Chapter 7: The Supreme Treasure!

The treasure vault of the Underworld Palace lay behind the Second Underworld Palace, precisely within the domain guarded by the Yin Virtue Settled Rest True Lord. The True Lord led the young Daoist inside. Within the chamber, arrays upon arrays radiated flowing light. Each array sealed away a different treasure within its spiritual glow, every one of them exuding profound spiritual charm.

The True Lord gestured toward them from afar and said, “This is the place.”

“These are the accumulations our Underworld has gathered over the past ten thousand years. Little friend, feel free to have a look around.”

The young Daoist’s gaze fell upon the first array. Inside was a stalk of jet-black grass. Its leaves were serrated like saw teeth, yet it bloomed with brilliantly radiant flowers. It carried an overwhelming aura of both life and death, possessing a beauty so unsettling that it inspired awe.

The Yin Virtue Settled Rest True Lord smiled warmly and explained, “This is [Heartbreak Grass]. Ah, little friend, don’t misunderstand, don’t misunderstand.”

“It’s not some kind of poison.”

“Our Underworld is a proper and respectable one. We wouldn’t keep poisons that can kill a Primordial Spirit in a place like this.”

The young Daoist looked at the unusually easygoing True Lord and subconsciously asked, “Then where do you keep them?”

“Ah, well…”

The True Lord hesitated.

Then he vigorously shook his head and declared righteously, “Little friend jests. We don’t sell such things.”

Not sell… not that they didn’t have them…

Qi Wuhuo fell into thought.

Pointing at the Heartbreak Grass, the True Lord smiled and continued, “This thing truly is lethally poisonous, yet at the same time, it is not merely a poison. It possesses a wondrous effect. Consuming it neutralizes Meng Po Soup, shattering the veil of forgetfulness within the womb, allowing one to recall the wisdom and memories of previous lives.”

“But if that were all it did, every deity of the heavens and every disciple of the great sects would come here seeking it.”

“The Heartbreak Grass also carries a fatal poison. Once those past-life memories return, within three days, even the gods and Buddhas cannot save you.”

“Unless you can travel to the Xuandu Purple Palace and obtain a Golden Elixir.”

“However, Grandmaster Xuandu has long since departed from the Heavenly Court and now cultivates in seclusion beyond the heavens. As such, he no longer bears the title of Lingguan Great Emperor, and is addressed simply as the Grandmaster.”

“Apart from a mere handful of individuals, who in this world could persuade him to refine a pill?”

“This stalk of Heartbreak Grass requires eight hundred points of Yin Virtue.”

“It allows one to remember past lives, recover innate wisdom, and learn one’s true origins.”

The Yin Virtue Settled Rest True Lord laughed. “Haha, though I imagine, little Daoist friend, you have no need for such a thing.”

The young Daoist suddenly said, “Please give me one stalk.”

The True Lord was taken aback. Seeing that the young Daoist truly seemed interested, he frowned slightly. At first, he intended to advise him not to use such an item to harm others, but then he remembered the astonishing amount of Yin Virtue this young man possessed. It was unlikely he would ever do such a thing.

With a slight gesture, the stalk of Heartbreak Grass flew out from within its black-glazed seal and drifted into Qi Wuhuo’s hand. “Take good care of it, little friend. It may also be considered a treasure born of Yin Virtue.”

“It was personally cultivated by Meng Po.”

They continued onward, passing countless Underworld spiritual treasures, scriptures, and cultivation arts that could only be properly wielded by Yin Spirits. Soon they came upon another plant, crimson as fresh blood yet streaked with threads of gold.

The True Lord pointed at it. “This is unique to our Underworld. It is called Dragonblood Grass.”

“Dragonblood Grass?”

“Indeed. The blood of True Dragons was once the very cause of the civil strife that engulfed the demon race, which was why the Dragon Clan ultimately left.”

