## Chapter 12: Rebirth in the Nether River
**Author:** Gu Zhenren
**Date:** 2014-06-18
In the darkness, a river stretches hundreds of miles wide and thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of miles long. It surges from an endless darkness upstream and flows into an endless darkness downstream. Chu Yun’s soul resides within the Star Ghost Spirit Ring, its Emperor-level spiritual perception covering a radius of three thousand miles. Yet, it can’t trace the river’s origin or end.
The mighty river flows, turbid and yellow. It appears as if the river water is filled with flying yellow sand, making it exceptionally murky. However, upon closer inspection, one realizes the river water is a semi-transparent pale, exuding a chilling cold. This is Profound Nether True Water, of Innate level. The turbidity, on the other hand, is caused by hundreds of millions of skeletons and bones.
These pale yellow bones come in myriad forms. Some are human, some resemble Demonic Beasts, some look like Demonic Plants, and others appear as Demon Soldiers. They open their mouths and howl, creating a wave of sound. As they drift with the current, they bare their teeth and claws, attempting to drag any river crossers into the depths, to assimilate them into their ranks.
“Yellow Springs Nether River…” Chu Yun murmurs to himself. This is the second trial of the Ghost Continent. Only by crossing the Yellow Springs Nether River can one proceed further into the Ghost Continent. But this Nether River is no trifling matter; it targets all living beings. It is a unique Demon Soldier, crafted personally by a Ghost Saint. The main body of this Demon Soldier is the countless yellow bones, possessing a high degree of growth. With each assimilation of a life form, its strength grows infinitesimally. Legend has it that it began as a mere stream, easily crossable with a single step. The stream had a faint yellow hue and only about ten yellow bones.
However, time can destroy all and create all. Now, it is an impassable chasm, a monumental obstacle, barring all illegal crossers. Chu Yun attempts to pilot the Star Ghost Spirit Ring to cross the river. After flying less than thirty miles over the surface, he finds himself exhausted. Countless yellow bones from the riverbed beckon him, an unfathomable gravitational pull dragging the ring downwards.
“So terrifying…” Chu Yun marvels inwardly, forced to retreat. Direct confrontation is impossible; fortunately, he can still borrow the power of the Azure Flame Divine Demons. These Azure Flame Divine Demons continuously break through the Ghost Gate Pass and reach the riverbank. Initially, only the first wave of over thirty demons arrived, but their numbers grew, as did their cultivation levels. After half a month, they exceeded eighty thousand.
Innate Divine Demons are chaotic in nature, and internal conflicts and battles frequently erupt among them. However, this does not mean they lack intelligence. Between chaos and order, they will prioritize the destruction of order. Under the immense pressure of the Yellow Springs Nether River, they unite, forming a crossing party of one hundred thousand. The vast army surges forward with crushing force towards the opposite bank. Cold waves rise like mountains, and the yellow bones in the river writhe frantically. Innate Divine Demons are continuously dragged into the riverbed. Pale flames burn, causing the Profound Nether True Water to sizzle and steam. Beneath the flames, the yellow bones are calcined into yellow water. But the yellow bones in the river are simply too numerous; even describing them as bones mountains and bone seas only scratches the surface. From the army of one hundred thousand that set out, fewer than eight thousand remained upon reaching the opposite bank.
However, although the Nether River devoured countless Azure Flame Divine Demons, it could only destroy them outright; it could not assimilate them. Under the influence of order, the Yellow Springs Nether River could not absorb the chaotic Azure Flame Divine Demons. Chu Yun pilots the Star Ghost Spirit Ring, following far behind. With the Nether River and the Azure Flame Divine Demons locked in combat, both fully engaged with each other, his pressure is greatly reduced.
The aura of the Yellow Springs Nether River continuously pours into the ring from the outside. Chu Yun does not intercept it; instead, he opens the gates wide. The Nether River’s energy is highly beneficial to souls. Chu Yun absorbs these energies. Inside the ring, his soul, initially a ball the size of a fist, swells like a balloon under the infusion of this energy. By the time he crosses the Nether River and reaches the opposite bank, his soul has expanded from the size of a fist to that of a fifteen or sixteen-year-old youth.
Continuing to trail far behind the Azure Flame Divine Demons, the Star Ghost Spirit Ring drifts leisurely onward. In the darkness, they grope about, their sense of direction completely lost. This is also a form of invisible trial. Many souls become trapped in this stretch of darkness, unable to transcend, their soul power eventually depleting, leading to complete dissipation. The Azure Flame Divine Demons have long since vanished. Chu Yun must face the boundless darkness alone.
For some, this period of darkness might be brief, as short as an instant, a single step to overcome. For others, this dark journey will be infinitely long, stretching into eternity, capable of exhausting the very essence of their souls. This darkness represents the Path of Rebirth, the third trial of the Ghost Continent. It is not a physical journey but a mental one, requiring not feet but willpower.
Scenes flicker before Chu Yun’s eyes. From his past life to his present, he recalls the hesitation during difficult choices, the regret over the deaths of loved ones, the joy of success, the despair of defeat – countless scenes from his own experiences. Past emotions are magnified infinitely, surging like dark currents, deeply entangling him, attempting to cloud his mind and bind his will.
