Chapter 461: God’s will

When Yang Qi begins to manifest, the Yellow Springs, all things subtly stir but are not yet distinct. Down to the Yellow Springs, one cannot dig into the earth or bore wells. All things are hidden away, and hibernating insects burrow into their holes.

Below the Yellow Springs, all things are red.

Red signifies the vigorous Yang Qi, which is the ultimate Yin of extreme Yang.

Hidden springs continuously emerge, gushing and trickling.

The deep abyss is a circular pool, vast and profoundly dark.

It revolves and circulates, giving birth to all things.

The Yellow Springs is where all things change their positions; the Yin and Yang Qi have not yet separated but still depend on each other. The harmonizing Qi in the Yellow Springs refers to the Yang Qi moving and nurturing all things beneath the Yellow Springs.

Therefore, Yang Qi is sown in the Yellow Springs, germinating all things, serving as the origin of the six Qi. It is named after the Yellow color of the Origin Qi Law.

The Yellow Springs is the source that nurtures all life, a place of extreme Yin and extreme Yang, the origin of the six Qi.

The six Qi are the six Qi of Heaven: Yin, Yang, Wind, Rain, Gloom, and Light.

In the past, the Heaven-Devouring Demon Lord had six demon kings under his command who achieved Dao by using these Qi as their Dao foundations. Now that I think about it, it was probably the Heaven-Devouring Demon Lord who brought them the water of the Yellow Springs, allowing them to achieve Dao through the filthy and evil aspects of these Auras.

Furthermore, the Yellow Springs is also the source of life, the beginning of Reincarnation. When the Spirit Soul of the deceased crosses the Yellow Springs, it returns to the Origin Qi of heaven and earth, is crushed into a mass, transforms into complete Chaos, and then mixes together with other Origin Qi to be reborn.

In other words, in the usual sense, when you die, you are dead. The thing that is reborn will absolutely not be you, but a brand new existence, both in a material and spiritual sense.

This is what is meant by ‘Reincarnation’.

However, if you have a clear self-awareness and a Senior protects your True Spirit with great effort, you can escape the fate of being crushed by Reincarnation, maintain your complete spirit, circle within it, and directly enter a new mother's womb.

This will make you lose your past memories but allow you to retain your True Spirit.

However, you still need to face the confusion in the womb. If you cannot Awaken, later memories will overwrite earlier ones, eventually turning you completely into another person.

Such things have happened in the world; Great Powers whose Dao paths were cut off would Reincarnate and cultivate anew.

Some succeeded, like a Buddhist Great Power in ancient times who Reincarnated ten times and successfully Awakened past wisdom. He even, through a series of adventures, brought two high-ranking divine officials from the Heavenly Court and a Great Sage of the Demon Race into Buddhism, granting them Buddha positions, and himself became a Buddha, successfully re-cultivating.

But there were also cases of failure. Some Great Powers had their minds obscured by the confusion in the womb, and their past memories never Awakened. They lived their lives in a daze, truly like ordinary people. Then, when they Reincarnated again, with no one to protect them, they were crushed by Reincarnation, completely dying and having their Dao extinguished, ceasing to exist.

There was even a case where two guards under a great God in the Divine Dao were ordered to commit suicide and Reincarnate to atone for offending another great God.

This person felt ashamed and voluntarily entered Reincarnation, preparing to rejoin the great God's service after Reincarnation. However, he was ultimately trapped by the confusion in the womb and, by a strange twist of fate, cultivated to a profound level, entering the Asura path. He became even more powerful than his previous life, even becoming an Asura King. He then decisively severed his past, completely burying his former self, and chose to actively blaspheme the great God he had served in his past life.

However, he was later transformed into a man-lion by that great God and torn to shreds by sharp claws. This time, he was truly dead.

All of this is to illustrate the profundity of Reincarnation and the mystery of the Yellow Springs.

Such a mysterious thing—and then, Li Qi heard that fishing here, the fishing line would extend into the Yellow Springs…

Li Qi suddenly felt a… how should I put it, a strong sense of curiosity.

What kind of experience is fishing in the Yellow Springs?

I don't know, I want to try it.

No wonder the old man was too lazy to cast his rod before. If Li Qi had known that he could fish in the Yellow Springs in a few hours, he probably wouldn't have wanted to fish in the ordinary East Sea either.

“In that case, let’s do as you say, Senior. We’ll finish our current tasks, and then go fish a couple of rods in the Yellow Springs!” Li Qi immediately said.

“Haha, I thought you’d be scared when you heard those two words. As expected of someone who dares to make an enemy of a True Dragon. Alright, once the matter is settled, you and I will meet on the ship. I’ll teach you how to cast your hook in the Yellow Springs then!” The Shen Yijun laughed, his tone filled with admiration for Li Qi.

When he first saw Li Qi, he clearly saw the resentment of the True Dragon’s Spirit Soul entwined around him, which was why he struck up a conversation and fished with him.

