Chapter 577: The River of Forgetfulness! True Demon! Sealing the Shanhai Secret Realm! The Origin of the Stone Tablet! Daoist Tiansong?

On a vast, ceaselessly flowing river, countless points of light drifted and swirled. The waters themselves shone with divine radiance, sending shivers through the heart. As the river flowed, it washed away all the auras from the points of light, purifying them into pure, radiant sparks.

No one knew where this great river began, nor where it would ultimately flow. Yet countless points of light continually fell into it, cleansed by the river, then carried along by the current.

One particularly brilliant spark fell into the river.

“Damn it! Brat! In this era of great strife, you dare to ruin my plans? One year hence, you shall die!” The voice was filled with rancor and malice.

Falling into the river, the spark was immediately carried by the current. Yet unlike the others, its aura was not washed away; it merely contracted.

The river’s torrent was too strong, and even the spark could not resist the flow and was forced to drift downstream.

This river was the River of Forgetfulness. Countless living beings of the world, upon death, flowed into it, their memories of past lives washed away. Only immortals and gods could preserve a fragment of their true spirit.

Of course, besides immortals, true demons could do the same. Yet no one could defy the laws of the River of Forgetfulness.

With the arrival of the era of great strife, many tributaries of the river appeared, bringing unpredictable changes to the world. Prince Qing’s heir, though annihilated, retained a trace of true spirit, which returned to the river.

His claim of returning in twenty years was actually a lie for Li Yanchu. To reincarnate fully might take that long, but this Prince Qing’s heir had already arranged matters in his previous life; he could return far sooner. The “twenty years” was only meant to mislead Li Yanchu.

This young Daoist, coming from a mysterious background, should have understood the supernatural nature of the River of Forgetfulness.

Unfortunately, Prince Qing’s heir’s schemes from his past life were wasted, as Li Yanchu had no knowledge of the river’s existence. Hearing the claim that he would return in twenty years, Li Yanchu had assumed it was boasting, and paid it no mind.

Just then, Li Yanchu gripped the Nightshock Spear. Sharp energy surged from it again, though not as intense as before. Divine fire welled up in his palm, engulfing the Nightshock Spear.

Quickly, the spear calmed, and Li Yanchu held it quietly in his hand. After recalling the Fire Virtue Star Lord’s Dharma form, he descended to the ground, slowly sheathing the Jiaoslayer.

“This Prince Qing’s heir is finally exterminated. If not, given his abilities, he would have left endless trouble behind.”

Li Yanchu’s thoughts drifted for a moment, yet deep down, he felt a strange sense of unease. He looked toward the horizon, but could not tell where the feeling came from.

He had cultivated both the Martial Dao and the Daoist arts, his primordial spirit strong. Normally, such premonitions signaled that something was about to happen. But Li Yanchu did not understand the divinatory arts, so he could not deduce what it meant.

The sensation flashed and vanished. Though it left him puzzled, he did not linger on it.

“Stone tablet?” Li Yanchu spoke softly.

The Shanhai Secret Realm tablet, which he had previously avoided on this battlefield, now flew toward him exuberantly.

“What instructions, Immortal Master?” The tablet’s tone carried a measure of respect.

Li Yanchu frowned slightly. Previously, although the tablet had been forced to follow him into this Shanhai Secret Realm, he could sense it had not been especially deferential.

But now its reaction surprised him; it was almost... servile.

“The person I’m looking for has been found. Take me away from here,” Li Yanchu said lightly.

“Yes, Immortal Master,” the tablet replied.

It resumed its original form: a simple, ancient stone tablet appearing in the Shanhai Secret Realm, with the characters “Shanhai” engraved on it.

At this moment, the young celestial maiden was executing her supreme footwork, flying over to thank Li Yanchu.

But when she saw this, she froze in place.

“This tablet... why does it look so familiar?” She frowned. “Isn’t this the tablet at the entrance used to test attack power? How did it get brought in here?”

The tablet now focused entirely on flattering Li Yanchu, ignoring the others who had arrived. It emitted light for a long while, yet not a single passage opened.

“What’s going on?” Li Yanchu frowned.

“This realm has been sealed... even I cannot open it,” the tablet said, astonished.

“Sealed off? Do you really think you can fool me?” Li Yanchu’s eyes turned cold.

This tablet clearly held extremely high authority. Even within the Shanhai Secret Realm, it could locate people at will. Yet now, when leaving, it could not open a way out? Who was he trying to fool?

The tablet quickly explained under Li Yanchu’s icy gaze: “Immortal Master, please don’t be anxious. With my abilities, I can indeed open a passage at any time to send you away. But at this moment, this Shanhai Secret Realm has been sealed. My power to open a passage has been taken from me.”

The tablet looked genuinely puzzled, utterly at a loss.

“Who could seize your power?” Li Yanchu asked, frowning.

A flash of insight struck his mind, and he thought of a name. Whether the tablet was telling the truth or not, he could not be certain. But if it was true, this situation had just become far more serious.

The tablet, trying to show its cleverness, thought carefully, then exclaimed in surprise, “Could it be that the Golden-Winged Roc has awakened?”

Li Yanchu was thinking the same thing.

“Exactly what is your connection with those three demon immortals?” Li Yanchu fell silent for a moment, then asked suddenly.

“I was created by the demon immortals to control this passage,” the tablet replied.

“That can’t be right. If you were made by the demon immortals to control the passage, why can you locate people inside the Shanhai Secret Realm? No one would grant such high authority as a single key,” Li Yanchu said in a low, serious tone.

The tablet thought,

You’re the one who forced me into this...

But indeed, Li Yanchu’s question was difficult to answer.

“I... don’t know either. Perhaps the demon immortals put extra thought into the creation?” the tablet said after a moment’s consideration.

“Anyway, if you can’t open the passage, I might as well just smash you,” Li Yanchu said flatly.

The tablet was shocked. “Immortal Master, I have always served you with all my heart and effort!”

“I don’t keep suspicious people by my side,” Li Yanchu said coldly.

The tablet fell silent, though it soon made its decision. “Immortal Master, your insight is as piercing as a torch. Actually, I am not merely a stone tablet, I am a wandering cultivator. My Daoist name is Tiansong.

“I once ventured into the deep mountains to slay demons and root out evil, but I was killed by the King of the Shituo Kingdom, and he refined me into a gatekeeping stone tablet.

“He placed a restriction upon me: if I encounter a predestined person, I may leave and regain a human body, even with the hope of realizing Dao and ascending.”

The tablet excitedly flew toward Li Yanchu, wishing to give him a hug, but suddenly remembered its stone body, and held back. Charging forward might be mistaken for an attack, and Li Yanchu could strike it down with a single blow.

The tablet continued earnestly, “Immortal Master, since I saw you today, a powerful impulse has arisen in my heart. You are the predestined person in my fate. I wish to follow by your side and cultivate with you. Immortal Master, you are the light of my life. I entrust my future to you!”

Li Yanchu remained silent, staring at the tablet for a long time without speaking.

“Immortal Master, what’s wrong?” the tablet asked.

“You really know how to talk nonsense. You were killed, yet you watch the gate here with such goodwill. The King of a demon kingdom, this entire mindset of yours, and waiting here for a predestined person... What exactly are you?!”

Li Yanchu drew the Jiaoslayer, his gaze cold as he looked at it.