“The bodies of True Dragons are innately powerful. They possess extraordinarily long lifespans and many divine abilities, but even they eventually grow old. When an ancient dragon reaches the end of its lifespan, it will often come to the Underworld, for we Underworld deities have no use for their Dragon Blood True Essence, which overflows with intense Yang energy.”

“The dragon’s blood seeps into the lands of the Underworld, where it merges with the purest Yin Qi, eventually becoming Dragonblood Grass.”

“It possesses marvelous mysteries and extraordinary abilities.”

“Although it has lost the incredible restorative power of Dragon Blood True Essence…”

“…it has gained an entirely different wondrous effect.”

“It can prevent one whose lifespan has ended from dying.”

“But neither can they truly live.”

Qi Wuhuo asked, “Neither alive nor dead?”

The True Lord nodded. “Precisely. Its ability to preserve the True Spirit is comparable to the Nine Heavens Profound Ice found within the Taiyin Primordial Palace.”

“It requires eight thousand Yin Virtue. Saving eight thousand living beings may be exchanged for a single stalk.”

“As for this item, it is of little use to you—”

“I would like one stalk.”

“…”

The Yin Virtue Settled Rest True Lord looked at the young Daoist. In the youth’s eyes, he saw nothing more than simple curiosity, as though he merely wished to collect one because it was such a marvelous treasure. After all, who knew when it might prove useful?

Originally, he had intended to persuade him not to waste his Yin Virtue, but after thinking of the absurd amount the young man possessed, he could only let out a long sigh and rationally abandon the attempt.

Forget it.

When someone has that much Yin Virtue, being a little extravagant is understandable.

Besides, he has more than enough.

The Yin Virtue Settled Rest True Lord retrieved the Dragonblood Grass and handed it to Qi Wuhuo.

They passed by many more treasures that were of no use to Qi Wuhuo before the True Lord spoke again.

“This item is called [Water of Forgetting Emotions]. It was created by Meng Po.”

“Whenever mortals become trapped by matters of love, drinking this water allows them to forget them completely.”

“There have even been Daoist cultivators who reached the Human Immortal realm, attained the stage of Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, yet still could not overcome the tribulation of emotion. They cast themselves into the mortal tribulation, but upon drinking this water, all of those feelings and memories were erased completely.”

“Returning once more to a state of clarity, after which they may return to their mountain and continue cultivating the Dao.”

“Little friend, you’re still young. You probably have no tribulation of love to overcome. Besides, relying on external means like this is ultimately a shortcut and makes it difficult to enter a truly pure state. Moreover, this item can assist one in breaking through to the Earth Immortal realm, so its Yin Virtue cost is naturally quite high.”

“Please give this poor Daoist one.”

“…”

“This is a fragment of the Three Lives Stone. Before the Three Lives Stone, one can witness the events of past lives as though they were unfolding before one’s eyes. However, unlike the Heartbreak Grass, it cannot awaken those memories from the depths of one’s own heart. The Three Lives Stone lets you observe them as an outsider, whereas the Heartbreak Grass lets you experience them from within yourself. Its price is extremely—”

“Please give this poor Daoist one.”

“…”

“How about this one, little friend? Do you want it?”

“I do.”

“And this?”

“I would also like one of those.”

“Haha, very well. This old man will pack them all together for you.”

By the time they had made their way through the treasury, the old True Lord turned around and found that, just as he had expected, his treasure vault had been almost completely emptied. Only items such as the [City God Temple Establishment Edict], the [City God Office Decree], [Imitation Soul-Reaping Chains], the [Judge’s Brush], and other treasures usable exclusively by Yin Spirits remained.

Nearly everything else had ended up in the young Daoist’s possession.

He had even thrown in a jade pendant.

The pendant had been refined by Kṣitigarbha and contained the Buddhist profundity of [Containing Mount Sumeru Within a Mustard Seed].

Within that jade pendant, an entire mountain could be stored.

All of the treasures had been placed inside it.

The Yin Virtue Settled Rest True Lord looked pained. “It really has been emptied…”

“Next, there are still many more treasures, little friend. Come with me.”

