Walking alone with a sword, slaying ghosts and gods

Chapter 607 Though the frost and snow of the Nine Netherworlds are heavy, the sound of waves is locked deep within the icy pool (Seeking donations and subscriptions!)

Over the past few centuries, the Taiqing Sect has implemented new policies to cleanse the sect of its accumulated problems, gradually eliminating its malpractices and establishing a dignified and solemn atmosphere, thus revealing the grandeur of an ancient orthodox sect.

In front of the Law Enforcement Hall at the summit of Qianqiu Peak, the screen wall of "Mirror of Daoist Deeds," carved from ten-thousand-year-old cold jade, radiates a clear and cold light, reflecting the merits and demerits of every Daoist official within the sect's territory in great detail, leaving no room for gloom.

The Sky Patrol Fleet, piloting the newly built giant ships "Heavenly Punishment" and "Earthly Law," carrying the decree of the "Spirit Crystal Conquest," traversed between the sea of ​​clouds and immortal mountains, measuring spiritual veins and inspecting taxes. The spiritual fields, mines, and grotto-heavens that were once firmly occupied by powerful families were now forcibly pried open by the strict laws and capable officials, with embezzled spirit crystals returned to the public treasury and resources redistributed.

The sharp energy that had surged for hundreds of years due to the implementation of the new policies in the vast sky finally settled down, transforming into a solemn and dignified atmosphere that was almost like metal.

However, on this day.

A blood-stained jade slip shattered the tranquility of Qianqiu Peak. A young man in blue robes, accompanied by a female companion, knelt before the black iron gate of the Law Enforcement Hall.

By bypassing the various levels of law enforcement agencies, people could directly appeal to the Hall of Law Enforcement. Regardless of whether they were right or wrong, they would be held partially guilty. Otherwise, the Hall of Law Enforcement would always be filled with kneeling people, making it impossible to handle the normal official business reported by law enforcement agencies from various regions.

Therefore, all the cultivators who dared to directly appeal to the Enforcement Hall were burdened with deep hatred and great injustice.

"Liu Chenzhou, an inner disciple of the Taiqing Sect, accuses Lin Suyun, a true disciple of Daoist Minghe, of forcibly abducting a man and, after failing to rape him, killing all 137 members of my Liu family. I beg the Law Enforcement Hall to uphold justice for my disciple and to seek justice for the innocent souls of my Liu family who died tragically!"

The jade slip hummed, and the blood-red light was dazzling. Liu Chenzhou knelt there, his voice like weeping blood. This resentful aura instantly alarmed the Netherworld Daoist on duty in the hall.

He immediately summoned the disciple and accepted the jade slip presented by him.

"In Qingyang Prefecture, the entire Liu family of 137 members was wiped out by the Nine Netherworld Burning Heart Fire. The perpetrator was... Lin Suyun, a true disciple of Daoist Minghe."

"Please stand up and tell me what happened."

Upon hearing this, Liu Chenzhou stood up. He was indeed beautiful and handsome, and even the usually aloof Youming Daoist couldn't help but think to himself, "What a handsome face!"

"Since childhood, I have possessed the Three Yang Dao Body, which is of great benefit to female cultivators who are skilled in the art of replenishing energy. Therefore, I have been taken care of by my elders in the clan since childhood and rarely go out."

After completing the sect's mission and becoming an inner disciple of the Taiqing Sect, he went out for a stroll with his friends on a whim, only to unexpectedly encounter the lewd and wicked Lin Suyun.

She initially only tried to seduce him, but her notorious reputation made her unacceptable to her disciple, who was devoted to the Dao. Who knew that she would eventually follow him to his home?

I had no choice but to seek refuge at a friend's house, but Lin Suyun used magic to imprison my entire family and threatened to wipe them out if I did not show up.

At the time, I thought she was just making empty threats and wouldn't dare to do such a thing. This is the Taiqing Sect! This is the Taiqing Sect! Who would have thought she would actually dare to do something so wicked…”

By the end, Liu Chenzhou was practically grinding his teeth to powder. The woman beside him, her eyes brimming with tears, comforted him; clearly, the friend from their childhood friendship was likely her as well.

“Practicing demonic arts and strange methods, one’s mind is clouded by malevolent energy and evil fire, and it’s not surprising that one would do anything. However, this matter concerns a Mahayana Dao Lord of our sect, and I cannot simply believe your side of the story. I must go and investigate.”

