In Zhu Xian, people start to rise from plundering entries

But the old woman in front of me gave off an extremely ominous feeling.

Su Han stopped and looked at the old woman warily.

The Netherworld Mark warned that this was not the real Meng Po deity, but rather a projection or... a trap formed by the combination of the Netherworld laws of this place with the scattered soul power and resentment.

The old woman raised her empty eyes and looked at the three of them, her voice hoarse like sandpaper scraping: "Passersby... have a bowl of soup... forget your troubles, forget your pain... the road ahead is long, have a bowl of soup, so you can continue your journey..."

She stretched out her withered hand, scooped up a bowl of murky liquid from the wooden bucket, and handed it to her.

The soup seemed to reflect countless shifting faces, brimming with alluring and captivating power.

Su Han's eyes turned cold, and he circulated his spiritual energy, saying in a deep voice, "We are not dead souls, we will not drink this soup!"

The old woman's smile vanished instantly, replaced by a ferocious expression: "No soup...no passing...stay...stay and keep me company..."

Before she could finish speaking, the broken bowl in her hand suddenly shattered, and the murky soup transformed into countless hideous ghost faces, roaring as they lunged at the three of them!

At the same time, the surrounding mist churned violently, and more ghostly figures emerged from the mist and the sea of ​​red spider lilies, letting out mournful howls as they swarmed towards them!

"Watch out!" Lu Xueqi shouted, and the Tianya Sword was suddenly drawn!
"Zheng——!"

A clear and melodious sword cry resounded throughout the netherworld, and an incomparably dazzling blue sword aura swept out like thunder from the heavens!

Where the sword light passed, the ghostly faces and approaching ghostly figures melted away like ice and snow, letting out miserable screams and instantly dissipating!
Biyao attacked simultaneously, and the Heartbreak Flower shone brightly with white light. The illusory petals danced in the sky, forming a barrier that blocked the all-pervasive mental attacks and resentment.

Su Han did not use spiritual power to attack, but instead fully activated the Netherworld Mark in his sea of ​​consciousness!

The mark was scorching hot, and an invisible wave carrying the majesty of the underworld spread out!
That fluctuation has an innate restraining effect on these ghosts that are derived from or attracted by the laws of the underworld!
The ghostly figures that had been rushing forward suddenly froze upon sensing the fluctuation, their faces showing instinctive fear as they shrieked and retreated, no longer daring to approach.

Even the projection of the grotesque old woman became blurred and distorted amidst the fluctuations, finally letting out a resentful howl before dissipating into the mist.

The attack came to an abrupt halt.

The fog had cleared up a bit, but the prying eyes hadn't completely disappeared.

"It seems the road to the Yellow Springs is fraught with danger at every turn." Lu Xueqi sheathed her sword, her tone grave. She had just witnessed the difficulty these ghosts could overcome; had it not been for the Tianya Divine Sword's extreme strength and yang energy, which could subdue evil spirits, she would have had to expend considerable effort.

“These should just be external distractions.” Su Han looked at the spot where the old woman had disappeared. “The real danger is probably beyond the Gates of Hell. Keep moving forward, don’t stop.”

The three set off again, this time with even greater caution.

They encountered several more similar attacks during the rest of their journey.

Sometimes it's an illusion, stirring up inner demons and making people wallow in past regrets or fears; sometimes it's a more powerful collection of vengeful spirits, rushing out from a sea of ​​flowers or mist; sometimes it's even a change in the road to the underworld itself, with the ground suddenly becoming muddy and sticky, and countless ghostly hands reaching out to grab at your ankles.

But thanks to the three of them working together seamlessly, they made it through without any real danger.

Lu Xueqi's Nine Heavens Spiritual Power and the Tianya Divine Sword are powerful weapons for overcoming evil; Biyao's Heartbreak Flower excels in defense and spiritual protection; while Su Han's Netherworld Mark acts as a "pass" and "deterrent" for this place, greatly mitigating or weakening dangers at the level of laws. After walking for an unknown amount of time, the fog ahead gradually thinned.

The towering gates of hell were finally fully revealed before my eyes!
A closer look reveals its imposing presence and overwhelming sense of oppression.

The pitch-black boulder seemed to absorb all light, covered with the marks of time and huge claw marks and sword scars, as if it had witnessed a fierce battle.

The enormous bronze door was tightly shut, and the grotesque reliefs on it were so lifelike that they seemed ready to come to life and devour anyone who might approach them.

The air seeping from the crack in the door was filled with an atmosphere of utter stillness and chaos.

Upon arriving here, the scorching sensation of the Netherworld Mark in Su Han's sea of ​​consciousness reached its peak, clearly pointing behind the door!

The frenzied fluctuations of the remnant soul of the Soul-Devouring Beast assaulted his senses like a drumbeat.

At the same time, he also sensed more clearly that the power of the seal was being violently impacted from the inside, and the source of the black energy seeping from the cracks in the stone tablet was behind the door!

On the bronze gate, where the seals were originally tight, some fine cracks have now appeared, and even purer and more terrifying black energy is escaping from them in wisps.

“The core of the seal is behind the door.” Su Han took a deep breath and looked at Lu Xueqi and Biyao with a solemn expression. “Get ready, the situation behind the door is probably worse than we think.”

Lu Xueqi and Biyao nodded, each bringing themselves to their peak condition.

Su Han walked to the huge bronze door, reached out and pressed his hand against the cold, icy surface.

He mobilized his divine sense, drawing upon the Netherworld Imprint within his sea of ​​consciousness, and channeled a pure aura imbued with the authority of the Netherworld into the runes on the door.

This is a method of revealing information contained within the mark—using the mark as a key to open the gates of hell!

As the power of the underworld was injected, the reliefs on the door seemed to come alive, and the eyes of the ghosts and monsters began to glow with an eerie light.

The ancient runes lit up one by one, emitting a hazy glow.

"Rumble--"

A deep, resounding boom, like thunder from ancient times, followed as the massive bronze door slowly opened a crack inward!
A terrifying aura, even more concentrated and purer, mixed with the extreme death energy and the madness of the soul-devouring beast, surged out from the crack in the door like a flood bursting its banks!

In an instant, all three of them felt their breath catch in their throats, as if their souls were about to be frozen and torn apart!
Beyond the crack in the door lay a deep, boundless darkness, with a vast, desolate courtyard vaguely visible, and in the distance, the outline of palaces, though most of them were already in ruins.

The place was filled with deathly aura and incomplete laws, resembling a forgotten ruin of the underworld.

In the very center of those ruins, a massive, twisted, indescribable entity composed of countless pained faces and chaotic shadows was frantically assaulting a dim, cracked seal of light!
Each impact caused the entire space to tremble, widening the cracks in the Gates of Hell!
That is the sealed remnant of the Soul-Devouring Beast!
Its state was extremely frenzied. It seemed to sense the presence of living people and the power of the Netherworld Mark, becoming even more violent. A terrifying devouring intent locked onto the newly opened Gates of Hell!
"Roar--!"

A roar that did not travel through the air but directly affected the soul suddenly exploded from behind the door!

Su Han, Lu Xueqi, and Bi Yao's expressions changed simultaneously! (End of Chapter)