“Why would creatures from the Netherworld appear in the Nine Serenities Forbidden Land?”
Lu Changsheng’s scalp tingled, as he had not expected such a connection.
Lin Xuantong continued to explain, “The Nine Serenities Forbidden Land is actually a massive spatial fissure that leads to both the Demon Realm and the Netherworld. During an ancient battle, several powerful beings fought fiercely there, causing a rift in the Netherworld. A portion of the Yin Sha Qi overflowed into the Immortal Realm, resulting in the formation of the Nine Serenities Forbidden Land. In places where the Yin Sha Qi is particularly dense, creatures from the Netherworld such as Mountain Demons and Yakshas would emerge.”
“I see.”
After Lin Xuantong’s explanation, Lu Changsheng suddenly understood.
It turned out that the Netherworld Chen Yi, his disciple, was searching for was so close to the Immortal Realm; one could reach the Netherworld through the Nine Serenities Forbidden Land.
However, the Netherworld was even more mysterious than the Demon Realm, and Lu Changsheng did not yet have the ability to help Chen Yi fulfill his long-cherished wish.
“What does all this have to do with my newly accepted disciple?”
Lu Changsheng wondered why Lin Xuantong was telling him all this.
“Of course, it’s related,” Lin Xuantong took a deep breath, “Your disciple is a dead man.”
“What?!”
Lu Changsheng was greatly shocked.
He had accepted a dead person as a disciple?
This was too startling for words!
“To be precise, he had once died. If my and the Ancestor’s deductions are correct, this Xu Jing was a powerful human cultivator when he was alive. For some unknown reason, he ventured from the Nine Serenities Forbidden Land into the Netherworld and unfortunately perished.”
Lu Changsheng was stunned by Lin Xuantong’s conjecture, “Then why would he resurrect and appear in the Nine Serenities?”
Lin Xuantong’s expression grew grave, “His physical body was affected by the Yin Sha Qi of the Netherworld and remained indestructible through the ages. Moreover, a new consciousness emerged within his shell. As for why he could leave the Netherworld and appear in the Nine Serenities, neither the Elder Ancestor nor I are clear on the details. Our art of deduction can only provide a rough estimate. If I must say what cultivation technique he is suited for, it would naturally be one from the Netherworld… However, we at Mount Taihua know little about the Netherworld, possessing only about a dozen or so of its cultivation techniques. No one has ever cultivated them, so we do not know if they are suitable for your disciple.”
The Elder Ancestor of Lin Clan interjected, “Cultivation techniques of the Netherworld are also among the Three Thousand Great Dao. They have a name, known as ‘Ghost Path’. Your disciple, having been influenced by the Yin Sha Qi of the Netherworld to become a being, yet not lacking humanity like Mountain Demons or Yakshas, is indeed a talent of the Ghost Path. Come to think of it, Mount Taihua has never cultivated such disciples before; you are the first one.”
Beyond his shock, Lu Changsheng couldn’t help but smile wryly.
He had gone to Nine Serenities to cultivate the Demonic Dao talent, Dugu Aotian, and now he had taken in a Ghost Path talent as well.
What kinds of disciples did he have under him?
War Gods, Literary Sages, Demon Gods, Dragon Emperors, Buddhas, Demon Ancestors, Ghost Path, Sons of Fortune, Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady Physique…
If the twelve disciples were to grow up, they would turn the Three Realms upside down and create utter chaos.
But with only a dozen or so Ghost Path techniques in Mount Taihua, Lu Changsheng didn’t have many options for Xu Jing.
Luckily, Lu Changsheng had the Disciple Apprenticeship Simulator, which could provide higher-level techniques.
“I will visit the Scripture Pavilion.”
Lu Changsheng decided to see if there were any suitable techniques from the Underworld… no, the Ghost Path for Xu Jing.
“Go ahead.”
Lin Xuantong himself did not know how Lu Changsheng was able to attract so many extraordinarily talented disciples.
Having never seen a Ghost Path talent at Mount Taihua, even Lin Xuantong had no idea how to guide Xu Jing in his cultivation.
It was all up to Lu Changsheng’s ingenuity now.
Lu Changsheng arrived at the Scripture Pavilion.
The Elder of the Scripture Pavilion stepped forward to greet him, “May I know which cultivation techniques the Holy Son wishes to exchange for today?”
“Please trouble the Elder to bring out all the Ghost Path cultivation techniques and texts available in the Scripture Pavilion.”
“Ghost Path techniques?”
The Elders of the Scripture Pavilion looked at each other in bewilderment.
They had never heard of such a thing.
Respectable people, who would practice Ghost Path techniques?
There were over a hundred million techniques and texts in the Scripture Pavilion, and among them, the Ghost Path-related ones amounted to a mere dozen. Within the vast ocean of techniques, they had no real presence.
Furthermore, since no disciple had ever exchanged for Ghost Path techniques, the Golden Immortal Realm Elders of the Scripture Pavilion were not even aware that such techniques existed there.
A grey-robed elder appeared out of thin air.