Furthermore, I must clarify here that if this matter is true, you only need to mine in the Frozen Hell for three years. However, if this matter is false, you have slandered the Great Ascension Dao Lord of our sect, a crime sufficient to ruin your life. Therefore, before I depart, I must ask you one more question: are your previous statements absolutely accurate?

Before setting off, the Netherworld Daoist asked this question.

"If even a single word is false, I am willing to suffer the punishment of having my soul scattered!" Liu Chenzhou declared resolutely.

Judging from his words and demeanor, Daoist Youming sighed softly, knowing that another significant upheaval was about to unfold within the sect.

For the sake of long-term stability, the master decided to rectify the sect, but this time the opponent was Daoist Minghe.

Nine Netherworld Mysterious Demon Cave Heaven.

The Taiqing Sect originally did not have this grotto-heaven, but in the past few thousand years, the Taiqing Sect has expanded its power, opened up spiritual veins, built large cities and towns, and explored and developed many grotto-heavens.

Daoist Minghe then selected one of these newly acquired grotto-heavens and secret realms as his residence for practicing cultivation techniques.

This place is shrouded in a layer of gray mist that is as thin as gauze yet as heavy as lead and mercury all year round. It was formed by Minghe Daojun by refining the evil energy of the Nine Netherworlds. Combined with the cold and yin nature of this cave, the earth's energy is in harmony, creating a unique and mysterious atmosphere.

Deep within the grotto, instead of the rare and beautiful flowers and jade palaces commonly seen by immortals, there was a deep, dark, and cold pool.

The pool water was thick and viscous, without a ripple. Only a solitary black jade lotus platform floated in the center, upon which sat the Daoist Minghe, surrounded by nine thin, yet solidified, black dragons, each swimming away and exhaling an aura of extreme yin and cold.

"Nephew Youming, why do you trespass into my secluded cultivation place?" Daoist Minghe did not lift his eyelids, but his voice was like frozen water in a cold pool, carrying a bone-chilling coldness that made the eerie ghostly aura that permeated the cave pause slightly.

The nine black dragons around him raised their heads simultaneously, their eighteen scarlet dragon eyes locking onto the tall, gaunt figure that had suddenly appeared by the pool.

He was none other than Lu Cheng's true disciple, the Netherworld Daoist.

Ignoring the oppressive aura emanating from the Dao Lord before him, the Netherworld Daoist silently clenched his fists within the wide sleeves of his black robe.
"By order of the Headmaster's 'Mirror of Daoist Deeds,' we are arresting your true disciple, Lin Suyun, to bring charges against the Liu family of Qingyang Prefecture for their massacre. The evidence is irrefutable and leaves no room for argument. We request that you... hand over the person."

Originally, the Netherworld Daoist had intended to speak tactfully, using words like "please" and "inquiry," but the oppressive aura ignited his ferocity, causing his tone to harden.

"Su Yun?" Daoist Minghe finally opened his eyes. His pupils were no longer clear black and white, but a deep, murky black, as if they had absorbed all the gloom in the world.

"Her heart is pure and innocent; she was merely blinded by anger for a moment. On the contrary, that Liu brat, having entered my Taiqing Sect, instead of diligently cultivating his Dao, used his beauty to bewitch people, leading Su Yun to commit a grave mistake. He deserves to die. Although the act of annihilating the entire family was wrong, his actions are still pitiable." Daoist Minghe spoke calmly, and with each word, the Netherworldly aura within the cave intensified, and the trajectory of the nine black dragons became unpredictable, subtly blocking and shrouding the path leading out of the cave.

"I will punish her for this matter myself, and I will also handle the matter with the Sect Leader. Nephew Youming, please return."

"Dao Lord!" The Netherworld Daoist's voice suddenly rose, his withered face appearing even more terrifying against the backdrop of dark, malevolent energy.

"This is not a personal grudge. What has the entire Liu family done wrong? What has the innocent child done wrong? That Lin Suyun, relying on the prestige of the Daoist Lord, has always acted recklessly. Now she has begun to do something that is utterly immoral and contrary to the laws of heaven, which has violated the sect's primary prohibition. If you let her go because of your feelings, where does the Daoist Lord place the sect's laws? Where does the Sect Leader's dignity stand? Does the Daoist Lord intend to abandon public duty for private reasons and treat the sect's laws as nothing?" Strands of pale sword energy emanated from the Netherworld Daoist, freezing and shattering the approaching dark aura inch by inch.

