Chapter 414: With My Three Souls as the Guide, and My Seven Spirits as the Sacrifice, Underworld Ghost Mansion, Fengdu, Appear!

At this moment, the fierce backlash force was still tearing at his body, causing his skin to crack apart. At times his figure turned hazy and indistinct, then sharpened back into clarity. It was the prelude to his very soul being scattered to nothing!

“You ignorant brat who doesn’t know the immensity of heaven and earth[1]! Do you even understand what you’ve done!?”

“Hmph, very well, today I’ll drag you down to hell with me! I’ll let you fall into the Demonic Dao and become the very evil you claim to oppose!”

The yin meridians burst open, releasing torrents of yin qi. Li Yanchu was the first to be struck by it; once invaded by the yin qi, it would corrode the mind and drive one into the Demonic Dao.

“A nobody like you!?” Li Yanchu said disdainfully.

That expression stabbed deep into the heart of the ferocious, many-eyed ghost. He took a deep breath and formed the most orthodox Daoist hand seal in his grasp.

“With my three souls as the guide, and my seven spirits as the sacrifice, Youming Ghost Mansion, Fengdu, appear!”

A mass of black mist condensed upon the ferocious ghost’s body, instantly devouring him whole. At the same time, a colossal two zhang tall bronze gate manifested in the air. It was mysterious and ancient, bearing the heavy marks of time.

The bronze gate slowly creaked open, and a wave of chilling air surged out, striking fear straight into the depths of one’s soul. Murky and shadowy, complex and oppressive, it was filled with nothing but dark, negative emotions.

“Damn it!”

“Is that... the legendary Gate of Fengdu!?” the ferryman cried out in shock, remembering the ancient myth passed down through generations of his lineage. His heart was filled with disbelief.

𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Li Yanchu, however, found the aura before him strangely familiar.

Fengdu? An outburst of yin qi?

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, so there were benefits to be gained from this after all.

Light flickered in his hand, and an ancient, solemn seal appeared, which he began to refine immediately. From the seal radiated an ancient and boundless aura. Majestic and vast, it was imbued with the awe-inspiring might of gods and ghosts alike.

It was the Lord of Mount Tai's Seal!

In an instant, the yin qi within Duanlong Cave was devoured by the seal. Its suction was more terrifying than a whale gulping the sea, and the fiercer the yin qi surged, the faster it was consumed!

Within the blink of an eye, all that yin qi vanished, and not a single wisp remained.

The cavern was normally silent and still, like a forsaken abyss haunted by ghosts. Yet at this moment, it somehow gave off a sense of upright brightness. It was simply... absurd! It was because all the yin qi had been completely drained away.

Next, the Lord of Mount Tai's Seal still seemed unsatisfied. To it, that little bit of yin qi wasn’t even enough to serve as an appetizer. Its attention turned directly toward the bronze gate beyond.

Then, a bizarre scene unfolded. A vast and terrifying suction force enveloped the bronze gate. An ocean of yin qi was drawn out from within Fengdu itself, and the ghostly creatures near the gate were instantly crushed to dust, then dissolved into nothingness.

“...!!!” The ferocious, many-eyed ghost was dumbfounded.

What the hell...!?

What’s happening!?

BOOM!

Before he could react, Li Yanchu charged in wielding his golden mace, smashing him apart in a single, thunderous blow. His soul was utterly obliterated!

How could I let such a vile creature self-destruct?

That would be a waste of precious merit!

With ease, Li Yanchu struck down the dying, ferocious ghost, then lifted his gaze slightly toward the ancient bronze gate.

So imposing...

That strange thought rose in his mind unbidden. The terrifying yin qi continued to pour into the Lord of Mount Tai's Seal, which devoured it endlessly, its aura gradually strengthening once more.

Li Yanchu thought silently,

if this continued, could the seal actually drain all of Fengdu dry?

After a moment’s reflection, he decided it was impossible. After all, Fengdu was vast, a city overflowing with yin and death qi. How could a single artifact possibly drain it completely?

With that thought, he quietly sent another surge of spiritual power into the seal to speed up the absorption.

At this time, everyone was dumbstruck, and their eyes were wide with disbelief!

What on earth had just happened!?

Wasn’t this supposed to be the “eruption of yin qi” that the great ghost had spoken of, causing Daoist Master Li to fall into demonic corruption!? Then... why did it look completely different?

