Born as an ant, I was summoned to ascend to immortality.

Chapter 68 Netherworld Pass

As dawn breaks, the shadows of bamboo slant across the sky.

As Zhou Li emerged from his cave, the snow rushed towards him; it had snowed that very night.

"Time flies in spiritual practice; before I knew it, I had been in the sect for half a year."

Despite cultivating all night, Zhou Li felt no fatigue whatsoever. A smiling Taoist priest appeared in his mind, but with a snobbish face, which made him chuckle.

"I'm searching for the Yin Five Elements, and it seems I'll most likely end up with this person."

Inside Zongde Hall, the lingering echo of the morning bell had not yet completely dissipated. Zhou Li sat quietly in a corner, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the table, the teapot on the table rising and falling with his fingers.

After reaching the minor stage of Qi Refining, one can already perform simple object manipulation, but to fly on a sword, one must first establish a foundation.

After gaining a preliminary understanding of the mysteries of Yin and Yang, Zhou Li felt that his knowledge of Yin and the Five Elements was still superficial and that he urgently needed the guidance of the orthodox teachings of the Xuanmen sect. The sect's scriptures and treasures were vast and might contain methods related to Yin and the Five Elements.

"Junior Brother Zhou, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting!" A slightly slick voice broke the silence.

A man dressed in a slightly worn inner disciple's robe walked briskly toward Zhou Li. Upon closer inspection, it was none other than "Wu Liang, the know-it-all".

His eyes and brows gleamed with shrewdness as he chuckled and said, "The recent anchorage of the Sky Patrol Ship kept me incredibly busy!"

Wu Liang sat down as if they were old friends, poured himself a cup of spiritual tea, took a sip, and exclaimed, "Good tea! Junior brother always has good stuff here."

Zhou Li smiled slightly: "This tea is the Hundred-Beak Fragrance Tea of ​​Shannan Pavilion. There is only one pot, and it will be gone once it's finished."

"A hundred-beaked fragrant tea!" Wu Liang's eyes lit up. He raised the teacup and took a gentle sniff. "Indeed, the tea is incredibly fragrant. This is a rare find. I heard that my junior brother won first place in the Treasure Appraisal Competition and was promoted from Foundation Establishment to Demon Fighting Platform some time ago. He really did have a remarkable encounter."

Zhou Li did not respond to his question about the Sky Patrol Ship, but cupped his hands and said, "Senior Brother Wu is well-informed. I'm just offering this cup of spiritual tea to express my gratitude. If you have any advice for me, I would appreciate it."

"Junior brother, please don't be so polite. I'll definitely help you out today," Wu Liang said in a low voice. "But what is it you wish to inquire about today?"

"I am seeking a Yin-attribute supernatural power; I wonder if any sect possesses any esoteric texts related to this path?"

"Yin-attribute supernatural powers?" Wu Liang's eyes twitched. "Junior brother, don't scare me. Most of these Yin-attribute supernatural powers have the word 'Netherworld' in them. They are extremely rare in the orthodox methods of the Xuanmen. Practicing them for a long time can easily affect one's mind. They should not be touched lightly."

Zhou Li nodded: "No problem, Junior Brother is already aware of the risks involved. Do you have any recommendations in this Scripture Pavilion?"

Wu Liang shook his head: "To be honest, junior brother, most of the scriptures in the Treasure Pavilion are also vague. These kinds of books cannot be obtained openly within the sect."

"We can't get it openly?" Zhou Li understood Wu Liang's implication. "Does Senior Brother mean there's another way?"

"Junior brother, please don't tease me," Wu Liang hurriedly waved his hand, "How would a mere Qi Refining disciple like me know these things..."

Zhou Li remained silent, simply watching him quietly.

Wu Liang felt uneasy under Zhou Li's gaze and said with a wry smile, "It's true that it's not in the Scripture Pavilion, but there's definitely a place within the sect where it can be found!"

"where?"

"The Situ family, Youming Pass!" Wu Liang leaned closer. "The Situ family has been guarding Youming Pass for many years, dealing with the Yin energy of Youming Pass for generations. Their family's 'Midnight Eclipse Heavenly Technique' is said to have been deciphered from an ancient 'Yin-Yang Scroll,' which allows them to absorb the mysterious Yin energy for their own use."

