Chapter Forty-Seven: The Lord of the Nether Abyss Hall

After leaving the Black Pool, Ji Feichen immediately hurried to see Master Heiluo. At this moment, the master was feeding fish by the pool behind the hall. As Ji Feichen approached, he saw the water, as dark as ink, surging with violent waves, and his heart churned just as tumultuously.

This pool was called the "Dragon Reflection Pool," where the master raised dragonfish. The koi here, after consuming numerous dragon pills, could transform into dragon beasts. It was rumored that a fellow disciple who had practiced the "Mystic Fiend Demon Dragon Scripture" had once been imprisoned here, eventually having his spirit erased and becoming a savage demon dragon.

Moreover—

He saw that the blood pellets in Master Heiluo’s hand were brimming with essence and dragon energy. These were baits made from the corpses of those who cultivated the "Mystic Fiend Demon Dragon Scripture." When people die, their lights are extinguished, and in the Demon Sect, there is no proper burial. Every last ounce of value is wrung from the remains. The core scripture of the Kanming Hall, the "Profound Nether Black Demon Canon," is precisely a method that utilizes white bones.

Cultivating with bones, using flesh and blood as medicine—Heiluo fed the dragonfish with the flesh and blood of dead disciples, refining it to nurture the dragonfish, step by step, into demon dragons, with the essence and dragon energy from the flesh and blood.

In the black water, monstrous fish with jagged teeth swam and surfaced. Ji Feichen’s expression darkened as he contemplated his own future, his resolve to leave the Demon Sect growing ever firmer.

He stepped forward, “Master, Grandmaster requests your presence.”

“Master is looking for me?” Heiluo put down the bait, his expression pausing. Summoning Ji Feichen here was not without intention; he wanted to remind Ji Feichen not to harbor rebellious thoughts.

Ji Feichen’s prolonged absence had already aroused Heiluo’s suspicion. Bringing him to the Dragon Reflection Pool was a warning not to waver in loyalty. Otherwise, he could be thrown straight into the pool, and his future would end there.

But hearing that the Grandmaster was calling, Heiluo set aside this idea, his confusion growing. “Do you know why the Grandmaster wants to see me?”

“I’m not sure,” Ji Feichen replied, his expression carrying a hint of schadenfreude as he looked at Heiluo.

Heiluo’s heart skipped a beat. Secretly working behind the Grandmaster’s back wasn’t something only Ji Feichen did—he himself was guilty as well. Unless one were a true successor to the sect’s legacy, trust between master and disciple was hard to cultivate. Especially between the Hall Master of Kanming and Heiluo, theirs was a relationship of mutual exploitation and greater suspicion than trust.

Seeing Ji Feichen’s face, Heiluo felt an ominous premonition. With a cold snort, he glared at Ji Feichen, “Then let’s go!”

On the way, Heiluo was uneasy, mentally reviewing his recent actions for any slip-ups.

“Was it I who encouraged Heichi to ascend, secretly leading the Sect Master’s faction into the Black Vein? Or does he plan to swallow me as well? But with Heichi still around, he shouldn’t be able to trace it back to me.”

The Hall Master of Kanming had now reached an extraordinary level in the realm of Earth Immortals. He needed only to devour a few more practitioners of the “Profound Nether Black Demon Canon” to achieve the Celestial Demon fruit.

But who would he choose to devour?

At present, Heiluo had spread rumors to push his junior brother as the target. Yet if the Master set his sights on him, it wouldn’t be impossible.

“I’ve deliberately slowed my cultivation these days. That old fox should find me unworthy.” With mixed feelings, Heiluo and Ji Feichen arrived at the main hall of Kanming.

This was the core of Nine Yin Peak, shrouded year-round in baleful energy, with bone demon statues coiling in the sky. Inside, the hall was filled with chilling yin energy, planted with ghostly pagoda trees, shadow willows, and nether cypresses. Large, dark green trees blocked out the sun, making the hall gloomy and oppressive even at the threshold.

Above the hall, the words “Kanming” were inscribed in a soaring script, flanked by a pair of couplets. The left read: “Refining blood in Kan Earth turns to dark ink,” and the right: “Sitting on Nether Mountain, bones beget the Yellow Springs.”

“Every time I see these couplets, I feel a rush of sinister energy,” Ji Feichen thought with a sigh. The Kanming main hall was constructed in the likeness of a tomb, inverted from the architecture of the living. Walking here felt like wandering the underworld, with chilling winds and ghostly auras abounding.

The couplets accentuated the hall’s true nature.

Treating the palace as a burial chamber—thus “Kan Earth,” meaning a grave pit. With the surrounding Nine Yin Peaks as a barrier, they symbolized Nether Mountain. Here, blood was refined and the black demon path cultivated, producing the fruit of the White Bone Dao—the root of the Yellow Springs.

Thus, the Black Vein of the Underworld Sect was inseparable from the White Bone Corpse Dao, standing in opposition to the Way of the Drought Demon.

The main hall was dense with yin energy and murderous intent, which ordinary disciples dared not approach. Yet Heiluo, accustomed to serving the master, navigated the place with ease, leading Ji Feichen smoothly inside.

They crossed a bridge modeled after the “Bridge of Helplessness” of the netherworld. By the bridge stood a jade platform collecting the essence of dark ink falling from the sky—this was “Netherworld Blood,” spiritual water condensed from the yin energy of Nine Yin Mountain.

