LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 13 Brothers Meet
Lu Yu passed through the thick, turbid air and in the blink of an eye arrived in another world, where there were no sun, moon, or stars in the sky, only the deepest darkness.
The dimly black earth was filled with malevolent Qi, remnants left by the beings of the Three Realms after their death, which would eventually be assimilated by the turbid air and become resources for the heavens and the earth.
A vast river coursed through this land, known as the foremost river of the Underworld—the Yellow Springs. Within the river floated endless evil spirits, all of whom had committed wrongdoings in their life and, after death, were to sink into the depths of the Yellow Springs.
On both banks of the river bloomed blood-red flowers that resembled a resplendent red ribbon against the pitch-black earth, exceptionally striking.
"Such beautiful Red Spider Lilies. From the extreme wickedness, extreme beauty is born. The Way of heaven and earth is indeed unfathomable!" Lu Yu exclaimed.
Who would have thought that only the waters of the Yellow Springs, steeped in countless evil spirits, could nurture the Red Spider Lilies into such utmost beauty?
If an ordinary mortal dies, a Soul-Reaping Messenger would lead their soul and spirit, and heading east past the Yellow Springs would reach The gates of hell. If one couldn't enter The gates of hell, they would become wandering souls in the Underworld, easily falling prey to the Ghost Kings who roam the wilderness without the protection of the Underworld Court.
However, Lu Yu did not walk towards The gates of hell. Now that Lu Zhang's fortune and destiny were beginning to flourish, shining light upon his ancestors, this Human Path fortune and destiny is most wondrous. Once blessed with Dragon Qi, one could carve out a Pure Land amidst the wilderness.
Should the fight for the dragon be successful, this Pure Land would transform into the Nether Dragon Court, where future emperors of The Dynasty could seek refuge after their death.
Using the karmic connection with his family, Lu Yu quickly deduced his family's location. Transforming into a rainbow that streaked across the dark sky, he flew straight towards his family's direction.
This beam of rainbow light in the Underworld was quite conspicuous, and soon caught the attention of the Underworld Court Judges.
"What a striking rainbow light. I wonder what deity has come to our Underworld," said a Judge holding a giant brush, looking up at the departing rainbow light.
"Considering its direction, it's heading towards the wastelands beyond The gates of hell, a place out of our jurisdiction. Besides, who has the time to mind such trivial matters now? It won't be long before the Child of the Great Calamity arrives, and we must prepare without any margin for error!" another Judge whispered.
"Alas! The Three Realms are soon to fall into a time of trouble. Enough talk, let's hurry up and get to work."
The wastelands of the Underworld are lawless lands, rife with solitary ghosts and roaming Ghost Kings. With ceaseless conflicts erupting amongst the Human Path Dragon Courts, it is but one word: chaos.
During his flight, Lu Yu had already seen several battlefields, but no one dared to mess with him. The rainbow he transformed into contained a stern Sword Qi within, something the Ghost Kings avoided at all costs, let alone block his way and provoke him.
Before long, Lu Yu arrived at an extremely desolate place. Here, solitary ghosts were sparse, and the Ghost Kings didn't bother with such barren lands—it was a rare peaceful place in the entirety of the wilderness.
In this desolate place, a small Pure Land had emerged at some unknown time, utterly devoid of the Underworld's dark depths. Instead, it bore the kind of light that shone past The gates of hell, granting white daylight to this Pure Land.
What was magical was that this Pure Land was hidden within the wastelands, yet passing wandering spirits seemed oblivious to it, otherwise those Ghost Kings would have long since come to fight over it.
"Good, good, truly like a Hidden Dragon in the depths, this puts my mind at ease," Lu Yu thought to himself, acknowledging that the Human Path Dragon Qi was indeed formidable. It protected the Pure Land from prying eyes. In the end, it's still about the shallow foundations of his own family.
If those Noble Families and Clans possessed such a Pure Land, relying on generations of accumulation, they would have long been able to train a Ghost Army without fear of detection by the Ghost King.
As he wandered into the Pure Land, the scene before him abruptly opened up. A magnificent and splendid hall appeared before Lu Yu's eyes, and upon closer inspection, it actually bore a striking resemblance to the Yunzhou Mansion where Lu Zhang lived in the Mortal World.
There were paper servants tending to the yard, and Lu Yu walked slowly in. These servants lacked full sentience and did not know to stop him. Therefore, Lu Yu managed to enter the courtyard without any obstacles.
The familiar faces appeared before Lu Yu, still bearing the same looks as when he had left home. These were his relatives in this life, his family with whom he had shared a bond for over a decade. A thousand words welled up in Lu Yu's heart, but he didn't know where to begin. He could only stand there, stunned, unable to utter a single word.
Lu Xing looked around the courtyard full of exotic flowers and plants with great interest. His own family had originally lived beyond the gates of hell, leading a rather impoverished life with very few relatives left in the Mortal World to offer their worship.
Who would have thought that recently, his younger brother seemed to have brought his son to pay respects, giving the family, who had been anxious about their safety for years, some peace of mind.
Only a few days ago, their humble abode was suddenly enveloped in a brilliant light, and when their eyes opened, they found themselves right in this large courtyard, seemingly having left the gates of hell.
His parents and wife moved into the big courtyard in great joy, but Lu Xing could not find happiness at all. He knew this place was on the barren wasteland beyond the gates of hell, famously known as a land beyond salvation. With his family alone and powerless, bearing the guilt associated with possessing a precious object, how could they possibly have a good fate ahead?
He walked through the courtyard with a worried heart, pondering how to avoid these impending disasters, when he inadvertently looked up and saw a familiar figure.
It was the same appearance from his memories, dressed like a Scholar, the only difference being the sword at his waist and his natural, harmonious aura, which reminded Lu Xing of mountain streams and the white clouds in the sky.
"Little brother?" Lu Xing asked incredulously. Upon seeing Lu Yu nod slightly, his tone turned to one of sadness, "You're dead? How did you die?"
In his mind, only the dead could enter the Netherworld Court. He had hoped his younger brother could support each other with his nephew, Lu Zhang. Yet, he never imagined his brother would end up in the Netherworld as well.
"But this is also good. I've heard that the Mortal World is now in utter chaos; life is as worthless as grass. Why should one suffer in that world? Our family is, after all, reunited," Lu Xing said, attempting to comfort Lu Yu for fear that he might not accept the reality of his own death.
"Big brother, you'd better look closely. I am not merely a soul and spirit!" Warmth filled Lu Yu's heart as he watched his big brother feign a smile to comfort him, prompting him to respond with a smile of his own.
Only then did Lu Xing step closer for a careful examination and realized that his younger brother was radiating a warmth like the sun, yet it didn't discomfort him, a Shadow Soul.
"Yang Qi?" Lu Xing guessed at the nature of this aura.
He was both right and wrong. What Lu Yu was displaying was indeed his own Yang Qi, but it was Yang Qi suppressed to the extreme. He had already attained an Immortal Body, with his Yang Qi long since merged with his Mana to evolve into the higher form of Immortal Qi. If he were to release the suppression, Lu Xing would likely be incinerated instantly by the Immortal Qi.
With a smack, Lu Xing landed a palm on Lu Yu's back, speaking angrily, "Nonsense, how can the living come to the Underworld Court? You must hurry back. If discovered by the Ferocious Ghosts or the Ghost King, you'd be skinned alive."