Chapter 0642: The Flower of the Other Shore

The Flower of the Other Shore, a gentle demon's embrace. According to folk legend, it is a flower that willingly descends into hell, sent back by the demons, but it lingers on the path to the underworld. The demons, moved by its sorrow, agreed to let it bloom along this path, offering a guide and comfort to souls departing the human realm. In Hell Girl, the demoness Enma Ai is particularly fond of this flower. The white and blood-red blooms of the Flower of the Other Shore both symbolize death. It is said that the Mandala Flower blooms on the path to heaven, while the Manjushahua covers the road to hell. Both flowers symbolize death, but also hope.

There are many stories about the Flower of the Other Shore.

"It is said that the Flower of the Other Shore blooms on the banks of the Forgetting River in the Underworld, with blood-red petals as bright as fresh blood. The flower has no leaves. When a soul crosses the Forgetting River, it forgets its past life. All the memories of the living world are left behind, becoming the dazzling flower. Thus, it is called the Flower of the Other Shore," Jiang Ni said, taking a deep breath as she gazed at the vibrant flowers before her.

"Long ago, there was an extremely ugly ghost who fell in love with a beautiful maiden. But because of his appearance, the maiden could not love him back. Driven by his infatuation, he imprisoned her. Eventually, a warrior arrived, rescued the maiden, and they fell in love. In the process, the warrior killed the ghost with his sword. The ghost's blood splashed into the wild grass, and a red-black flower bloomed from that spot. This flower was named the Flower of the Other Shore. From that day, it bloomed in a place in hell called 'Forgetting River,' where souls forget their past lives and relationships before reincarnating into the next life…" Jiang Ni's tone carried a hint of sorrow and reflection as she spoke.

"Love is perhaps like this—because of differences in how one loves, many things must be sacrificed and forgotten. Thus, the Flower of the Other Shore became a messenger of love from the darkness, as it witnessed a tragic love tied to death."

Many versions of the legend exist, but one thing is certain: the Flower of the Other Shore only grows in the Underworld, in places of extreme yin. This is an unbreakable law of nature. It is impossible to see it in the human world. Even spiritual fields cultivated in the dantian cannot grow this flower.

The Flower of the Other Shore only grows in the most extreme yin regions of the Underworld (Netherworld).

"This Flower of the Other Shore is a legendary flower with many strange properties. I once came across an ancient alchemical recipe called the Other Shore Pill. The main ingredient is the Flower of the Other Shore. Without this flower, no matter how many other herbs you have, you cannot make the pill. According to the recipe, once the Other Shore Pill is successfully refined, it can instantly elevate anyone to the peak of their realm, regardless of whether they are in the Life Aperture or Life Chart stage, allowing them to reach great perfection. It's said that taking the pill grants one the sensation of crossing to the Other Shore. It's an incredibly powerful pill with no hidden dangers."

Li Tianming spoke up, his eyes glowing with fervor.

"You're an alchemist?" Yi Tianxing asked, surprised.

"Just a bit of knowledge. I can refine some basic pills, but the success rate for higher-grade pills isn't as good," Li Tianming replied confidently. He smiled, clearly proud of his alchemy skills. He had worked his way up from nothing, and being skilled in the art of alchemy was no small feat. With his talent, he believed that, given time, he would achieve great things in the field.

When he first obtained the recipe, he had thought it was impossible to refine the pill. But now, with the Flower of the Other Shore before him, he felt hope was within reach.

Without hesitation, he rushed forward and carefully took out a small medicinal scoop to dig up a Flower of the Other Shore.

"Don't touch the Flower of the Other Shore!" Jiang Ni shouted as she reached out to stop him.

However, it was too late. Li Tianming was already fixated on the brilliant, glowing flower. His vision, his mind—nothing but the flower mattered. His scoop was already touching it.

Shua!!

The moment the scoop touched the Flower of the Other Shore, the glow of the flower flared brightly, fiery and intense. In an instant, it erupted, engulfing Li Tianming completely in its radiant light. Within the glow, a terrifying flame appeared, fully covering his body, setting him alight. In the blink of an eye, his entire form was consumed by fire.

The flames were strange and eerie. The moment Li Tianming felt the fire on his body, he tried to extinguish it, but found himself completely unable to resist. His body seemed like dry kindling, burning fiercely with ease.

"No!!" Li Tianming screamed, but his body was consumed by the flames, turning to ashes. In moments, he had completely disintegrated into nothingness.

A soul emerged, heading toward a skeletal raft on the River of Forgetfulness. Clearly, Li Tianming could no longer leave the Underworld; his body had perished, and his soul was now being taken.

"This Flower of the Other Shore is said to be more than just beautiful," Jiang Ni said with a deep breath, looking at Li Tianming's ashes. "It's the sacred flower of the Underworld. Neither spirits of the Underworld nor beings of the living can touch it. If touched, it will ignite boundless karmic fire. This fire burns anyone with karmic ties, consuming them. For souls, it burns their very essence. For the living, the karmic fire burns their body. Only those with enough merit can resist the fire and survive the ordeal."

Jiang Ni's voice was hoarse as she spoke, reflecting on the deadly nature of the flower.

The karmic fire born from the Flower of the Other Shore was fearsome.

The fire consumed one's karma as fuel, and the stronger the karma, the more terrifying the fire. If one had little karma, even an ordinary person might survive the flames. But if one had deep karma, even gods would be reduced to ashes. Li Tianming had just perished in the flames that erupted in an instant.

"The Flower of the Other Shore is one of the most terrifying types of fire in the world. It's a true spirit Fire (異火), one of the most uncontrollable and ruthless flames," Yi Tianxing murmured as he inhaled sharply. "It draws its power from the individual's karma. If you're guilty of great deeds, the fire will pursue you endlessly, until you are consumed. But if your karma isn't too deep, and you can endure the fire, you will be purified. The benefits of surviving are immense, allowing your body to be refined to an almost perfect state."

"There's no way around it. The path to the gates of hell is lined with Flowers of the Other Shore. We must step across them, and that means we'll be ignited by the karmic fire. If we can't endure it, we will burn to ash," Song Yuting said, her face pale with fear.

The path leading to the gates of hell was a road lined with Flowers of the Other Shore, impossible to avoid. To leave, one must step across it. Those who endure the flames would be cleansed of their karma and could enter the gates of hell. Those who failed would remain trapped in the Underworld, their souls forever bound there.

"Enduring the karmic fire depends entirely on one's willpower. If your will is strong enough to endure, the fire will burn away your karma. Afterward, great benefits await. This process will be painful, but if you survive, you'll gain unimaginable rewards," Yi Tianxing declared firmly, taking a deep breath.

This was the only way forward. Stepping onto the road could mean death, but staying behind might lead to an even worse fate—decay from the oppressive atmosphere of the Underworld.

"Let's do it," Wu Shuang said with determination in his eyes. Without hesitation, he stepped onto the path covered in Flowers of the Other Shore.

As soon as he stepped forward, the flowers erupted in a blood-red light. Flames instantly engulfed Wu Shuang's body, but his clothes remained unburned. The fire entered his blood and bones, consuming everything in its path.

The pain was unimaginable as the flames tormented his body, but Wu Shuang pushed on, determined not to fall. The flames refined his body, burning away impurities and making him stronger.

Yi Tianxing followed without hesitation, stepping onto the path as well.

At that moment, his gaze fell on the spot where Li Tianming had perished. There, he noticed something small—a ring, hidden beneath the Flower of the Other Shore. It was a storage ring. Without a second thought, Yi Tianxing reached down and took it, storing it for later examination.