The elders of the Scripture Pavilion bowed in salutation, “We greet the Pavilion Master.”
Lu Changsheng looked at the grey-robed elder, whose aura was terrifying, probably at the level of Great Accomplishment in the Immortal Emperor Realm.
This grey-robed elder had always been cultivating in a secret chamber near the Scripture Pavilion, secretly protecting it; he was the true Supreme Elder who managed the Scripture Pavilion.
“The Saint Lord has already communicated with me; the cultivation techniques and books you require are all here.”
The grey-robed elder stretched out his hand, and a hidden door within the Scripture Pavilion opened, from which thirteen cultivation techniques and books flew out and came before Lu Changsheng.
With the resources of Mount Taihua’s Holy Land, there were only twelve Demonic Dao techniques and one book related to the Netherworld available.
Without the Disciple Apprenticeship Simulator, Lu Changsheng would not have known how to obtain these Ghost Path techniques for his disciple.
“These techniques have not been cultivated in millions of years and there are hand-copied versions of them, so I’ll give them all to you without the need for contribution points,”
With those words from the grey-robed elder, the other Scripture Pavilion elders looked at each other in bewilderment. Since the Pavilion Master had decided to give these techniques and books to Lu Changsheng for free, they had nothing further to say.
After giving the Ghost Path techniques and books to Lu Changsheng, the grey-robed elder vanished on the spot.
Lu Changsheng flipped through these Ghost Path techniques.
“A superior Immortal-grade cultivation technique, ‘Yin Evil Skill’.”
Lu Changsheng began to circulate his True Qi according to the method described in the skill.
Hmm?
Lu Changsheng always felt that the True Qi was not flowing smoothly, and a cold Yin energy lingered behind him.
“It seems that the people of the Yang realm really can’t cultivate the techniques of the Yin realm.”
Lu Changsheng’s Innate Taoist Body was also unable to cultivate the Ghost Path techniques. It seemed then that the cultivation of this disciple would depend on his own Comprehension.
Since the Elder Ancestor of Lin Clan said that Xu Jing was a Ghost Path genius nurtured by the Yins ha Qi of the Netherworld, his cultivation of Ghost Path techniques should be twice as effective with half the effort. All that Lu Changsheng needed to do was to provide Xu Jing with the techniques and resources for cultivation.
In the Nine Nether Forbidden Land, Lu Changsheng found the Nine Nether Soul Herb, Resurrection Flower, and other Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures suitable for Xu Jing’s cultivation.
Lu Changsheng left, satisfied with having acquired the thirteen books of Ghost Path techniques.
Now he could properly cultivate his disciple.
Having provoked Dantai Meng, the daughter of the Hallucinatory Dark Demon Venerable, Lu Changsheng was uncertain if she would bring experts from the Demon Realm to seek revenge. He decided to hide and cultivate in Mount Taihua’s Holy Land for a while before venturing out again.
“I only captured Dantai Meng alive, and she has now returned to the Demon Realm. Since Dantai Meng didn’t suffer too much, the Hallucinatory Dark Demon Venerable probably wouldn’t go so far as to storm Mount Taihua and kill me.”
Lu Changsheng concluded that the Hallucinatory Dark Demon Venerable, a Demon Realm Powerhouse who had been cultivating for billions of years, wouldn’t risk starting a war between the two realms by forcing his way into Mount Taihua of the Immortal Realm.
After all, Lu Changsheng had not really harmed Dantai Meng.
When one’s strength is insufficient, it is good to leave room for maneuver, so that one might meet again on better terms in the future.
This old saying still holds true.
If Lu Changsheng’s current situation could be likened to Zhu Yuanzhang who was still begging at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, then the Hallucinatory Dark Demon Venerable would be the Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty commanding the Mongol cavalry, hardly needing to lead an entire army to snatch a beggar’s broken bowl.
After Lu Changsheng had deliberated on these advantages and disadvantages, he returned to yogtai Peak to cultivate, leaving the Treasure Pavilion elders completely befuddled.
“I almost forgot, our Treasure Pavilion still has a dozen or so of such techniques. Those techniques are hardly ever exchanged normally.”
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“Why does the Holy Son wish to cultivate techniques from the Yin realm?”
“We people of the Yang realm can’t usually cultivate techniques from the Yin realm, can we?”
“Who knows, perhaps our Holy Son is not an ordinary person and can even cultivate techniques from the Yin realm.”
“Truly, the Holy Son is a divine being.”
The elders of the Treasure Pavilion marveled endlessly.
That Lu Changsheng could cultivate techniques from the Netherworld was simply inconceivable.
Lu Changsheng returned to Yuntai Peak to take inventory of the treasures amassed from Dantai Meng as well as the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures collected in Nine Nether.
Lu Changsheng acquired thirty-six Demon Blood Stones, along with the treasures taken from Dantai Meng, which were sufficient for cultivating Dugu Aotian.
However, before that, Lu Changsheng planned to first cultivate his newly accepted disciple Xu Jing, to see what the system would return after rewarding the Ghost Path techniques and treasures.