chapter 16

In the deep mountains of Nanwu, upstream of the Misty Pond.

The master of Xuan Yu Manor stood on the stones by the riverbank, his peripheral gaze lingering on the bloodstains left on the rocks. His spiritual beast crouched nearby, sniffing something with its nose, its tail swishing restlessly. Not only that, but the contracted demon beasts of Xuan Yu Manor were behaving unusually; some were on the verge of being uncontrollable even by their Beast Taming techniques.

Blood. Human blood.

The master of Xuan Yu Manor looked around at the other cultivators, lowering his gaze and pondering. Many cultivators were injured, and seeing blood in these deep mountains wasn't surprising. However, the blood near the Misty Pond was unfamiliar. The upstream area had always had a strange presence, as if someone had been watching all along.

"You're telling me that these demon beasts in your manor don't seem very obedient," a voice came from behind.

As an old man with white hair approached, the master of Xuan Yu Manor suppressed the odd expression on his face and calmly said, "I didn't expect you to still be with the Su family."

The white-haired elder shrugged. "I didn't expect Xuan Yu Manor to be so interested in this ancient seal. What, did one of your ancestors say something about it?"

The master of Xuan Yu Manor's brows moved slightly, but his expression soon became composed. "Who is the sword cultivator that made the move?"

The elder, indifferent, moved aside to give him space. "I don't know. But it was at least a Soul Formation cultivator. From the style, it seems like someone from Tianlu Mountain."

Hearing "Tianlu Mountain," the master of Xuan Yu Manor frowned. "It's no surprise that a sword cultivator from Tianlu Mountain could split the seal with one strike."

Thinking of Tianlu Mountain, the master of Xuan Yu Manor felt troubled.

As the number one mountain in the world, the disciples of Tianlu Mountain were all geniuses. Xuan Yu Manor's position in the southern border was the only reason they had arrived at Nanwu Mountain first. If news reached Tianlu Mountain, it was likely that other forces would already be on their way.

At this moment, a cultivator from Xuan Yu Manor came to report.

"Senior brothers have already sent the flying eagle to scout Nanwu Mountain... It's strange, there's only residual Yin energy left on the mountain."

The cultivator's face looked grim. "We didn't find a single evil spirit."

This statement was immediately met with objections from the other cultivators around them.

The cultivators from Nanwu Mountain had encountered many evil spirits. How could they not find even one now? Moreover, the Yin energy that once filled Nanwu Mountain had almost vanished. Was the Yin energy now evaporating like mist?!

A cultivator from Xuan Yu Manor scratched his head. "Could it have been your illusion? Didn't you say the Tomb Guardian beasts can cause illusions?"

Upon hearing this, a member of the Qi family laughed, while the Su family cultivators looked embarrassed. What did they mean by that? Were they implying that the Su family cultivators couldn't even tell the difference between an illusion?

At that moment, new sounds came from the Misty Pond.

The demon beasts of Xuan Yu Manor had fished up the huge stone tablet from the bottom of the pond, which had been cleaved by the sword cultivator. The stone tablet was so heavy that even Xuan Yu Manor had to use several demon beasts to pull it out completely. The cracked stone tablet still had some faint patterns on it. The master of Xuan Yu Manor stepped closer, but after being submerged at the bottom of the pond for so long, the text was no longer recognizable. However, the pressure emanating from the tablet made the people nearby inhale sharply.

Even the spiritual beasts of Xuan Yu Manor, who were normally able to communicate with spirits, avoided the stone tablet.

It was hard to imagine that such an object could be split in half.

Just as everyone gathered around the Misty Pond, the ground started to shake. The edge of the pond began to disintegrate inch by inch, and the previously corpse-filled Misty Pond began to slowly sink. This sudden change caused everyone to be startled and panic.

"Everyone, retreat!" the master of Xuan Yu Manor shouted.

At the same time, the corpse water in the pond seemed to evaporate, disappearing before everyone's eyes, just like the Yin energy that had once filled Nanwu Mountain—it all vanished before their eyes...