Afterward, Li Qi’s rapid mastery of fishing and the temperament he displayed, he liked very much. Coupled with the fact that this young man was polite, knew when to advance and retreat, and was very intelligent, understanding things with a single hint, the Shen Yijun liked him even more.

So this time, he was truly planning to take Li Qi to fish in the Yellow Springs.

However, he had to wait until he completed his purpose for coming to the Deep Ocean this time.

As they spoke, the ship had already swiftly crossed that boundary line.

Li Qi could clearly feel a violent surge of Yin Qi rushing towards him, almost making him feel as if he had ‘collided’ with a wall of Yin Qi, causing pain all over his body.

But at this moment, he saw eight people suddenly stand up on the ship, including the Shen Yijun.

Among these eight people, there were Daoists, Martial Artists, Gods, Puppet masters from the Dao of Reason, and even a Great Yao.

After they stood up, the eight of them joined forces and suddenly erupted with an extremely powerful Aura!

Li Qi only felt a strong surge of Yang Qi approaching. He saw the Shen Yijun’s Qi and blood violently rush out of his crown!

For powerful Martial Artists, Qi and blood are like mercury. When actively released, they can even rush straight into the sky, emitting a blood Qi that rises hundreds of feet like a wolf smoke, capable of dispelling many unclean things with a single breath.

The Yin Qi was forcibly repelled, and Li Qi could even vaguely perceive a Fist Intent hidden within the blood Qi.

That was Martial Dao Divine Intent!

It was Li Qi’s first time seeing true Martial Dao Divine Intent, and he immediately focused all his attention, trying to remember every detail!

The previous Holy Flame Clan Saint King and Ga Ga, the Saint King’s Martial Artist’s heart was shattered, so there was no Martial Dao Divine Intent to speak of.

Ga Ga followed the Dao Orthodoxy of Mount Luofu. Although he cultivated Martial Dao, he did not have Martial Dao Divine Intent.

However, although he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, Li Qi had read about Martial Dao Divine Intent in books.

Martial Dao Divine Intent is the true intent condensed by a Martial Artist based on their past, present, and ideals. It essentially represents a spirit and can take on the form of a physical object, possessing characteristics of certain Laws and concepts.

This spirit is determined by the Martial Artist’s consistent performance and deepest ideals, and it can also be a Martial Artist’s most focused cultivation or combat style.

For example, those who use fists have Fist Intent, and those who use swords have Sword Intent. These are the combat styles they climb throughout their lives.

However, in addition to combat styles potentially forming Divine Intent, a Martial Artist’s own ideals and insights can also form corresponding Divine Intent.

For instance, there was a swordsman in the human Dao, elegant and unrestrained, known for killing one person in ten steps and leaving no trace for a thousand miles.

His Martial Dao Divine Intent was an incomparably sharp transparent sword. However, although his martial arts were not bad, his literary skills were truly not presentable. He was only skilled in minor arts like poetry and lyrics, and did not understand the great Dao of classics. Therefore, throughout his life, he could not enter officialdom and realize his ambitions, ultimately dying in melancholy.

So, this sword was also the manifestation of his lifelong sense of injustice. It is said that when he drew his sword, although his Qi and intent were free and easy, they were also dim and spiritless, like willow catkins falling, a sorrowful heart entrusted to the moon, as if reciting, “Always for the floating clouds that can obscure the sun, Chang'an unseen makes one sorrowful.”

There are also some foreign Martial Artists who come from a miniature heaven and earth to roam the world. Such Martial Artists, as the strongest in their clan, bear the Luck of their clan and undertake the mission of protecting their people. When their Martial Dao Divine Intent unfolds, the long river of history flows around them. When their fists strike, countless Senior illusory figures surge forth together, the entire clan’s foundation pouring out. The enemy faces not one person, but the Yao Race itself.

And at this moment, the Martial Dao Divine Intent displayed by the Shen Yijun resembled Fist Intent, but it was condensed into the shape of a lamp.

It was a golden glazed lamp that illuminated heaven and earth, suspended above him. Accompanied by his Qi and blood, it seemed to be a lighthouse guiding the hearts of lost beings. Under the outpouring of Fist Intent, all heavens were clear, without confusion!

Li Qi gazed at the lamp that illuminated heaven and earth, seemingly guiding the way for all beings, and couldn't help but feel a bit surprised.

This old man, the Shen Yijun, looked like a robust old fisherman, but after displaying his Martial Dao Divine Intent, he suddenly seemed to have many more stories.

High-grade existences must have experienced many things.

Li Qi watched as these eight people each unleashed their power, and then, each took to the sky, riding rainbows away!

Oh, the Shen Yijun old man didn't fly away; he jumped into the water and started running on the surface.

Hmm… after all, Martial Artists can’t fly for long periods.

Actually, it’s not that they can’t fly; they just need to create a miracle with great force. As long as I step on the air with enough force and my hands explode the air fast enough, I can fly.

It’s just swimming in the sea of air, nothing major, and the speed won’t be slow at all.