"Shut up!" Minghe Daojun's dark eyes surged, a hint of anger flashing across them. For thousands of years, he had accompanied the sect leader in battles across the north and south, narrowly escaping death several times and accumulating countless merits.

How can we tolerate such an aggressive attitude from a junior deacon?

The nine black dragons swirling around him suddenly swelled, transforming into nine black shadows that tore through space, carrying with them the Nine Netherworld Profound Fiends that froze souls and decayed physical bodies, and devoured the Netherworld Daoist. In an instant, the entire cave heaven transformed into a raging sea of ​​black ink.

boom! !

The sword energy surrounding the Netherworld Taoist clashed fiercely with the Nine Netherworld Ink Dragon. The extreme cold and extreme yin power tore and annihilated each other, and the shock wave that erupted stirred up a hundred-foot-high wave in the viscous black water in the pool.

The Netherworld Taoist was struck as if by a heavy hammer, his body trembled violently, and his withered body flew backward, crashing heavily into the cave's barrier.

A trickle of dark blood escaped from the corner of his mouth, but the ferocity in his eyes burned even more fiercely: "Dao Lord, are you determined to obstruct the enforcement of the law?"

"roll!"

"Take another half step, and don't blame me for cleaning up your own ranks."

Lord Minghe sat upright on the black jade lotus platform, like a demon god from the underworld, his voice cold and devoid of any warmth.

Taiqing Mountain's Xuanyuan Grotto Heaven, the Tushita Heaven's Quiet Chamber.

The purple-gold gourd floating in front of Lu Cheng was only three inches tall, and its entire body radiated a warm and restrained precious light.

However, when Lu Cheng's divine sense sank into it, what he saw was a vast scene of seventy-two great worlds guarding him like ancient stars, middle worlds surrounding him like a galaxy, and three thousand small worlds being born and dying like the sands of the Ganges.

Deep within the gourd, a phantom of a "purple flame" that had once been imbued with the elixir of the Supreme Saint swayed gracefully, each pulse drawing upon the ebb and flow of the cosmic energy within its inner world.

Although this flame shadow cannot be controlled or used, simply observing it daily will bring immeasurable benefits to one's mastery of the Great Dao of Fire and cultivation of the Samadhi True Fire.

Suddenly, Lu Cheng's mind stirred slightly.

He emerged from his deep meditative state.

His disciples naturally had his direct contact information, but none of them would easily disturb him while he was practicing his skills.

Lu Cheng had barely stirred his thoughts when he sensed that the talisman he had given to the Netherworld Daoist had been activated. This meant that the Netherworld Daoist believed that something had happened that required his intervention.

Half an hour later.

Because of Lu Cheng's emergence from seclusion, his wives, concubines, and disciples all gathered to accompany him.

The Netherworld Taoist knelt before his teacher, presenting the Liu family jade slip and the information he had gathered during this period for his teacher to read.

In just a short while, all the information had been read.

"Sigh..." A soft sigh escaped from Lu Cheng's lips, not from anger, but from a sense of understanding and heaviness.

"When women gain power, their wickedness is no less than that of men."

"The word 'love' can move heaven and earth, but it can also blind the mind and cloud the heart, turning protection into a deep-seated poison. Senior Brother Minghe, you have ultimately become trapped by the deep-seated inner demons."

From the information gathered by Youming, it can be learned that the reason why Senior Brother Minghe protected his true disciple so much was because Lin Suyun came from his wife's family and bore a resemblance to Senior Brother Minghe's deceased wife.

Minghe, a senior brother, was deeply in love with his deceased wife, and therefore developed some affection for Lin Suyun.

On that day, Lu Cheng, along with several disciples, personally went to the Nine Nether Profound Fiend Cave Heaven to meet with Daoist Minghe.

Although Lu Cheng's arrival was rushed, Minghe still treated him with the utmost hospitality and sincerity.

He personally greeted Lu Cheng from his cave dwelling and welcomed him inside. Then he brewed tea to soothe Lu Cheng's worries and relieve him of the fatigue of his secluded cultivation.

