One should strive for the day and night rather than the day and night; in this way, the ages would be longer.
Normally, Jing Jiu should leave after he had thought of this; but he didn't get up. He was still sitting by the river in a daze.
He left Aoyama to look for the whetstones. But the demon bones in the Fiend Prison were gone, and the demon bones at the bottom of the Gathered-Soul Valley had all turned to dust; where should he go?
He was still the same person who didn't care about the affairs of the mortal world; but he had changed in some minor aspects. For instance, he would leave Aoyama once in a while, and he would often be accompanied by others when he traveled, including Gu Qing, Guo Dong, and Zhao Layue. But he was not used to being alone at the moment, and he felt bored.
He didn't take out the bamboo chair. It would be a pity if the temperature of the river of lava was too high, and the lava could splash out at any moment. It would be a pity if the bamboo chair was burned down.
He didn't take out the ceramic plate either. It was unclear when he had stopped playing the game of piling up the sand.
He suddenly stood up and put away the white cloth, and walked toward the lava. The Sword of the Universe followed him in Silence.
He didn't decide to jump into the river to commit suicide and burn himself to death after being shocked by the passage of tens of thousands of years. All he wanted to do was take a bath.
The red lava looked like the golden water. Jing Jiu scooped it up from the river and poured it on his face, and then dripped it down his body, creating hundreds of sparks on the surface of the river.
Except for the Chaotic Fire produced by the Dao Cauldrons and the magic treasures of the Fairy State, no other fire could hurt him, including the scorching and dreadful lava.
The temperature of the lava was extremely high. He could feel the scalding heat even with his eyes closed. His body felt a slight pain, which was rare for him, followed by a comfortable sensation.
The steam bath was meaningless to him, and neither was the massage. Unexpectedly, he found a similar pleasure in the river of lava under the ground that day.
Jing Jiu felt quite comfortable. He lay down in the lava and supported the back of his head with his hands, looking at the pattern of the sunset on the stone wall on the top of the cave in a daze.
…
…
Actually, many cultivators did not understand that there was actually no unbreakable connection between ascension and longevity.
Ascension didn't mean longevity. Those immortals of the previous generations who had left Chaotian had probably died a long time ago.
Ascension was not necessary to achieve longevity. According to Jing Jiu's observation, the Round Turtle on the top of Tianguang Peak could live for tens of thousands of years, or even longer.
Longevity was for the sake of living.
Ascension was for the sake of getting out.
Living and going out were all for the sake of finding new pleasures.
This kind of pleasure included, but was not limited to, the enjoyment of life instincts. More importantly, it referred to discovering knowledge that one did not understand, laws that one had not come into contact with, and unknown worlds that one had not imagined. Therefore, bathing in magma and soaking in magma like a hot spring was naturally one of them.
According to Jing Jiu's way of doing things, even if he occasionally had fun in this aspect, he wouldn't stay in it for too long.
This was because this kind of novel experience could still be calculated, and it was within expectations.
Today, he lay in the lava for a long time.
Before entering the underground, he sat by the wild lake for an entire night.
When he was at the Heavenly Well by the East Sea, he looked down for a long time.
It was all because of hesitation.
Before he left, he had already calculated that it would be difficult to find a suitable Demon Bone at the bottom of the Gathered-Soul Valley. It might even be dangerous, but he still came.
This was because this place was very close to the Abyss, and over there was the Netherworld.
He didn't want to go to the snowland because it was dangerous there. He didn't want to go to the Netherworld because it was also very dangerous there.
Logically speaking, he shouldn't have hesitated at all. He should have just turned around and left. Why was he lying in the magma and staring blankly at the sunset?
…
…
Very few people knew what Jing Jiu liked.
Liu Shisui only knew that he liked to lie on the bamboo chair. Therefore, whether in Tianguang Peak or in the Guocheng Temple, he didn't forget to plant a few bamboos so that it would be convenient to repair the bamboo chair.
Gu Qing only knew that he liked to watch the snow. Therefore, every year when it snowed, he and Yuan Qu would move out of the Daoist Temple and leave the good seat by the window for his Master.
