Chapter 53: The Netherworld Barrier

Traitors are always more detestable than enemies, and a dagger struck from behind is always more dangerous than a direct clash in battle.

In retrospect, that Taoist who set up the altar from the very beginning was far too suspicious. No one seeking death would choose such a suicidal method. It was a sure path to either having one’s soul scattered or being condemned to eternal hell with no hope of redemption. Liao Chen sighed to himself, lamenting how he had let his guard down and fallen for such a simple ruse. To have mistaken that Taoist for a fellow practitioner—it was truly infuriating.

As Liao Chen’s voice faded, a middle-aged man dressed as a Taoist priest indeed emerged from the darkness. Yun Hua recognized him instantly; wasn't he the Maoshan Taoist who had been raising ghosts in the small courtyard? Yun Hua felt his eyes burning with rage—they had actually been played by this charlatan!

"Fu Sheng Wuliang Tianzun," the middle-aged Taoist greeted Liao Chen with a bow, performing the ritual with practiced ease, yet showing not a trace of shame.

"Fellow practitioner, you hail from a prestigious sect. Are you not afraid of disgracing your mountain gate and being expelled?" Liao Chen asked coldly. If this truly involved Maoshan, he would not hesitate to storm their mountain to demand an explanation. The Taoist path has its rules, and those who break them must answer for their actions.

"This humble priest is devoid of virtue and dare not stain the reputation of my sect; I am but an outcast of the mountain gate now. Everything I have done has no connection to my former masters. I hope the Daoist Master will see the truth." The middle-aged Taoist clearly did not wish to implicate his sect and was eager to distance himself. Whether Liao Chen believed him or not was beyond his control, though after today’s events, he imagined the elders of his sect would have their own excuses ready.

Liao Chen did not care whether the man was truly an outcast. His concern was why this Taoist had colluded with the Mother of Nine Ghost Children. However, this was clearly not the place for such discussions. Even if he asked, would he believe the answer? Liao Chen stopped looking at the Taoist, satisfied simply to know his origins. He turned his gaze back to the Mother of Nine Ghost Children and said, "Since you have no intention of making things difficult for me, could you withdraw this Nether Barrier? A place so heavy with yin energy is better left hidden from the mortal realm. Seeking enlightenment is not something I can grant you. The Way of Heaven observes all, and every cause has its effect. I shall speak with Xuan Xuzi about this in due time. When your merits are complete, a guide will naturally come for you. Your path to enlightenment does not lie with me."

"Then dare I ask, Master, where does this woman’s path to enlightenment lie?" Clearly, the Mother of Nine Ghost Children knew she had deeply offended Liao Chen and that he would not grant her a direct outcome. She settled for the next best thing: a promise that someone would eventually come to guide her.

"Do you truly wish to know?" Liao Chen asked with a smile. The Mother of Nine Ghost Children was confused at first, but her expression shifted in an instant. Once one reaches the level of cultivation shared by Liao Chen and herself, one can generally perceive the workings of the Heavenly Will. Unless blinded by greed, one has an inkling of their own future. As soon as Liao Chen posed the question, she understood. Heavenly secrets cannot be leaked; to do so invites disaster. Whether it was Liao Chen speaking or her asking, it would only add endless variables—a result she did not desire.

"Can you open the barrier now, Mother? A place where yin energy gathers like this is no place to entertain guests," Liao Chen said, holding his peach-wood sword. The Mother of Nine Ghost Children had yet to release the barrier, and her true intentions remained unknown. Liao Chen was not naive enough to believe she had turned from enemy to friend over a few words. His Golden Core began to spin slowly within him, surging spiritual energy flowing from his dantian through his meridians. If things went south, he was ready to fight. Whether he would win or lose was another matter.

"Does the Mother truly believe I am powerless against this mere Nether Barrier?" Liao Chen laughed.

"I do not doubt the power of your Golden Core, Master. But this Nether Barrier is formed by the convergence of hellish yin energy and the forces of yin and yang; I only managed to set it up by borrowing the power of heaven and earth. It was only with the help of this Maoshan brother that I could trap you at all. As for opening it, I simply lack the power to do so." The Mother of Nine Ghost Children knew she would get nothing today and abandoned all hope of mercy. She decided to be difficult, venting the malice in her heart. After all, her reputation as the Mother of Nine Ghost Children made her an overlord in the nether regions; to be treated this way after asking politely was an insult she could not swallow.

"Then watch closely, Mother. If I hear of any further evil deeds from you after today, see if I still have the mercy to spare you." With that, Liao Chen ceased relying on talismans. He focused entirely on his sword technique, pouring his surging spiritual energy into the peach-wood sword. The violet lightning that had been dancing across the blade subsided, replaced by a brilliant golden radiance. The founder of the Xuanguang Temple, Lu Chunyang, was a celestial being of the sword; as his successor, it was impossible for Liao Chen not to have mastered the arts of the Sword Immortal. He had simply lacked the opportunity to display them, as talismans and thunder magic were usually more efficient.

"Open!" Liao Chen roared, swinging his sword. A golden sword aura erupted into the sky, transforming into a crescent of light that struck the barrier. This time, there was no thunderous boom; instead, there was a sound like tearing fabric. With a single strike, Liao Chen shattered the barrier.

"Go!" Liao Chen grabbed the still-stunned Yun Hua and Yun Lingzi, flickering instantly outside the barrier. The moonlight was like water. Standing in the air, Liao Chen looked back at the area, which spanned several miles and was now cloaked in shadow. The moonlight seemed to recoil from the darkness, which swallowed all light like a slumbering beast waiting to devour its prey.

"Oh no," Liao Chen muttered, startling his disciples and the fox. Before they could react, he had already transported them to a small hill several hundred meters away.

"Master, the yin energy is leaking out!" Yun Hua looked in the direction of Liao Chen’s gaze and gasped, quickly covering his mouth.

"So that’s it! No wonder she wouldn't withdraw the barrier herself and forced me to break it. She had this planned all along!" Liao Chen sighed. "The ancients were right—there is no heart more poisonous than a woman's." Especially a being like the Mother of Nine Ghost Children. Even as she left, she tried to sabotage him. Just because he refused her request, she turned on him so viciously. Did she truly abandon her quest for enlightenment, or did she believe that without him, she could find someone else to help her attain godhood?

Liao Chen first thought of Xuan Xuzi, but immediately shook his head. If that old fox had wanted to help, he would have done so already; it was impossible to tell if he was friend or foe. Regardless, the leakage of yin energy was linked to him, and he had to stop it. The yin energy of the Nine Netherworlds was not the common yin-yang current of the mortal world; it was toxic to all living things. As the barrier dissipated, the yin energy spread, and the wild grass in the valley withered and turned to ash before their eyes. This was the lethality of the nether energy. If left unchecked, the surrounding dozens of miles would become a dead zone, uninhabitable for years to come.