Boom!

A soul-shattering sound reverberated.

The stone tablet that had been fished from the pond now burst with cracks, and in an instant, it turned to ash and smoke!

"What is this...?"

"This tablet has a spirit. When the spirit leaves, the tablet breaks," the white-haired elder said, his face now serious. "This is not a Tomb Sealing Tablet, but a Mountain Sealing Tablet."

"A Mountain Sealing Tablet? What's so special about it?"

"Are you an idiot? It's from the ancient times! The Mountain Beast that guarded it killed countless people. Anything that was protected by it, how could it be trivial?"

The Mountain Sealing Tablet that had been split by the sword cultivator, the strange bloodstains, and the seemingly evaporating Yin energy of Nanwu Mountain.

Now, along with the mountain's Yin energy and corpse water, the stone tablet had completely disappeared.

"This is undoubtedly an ancient relic..." The master of Xuan Yu Manor looked coldly at the Su family cultivators. "You've unleashed something truly terrifying..."

That thing might be even more important than the burial grounds.

... And now, that thing was nowhere to be found.

In the mountains, most of the Yin energy dissipated. The young man leaned against a withered tree, his vacant eyes staring into the distance.

Seeing that the young man remained silent, the ink beast proudly stood up and began recounting its hardships over the years.

"This place, what outsiders call Nanwu Mountain, is your human term. In the ancient times, it was called the Abyss of All Evil."

Wild ghosts, in the end, were simply the lingering attachments of humans who died with unfulfilled desires. These lingering remnants would eventually turn into evil spirits, and the evil spirits that filled the mountains of Nanwu came from this source.

In ancient times, many cultivators practiced in various places, and countless demons and evil spirits roamed, even in the wild mountains. This Ink Spirit Bead naturally had the power to suppress and gather the Yin energy of heaven and earth, making it one of the rare treasures of the ancient era. Over time, the spirits that worshiped it increased, and believers built a monument to it, which amplified the power of the Ink Spirit Bead.

The place where the Mountain Sealing Tablet was formed had been filled with abundant Yin energy since ancient times. Countless evil spirits and ghost cultivators gathered there, and it eventually became known as the Abyss of All Evil.

The Ink Beast proudly mentioned its own story, saying, "As for me, from the moment I was born, I've been the guardian spirit of the Ink Spirit Pearl, as well as the Mountain Sealing Beast of the Mountain Sealing Tablet. In my domain, the ghosts and souls do not disperse, and they cultivate at an astonishing speed."

Su Yu understood now. No wonder the Yin energy had been rampant on Nanwu Mountain before, with evil spirits and wild ghosts everywhere.

So it was the power of this Ink Spirit Pearl...

The Ink Beast stopped swinging its tail. Seeing that its master wasn't particularly interested, it continued, "When you swallowed the Ink Spirit Pearl, you basically swallowed the Abyss of All Evil. You became the master of the Ink Spirit Pearl. Do you see the Qi inside you? These are the pure, refined energies that formed after the Abyss of All Evil absorbed the Yin energy from the heavens and earth."

Hearing this, Su Yu stopped in his tracks. "Refined energies?"

Seeing that Su Yu was finally intrigued, the Ink Beast hurriedly added, "The Ink Spirit Pearl forms the Mountain Sealing Tablet. The Tablet acts as the center, and the realm of the Abyss of All Evil extends outward from there. In this domain, the Yin energy is abundant, and the Ink Spirit Pearl releases the refined energy. Ghost cultivators and evil spirits cultivate much faster in the Abyss of All Evil than in the outside world. The more ghosts there are, the stronger the Abyss of All Evil becomes, and the more refined energy it can gather."

So these were the refined energies that came from the Abyss of All Evil. No wonder they were so beneficial to him.

