Chapter 243: Entering the Nether Gate

Near the Nether Gate, red cords were strung with talismans and hastily tied around various parts of a military jeep to help resist the effects of yin qi. Except for its metal roof, most of the vehicle's armor, including the side windows, had also been removed to increase speed. Mounted on top of it were a six-barrel machine gun, a radar scanner, and a laser detector that provided tri-axis guidance for several missiles.

Compared to the three vehicles that Qing Yanzi and the others had already taken, the one before them could be considered a standard model. It was more suited for the flat and open terrain of the Small Nether Realm.

Next to the vehicle, Wang Sheng, Xi Lian, and Huai Jing were occupied with their own tasks. Several young women from the Special Investigation Unit were with them, busy explaining the vehicle's various instruments to Wang Sheng. He quickly picked up how to use the radar to track high-speed targets.

Fortunately, most of the vehicle's equipment was highly automated. He only had to remember which buttons performed which functions.

Nearby, two other girls were helping Xi Lian into a protective suit—a space suit that several experts at the research institute had modified to effectively isolate her from yin qi. Though somewhat bulky, it ensured that the Small Nether Realm's aura would not affect Xi Lian as long as she did not act.

When Xi Lian flared up in anger earlier, the warfare unit and research institute leaders fell silent. The investigation unit had no choice but to shoulder responsibility and negotiate since this matter fell under its jurisdiction.

After some consideration, Chi Ling agreed to let Xi Lian enter the Nether Gate to assist the twelve people inside, who, at the moment, had not encountered any real danger. If Xi Lian were to go berserk in the Small Nether Realm and cause any disaster, Chi Ling would bear part of the responsibility.

"Eleven years of driving experience. Need I say more?" Huai Jing, who had insisted on tagging along, said. "Buddhist arts naturally resist yin qi. I won't just be a driver, either. If we're ever in a critical situation, I can purify malevolent ghosts with Buddhist arts. It might prove unexpectedly useful. I will not be a burden to Fei Yu.

"Besides, Buddhism cultivates differently from Daoism. The power of Buddhist arts comes from the heart, the body, the Buddha, and the mind. Yin qi does not affect it. When I breathe in the Small Nether Realm, the Buddhist light I've nurtured will purify the yin qi. Of course, it would be even better if you could supply us with a few extra alchemical pills."

Since Wang Sheng and Xi Lian were already heading into the Nether Gate to support the twelve inside anyway, it did not hurt to let Huai Jing come along and join them.

Wang Sheng quietly asked, "You really know how to drive?"

Smiling, the monk calmly replied, "Before the recovery of primal qi, I was the one handling procurement for the Heavenly Dragon Temple. My license may be back at the temple, but my driving skills are with me wherever I go."

Wang Sheng was genuinely envious. In his previous life, he had not learned to drive simply because he could not afford a car. In this life, he had begun cultivating at Wudang at seventeen, and he could already fly around long before reaching the Golden Core Realm. A driver's license had become unnecessary.

Still, if the Hua Republic one day issued regulations for licensed aerial flight among cultivators, he could always go take the test later.

Supplies were fully stocked; they had alchemical pills, talismans, ammunition, and fuel. Everyone was ready as well. Huai Jing had become familiar with the vehicle, and though reluctant, Xi Lian had agreed to wear the bulky "space suit" since it meant being able to support Mu Wanxuan. Truth be told, once her figure was concealed, her charm dropped a couple of notches.

With preparations done, Wang Sheng snapped his fingers. The Daoist, the monk, and the half-immortal fox made their way to the Small Nether Realm.

The passenger seat had been converted into a unified control console. Hence, Wang Sheng and Xi Lian sat in the back. Xi Lian looked quite displeased, but Wang Sheng just smiled awkwardly at her.

Grinning, Huai Jing shouted, "Here we go! Thanks to you, Fei Yu, I get to experience the embrace of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva[1]. Buckle up. This ride should be intense."

The engine roared. Huai Jing gently stepped on the gas, and the jeep smoothly set off. It descended the hastily built mountain road toward the Nether Gate—a stone archway wreathed in yin qi. As they neared it, the distant bestial roars grew fainter, and the surrounding air turned increasingly frigid.

The yin qi in the area had become extremely dense. What had once been a vibrant mountainside had been reduced to nothing but dry grass and scattered gravel. It had even turned the clouds above darker.

The stone archway was ten

zhang

tall and wide, exuding a faint air of solemnity.

Wang Sheng felt as though pairs of eyes were watching him from within the surrounding haze. He felt no hostility or cruelty, only a heavy pressure. It was as if the eyes were silently warning him not to trespass into the Small Nether Realm.

The Small Nether Realm immortals who had left behind these residual spiritual consciousnesses had long since left Earth.

