Stepping on the Demoness to become the strongest

Chapter 566: Chapter 60 “Senior” of the Emei Sword Sect_2

The lady’s heart was slightly displeased, and she continued,

“However, my strength was insufficient. In Nanjiang, I accidentally succumbed to the poison of miasma and fell into a secluded valley. My physical body was damaged, and I had no choice but to turn to the path of a Ghost Cultivator. At last, I found Nine Serenities Yin Manor, barely clinging to life.”

“So that’s how it is,” Yan Yu said, “Senior’s fate is truly lamentable.”

“Seeing that Emei Sword Sect has successors, I can finally rest assured,” the lady said with a laugh, covering her mouth with her sleeve.

“May I ask, Senior,” Yan Yu spoke again, “what exactly is this Nine Serenities Yin Manor?”

“Yin and Yang are separated by a chasm as wide as the heavens,” the lady casually replied, “it’s naturally not possible to achieve passage from the living world to the netherworld overnight. Hell’s Envoys lock the souls of the dying, leading them first to the Nine Serenities Yin Manor for a brief respite, before proceeding to the Underworld. The Nine Serenities Yin Manor is akin to a waypoint in the mortal world, with a total of one hundred and eight stations, aligning with the Heavenly Gang and Earth Fiend numbers.”

“So this is the netherworld,” Yan Yu feigned sudden realization, “no wonder the surrounding houses are windowless.”

“Not quite so,” the lady said, “Nine Serenities Yin Manor is neither in the living world nor in the netherworld, but lies between them, hence both the living and the dead can traverse. The houses are windowless to accommodate the dead, after all, souls should not be exposed to sunlight. You see, the sky here is still somewhat dimly lit, which is different from the Underworld.”

Yan Yu and Li Minghu looked up to the sky and nodded in agreement.

“Senior,” Yan Yu asked again, “earlier you noticed that my… Daoist couple’s body has an imbalance of the Five Elements, and her lifespan is not long, is there a way to resolve this?”

“Of course,” the lady replied, “one could die and resolve the body, following the path of a Ghost Immortal, naturally free from the constraints of a damaged physical body.”

Yan Yu’s expression was one of speechlessness, while Li Minghu had a tranquil demeanor, following by his side with equanimity.

“If you do not wish to be separated by yin and yang from her, then you must seek the help of a great power,” the lady, noting his reluctance, added, “this great power must be proficient in the Five Elements and skilled in the art of transforming the physical body, capable of replenishing her Five Elements and reconstructing her body. Just like the great immortal Taiyi saving his disciple Nezha, using Five Lotus Leaves for wood, pool water for water, root ash for earth, and bestowing him with Wind-Fire Wheels and the Triple-tipped Spear to replenish the Five Elements. Without the abilities of a great power like Taiyi, it is insufficient for bringing back the dead.”

“So it is,” Yan Yu sighed deliberately, but inwardly he sneered.

He realized the lady was deliberately exaggerating the difficulty, trying to tempt Li Minghu onto the path of Ghost Cultivation—if not for my past life’s experience, I would have really been deceived by you.

“I do not wish to become a ghost.” Perhaps fearing his interest, Li Minghu sent a telepathic message, reminding him, “Moreover, I feel that this… this Ghost Immortal’s words, indeed have many unexplainable points.”

“For instance, she is clearly from Emei Sword Sect, yet why does she also understand the way of Ghost Immortal cultivation,” Yan Yu said methodically.

“If we were to ask her, she could easily claim it was an accidental discovery,” Li Minghu said, “That would not refute her.”

“Why refute her?” Yan Yu said unhurriedly, “Since she has invited us to be guests at her mansion and dangled the Emei lineage in front of us, I suspect she has either set a trap there or intends to use us for some purpose.”

“Let’s go and see.”

The two followed the procession and arrived at a very spacious Nether Mansion. It was filled with numerous pavilions and towers and countless corridors and waterside pavilions all connected, resembling the Jiangnan Gardens but all of which, regrettably, were eerily imbued with yin energy, causing discomfort.

A few Papermen helped the lady in the palanquin disembark, and others went to arrange the procession, unloading and sorting various goods.

Li Minghu, observing the ghostly entrance of the mansion, coughed a few times, then followed Yan Yu inside.

The lady knew that the two were cultivators of the living world and disliked darkness, so she did not force them inside. Instead, she allowed them to rest in the main courtyard and went into the inner rooms to retrieve a Jade Slip, which she offered to them.

The Jade Slip was titled “Supreme Primordial Sun and Moon Scripture” and from the start, it was marked as belonging to the “Shang Qing” lineage, not the “Emei Sword Sect.” After a cursory glance, Yan Yu noticed that if the previously obtained “Kunlun Sword Art Compendium” by the Zhenhai Team stressed balanced offense and defense, using momentum to overwhelm, then this “Supreme Primordial Sun and Moon Scripture” clearly inclined more toward attack, with Straightforward Attack Technique, Fierce Attack Technique, Rapid Attack Technique, and Fierce Attack Technique, corresponding to the four tactical needs of balanced offensiveness, all-out suppression, rapid assault, and covert attacks, respectively.

The detailed discussion of the four attack methods… was missing from the latter part.

Yan Yu handed the Jade Slip to Li Minghu and looked at the lady with surprise.

The lady was waiting for this very reaction, and she leisurely lamented:

“To be honest, I was a latecomer to this Nine Serenities Yin Manor. Originally, a Ghost King resided here, known as ‘Daojun of Beimang.’ He fancied my beauty and wished to marry me. He took advantage of my absence to loot my Nether Mansion, stealing all my swordsmanship manuals and claiming they were to be my dowry, to be returned after our wedding.”

“As a Ghost Cultivator, I was unable to defeat him due to his higher cultivation level. Only with your help in eliminating the Ghost King, will I be able to hand over the Emei Sword Sect lineage to you.”

After pondering for a moment, Yan Yu said,

“Exterminating demons and defending the Dao is the duty of us Sword Immortals. Plus, since Daojun of Beimang has taken our Sword Sect’s lineage, we are duty-bound to eliminate him. Please rest assured, Senior.”

Li Minghu listened on the side, his thoughts subtly shifting.

Yan Yu kept referring to “our Sword Sect’s lineage,” positioning himself as a “Sword Sect disciple,” indicating that he did not believe the lady’s words. His main intention was to seek advantage and avoid harm, aiming to deceive some benefits first.