Chapter Ten: Heaven and the Netherworld (Part Two)

"Take you in? Nonsense!" Shi Jun couldn't hide his delight at seeing Hu Hai back to his usual self. "You’re not scared anymore?"

"Why fear ghosts when you’re already in the underworld?" Hu Hai replied, now truly unconcerned.

The two were chatting merrily when suddenly, a faint glimmer of light appeared ahead. They finally emerged from the pitch-black corridor of the Underworld Vortex into an unfamiliar space. With a sharp crack, the tentacle that had dragged them abruptly released its grip and withdrew. In a flash of blue-green light, it vanished before their eyes.

A narrow tunnel stretched from beneath their feet far into the distance. Its sides and ceiling were formed from pale yellow crystalline walls. Behind them, darkness reigned, but in front, a large door stood slightly ajar. From the crack in the door, beams of emerald light spilled out, casting a vibrant green glow across the entire passage.

Shi Jun reached out and touched the wall, surprised to find it warm and supple, almost like human skin. The sensation was so strange that he quickly pulled his hand back.

He and Hu Hai exchanged a glance, neither speaking. After a brief pause, they began to walk together toward the door.

Strangely, although the door looked close, no matter how long they walked, they never seemed to reach it. It was as if the door receded with every step they took forward. Looking back, the dark entrance they had come through had disappeared. The tunnel was softly lit, silent, and still; even the intermittent strains of zither music that had accompanied them had faded away at some unknown point.

"What now? If we keep walking like this, we’ll never get anywhere!" Hu Hai finally couldn't help complaining.

At this point, Shi Jun knew there was nothing they could do but keep moving forward and adapt as they went. Turning back would probably be just as difficult. He shrugged, raised his eyebrows, and said with a smile, "Let’s keep going. We can pretend we’re just out for a stroll."

"It's a pity, though. I’m still hungry! This kind of exercise is really a raw deal," Hu Hai sighed. The two exchanged a smile, then braced themselves and continued onward. As they walked, a sudden clatter sounded behind them—it was the blue phantoms, following their trail.

"Hey, these little guys sure are loyal to you! Well, that’s good—if anything happens, they can help us fight," Hu Hai called out happily.

At that moment, seeing the blue phantoms again, Shi Jun couldn’t help but feel a surge of fondness. Ever since the battle at the River of Souls, they had faithfully protected him, rescuing him from danger on more than one occasion. With their help, he felt more confident. "Thank you," he said. "By the way, do you know where this is?" Even as the words left his lips, he "heard" their thoughts: this was surely the only path to the Netherworld Patriarch’s realm, the Emerald Abyss.

Shi Jun brightened, gathered the blue phantoms into his Treasure Pouch, and relayed the information to Hu Hai.

"What are we waiting for? Let’s hurry!" Hu Hai urged, energized. After a few steps, he turned back and asked, "Hey, why do you think the Netherworld Patriarch only dragged the two of us in here?"

"Yeah, there were four of us together," Shi Jun mused. "Maybe it’s because only the two of us came from the human world…"

Hu Hai walked in silence for a while, then suddenly exclaimed, "I’ve got it! There are only a few possible reasons…"

Shi Jun, deep in thought himself, was impressed—Hu Hai had figured it out so quickly, and even had several explanations? He listened intently.

"First, maybe the old monster likes to eat people, and prefers them alive, so he only kidnapped us. Second," Hu Hai continued with mock gravity, "maybe he saw how talented I am and wants to take me as his disciple, fearing his supreme skills will die with him. Third, I think it's got something to do with your search. As for why I’m here too? That’s because I’m your lucky star, your unbeatable partner. Only I can help you find Shi Li, so the old man brought me along to give you pointers…"

Shi Jun rolled his eyes and smiled wryly. "I concede. You ought to be a storyteller, coming up with so many reasons in so little time."

"The first is a bit scary, but the other two are great! So, we should stay optimistic, though still cautious," Hu Hai replied with a laugh. "Besides, we have the blue phantoms. If a fight breaks out, we might not lose. And at a pinch, you might shine like last time. So really, there’s not much to worry about!"

Shi Jun smiled without replying, feeling a warmth rise in his heart. If he were alone now, perhaps he wouldn’t feel so at ease. Hu Hai’s optimism might be a little blind, but it always brought out the brighter side of things. He also knew that Hu Hai wasn’t really reckless—he simply used humor to boost their spirits, which, in its own way, gave Shi Jun even more courage.

Just then, a faint creak sounded. Without realizing it, they had arrived at the door, and as they approached, it slowly opened before them.

Shi Jun and Hu Hai exchanged a glance, reading both tension and anticipation in each other’s eyes. They smiled, then stepped together through the door.

Inside, a vast cavern made entirely of sparkling, transparent crystal unfolded before them. The cave was about the size of a football field, from domed ceiling to the floor composed of a single, flawless sheet of green crystal—so smooth and mirror-like that not a seam or joint could be seen. It was hard to imagine how such an enormous, perfect gemstone could have formed. The walls were also green, curving in a spherical shape, with countless irregular crystal branches jutting out—some rounded, some sharp, thick or thin, each with its own unique charm. Overhead, the crystals hung down like icicles in winter, thick above and tapering below, making the entire cave glow with a shimmering emerald brilliance. Wisps of milky-white mist drifted around their feet, creating the illusion of a dreamlike green world—everything seemed just a little unreal.

At the very center of the cavern stood a circular crystal pillar several feet high, upon which someone sat cross-legged. This, presumably, was the Netherworld Patriarch.

Coming closer, Hu Hai saw that the so-called Netherworld Patriarch did not at all match his expectations—no ancient sage with silver hair or eyebrows trailing to the floor, nor a bloodthirsty demon with a terrifying visage. Instead, he appeared to be a man in his fifties, his skin so pale it was nearly translucent, faintly glowing with a gentle radiance. His features were refined and calm, his chin clean-shaven, hair black and loosely draped behind him, and his tea-brown robe fell in graceful folds as he sat in meditation. Motionless as he was, he radiated a natural aura of majesty and authority that made one want to kneel and pay homage at first sight.

To Shi Jun, however, the Netherworld Patriarch appeared quite differently—a figure shrouded in misty grey-black vapor, his face blurred not because it couldn’t be seen, but because it seemed to shift and change at every instant, making it impossible to grasp his true form. His body seemed both real and unreal, as if he were both a tangible presence and an illusion conjured from thin air. Though he sat calmly upon the high platform, it was as if he were one with the surrounding space, and also as if he had been sitting there since the dawn of time, never having left. Even though his expression was indiscernible, a profound loneliness and desolation emanated from him.

Shi Jun felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if he had met this man before, though he could not recall when or where. An inexplicable feeling of closeness welled up within him, and he found himself walking unconsciously toward the crystal pillar.