are the true threats.

“Five places…”

Hearing this, Li Yan felt a headache coming on.

He hadn’t expected so many suspects.

But under these circumstances, they could only investigate one by one.

Thinking this, Li Yan urged: “Time is critical—where should we go first? Elder, you know the terrain—plan our route.”

Shoumingzi drew a deep breath, his gaze grave: “The situation is urgent. I believe we must take the shortest path.”

“From near to far: first, the Blood Maple Grove; next, the Inscribed Stone’s Shadow Cave; then, the Withered Pine Ravine; after that, the Fox Immortal Cave on Zhangren Peak; finally… straight to the Suspended Coffin Cliff!”

“This route is dangerous, but it will reveal the source of the anomaly fastest!”

“Good! We follow this path!” Li Yan immediately decided.

Without a word, Wang Daoxuan immediately formed a hand seal; the Five Directions Luo Feng Flags soared into the air, flapping loudly, spinning around them and tightly enveloping the group’s aura.

The Ruyi Treasure Pearl was raised high, becoming the only stable light in the darkness.

Under Shoumingzi’s guidance, the group entered deeper into the black mist.

As the old Daoist had said, the journey was perilous.

Ghost walls caused by rising yin energy, mad beasts, awakened corpses, and wandering yin spirits were minor concerns.

The real trouble was the temperature drop caused by dense yin sha energy.

Frost formed on the ground; ice clung to everyone’s bodies; the path grew slippery; icy winds howled, making their heads buzz.

But the greatest danger lay in those perilous sites.

When the group stepped deep into the Blood Maple Grove—the legendary forest soaked in Xing Hou’s blood, perpetually crimson—the frost-covered earth beneath their feet suddenly surged and split open like a living thing!

A stench of blood rushed at them; countless thick, barrel-sized crimson vines, caked in viscous blood, erupted from the ground like monstrous serpents of hell, coiling to crush.

The blood emitted a powerful, corrosive stench; where it touched the ground, it hissed.

Simultaneously, a thick scent of sulfur spread.

“What the hell is this?!”

Sha Li’s fire gun fired in rapid succession, but only blasted bloody holes in the vines.

Others frowned—they had never seen such a monstrous thing.

“Something’s wrong—fall back!”

Li Yan’s eyelids twitched; he quickly led the group backward.

Doubt gnawed at him; he gripped the burning Gou Die in his chest, closed his eyes, then opened them again, chanting: “Heaven has its order, Earth has its law; the Yin Bureaucracy binds souls; the living must retreat!”

Instantly, the yin wind howled; darkness deepened; even the Ruyi Treasure Pearl dimmed, as if suppressed by some force.

Within two breaths, the darkness and wind vanished.

The Blood Maple Grove now lay still; the eerie crimson vines lay limp on the ground.

Wang Daoxuan frowned: “Li Yan, was that…?”

He didn’t finish, but all knew he meant the yin offender.

“No.”

Li Yan shook his head, stepped forward into the grove, and soon emerged carrying a clay jar, which he threw to the ground.

The jar’s shape was strange—not of Shenzhou design.

Splash!

As it shattered, a massive black crow corpse appeared, emitting a foul stench, its body threaded with crimson veins spreading outward.

Also scattered were bundles of cloth-wrapped feathers and bones.

“Elder Shoumingzi, has any red-haired foreigner appeared on the mountain recently?”

Facing the group’s curious stares, he looked at Shoumingzi.

What appeared here was not demonic energy, but an extraterrestrial evil spirit foreign to Shenzhou, tainted with a trace of yao sheng energy—detected by the Gou Die, which issued a task.

Perhaps the last captured extraterrestrial demonic energy, the Underworld Yin Bureaucracy, unaware of its origin, had informed him of its origin.

This evil spirit served under Stolas, one of the Seventy-Two Demons of Solomon.

This demon masters astronomy, herbalism, and gemology; his followers excel in such secret arts; the demon himself usually appears as a crow or in human form.

Though merely an evil spirit, not demonic energy, it had absorbed Dao Gang energy.

“Red-haired foreigner?”

Shoumingzi looked bewildered: “I’ve never seen one.”

Li Yan pondered: “The Blood Maple Grove has scattered yao sheng energy, but it is suppressed by Mount Tai’s primordial Gang energy, nearly worn away. Years ago, some evil entity must have been sealed here.”

“Someone deliberately buried this here to absorb the yao sheng energy and cause chaos.”

Shoumingzi’s eyes blazed with fury: “It must be those three villains!”

Li Yan asked grimly: “I forgot to ask—who are the three earth immortals on the mountain?”