“The treasure vaults of the Underworld lay within the Tenth Underworld Palace, the Eighteen Hells, and between them and the City of the Wrongfully Dead built by Kṣitigarbha. Come.”

Just as the Yin Virtue Settled Rest True Lord was about to lead the way, the young Daoist suddenly noticed a jade slip resting off to one side.

It emitted a hazy Daoist aura that held an irresistible attraction for him.

Instinctively, he looked toward it.

Following his gaze, the Yin Virtue Settled Rest True Lord smiled. “Ah, fellow Daoist, you are a disciple of the Daoist Path.”

“You’d best not touch that. It is merely something I did in my younger days.”

“It isn’t anything special. It contains neither cultivation methods nor divine abilities. There’s nothing interesting about it.”

The young Daoist’s fingers touched the jade slip. Suddenly, strands of divine Daoist intent spread out. Such a phenomenon startled even the Yin Virtue Settled Rest True Lord. He wanted to stop him, but it was already too late, for the flow of information within the jade slip was simply too fast. Scene after scene flashed before Qi Wuhuo’s eyes, and he saw a middle-aged man with a solemn and majestic expression.

His eyes were indifferent, as though they encompassed all things beneath Heaven, vast and boundless. A peerless Dao aura filled the world. Layers upon layers of divine radiance shone behind him, a perfect halo rested behind his head, and he was robed in garments of seventy-two colors.

Yuqing, Yuanshi Heavenly Venerable!

The name naturally arose within Qi Wuhuo’s heart.

This seemed to be connected to Yuanshi Heavenly Venerable.

The young Daoist watched as the scene changed, as though it encompassed all things, and then he heard furious roars echoing out. “Yuanshi Heavenly Venerable, die!!!” The voice exploded forth, carrying utterly undisguised killing intent. The scene was violently shattered by that roar, and Qi Wuhuo saw a familiar face. The usually gentle features had become sharp, and the eyes that were always smiling and never seemed capable of anger were now wide with fury.

It was none other than the Yin Virtue Settled Rest True Lord before him.

Holding a battle axe wreathed in blazing flames with both hands, his upper body bare, he looked like a war god as he hacked toward Yuanshi Heavenly Venerable’s brow. There were others as well—a total of ten—each attacking with their full strength, concealing neither their killing intent nor their unwavering resolve as they launched themselves at Yuanshi Heavenly Venerable. Fearless of death, yet carrying a grim and tragic determination.

Yuanshi Heavenly Venerable raised a hand.

His five fingers were long and flawless, as though supporting the heavens, before they slowly closed together, as though Heaven itself had turned over.

It slowly descended.

Qi Wuhuo’s breathing stopped.

It felt as though he himself had become one of those ten Yama Kings, standing beneath that Heaven-Overturning Seal. Heaven and Earth were frozen in place, and then he was about to be crushed beneath that world-overturning force, his body destroyed, his soul scattered, never to reincarnate again. Endless terror arose within him, an immeasurable vastness. He wanted to resist, but even his Primordial Spirit had become rigid.

“Ahhh! Don’t look! Don’t look anymore!”

The ever-good-natured Yin Virtue Settled Rest True Lord grabbed the young Daoist and shook him vigorously, then, his face flushing slightly red, snatched the jade slip away.

The young Daoist took a step back, his face somewhat pale. “This is…”

The Yin Virtue Settled Rest True Lord let out a sigh, looking rather embarrassed.

Just as he had appeared all along.

Yet in the past recorded within that jade slip, he had been a terrifying Ghost King, eyes blazing with fury, towering a thousand meters tall, wielding a divine weapon in both hands, roaring as he charged at Yuanshi Heavenly Venerable with overwhelming killing intent and unwavering resolve.

“Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it anymore. I beg you.”

“That was just something absurd I did when I was young.”