After three rounds of tea, Lu Cheng finally asked:
“Senior Brother Minghe, the matter concerning the Liu family has become far too big. If this matter is not resolved, the Taiqing Sect’s centuries of hard work will be in vain. How about we let the two sides confront each other? Even if the location is your Nine Nether Profound Fiend Cave.”

"The Spirit-Speaking Pill and the Divine Inquiry Talisman are detrimental to one's cultivation path, so let Liu Chenzhou take them first. As long as Junior Sister Lin can prove herself, it will be a good thing for her reputation."

"Sect Leader... In this way, I am willing to compensate Liu Chenzhou with ten times the wealth of the Liu family to help him rebuild the Liu family, how about that?"

"Family property can be replenished with money, but how can life be replenished? Youming, arrest them." Having said this, Lu Cheng knew there was nothing more to say. He had not personally investigated the matter and could not be absolutely certain that the Liu family massacre was committed by Lin Suyun, but what Senior Brother Minghe had just said indicated that he himself knew the truth of the matter, so Lu Cheng had nothing to hesitate about.

Upon hearing the order, the Netherworld Daoist did not hesitate. His figure transformed into a pale white streak of light, following the guidance of the Bloodline Spirit-Seeking Technique, and rushed straight towards the core of the cave.

The flying sword was like a venomous dragon emerging from its cave, emitting a sharp whistling sound, pointing directly at a hidden space behind, protected by layers of restrictions, where Lin Suyun was hiding.

"Lu Cheng, I have risked my life with you, and you are forcing me to this point today?" Minghe Daojun was furious upon seeing this. He violently waved his sleeve, and the black jade lotus platform in the cold pool instantly bloomed with billions of black rays of light. The Nine Netherworld evil energy that had been accumulated in the cave for ten thousand years (this cave originally connected with the Netherworld, otherwise Minghe would not have chosen this place as his cave) seemed to have found a source of release and surged wildly into his body.

Daoist Minghe's robes fluttered without wind, and a monstrous aura, far more ferocious and profound than when he fought the Demon Saint in the Western Extremity, suddenly erupted.

Minghe Daojun did not attack Youming Daoren, but with just one glance, a powerful force almost knocked Youming Daoren down and smashed him into the stone wall.

"Nine Netherworlds return to the void, myriad evil spirits become soldiers! Hurry, hurry, as the law commands!" Daoist Minghe formed a hand seal and pressed forward.

The cave roared, and the black jade lotus platform that held the key to the entire cave's celestial energy instantly disintegrated, transforming into countless black torrents flowing with an aura of destruction.

The surging torrent instantly coalesced into nine towering, armored demon gods.

Each of them was entwined with nine black dragons and wielded ferocious weapons such as giant axes, demon halberds, and soul-destroying bells, forming an incomparably profound "Nine Netherworld Profound Fiend Corpse Demon Formation." Daoist Minghe was well aware of the methods of the sect leader in front of him, so when he did make a move, he went all out.

Within the Nine Netherworld Profound Fiend Corpse Demon Formation, space solidified like an iron plate, the flow of time became incredibly sluggish, and endless Nine Netherworld Demonic Sounds, Bone-Corroding and Soul-Destroying Poisonous Mist, and the Heart-Eating Curse of Ten Thousand Ghosts erupted simultaneously.

"Buzz!"

However, a figure appeared without warning at the core of the formation, in the center of the nine Xuanjia Demon Gods arrayed together.

Silent and still, without a ripple, as if he had always been there.

The newcomer, dressed in a simple white Taoist robe, stood tall and straight like a lone pine tree on a solitary peak; it was Lu Cheng. He did not look at the nine demon gods who were roaring and wielding world-destroying weapons. His gaze calmly pierced through the chaotic evil energy and spatial rifts, landing on the face of Daoist Minghe, whose expression had drastically changed.

"Senior brother, stop." Lu Cheng's voice was not loud, but it clearly suppressed all the demonic sounds and ghostly howls within the great formation, carrying an undeniable penetrating power.

"Is it worth it to ruin the sect's eternal laws and destroy the foundation of your cultivation built up over ten thousand years for the sake of one person's personal feelings?"

"Lu Cheng, what do you know!" At this moment, Daoist Minghe's eyes were bloodshot, and his voice was hoarse as if sandpaper was being rubbed together.

