Chapter 370: The Flower of the Other Shore, the Yellow Springs Road |
Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing stepped into the Ghost Gate, and their figures immediately disappeared. The stone statues on both sides of the Ghost Gate did not react at all during this time, as if they were dead objects.
As the figures of the two disappeared, the Ghost Gate twisted for a moment before disappearing. The cracked space returned to normal. Apart from the two people missing, nothing had changed in the meeting room.
At this moment, Yang Haoran's body passed through the Ghost Gate and arrived in a strange world.
There was no sun or moon in this world, and the sky was dark. It gave people a very gloomy and depressing feeling.
Green ghost flames the size of heads could be seen everywhere. They floated in the air and swayed with the wind, as if they were living creatures.
There were countless ghost flames, and their existence brought a glimmer of light to this world. However, this light not only failed to make this world feel warmer and safer, but instead made it seem even more sinister and terrifying.
Under the dark sky was a huge ancient city. It was like a ferocious beast crawling on the ground, and its rough outline could be vaguely seen under the illumination of the ghost flames. However, due to the color of the ghost flames, the city was covered in a layer of sinister green.
On the edge of the ancient city, there was a tall and thick city wall. The city wall surrounded the entire ancient city, leaving no gaps.
Outside the city wall was a large river. The river water was blood-yellow, and there were many ghosts in the river. These ghosts had expressions of pain on their faces. They were struggling violently and howling in pain, as if they were experiencing some kind of unbearable torture. They wanted to break free from the control of the river water, but no matter how hard they struggled, their soul bodies could not completely break free from the river water.
There was a stone bridge over the river. The stone bridge spanned the entire river. On the stone bridge, there was a strange stone pavilion.
On the other side of the river was a sea of flowers. It was a beautiful, bright red color, but this sea of flowers had no green leaves to set it off. Not even a single green leaf could be seen.
At this moment, Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing were standing in this sea of flowers.
Looking at the densely packed red flowers around them, Yang Haoran could not help but say, "Is this the legendary Flower of the Other Shore?"
Xu Meijing couldn't help but smile when she heard Yang Haoran's words.
"Yes, it's the Higan flower, but not the legendary one. We have it in our world too. There's nothing to be surprised about," she said, with a hint of amusement on her face.
Embarrassed, Yang Haoran chuckled awkwardly. He didn't know what to say after being retorted by Xu Meijing like that.
Seeing Yang Haoran's embarrassed expression, Xu Meijing couldn't help but laugh.
"The road beneath our feet is the Yellow Springs Road that people talk about. Let's go. Today, I'll accompany you on this journey," she said.
With those words, Xu Meijing let go of Yang Haoran's arm and confidently walked towards the large river ahead, as if she were taking a stroll in her own backyard.
Yang Haoran glanced at where Xu Meijing had grabbed his arm earlier and smiled, following behind her.
On this Yellow Springs Road, it wasn't just Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing. In fact, there were many people on this road.
Yes, they were people, not ghosts. Yang Haoran sensed a familiar power fluctuation from these people. It was the Yin spirit power unique to their Yin Division.
Without a doubt, these people, just like him, were Underworld Envoys from other cities, Burial Masters gathered by the iron book order. After all, it wasn't just him and Xu Meijing, but all the Underworld Envoys from the Yin Division in the mortal realm.
As they walked away, more and more figures appeared in the place they had been before. From this, it could be inferred that once the Underworld Envoys opened the Ghost Gate, they would likely appear at the entrance of the Yellow Springs Road.
It is said that the Yellow Springs Road is meant for the dead, but the current situation seems to contradict that rumor.
Of course, if one were to insist that the Yellow Springs Road is for the dead, it wouldn't be entirely wrong. After all, each Underworld Envoy on this road carries a large number of souls. These souls may not physically appear on the Yellow Springs Road, but they indirectly traverse it.
At the end of the Yellow Springs Road is a stone bridge. When Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing finished walking on the Yellow Springs Road, they instinctively stopped.
"Do you see this stone bridge? It's called the Naihe Bridge in folklore, and the river below it is the River of Oblivion."
Based on Yang Haoran's exclamation upon seeing the Higanbana flower earlier, Xu Meijing knew that he definitely hadn't done his homework on this matter. That's why she stopped in her tracks and began to explain to Yang Haoran.
Taking a glance at the Naihe Bridge, Yang Haoran found that apart from the stone pavilion on the bridge, there was nothing else that caught his attention. However, the River of Oblivion opened his eyes.
"The number of ghosts in this River of Oblivion is astonishing," Yang Haoran said with a smile, watching the struggling ghosts in the river.
As soon as Xu Meijing heard Yang Haoran's words, she immediately guessed what he was thinking and couldn't help but roll her eyes at him.
"If you want to die, don't drag me into it. My life has just begun," she warned.
Yang Haoran laughed it off, his smile unchanged.
"What are you thinking? Even if I had the courage of a lion, I wouldn't dare to act recklessly here," he reassured her.
Xu Meijing didn't doubt Yang Haoran's words. As they spent more time together and got to know each other better, she understood that Yang Haoran was a cautious person. Someone like him wouldn't rashly come to the River of Oblivion to steal souls, at least not for now.
As for whether Yang Haoran would do such a thing in the future, she couldn't be certain. Despite his harmless appearance and constant cheerful demeanor, Xu Meijing knew that the Smiling Tiger could be ruthless in certain aspects.
"These ghosts in the River of Oblivion were all wicked and evil in their lives, so after death, they are thrown into the river to endure torment and suffering. Many souls are even devoured by the snakes and worms nurtured by the underworld," Xu Meijing explained, afraid that Yang Haoran might not understand.
"According to rumors, shouldn't these wicked people be sent to hell to suffer after death? Why are they thrown into the River of Oblivion?" Yang Haoran asked with a smile.
"Throwing them into the River of Oblivion is just an appetizer. After enduring torment here, they still have to go to hell to suffer. Of course, that's provided they can survive in the River of Oblivion. If they accidentally get devoured by the snakes and worms in the river, their souls will truly be scattered, and they will lose the chance to be reborn or even qualify for further torment," Xu Meijing explained.
At this point, Xu Meijing looked at Yang Haoran with a smile and said, "I never thought that as an Underworld Envoy, you would actually believe in the rumors from the outside world. There are all sorts of rumors about the underworld out there. Which one do you believe?"
"Heh, I don't necessarily believe them. I'm just making a comparison to see how much the real situation in the underworld differs from the rumors in the mortal realm," Yang Haoran responded with a smile.
Xu Meijing didn't argue with Yang Haoran about this question. Instead, she looked at the Naihe Bridge in front of her and said with a smile, "Yellow Springs Road has accompanied you thus far, and now, I'll accompany you on a journey across the Naihe Bridge."
[Heartfelt thankyou for the support! SlaySaga]