The Yin Virtue Settled Rest True Lord sighed. “Eight thousand years ago, when the Underworld had only just been established, the Great Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi sent his disciple, Tianpeng, here. He wished to extend someone’s lifespan, but we refused. The ten of us joined forces, together with Kṣitigarbha, and fought Tianpeng. Then, the second time, the Heavenly Venerable came personally, wishing to claim someone from us and extend that person’s lifespan.”

“We still refused.”

“We had witnessed the terror and chaos of two thousand years in which life and death were left undivided.”

“So we understood that the boundary between life and death was no less important than the order of Heaven and Earth. It absolutely could not be altered by any individual’s will.”

“Not even by a Great Heavenly Venerable.”

“He was incomparably powerful, but if the Heavenly Venerable wished to step across the boundary of life and death, then unless he killed every one of us and swept away all the deities of the Underworld, so long as even a single Underworld Palace remained, we would defend that order at any cost. So the Heavenly Venerable attacked, and we chose to fight him to the death. My temper was terrible back then. I cursed him while I fought, and in the end, all of us were killed. Only one remained.”

“It was Eldest Brother. In the end, only half of his soul remained, yet he still raised his sword to strike at the Heavenly Venerable.”

“And then he too was killed.”

Qi Wuhuo could imagine the grim resolve of daring to attack the Great Heavenly Venerable despite that overwhelming pressure, and the sorrow of the final outcome. “And then… all of you…”

The Yin Virtue Settled Rest True Lord gave a bitter smile. “In the end, even Eldest Brother was completely dispersed. We fought until our souls were scattered because we were determined that the boundary of life and death could never be broken. Only then did we discover that the Great Heavenly Venerable had never truly struck at us.”

“Everything—the life-and-death struggle, the battle to the death—had merely been the Great Heavenly Venerable’s test.”

“It was true that we were killed, but that was only what our Primordial Spirits and souls believed. In reality, only the time it takes to drink a cup of tea had passed. Even so, when the Great Heavenly Venerable ‘killed’ us, he did so with genuine killing intent. In the end, he did not grow angry because we had cursed him during the battle. Instead, he clapped his hands and laughed, shared a cup of wine with us, and said that only then could we truly be called the Underworld.”

“‘The matter of life and death cannot be violated.'”

“The technique with which he killed us was instead branded into our souls. Each of us was bestowed a single personally transmitted move.”

“I was granted the Heaven-Overturning Seal.”

“Because the divine intent of this divine ability was left imprinted upon our souls, when we join forces to unleash it, it is as though the Great Heavenly Venerable himself has descended. It can slay Great Emperors, execute Heavenly Venerables, and capture Buddhas. Throughout the Six Realms and beyond, apart from a mere handful, no one can withstand it. Only with such a supreme divine ability can the balance of reincarnation throughout the Six Realms be maintained.”

“That day, the Great Heavenly Venerable said with a smile that the Underworld should become the Sixth Realm.”

“And so the Underworld that now stands beyond Heaven and Earth came into being.”

Hearing of those events from ages past, the young Daoist felt his heart stir slightly. The Yin Virtue Settled Rest True Lord, however, seemed rather embarrassed by what had happened back then. He scratched his head, put the jade slip back where it belonged, and said, “Strange… why did this thing activate on its own today? Forget it, forget it… Ahem, well, in any case, little friend, just forget what you saw just now.”

The Yin Virtue Settled Rest True Lord raised a hand to straighten his robes.

A gentle smile rested upon his lips.

His eyes were always narrowed in a cheerful smile.

Even if Black and White Impermanence scolded him, he would never become angry.

But Qi Wuhuo feared he would never be able to forget the terrifying sight of those eyes flung wide open, blazing with battle intent and killing intent like raging flames.

Yet when he closed his eyes, the first image to surface was still that of the Great Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi, his expression calm as he looked down upon all things before slowly raising his hand. In that instant, Heaven and Earth seemed to freeze, and in the next, it was as though the heavens themselves were about to overturn. But Qi Wuhuo’s Primordial Spirit could only endure that much before it reached its limit, causing the image of the Great Heavenly Venerable in his memory to collapse and dissipate.

