āDamnit, how did I end up circling back here?ā
Long Chen was gloomy. He didnāt know how many spiritual beasts he had killed as he had rushed along. But after countless forks in the road, he had returned to his original location.
āContinuing like this is out of the question. I have to think of something.ā This time, he left behind a mark at the fork before continuing. He found that not long after, he appeared on a completely foreign path.
āFuck this. Iām not playing this game,ā cursed Long Chen. He directly closed his eyes and tried to sense the general direction of the thing he needed. This maze had continuously blocked him, and now, he was out of patience.
āItās in that direction.ā
Long Chen began to walk in a direction that had no path and was full of mist. Long Chen suddenly took out a saber.
The last Enchanted saber he had used had exploded after he had used the second form of Split the Heavens. He could only replace it with another. But this was a pole saber, a yanyuedao. Two-thirds of it was the handle, while the blade only took up a third. There was a huge difference compared to the normal sabers he used. However, he had no better weapons now, so he could only use it.
After traveling an hour through the mist, a path appeared in front of him. But Long Chen didnāt follow that path. Instead, he continued in a straight line toward the thing that he sensed.
He didnāt know how far that thing was. What he wanted to find was the thing the vice sect master had mentioned at the end.
Suddenly, he heard some sounds. Long Chen rushed in that direction. A small path appeared in front of him, and there was a woman lying on the ground, her expression pale and twisted, as if she was undergoing a painful struggle.
Long Chen immediately went up to her and pressed a hand on her forehead. His powerful Spiritual Strength surged into her mind-sea. She was currently being attacked by a foreign Spiritual Strength, but Long Chenās Spiritual Strength destroyed it.
āMany thanks, senior apprentice-brother!ā She opened her eyes and looked at him gratefully.
Just now, she had been attacked by several powerful spiritual beasts. Although she had done her best to kill them, one of them had managed to invade her mind-sea, almost exterminating her soul.
With her soul being attacked, she had no time to crush the jade tablet. Just thinking about it filled her with terror.
āYouāre welcome. Do you know where the place you can see your future is?ā asked Long Chen.
āSenior apprentice-brother Long Chen!ā she gasped.
āI just want to gain some experience. I have no other intentions. Have you run into it?ā
āI didnāt, but I ran into a senior apprentice-sister from the seventeenth supermonastery who said she ran into Future Lake. That Future Lake actually took the initiative to ask her if she wanted to see her future. She was so terrified that she fled,ā she said.
āFuture Lake? That name does sound pretty magical. Do you know its general direction?ā asked Long Chen.
āSenior apprentice-brother Long Chen, are you really planning on going there? The vice sect master saidā¦ā
āDonāt worry, I wouldnāt do something as stupid as trying to divine my future. That would just destroy a personās Dao-heart. I just want to gain experience.ā
Only after hearing this did she say, āI remember the location. That senior apprentice-sister was very nice and she told me not to go in that direction. If you want to go there to gain experience, I can bring you there.ā
She led Long Chen in a certain direction. After a few dozen turns, even Long Chen was shocked by her amazing memory. It seemed that anyone who could attend this trial was truly extraordinary.
āWeāve arrived.ā
Long Chen looked around and saw mist everywhere. He couldnāt see anything. He was just about to ask her about this when she said, āThis is the fork. If you go left, youāll reach Future Lake. I⦠I donāt dare to go. According to that senior apprentice-sister, that place is too strange.ā
āThen thank you. Iāll go take a look. With how terrifying you make it sound, even Iām getting nervous,ā laughed Long Chen.
āThen you really shouldnāt go.ā
āBut, how can you allow yourself to be defeated by fear? Since Iāve decided to look, then Iām going to take a look!ā
Without another word, Long Chen walked off. The mist completely blocked his vision after just a few steps, and he wasnāt even able to see her anymore. He quickened his footsteps.
After over two hours, Long Chen still didnāt see any lake. He even suspected that she had tricked him. But there was no reason for her to trick him, and after all, he had just saved her.
The strange thing was that there were no spiritual beasts on this path. There were also no forks in the road. He could only continue onward.
Finally, after six hours, the path came to a dead end.
āWhat the fuck? She really did trick me?!ā Long Chen couldnāt help being enraged.
āDo you want to know your future?ā
Suddenly, a spiritual fluctuation appeared. The mist in front of him slowly dissipated, revealing a lake. The lakeās surface was as flat as a mirror, and the mist around it made it appear extremely mysterious.
Long Chen was stunned. Was this lake alive? It was actually able to talk through spiritual fluctuations.
