Daoqi Huangcheng

Chapter 46. The Beneficiary of Evil
Beside the large cemetery, there is a small hut.

The cabin was surrounded by a misty fog.

Song Chen sat in the small house.

This time, there were no accompanying cultivation pills like the Night Dew Pill, because those with all five elements have their own energy generating and restraining each other, so why would they need anything external?
Song Chen picked up the "Yinghuo Blazing Ink Technique" and studied it carefully. Then he picked up the fire spirit stone and began to carefully absorb its energy.

What he needs most is fire.

Only when his fire level is high enough can he continue to cultivate the "Yellow Springs Sutra".

But there are too few Fire Spirit Stones; it's not enough.

However, they couldn't find a fire-type expert stronger than the previous "Lord Liu" in this vast burial ground.

The cemetery was eerily quiet.

Ghostly realms occasionally drifted past the window, but the wisp of "retribution" within Song Chen's body allowed him to ward off all evil. The marrow-eating crane demons were busy, and Xiao Meng was also running around, dealing with ghostly realms of level three and above.

The room was completely silent.
Song Chen practiced for half a day before getting up. He couldn't keep practicing forever; he still had to work.

Ignoring the venomous look on the faces of the marrow-eating crane demons beside him, he began to activate [Exploring the Netherworld], and together with the crane demons, he set fire to the pile of corpses and pulled up the Yellow Springs.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, after Song Chen finished collecting spiritual energy from the spirit stone, he came to the vicinity as usual, raised his finger to drive the spiritual energy to ignite the pile of corpses, and in an instant, hundreds of ghosts came from all directions like billowing mist.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in the mist.

It was a tall, slender crane figure. As it approached, it displayed an arrogant demeanor, but its blue eyes were fixed on Song Chen, filled with the same hatred as every crane.

Song Chen recognized the crane at a glance.

"Aunt Bai! Senior Sister Meng will be back soon."

He Bai stared at him for a long time before saying, "Come with me."

Song Chen said, "Aunt Bai, I'm busy. The sect's affairs can't be neglected."

A fierce look appeared on He Bai's face, but it was only a fleeting look. He really didn't dare to attack the boy in front of him. Firstly, he couldn't bear the consequences, and secondly, who knew if the Five Elements Sect had placed any counterattack methods on the boy.

He Bai said patiently, "I'm not trying to harm you, something really has come up."

Song Chen said, "Then I'll come find you when Senior Sister Meng returns."

Just as they were locked in a stalemate, another figure emerged from the mist behind He Bai.

This was an old crane, its feathers were dull and its body was somewhat bloated. It walked past the white crane towards Song Chen.

Just as Song Chen was on guard, the old crane suddenly raised its wing and flung out a wisp of spiritual energy, which landed on the pile of corpses that Song Chen was maintaining [Exploring the Netherworld]. Song Chen immediately felt that the Yellow Springs below were a little further away. The old crane's power did not pull up the Yellow Springs, but instead pressed them down.

He didn't ask, but just looked at He Bai with suspicion, wondering what it was up to.

He Bai was glaring at him.

At this moment, the old crane spoke up: "Little devils are like flies, gathering when they hear complaints. If they gather in large numbers, the waves of the Yellow Springs will be high; if they gather in small numbers, the waves of the Yellow Springs will be low. If we do not pay attention to the balance, evil ghosts will inevitably escape from the high and low positions."

Xiao Song, although you have mastered the art of "Exploring the Netherworld," there is no record of experience in the "Yellow Springs Scripture."

Your current level of cultivation is still low, so you don't know what the Yellow Springs Rising Waves means, but when you do realize it, it may be a life-or-death crisis.

You should have heard Xiaomeng mention the Ghost Realm of the White Third Level, but to the entire Underworld, the White Third Level is nothing more than an ant.
Therefore, the art of "Exploring the Netherworld" may seem ordinary, but it actually harbors hidden dangers. If one is not careful, one's soul will be scattered and one's body will be completely destroyed.

"It just so happens that my crane clan has accumulated a great deal of experience. Come, let me teach you. Little White, listen up too."

Song Chen asked, "Why do you want to teach me?"

The old crane said, "Does an old man nearing the end of his life need a reason to teach the younger generation of his clan?"

Song Chen said, "Yes, we need to."

The old crane said, "Then consider it as leaving a legacy for my clan. The Yellow Springs Scripture is in your hands. Even the old monsters of the Five Elements Sect couldn't find it, so they probably won't find it again. Only you can practice it. On the day you took the Yellow Springs Scripture, there was clearly a net waiting for your return, but you were able to escape using the Niangniang Temple."

It sighed deeply, "It's fate."

At this moment, He Bai cried out in a shrill voice, "Song Chen, you have caused my clan to lose its only great opportunity. Now, my clansmen have been slaughtered and enslaved. My Crane Clan will stand with you!"

Before he could finish speaking, the old crane said, "Little White! My crane clan is declining, and that's fate. Even if we really obtained the 'Yellow Springs Scripture,' it wouldn't add much dignity, and it wouldn't help anything. Since our crane clan left the north and came to the heart of Dayong, weren't we prepared to risk our lives for others?"