“This is the innermost core of the treasury. Ever since reincarnation was discovered during the Second Kalpa Era, the Underworld came into being because of it. Most of the ancient relics that have survived from then until now are gathered here. There are even a few other things…” Qi Wuhuo returned to his senses and followed the Yin Virtue Settled Rest True Lord deeper inside.

In an instant, he felt the surrounding world grow deathly cold. The treasures here were completely different from those outside.

There were no longer countless arrays protecting them, nor any faint spiritual radiance.

Everything was exceedingly ancient and unadorned.

The Yin Virtue Settled Rest True Lord said, “Fellow Daoist, you have already emptied my own Underworld Palace’s treasury. As your Yin Virtue is immeasurable…”

“…among the countless supreme treasures gathered from the beginning of the first Kalpa until today, you may choose as you please.”

“After that, take any one of them.”

“This item is the scale and blood that fell when the Torch Dragon fought the spirit born from the River of Blood at the end of the Second Kalpa.”

“This item is the [Ghost Gate Pass], used during the era of the Five Ghost Emperors to suppress the ghosts of the world.”

“And this item is the [Mirror of Karmic Reflection], used during the era of the Northern Yin Fengdu Great Emperor to reflect the sins of souls. Any ghost that still possessed even a trace of innate goodness within its spirit would be spared, while those burdened with grievous sins would be cast into the Hells. Its rank is so high that it can stand alongside the Heavenly Realm’s Demon-Reflecting Mirror.”

“And this is a replica of the Book of Life and Death. Though only a replica, it is still a supreme treasure. It can reveal fortune and calamity, discern life and death, determine one’s lifespan, and foresee impending danger. For example, should someone holding this treasure make a mistaken choice and fall into a tribulation, it would record the end of their lifespan and the cause of their death. In truth, it is a supreme treasure for avoiding disasters and escaping tribulations.”

The Yin Virtue Settled Rest True Lord enthusiastically introduced all the treasures whose origins he knew.

Every one of them was a treasure of extraordinary origin.

Each possessed its own legend.

Only after finishing did he smile and say, “As for the rest, I’ll leave them for you to examine yourself.”

“You may choose only one, so take your time.”

Qi Wuhuo examined the treasures one by one.

He was quite interested in the replica of the Book of Life and Death, but the mirror began to emit layer upon layer of flowing radiance, accompanied by a faint pulling force. Especially when Qi Wuhuo’s gaze fell upon the Mirror of Karmic Reflection, the pulling force from the Northern Emperor Mirror increased slightly. Then Qi Wuhuo continued forward, step by step, arriving at the deepest part of the treasury.

Here lay relics from the most ancient eras. Even the Northern Emperor Mirror restrained its radiance, appearing somewhat apprehensive and cautious.

At last, the mirror stopped before a single object. Its surface shone brilliantly, yet trembled ever so slightly.

Qi Wuhuo looked over and discovered it was a Qin.

A stone qin!

It was incomparably enormous and boundless. It was likely that only one manifesting a Dharma Image could ever play it. Its top reached the ceiling of the Underworld itself, directly supporting the entire treasure palace from top to bottom like a colossal pillar. Its surface was covered in a thick stone shell formed from condensed Yin Qi, incomparably hard and incomparably heavy. It stood nearly a hundred zhang tall and seven or eight zhang wide. Beside it stood a stone stele, upon which a record had been inscribed in ancient Goldstone Script.

Qi Wuhuo looked over and read:

“An artifact dating from the Second Kalpa Era.”

“The First Kalpa Era was brought to completion through the Dao discussion of the Three Great Heavenly Venerables. The Second Kalpa Era was the age of strife among the ancient gods. The establishment of the oldest Heavenly Court by the Great Heavenly Venerable Haotian, who suppressed all beneath Heaven, marked the beginning of the Third Kalpa Era. This is a creation from the age when the ancient gods warred…” Qi Wuhuo seemed to understand why the Northern Emperor Mirror had become so restrained.

