Chapter 1787: Soul-Returning Incense
The words written in tea water vanished the instant they appeared.
It was as though the two words "Nether Ruins" had never existed upon the table at all.
Li Daoye smiled. "Lord Fang, don't speak of this place aloud. Just keep it in your heart. Otherwise, that person over there may calculate it and interfere."
"Then where exactly... is this place located?" asked Fang Chen.
Since Li Daoye spoke this way, did that mean he believed Fang Chen's fifth-transformation immortal herb could no longer be found within the Nine Mortal Realms, and that only the Nether Ruins held any possibility?
Li Daoye smiled. "Travel westward from the Underworld, and you'll arrive eventually. Remember to bring the incomplete History Immortal Book with you. With it, finding the complete History Immortal Book won't be so difficult."
He stood up and cupped his fist toward the two. "Lord Fang, Abbess, I should return now. If there's another chance in the future, we'll meet again."
After saying that, Li Daoye gradually dispersed, beginning from his feet. It was as if his appearance had been nothing more than a dream or an illusion. As he vanished, it was as though he had never been here at all.
Qing He revealed a strange look. "Even I can no longer see through his methods."
Fang Chen looked thoughtful. "I still didn't ask him about Gu Yueling, though... he should already understand the situation."
He glanced out the window. Down on the bustling streets below, a cheerful figure was darting about everywhere, occasionally stopping before snack stalls. She bought a huge pile of food before finally entering the teahouse and making her way up to the seventh floor. Her bright eyes swept around excitedly, and the moment she spotted Fang Chen, she immediately ran over happily and dumped down a huge pile of snacks before him.
"Big Brother Fang, let's eat these together!"
She could not see Qing He, but Qing He could see her.
Qing He already knew exactly who the young girl before her was.
Fang Chen ate the snacks Little Yu bought while smiling gently. "Little Yu, I'm going on a long journey soon. From now on, those two sisters will be the ones to visit you frequently. If anything happens, just tell them."
Little Yu was taken aback, and her smile turned strained. "You're going on a long journey? How long?"
Fang Chen shook his head. "I don't know."
Little Yu pouted. "Then you must come back quickly, okay? Otherwise, after I grow up and leave to wander the world, I might not be here anymore. Then you won't be able to find me, Big Brother."
"Don't worry. No matter where you go, I'll be able to find you."
***
Underworld. Hall of Monarch Yan.
Fang Chen stood before the barrier between the two worlds. Beyond the somewhat faded barrier, numerous silhouettes could vaguely be seen.
He slowly raised his palm and placed it against the barrier. An endless stream of Yin Lifespan poured into the barrier, causing it to solidify once more until the figures on the other side could no longer be seen.
Fang Chen stepped out of the Hall of Monarch Yan and looked toward the western horizon. "Li Daoye said to head west, but he never mentioned where to begin. Clearly, that wasn't an accidental omission."
He slowly arrived beside the Forgotten River, where the Candle Dragon slowly raised its head.
Fang Chen smiled faintly and stepped onto its back.
"Head west."
In an instant, the Candle Dragon plunged into the Forgotten River and swam westward at tremendous speed. It swam out of the Lesser Underworld and entered the Floating Pagoda Realm.
That journey lasted thirty years. Over that period, Fang Chen and the Candle Dragon traversed an incomparably vast distance through the Floating Pagoda Realm. During the journey, he saw numerous flourishing ghost cities and even passed two places similar to the Enlightenment Underworld Realm.
Then suddenly, a wall appeared before Fang Chen, blocking the path of both him and the Candle Dragon. It resembled the barrier between the two worlds. The difference was that Fang Chen could clearly see the scenery beyond it.
It appeared to be an extraordinarily prosperous ghost city, brightly illuminated and bustling with endless crowds.
Fang Chen's gaze pierced through layers of space and landed upon the plaque above the city gates.
Nether Ruins.
So the complete History Immortal Book is here?
He took out Mirror of the Universe and asked, "Little Mirror, is my fifth-transformation immortal herb inside the History Immortal Book?"
"My dear brother, isn't that obvious? The current Nine Mortal Realms truly no longer possess any fifth-transformation immortal herb suitable for you."
"Fair enough."
Fang Chen put away the Mirror of the Universe and studied the barrier before him for a moment before slowly reaching out his hand. The instant his fingertip touched the barrier, ripples spread outward like water. Then his finger sank into it.
I can pass through.
He turned to the Candle Dragon and discovered that it could not pass through this barrier. It was as though it had encountered the hardest substance in existence.
Its tail anxiously whipped about, stirring towering waves.
Surprise appeared on Fang Chen's face. Even the Candle Dragon cannot enter this place...
A strange expression crossed Fang Chen's face as a certain speculation arose within him. "This Nether Ruins... perhaps it originates from the History Immortal Book itself. It is history. It isn't something that existed in reality."
With that thought, Fang Chen smiled toward the Candle Dragon. "Wait here. I'll go inside and take a look."
After saying that, Fang Chen walked forward. He merged into the smooth barrier like a reflection entering a mirror, and he easily arrived on the other side. When he turned around, the Candle Dragon was nowhere to be seen.
"Ninth-grade Soul-Returning Incense! One stick only costs one year of Yin Lifespan!"
"Everyone, don't miss this! Today is the Festival of Absolution!
"Light a stick of Ninth-grade Soul-Returning Incense, and you can return to see your loved ones once more!"
"Ninth-grade incense only lets you return for a single hour!
"Come to my shop instead! I sell eighth-grade Soul-Returning Incense! Two hours back in the mortal world is much more worthwhile!"
Walking along the streets of Nether Ruins, Fang Chen discovered that every wandering soul here possessed abundant Yin Lifespan. Not far ahead, two shops selling spirit paper and candles appeared to be competing with one another. Both shouted outside their storefronts, attracting large crowds.
Soul-Returning Incense?
The incomplete History Immortal Book he carried showed no reaction yet, so he was not in a hurry to pursue his main objective. Learning more about the Nether Ruins first might prove beneficial.
Both shops had many customers at the moment. Some bought ninth-grade Soul-Returning Incense, while others purchased eighth-grade incense.
Fang Chen casually stopped a passerby and asked, "Brother, what exactly is this Soul-Returning Incense?"
The passerby looked at Fang Chen in surprise. "Brother, don't tell me you don't even know about Soul-Returning Incense? Even if you're a newly deceased soul, haven't you at least heard people mention it before? Or has no one in your family ever returned?"
Without waiting for Fang Chen to answer, he continued, "Today is the Festival of Absolution, the great day of universal pardon. Soul-Returning Incense allows you to briefly return to the mortal world and speak a few words with your family members, settling unfinished matters. You should buy a stick yourself, and you'll understand what it's for."
The man hurried into one of the shops, bought a stick of eighth-grade Soul-Returning Incense, and left happily.
Some wandering souls stood motionless nearby, watching them with envy written across their faces. Only those with loved ones had reason to return. Without loved ones, what was the point of returning at all? It would merely waste their Yin Lifespan.
Fang Chen also entered the shop selling eighth-grade Soul-Returning Incense and bought one stick, spending five years.
The reason it cost over twice as much as the Ninth-grade version was that it offered long duration. And each year, only one stick of Soul-Returning Incense could be lit during that day. A second stick would not work.
"This incense can allow a soul to return to the Mortal Realm and appear before their family and kin. But if someone has no living relatives, would it still function?"
A strange expression gradually appeared on Fang Chen's face. "No... that's not right. It's not as though I have no relatives."