CHAPTER 27: CHAPTER 18: NINE NETHERWORLD HELL_2

"For now, let’s not mention the rest. The upper three layers of the Nine Netherworld are also the places where most Taoist disciples finally stop, and it’s a relatively safe area. By being on the same level as the evil spirits or deeper, you can discern them with the naked eye, better perceive the evil spirits’ laws, avoid them, and use Taoist magical artifacts to drive them away or temporarily detain them."

"Once a person opens the Ghost Gate and descends into the Nine Netherworld, they can never return, only move downward. The further down into the Nine Netherworld, the more likely evil spirits and strange occurrences will find you. No one knows exactly how many terrifying entities exist in the depths of the Nine Netherworld, most are unspeakable and indescribable, and once you know or see them, you’ll be noticed by those entities."

"And within the Nine Netherworld, a person’s soul is constantly eroded by it. Over time, at worst, they become insane and lose control, or at best, they perish. The further down you go, the worse it is. I once witnessed a senior brother who lost his sanity the moment he stepped into the fourth layer of the Nine Netherworld, killed over thirty people in an inn, and finally set himself on fire."

"The more encounters a person has with evil spirits, the faster they descend, and if they lack the ability to deal with these spirits, I don’t need to say what will happen, do I?"

Sang Que lowered her eyes in thought; she certainly knew that the female ghost at home almost killed her.

And now, she has evidently reached the 108th step of the third layer of the Nine Netherworld, and she needs to stop immediately, unable to fall any further.

"At this time, you need a Heart Lamp to stabilize your soul."

"The Heart Lamp is... is what? In my dream, there was... there was light at my heart..."

Sang Que had already guessed the origin of the Heart Lamp, but she still needed Yan Daozi’s detailed explanation.

Yan Daozi wasn’t surprised by this, since after all, she helped the He Family with a successful summoning, the Heart Lamp could at least spark some fire.

"Simply put, the Heart Lamp is like the incense fire wishing power, similar to the ghosts and gods worshipped in temples, who exist because of the people’s incense. The stronger the incense, the stronger the ghosts and gods. Taoist disciples who have received the talisman can borrow incense fire from the Daoist Lord to ignite their Heart Lamp, sincerity is the key."

Sang Que thought, no wonder Yan Daozi never actively dealt with bizarre incidents for the villagers; it turns out he can borrow incense from the Daoist Lord. This is surely an advantage for a Taoist disciple who has received the talisman, having the backing of a huge tree makes it easier to stay cool in its shade.

However...

Sang Que glanced at the Daoist Wanderer Map behind Yan Daozi, momentarily seeing skeletons and wild ghosts all over the mountain. She always felt that the Taoist sect and Daoist Lord in this world were different from the modern ones, carrying a hint of bizarre and demonic aura. Joining the Taoist sect probably required paying a certain price.

Yan Daozi continued, "For ordinary people, they need the heartfelt gratitude, liking, admiration, and other positive emotions of others to form a Heart Lamp. Besides stabilizing the stairs beneath your feet, the Heart Lamp can also protect the soul in the Nine Netherworld. The stronger the Heart Lamp, the weaker the erosion from the Nine Netherworld."

"When you don’t want to continue downward, only the Heart Lamp can keep you rational and stop you in place. Of course, the Heart Lamp will gradually weaken due to others’ disdain and forgetfulness, which also involves another kind of Heart Lamp in the world, but that’s a heinous dark magic, let’s not mention it."

Sang Que lowered her eyes; if positive emotions could form a Heart Lamp, then surely hatred and fear from others could also form another kind of negative Heart Lamp, and it would naturally be terrifying.

Yan Daozi took another sip of tea, "In fact, ordinary people encountering evil spirits might open the Ghost Gate and descend into the Nine Netherworld, but without the Taoist observation method, they can’t see the Nine Netherworld and are unaware of it. Such people don’t have a Heart Lamp, and stepping into the Nine Netherworld makes them particularly attractive to evil spirits, leading to strange events, and they won’t survive for a few days."

"That’s why, even if a person who has been haunted can survive one or two strange events, they still can’t escape the fate of dying a violent death in the end. Of course, some people are lucky enough to have a Heart Lamp unconsciously, keeping minor evil spirits at bay, always able to turn danger into safety."

Sang Que understood, she was one of the former. Since her first crossing until now, it has been three days, and indeed she encountered many evil spirits and various strange events, but if she were a bit more curious or a bit less cautious, she would have died long ago.

For example, picking up the blood-stained book from the Liu Family, who knows what kind of ghostly thing that was.

And then there was the Zhao Family’s child, Zhao Tiancong, who was possessed and lost his soul, saved once by Ming Zhang but soon after almost claimed by a water ghost’s life, surely for this reason.

If that’s the case, then He Shou’an, whom she saved yesterday, might be...

Sang Que frowned, unwilling to think further, returning to the main topic.

Kou Yushan, as Yan Daozi mentioned, belongs to the latter. He is the village guard team captain, supported and respected by the villagers. He surely has a Heart Lamp protecting his soul, which is why Kou Yushan always gives people a reliable and safe feeling.

"Simply put, the greatest effect of descending into the Nine Netherworld for ordinary people is seeing the evil spirits and anticipating their laws. The Heart Lamp can stabilize the Nine Netherworld’s steps and protect the soul from being eroded by it and losing sanity. However, among the myriad evil spirits in the world, there are some that, even if seen in advance, cannot be avoided."

"Some evil spirits may even reveal themselves when killing, even if you can’t see them. The fear in one’s heart is a medium for evil spirits to kill, so you must always remember this point: the more afraid and panicked you are when you encounter evil spirits, the faster you’ll die. Only by restraining your fear and thinking calmly can you gain more time and opportunities to resolve the situation."

"Then how do you... how do you kill an evil spirit?" Sang Que asked again.

Yan Daozi reclined comfortably in his chair, pouring tea, "For ordinary people encountering evil spirits, only by avoiding their laws can they survive. There is no way to fight them head-on. Those who have descended into the Nine Netherworld can use its power against evil spirits, but they need some medium."

"The ’magic artifacts’ in the Taoist and Buddhist sects are one option, and the ’incense burners’ in the Evil Suppression Bureau are another. But these objects can only temporarily repel, imprison, and disperse evil spirits, who will eventually return. To truly kill evil spirits, it requires their mutual devouring. This is something only the Yin Walkers and the yin objects left by evil spirits can achieve, meaning only the power of evil spirits can kill other evil spirits, including ghosts and ghost gods."

"Then how to... how to tame... tame the evil spirits?"

Sang Que asked cautiously, suppressing her inner excitement, finally reaching the key point!