However, for long-distance travel, Martial Artists still prefer to run, occasionally using light body techniques or flying with Spiritual Artifacts. But truly relying on their own strength to float in mid-air is more strenuous for Martial Artists.

Those eight people quickly left the ship, and Li Qi watched their retreating figures.

A bit strange…

These people all seemed to have that pale purple mark, which means these eight people all have a True Dragon’s inner miniature heaven and earth within them, and they also need to be fed with the blood of various demon dragons or sub-species of Dragons.

Damn it… a Dragon Slaying Squad? Is it that cool?

This many people voluntarily came to the Deep Ocean, they wouldn’t slay another Dragon, would they?

Li Qi dared not think further.

But immediately, he felt some difficulty breathing, which brought him back from his wild thoughts.

After these few people left, the Yin Qi completely enveloped the sky and wrapped the ship.

Such dense Yin Qi had completely broken the Yin and Yang balance, turning this place into an incomprehensible ghost realm. The water surface was dark and terrifying, crashing with a fearful momentum, like a perilous path.

However, this situation did not last too long. After only a few minutes, the entire ship continued to sail, but the path ahead was pitch black; nothing could be seen.

Li Qi saw someone come to the bow of the ship, pick up a large hammer, and strike the stone drum at the bow.

Only a huge sound was heard, and the surrounding darkness began to ripple, accompanied by countless wails!

At this moment, the surrounding Yin Qi dispersed, revealing the many evil spirits hidden within!

There were ferocious ox-headed demons, snake-god idols, Demonic Overlords reaching out to disembowel themselves, with mouths and feet holding human bodies, necks adorned with skull beads, and waists wrapped in skull belts, devouring flesh and blood, looking extremely terrifying.

Numerous evil spirits and demon ghosts, adorned with vibrant colors, gloomy and dripping, were carrying out executions. Countless Spirit Souls and human bodies were impaled on iron pillars. The iron pillars were everywhere, like live fish in a boiling oil pot, with no place to hide from the suffering. There were countless iron-beaked birds, flying back and forth, pecking at human flesh!

Unbeknownst to them, the treasure ship was already surrounded by seven layers of iron cities, covered by seven layers of iron nets above. Furthermore, iron blades formed a dense forest, and immeasurable Hell black flames surrounded them. There were grotesque corpses dancing wildly, ghosts moving up and down, gongs and drums clamoring, and a hundred colors of demonic dew!

Those countless human corpses and beast corpses, impaled on iron pillars, with the iron pillars rising from the sea, truly made the water surface stained with blood and flesh, the sea breeze moistened with fat, a pervasive stench, and a chaotic mess across the entire sea!

The Yin wind whistled, and black mist spread, as if everyone had fallen into the Avici Hell, about to endure thousands of sufferings and ten thousand torments!

But Li Qi found that there was no fighting around. The demons tormenting the Spirit Souls seemed unable to see the ship.

This treasure ship still sailed steadily through this boundless purgatory, with screams and wails constantly coming from their ears—all the miserable cries of countless Spirit Souls undergoing torture—but it seemed to have no effect on the treasure ship at all.

The treasure ship’s speed slowed down, moving sluggishly through this boundless sea of Hell, gradually approaching the shore.

Yellow Springs…

Li Qi finally understood what it meant to cast a hook in the Yellow Springs.

This was the Ghost Gate of the present world, one of the entrances to Reincarnation, and he could even see the actual Yellow Springs.

However, as they moved further, the black seawater around them gradually turned yellow.

The Yellow Springs is called the Yellow Springs because it is indeed yellow.

Then, above the Yellow Springs, a continent appeared, spanning several thousand miles.

However, from the perspective of the world, this could only be considered an island.

This was… Mount Dushuo. This mountain grew from the bottom of the sea, and even the mountain peaks exposed above the water were seven to eight thousand li in circumference. In an ordinary miniature heaven and earth, this would be enough to be called the size of a country.

Li Qi could see a giant peach tree growing on the summit of this mountain, which was the enormous tree he had seen earlier with his own eyes.

The great peach tree of Mount Dushuo.

In the vast ocean, there is Mount Dushuo, and on it stands a great peach tree, coiling for three thousand li. Between its branches, to the northeast, is the Ghost Gate, where all ghosts enter and exit. On the peach tree, there is a golden rooster, and below it are two gods, one named Yu and the other Lei, both holding reed ropes, feeding inauspicious ghosts.

At this moment, the person who had just struck the stone drum and dispelled the Yin Qi shouted loudly from the bow: “Everyone prepare! We are about to dock. The ship will stop here for twenty days! During these twenty days, no ghosts will dare approach, and Yin Qi cannot disturb us. There are people living at the foot of Mount Dushuo; you may trade with them, but ghosts are fond of deception, so caution is advised!”

After speaking, he said nothing more and left the bow.

The ship fully docked, with no pier whatsoever; it simply crashed into the shore.

Li Qi immediately disembarked.

His curiosity could no longer be contained!

His condition was severely bad; he felt like his lungs were split in half. If he didn't recover soon, he would have no choice but to jump.