The Legend of the Netherworld

In the early morning, just as the sky was about to brighten, Lin Xiao had already come down from the back mountain and sat cross-legged on the steps in front of the main hall, quietly awaiting Lin Jiao's arrival. He closed his eyes slightly, his mind empty, breathing in and out, in tune with the heavens and the earth.

At this moment, a burst of brisk footsteps and conversation could be heard in the distance. Lin Xiao had sharp ears and immediately recognized the voices of Lin Jiao and Ye Xuan. He opened his eyes, stood up, and turned to greet them.

Lin Jiao smiled and said, "The Sect Leader was worried about the two of us entering the Ancient Forest alone, so he specially arranged for Senior Brother Ye Xuan to accompany us." Ye Xuan smiled and nodded, "I heard news this morning that a fierce battle broke out in the Ancient Forest yesterday. It was said that the Dirty Taoist priest fought against the Shadow Monkey King. It was quite a commotion." Hearing this, Lin Xiao's heart tightened and he hurriedly asked, "What was the result?"

Ye Xuan shook her head and said, "No one knows the specific results at the moment. We can only find out by going to the scene." As soon as the words fell, the three of them immediately got ready and prepared to set off for the ancient forest.

Lin Xiao, Lin Jiao, and Ye Xuan each unleashed their own unique acrobatics, streaking across the sky like meteors, soaring through the jungle at breakneck speed. They sped along at lightning speed until, in the afternoon, they finally reached the entrance to the Ancient Forest.

The gate at the entrance was tall and majestic, with a burly cobalt guard standing in front of it. A large number of monks gathered around it, some of whom were trading, some were looking for a team to travel with, and some were selling elixirs and weapons. All kinds of noises were heard one after another.

Ye Xuan walked over to a spiritual medicine stall, scanning the various precious herbs before finally selecting a few ground-springing golden lotuses. After paying, she casually asked, "Any definite news about the battle deep in the forest yesterday?"

The stall owner, a lean, middle-aged monk, looked up and replied, "It's true. Yesterday, someone saw a Taoist priest carrying a sword challenge the third-level Cobalt Guardian. Immediately afterwards, a battle broke out in the core layer, shaking the entire forest." Lin Xiao's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly asked, "What was the outcome of the battle?"

The stall owner shook his head. "The results aren't clear, but someone spotted a sword on the third level gate this morning." The trio's mood suddenly darkened. Lin Jiao whispered, "That sword... is likely the Dirty Taoist's."

Ye Xuan was silent for a moment before saying, "Thank you for the information, stall owner." He turned to Lin Xiao and Lin Jiao and said, "It seems the situation is not optimistic."

Lin Xiao's eyes were determined at this moment. He clenched his fists and said, "I want to get that sword back."

Ye Xuan frowned slightly. "With Lin Jiao and I's strength, we should be able to get through the third level. Junior Brother Lin Xiao, why don't you wait here? We'll go and come back quickly."

However, Lin Xiao shook his head without hesitation, his eyes as firm as iron: "No, I want to go in with you. I must see with my own eyes where the sword is."

Seeing this, Lin Jiao smiled softly and said, "Senior Brother Ye Xuan, I believe Brother Lin Xiao can pass the first two levels smoothly."

Ye Xuan looked at Lin Xiao's resolute expression and sighed: "In that case, then okay, let's go in together."

The three of them walked towards the first level's Cobalt Guardian. The Guardian, wielding a massive axe and clad in armor, stood tall and imposing, his presence overwhelming. The first to confront the wolf demon, the Cobalt Guardian, was Ye Xuan, who defeated him with a single move, "Water Blade Slicing." The Guardian then stepped aside to allow Ye Xuan access.

The one who stepped forward to fight was Lin Jiao. She casually used a fire explosion technique to blow the Cobalt Guard away. Lin Jiao also entered the gate. It was now Lin Xiao's turn. Lin Xiao stepped forward to fight the Cobalt Guard who was blocking the entrance.

Lin Xiao stood before the Cobalt Guardian in the first stage, taking a deep breath and a determined gaze. He first activated the Overlord Divine Power Technique, a surge of immense power coursing through his body. His muscles bulged slightly, and his strength and speed increased dramatically. He then unleashed the Dragon Swimming Across the Seas technique. His body, as ethereal and elusive as a swimming dragon, instantly leaped several meters and arrived in front of the Cobalt Guardian in an instant.

