Immortal of the Nine Realms-Chapter 895: The First Ritual

"The soul-crossing ritual.... This journey may be fraught with danger. Are you truly willing to take this risk to seek that slim chance of survival for me?" The old man muttered to himself.

He then looked at Yu Qingzhi with slightly cloudy eyes.

Yu Qingzhi spoke respectfully. "Grandfather, if you can transcend the tribulation, you will have a chance to become an Immortal King. This matter concerns the Yu Family's fortune. A little danger is nothing. Moreover, I am at the peak of the Fusion Realm. Even if I encounter something unexpected, I can easily handle it."

"Good. If the matter with your father goes well, and I can ascend to the Profound Immortal stage, the Yu Family's fortune will rise," the old man said, a trace of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. "You can carry out the ritual here. I will protect you."

Yu Qingzhi nodded. "Understood."

***

In the Underworld, Fang Chen stood at the head of a bridge, looking out over the vast, mist-covered Forgotten River. The phantom-like forms of the bridge stretched in all directions.

Du Yunxu quietly stood behind Fang Chen. There was another figure standing respectfully beside him, a Day Walker General. This was Du Heng, a younger member of Du Yunxu's clan. Naturally, he was now one of Fang Chen's direct subordinates.

Du Heng was somewhat nervous. Although Du Yunxu had not directly introduced him, he had guessed that this person might be the newly appointed Day Walker Monarch. Rumor had it that this Day Walker Monarch, upon assuming office, had drastically changed many of the rules of the Underworld, making enemies of various Yin Monarchs. He had even fired over fifty Day Walker Gods from the Day Walker Division.

He couldn't imagine why such an existence would come to the remote little town where he resided today. Even his family's ancestor, Du Yunxu, who had been a Day Walker God in the Day Walker lineage, hadn't set foot in this place for centuries.

Du Yunxu hesitated for a moment before asking softly, "My lord, it seems you are waiting for someone?"

Fang Chen didn't hide the truth. He smiled and nodded. "Yes, I'm waiting for someone. He should be carrying out the ritual today."

If not for his position as Day Walker Monarch, he wouldn't have been able to locate this particular city corresponding to Li Xiao so quickly. After confirming that Yu Qingzhi had left through the Ancient Talisman from the Desolate Academy, he guessed that Yu Qingzhi had to have returned to Li Xiao to prepare for the ritual.

If that was the case, it wouldn't be long before he saw Yu Qingzhi. If he guessed wrong and the other hadn't returned to Li Xiao but instead went elsewhere, it wouldn't matter much, it would just be a waste of time.

"Waiting... for someone?"

A Yin Walker?

Du Heng was shocked. Yunfu City hadn't seen a Yin Walker in a long, long time. On the rare occasions that a Yin Walker did appear, it was usually someone traveling from other cities either for some business or just passing through.

There hadn't been anyone from the Yellow Springs during his tenure, at least not in the 2,800 years he had served. He hadn't heard of any previous Day Walker General mentioning a Yin Walker visiting, either. Occasionally, when he went out for a daytime patrol, he found that the cultivators here almost never practiced the Path of Yin technique.

This wasn't too surprising, as many places were like this.

He was shocked that a place without knowledge of the Path of Yin technique would have a person so important it warranted the Day Walker Monarch to personally await their arrival.

Fang Chen suddenly glanced at Du Yunxu. "Can your nephew be trusted?"

Hearing this, Du Heng immediately knelt on the ground without hesitation. "My lord, please be assured. I am absolutely loyal and have never harbored any ill intentions!"

Du Yunxu smiled. "My lord need not worry. He is my nephew, and he hasn't been involved in any of the disputes these years. Otherwise, he wouldn't be stuck in this remote place."

"Good," replied Fang Chen, smiling. "I need you to help me stage a little performance."

The two paused, slightly confused.

A performance?

After a short while, as they listened to Fang Chen's plan, their expressions turned quite peculiar.

Du Heng thought for a moment before confidently saying, "My lord, rest assured, I will complete the task! I have also come into contact with the Yin Walkers of the Spirit God Sect and know some of their matters, so there will be no mistakes!"

"Good." Fang Chen smiled and nodded. He softly added, "He's here. Go and meet him."

On the other side of the vast Forgotten River, a figure walked out while looking around curiously.

"So there really is an Underworld," muttered Yu Qingzhi, his face laced with awe. "Even with the abilities of a cultivator, without proper methods and the Soul Guiding Lantern, one cannot perceive the intricacies here."

He had already chatted with several wandering souls on the way. Though some of them were in a dazed state, they could still exchange a few words.

It was undeniable that this was indeed the Underworld. The road he had just walked on was the legendary Yellow Springs Road.

Yu Qingzhi stood before the Wangchuan River, pondering deeply. "What's the deal with this river? There's no way forward. Am I supposed to swim across or fly over?"

Just then, several light boats began to emerge from the dense fog over the Forgotten River.

"Daughter, I'm here to fetch you."

"Hahaha, good brother, I've been waiting for so many years below, and you've finally come down. Quick, I'll row the boat to bring you over!"

The wandering souls on the boats were exchanging greetings with the souls on the shore, and the atmosphere gradually became livelier as joyful calls filled the air, reaching Yu Qingzhi's ears.

"May I ask, what is going on here?" Yu Qingzhi asked a nearby wandering soul.

At that moment, a relative who came to fetch him saw the situation and immediately scolded, "Let go, you have no one to fetch you, don't delay me from reuniting with my grandson!"

Yu Qingzhi's face darkened, and he coldly glanced at the other soul. Using a bit of force, he noticed the soul immediately displayed a pained expression, as if struggling to breathe.

The relative on the boat, seeing this, was startled. After carefully observing Yu Qingzhi, they took a sharp breath. "You are a Yin Walker?"

Though there weren't many Yin Walkers who stayed in Yunfu City for long, occasionally, some Yin Walkers would pass through. The wandering souls here might not have eaten pork, but they had seen pigs run.

The Yin Walker's aura was heavy with Yang energy. Despite being in the Underworld, the Yin energy here could obscure it. However, if observed closely, it was easy to identify.

Upon hearing the words "Yin Walker," many wandering souls on the light boats turned their gaze toward Yu Qingzhi. Their expressions were filled with surprise, astonishment, and joy.

"We have a local Yin Walker in Yunfu City? That's great! Sir, once you enter the city, there's something I'd like to ask you for help with. I'll make sure your Yin Lifespan is well taken care of!"

Yu Qingzhi furrowed his brow. "They recognized me as a Yin Walker at first glance...."

The relative of the wandering soul he had grabbed quickly explained, "Sir, please don't misunderstand. Release my relative, and I'll tell you everything you wish to know."

"Go ahead, explain," said Yu Qingzhi. "What does it mean that you need to row a boat to cross the Forgotten River?"

The wandering soul hurriedly explained that one needed a boat to cross the river; otherwise, they would be trapped forever, destined to sink into oblivion. Yu Qingzhi couldn't help but take a deep breath, feeling a rush of fear.

It was a good thing he hadn't acted rashly earlier, or he would have been stuck without even reaching the true Underworld!

Just then, a massive ship appeared slowly. Compared to the light boats, this ship could easily be called a giant vessel.

"Which Yin Walker dares to trespass into Yunfu's territory?" A cold voice rang out.

Before Yu Qingzhi could even react, he was bound by some invisible force and found himself being pulled aboard the massive ship in the blink of an eye.

Nearby wandering souls didn't have time to react, and they only saw the giant ship turn around and vanish into the endless white mist.