The Legend of the Netherworld

Chapter 164 The Netherworld Appears!

Lin Xiao walked to the front of Wangyou Valley again, stood between the two cliffs, and looked at the place where he had fought fiercely with the Shadow Monkey King.

As time goes by, this place has changed a lot.

The once smooth road was now overgrown with weeds, leaving only a narrow path. The air was filled with the scent of green grass and a hazy mist.

He didn't linger for long, walking straight into the valley. The plaque that once stood at the entrance to the valley, which read "Forget Worry Valley," had long since turned to dust, and as the wind blew, it seemed as if all memories had vanished with it.

Looking around, the valley was silent, with overgrown weeds and a messy appearance. It was obvious that after being thoroughly cleaned by the Sweeping Monk, this place was no longer a habitat for monsters.

Lin Xiao walked along the path through the valley. There was no trace of any monsters around. Even the crows that once lived here no longer flew, as if all life had been swallowed up by the silence of this land.

He continued to go deeper until he could no longer see the demonic beast. All of this made him feel oppressive and uneasy. It seemed as if everything was changing silently.

The search was fruitless, so he stopped hesitating and decided to head towards Thunder Plain, hoping to discover something along the way, especially the figure of the Thunder Tiger King.

A deathly silence reigned around Thunder Plain, as if it were cut off from the world. Lin Xiao felt a deep sense of fear and loneliness as he walked through this ancient forest. Not even a single demonic beast had appeared here, as if time had stood still.

The scene of Thunder Plain is even more desolate than that of Forget-Your-Troubles Valley. The land that was once full of vitality has long since turned into a barren yellow sand.

There was no sign of life. The scattered tiger demon bones drifted in the wind, and the cold wind blew through, making sounds like the sobbing of ghosts. Lin Xiao stood there, looking around vigilantly, sensing an inexplicable sense of oppression.

He found no trace of the Thunder Tiger King, so he began to search randomly in various places in the core layer.

He passed through Huashichuan, Hongling Township, Gukoutan, Chongya Lake and other places that were once the habitats of monsters, and he carefully inspected each place.

However, apart from a few cultivators of the Dingmao and Jiayin realms who occasionally appeared, there were almost no traces of any demonic beasts. At this moment, a sense of uneasiness welled up in Lin Xiao's heart.

Most of these cultivators are disciples of Feng Shui Academy. Most of them enter the core layer out of curiosity. Under the control of Shadow Monkey King and Thunder Tiger King, only cultivators with strength reaching the ninth level can easily enter the core area.

Now, Lin Xiao, as a guard, escorted several disciples who had just entered the Dingmao Realm and Jiayin Realm to prevent them from encountering any accidents in this uninhabited area.

Soon after, Lin Xiao learned that the Feng Shui Academy's disciples were exploring the core more frequently. He realized that the deterrent power of the Shadow Monkey King and the Thunder Tiger King had weakened, and the blockade of the core area had become increasingly loose. So, he decided to explore deeper.

In the next month, Lin Xiao almost traveled through the entire core layer.

Whenever he felt hungry, he would go to the middle level of the ancient forest to kill monsters to maintain his physical strength and energy.

However, he still couldn't find any clues about the Thunder Tiger King, which made him start to wonder whether this powerful demon king had disappeared or been hidden.

He remembered the map he and Lin Jiao had discovered together, and an idea came to his mind: "Since there is no trace of the Thunder Tiger King, why not look for clues about the 'Netherworld' first." He had learned some information about this clue from Haotian Tianniu. Now it seems that maybe it is time to pursue it.

Lin Xiao no longer hesitated and headed towards the Ginkgo Sea. This ginkgo forest was where he and Lin Jiao had discussed the location of the map. He clearly remembered that the clues on the map had led him here.

When he landed in the center of the ginkgo forest, he found a small two-story bamboo building. Lin Xiao was about to knock on the door to explain his intentions when a sound from inside suddenly stopped him.

The wooden door suddenly opened, and Haotian Tianniu was sitting inside, quietly fiddling with tea. Lin Xiao was stunned for a moment, then smiled and thought to himself, "It seems that Haotian Tianniu has been waiting for a long time."

He walked forward, opened the door, and was greeted by the familiar smiling face.

"Young man, please come in and have a chat!" When Haotian Tianniu saw Lin Xiao walking to the door, the corners of his mouth rose slightly, his voice was low and magnetic, with a hint of comfort and confidence.

Lin Xiao bowed politely, then sat down at the table. Just as he was about to speak, Haotian Tianniu waved his hand, and a fragrant teacup was slowly brought to him.

