Chapter 1578: An Art That Took Ninety Years To Master

“Don’t worry about me, teacher. Worry about yourself!”

Emperor Jing Run said smilingly, “Now, please die.”

As soon as Emperor Jing Run finished, yin lightning slithered around the Bronze Like Tree like serpents or dragons, and dark wind howled like a raging river.

The lightning was no ordinary lightning. It was something called the Bone Scraping Yin Lightning. If it struck a mountain, then the mountain would collapse. If it struck the water, then the water would dry up. If it struck a tree, the tree would wither. If it struck the flesh, the flesh would scorch black. And if it struck the bone, the bone would disintegrate. It was a first class yin lightning in Fengdu.

The wind was no ordinary wind either. It was the Soul Scattering Nether Wind. It could not stir the water, rustle the leaves, or even kick up the dust, but it could befuddle the spirit in one breeze, send a mind flying in one gust, and scatter the soul in one concentrated blow. It was also a first class yin wind in the Nether.

When the Bone Scraping Yin Lightning shot down, the Chief Libationist took a step forward and waved his sleeve. As if he was sweeping the dust, the entire hall abruptly turned so clean that not a speck of dust could be found. The sky was blue and devoid of clouds as well.

Naturally, the Bone Scraping Yin Lightning was no exception. It was swept away in one gesture almost as if it was trash or dust.

When the Soul Scattering Nether Wind reached him, the Chief Libationist did not attempt to dodge. He simply took another step forward. A gentleman stands tall and proud between heaven and earth, untouched by the storm, and at peace like a mountain.

When the river of Soul Scattering Nether Wind crashed into the Chief Libationist, the old scholar was completely unperturbed, but the wind was scattered into nothing. He continued forward.

“What does this lightning matter to me? What does this wind matter to me?” The Chief Libationist declared in a bright, clear voice while making his way toward the Bronze Like Tree step by step.

“As expected of the Chief Libationist. I have mastered an art after meditating for ninety nine years on my Mount Mang. I would like you to inspect it.”

As the Ghost Ancestor of Mount Mang spoke, the bronze bells on the Bronze Like Tree began ringing incessantly.

It was resounding yet empty, melodious yet eerie.

As the bronze bells shook, yin qi suddenly gathered and took the shape of a massive, formidable fortress city. The city was over ten thousand meters tall and dozens of kilometers wide. A board with the name “Gate of the Underworld” written on it hung at the top.

Therefore, this fortress city was none other than the infamous Gate of the Underworld.

Legend had it that the Gate of the Underworld was also the gate that separated yin and yang. One side of the gate resided humans, and the other side ghosts. It was said that the yin wind blew, and insects danced all year long behind the Gate of the Underworld. The yin wind would first blow one’s soul out of their body. Then, the insects would feed on their soul and consciousness until they became stupid, ignorant, and empty.

“The Gate of the Underworld is open, Chief Libationist. Dare you enter?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” The Chief Libationist laughed and confidently stepped through the Gate of the Underworld.

As soon as the Chief Libationist passed through the gate, yin wind of filth and corruption blew, and mixed within the wind were countless insects. Their combined screeches and howls were terrifying to say the least.

“The air of righteousness will never fade!”

𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Grandiose, righteous qi washed out of the Chief Libationist’s body and prevented wind and insects from coming close to him. He was able to pass through the Gate of the Underworld unharmed and untouched.

The next moment, the Chief Libationist arrived at a river. The river was dark, yellowish, and dirty. Countless bones floated within its depths and surface, and innumerable ghosts wailed all day and night. It was none other than the River of Forgetfulness.

A single bridge linked the two shores of the river. It was the Bridge of Helplessness.

Legend had it that the Bridge of Helplessness was made of paper. A ghost had no weight, so they could cross the paper bridge without trouble. However, a living being had weight, so if they attempted to cross the bridge, they would fall into the River of Forgetfulness and be damned for eternity.

“The Bridge of Helplessness is ready, Chief Libationist. Dare you cross it?” The Ghost Ancestor of Mount Mang asked again.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

The Chief Libationist had already stepped onto the Bridge of Helplessness even as he spoke. As soon as he did this, the River of Forgetfulness abruptly surged violently, and a million ghosts screamed at the same time. The entire River of Forgetfulness began shaking and breaking into pieces.

“One speck of righteousness, one thousand kilometers of wind and freedom!”