This pearl... Could the Abyss of All Evil really have such a powerful effect? Su Yu carefully examined the Ink Spirit Pearl in his Dantian, but no matter how he looked at it, it just appeared to be a special kind of pearl—nothing like what the Ink Beast had described.

Su Yu asked, "I only see a pearl. What about the Mountain Sealing Tablet?"

The Ink Beast gritted its teeth in frustration. "That damn sword cultivator cracked it. It's still not repaired."

Su Yu frowned. "The Abyss of All Evil?"

The Ink Beast sighed in grievance. "Without the Mountain Sealing Tablet, the Abyss of All Evil can't form."

Su Yu pushed aside the low, wild grass and continued walking forward.

"Don't doubt it!" the Ink Beast suddenly choked, trying to explain. "If it weren't for the spiritual veins drying up a thousand years ago, my domain would still be filled with thousands of ghosts!"

Su Yu raised an eyebrow. "Thousands of ghosts?"

The Ink Beast, feeling a little uncomfortable, hesitated but then continued, explaining slowly.

A thousand years ago, Nanwu Mountain was a sealed land that no one from the outside could enter. The Ink Beast had been the mountain's overlord for a long time, with tens of thousands of ghosts under its command. Even outside of Nanwu Mountain, it was a significant force.

But everything changed a thousand years ago when the spiritual veins of the Eastern Realm's cultivation world ran dry, affecting countless living beings. The seal on Nanwu Mountain, which had been maintained by the spiritual veins, was no longer supported and began to weaken. When it finally managed to restore the seal, the ghosts under its control had all escaped, the Yin energy dissipated, and the immature ghost souls were scattered... The Mountain Sealing Tablet was also severely damaged during the catastrophe.

The foundation that had been left by the ancients was destroyed, and the Ink Beast had to start over. It had taken so long for Nanwu Mountain to show any signs of recovery, but then, a month ago, the damn seal cracked again... The Mountain Sealing Tablet, which had been repaired over a thousand years, was destroyed once more. Now, not only was the Mountain Sealing Tablet gone, but Nanwu Mountain's Yin energy was gone as well. The Ink Beast could only helplessly shrink in a mortal's Dantian and endure.

"The Abyss of All Evil originally began as the Ink Spirit Pearl. The Ink Spirit grew into a tablet, and thus the Abyss of All Evil was born." The Ink Beast explained mournfully, "Don't think it's just a pearl now. If there are enough ghosts, in time, it will become a place capable of housing thousands of ghosts. Have you seen Nanwu Mountain? The old Nanwu Mountain back then was less than one percent of the power of the Abyss of All Evil at its peak..."

Su Yu frowned. "So, the Abyss of All Evil has now degraded to just a pearl?"

The Ink Beast was silent for a moment.

"Don't put it so bluntly!" it grumbled.

At this point, Su Yu was no longer interested in the Abyss of All Evil, but the refined Yin energy produced by this "Abyss of All Evil" not only alleviated his hunger but also stimulated the chaotic memories in his consciousness. Most importantly, it suppressed the totem inside him.

Previously, he didn't understand the benefits of the Yin energy for him and had been constantly controlled by the totem. However, ever since he swallowed the pearl, the totem had stopped controlling him in the same way, and the disturbing voices had become less frequent.

If this Abyss of All Evil really had some beneficial effects as the Ink Beast claimed, it was definitely of some value in the ancient times... But keeping it around was still a potential risk.

The Ink Beast continued babbling about the advantages of the Abyss of All Evil when suddenly, it felt the Yin energy in Su Yu's Dantian gathering around it again. It immediately froze, its fur standing on end as it took several steps back. "What are you doing?!"

"Why should I keep you?" Su Yu retorted coldly.

The Ink Beast was stunned, hurriedly explaining, "I am the guardian spirit of the Ink Spirit Pearl, the Mountain Sealing Beast of the Abyss of All Evil."

"What does that have to do with me? What use is keeping you?" Su Yu continued letting the Yin energy approach the Ink Beast, speaking in a calm yet cold tone, "The useful thing is the pearl, not you."