"Please!" Haotian Tianniu said softly, with a scrutinizing look in his eyes.

Lin Xiao took the teacup, gently raised it to his nose, and sniffed it carefully. The fragrance of tea was refreshing and natural.

He smiled slightly and praised, "Good tea." After that, he drank it all without hesitation. The tea bloomed on the tip of his tongue, bringing a hint of sweetness and warming his throat.

Haotian Tianniu looked at Lin Xiao drinking tea with a slight curl of his lips, savoring his tea leisurely and contentedly, and asked, "Aren't you worried that I might poison you?"

Lin Xiao savored the sweetness of the tea and replied calmly, "I'm afraid." He paused, then added with a half-smile, "However, after smelling the fragrance of this tea, I believe someone who loves tea so much wouldn't poison their beloved tea."

I thought to myself: If I didn’t have the Snake Pill Stone transformed by the Green Water Snake Queen, I really wouldn’t dare drink this tea...

Haotian Tianniu didn't seem surprised when he heard this. He chuckled softly and continued to sip his tea, seeming to be lost in thought.

After a moment, he put down his teacup and slowly spoke, "Since you kept your promise and helped me get rid of the Shadow Monkey King, I will reveal the secret of the Netherworld to you."

When Lin Xiao heard this, his eyes fixed, and he immediately became very interested: "I hope you can explain it clearly."

Haotian Tianniu closed his eyes slightly and continued, "Actually, a hundred years ago, Forget Worry Valley didn't have its current name. Back then, it was called 'Netherworld Valley,' and it was rumored that there was an underground palace hidden within. Unfortunately, that demon monkey unexpectedly rose up and forcefully defeated the old demon king, so 'Netherworld Valley' was renamed 'Forget Worry Valley.'"

Lin Xiao's heart was shocked, and a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, but he did not interrupt him.

Haotian Tianniu continued, "According to the reports from the spies I've placed beside the Shadow Monkey King over the years, the Shadow Monkey King has never heard of the legend of this underground palace."

"What?" Lin Xiao was stunned for a moment, feeling mixed emotions.

After a difficult battle, he personally killed the Shadow Monkey King, only to receive such news. Although the demon monkey deserved death, this result made it difficult for him to calm down. Even so, he still pretended to be calm, smiled, and replied, "Thank you, Brother Niu, for telling me."

Haotian Tianniu nodded, stood up and refilled Lin Xiao's tea. His movements were gentle and graceful, as if inconsistent with the tense atmosphere just now.

Seeing this, Lin Xiao asked out of curiosity, "I wonder what the conflict is between Brother Niu and the Shadow Monkey King?"

When Haotian Tianniu heard this, his brows slightly frowned, his expression changed, and he was silent for a moment, as if he was lost in memories of the past.

He finally whispered, "It's over, it's all over. The great revenge has been taken, and the past is a thing of the past." His tone was gloomy, and it was obvious that he didn't want to talk more.

Lin Xiao understood what was going on and decided not to ask any more questions. He picked up the teacup again, took a sip, and said goodbye, "Thank you, Brother Niu, for clearing up my doubts. I'll take my leave today."

Haotian Tianniu watched Lin Xiao get up and leave, still smiling, and watched him walk out the door until the man completely disappeared from his sight.

His expression suddenly changed, his brows furrowed, and he whispered, "The person has left, you can come out now."

As soon as he finished speaking, a steady and powerful aura emerged from the side door, and the Thunder Tiger King slowly emerged from the thatched hut nearby. Its eyes gloomy as it glanced at Haotian Tianniu and asked, "Are you sure he will go find the underground palace?"

Haotian Tianniu turned around, a sly smile on his face, and said in a low and firm voice: "His temperament has determined that he will definitely go."

He paused, then said softly, "Don't worry. Although Lin Xiao is young, he is extremely curious and always acts decisively. Now that he knows about the existence of the underground palace, how could he not go and explore it?"

Thunder Tiger King frowned, clearly worried. "But he's already gone ahead. How can we possibly catch up with him?"

Haotian Tianniu gently patted Tiger King's shoulder, a hint of conspiracy flashed in his eyes: "Something is helping us slow down his pace." The corners of his mouth rose slightly, revealing a meaningful smile.

Thunder Tiger King looked at Haotian Tianniu, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, but he said nothing more. Obviously, he also knew some of the secrets.

Upon learning the truth that Wangyou Valley was actually the "Netherworld Valley," Lin Xiao set out without hesitation, secretly resolving to himself: This time, he would thoroughly search Wangyou Valley and uncover its secrets. His steps were firm and swift, a mixture of urgency and a subtle anxiety welling up within him.

