Chapter 1279: Exploring the Netherworld

Han Li felt his body uncontrollably falling downward. As his mind raced, he fully activated the laws of time and mobilized all the power within him, trying to stabilize himself.

But the surrounding force was too great. He felt like a withered leaf in a raging river, completely helpless as he was swept into the unknown depths of darkness.

At first, this force was directed straight down, but soon it twisted, pulling Han Li's body left and right, making him feel dizzy and disoriented.

In the end, he gave up struggling, only protecting his vital points while releasing his divine sense to constantly probe the changes in his surroundings, and at the same time trying to lock onto the positions of Gold Devouring Beetle and Soul Cry.

Fortunately, he could still sense the directions of Gold Devouring Beetle and Soul Cry, though they were somewhat erratic, seeming sometimes near and sometimes far.

This ordeal continued for an unknown period of time, until Han Li's body suddenly sank heavily, as if falling to the ground.

Then came two muffled thuds as two bodies slammed heavily onto Han Li—it was Gold Devouring Beetle and Soul Cry.

Soul Cry was fine, but Gold Devouring Beetle's body was as hard as an iron lump, causing Han Li to roll his eyes from the impact.

"Master, are you alright?" Soul Cry quickly stood up.

"Uncle, I didn't mean it!" Gold Devouring Beetle stood up silently, a trace of apology in his eyes.

"It's fine, luckily I'm sturdy. By the way, take a look—what place is this?" Han Li waved his hand, stood up, and looked around.

The three of them were now standing in a desert. The sky was pitch black, and the light was extremely dim. They could barely see within a radius of ten to twenty li, but beyond that, it was a vast expanse of darkness, completely invisible.

Around them, a sinister wind howled, and piercing ghostly wails could be heard at any moment. The bone-chilling cold and pervasive yin energy were several times denser than in the Fallen Soul Wind region.

Han Li and Gold Devouring Beetle frowned slightly, each activating their law power to protect their bodies, thus resisting the erosion of the surrounding yin energy.

Soul Cry, on the other hand, not only felt no discomfort but actually found the dense yin ghostly energy here extremely soothing.

"Judging by this, this place should be the Netherworld. After all the trouble we went through, we've finally arrived." Soul Cry rubbed her belly and said with certainty.

"So this is indeed the Netherworld." Han Li nodded thoughtfully.

Although he didn't think Soul Cry had ever been to the Netherworld, for some reason, he felt that her judgment wouldn't be wrong.

"Regardless, the commotion we made when we landed has probably already attracted the attention of some beings here. Who knows what dangers lurk here? It's better to change locations first." Gold Devouring Beetle reminded.

Han Li and Soul Cry naturally had no objection to this.

The surroundings were all the same in every direction. After a brief discussion, the three chose a direction at random and quickly flew away.

Less than half an incense stick after Han Li and the others left, over a dozen black shadows shot over from afar. They appeared to be half-human, half-beast ghostly beings, different in appearance from the soul-reaping envoys and the ghost soldiers under the black-robed middle-aged man.

These half-human, half-beast ghostly beings surrounded the spot where the three had landed, sniffing deeply, with excited expressions on their faces.

Then, most of these dozen ghostly beings rose into the air and chased after Han Li and the others, while only one remained, lifting its head and letting out a sharp screech.

After a moment, a vast expanse of black clouds appeared on the distant horizon, connecting heaven and earth, swiftly drifting over.

Within the clouds, countless ghostly beings shot forth, densely packed, an unknown number, all flying in the direction Han Li and the others had taken.

…

Han Li and the others flew forward silently. Due to the unfamiliar environment and the uncertain dangers ahead, they did not fly very fast.

As he flew, Han Li released his divine sense to probe the surroundings while activating his Netherworld Devil Pupils, shooting two beams of purple light from his eyes to look ahead.

The yin energy in the void was too dense, greatly hindering the spread of divine sense. He could only barely extend it about a hundred li; beyond that, his divine sense could not sustain itself.

On the other hand, his Netherworld Devil Pupils could see farther, but only up to about five hundred li.

Han Li frowned inwardly. Five hundred li might seem like a considerable distance, but for cultivators of their level, it was nothing—they could cover it in the blink of an eye.

"Master, there's a great river over a thousand li ahead. It looks very strange." Soul Cry suddenly spoke up.

"A thousand li? Soul Cry, how far can you probe?" Han Li's eyes flickered as he asked.

"The yin ghostly energy here is too heavy, greatly affecting my divine sense. If I probe with all my strength, I can reach about two thousand li." Soul Cry calculated inwardly and said.

"And you, Gold Devouring Beetle?" Han Li looked at Gold Devouring Beetle.

"I'm not good at probing. I can only see about seventy or eighty li... Uncle, what's wrong? If I remember correctly, this is the first time you've cared about my divine sense range." Gold Devouring Beetle asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Nothing. I can only see five hundred li, far inferior to you, Soul Cry. I'll leave the reconnaissance to you." Han Li said to Soul Cry.