"Her... her features are so much like Aheng's. Back when I had nothing, she abandoned her family to travel the world with me. In life-or-death battles, she always let me go first. The first immortal robe I wore was woven by her, but she never liked immortal weaving... If I hadn't gone into seclusion to break through my bottleneck, Aheng wouldn't have died at the hands of her enemies while protecting my cave. Her soul was scattered, and she couldn't even enter the cycle of reincarnation. Suyun... perhaps it's a wisp of Suyun Aheng's remnant soul. You can't touch her, I absolutely won't allow you to touch her!" Daoist Minghe's eyes were bloodshot, and his hand seals changed again. The Xuan Yin Demon-Controlling Corpse-Suppressing Rope slashed through the air, and the nine Xuanjia Demon Gods simultaneously let out a roar that shattered their souls. The nine ferocious weapons, carrying the power of the entire Nine Netherworld Cave Heaven, tore through the solidified space and crashed into Lu Cheng in the formation from nine mysterious and unpredictable blind spots.

This is a desperate attack, a life-or-death struggle that exhausts the power of Minghe Daojun and the origin of the cave!
Faced with this deadly attack that could instantly annihilate an ordinary Mahayana cultivator, Lu Cheng simply raised his left hand.

There were no earth-shattering fluctuations of magical power, no profound and complex hand seals. He simply spread his five fingers and pressed them lightly against the oncoming torrent of destruction.

"break."

The power of the Twenty-Four Heavens is activated. When this power is activated, three flowers cover the top of the head and five-colored rays of light appear. Therefore, even immortals cannot see it clearly or respond to it. With one sweep, all phenomena are destroyed!

Time lost its meaning at this moment.

Space, in that instant, solidified into amber.

The nine roaring demon gods, the ferocious weapons that tore everything apart, the churning inky sea of ​​evil, the shrill demonic chants and spells... even the ferocious, desperate, and furious expression on Daoist Minghe's face... all of it was completely frozen under Lu Cheng's casual press.

In the frozen scene, only Lu Cheng's figure remained unaffected. He took a step forward, passing over the nine frozen demon gods, ignoring the distance in space, and appeared before Minghe Daojun, whose body was stiff and whose eyes were filled with only horror and death. A slender palm lightly pressed down on Minghe Daojun's chest.

If he wanted to, Lu Cheng's palm strike could have directly pressed Minghe Daojun's head into his chest.

And even until his death, he only knew that he was deeply attached to people, but he did not know what kind of method it was, and he could not see clearly.

However, since they were fellow disciples from the same sect, there was no earth-shattering clash. The boiling, burning Netherworld aura surrounding Daoist Minghe dissipated silently, like ice and snow meeting the blazing sun. His Dao foundation, which he had forcibly accelerated and was on the verge of collapse, was gently smoothed out as if by an invisible hand. The backlash from burning the origin of his cave was forcefully suppressed, guided, and subsided by a vast and unstoppable yet balanced and peaceful magical power.

The raging, explosive magical power within Minghe Daojun instantly became as gentle as a stream.

Indeed, one force can overcome all methods!

That seemingly frozen time ended in the next moment.

"Pfft!" Daojun Minghe suddenly spat out a mouthful of dark, ink-like primordial blood essence containing a strong baleful aura. His aura rapidly weakened like a punctured balloon, and his face turned ashen.

His body fell backward onto the stone wall, and then his gaze was fixed on Lu Cheng Daoist who was close at hand. The emotions in his eyes were extremely complicated: anger, resentment, despair, disbelief, and finally turned into a bottomless dead silence and bewilderment.

He had been defeated, defeated so thoroughly, so... easily. The sect leader hadn't even truly attacked him; he had merely "froze" his desperate strike and "soothed" the backlash.

The gap is not something that can be bridged by supernatural powers or magical treasures, nor can it be narrowed by a desperate will; it is a world of difference in realm and cultivation.

In contrast, Lu Cheng saw no triumphant joy, only a profound calm and deep sorrow.

“It’s locked,” Lu Cheng said.

Shi Sheng, who had been in shock behind him, reacted instantly. A spirit-sealing iron chain, like a living snake, carrying a chilling aura, wrapped around Minghe Daojun's neck, arms, and waist with a "whoosh," binding him tightly.