However, just when he was not far from his target, suddenly, a pair of fiery red pheasants appeared before his eyes, quietly perched on the branches.

Their feathers were as bright as fire, like two burning flames, attracting Lin Xiao's attention.

Lin Xiao stopped and looked intently at the pair of pheasants.

As the distance shortened, he gradually sensed a familiar aura, a feeling that had once made him wary—the Sky Winged Divine Chicken! He couldn't help but mutter, "Could it be... them?"

He approached cautiously, already certain in his heart: these were the two Sky Winged Divine Chickens that had deceived him in the past. Lin Xiao took a deep breath, lowered his body, and approached quietly, fearing to alert the enemy.

Not far away, the female Sky Wing Divine Chicken's voice came softly, with a hint of anxiety: "Husband, it seems to have taken the bait. Should we run now?"

The male Sky Winged Divine Chicken gently flapped its wings and replied calmly, "Don't worry, listen to my command. Brother Haotian Tianniu has done us a favor. Even if it costs me my life today, I will buy him some more time."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Xiao was already close enough to activate the "Sword Control Technique", ready to strike the enemy with one blow and kill him instantly.

However, at this critical moment, the male Sky-Winged Divine Chicken suddenly gave an order: "Go!" The two Sky-Winged Divine Chickens flapped their wings violently and flew away quickly.

Lin Xiao's heart trembled, and with quick eyes and hands, his figure turned into a beam of light and instantly appeared in front of the two Sky-Winged Divine Chickens.

The figure of the powerful Lin Xiao also appeared in the air on the left and right sides, and behind him was a pitch-black dagger suspended in the air. He had a stern aura, as if he was surrounded by enemies on all sides and had nowhere to escape.

"What should I do, my husband?" The female Sky Winged Chicken flapped its wings desperately, looking for a way to escape.

"Just let it sit!" The male Tianyi Divine Chicken responded calmly, with a hint of helplessness and determination in his eyes.

The two Sky Winged Divine Chickens struggled mightily, trying to change their flight paths. However, no matter how they shifted their trajectory, Lin Xiao always appeared in front of them. As the distance between them grew closer, their movements became increasingly frantic.

Seeing this, the male Sky Wing Divine Chicken bit back at Haotian Tianniu in order to delay time. It suddenly roared angrily: "Could it be that Haotian Tianniu has revealed our whereabouts?!"

"Puff!" Before he finished speaking, Lin Xiao's sword had already cut through the air, and the sword energy was like a dragon, pointing directly at the vital points of the two Sky Winged Divine Chickens.

"Puff!" With a crisp cracking sound, the male and female Sky-Winged Divine Chickens fell to the ground and quickly crashed to the ground, their life force dissipating in an instant.

Lin Xiao frowned slightly, his eyes cold. He didn't want to waste time on these nonsense guys. He quickly put away his sword and thought to himself, "These guys are really smart."

He then used the "Dragon Wandering Across the Seas" technique and quickly headed towards the core area of ​​Wangyou Valley. His eyes were burning, but he was always alert in his heart: he knew that the real test was still to come.

Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye it was already afternoon. Lin Xiao returned to Wangyou Valley and looked around. The once mysterious forbidden land was now in ruins, overgrown with weeds and scattered with ruins, looking particularly desolate.

He remained vigilant, not missing any corner, searching carefully, trying to find clues that had been overlooked.

However, no matter how hard he explored, he still couldn't find the hidden entrance to the underground palace. Seeing that time was running out, he couldn't help but feel a little anxious, so he chose to rest for a while on a stone platform and think about the details he might have missed.

Suddenly, an idea flashed in Lin Xiao's mind, and his eyes involuntarily fell on the stone platform under his feet.

"I actually forgot about this!" He regretted it secretly, and then quickly approached the stone platform, intending to move it away.

However, no matter how hard he tried, the stone platform remained motionless.

"Since we can't move it, we might as well just break it open." Lin Xiao sneered, determined to take more direct measures.

He gathered his strength, clenched his fists, and unleashed the "Dragon Shadow Fist." Like a dragon emerging from the sea, his fists slammed into the stone platform.

"Boom!" Accompanied by a deafening explosion, the stone platform suddenly cracked. The huge vibration blew away the surrounding dust, and the air was filled with the smell of gravel and dust.

As the dust gradually settled, a dark underground palace entrance appeared in front of Lin Xiao, as if leading to an unknown abyss.