The young man smiled faintly. "I can't tell you much. Both the past and the future are constrained by too many limits. On the other hand, Junior Brother, your mortal life... is something we deeply envy."

"My name is Pitu. I entered the Dao through fist techniques in the Zhenwu Domain, and after 1,437 years of cultivation, I was able to break through and ascend to the Immortal Realm. After going through many trials, I joined the Reincarnation Immortal Sect and comprehended the future essence of immortality.

"Honestly, the place where you live is hard to find. It took me quite some time, but I hope Zhu Long will be useful to you. If you gain power in the future, remember to bring me back. The life of the dead is truly difficult to endure."

After saying this, the smile on Pitu's face slowly faded, and the aura of death instantly spread around him. The decaying spots on him increased, making it look as if he had died again.

Fang Chen lowered his head, deep in thought. "Zhenwu Domain... entering Dao through fist techniques? The life of the dead is truly difficult to endure…?"

Suddenly, the seemingly dead Pitu opened his eyes. "Oh, right, Zhu Long likes to feed on Yang energy, like Dragon Essence Fruit. Junior Brother, you have plenty of it hidden on you; I can smell it. Or perhaps true dragon blood, in any case, anything with masculine energy will do. You must nourish it well; it has great use."

After saying this, Pitu closed his eyes once more. The death aura on his face increased several times, but it was contained by the red wooden coffin, unable to escape.

Fang Chen tried calling out, "Senior Brother?"

He called a few more times, but Pitu did not respond. It seemed that he had truly passed away.

Fang Chen slowly closed the coffin lid and gently pushed the coffin into the Yin River, watching as the red wooden coffin sank deeper, eventually disappearing from sight.

Fang Chen turned and looked at the Zhu Long. "Can you understand me?"

Zhu Long's tender face nodded slightly, a hint of timidity in its eyes.

"Then, can you speak?"

The Zhu Long hesitated for a few moments before slowly opening its mouth. "＃￥……￥%＃"

Fang Chen was puzzled. "What language is that?"

He could tell that Zhu Long wasn't just babbling randomly; it was speaking a language, one that Fang Chen had never heard before.

At that moment, Fang Chen heard Mirror of the Universe speak. "Little Brother, this Profound Mother Yin Beast isn't from this place, so naturally, you wouldn't understand what it's saying. However, the Profound Mother Yin Beast is quite intelligent. If you teach it for some time, it will be able to communicate with you," came the voice of the Mirror of the Universe.

"Little Zhou, just now, Senior Brother Pitu mentioned the Zhenwu Domain. Which place is that? Is it in the Central Continent Empire, Northern Dipper, or Celestial Heaven?" Fang Chen inquired.

"None of those."

Fang Chen was taken aback. "None of those?"

"The domain he mentioned is not the same as what you might think. It encompasses the entire Star Field. Have you ever looked up at the stars?"

"Naturally."

"The stars you see are just like the earth beneath your feet—they belong to the Ancient Domain," the Mirror of the Universe clarified.

Fang Chen couldn't help but smile faintly. "I see…."

What the Mirror of the Universe had just said confirmed a long-held suspicion in Fang Chen's heart.

"Aren't you at all surprised? Did you already know that there are mortals living on those stars, just like you?" Mirror of the Universe asked in surprise.

Fang Chen didn't respond directly to the question. Instead, he asked, "Little Mirror, besides Northern Dipper also have the six other continents—Tianshu, Tianxuan, Tianji, Tianquan, Yuheng, and Yaoguang?"

"Correct…."

Fang Chen's smile grew wider. Though he couldn't see the stars in this place, he couldn't help but look up toward the sky. There was a time when he too had been a mortal on some star.

Zhu Long didn't understand what Fang Chen was looking at.

The black and white paper figures didn't interrupt. It was half an hour before Fang Chen cleared his throat and looked at them. "You two, how much do you know about the soul-crossing ritual?"

The black and white paper figures exchanged glances."The soul-crossing ritual?"

