Zhang Yan swung his sword down, but it only struck an object resembling a Dharma Treasure. A thunderous roar suddenly erupted beside his ear, and the scene before his eyes changed abruptly. He found himself in a different place and immediately realized that this must be some kind of teleportation technique.
The object, although struck by his sword light, was not damaged in the slightest, only leaning slightly. Now it vibrated once again, as if it was about to break through the space and fly off.
Zhang Yan shouted sharply, "Where do you think you’re going!"
This object was the culprit that brought him here, and he wouldn’t allow it to escape. Summoning his will, a Jade Token flew out from his forehead, emitting a beam of light, instantly pinning the object in mid-air.
Zhang Yan stepped forward to grab it, bringing it up to his eyes. The object was half black and half white, like a disk or spindle, with a pair of eyes facing each other on each side. It was pointed in front and blunt at the back, shaped like a fat fish. Even as he held it in his hand, it struggled continuously, full of spiritual nature, yet he sensed no True Recognition within it. Such a peculiar Dharma Treasure he had never seen before, but now was not the time for detailed investigation, so he casually put it into his Sleeve Bag and began observing the surrounding environment.
The area was dim and gloomy, neither reaching the sky above nor touching the ground below. Although it was still filled with Netherworld Qi, it could not invade his Xuan Guang. Based on this, he judged that he was still within the Sixth Realm of Netherworld Qi. He pondered in his heart, "That Dharma Treasure must have some restrictions; otherwise, Lu Ge could have easily used it to teleport me directly to the lower three realms of Netherworld Qi."
He glanced around, casually casting six talismans, each flying off in different directions to explore.
Before long, he sensed something in his Heart and Spirit. Apart from finding a route downwards, the other five talismans lost contact shortly after being deployed. After several attempts, he confirmed that he was trapped in an array formation constructed using the terrain.
"Five directions sealed, leaving only one gate," Zhang Yan sneered. This was clearly another trick by that scoundrel Lu Ge; if he really burst through from there, he’d likely fall into a trap immediately.
However, the array hadn’t shown any movement, indicating that Lu Ge was still some distance away. He hadn’t arrived yet to activate it, otherwise, once triggered, it would not be so quiet.
Suddenly, Zhang Yan’s expression changed. He sensed that the talisman flying downward had lost contact, which was within his expectations. Yet, at the very last moment, he realized that beneath this Life Gate, besides the lower three layers of Netherworld Qi, there was a deep gorge leading straight to the Nether River underground.
His brow furrowed involuntarily. Although he was teleported here, he had the "Harmony Carrying Cover" protecting him. Even the formidable Netherworld Qi of the lower three layers could not harm him.
However, the Nether River Water was different. It was the essence of the land’s yin, and any ordinary Dharma Treasure that came in contact with it would easily be contaminated, gradually polluting its Pure Spirit Qi and turning it into a mundane object. If an average cultivator were touched by this water, it could wear away their Daoist Cultivation or even cost them their life.
Zhang Yan mused in his heart, "Lu Ge once said that Mu Hongchen’s master, the Red Flower Fairy, fell because he contaminated her Golden Core with Nether River Water. Now he’s purposely brought me here, likely to use this water to kill me."
Standing with hands behind his back, immersed in thought, Zhang Yan pondered strategies for escape. Before long, he suddenly remembered that the Mountain and River Child had served multiple cultivators and was knowledgeable. Rather than racking his brains alone, it would be better to ask him. So he shouted, "Where is the child?"
At his call, a young child appeared, respectfully bowing, "Master, Zhang Ju is here."
Zhang Yan pointed downwards, "Below is the Nether River Water. I ask you, do you know of any method to deal with this water?"
Zhang Ju thought for a moment and replied, "Reporting to master, I do know of one method. Your Taiyin Xuan Guang is extremely powerful; if the amount of Nether River Water isn’t too much, it can be refined. Once this water is consumed, it will revert to its original state, and after being tainted by the External Qi, it will soon transform into the Nine realms Netherworld Qi, which will be easier to handle."
Thinking it over, Zhang Yan thought, "This method is too passive for my liking, but for now, it will have to suffice. Once I get a look at the Nether River Water, I can make further plans. If no other solution arises, I might have to summon Beiming’s avatar to break this situation."