The Legend of the Netherworld

Chapter 145 The action begins

Lin Xiao looked at the old monk and asked, "Excuse me, Master, have you ever searched the Ginkgo Sea?"

Hearing this, the old monk's expression suddenly darkened, his eyes narrowed slightly, as if he was recalling something.

After a moment, he shook his head and sighed, "I've never set foot there. After all, that place is the residence of the Haotian Tianniu, and the demonic aura is so strong that few cultivators have ever survived. However, two Dingmao Ninth Realm cultivators once went in to search, but they found nothing and no trace of the tree demon."

Lin Xiao nodded, but a trace of doubt flashed through his mind: "No, the scene shown by the phantom just now is clearly very similar to the Ginkgo Sea. Although what the old monk said is true, things are definitely not that simple. It seems that I must go to the Ginkgo Sea myself to see it."

He thought for a moment and then continued, "Besides 'Ginkgo Sea', are there any other places you haven't explored?"

The old monk sighed, looking rather helpless. "The other place is 'Secret Cliff'. It leads directly to the core area of ​​the Ancient Forest, but it is constantly guarded by shadow monkeys. If you're unlucky, you might even encounter the Shadow Monkey King. Human monks don't dare approach easily."

Lin Xiao's eyes flashed, and he said in feigned surprise, "So, isn't that the Ancient Tree Spirit's natural shelter?"

"Impossible!" The old monk changed his tone and said firmly, "Everyone knows that the Ancient Tree Spirit Venerable and the Shadow Monkey King have a long-standing grudge. If it hides in the Secret Cliff, wouldn't it be seeking its own death?"

Lin Xiao smiled slightly and said with feigned determination, "In my opinion, the more unlikely a place is, the more likely it is to hide the truth. I've decided to go to the Secret Cliff tomorrow to find out!"

After saying this, he looked up at the gradually darkening sky, then clasped his fists and said goodbye: "It's getting late, I will go first."

Lin Xiao took a step and his figure was as fast as lightning, quickly disappearing into the forest in the east.

The old monk stood there, watching Lin Xiao leave, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, muttering to himself: "Want to get rid of me? It's not that easy."

Lin Xiao shuttled through the dense forest, and the dead leaves under his feet made a rustling sound.

He stopped from time to time to observe the surrounding terrain, while trying to find nearby monsters.

However, because there are so many cultivators near the Xianteng Palace, the monsters have already retreated. Not to mention asking for information, even hunting a monster to fill their stomachs has become a luxury.

After walking around for a while, Lin Xiao suddenly saw four groups of monks in front of him. They were gathered together to discuss something. Lin Xiao's eyes moved, and he quickly stepped forward and said, "Wait a minute, everyone!"

When the four heard the sound, they stopped and looked back at Lin Xiao vigilantly.

The leading man, Shui Zeyang, was dressed in brown tights, a gloomy expression etched across his brow. He narrowed his eyes slightly and asked in a deep voice, "Why did you call us?"

Lin Xiao smiled kindly, took out a crystal jade from his storage ring, and threw it to Shui Zeyang, saying calmly, "I'd like to know the exact location of the 'Secret Cliff'. I hope you can teach me. This jade is a token of my gratitude."

Shui Zeyang took the fairy jade, stroking its smooth surface with his fingers. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and a hint of contempt appeared in his eyes. He turned his head to look at the three people behind him and said softly, "It seems he is a sensible person."

A blue-robed monk beside him also agreed with a smile: "If that's the case, what's the harm in telling him? There are fewer and fewer people who know the value of this kind these days."

Shui Zeyang nodded, raised his hand and pointed to the northeast, and said casually: "Follow this direction and you will see a high mountain with a barrier on the top. That is the 'Secret Cliff'."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiao bowed and said, "Thank you for your guidance, fellow Taoists."

He turned to leave, but the four people behind him were all smiles, constantly observing Lin Xiao's movements. A cold light flashed in Shui Zeyang's eyes, and he suddenly unsheathed the long sword in his hand and stabbed Lin Xiao in the back.

However, just as the sword was about to succeed, Lin Xiao suddenly turned around with a sneer on his face.

The long sword in his hand appeared and slashed out with a sharp sword energy, instantly knocking Shui Zeyang's long sword away!

Shuize Yang stepped back in surprise, his pupils shrinking slightly: "You knew this a long time ago?"

Lin Xiao snorted coldly, his eyes sharp as a knife: "Your murderous intentions are not hidden. If I am still defenseless now, won't I die in vain?"

Seeing this, the blue-robed monk's expression suddenly changed, and he shouted coldly: "Go, kill him!"

The four of them drew their swords at the same time, spiritual power surged, and the sword lights intertwined into a net, heading straight for Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao shook his sword, stepped on it, and flashed into the sword net like a dragon. His body was agile, and the sword light moved, breaking the combined attack of the four people in an instant.

"Puff!" A bloody mark appeared on the blue-robed monk's abdomen, and he flew backwards with a scream.

