Chapter 15: The Realm of Yama’s Cave (Part Three)

As soon as she entered the great river, Yao Qian immediately activated the divine skill she had just learned—“Concealment.” The river was filled with pure yin energy, and she completely merged with the flow, emitting no trace of her presence.

Yet, upon entering, she was stunned. This river was not what she had imagined; it resembled a channel thick with nearly liquefied energy. She recalled it being called the “Yama Cave,” so it wasn’t a river at all, but a series of passages.

Had the riverbank she had previously cultivated been merely the cave’s entrance? Yao Qian found this bewildering—there was truly nothing strange in the cultivation world. The long, bottomless corridor made her uneasy, but recalling the stack of Three Yang talismans in her storage pouch and the earlier sense of danger compelled her to proceed deeper.

Now equipped with a minor divine skill, she could conceal herself completely if faced with a formidable enemy; it shouldn’t pose a problem. She circulated her cultivation method, letting the Taiyin true qi flow through her body to protect her flesh from the corrosive yin energy. Just as excess oxygen causes poisoning, so too can overly concentrated yin or spiritual energy harm the body.

Yao Qian was unaware that the divine perception which had scanned her moments ago was not originally aimed at her. It was merely incidental, but her sudden disappearance of aura upon entering the Yama Cave caught the attention of its owner.

At this moment, Pei Changqing, seated in the great hall, felt the ripple within the Yama Cave. With a thought, his primordial spirit detached from his body and entered a three-legged golden cauldron situated behind a meditation cushion.

Inside the golden cauldron flowed a silver river resembling the Milky Way cascading through the heavens. Though the water stirred only slightly, its grandeur was overwhelming. Any trace of the river’s vibrations could shatter one’s soul.

Each tremor of this heavenly river seemed to herald countless beings attempting to break free from its depths, yet each time they were pushed back, suppressed by the river itself. Silent, soul-gripping wails echoed throughout the space.

Each anguished cry could disturb the mind of a Golden Core cultivator, reducing them to ash. Even Nascent Soul cultivators could not withstand these soul-piercing sounds for long. Shadows hovered above the heavenly river, as if a lone figure sat there.

Though insignificant compared to the vast, boundless Underworld River, no one could ignore this figure standing before it. He was, indeed, the master of this river.

Looking from below, one could see that this seemingly vast river existed in another dimension. Beneath it sprawled the labyrinthine Yama Cave. Originally an abandoned mine, it had been transformed by years of exposure to the river’s aura.

This was because the river and the cave occupied different spaces, connected only loosely. Had they occupied the same space, the cave would have been assimilated instantly.

“Master,” Pei Changqing respectfully saluted the figure above the river. As his words fell, his primordial spirit lightened, and he was instantly transported into the river’s spatial domain. An endless chill seeped into his spirit.

Pei Changqing shuddered but the golden light of protection shielded his spirit from invasion. He relaxed slightly. “Thank you, Master,” he said again, bowing deeply.

Directly before Pei Changqing stood a youth no older than fifteen or sixteen, his features exquisite and radiant. He wore a dark robe embroidered with countless stars that shimmered as if real, the interplay of stars and moonlight emitting a dazzling glow that did not overshadow the youth’s own brilliance.

Pei Changqing held his breath and stood respectfully before the youth. Though he had ascended to Nascent Soul at three hundred years old and was hailed as a prodigy by their sect, he had never been complacent. This youth before him was someone Pei Changqing could never surpass, no matter how hard he tried.

Ji Lingxiao spoke calmly, “Deal with this person.”

As soon as he finished, a skeletal figure, emaciated and dried of blood, appeared before Pei Changqing. If not for the faint breath of life lingering, Pei Changqing would have struggled to recognize him. Hesitantly, he asked, “Master, is this Junior Brother Chen Yong?”

Chen Yong was a disciple of the Demon God lineage. His ancestor had been the former sect leader of the Infinite Void Sect. After stepping down, he wished his grandson to succeed, but the grandson lost the leadership contest to Ji Lingxiao and had since gone overseas.

Chen Yong was that grandson. Since their ancestor’s departure, their branch had suffered under the Demon God lineage, and Chen Yong bore a deep grudge against the Underworld River lineage.

After losing the leadership battle, the Demon God lineage had been constantly antagonistic toward the Underworld River lineage, often sending spies. Chen Yong was the most frequent visitor. His cultivation was weak, so Pei Changqing had dismissed him casually, never expecting him to dare spy on his master—how foolish!

Within the First Peak, all places were heavily guarded except the master’s secluded cultivation chamber. This was not due to neglect but because with the Underworld River there, not even a Grand Elder of the Demon God lineage could breach it. Chen Yong’s sorry state was proof that without the master’s intervention, he would have been dead long ago.

Pei Changqing seized Chen Yong and said to Ji Lingxiao, “Master, I have opened the Yama Cave for new junior disciples to cultivate. The energy fluctuations within Dragon Burial Cliff are intensifying; Golden Core cultivators who enter trigger spiritual storms. From now on, only Qi Refining stage disciples will be allowed.”