Zhao Layue only knew that he liked to keep his long black and smooth hair. Therefore, she didn't want that, but she still insisted that he comb her hair.
But even the three of them didn't know what Jing Jiu really disliked.
There were many things he didn't want to do. It was because he was lazy, or he thought it was meaningless, but it didn't mean he didn't like it.
For instance, he didn't like eating hotpot because he thought it was meaningless, but it didn't mean he didn't like hotpot.
Back when he was on the Shangde Peak, he liked to sit by and watch his Big Brother and Yuan and Liu eat hotpot.
This habit had persisted until now.
Right now, he liked to watch Zhao Layue eat hotpot very much.
In countless restaurants in Chaotian, there were white soups that had been eaten by him.
Guo Dong was the only one who knew the answer.
The thing Jing Jiu disliked the most was to owe others.
No matter it was love, money, or other things.
After he had vanished into thin air in the distant outside world, there was still a murky energy left in his body.
It was the unfinished cause and effect and the unfinished fate.
It was because of this that he had failed in ascension, so it was natural that he disliked it.
Since his rebirth, he had paid more attention to this aspect. He had tried to make up for the debts he owed in the past, but some new debts had arisen.
His biggest creditor was the King Of The Underworld.
In the Fiend Prison, the King Of The Underworld taught him the Control of Soul-Fire, and he promised to help the King Of The Underworld find a successor and pass on the Seal of the King Of The Underworld and the Control of Soul-Fire to that successor.
Thirteen years had passed, but he hadn't finished the task yet.
He put the Sword of the Universe into the universe and sank into the bottom of the lava with his eyes closed.
The density of the lava was very high. If a regular person didn't burn to ashes, they wouldn't be able to sink into the lava. But Jing Jiu was different.
He flowed along the river of lava to the distance, like a rock.
The river forked a few miles away. One river went up, and the other went down.
The river would make its own choice by going with the flow.
Was he going with the flow irresponsibly? Or was he going with the flow as the monks of the Guocheng Temple liked to say? Or was he just being lazy?
Perhaps, even Jing Jiu didn't know the answer himself. All he could sense was that as he sank deeper and deeper into the lava, the temperature around him grew higher, and his right hand grew a bit softer. This was what he wanted.
He had drifted along the river of lava for a long time. One day, he suddenly bumped into something. As he opened his eyes, he found that the thing blocking his way was a wall.
This wall was transparent.
The river of lava couldn't move forward after encountering the wall. The river of lava rolled back, forming countless small whirlpools and generating innumerable flames, looking like thousands of holes in a stove.
If he were back on the ground, he could only see the sky, but not the wall. So he was in the underground.
Jing Jiu walked to the front of the transparent wall with his hands folded behind his back, looking at the distance.
This wall was very high, stretching for a great many miles. It was impossible to see its end.
On the other side was the dark and gloomy Abyss.
On the other side of the Abyss was the Underworld.
To become the leader of the orthodox human Cultivation sects, being powerful was a must, but it was not the only requirement. One had to shoulder many responsibilities for the human race and pay a great price, like guarding the passage between the human world and the Underworld.
Those famous Cultivation sects with a long history in Chaotian all had their own passageways guarded by them.
The No-Mercy Sect guarded the passage at the bottom of the Longevity Mountain; the Heavenly Well by the East Ocean was guarded by Shui Yue Nunnery and the Guocheng Temple together; and Yimaozhai guarded the Thousand-Mile Wind Corridor.
The Zhongzhou School had the highest status and the strongest prowess, so it had the greatest responsibility. The Old Dragon turned into the Fiend Prison to guard Zhaoge City, and he was also responsible for the passage at the bottom of the Gathered-Soul Valley.
This huge transparent wall stretching for a great many miles should be the seal of the Zhongzhou School. Judging from the energy it exuded, it was indeed very powerful and indestructible.
The Aoyama Sect didn't guard the passage to the Underworld. It was because the water in the south was abundant and the cracks in the underground were filled up; but they paid a great price as well.
