Chapter 587: Roohu and the Great Jin Dynasty

"You call this the Land of Netherworld. Does that mean it's connected to the rumored Underworld? What exactly is this place? Our magic power has been suppressed; is there a way to restore it? Most importantly, I don't want to stay here; I wish to return to the outside. Could you please show me a clear path?" Han Li asked, frowning slightly and then letting out a long breath.

"Go back? If it were that easy, would we still be stranded here, living a precarious existence day after day? You see, most of the people here were born in this Land of Netherworld. Only a very small number, like you and me, were sucked in by the strange mist. Most outsiders who entered this place were devoured by the nether beasts. Only the fortunate few managed to survive due to various reasons and found their way to the village. Our relatives and friends are all outside too," the old man shook his head and sighed.

Han Li was speechless upon hearing these words.

"As for what this place truly is, or if it's connected to the Underworld? Who knows? However, many predecessors who arrived here before us have speculated on this. One theory, similar to what you mentioned, suggests that this is a spatial rift where the Underworld and the human realm converge. That's why there's such a heavy concentration of nether energy here, yet it can't form overly powerful nether beasts."

"Another theory posits that there's no such thing as an Underworld in this world; it's merely a myth perpetuated by cultivators. They believe this place is actually inside the belly of the legendary Demonic Beast Luo. Only a beast said to be capable of swallowing the sun and moon and instantly traversing through space could explain why the strange mist appears in different sea regions and why this place only connects with the outside world every few years. After all, the legendary Luo Demonic Beast is known for its preference for hiding deep underwater and feeding only once in a very long while."

"The Luo Demonic Beast? How is that possible! That beast is even more far-fetched than the Underworld. I can't believe such a creature truly exists in our generation." Han Li's expression changed dramatically upon hearing the old man's hypothesis.

"Indeed. When I first heard that explanation, I was just as shocked as you are. But I must admit, as absurd as the conjecture seems, it does hold some possibility. If it were a constantly open spatial rift, it should open at a fixed point in the outside world. Yet, in reality, every time the Land of Netherworld connects with the outside, the people drawn in come from several different sea regions. These individuals often haven't even heard the names of each other's sea regions. For example, I come from a small island in Wannam Province of the Great Jin Dynasty. Other cultivators are from the Five Dragon Sea, or the coast of Tian Sha Continent, or even the Scattered Star Sea. Before we met, most of us had no idea where the other's mentioned sea region was," the old man said slowly.

"The Great Jin Dynasty! Fellow Daoist, are you a cultivator from the Jin nation?" Han Li showed a hint of surprise. This was precisely the name of the super-empire he had heard of when he was in Tiannan.

"Could it be that you, too, are from our Great Jin Dynasty?" The old man's eyes lit up immediately.

"Not exactly. However, I have heard a thing or two about it. I know it's an incredibly vast country! I've always longed to visit, but unfortunately, I haven't had the chance," Han Li shook his head.

"Ah, I see! That's quite a pity. I truly hope I'll have the chance to return someday!" The old man showed a hint of disappointment.

"Hehe! If you were to visit our Great Jin, you would truly understand what a cultivation world is like. As far as I know, though there are many other regions where cultivators reside in this world, none can compare to our Great Jin in terms of scale and prosperity. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call our Great Jin nation the holy land for cultivators in this realm." As he spoke of his homeland, the old man became visibly excited.

Han Li rubbed his nose, a wry smile on his face, but he was indeed moved by the old man's words.

"Haha, I've strayed a bit from the topic. You asked earlier if there's a way to restore your magic powers here. I can tell you clearly that as long as you remain in this Land of Netherworld, you shouldn't fantasize about your previous powers returning. Besides the nether energy, there's also something we call 'spirit-nullifying qi' here. It usually resides deep within the earth's core but erupts periodically from deep underground, permeating the entire space. Any cultivator within its influence will lose all their magic powers and abilities. There's no way to undo this. Didn't you happen to be sucked in precisely when the rift opened and the spirit-nullifying qi erupted simultaneously?" The old man said with a slight smile.

