A carefree soldier king in the city

Chapter 528 Blood River

According to ancient legend, beneath the Nine Netherworlds, at the boundary between Yin and Yang, lies an ancient bridge called "Naihe." Below it flows a river of blood, traversing Yin and Yang. Separation of life and death ends upon crossing this bridge. Alas, alas, there is nothing one can do. One step into the mortal world, one step into the underworld, all lie on this Naihe Bridge.

Could this place really be the legendary underworld, the Nine Netherworlds and Yellow Springs?

Chao Bufan was genuinely terrified and subconsciously looked up and down the Blood River. However, there was nothing on the vast Blood River. There was no Bridge of Helplessness, let alone a Terrace of Longing for Home or a Stone of Three Lives.

Is this not the Netherworld?

If this isn't the Nine Nether Hells, then where is it?

After a brief moment of shock, Chao Bufan began to feel confused. Where exactly was he?

"Little brother, what are you daydreaming about? Hurry up and come up, or we'll be in big trouble if we're late."

Sitting on Pu Lao's back, Tian Yue saw Chao Bufan staring blankly and urged him on. However, Chao Bufan immediately understood the double meaning in Tian Yue's words and quickly jumped up to sit behind Tian Yue.

"Gentlemen, please sit tight."

Pu Lao gave a few instructions, then plunged into the river.

Chao Bufan seemed to be in a closed and damp place before he realized he was in a cave. It looked like a stone cave with a ceiling about two people high, but only three feet wide on the sides. The cave was very narrow, with cold, hard stones on the sides. Inside the cave, on the walls and the floor, there were stones everywhere that emitted a soft light, making the cave quite bright.

Chao Bufan quickly and carefully examined the situation inside the cave. He felt that it seemed to be a passageway. One end was a pile of rubble that blocked the way completely, and the other end extended inward, but it turned a corner not far away, making it impossible to see what was inside.

"This is the only way I can take you. If you go any further, I will suffer the backlash from the seal."

After setting the two extraordinary individuals down, Pu Lao quickly took a step back and then said.

Tianyue nodded and said, "Pulao, thank you."

“You’re too kind,” Pulao said. “Dianling, I will wait for you two outside.”

As he spoke, Pulao vanished from the spot, leaving only a blur.

"Phew—" After Pulao left, Tianyue couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief, gently patting her chest to comfort herself, "That was close, thank goodness I was quick-witted."

Chao Bufan shook his head and smiled, then said, "Brother, I didn't expect your skill in lying to be so top-notch."

“No problem,” Tianyue said smugly. “I can easily fool a mere Pulao with just a few words.”

Chao Bufan suddenly frowned, then asked, "Brother, is this so-called Heaven and Earth Cave the legendary Nine Nether Hell?"

"Huh?" Tianyue exclaimed in surprise, "How did you know?"

Upon hearing this, Chao Bufan's eyes twitched. He wanted to say something, but the words caught in his throat. After a few seconds, he gave a bitter smile and said, "I guessed it based on the Blood River. Under the Nine Heavens, only in the Nine Nether Hells does the Blood River exist."

“That’s right, this is indeed the Nine Nether Hell,” Tian Yue said. “What? Are you surprised?”

Chao Bufan gave another wry smile and said, "I am very surprised, brother. So the ones you mentioned, the guardians of the cave, must be the Ten Kings of Hell, right?"

Tian Yue shook her head and said with a solemn face, "Whether they are the Ten Kings of Hell, I don't know. I only know that they are all guardians of the caves, and each of them is extremely powerful."

"Have you seen them?" Chao Bufan asked.

“No,” Tianyue said firmly. “If I had seen them, I wouldn’t be able to get in again.”

Upon hearing this, Chao Bufan pondered for a moment, but his expression became unusually serious. He then asked, "Brother, I want to ask you something."

"What is it?" Tianyue asked.

Chao Bufan sorted out his thoughts and then said, "As far as I know, of the Nine Great Worlds, apart from the human realm which remains peaceful, all the other worlds have been destroyed. So why is the Nine Nether Hell intact?"

Upon hearing this, Tianyue smiled slightly, and then recited: "Grass withers, trees wither and flourish, people are born, grow old, get sick and die; flowers fade, water dries up, mountains collapse and the earth cracks; time passes mercilessly, youth is like flowing water, always a source of sorrow..."

Chao Bufan didn't understand why Tian Yue was saying such sad and sorrowful words to him, but he knew in his heart that she must have her reasons for saying them, and she couldn't have said them without a reason, so he listened quietly.

“Brother,” Tianyue smiled bitterly, a smile that revealed his helplessness and sorrow, “In truth, the destruction of the eight great worlds—demons, monsters, the underworld, ghosts, immortals, gods, Buddhas, and the supernatural—was inevitable. It’s like a tree, a blade of grass; without sunlight and water, it will wither and die. The World Tree, though a divine tree connecting the nine great worlds, has been home to countless extraordinary individuals throughout history. Among them were rulers of their respective realms, powerful beings who could control the world with a flick of their wrist, destroying it with a mere wave of their finger. Which of them wasn’t invincible? Which wasn’t an immortal legend? Yet, they all cease to exist, long since vanished into the river of history. Why? Because all living things, none of them can live without a…” The word "greed" is paramount. Plants and trees crave sunlight and water to thrive; without them, they wither and die. Cultivators crave power to prove their Dao; they all desire to become stronger, relentlessly taking. For every take, there is a give, but they fail to realize that what they take far exceeds what the other gives. Without giving, what is there to take? Further taking leads to self-destruction. The World Tree is the mother of all living things; because what they took far exceeded what its mother provided, it ultimately perished. As for the weak human world, although it also has greed, it knows how to be content with its lot, understanding what should and shouldn't be taken, and doesn't cling to any particular thing or object. Thus, it receives the mother's favor and remains safe and sound…

Chao Bufan seemed to have thought about something and understood something. He smiled faintly and said, "Cause and effect are cyclical, and retribution is inevitable. Everything arises from causes and conditions and is born from thoughts. If you are attached to a certain thing or object, you will suffer from gains and losses, and troubles will follow one after another. If you can see through everything and have no worries in your heart, you will be fearless."

“You make it sound so easy,” Tianyue said. “But who can truly let go of everything?”

“Yes, that’s right.” Chao Bufan sighed and said, “Life often brings what you fear most. When you take gains and losses lightly and don’t care about success or failure, things tend to go smoothly and you can turn misfortune into good fortune. The most precious thing in life is to have a calm mind. A calm mind is like still water. When the mind is calm, it is naturally cool. If you are not confused by the five colors of the world and not bewildered by the myriad flavors of life, you can be content with whatever comes your way and go with the flow. Everything will be fine.”