Lin Xiao took advantage of the situation and slapped Shui Zeyang in the chest. The latter hastily raised his sword to block it, but the huge force made his palm numb. He took several steps back and hit the big tree behind him.

"If you dare to attack again, you will lose your life!" Lin Xiao glanced at the remaining three people coldly, pointing his long sword at the ground, the blade stained with blood, and his imposing aura was overwhelming.

The remaining three people looked at each other, feeling frightened, and finally threw up their sleeves and fled in panic.

Lin Xiao stood there, watching the three men leave with a cold smile. With a flick of his hand, the dagger hanging from his waist suddenly transformed into a black blade shadow, piercing through the air.

"Pfft-"

The knife shadow swept past like autumn wind sweeping fallen leaves, and the necks of the three people were cut almost at the same time. Blood gushed out, staining the ground red.

A moment later, four heads slowly slid down, followed by four bodies that fell powerlessly.

Lin Xiao retracted the dagger, raised his head, a trace of indifference flashed in his eyes, and said coldly: "Fortunately, I am better than you. I have given you the Immortal Jade, but you still want to kill me. You deserve to die."

After saying that, he bent down and searched the bodies of the four people. Apart from six pieces of fairy jade, a small pile of ordinary herbs and some dry food, there were no other valuable items.

Lin Xiao looked at the spoils in his hand and couldn't help but frown, muttering to himself: "That's it? It's too poor!"

At this moment, his eyes fell on the waist of one of the corpses. An intricately carved waist plaque caught his attention. He picked it up, examined it, and found three large characters engraved on it: "Heavenly Cave."

Lin Xiao muttered in a low voice: "Heavenly Cave... Oh, it's a pity that you ran into me."

After putting the badge in his arms, he quickly stood up and turned to leave. He had already confirmed the location of the Secret Cliff and now needed to find a place to stay for the night before setting off tomorrow morning.

At the same time, on the treetop not far away, the old monk witnessed the whole process of Lin Xiao killing four people.

He narrowed his eyes, a sneer on his lips, and muttered, "It seems that this guy is indeed heading for the Secret Cliff... However, instead of continuing to follow him, it is better to get ahead of him. Maybe I can pick up a ready-made advantage."

As soon as he finished speaking, the old monk flashed and rushed towards the Hidden Cliff.

However, he did not realize that Lin Xiao had already sensed his presence through his spiritual sense.

Lin Xiao remained calm and continued to move towards the northeast, pretending to be unaware.

After walking for a distance, it was completely dark and Lin Xiao stopped under a thick tree.

"Now that I have gotten rid of that old monk, I can go to Ginkgo Sea with peace of mind tomorrow." Lin Xiao thought to himself.

He stepped on the treetops, his figure as light as a swallow, and leaped onto a sturdy branch, where he sat cross-legged. He took out the dry food he had scavenged from the four people, and after a simple meal, he closed his eyes and meditated, beginning to practice the "Boundless Sea of ​​Mind Art."

...

At the same time, in the Tianji Pavilion of the Feng Shui Academy, Zhang Ning was standing in the Zen temple of Elder Xuantian, reporting the latest situation to him.

"According to reports from Yu Fei and the disciples who just returned from the outskirts of the Ancient Forest, Lin Xiao has now entered the middle layer of the forest." Zhang Ning said calmly, "He's probably trying to take advantage of the opportunity when Tianci Cave and Jinhai Temple are encircling and suppressing the monster beasts to fish in troubled waters and reap some benefits."

After hearing this, Elder Xuantian raised his eyelids and said coldly, "You must immediately head to the core of the Ancient Forest and inform the Shadow Monkey King that the operation has begun."

Zhang Ning bowed and asked, "Elder, what about Yu Fei..."

"You don't have to worry about Yu Fei's affairs. You just need to complete your task and I will take care of the rest." Elder Xuantian waved his hand, his voice low but full of majesty.

"Yes!" Zhang Ning saluted again, then left the Zen temple and rushed to the ancient forest.

Late at night, moonlight shines through sparse clouds.

Zhang Ning had already reached the entrance to the core of the Ancient Forest. His eyes were icy as he gently raised his hand and unleashed the "Heavenly Secret Star Transformation." A brilliant flash of starlight passed, and the Jiayin Fifth Realm demon cultivator, Cobalt Guard, guarding the entrance, was powerless and fell unconscious.

Zhang Ning strode into the core layer and hurried along the deep forest path towards Forget-Your-Sorrow Valley.

When he arrived at the valley entrance, two monkey demons in the fifth realm of transformation jumped down from the darkness and blocked his way.

"Stop! Who are you?" one of the monkey demons shouted sternly, with a vigilant light in his eyes.

Zhang Ning stopped, bowed his head slightly, and said respectfully, "I'm Zhang Ning, a good friend of yours, the Monkey King. I've come here specially to visit you, so I'd appreciate your announcement."

As he spoke, he pulled out a heavy bag of fairy jade from behind him and handed it to the two monkey demons. The bag opened slightly, revealing a bag full of crystal clear fairy jade, no less than twenty pieces.