“…You want me to choose this?”

“…This is the finest treasure in the entire Underworld Palace?”

The Northern Emperor Mirror glowed faintly.

Then it immediately concealed its light once more.

Qi Wuhuo saw that the qin was not only unimaginably ancient and enormous, but that part of it was even connected to the earth veins themselves, making it impossible to remove. Moreover, judging from its shape, he recognized that it was completely different from the seven-string qins of the present day. It possessed only the structure of a five-string qin, and yet… There were no strings upon it.

Its surface was covered with verdigris and Yin Qi.

Having remained here for far too long, even the Yin Qi itself had condensed into substance.

Rather than an ancient qin, it was more like a colossal stone sculpture.

How was something like this supposed to be taken away?

And how was it to be played?

Qi Wuhuo reached out and placed his hand upon the enormous “ancient qin”.

A five-string qin…

A five-string qin.

What should serve as its strings?

In that instant, the Northern Emperor Mirror began to circulate. Streams of stellar power poured into Qi Wuhuo’s body, and in the next moment, the Exorcism Token representing the Heavenly Official within him, the Earth Deity Seal representing the Earth Deities, the aura representing the fortunes of the Human Dao, together with the Yin Qi gathered in this place and the power of the Star Gods exhaled by the Northern Emperor Mirror, all surged into the ancient qin with a thunderous roar.

A stringless qin… What shall be its strings?

It was as though a voice questioned him from the depths of his heart.

Qi Wuhuo answered instinctively, “Heaven, Earth, Humanity, Gods, and Ghosts.”

A resonant zheng rang out. Five strings emerged upon the gigantic ancient relic that resembled nothing more than a stone sculpture.

Then they began to vibrate violently.

Outside, the Yin Virtue Settled Rest True Lord was still sighing to himself.

When Black and White Impermanence arrived, they found this being—who had once feared neither death nor battle, whose strength had been unmatched—now sitting with his chin propped in his hand like a farmer whose home had been robbed.

If anyone dared overturn the laws of life and death, he would draw his blade even against a Heavenly Venerable.

Yet before someone with such immense Yin Virtue, he refused to make things difficult, preferring instead to suffer heavy losses himself.

“Our treasury really got emptied out?”

“Emptied.”

“He went in to choose a treasure?”

“He did.”

“What will he pick?”

“How should I know…” The Yin Virtue Settled Rest True Lord sighed. “The blood of the Torch Dragon could grant his physical body the aura of a dragon, directly extending his lifespan by three thousand years, while giving him immeasurable strength and a body like a divine weapon. The Book of Life and Death would allow him to seek fortune and avoid calamity, ensuring that no disaster of blades or tribulations would ever befall him. The Mirror of Karmic Reflection would let him discern the goodness or evil within people’s hearts, so that he would never again be deceived. All of them are treasures of extraordinary profundity.”

“But he refused them all. Now he’s gone into the innermost chamber, where only relics from the ancient eras remain.”

“We only know roughly which eras they came from.”

“We have no idea who once used them, or what wondrous divine abilities they possess.”

The young girl tucked beneath White Impermanence’s arm asked, “Could he touch that qin?”

“That qin? It’s the oldest thing there, but it’s practically fused together with the entire Underworld. It’s been buried beneath dust for three Kalpas, has no strings, and is unimaginably enormous. How could anyone possibly… If that thing were somehow taken away, the Underworld itself would probably sink a little…”

Before he could finish speaking—

A clear, resonant note suddenly rang out.

It swept across everything in an instant.

Ripples spread through the void.

The entire Eighteen Hells trembled as one.

Yin Qi surged like an ocean, rolling back in towering waves!

The relic that had lain silent for three Kalpas sounded once more.

The expression of the Yin Virtue Settled Rest True Lord changed abruptly. “!!!”