“It’s useless. My ambition encompasses the Nine Provinces, my aspirations reach the Ninth Heaven. The past cannot bind me, the present cannot impede me, and the future cannot confuse me. I…” Just as he intends to break through the Path of Rebirth with his peerless will, the Star Ghost Spirit Ring suddenly shakes violently. Simultaneously, in Xingzhou, Chu Yun’s main body opens his eyes, a look of astonishment on his face.
“What is this?!” He sees a past scene. In Yao Shan Kingdom, Xingzhou, within the inheritance of the Ten Thousand Beasts King in the Endless Forest, there were three days and three nights of recklessness and passion. At that time, he had been gambling with the Riot Ape King over Heart Moving Wine, his senses completely blurred, everything beyond his control. He couldn’t recall anything afterward, and this true memory was buried deep within his soul. Now, as he walks the Path of Rebirth, he finally remembers it all.
“Hua Mei, Yi Yan, and Fei Yan, and others…” Chu Yun’s emotions become complex and inexpressible, a tangle of feelings beyond words. “Fine, am I, Chu Yun, the kind of irresponsible person? Since it truly happened, from this day forward, you are all my women!”
With this resolution, the Star Ghost Spirit Ring emits a beam of light. The light pierces the darkness, and the surroundings instantly transform. Chu Yun cannot help but rejoice. He knows he has not only passed the Path of Rebirth and truly arrived in the Ghost Continent but also that his soul within the ring has undergone intense refinement through this inner trial. The previous figure of a fifteen or sixteen-year-old youth has condensed into that of a five or six-year-old child. However, his soul power has increased by more than fivefold, and his appearance is far clearer and more defined, no longer hazy.
“The Ghost Continent has three trials: the first is the Ghost Gate Pass, the second is crossing the Nether River, and the third is the Path of Rebirth. These three trials not only serve to screen souls but also to temper them. With each trial passed, the soul undergoes a significant enhancement,” Chu Yun suddenly understands the profound meaning of the Ghost Saint. The three trials of the Ghost Continent not only serve a defensive purpose but also aid in advancement. Therefore, any soul entering the Ghost Continent is an elite among souls.
Hence, some comment that the Ghost Continent and the Barbarian Continent represent two extremes. The Barbarian Continent is teeming with life and vast in number, the largest among the Nine Provinces. The Ghost Continent, however, prefers quality over quantity, following a path of elite soldiers, with a vast territory and sparse population. After enduring these three trials, Chu Yun’s soul within the ring has grown immensely. What was once merely comparable to his left arm is now equivalent to more than half of his main body. Of course, his main body has also been refined after the third trial. Once his left-arm soul returns, his soul at that level will break through to the intermediate Emperor level.
Sparse, withered vines and old trees stand erect on the land of the Ghost Continent. Their gnarled branches are tough, their turns abrupt. From afar, each tree resembles a monstrous entity, baring its fangs and claws at the sky. The sky of the Ghost Continent is not a vast expanse of stars but a mass of white bones. This mass of white bones covers the entire land of the Ghost Continent like a lid, forming its firmament. The bone firmament perpetually emits a pale glow, illuminating the somber land.
Chu Yun emerges from the ring, instantly transforming into a five or six-year-old male child. With a plump, round head, lotus-petal arms, and chubby legs, he looks like a carved jade figurine. His eyes sparkle with gem-like brilliance. “The environment of the Ghost Continent is unique. In the other eight provinces, souls are mere ethereal projections, but here, they can exhibit some physical characteristics.” The child-like Chu Yun attempts to reach out his small hand and picks up a piece of rock from the ground. In other provinces, his hand would pass straight through the rock. But here, in the Ghost Continent, he can, as a soul, lift the stone as if he had a physical body. With a gentle squeeze, the stone shatters into countless powder in his hand with a“crack.”
“What wondrous laws,” Chu Yun looks up at the bone sky. Ordinary people would only see pale bone fragments filling their entire vision. But in his eyes, a Net of Law appears. This is the Net of Law of the Ghost Continent, embedded within the bone firmament. It is boundless; the Net of Law of Chu Yun’s Immortal Pouch World doesn’t even amount to one-thousandth of it. Even the Net of Law of Xingzhou is implicitly inferior. After all, the Ghost Continent was established earlier than Xingzhou, and in terms of history, it is naturally more ancient.
Chu Yun glances briefly before quickly withdrawing his gaze, fearing detection by the Ghost Continent’s Net of Law. He is an illegal immigrant, and his goal is to rescue his father’s soul by surprise. Therefore, his identity must not be revealed. “My father’s soul should be in the hands of the Underworld Emperor. But now that I’m unfamiliar with this place, finding the Underworld Emperor will be extremely difficult. Even if I find him, this clone is no match for him. Hmm? Someone’s coming!”
While Chu Yun is contemplating, footsteps are suddenly heard. This is a mountain valley, with rugged and strange rocks. Chu Yun retreats back into his ring, hiding among the strange rock formations. The footsteps grow closer, and accompanying them is a faint sound of sobbing. Soon, a young girl emerges from behind the rocks. She appears to be about sixteen years old, with fair skin, a cute button nose, and large, tear-red eyes beneath thick, fan-like eyelashes. She wears a light yellow martial arts uniform and has her hair in twin ponytails. The fitted cuffs of her uniform give her an efficient and cheerful aura. Unlike Chu Yun’s soul form, she is a living, breathing being of flesh and blood!
(To be continued)