The two monkey demons exchanged glances, and the leader's wariness instantly gave way to greed. He quickly took the bag, glanced briefly, and nodded, saying, "Wait here. I'll go in and report."

The other monkey demon stood there, staring intently at Zhang Ning, as if preparing for a sudden attack. Zhang Ning, on the other hand, remained calm, his hands clasped behind his back, as he waited quietly.

The leading monkey demon walked out of the valley and slowly said to Zhang Ning, "Follow me."

Zhang Ning nodded slightly, responded in a deep voice, and then followed the monkey demon into the valley.

Ancient trees tower in the valley, vines entwined like giant dragons between their trunks. Fireflies danced through the trees, adorning the valley like a dream. The interplay of light and darkness added a touch of mystery and eeriness.

Walking deep into the valley, Zhang Ning saw a natural palace made of huge rocks. That was the residence of the Shadow Monkey King.

In front of the palace, the Shadow Monkey King sat on a stone chair, his hair as dark as the night, his eyes closed, and he exuded a suffocating pressure.

The leading monkey demon lowered his head and stepped forward, knelt on one knee and saluted, saying, "Monkey King, the people are here."

The Shadow Monkey King slowly opened his eyes, and his cold gaze pierced Zhang Ning like a sharp blade.

Zhang Ning met that gaze and felt a chill run down his spine. His legs and feet softened, and he fell to his knees with a thud. He said in a trembling voice, "Greetings, Monkey King!"

"Tell me, what's the matter?" The Monkey King spoke casually, but his voice shook Zhang Ning's ears like thunder.

Zhang Ning quickly lowered his head and replied, "Lin Jiao has already left the Feng Shui Academy, and Lin Xiao has already entered the middle layer of the Ancient Forest. We can begin our plan now. As for Ye Xuan, he will arrive at the Ancient Forest tomorrow."

After hearing this, the Shadow Monkey King snorted softly and nodded slowly. He then turned to look at the leading monkey demon and ordered, "Go to the middle level and tell the Ancient Tree Spirit Lord that the fish has been hooked. There's no need to hold back any longer. Just take action. Once this is accomplished, all grudges between you and me will be written off."

The leading monkey demon bowed and accepted the order: "Yes, sir!" Then he turned around, quickly left the valley, and headed towards the middle layer of the forest.

After watching the leading monkey demon leave, the Shadow Monkey King turned his gaze to Zhang Ning again, frowned slightly, and said in a cold voice: "Go aside, I feel uncomfortable looking at you."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ning nodded quickly, stood up tremblingly, walked to a corner, sat cross-legged, and did not dare to say much.

Before dawn, the leading monkey demon had reached the middle layer of the ancient forest. He stood in an open area and blew a sharp whistle.

A moment later, a blue crow flew over from a distance, landed in front of him, and asked respectfully, "Brother Monkey, what can I do for you?"

The leading monkey demon leaned forward and whispered, "Go to Ginkgo Sea and inform the Ancient Tree Spirit Lord. The operation has begun. All human cultivators encountered will be killed without mercy. Once this is accomplished, all grudges will be settled."

The blue crow nodded and agreed: "I understand. I will go there right away." Then it flapped its wings and flew quickly towards the Ginkgo Sea.

The sea of ​​ginkgo leaves is shimmering in the morning light.

The blue crow flew straight to a huge ginkgo tree and landed there. Standing on a branch, it whispered, "The Shadow Monkey King has ordered the operation to begin. Once it's accomplished, all grudges will be settled."

The ginkgo tree shook instantly, and the leaves made a rustling sound.

Then, its form rapidly changed, transforming into an immense banyan tree, its branches coiled like a dragon, clearly a thousand years old. This was the Ancient Tree Spirit's true form.

The Ancient Tree Spirit shook its branches and said in a deep and heavy voice, "It's a deal."

Seeing the order had been delivered, the Blue Crow turned around and prepared to return to report. However, just as it took off, a large axe came through the air with a sharp aura, instantly slicing the Blue Crow in half.

The axe drew an arc in the air and flew back into the hands of a tall figure.

He was clad in a shell as hard as iron armor, his eyes gleaming with a cold light. It was none other than Haotian Tianniu. He snorted coldly, "Mention that demon monkey in my presence, and you deserve to die!"

Haotian Tianniu strode up to the Ancient Tree Spiritual Master and asked in a deep voice, "Have you really decided? Aren't you afraid that demon monkey will use your knife to kill someone?"

The Ancient Tree Spirit Master sighed, his tone filled with helplessness: "Brother, I have nowhere else to go. This is my last contribution to this forest."

Haotian Tianniu was silent for a moment, then nodded heavily: "Brother... take care."

The Ancient Tree Spirit Lord said loudly: "Goodbye, brother!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Ancient Tree Spirit suddenly leaped up from the Ginkgo Sea and let out an earth-shaking roar, announcing his presence. The roar resounded in all directions, shaking the entire forest.

In the distance, the leading monkey demon who was returning to the core layer heard the roar, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a cold smile, and muttered to himself: "It seems that the order has been executed." Then he quickened his pace and quickly disappeared into the depths of the forest.