Ji Lingxiao, the master, was likely unconcerned with such matters. However, since the Yama Cave connected to the Underworld River, the space there was unstable. It was possible some small creatures might accidentally enter, and if so, the master might have to retrieve them to prevent assimilation by the river.

Ji Lingxiao asked, “I heard that various nations have been unable to supply disciples these recent years?”

Pei Changqing replied, “Master need not worry. This year’s junior disciples have been fully recruited.”

Ji Lingxiao recalled the junior disciple who had just jumped into the river and nodded slightly. “There are some promising talents among them.”

Pei Changqing asked in surprise, “Could it be that some small creatures have already fallen into the Underworld River?”

Ji Lingxiao said, “No. I have observed that some have already cultivated divine skills.”

Divine skills were a type of Taoist art. Unlike Taoist spells that consumed magical power, divine skills could be used freely at will. While anyone could cultivate Taoist arts, only certain individuals could awaken and comprehend divine skills.

Generally, cultivators with excellent aptitude might gain innate divine skills upon drawing in energy, but the optimal time was during the Foundation Establishment stage—the first major milestone in cultivation and the first step towards immortality.

Thus, divine skills comprehended during Foundation Establishment were usually powerful, while those awakened at other times were minor ones.

Yao Qian had killed a great fish with her divine perception, but Ji Lingxiao had not paid attention to her cultivation and was unaware that her minor divine skill was obtained by forcibly seizing a demonic path.

Pei Changqing smiled faintly, “I made the new junior disciples cultivate the Taiyin Herb Gathering Method. If their aptitude is good, I will take them as disciples after three years.”

Ji Lingxiao, having recently assumed the sect leadership and previously lax in recruiting disciples, had few under his wing. Pei Changqing was eager to help by recruiting more disciples.

Ji Lingxiao nodded slightly. “Go ahead.” Then he fell silent.

Pei Changqing bowed and was sent out of the Underworld River by his master. Upon emerging, he felt relieved. Though he cultivated the Underworld River Scripture, his mastery paled in comparison to his master’s. Watching the ceaseless wails within the river, he pondered—could the rumors be true?

He looked at Chen Yong, held in his hand, and sighed silently. Why couldn’t these people simply live peacefully? Why seek death?

Meanwhile, Yao Qian was unaware she had just brushed past the sect leader’s divine perception. She was perplexed, staring at a black crystal no bigger than a fingernail she had found within the passage. The mountain stones here were nearly corroded by yin energy, yet such crystals remained. Could this have once been a mine?

Estimating she would be summoned out by the Infinite Void Sect in three months, she boldly ventured deeper into the mine. Of course, she marked each fork carefully.

Occasionally, yin spirits appeared in the mine, but they were weak and easily dispelled by a single probe of her divine perception. Upon being slain, these spirits transformed into extremely pure yin energy.

Now she understood the sect’s purpose in sending them to the Yama Cave. Though dangerous, those who cultivated the Taiyin Herb Gathering Technique could harness yin energy. While spirits appeared in swarms deep inside the mine, only one or two emerged at the entrance every few days. By binding and slowly refining the spirits with yin energy, the effect surpassed any pill.

This training method was perilous, and only demonic sects would cultivate disciples through such means—learning profound truths through slaughter; those who failed would perish.

Yao Qian sat cross-legged in a stone cavity she had dug herself, a golden silkworm the size of her thumb resting in her palm. It nibbled delicately on the black crystal she had gathered.

This golden silkworm had recently hatched. Perhaps because it had consumed two strands of Yao Qian’s purple aura before hatching, its appetite was enormous. Food prepared by Jin Xiuer was meant to last three years but was devoured in just ten days.

After finishing the food, the silkworm constantly signaled hunger, wanting Yao Qian to feed it more. But where could she find more? Reluctantly, she gathered the dissipated yin energy left by slain spirits to feed it.

The silkworm seemed addicted and eventually perched on her shoulder, waiting for her to disperse spirits and then devouring the yin energy. Later, it even began gnawing on the black crystals Yao Qian collected.

She had gathered many such crystals recently. The silkworm only ate a fingernail-sized piece per day to stay satisfied.

Yao Qian guessed these black crystals were some kind of Yin Spirit Stones. Since the silkworm liked them, she collected more, venturing deeper into the mine. The deeper she went, the stronger the yin energy and the more abundant the stones.

She found a cluster of such crystals on a stone wall, slowly chiseling them off. Without a suitable weapon, she used her divine perception to form needles, painstakingly removing the crystals. Though inefficient, her main goal was cultivation, with mining as a secondary task, so she was unhurried, resting to recover her divine perception when it was exhausted.

Her days passed fairly regularly, but the oppressive, gloomy cave dampened her spirits. Feeding the golden silkworm was her way to alleviate loneliness.

She mused that cultivators loved spirit pets not just out of affection, but because sometimes they were indispensable for emotional balance.

One day, just after finishing cultivation and preparing to mine the wall, she heard a faint gasp outside: “There’s a newly inducted junior disciple here?”