If the Zhongzhou School paid the price of the powerful magic treasures and formations needed to trap and seal the divine animals, the Aoyama Sect paid the price of the swords and blood.
Jing Jiu stood in front of the huge transparent wall with his hands folded behind his back, gazing at the Abyss on the other side in Silence.
Thirteen years ago, the King Of The Underworld also gazed at the Abyss on the other side in Silence through a transparent and unbreakable barrier.
At the time, the King Of The Underworld's gaze was full of nostalgia for his hometown; but the expression in Jing Jiu's eyes was much more complicated at the moment.
His gaze passed through the Abyss and landed on the distant Underworld.
The topography and the sky in the Underworld were similar to this side. There were also steep mountain peaks, but there was no sun, so the sunlight was extremely dim. The underground fire was the only source of illumination.
A slightly brighter river meandered among the mountains, bringing light and hope to the lives on the banks of the river.
Jing Jiu pulled back his gaze and looked at his right hand.
His right hand had become a bit softer after soaking in the river of lava for a long time.
Jing Jiu had kept his hands folded behind his back, but he was actually kneading the index finger of his right hand with his left hand.
The index finger didn't seem to have changed much, but it was actually sharper, and it had almost recovered to its original state.
Jing Jiu reached out his index finger and pointed at the huge transparent wall in front of him.
The transparent wall didn't seem to have any thickness or elasticity.
It sounded normal, but if one thought about it carefully, it would be a very frightening thing; it could even be said to be unimaginable.
It was unknown what formation the immortals of the previous generation had used when the Zhongzhou School sealed this place thirty thousand years ago, and how many magic treasures had been consumed.
With a soft sound, Jing Jiu's fingertip fell on the transparent wall.
Feeling the feedback from his fingertip, he raised his eyebrows, and the sword wills all over his body suddenly erupted.
Thousands of extremely fine and sharp sword intents emitted from his body. They were like willow leaves blown by the wind, swirling in all directions.
A few black stones under his feet were cut into pieces, and innumerable cracks appeared on the surface of the lava in the river, which couldn't be mended.
He didn't enter such a state even when he faced the Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect in the Guocheng Temple. And when Monk Duhai launched a sneak attack, he was affected by the Fairy Book.
Since his rebirth, this was the first time that he had revealed his most powerful appearance.
In an instant, his face turned extremely pale.
Another soft sound rang out.
His fingertip seemed to have pierced into the transparent wall, but it also seemed that nothing had happened.
If one looked at it with the naked eye, one wouldn't be able to see any change even if he put his fingertip close to it.
Jing Jiu felt a bit tired. It seemed that he had used up all of his sword source by piercing his finger.
He sat down cross-legged and started cultivating with his eyes closed.
The huge transparent wall in front of him displayed the Abyss and the distant Underworld clearly, like a huge painting, waiting for him to appreciate it when he woke up. … …
Thirty seconds later.
The river of lava suddenly grew lighter. A shadow came out from nowhere and landed on Jing Jiu's body.
Jing Jiu opened his eyes and looked at the other side of the huge transparent wall.
The shadow had a gloomy and eerie aura, which was not unfamiliar to him.
It was the projection of an important figure of the Underworld.
If the Underworld wished to influence Chaotian, they had to resort to this method most of the time. Back when the elder Wei Chenzi of the Zhongzhou School in the Yuanying state failed to assassinate Zhao Layue, he was killed by the shadow of the third disciple of the Underworld Master while fleeing. The disciple of Aoyama, Jian Ruoshan, was also killed in the same way in the ruined temple outside Jianli City when he investigated the murder of Zuo Yi in private.
This important figure of the Underworld was very powerful, and his Cultivation state was much higher than the current Jing Jiu. It was believed that it wouldn't be difficult for his shadow to kill Jing Jiu.
Yet, no fear could be seen on Jing Jiu's face, not even a hint of caution.
He had anticipated that the other party would show up.
It was because he was the one who called the other party here.
… …
… …
"Who are you?"
It was unclear when a person had appeared on the other side of the huge transparent wall.