The Chief Libationist calmly recited.

Wind began blowing from behind the Chief Libationist’s back.

“The wind encourages the will in my chest and lifts me across the River of Forgetfulness!”

As he said, the Chief Libationist abruptly floated into the air and crossed the River of Forgetfulness just like that.

After he crossed the River of Forgetfulness, a huge, tall figure that seemed to span from the heavens to the earth looked down on the Chief Libationist. He wore an imperial crown and an imperial robe. He was tall beyond measure and mighty beyond reproach.

The voice of a ghost god boomed, “A Chu man named Yinghu has committed treason, threatened his emperor, and tried to rebel today. For your crimes, you will be flung to the eighteenth level of hell, never to be redeemed.”

The next moment, an iron token appeared in the figure’s hand, and he tossed it toward the ground like it was nothing. Like a falling star, it shook the heavens and split the ground upon impact, causing fire to gush out, ice to spread, lava to bubble, mountains of blades to sprout, boiling oil to flood, and more. It was quite terrifying.

The next moment, a chain covered in dark green fire of sin wrapped around the Chief Libationist’s body. It threatened to pull him into the underground and the eighteenth level of hell.”

“I, Chu Yinghu, lived my whole life following the virtuous creed of the sages. My back is ever straight, and my strides are always proper. I can look up at the sky and find no regret, and look down on the earth and find no shame. I can declare with absolute certainty that my whole life is free of sin or crime.”

As the Chief Libationist descended toward the underground, fire and lava threatened to scorch his body, ice and wind threatened to corrode his bones, saber, swords, and iron saws threatened to behead him...

But the Chief Libationist faced them all without an ounce of fear almost as if they didn’t exist. His face was calm, and his eyes were clear. “If I have not sinned, then the heavens cannot bind me. If I have not committed a crime, then the earth cannot chain me. If neither heaven nor earth can restrain me, then what gives you, a mere yin evil, the gall to accuse me of sin or crime?”

Rumble rumble rumble!

The Chief Libationist reached out and clenched his fingers.

It was a perfectly normal and simple gesture, just like the Chief Libationist was sinless and guiltless.

His arm and hand traveled forward in a straight line, just like the Chief Libationist always moved forward courageously and brightly.

His gesture might be simple and ordinary, plain and down-to-earth, but it was also a true portrayal of the life of the Chief Libationist. He had lived his whole life with a conscience as clear as the cool wind of a river at night, and as bright as the moon illuminating it.

If his heart was never infested by rot-eating flies or shameful dogs, then why would he stop? What could stop him?

And so his hand snuffed out the flames, melted the ice, shattered the mountain of blades, and froze the lava.

And so his hand shattered all eighteen levels of hell into pieces.

“You dare resist your sentence? You deserve death!”

It was at this moment a stunning roar erupted from above, and the silver light of a sword descended from the heavens. It split into six.

After the six lights of the sword descended, the crumbling eighteen levels of hell began regenerating, and Six Paths took form.

The Six Paths were split into three goods and three evils. The three good Paths were the Heavenly God Way, the Human Way, and the Asura Way. Everyone who accrued good karma would enter these paths and find happiness and fulfillment.

The three evil Paths were the Hell Way, the Starving Ghost Way, and the Animal Way. Everyone who accrued terrible karma would enter these paths and find only bitter suffering.

In the Heavenly God Way, heavenly beings were sitting on tall clouds and looking down with smiles on their faces.

In the Human Way, an army of millions were standing guard with large banners flapping above their heads.

In the Asura Way, ugly male Asuras and beautiful female Asuras were standing tall with their arms at the ready.

In the Hell Way, countless vile ghosts with blue faces and long fangs were howling.

In the Starving Ghost Way, countless hungry ghosts were salivating.

And in the Animal Way, countless pigs, horses, and goats; tigers, lions, bears and panthers were stirring restlessly.

The next moment, the army of heavenly beings, human soldiers, Asuras, hungry ghosts, vile ghosts, and animals charged toward the Chief Libationist at once. Their numbers were endless.

“My whole life, my actions were guided by two treasures. One is benevolence, and the other virtue.”

The Chief Libationist raised his right arm and bent three fingers. He kept the other two fingers straight. One straight finger represented benevolence, and the other straight finger represented virtue. When he pressed them together, benevolence formed the spine, and virtue the edge. And so benevolence and virtue together was a sword.