After the Ink Spirit Pearl was embedded in the totem, the Yin energy entering the totem was circulated through the pearl, releasing even more refined Yin energy. This energy had a profound effect on him, creating an unprecedented sensation.

Even without the so-called guardian spirit, the pearl could still be used.

At this point, the Ink Beast was genuinely panicked. It had forgotten that although this mortal was weak, he possessed innate spiritual eyes, allowing him to see many things other cultivators couldn't. If it weren't for this, this mortal would never have so decisively swallowed the Ink Spirit Pearl.

"I'm useful!! Don't kill me! I can..."

"I can tell you what the pearl can do. I can teach you how to use the Ink Spirit Pearl!"

"I can teach you how to cultivate..."

Just as the Yin energy from the Dantian began to seep into the Ink Beast's limbs, its mind raced, trying to think of all the ways it could be of use, before it desperately added, "I... I can guide you!"

The infiltration of Yin energy stopped, and the Ink Beast lowered its paw from its eyes, seeing the Yin energy pressing towards them.

"Can you see the way?" Su Yu asked.

The Ink Beast quickly nodded, "I can see!"

All its efforts, and in the end, it was reduced to guiding the way!? It was the Mountain Sealing Beast of the Abyss of All Evil, with tens of thousands of ghosts bowing to it, and cultivators trembling at the mere mention of its name... Now, it had to take orders from a human who hadn't even grown a full set of hair yet.

A humiliation, a disgrace!

Su Yu noticed the silence and, losing patience, asked again, "Can you do it?"

The Ink Beast sighed, "...Fine."

"To the left, on your left!"

The Ink Beast cursed in its mind, thinking how this human didn't understand the proper way to navigate. It could only lead Su Yu through the path.

With the directions, the path through Nanwu Mountain became easier to navigate.

Su Yu quietly observed the Yin energy in his field of vision, which was so thin it almost disappeared. But oddly, it was the only color his eyes could perceive, as though seeing even a little of it kept the surroundings from feeling too desolate.

He took a few steps forward and suddenly felt a warmth.

The warmth spread over his exposed skin, as if dispelling the coldness in his body.

Looking up, Su Yu noticed the Ink Beast remained still. Its eerie eyes were raised too. Unlike its master, it could see what Su Yu couldn't. It saw the scorching sunlight piercing through the mist, falling on the corrupted soil that had been deprived of sunlight for centuries. "Tsk, the red sun is out. This light feels really uncomfortable."

Things that grew in Yin-filled places naturally revered the blazing sun, high up in the sky, with caution.

The Ink Beast shrank back, trying to avoid the intense sunlight, but it found that Su Yu remained motionless in the sunlight.

"Your Dantian is full of Yin energy. Stay away from the sunlight. It will hurt you," the Ink Beast warned.

Su Yu didn't speak. He touched his arm, and after the warmth passed, his skin felt a slight sting, almost as if it were burning. But his vision remained empty, and he could see nothing—like he hadn't felt sunlight for a long time.

The Ink Beast obediently continued to guide him. In his sea of consciousness, besides the Ink Beast's monologue, there was no response.

This human was exceptionally quiet. He never spoke unless necessary.

The Ink Beast thought: Strange, sly, and heartless little brat.

Although his entire body was filled with Yin energy, he still insisted on walking towards places filled with Yang energy… Was this person a masochist?

As for cultivation, Su Yu's level of cultivation couldn't even compare to the average cultivator in these deep mountains, but the pressure he exerted on the Ink Beast was heavy. The taste of his blood was also strange. As an ancient beast that had lived for tens of thousands of years, the Ink Beast had become tired of all kinds of food. Yet, Su Yu's blood was more tempting to it than rare delicacies from the mountains or seas… It wasn't a divine beast, so why did his blood smell so strange?

There were signs of other cultivators in the deep mountains. The Ink Beast noticed that this human boy actually avoided the cultivators, choosing the more obscure paths to keep away from the people who were entering the mountain, as if he had never belonged with them.