āI do, but does it cost money?ā asked Long Chen.
The lake was silent for a moment before a figure slowly rose out of the water. That figure was lithe and graceful. It seemed like a woman, but it was impossible to see any clear details.
āIt doesnāt cost money. But Iāll need you to help me,ā said that figure.
āHelp you with what?ā Long Chen was on guard.
āBring me out of this place.ā
āHow am I supposed to do that?ā
āLet me enter your spiritual space and bring me out. Iāll not only let you see your future, but Iāll also raise you into this worldās strongest expert,ā it enticed.
Damn, why does that sound so familiar? Itās just like what that old ghost, Gui Sha, wanted.
Long Chen suddenly smiled coldly. āIf my guess isnāt wrong, you should be a powerful figure from the Corrupt path. Despite your soul already being destroyed, you were still able to reform it. It seems you were truly an amazing person when you were alive.ā
That figure didnāt reply. After a moment of silence, it said, āYouāre smart. That guess of yours is correct. Although I died countless years ago, just my name is enough to strike terror into the hearts of countless Righteous experts. How does it sound? Little fellow, cooperate with me. Bring me out of here and back to the Corrupt path, and then I will give you anything you want!ā
It would be strange if anyone believed such a thing, thought Long Chen to himself. His head was rapidly working. Most likely, this soul was relying on the lake to survive and couldnāt leave or attack, which is why it would try to entice him.
He shook his head and said, āThe vice sect master told me that if someone wanted to tell my future here, I was to ignore them. That person is a trickster who will take your life.ā
āThatās pure nonsense. I have to rely on this lake to live. How could I ever take other peopleās lives? Those people wanted to see their futures, and all I did was help them.ā
āOh, I understand. You intentionally allowed them to see their future. But you changed the future they saw, making them see themselves dying tragically in order to destroy their Dao-hearts,ā said Long Chen.
āWrong. This Future Lake is actually a projection of the Xuantian Dao Sectās priceless treasure, the Reincarnation Mirror. That Reincarnation Mirror is on the same level as my Corrupt pathās Corrupt God Divine Skull. How could I have the strength to change what it shows?ā
Long Chenās heart shook. He hadnāt expected there to be such a huge secret behind the Nine Netherworld Path. He hastily asked, āThen can this Future Lake really tell a personās future?ā
āOf course. But Iād advise you not to do that. The future it shows you is true, but it is also false. Divining the future invokes karma, and the Reincarnation Mirror will not allow that karma to affect it. It will make the asking person bear that karma.ā
āThen isnāt the Dao Sect harming their own disciples? Why would they put such a thing here?ā asked Long Chen.
āThis Nine Netherworld Path is actually a huge formation made from condensed Spiritual Strength. Without the Reincarnation Mirrorās projection, it would be impossible to control such a huge formation.ā
Only then did Long Chen understand. This terrifying existence was most likely something that even the vice sect master wasnāt aware of. Just now, he had stealthily used his Spiritual Strength to probe behind him, only to find that his retreat path had been cut off.
It seemed that now that this existence had exposed itself, then whether or not he agreed, it wouldn't allow him to leave. But he wasnāt afraid. āThen can senior help me with something? Can you use Future Lakeās power to help me divine the origin of something I have?ā
āThatās no problem. I can help you do that, but have you agreed to what Iāve asked of you?ā
āNo problem. In any case, Iāve had enough of the Righteous path. Throwing myself to the Corrupt path is also fine. However, in that case, I need your help to bring one of my companions over,ā said Long Chen.
āWho?ā
āIt should be the woman whose Spiritual Strength is the greatest of everyone here except me,ā said Long Chen.
āHer?ā
A figure suddenly appeared on the lake. That figure was Meng Qi. She had just killed another batch of spiritual beasts and was refining their soul energy.
Long Chen was shocked. Or was this to be expected of an existence that could divine the future? He nodded. āSenior, please lead her over here. She has something I need.ā
āAh!ā
A startled cry rang out and Meng Qi suddenly appeared beside Long Chen. She panicked as she had no idea what was going on. But Long Chen said, āMeng Qi, lend me the Soul Calming Jade.ā
Previously, Long Chen had given the nine-line Soul Calming Jade to Meng Qi, as it was extremely helpful for her.
Meng Qi didnāt quite understand what was happening, but she took off the pendant from her neck. Long Chen then threw it to that illusory figure.
āThank you for your trouble, senior.ā
When Meng Qi saw the figure he was talking to, her pupils shrunk. Then looking at the lake water, she immediately understood something: Long Chen was about to do something exceedingly crazy.