Especially the ferryman, who knew a bit about the mysterious forbidden land of Fengdu, he was utterly bewildered. To him, it felt as if his very faith had just collapsed.

“Eh!? How did that ancient family text describe it again? When the Gate of Fengdu opens, ten thousand ghosts should emerge from the abyss... So why hasn’t even one come out!?”

The ferryman frowned deeply, suddenly doubting the accuracy of that old ancestral record.

Hmm. Myth and legend...are clearly exaggerated after all!

Then, something even more shocking occurred. A cold, disdainful snort echoed from within the bronze gate, as though some ancient deity had just awakened.

And then, that so-called “Ghost Gate,” the bronze portal itself, slammed shut at incredible speed! Quite unlike its earlier entrance, when it had opened slowly, exuding a dignified, ancient aura, this time, it seemed almost... hurried.

What stunned the ferryman even more was seeing the elegant and composed Daoist Master Li step forward, reach out with one hand, and seize the bronze gate!

“...” The ferryman was speechless!

Li Yanchu’s thoughts were simple. How could he just let this door close? Where else could he possibly find such vast, dense yin qi for the Lord of Mount Tai's Seal to absorb? Absolutely not!

As for the mysterious and powerful presence beyond the gate, he faintly sensed that it bore him no malice. Otherwise, last time, that being wouldn’t have helped him and Fang Qinglan leave Fengdu safely.

The muscles on his arm tensed, swelling with explosive power. Under the divine power of Spirit Officer Wang, he actually forced the bronze gate to stay open, holding it in place through sheer strength. However, the restrictive power emanating from the gate was extremely domineering. Li Yanchu frowned slightly, as he was barely holding on.

Then, from the clear void above, a heavy divine force descended once more. It caught him off guard, as this time, he hadn’t requested for it. It seemed to have come... of its own accord.

BOOOOM!

The bronze gate slowly began to open again.

A vast, surging wave of pure yang divine power poured into him, so fierce and overwhelming that Li Yanchu’s body brimmed with unstoppable might. Its effect was astonishing. He was single-handedly keeping the Ghost Gate from closing!

If that false immortal from before, who had used this very gate as his trump card, could see this, his Dao heart would probably shatter on the spot!

Good heavens!

The gate I sacrificed my own soul to open, not only is it useless in your hands, but you won’t even let it close!?

Meanwhile, the Lord of Mount Tai's Seal was performing spectacularly, devouring yin qi at an even faster rate.

“Hmph!” Another cold snort echoed from beyond the bronze gate, this time clearly tinged with anger.

Suddenly, the bronze gate tore itself away from Fengdu entirely. The force of separation sent Li Yanchu flying backward, still clutching the massive, weighty door in his hand.

He stared blankly at the bronze gate he now held, and at the vanished portal to Fengdu. For a moment, he was completely stunned.

“It... stopped!?”

The Lord of Mount Tai's Seal paused for a moment, as if it hadn’t quite registered what had happened.

“Huh!? What about all my yin qi?!”

***

Deep within the Duanlong Cave, an old man with two horns atop his head sat cross-legged on a stone lotus platform. He wore a rough hemp robe and was bound by two heavy, icy iron chains. Carved upon those chains were Buddhist sutras.

Those cultivators who had opened the Heaven’s Eye could see golden Buddhist text circulating over the old man’s body, endlessly flowing. Sensing the explosion of the yin meridian and the draining of yin qi, he slowly opened his eyes; a flash of murderous intent crossed his face.

“Who dared disturb my yin veins!”

His voice trembled with anger. But then the Gate of Fengdu opened, a mysterious presence closed it again, and the divine power of Spirit Officer Wang descended to hold the gate. These terrifying auras immediately reduced the once-imposing old man to cowering and trembling on the ground.

At his cultivation level he perceived far more than others.

1. The phrase “不知天高地厚” (bù zhī tiān gāo dì hòu) literally means “not knowing how high the sky is or how thick the earth is.”

It’s a Chinese idiom used to describe someone who is ignorant of their own limits or of the true scale of the world, in other words, someone who is overconfident, arrogant, or naive, thinking too highly of themselves without understanding reality.

In context, it’s often said with a critical or mocking tone, for example: “这小子真是不知天高地厚!” “That kid really doesn’t know his own limits!” It can be used toward someone who challenges a powerful person or takes on something far beyond their ability. So, it implies reckless overestimation of oneself due to ignorance or inexperience. ☜