The person narrowed his eyes, and the colorful glows flowed on his face without eyebrows, but they couldn't outshine his clothes.
He wore a bright blue cloth, which was quite eye-catching against the background of black and white and the faint glow of the fire.
There was no blue sky or green fields in the Underworld, only dull colors of black, white and gray. The commoners usually wore the same colors, and only the nobles with a high status were qualified to wear colorful clothes.
Back in the Fiend Prison, when Jing Jiu met the King Of The Underworld for the first time, the King Of The Underworld wore colorful clothes.
The color of this person's clothes was so eye-catching that he must have a very high status in the Underworld.
After receiving the message from Jing Jiu, this person could pass through the Abyss and arrive here in just one minute. His speed was truly amazing.
He had indeed grown stronger after three hundred years.
Thinking of this, Jing Jiu felt sentimental.
The person's expression was grave, and he exuded a powerful energy.
Like most of the people in the Underworld, he was very short, about four feet tall. Yet, as his energy exuded, he gave off a feeling that he was extremely tall, as if this huge transparent wall couldn't even stop him.
Few people in all of Chaotian had such a powerful energy; he was probably in the same state as Liu Ci!
Jing Jiu said, "Now that you know the origin of the mosquitoes, you should have guessed who I am. I don't believe that Taiping didn't tell you what had happened in the Fiend Prison."
That person looked at Jing Jiu in Silence, and asked, "Who the hell are you?"
"I'm the holder of the Seal," replied Jing Jiu.
The mosquitoes.
The Seal.
After a long pause, the person asked, "Is the Emperor still alive?"
Jing Jiu shook his head.
The person pressed, "If the Emperor is dead, why is his soul-fire in the mosquitoes?"
Jing Jiu said, "As I said, you should know that I was by his side before he died."
Looking at the quiet Underworld River at the bottom of the Abyss, the person fell silent again for a long time before saying, "Hand over the Seal of the King Of The Underworld, and I won't kill you today."
"Do you think I should be afraid of you?" asked Jing Jiu.
The person lifted his head and stared into Jing Jiu's eyes, asking emotionlessly, "Do you know who I am?"
Jing Jiu said, "Of course I know you are the Underworld Master. I also know something else. Do you want to hear it? "
For instance, you were almost hacked to death by someone with a sword three hundred years ago.
It was true that this person in blue clothing with a profound energy of the same level as Liu Ci was the strongest swordsman of the Underworld.
Looking at Jing Jiu in Silence, he suddenly asked, "What do you want?"
Jing Jiu said, "That mosquito has the soul-fire of the King Of The Underworld, which is enough to prove your legitimacy, and it can help you settle the disputes of the Underworld. You should choose a suitable successor to the throne as soon as possible and bring him to the human world for me to have a look."
The Underworld Master narrowed his eyes even more, as he exclaimed, "Do you know what you are talking about?"
Jing Jiu said, "This is what the King Of The Underworld told me before his death."
The Underworld Master said expressionlessly, "The Emperor went to the human world back then and didn't come back. Do you think it will happen again?"
Jing Jiu said, "If the new emperor isn't approved by me, the Seal of the King Of The Underworld won't come back to the Underworld."
The Underworld Master said, "If this is the case, our Underworld is indebted to you; but … what do you want?"
It was the same question as before.
Jing Jiu asked the Underworld Master, "Have you ever considered joining hands with Aoyama to get rid of Taiping?"
"Do you know what you are talking about?" asked the Underworld Master with a small smile.
Jing Jiu said, "Like I said, I know many other things. For instance, you are the personal disciple of Taiping in the Underworld."
Hearing this, the expression on the Underworld Master's face changed slightly.
Jing Jiu continued, "According to the age of entering the Underworld, you should be after Liu Ci and Yuan Qijing, so you are the third person."
The Underworld Master narrowed his eyes into a line, as he exclaimed, "Now that you know the relationship between me and the Immortal, why do you still want to persuade me to join hands with Aoyama?"
Jing Jiu said calmly, "I'm good at persuading his disciples to betray him."
(End of this chapter)
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