Wang Sheng focused. As he stared at the three characters for "Nether Gate[2]" growing larger ahead, he wondered,

How did the Nether Gate rise from three hundred li underground? How do we send it back down?

Immortal light erupted twice, pressing the Small Nether Realm toward the Mortal Realm. The female immortal was just a corpse with a residual spiritual consciousness. Could she really wield such power?

As Wang Sheng mulled it over, Huai Jing floored the pedal, making the jeep accelerate and shoot forward. Once they had narrowed the distance down to thirty meters, the engine abruptly cut out, but the vehicle's momentum allowed it to barrel straight into the Nether Gate anyway.

The talismans tied around the jeep all activated at once, glowing faintly red. As they plunged into an unfamiliar realm, Huai Jing chanted, "May the Buddha be with us."

Before the vehicle could stop, Huai Jing pressed an electronic switch, and the engine roared back to life. Meanwhile, Wang Sheng opened the control console before him. The radar came online, and the heavy machine gun entered standby mode.

From the radio, they heard a gentle female voice.

—Daoist Master Wang, Buddhist Master Huai Jing, communications with Transfer Station One have been established. Real-time navigation within the Small Nether Realm will be provided. Please keep the onboard transmitter on at all times. Over.

They barely had time to admire the considerate service of the Special Warfare Unit when a massive wall of iron and steel ahead caught their attention. It seemed a defense line made of modern weaponry had been constructed inside the Nether Gate.

The Special Warfare Unit had a limited number of soldiers who could enter the realm, and it was unwise to send all its elites in; it could not send an overwhelming number of military vehicles and weapons. Nevertheless, they still created a powerful visual impact when clustered together.

In the distance, large drones continually took off and landed. Closer in, over a dozen trucks were parked in neat rows, each with upright missiles behind them.

Around a hundred to two hundred meters into the realm, the scent of money[3] filled the air.

The most common were the new multi-launch rocket systems capable of precisely covering a four-hundred-

li

radius. At the front were over a hundred synchronized, rapid-fire, ground-based naval guns that could unleash an interwoven web of heavy fire. Laser emitters and dozens of anti-aircraft cannons also formed a dense air defense network.

Beside the artillery zone was the transfer station. By now, it had grown to a considerable size, with numerous radar arrays aimed into the depths of the Small Nether Realm.

Wang Sheng's group drove through the space between the artillery and the transfer station. Several elite Special Warfare Unit soldiers saluted and watched them head deeper into the realm. Overhead, a small drone began following them, providing real-time enemy alerts.

Few could survive the harsh conditions of the Small Nether Realm. Hence, the Hua Republic's drones had proven far more useful than expected.

Wang Sheng took in the landscape. The sky hung low, pressing down oppressively. The crimson ground occasionally sprouted some unusual vegetation, though nothing stood out in particular. Since an immortal had merely carved the realm out, the scenery was quite monotonous.

After familiarizing himself with the control panel, Wang Sheng closed his eyes and quietly rested. Xi Lian stared into the distance with interest.

"The Small Nether Realm feels so empty," she murmured, the protective suit muffling her voice.

Huaijing, who was behind the wheel, chuckled to himself. He was tempted to teasingly sing what Xi Lian had said, but considering how strong she was, he decided to focus on the road instead. Eyes forward, he gradually made the jeep speed up.

A little over fifty minutes into their wild journey, they reached the entrance to the Yellow Springs Road, which was divided into three sections. The first was a canyon that stretched several hundred

li

. At its entrance were two burly statues of widely known fold deities, each one as tall as a mountain. They had their weapons above their heads in a striking pose.

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

On the left was Ox-Head, a bull-horned and bull-nosed warrior holding a giant axe. The one on the right was Horse-Face, a horse-faced giant with a massive hammer.

The yin qi thickened as they entered the canyon. The road also became flatter and smoother. Stone walls stretched on either side in straight lines. As long as Huai Jing kept the wheel steady, there was no risk of crashing.

After a while, the onboard radio crackled with a call from the transfer station. Wang Sheng and Huai Jing immediately put their guard up, thinking something had happened.

—Daoist Master Wang, do you read me?

Wang Sheng leaned forward, his slight frown showing a hint of tension. "Loud and clear. Is something wrong ahead?"

—No issues for now. Daoist Master Bu Yan requests a call.

"Put it through. If my master is calling, you don't have to ask. Just connect it."

—Understood. The transmission will connect in three seconds.

Since his master was contacting him personally, he concluded that they were probably fine. However, before Wang Sheng could relax, he heard Qing Yanzi's nervous voice.

1. One of the major bodhisattvas, a protector of the underworld and hell. ☜

2. the Chinese term for the Nether Gate is "鬼门关", hence three characters. ☜

3. A metaphor of all the expensive military equipment in the area. ☜