Chapter 346: 205, Higanbana, Child of the Immortal (Chapter 5k4)
Countless powerful people were forced to walk the path of the Ghost Immortal.
Without exception, their Physical Bodies were destroyed.
Although the River of Nether could submerge the damaged Physical Bodies of some powerful people at its bottom, the Physical Bodies of many more Ghost Immortals would disappear forever.
The corpses in the river are merely a manifestation of the Dao.
Of course, Ghost Immortals whose Physical Bodies were sunk at the bottom of the River of Nether would naturally find it easier to retrieve a Physical Body than those without any remains.
Returning to the Netherworld is about restoring the Ghost Immortal’s foundation.
It’s not truly about retrieving a Physical Body!
This principle, though simple, is a conclusion that Cultivators can only reach when they stand at a high vantage point and survey the entire path of Cultivation.
Ghost Immortals, during the process of Returning to the Netherworld, still perceive things unclearly, as if viewing flowers through mist.
Time ticked by.
Xu Xing felt a tug on the fishing hook he had cast out.
He lifted the fishing rod, and a rotting corpse was dragged near his Paper boat.
The corpse emitted a foul smell.
Only the ribs and abdomen retained a little rotten flesh; the rest was mostly bare white bone.
As the corpse neared the Paper boat, it actively swam towards it.
It seemed to come "alive."
However, it moved too slowly, as if crawling through the corpse-filled river.
"Did someone tamper with your corpse?"
This time, the Old man took the initiative to speak, his voice slightly surprised but still hoarse, "Generally speaking, the corpses in the River of Nether are dead objects, but yours is alive. There’s only one possibility: someone tampered with your corpse."
This unusual scene occurred before his eyes.
The Old man hesitated for a moment, lifted his Conical Hat, and turned sideways to glance at Xu Xing, who was sharing the boat behind him.
After looking at him, his pupils contracted slightly.
Then, mimicking Xu Xing’s earlier action, he shook his Sleeve.
Four thumb-sized particles of Netherworld Soil, glowing faintly, rolled out and returned to their original positions.
Is there a complication?
What’s happening? Did I fish up something I shouldn’t have? Or does the person who tampered with my corpse... have some hidden secret?
Are they malicious towards me?
Is their background too powerful?
So even the difference dares not accept my bribery?
Xu Xing was momentarily stunned by this scene.
For an Official to reluctantly return a privately accepted bribe, it couldn’t be due to self-reflection or an admission of misconduct.
Instead, it implies some hidden complications.
Either his own background was so formidable that the Old man dared not accept the bribery for fear of causing offense.
Or he had "provoked" someone with a formidable background, making the Old man dare not accept the bribery for fear of being implicated.
Both were possibilities.
In this World, the only person who would have tampered with my corpse should be Shi Yuyan, also known as Emperor Xi.
She wants to resurrect my ’Past life.’
Therefore, she must have made a trip to the River of Nether.
Xu Xing’s mind raced, considering many possibilities.
He had always maintained a low profile and shouldn’t have attracted any enemies. Even if he had, most were already dead.
In this One life, with Shi Yuyan’s protection, his Cultivation path had been smooth.
Theoretically, he shouldn’t have provoked any enemies.
Xu Xing remained calm and continued to exert all his effort to pull his "corpse" onto the boat.
He glanced at the Old man.
The Old man was silent, like a sculpture.
Seeing this, Xu Xing’s heart instantly turned cold.
If his connection to Emperor Xi was advantageous, this Old man wouldn’t be acting so aloof at This Moment.
The greater the ability, the stronger the enemies.
Shi Yuyan entered the Netherworld Wasteland to resurrect my Past life. That process might not have been pleasant...
Xu Xing swallowed hard.
He roughly guessed some of what had happened several thousand years ago.
Soon, as the "corpse" was brought aboard, a series of images flooded his mind, instantly confirming his speculations.
It was a heart-pounding scene.
A white-clothed woman cradled a bronze cauldron, her right hand conjuring deadly secret arts.
Countless souls perished at her hand—some wore crane robe, some magnificent clothes, others star clothes; all were figures like kings and marquis.
But in that A Moment, they were shattered into dust, and even the Laws of the Netherworld could not restore their forms.
The turmoil in the Netherworld did not last long.
Ancient venerables appeared.
Seven in total.
Their auras were as powerful as the white-clothed woman’s, yet they were even more ancient and august.
They were the sovereigns of this Netherworld.
The white-clothed woman battled three of the venerables. The ensuing fight caused heaven and earth to dim, the mountain range to crumble, and divine light to overflow.
Until her White Clothes were stained into blood-stained clothes.
Finally, the battle ceased.
She drew up all the water of the River of Nether and, beneath layers of white bones, found that decaying corpse.
Unfortunately, no matter how much Golden Blood from the bronze cauldron she poured onto it.
The corpse remained decayed, unable to be revived or restored to life.
"In that battle, she was defeated."
"However, she obtained Emperor Jin’s permission..."
"...to retrieve your corpse from the River of Nether."
The Old man on the Paper boat spoke.
The moment Xu Xing touched the "corpse," the Old man knew that Xu Xing had witnessed the scene from several thousand years ago.
"Emperor Jin is one of the seven venerables; they slumber in this dead domain."
"Emperor Xi wishes to interfere with the cycle of Reincarnation..."
The Old man sighed.
He poled with the bamboo pole, and they arrived at another river.
This river, unlike the River of Nether, resembled the celestial star river. Its slowly flowing waters held points of starlight, brilliant and beautiful.
It was vastly different from the deathly still River of Nether.
Beside this star river, countless red lotus bloomed.
Higanbana?
Xu Xing was astonished.
He had thought he would have to expend considerable effort to reach the Other Shore River. He hadn’t expected this difference to bring him here directly.
This isn’t the same difference as before?