Countless intricate and mysterious runes lit up on the chains, sealing his immense magical power and divine consciousness.

"Imprison him in the Boundless Prison for ten thousand years, to be carried out immediately." Lu Cheng withdrew his hand, his tone calm and indifferent. His gaze swept over the devastated and severely damaged Nine Netherworld Cave Heaven, then looked at the slightly hunched figure of Daoist Minghe, bound by the Spirit Sealing Lock, and finally settled on the area deep within the cave heaven protected by numerous restrictions—the villa where Lin Suyun was hiding.

There, an extremely subtle spatial fluctuation, almost integrated with the evil energy of the Nine Netherworlds, had just completed an ultra-long-distance teleportation, and the ripples in the void were slowly subsiding.

By not intervening, Lu Cheng's final act of gratitude was for Minghe Daojun's unwavering loyalty in following him through countless battles and achieving numerous merits.

"Master, your disciple is incompetent. That sinner escaped. There is a long-distance teleportation array in the villa." The Netherworld Daoist turned back, his voice filled with resentment and helplessness.

As expected, Lord Minghe had a backup plan; even at the risk of being captured himself, he was determined to send Lin Suyun away.

"Alright, one Mahayana Dao Lord is enough to give the Liu family of 137 people an explanation. Let's go."

However, at this moment.

As everyone was about to leave, Lu Cheng suddenly turned back, a look of surprise appearing on his face for the first time.

Bang.

The heavy gates of the villa were violently smashed open from the inside.

Then, a figure stumbled out.

She was a female cultivator dressed in a magnificent Taoist robe, her cheeks covered in dust and tear stains, her hair disheveled, and her long, flowing black hair cascading down, obscuring most of her face.

She had just finished two long-distance teleportations, her consciousness was scattered, her magic power was weak, and she staggered. She even tripped over the threshold and almost fell.

She didn't look at the Netherworld Daoist, nor at her master, Minghe Daojun, who was bound by the Spirit Sealing Lock. Her once bright and sparkling eyes, now empty and unfocused, were fixed on Lu Cheng, who stood with his hands behind his back.

Step by step, she dragged her unsteady body forward through the deathly silent cave. Her shoes creaked softly and harshly on the frosty ground. Each step seemed to drain all her strength.

Finally, the female cultivator walked to within ten feet of Lu Cheng, then collapsed to her knees, unable to support herself any longer.

Her disheveled hair slipped down, revealing a face that was so pale it was devoid of any color, yet still revealed a hint of stunning beauty.

Her gaze finally left Lu Cheng's face, and she looked deeply, with lingering affection and deep sorrow, at Minghe Daojun, who was bound by chains and looked ashen-faced.

"Suyun, why are you back? Suyun, why have you come back?"

"...I was spoiled rotten by my master. I can't stand being away from you for even a moment. Rather than losing your protection and fighting for food like wild dogs, I would rather die by your side."

Then, she abruptly turned around and stared intently at Lu Cheng again, her eyes showing no fear whatsoever.
"Sect Leader, in my pursuit of advancement, I cultivated demonic arts without my master's knowledge... Now that this has come to light, I must take responsibility for my actions. Please do not implicate my master any further."

Before she finished speaking, Lin Suyun suddenly pulled out her left hand, which she had been tightly clenching in her right sleeve. A condensed sword light, without the slightest hesitation or delay, slashed fiercely towards her snow-white, smooth neck.

Blood spurted out.

Blood instantly spread from the wound on her slender neck, quickly staining her plain clothes. The madness, pain, and despair in her eyes receded like the tide, leaving only an almost empty calm.

She glanced one last time at Minghe Daojun, who was screaming and struggling like a madman. The corners of her lips seemed to twitch upwards with extreme subtlety and difficulty, as if she were trying to force a smile, but ultimately it failed to materialize.
"I want to be your wife and stay by your side for the rest of my life, even if I am just that person's shadow or a substitute. I don't care... But I am too poor in aptitude and lack comprehension. If I don't cultivate the demonic path, I will not be able to improve and will never be able to refine my primordial spirit to stay by your side forever."

…It's better this way; at least I can stay by your side forever.

A chilling wind swept through, passing over the woman lying dead on the ground, and also over the sorrowful and desperate Taoist priest, swirling and circling around her.

(End of this chapter)