The Five Elements Sect wouldn't want to see us reconcile with Xiao Song. I brought you here hoping that my Crane Clan would maintain a facade of hatred towards Xiao Song, but you must understand that Xiao Song is one of our clansmen.

"you are wrong."

Song Chen, who had been listening quietly, suddenly responded.

Then, under the astonished gazes of Old Crane and Crane White, he slowly said, "I am a disciple of the Five Elements Sect. My heart belongs only to the Five Elements Sect, not the Crane Clan. If you think I would deceive the sect for your so-called experience, that's impossible. Alright, I'm going to get back to work."

After saying that, he turned away from the two cranes and continued to use [Exploring the Netherworld].

Enemies one moment, friends the next; times change, but who knows what's real and what's not? In the end, you have to rely on yourself.

Furthermore, he didn't believe that the Five Elements Sect was being monitored at this time.

In a distant land, a pair of eyes silently watch this place. They belong to a mysterious figure shrouded in mist.

A hint of a smile appeared in his eyes when he saw that Song Chen had not agreed to Lao He's request.

"A smart kid knows what he should and shouldn't do."

Having lost the inheritance of the Yellow Springs Scripture and having their relationship with their own side torn apart, the Crane Demon Clan is truly on the verge of extinction. Under such circumstances, it is not impossible for them to shake hands and make peace with Song Chen, the inheritor of the Yellow Springs Scripture, and use their clan's resources to support him.

However, he did not want Song Chen to become stronger.

All Song Chen needs is a high level of cultivation and spiritual energy; all he needs to do is be a good tool.

As for the battle of magic and the ghost realm, those will be handled by others.

"Since you know how to appreciate kindness, let's give you a little something in return."

Several days later.
Having been granted two days off, Song Chen was not in a hurry to cultivate. Instead, he used water escape techniques to rush to the capital, and after reaching the city gate, he turned onto the moat and then went directly to his residence via Tianyu Lake.

Inside the manor, Madam Qianxue was chatting with a group of noble ladies. During this time, she briefly left the room and saw Song Chen around the corner.

Song Chen reached out and pulled at her clothes, tugging at her skirt.

Lady Asahi bit her lip tightly.

After a gasp, she said hurriedly, "The Han family suddenly came to my Jinxiu Cloth Shop and said that from now on, we will supply all their winter clothes."

Song Chen said in a deep voice, "I told Han Lin."

Lady Asahi became delighted.

She whispered sweetly, "You're so capable!"

After a long while, Madam Asayuki returned. Amidst the noblewomen's questions, such as "Why did you take so long?", she chuckled and made up some random excuses.

As night fell, Lady Qingyue returned from the Wei residence, and another round of sweet marital relations ensued.

For the past two days, Song Chen did not cultivate at all. He even helped Qingyue get two days off from the Wei family, and then they showed off their affection on the street.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

On the morning of the third day, he reluctantly left home, seeing off the Pei sisters.

As soon as I stepped out the door, there was already someone waiting outside.

The man wore a golden sword robe, had slightly white hair, and carried a sword box on his back; it was none other than Tian Kuizi.

When the Pei sisters saw Tian Kuizi, they immediately lowered their heads nervously. They were afraid of the power of this great swordsman, and they were worried that Tian Kuizi would expose their betrayal of Song Chen that day.

But that day, none of them knew what had happened. When Tian Kuizi came to find them, what could they do?
"Junior brother."

Tian Kui Zi laughed.

"Brother!"

Song Chen greeted him warmly.

Tian Kuizi sighed, "You are still young and need to pay attention to your cultivation. I gave you two days off, how can you be so lax?"

Song Chen smiled and said, "I don't have any great ambitions. I'm content with my wife, kids, and a warm bed."

Tian Kui Zi smiled and waved her hand.

The Pei sisters tactfully bowed and left.

Tian Kuizi then said softly, "Let's not talk about these things today. Come on, your senior brother will take you to eat something hot and delicious. I guarantee you'll get addicted."

Song Chen said, "But senior brother, I still have to go to work."

Tian Kuizi said, "It was approved by Master, let's go."

Immediately, he unleashed his escape technique. With a good sword, one could escape anywhere, making it far more versatile than water escape techniques.

The swift light carried the two quickly out of the capital and headed west.
Song Chen asked curiously, "Senior brother, where are we going?"

Tian Kuizi said, "Xiaofeng Village, the Earth Fire Mouth."

Song Chen was taken aback. He had heard of this place before; when he first joined the sect, some disciples were assigned there.

Tian Kuizi said softly again, "Today, six people have ripened fruit at the Earth Fire Mouth. Following the principle of picking half and releasing the other half, today, you and I, along with the mountain lord of the Earth Fire Mouth, will each have one."

As the two were talking, they soon arrived at a scorching mountain area.

The subterranean fire raged here, occasionally releasing toxic smoke and flames, while the shadows of monstrous beasts would sometimes flash behind the jagged rocky hills of varying heights.
Six outer disciples of the Imperial City Temple are training here.

Song Chen's pupils suddenly contracted.

He finally understood how the four people who disappeared at Jinxia Mountain had vanished.
However, when he learned the truth, he was not a victim, but a beneficiary of evil.

(End of this chapter)