The tunnel shimmered with ripple-like blue light, swaying back and forth. Looking up, they realized the ceiling above was actually a layer of deep blue lake water, a water barrier so close it seemed within reach. Only then did they understand that they were now beneath the small lake. This tunnel had been hidden at its bottom. Once inside, Dongyang Bo cast aside all caution. With Qin Sang and the others in tow, he activated his movement art and sped swiftly down the passage. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on novel-fire.ɴet The tunnel was extraordinarily long. Though winding, it remained unimpeded. There were no barriers blocking their path. Dongyang Bo led them forward at high speed for a full fifteen minutes, yet they still hadn’t reached the end. Qin Sang silently calculated their orientation. Judging by the position of the lake above, they should already be deep within the mountain. But the tunnel walls glowed with strange light—clearly embedded with barriers—making it likely that the direction no longer aligned with the outer world. Otherwise, at Dongyang Bo’s speed, they could have circled the heavenly mountain countless times in that span. After nearly another quarter of an hour, the tunnel suddenly opened up. Standing at the exit, Qin Sang and the others froze in shock, eyes wide with disbelief. Even Chenyan appeared momentarily dazed. Before them stretched a massive corridor, more than ten zhang tall, with its far end engulfed in darkness. The walls, ceiling, and floor were coated in a smooth, ceramic-glaze-like layer. What left them stunned was what was painted across that glaze. There were countless terrifying evil spirits painted! Vengeful souls, skeletons, pale staring eyes, crimson tongues, gleaming white bones, mangled flesh and torn sinew... Grotesque, horrifying evil spirits filled every inch of the corridor. Any imaginable form an evil spirit might take could be found here, vividly depicted, as if they had truly been alive. They were sealed beneath the glaze, and it seemed as though they might break free at any moment to devour souls and drink blood. This was unmistakably a path of evil spirits! Were it not for the absence of the fabled Yellow Springs Road[1], they would have believed they had stepped into the underworld. A chill crawled up Qin Sang’s spine. From the moment he entered this place, he had felt a harrowing illusion, as if countless malicious eyes were fixed upon him, coveting the vitality and flesh of his body. That sensation came from the evil spirits nearby. Though sealed within the glaze and unmoving, their eyes truly seemed to follow him. And it wasn’t just Qin Sang, Qiu Mubai and the others felt the same. With thousands of ghosts seemingly locked onto them, their bodies grew stiff, as though even their primordial spirits and blood had begun to freeze. None dared make a move. Dongyang Bo pointed to the corridor of evil spirits and said to Chenyan, "The reason I went to such trouble to bring these five in, rather than having Core Formation disciples operate the five-elemental beast seal, is precisely because of this path of evil spirits. "Whether it’s due to a unique barrier here or the actual presence of sealed evil spirits, I cannot say for sure." "But the moment you step onto this path, you’ll disturb them." "Once awakened, these evil spirits will surround us. We’ll have no way forward except through battle. Though they’re not especially powerful individually, their numbers are overwhelming. Even a Spiritual Infant cultivator can only barely protect themselves, let alone shield others." "That said, this path has one peculiar trait: It only reacts to people whose vitality is strong enough. There’s no way to block that sensing." "These five are only at the Foundation Building Realm. They’ve yet to undergo the spiritual baptism that comes with forming a core, which makes them perfect for slipping past unnoticed. Che Yutao and the others wouldn’t stand a chance." "Let them go first. Then the two of us will follow." Hearing this, Qin Sang and the others were filled with awe. Who would have thought such a strange place existed? The knowledge that they wouldn’t have to face an army of evil spirits was a huge relief, easing the dread in their hearts. Still, the idea of walking that path alone filled them with unease. They worried endlessly about something going wrong and being devoured by the thousand evil spirits. "Grandmaster, are those evil spirits actually alive? Were they sealed here by ancient cultivators after being captured?" Qiu Mubai asked, emboldened by Dongyang Bo’s regard for him. Dongyang Bo shook his head. "They’re not living entities. What emerges is just ghostly shadows. Whether they’re the product of the barrier or the lingering remnants of once-real evil spirits is hard to say. Now, off you go. Walk forward boldly, don’t be afraid. Those things wouldn’t even bother with your flesh and blood." To be looked down upon by evil spirits... Qin Sang and the others were left with mixed emotions but dared not disobey Dongyang Bo’s command. The five exchanged glances, gathered around Qiu Mubai at the center. Ji Qing took the lead, stepping cautiously onto the corridor, his foot landing squarely on a painted ghost face. He instantly felt a chill rise from the sole of his foot, but after taking two more steps and seeing no change in the corridor, he mustered his courage and moved forward. Striding deeper into the path of evil spirits, they entered the domain of hell. By now, Dongyang Bo and Chenyan could no longer be seen behind them. If anything happened, there would be no one to save them. Fear surged in their hearts, and they broke into a run. Their footsteps echoed across the floor, reverberating like a death knell through the corridor, as if the sound itself chased them forward. Time had never felt so slow. The corridor seemed endless. Darkness still loomed ahead with no sign of an end. Qiu Mubai let out a soft exclamation as he reached the end of the path. The path of evil spirits had been far too terrifying. Even someone as composed as he had broken into a cold sweat. Qin Sang exhaled deeply. In truth, he had been the most worried about something going wrong. Though he hadn’t undergone the spiritual power infusion of Core Formation, he carried a flying yaksha in his Corpse Puppet Pouch, and it was one that was currently undergoing metamorphosis and already comparable to a true Core Formation cultivator. Qin Sang had feared that the yaksha’s aura might alert the evil spirits. Fortunately, nothing happened. Likely it was because the flying yaksha, being dead, possessed little vitality and therefore went undetected. At the end of the path stood two massive stone doors. Qiu Mubai stepped forward and pushed them open. The group filed in one after another and found themselves in a grand hall, with a passageway ahead. None of them dared explore such a place recklessly. They obediently took shelter behind the stone doors and waited for Dongyang Bo and Chenyan to arrive. At first, there was no sound. Then suddenly, the ground began to quake violently, and even the heavy stone doors couldn’t block the dreadful wails of spirits. On the other side of the doors, there was an outbreak of thousands of evil spirits! Their ears were filled with an endless cacophony of ghostly shrieks, sobs, and twisted laughter—every kind imaginable. Each sound carried an eerie madness, and even through the stone doors, they could still disturb the heart and mind. The faces of Qiu Mubai and the others grew noticeably pale. Their thoughts were in disarray, shaken by the cries of the dead. They hastily entered meditation to stabilize their minds. Qin Sang, of course, wasn’t afraid of such things, but he pretended to be affected, sitting cross-legged on the ground like the others. The chaos dragged on, with no sign of Dongyang Bo or Chenyan. Then, without warning, the stone doors creaked open with a creak, pushed inward by Dongyang Bo. At that very moment, the ghostly wails abruptly ceased. All the evil spirits vanished in an instant. Dongyang Bo and Chenyan stepped in, one after the other. The fluctuations of qi around them were unstable. This was clear evidence of how difficult it had been to pass through the path of evil spirits. Still, they had sustained no injuries. After swallowing a pill and briefly adjusting their breathing, they quickly recovered to their usual state. 1. The Yellow Springs Road is the road that leads to the Yellow Springs, the underworld of Chinese myth. ☜