"Hah!" Lin Xiao roared, his right fist condensing into a phantom dragon shadow, and he unleashed a Dragon Shadow Fist that struck Guardian Cobalt's chest. The fist shadow seemed to contain immense force, like a dragon breaking through the sea, swooping down.

The Cobalt Guardian reacted quickly, gripping the axe tightly with both hands and holding it across his chest, blocking the blow. With a loud "bang," the Cobalt Guardian stood firm as a rock, while Lin Xiao was forced back half a step by the recoil.

The Cobalt Guardian raised his lips slightly, snorted coldly, and swept his right leg like a tiger, attacking Lin Xiao. Seeing this kick carrying a fierce gust of wind straight towards him, Lin Xiao thought and used the Phantom Body Technique, instantly transforming into a phantom and dodging behind the Cobalt Guardian, while the afterimage in front of the Cobalt Guardian had not yet dissipated.

Guardian Cobalt noticed something strange happening before him, but it was too late to react. Lin Xiao was already standing behind him, fists clenched, unleashing another Dragon Shadow Fist. This punch landed firmly on Guardian Cobalt's back. With a resounding bang, Guardian Cobalt was sent flying several feet, slamming hard against the stone wall near the gate.

Lin Xiao let out a long sigh. He was absolutely confident in his own strength. Years of battling powerful warriors like the Dirty Taoist had long made him invincible among his peers. Despite the Cobalt Guardian's formidable strength, in Lin Xiao's eyes, he still posed no real threat. The Cobalt Guardian collapsed to the ground, unable to get up, and the battle quickly ended.

Lin Xiao defeated the Cobalt Guardian and entered the gate outside the Ancient Forest, where he reunited with Lin Jiao and Senior Brother Ye Xuan. The three of them exchanged a smile and continued their journey deeper into the forest. Their goal for the day was clear: they had to retrieve the Dirty Taoist's sword as soon as possible.

The first time Lin Xiao stepped into the outskirts of the Ancient Forest, he was immediately stunned by the sight. There were numerous demonic beasts here, and from time to time, one would suddenly burst out from the forest. Massive trees blocked out the sun, and the flowers and plants were unusually tall. The entire forest exuded an ancient and mysterious aura.

Despite this, the three of them did not stay for too long. Lin Xiao's eyes were always fixed on the front. They moved forward quickly and headed straight for the gate on the middle floor.

Soon, a second gate appeared in their sight. This time, guarding the gate was a Jiayin-level 1 Cobalt Guardian, whose aura was even more powerful than the previous guard. Lin Xiao knew that this battle could not be taken lightly.

Ye Xuan stepped forward and said to Lin Xiao, "This Cobalt Guardian is at the Jiayin First Realm, and his strength far surpasses yours. If you can't defeat him, you'd better stay here. We'll be back soon."

Lin Xiao shook his head, a determined light in his eyes: "No, I will definitely defeat him."

Ye Xuan nodded, signaling Lin Xiao to be careful, and then took the lead in fighting with the Cobalt Guardian. Ye Xuan's figure was like a rainbow, and with a move of ice crystal blast, a large number of sharp ice crystals were generated around the Cobalt Guardian, and then these ice crystals were detonated, causing explosive cold damage to the Cobalt Guardian. Then, she used the water blade to cut, condensing the water flow into a sharp blade.

In the end, the guard was knocked away by Ye Xuan's sword and fell heavily to the ground. Ye Xuan calmly withdrew her sword and walked to the front door, but did not enter. Instead, she stopped and wanted to watch Lin Xiao's performance.

Then, Lin Jiao also stepped forward to fight the Cobalt Guardian. She formed hand seals and cast an icy domain. The air around them instantly turned cold, and flakes of frost fell from the sky, covering the Cobalt Guardian's head. The frost spread rapidly, and the Cobalt Guardian's movements became sluggish.

Immediately afterwards, Lin Jiao unleashed her Ice Sword Rain, sending a dense hail of icy arrows hurtling down upon the Cobalt Guardian like a torrential downpour. Though the Cobalt Guardian fought back with all his might, he was ultimately severely wounded by the rain of arrows. Lin Jiao smiled faintly and walked over to Ye Xuan's side.

At this moment, Lin Xiao stood in front of the Cobalt Guardian. He knew that it was his turn to face the Cobalt Guardian of the Jiayin Realm.