"Maybe it's because of my constitution. For some reason, I always feel a sense of déjà vu here... No problem, leave it to me." Soul Cry patted her chest and said.

The thousand-mile distance passed in the blink of an eye, and the three soon arrived near the black great river that Ti Hun had mentioned.

The black river was vast beyond measure, its far shore beyond even Han Li's sight. Within it, turbulent waves surged, rolling up black spray as they flowed downstream.

But strangely, though the river's momentum was mighty and grand, it made no sound at all, which was utterly eerie.

Wisps of black mist rose from the river, drifting ceaselessly toward midair.

And in the air several hundred zhang above the river hung a thick layer of black clouds, apparently condensed from the river mist. Within the clouds, black lightning could be faintly seen flickering, giving an ominous feeling.

Han Li and the other two stopped by the riverbank, not rashly advancing further.

"Ti Hun, can you detect the opposite bank of this river?" Han Li asked Ti Hun.

Ti Hun, hearing this, a layer of black light appeared in her eyes as she gazed ahead. Soon she shook her head and said,

"No, I can't see the edge either."

"This black river is so vast and flows without cease, yet it makes no sound at all? Let me try!" Jin Tong said, raising his hand and waving.

A beam of golden light a hundred zhang long shot forth, striking the river, but it silently sank into the surging waves without raising a single splash.

Seeing this, the three all furrowed their brows.

That golden beam Jin Tong had sent seemed ordinary, but it contained no small amount of power; even a mountain peak could be easily split by it, yet when it struck the river, there was no reaction at all.

"This river hides an immense amount of ghostly qi, and it has a very strong corrosive effect. It's best not to touch it," Ti Hun said slowly, looking at the black river.

"Uncle, what now? Do we try to cross the black river, or follow the bank?" Jin Tong looked at Han Li.

Han Li pondered for a moment, then made a hand seal and pointed.

A ball of golden light flew out from his sleeve—it was a golden bean—which rapidly grew larger, transforming into a zhang-sized golden Dao soldier.

"Go!" Han Li flicked his finger again, and a bolt of golden lightning shot out, merging into the Dao soldier's body.

Golden lightning patterns immediately appeared around the golden Dao soldier, and its aura increased twofold as it flew toward the opposite bank of the black river.

But before the Dao soldier had flown far, a rumbling sound came from the black clouds above, and a bowl-thick bolt of black lightning fell, striking the golden Dao soldier with incredible speed.

The golden Dao soldier's entire body instantly turned pitch black, all spiritual power fluctuations vanishing without a trace, and it fell like a black stone, dropping into the black river.

The river immediately churned, and countless piercing ghostly howls came from all directions.

Countless hideous snake and insect monsters suddenly burst out from the black river, instantly engulfing the Dao soldier. Accompanied by hair-raising roars, the Dao soldier's body shattered, torn into countless pieces, then devoured by those snake and insect monsters.

Seeing this, Han Li and the others' expressions changed.

Those snake and insect monsters then glared fiercely at Han Li and the others on the bank, as if eager to devour them as well, but in the end they did not pounce; instead, they submerged and soon disappeared.

The black river soon returned to calm, flowing silently as if nothing had happened.

"It seems crossing this river won't be easy," Jin Tong said with a somewhat worried expression.

"The black lightning in the clouds seems to have the effect of corroding immortal spiritual power. Even if you or I were struck, it probably wouldn't be pleasant. Let's first travel along the river for a while and see how things are. By the way, Ti Hun, that Yanluo Cauldron previously had a guiding function; summon it again and take a look," Han Li said with a nod, then suddenly remembering something, he added.

"Right, I almost forgot about that," Ti Hun said, her eyes lighting up as she waved her hand and summoned the Yanluo Cauldron.

The Yanluo Cauldron hovered quietly before Ti Hun, emitting a light several times brighter than usual, resonating with the gloomy ghostly qi of this place, but it did not indicate any direction.

"It seems this cauldron only sensed the aura of this place and guided us here, with no deeper meaning," Ti Hun sighed and said.

"But judging from the Yanluo Cauldron's reaction, it most likely originated here or has some other deeper connection... In any case, we probably haven't come to the wrong place," Han Li said, not discouraged but instead smiling slightly.

Since the Yanluo Cauldron belonged to this place, the Yanluo Mansion was also very likely to be here.

"What you say makes sense, Master. In that case, let's thoroughly explore this area," Ti Hun nodded and said.

After a brief discussion, the three decided to head upstream along the black river.

Just then, Ti Hun's expression suddenly changed.

"Not good! A large number of ghostly creatures are flying this way!"

As Ti Hun's voice fell, a thunderous sound came from the distant sky, and countless ghostly creatures surged like a raging tide, their ferocious aura truly terrifying.

Countless fierce roars and screeches filled the entire sky and earth.

"Prepare for battle."

Han Li's eyes flashed, and golden light suddenly blazed all over his body. Thirty-six Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords appeared around him, each缠绕 with thick golden lightning.