Suddenly, the eccentric little brat spoke: "What's that sound to the east?"

The deep mountain was filled with withered trees. They were very close to the entrance of Nanwu Mountain, and under the scorching sun, a number of cultivators were stationed in the distance.

The Ink Beast crouched down, flicking its tail. From far off, it noticed the movement outside the trees.

Its peculiar eyes blinked. "Human voices."

Su Yu couldn't see the way, but he could hear the sounds.

Along the way, he had heard several noises from the woods, but fortunately, he had avoided encountering anyone. However, once they left the mountain, it would be difficult to avoid people. Su Yu thought back to when the cultivators had surrounded the misty pond. The thing at the bottom of the pond was now inside him. Those cultivators would likely not let it go.

The simplest thing would be for them to seal off the mountain and search for him, scouring the land for him.

Remembering the cold sword energy from the pond, Su Yu's gaze dimmed. The longer he waited, the sooner he would fall into their hands.

To get out, he needed to pass the cultivators.

After some thought, Su Yu took a few more steps, then stopped, raising his hand to sniff the scent on his sleeve.

The smell of blood was thick, mingled with the lingering stench of rotting water from the misty pond. The scent on him now was more like that of a corpse than a living person.

"Are there any dead people around here?" Su Yu asked.

The Ink Beast: "?"

Su Yu continued, "Dead people, preferably ones who have been dead for some time."

The Ink Beast: "???"

Su Yu didn't hear an answer and coldly asked again, "None?"

The Ink Beast grit its teeth. "I'll check."

In the end, they dug up a body that had been dead for who knows how long. The body had already turned to dry bones, half of it buried in the earth.

Su Yu touched it. "Not rotten, it can still be used."

The Ink Beast, a majestic ancient beast, was now helping a human to navigate, and even stripping a corpse. "Are you really human? You're worse than those little ghosts who just entered Nanwu Mountain. Some of them don't even dare eat living humans. This corpse's soul has long scattered. Although it's just bones, there's still some spiritual energy left. It's a good base. Which sect are you from? I might even know your ancestor. What do you need a dead body for? To make a ghost servant? Or to raise the dead..."

Before the Ink Beast could finish, it noticed the boy extend his hand, not even drawing any formation symbols, just pulling the half-buried skeleton out of the ground.

The boy said nothing, lowering his head as he touched the exposed dry bones. He began peeling off the coarse cloth from the dead body, carefully removing the corpse's clothing and digging around the surrounding soil a little.

What was he doing?? Peeling off the clothing of a dead body??

It took such a long time to find a good base, and now he wasn't using it, just to peel off someone's clothes???

"You went through all that effort, and it's just to change your clothes?" The Ink Beast was shocked.

"There are too many smells. I'll be found out," Su Yu said, continuing to peel the dead man's clothes off.

The Ink Beast was speechless, its agitation increasing as it paced in the Dantian. "With the cultivators outside, just use some illusionary techniques. As long as they're not high-level cultivators, they won't notice."

Su Yu had already removed the clothes, and after a brief thought, he replied, "It won't work."

The Ink Beast was even more shocked. "It won't work???"

"You've killed so many living dead, and you can't even manage the simplest illusionary technique..." The Ink Beast was about to complain further when it suddenly caught a familiar bloody smell. "What are you doing?!"

The boy's face now had a slash running across half of it. One wasn't enough, so he made another cut.

Blood instantly poured down his face, dripping onto his dirty clothes and splattering into the grave where the corpse's bones had been uncovered.

"Someone might have seen my face."

Su Yu thought about the sword cultivator who had been very close to him earlier. He was about to add another slash when he suddenly sensed something unusual.

He touched the wound with the clean tip of his finger. There was no wet feeling under his fingertip; instead, it was completely dry, and there wasn't even a dent from the wound.

The wound that the stone had just made... had disappeared?