The white paper figure pondered for a moment before speaking. "I once heard the sovereign mention the technique of the soul-crossing ritual. It belongs to the Dao Sect's Yin Divine Beast, Night. However, this technique was lost after the fall of the Three Thousand Dao Sect. No one has used it since, unlike other Dao arts, which still have traces of inheritance."

The black paper figure continued, "Daozun said that the soul-crossing ritual involves the soul leaving the body to roam the Yin realm. However, the Yin realm is perilous, and the Yuan soul will be lost, and the three souls and seven spirits will be damaged. At worst..."

It didn't need to finish the sentence; the implication was clear.

"Since the Three Great Dao Sects and the Forbidden Demon Island are cooperating to find Zhu Long for Ji Liang, they must want its blood to facilitate the soul-crossing ritual.'"

Fang Chen's expression turned solemn. "That means the Yan Monarch's inheritance the blood paper figure spoke of is hidden in the Yin realm. One must go there personally to obtain it."

"Besides that... the promise made by the Three Great Dao Sects to Forbidden Demon Island is also worth considering. Does the Forbidden Demon Island hope that when Ji Liang walks the Yin, he will find his deceased ancestors and thus obtain the lost inheritance?"

Fang Chen continued to ponder, his mind racing through the possible motivations behind the complicated alliances.

"Little Black, Little White, how much do you know about the Ghost and Spirit Dao?" he asked, shifting the conversation to another topic.

The white paper figure thought for a moment, then gently shook its head. "We are neither human nor ghost in our current forms. We have never encountered actual ghosts before. Perhaps only by relying on the soul-crossing ritual could one truly see such beings."

The black paper figure nodded. "That's true."

The white paper figure then seemed to smile, tugging at the corner of its mouth. "I've heard before that some cultivators possess a rare talent. They are born with a pair of Yin Yang eyes that allow them to see ghosts and spirits. However, such cultivators are extremely rare, and ordinary people seldom encounter them."

Fang Chen's gaze flickered. "I know of a young nun who seems to have this ability. It seems her Yin Yang eyes are quite special after all."

He paused, reflecting on his own experiences. Despite his unique soul and extraordinary cultivation, he had never encountered ghosts or spirits. Only after his own death and burial in the jade coffin could he faintly sense some lingering souls of comrades and loyal spirits.

But that was merely a feeling. Perhaps because he hadn't truly died, that's why he couldn't see it. Even he couldn't see it, so it's likely that without special talents, one wouldn't be able to see it even after ascending.

"The refinement of the Nine Heavens Profound Mother Primordial Spirit requires the essence blood of Zhu Long. This means that I might also be forced to walk the path of the Yin.

"Senior Brother Pitu said that life as a dead person is hard. For an immortal to say such a thing... the so-called underworld must not be a good place, and its dangers must surpass what I can imagine."

After pondering for a while, Fang Chen took out Mirror of the Universe and asked, "Little Mirror, if I walk the Yin path with my current cultivation, what kind of dangers will I encounter, and what should I be careful about?"

Upon hearing that Fang Chen planned to walk the Yin path, the black and white paper figures immediately stepped forward, their expressions grave. "Lord, please proceed with caution!"

Fang Chen smiled and tried to calm them down. "It might not have to walk the Yin path, it's just a precaution. Please, do not worry,"

The black and white paper figures remained serious. That eerie place was even more mysterious than the Immortal Realm. At least they had heard rumors of the Immortal Realm, allowing them to piece together bits and pieces and understand it vaguely.

The underworld, however… was hardly mentioned in ancient texts.

At that moment, Mirror of the Universe spoke, its tone slightly heavy. "Brother, conducting a soul-crossing ritual is not an easy task. You are currently just at the Golden Core Realm. You don't yet have a Nascent Soul, so the medium for the soul-crossing ritual path will certainly be your soul, including the three souls and seven spirits. The soul is far weaker than the Nascent Soul; even the Nascent Soul is fragile, let alone the soul."

"What should I be careful about?"

The Mirror of the Universe fell silent for a while.

"I don't know…."