Hearing the old man mention this, Han Li felt a wave of frustration.

If he hadn't encountered such bad luck, he wouldn't have been pulled into this place by a mere ghost mist. He would have been enjoying himself somewhere else by now.

"Is there truly no hope of leaving this place? I still find that hard to believe!" Han Li said, unwilling to accept it after a moment of silence.

"It's not quite like that. The method for leaving is clearly laid out. But someone has to be able to accomplish it!" The old man stroked his beard and said unhurriedly.

"What method?" Han Li's heart brightened, and he quickly pressed for an answer.

Beside him, Mei Ning, whose expression had been fluctuating between pale and flushed upon hearing the old man's previous words, also felt a surge of hope.

"Well..." The old man didn't reply immediately, instead showing a hint of hesitation and contemplation.

"Is something inconvenient, Fellow Daoist?" Han Li's expression shifted, revealing a hint of surprise.

"Don't misunderstand, both of you; there's nothing to hide! Although I wish our village could have one or two more cultivators, I wouldn't deliberately make things difficult for you. I'm merely afraid that your eagerness to leave might lead you to foolishly sacrifice your lives!" The old man's eyes narrowed slightly as he observed the changing expressions on Han Li and Mei Ning's faces, speaking with significant meaning.

Han Li was startled at first by these words, but then chuckled softly.

"Don't worry. Although I appear young, I am a cultivator who has practiced for many years. I won't act recklessly. If something is truly impossible, I would never foolishly throw my life away. However, I still want to hear the escape method you mentioned, to understand exactly what makes it so difficult." Han Li's smile faded as he asked solemnly.

"Since you've put it that way, I'll no longer conceal it." The stout old man pondered for a moment before agreeing. He then walked out of the hall and stood by the doorway, looking up into the distance, seemingly deep in thought.

"Brother Han, what are we going to do? Are you really going to climb that Storm Mountain?" Mei Ning asked, biting her red lip as she stood behind Han Li. Her face was extremely pale at that moment.

She was utterly despairing about the escape method the old man described, believing it was fundamentally impossible to meet the conditions.

"I haven't fully decided yet, but I must at least try to find a way," Han Li said indifferently, gazing at the sky.

Mei Ning's expression shifted when she heard this, and just as she was about to say something more, footsteps approached them.

A dark-skinned boy, about fifteen or sixteen years old, walked over curiously.

"You two are new here, aren't you? I've been instructed by the elder to take you to your living quarters. Since you're new, your food for the first three days is free. After that, you'll need to undertake tasks. Otherwise, you'll have to leave the village and fend for yourselves," the boy said matter-of-factly, his dark eyes wide.

"Alright, lead the way," Han Li said noncommittally.

The boy nodded and, without further ado, led the two towards a corner of the village.

After a short while, the boy led them to a reasonably tidy stone house.

Mei Ning's face immediately flushed crimson when she saw that the stone house contained only one bed, barely large enough for two people.

"Why is there only one bed here?" she asked the boy hesitantly.

"Aren't a man and a woman supposed to share a bed when they're together?" The boy blinked, somewhat bewildered by her question.

Mei Ning's face became even redder. She wanted to explain, but for a moment, she couldn't speak.

"We sleep separately. Just bring another stone bed," Han Li said calmly to the boy, looking away from inspecting the outer room.

The boy pouted, somewhat unwillingly, but agreed and walked out.

"You rest for a bit. I'll go look around the rest of the village first!" Han Li said to the woman in a tone that brooked no argument as soon as the boy left. A hint of surprise appeared on Mei Ning's beautiful face, but she then nodded silently without a word.

Han Li no longer hesitated. He walked out of the house, glanced around briefly, then strode towards the tall, slender stone platform in the center.

He was quite interested in the method of controlling nether energy.

There was no one guarding the stone platform, so Han Li approached it easily.

Due to the platform's extreme height, the steps built on one side were terrifyingly steep.

After circling the stone platform several times, Han Li ascended it with ease.