"The Qi of Profound Yin?" Zhou Li's expression remained unchanged, but a thought stirred in his heart.

"When it comes to understanding the profound Yin energy, no one in the sect surpasses the Situ family. If you wish to obtain the true method, Junior Brother, the Situ family is an unavoidable obstacle. Moreover..." Wu Liang winked, lowering his voice even further, "I heard that the young lady of the Situ family holds you in high regard. Isn't this a ready-made opportunity?"

"Situ Jiayao..." A lively girl with copper bells around her feet appeared in Zhou Li's mind. She was Situ Yangyang, whom he had met once at the Dharma Assembly and who had jokingly said she wanted to become his disciple.

After the Dharma assembly that day, Situ Yangyang sent him a message inviting him to visit the Situ family, but he had been too busy studying formations with his senior sister to attend to it.

Situ Yangyang has a lively personality, but a pure and kind heart. If they want to obtain the true method, using her as a guide is indeed the most likely entry point for the Situ family.

Thinking of this, Zhou Li stood up and cupped his hands to Wu Liang, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother. If this matter succeeds, I will never forget your kindness."

Wu Liang smiled and waved his hand, "No problem, no problem. Junior brother has a bright future ahead of him. Please take care of your senior brother in the future."

…………

Every sip and every bite has its own destiny; where spiritual veins converge, there must also be places where yin energy gathers. And the Netherworld Pass is precisely the place where yin energy gathers among the twelve main peaks of the three great grotto-heavens of the Changtian Sect.

Youming Pass is located in the southern region of Changtian Sect. It is shrouded in a thin layer of mist all year round. Unlike the beautiful mountains and rivers of the sect's peaks, this place is surrounded by mountains on three sides and has strange rocks.

Three mysterious peaks stand tall like three sharp swords, locking away the dark clouds in the valley. Six black streams cascade down from the foot of the peaks, their mist as dark as ink, creating the famous landscape of "Three Peaks Locking the Darkness, Six Rivers Gathering in the Underworld".

Zhou Li rode in a fiery cloud sedan chair through layers of dark mist, and what came into view was a river stretching across the sky.

This river is not made of water, but rather it is formed by the convergence of extremely dense yin energy. Its color is dark, yet it has a faint blue glow, like a galaxy in the sky.

This is the "Yin Vein" of the Changtian Sect. The profound Yin energy from a radius of millions of miles and even a wider area is attracted by this landform structure, gathers here, and manifests in the sky.

At the center of the Yin Vein, there is a huge Netherworld Rift that seems to lead to the Nine Netherworlds. Its width is unknown and its depth is unfathomable. Gusts of Yin wind stir up the surrounding clouds, causing them to surge endlessly. This is the forbidden area of ​​the Changtian Sect, the "Netherworld Pass".

Nestled within a valley surrounded by three mysterious peaks, nestled against a vast Yin vein, lies a cluster of buildings of varying heights—the residence of the Situ family. From afar, it resembles an unbreakable reef on the coast, firmly guarding the Netherworld Pass.

The snow intensified, and a mountain wind swept through. Even though the fiery cloud sedan chair was warm and cozy, Zhou Li couldn't help but shiver.

He drove his sedan chair to the valley entrance, announced his purpose, and soon a beautiful purple figure emerged from the valley like a fluttering butterfly.

"Senior Brother Zhou, it really is you!" Situ Yangyang jumped up to Zhou Li, her face beaming with undisguised joy. "I thought you'd forgotten about me!"

Today she wore a short purple gauze dress, the silver hairpin in her hair making her skin appear porcelain white. She was still barefoot, and the copper bells on her ankles jingled, adding a touch of life to the gloomy environment.

Zhou Li greeted her with a smile: "Junior Sister Situ is too kind. I apologize for my unauthorized visit today."

"What are you saying?" Situ Yangyang waved her hand with a smile. "You can just call me Yangyang, senior brother. Come, come, come with your junior sister into the valley to warm up."

After saying that, he grabbed Zhou Li's sleeve and walked into the valley, tiptoeing and splashing snow.