Chapter Fifty-One: The Heart-Cleansing Incantation of the Tripitaka
The Underworld Seal, simply put, is a rune from another realm.
“It’s said that this Underworld Seal of mine is tied to an ancient legacy, one that shares its origins with the Gate of Nether Passage, and perhaps even surpasses it.”
Nether Passage—just as the name implies—means access to the underworld.
The underworld usually refers to the Yellow Springs, the Netherworld, or the realm of spirits—the legendary domain where all ghosts and lords of darkness reside, the place where souls return after death.
According to Li Du, the Daoist of Nether Passage once obtained the teachings of a true immortal, which enabled him to cultivate his extraordinary powers.
The path of cultivation is divided into stages: Embryonic Breath, Qi Refinement, Spirit Nourishing, Dao Foundation…
During the Spirit Nourishing stage, the shadow spirit leaves the body.
The shadow spirit’s departure marks the nourishing of the spirit.
The shadow spirit is fragile and must be guarded by condensing evil energies and refining protective force.
At the stage of condensing evil energies, one can freely roam the night, coming and going without a trace, traveling a thousand miles in a single night.
During the refining force stage, daytime excursions become possible, and one’s supernatural abilities increase greatly.
Lu Qian practiced the Lunar Essence Guidance Method, which could condense Yin Sunflower True Water; during Spirit Nourishing, he could absorb the energies of the Yin Sunflower.
The Dao Foundation stage, as the name suggests, is the forging of the foundation for the Great Dao.
At this stage, the shadow spirit undergoes transformation, condensing into a tangible divine form.
Li Du had witnessed the Daoist’s divine form once.
The scene left an indelible mark upon him.
A celestial serpent of Sunflower Water, stretching over a thousand miles.
Even a hint of its majesty was enough to make the entire sect tremble in fear.
“You say the sect keeps you under surveillance because of the ancient legacy behind this Underworld Seal?”
“Of course. I was hiding in the shadows when I overheard the Daoist of Nether Passage conversing with a demonic spirit, which revealed a trace of the truth.”
After the great battle between the Daoist and the demonic spirit, Li Du managed to obtain the Underworld Seal by a stroke of fortune.
Later, the Daoist traced the event and discovered Li Du’s presence at the scene.
He suspected Li Du was involved, but no matter how hard he pressed, Li Du never confessed.
The Daoist intended to use soul-searching techniques, but the sect was facing a crisis at the time, and the matter with Li Du’s wife caused further delays.
“What happened after that?” Lu Qian asked.
More than a hundred years had passed; surely the Daoist couldn’t still be dwelling on old grudges, never acting against Li Du?
“Later, I mastered secret techniques. All spells that seek to bewitch the mind cannot probe my memories. Because my inner resistance is so strong, forced soul-searching would only cause my soul to shatter, yielding nothing.”
Li Du spoke.
“So that’s how it is.”
Lu Qian suddenly understood.
In other words, they suspected Li Du possessed the legacy, but had no concrete evidence, so they kept him under watch all these years.
“But aren’t you afraid they’ll discover you?” Lu Qian glanced around.
“No. The Seal’s power of concealment is so great that not even the Daoist of Nether Passage could detect it.”
Otherwise, Li Du wouldn’t have evaded discovery for over a century.
“What do you need me to do?” Lu Qian went straight to the point. They’d talked about benefits, but not about the task at hand.
“I give you this seal. Help me with one thing. You will open the ancient legacy, which will draw forth the true form of the Daoist. Leave the rest to me.”
For Lu Qian, it was a win-win.
By opening the ancient legacy, Lu Qian would receive the treasures left by ancient immortals.
Li Du cared little for those; his only aim was to draw out the Daoist’s true form.
“What do you plan to do once you’ve drawn him out?” Lu Qian glanced at Li Du, wondering if he intended to kill the Daoist.
“To settle a score.” Li Du’s eyes flickered.
“Why should I trust you?” Lu Qian retorted.
“You can keep the Underworld Seal; the choice is yours. If you refuse, I’ll have to go to the Daoist myself.”
Li Du would not live much longer.
For a hundred years, he had pursued one thing.
Before his life ended, he was determined to settle it.
“I shall die this time. If you refuse and no longer participate, after my death the Seal will surely fall into their hands. You may then cultivate peacefully within the sect.”
Once they had the Seal, Lu Qian would lose his value as an object of scrutiny, and thus be safe.
Lu Qian fell silent, gazing at the Underworld Seal.
It floated quietly, emanating a faint green glow, its runes winding and intricate, profoundly mysterious.
Finally, he laughed, “Hand it over. But let me make it clear—I will put my own interests first. If anything goes wrong, don’t blame me for betraying you.”
“Understood. I’ll await your news on Medicine Mountain.” Li Du flicked his wrist, sending the Underworld Seal slowly toward Lu Qian.
As it approached, Lu Qian sensed countless terrifying and bizarre phenomena.
Fanged faces, fierce demons of the night.
“Calm your spirit! Recite the incantation with me!” Li Du commanded in a low voice, chanting under his breath. He was transmitting a mental technique to Lu Qian.
The incantation was called the Threefold Purity Mantra, which calms and steadies the mind, resisting the influence of the Underworld Seal.
It also grants immunity to most mind-bewitching spells and external interference.
After a long while, Lu Qian slowly opened his eyes, a flash of clarity flickering within.
The Underworld Seal now floated in his mind, radiating a mysterious aura.
In his sea of consciousness, the water dragon leapt with joy, its ability to condense Yin Sunflower True Water greatly enhanced.
“What is this…” Lu Qian was astonished.
The aura emanating from the Seal seemed to be a higher form of true water, beyond that of Yin Sunflower.
Perhaps the Seal truly did contain a superior inheritance.
“I didn’t lie to you, did I? If you meditate deeply, inside the Seal is a method to condense Profound Nether True Water, a layer above Yin Sunflower. When you enter the underworld, you may seize the opportunity to cultivate it.”
Profound Nether True Water springs from the Yellow Springs and is said to wash away all things in the myriad worlds. Should even a trace touch the soul, it would be annihilated; if it touches a magical artifact, its spiritual light would vanish.
A drop of pitch-black true water condensed on Li Du’s brow.
Its power was a hundred times greater than Yin Sunflower True Water.
“Very well. I’ll take my leave now.”
The two returned to their usual demeanor, and Lu Qian withdrew to his cave.
He sat cross-legged, eyes nearly closed.
He swallowed the Taishang Shadow Ink.
Whoosh!
A chill wind swept through, his figure dimmed, slowly vanishing. All that remained was a patch of pitch-black shadow, merging seamlessly with the surrounding dark mist.
In this state, he meditated and guided his energies, the speed of condensing true water accelerating.
His physical body was constantly refined by the true water, gaining a metallic sheen.
His cultivation advanced bit by bit…
The Underworld Seal hovered silently in his mind; Lu Qian paid it no heed.
Two months later, the day for the opening of the Netherworld finally arrived.