Chapter Fifty-Four: The Town of Four Directions' Curse

"It is impossible for this Yin energy to originate from the barrier. It is truly possible that this place has connected to the Nine Netherworlds," Liaochen remarked, his face ashen. It seemed the Nine-Child Ghost Mother had not lied after all; she could no longer contain the Yin energy of the barrier. The truth was that this location was likely never a place of auspicious energy to begin with. Even without the barrier drawing in the netherworld aura today, it would have erupted sooner or later. Perhaps this was the best possible timing, as there were still those present capable of managing the situation. Liaochen thought gloomily, "No wonder the Nine-Child Ghost Mother and that Maoshan Taoist were unafraid of the Heavenly Dao's judgment. As it turns out, they are not at fault, but have instead performed a merit. Yet, who did I offend to be burdened with such a massive headache?"

The Yin energy spread with deceptive speed, acting like a black hole, consuming all vitality and light. In the time it took for a single incense stick to burn, it had filled the entire valley. Like a basin overflowing with ink, it began to seep out through the gaps in the surrounding mountains. What was more terrifying was that as the Yin energy spread, it did not dissipate; instead, it continued to intensify. Liaochen’s hope that it would gradually fade was now impossible. Standing on the mountaintop, his mind raced, cycling through one array after another, only to dismiss them just as quickly. A normal leak of Yin energy would be manageable, but the aura of the Nine Netherworlds was notoriously difficult to deal with. Any living creature—be it plant, flesh, or blood—would turn to ash instantly without the protection of Taoist Pure Yang energy.

"Suppression for the time being will have to suffice; it will at least buy enough time to locate the source," Liaochen sighed. It seemed he had been saddled with this enormous trouble for no reason, and it left him in a foul mood.

To suppress a malevolent site, the Four Symbols and Four Spirits are best; the sky above the valley could be temporarily suppressed by the Central Earth Qilin. Once the source of the Yin energy was found and severed, the rest would be simple. Liaochen’s collection mostly consisted of talismans for daily use or exorcism; he truly lacked suppression talismans. After all, who goes around suppressing cursed lands for fun? He could only pull out four Pure Yang talismans and hand them to Yunhua. "I must write the Five Spirits talismans and prepare to set up an altar. Take these four Pure Yang talismans and bury them at the four peaks; they will block the spread of the Yin energy for a time."

Yunhua nodded, took the talismans, and soared into the air to find the appropriate positions for burial. Before leaving, she handed the still-terrified fox to Yunlingzi. Seeing that Yunhua had a task, Yunlingzi turned his gaze to his master, the implication clear: *Master, what shall I do?*

"Yunlingzi, as a spirit entity, you need not fear the energy of the Nine Netherworlds. Go into the valley and see if the Nine-Child Ghost Mother and that Maoshan Taoist are there. Also, check if any malevolent spirits have emerged. If you find anything, do not act rashly. Report back to me immediately," Liaochen said gravely. Since the valley had breached the Nine Netherworlds, it was likely that some nether spirits would be brought through by the Yin energy. They would surely prey on the living, so precautions had to be taken early. Yunlingzi nodded, handed the fox back to Liaochen, and transformed into a gust of ghostly wind, flying toward the valley.

Liaochen looked at the seemingly useless fox and chided, "Do not be so playful in the future; learn from your two senior sisters. Watch me draw these talismans now. One day, when you are able to take human form, you may find this useful." With that, he placed the fox on the altar he had just set up. The fox merely rolled its eyes, unsure if it had listened at all.

The Four Spirits Divine Talismans and the Central Earth Qilin talisman required the invocation of no ordinary heavenly deities. These were ancient, eternal beings, and Liaochen was not certain he could summon them. Normally, he would not attempt such high-level talismans—they were simply too difficult to complete. Now, however, Liaochen set up his altar, burned incense to pray to the Four Spirits and the Qilin, steadied his mind, discarded all stray thoughts, and poured his full focus into the cinnabar, ink, and five-colored talisman paper.

The East, associated with Jia-Yi Wood, is cyan, for the Azure Dragon suppression talisman. The South, Bing-Ding Fire, is red, for the Vermilion Bird talisman. The West, Geng-Xin Metal, is white, for the White Tiger talisman. The North, Ren-Gui Water, is black, for the Black Tortoise talisman. The center, Wu-Ji Earth, is yellow, for the Qilin talisman. Liaochen’s method was not standard; it required using his own spiritual energy as a guide and his cultivation as the foundation. He visualized the Four Symbols and the Central Earth Qilin, slowly transcribing them with his very life essence.

By the time he finished, Liaochen was nearly exhausted. He carefully wiped the sweat from his brow and looked at the five-colored talismans on the altar, feeling a sense of pride. It appeared his talisman craft had reached a new level of mastery. For Liaochen, a talisman either succeeded or it would turn to ash mid-stroke, leaving not even a scrap of paper behind. Thus, completion was synonymous with success. He carefully stamped each of the five talismans with his official seal. Once signed, the talismans began to glow with a five-colored celestial light, appearing extraordinary in the dim night.

Shortly after Liaochen finished, Yunhua returned to report. Liaochen nodded and turned his gaze toward the valley. With the Pure Yang talismans countering the nether energy, the rampant darkness in the valley had finally ceased its expansion. However, the force behind it continued to rise, and the blackness grew ever more dense.

"Why hasn't Yunlingzi come out yet?" Liaochen felt a pang of worry. He quietly performed a calculation, only to find that the heavenly secrets were obscured, impossible to discern. "Yunhua, stay here with the fox and watch the altar. I will return shortly," Liaochen instructed. The energy of the Nine Netherworlds did not have the power to cloud heavenly secrets; if they were blocked, there must be something strange within the valley—likely a powerful artifact that connected to the workings of the heavens. Liaochen knew he had to enter the valley himself.

"Oh, Yunhua, lend me your copper coins for a moment, would you?" Liaochen had always believed that once he gave something away, it belonged to the recipient. Thus, he had to ask to borrow them. Having never asked anyone for anything before, he felt quite bashful. Yunhua found this rather novel and amusing, and she quickly handed over the coins, still warm from her touch. Liaochen nodded, raised his peach-wood sword, and transformed into a streak of light, plunging into the valley.

The valley was no longer filled with the bustling noise of ghosts or the overgrown weeds of the day; it had become a place of deathly silence. Even the yellow earth and rocks underfoot had been tainted by the dense Yin energy, turning as black as ink. Protected by the Pure Yang energy within his body and a golden light shield, Liaochen clutched his crackling peach-wood sword and walked cautiously. He scanned for traces of Yunlingzi while searching for the source of the Yin energy. As he ventured deeper toward the center of the valley, the cold became stifling, as if he were submerged in freezing seawater, making it difficult to breathe and chilling him to the bone.