Moving forward, they passed over the Yellow Springs River. The riverbed was half-exposed with eerie white bones, creating a stark contrast with the inky Netherworld Blood. These were the “Yellow Springs Bones,” also demonic artifacts produced by Kanming Hall, used for crafting and cultivation.

Netherworld Blood and Yellow Springs Bones corresponded precisely to the “dark ink” and “yellow springs” of the couplets.

The two entered to pay respects to the Hall Master of Kanming. Inside, an old man sat atop a circular dais. Without hesitation, Ji Feichen knelt before him.

“Disciple’s grandchild congratulates Grandmaster on the imminent enlightenment, soon to ascend among the Celestial Demons.”

The old man opened his eyes; within his sockets were no eyeballs, only two floating ghostly flames. “Heiluo, is this your disciple? What brings you two here?”

“Master, you haven’t met him?” Heiluo was startled, glancing at Ji Feichen. Instantly, his expression dropped—how could he not realize Ji Feichen had set him up? Ji Feichen was using his connection to the master to break free of Heiluo’s control.

As Heiluo was about to answer, Ji Feichen quickly interjected, “Your disciple just delivered medicine to Uncle Heichi, earning his trust. The day when Grandmaster attains the Dao is not far off.”

“Insolence!” Heiluo hastily interrupted, suppressing Ji Feichen with his Immortal aura. “I ordered you to bring the demon fox’s heart blood, and you delivered it elsewhere!”

He struck, intent on killing.

“Enough.” The Hall Master extended a withered, skeletal hand; with a gentle tap, the ninefold demonic aura suppressed Heiluo’s attack. The ghostly flames fixed on Ji Feichen. “You said you sent the medicine to further my enlightenment?”

“Precisely.” Ji Feichen understood this was his only chance to escape Heiluo’s grasp. With respectful composure, he explained, “Grandmaster’s cultivation is already profound. Once Uncle Heichi ascends, you can seize his Dao fruit, making a further leap and becoming a Celestial Demon.”

This was clear to all. Thus, Heichi would choose a proper time to ascend, avoiding the Hall Master’s schemes. Once he became an Earth Immortal, he would return to the Black Vein, and with two Earth Immortals in power, conflict would be inevitable. If someone tipped off the Hall Master about Heichi’s ascension, it would be an extra safeguard.

Heiluo calculated quickly, then spoke, “Master, don’t listen to this boy’s nonsense. Junior Heichi is cunning; this could very well be a ruse. He probably doesn’t trust him at all. Besides, how could this boy come to Kanming Hall with me without being noticed?”

“Precisely because I accompanied Master, I had an excuse,” Ji Feichen insisted. “Since Grandmaster summoned Master, I served as attendant. If you don’t believe me, why not wait and see? After all, Uncle Heichi’s pill refining will take years yet. We’ll see my methods then.”

The old Hall Master watched master and disciple argue, understanding much. “No doubt these two have long been at odds. Heiluo wishes to dispose of his disciple, so the boy turns to me for support.”

Weighing their words, the Hall Master saw Ji Feichen’s offer provided extra security, but he disliked being used. Just then, a pageboy in golden sash and silver robe entered, shot a glance at Heiluo and Ji Feichen, and whispered something in the old man’s ear.

The Hall Master’s gaze shifted to Ji Feichen. “You fought with members of the Qing Vein on your way back?”

“Indeed, could those people possibly be my match?” Ji Feichen replied.

At this, Heiluo’s heart sank. The Hall Master, face bright with delight, laughed, “Good! That’s just the lesson those Qing Vein meddlers needed—they’re always interfering in our Black Vein’s affairs.”

Examining Ji Feichen, the Hall Master noticed his Demon Dragon Scripture had reached a bottleneck—he would need the secrets of the “True Explanation of the Demon Dragon.”

“Well then, our Black Vein does need some strong disciples to suppress the other branches’ arrogance. Heiluo, give him the ‘Mystic Fiend Demon Dragon True Explanation’ later, and let him enter the Profound Nether secret realm for seclusion, refining a hundred thousand drops of True Water into a dragon pearl.”

He looked meaningfully at Heiluo. “Your disciple is quite promising. Let him visit Heichi more often. As for the rest, don’t interfere. That Five Dragon Chariot is just a child’s plaything, a frivolous distraction—hardly the conduct of a master.”

Heiluo had wanted dragon beasts to pull his chariot. Seeing Ji Feichen’s cultivation path, the Hall Master immediately grasped the power struggle between master and disciple and made it clear—Heiluo was not to lay a hand on Ji Feichen, at least not before his own enlightenment.

Ji Feichen relaxed; with the Hall Master’s protection, he no longer feared his unscrupulous master obstructing his rise to Immortal.

After enjoying the Hall Master’s favor for a while, the two left the main hall. Heiluo retrieved the “Mystic Fiend Demon Dragon True Explanation” from the scripture tower and tossed it to Ji Feichen.

Gazing coldly at his disciple, the old man said, “Well, you haven’t even been in the sect for a few years, and you’re already scheming against your master?”

“All thanks to your excellent instruction,” Ji Feichen replied with lowered head. Were it not for Heiluo and the Hall Master’s constant machinations and their plots against him, why would he need to maneuver among them so carefully?

“Hmph. You’d best take care.” A fleeting wave of Immortal aura, and the old man swept his sleeve and departed.

Ji Feichen withstood Heiluo’s pressure, a cold edge to his lips. Master, do you really think I don’t see through your plans? If Grandmaster truly attains the Profound Nether White Bone Celestial Demon body, transcending into the supreme true demon of the Nine Hells, you’ll release your seals and break through to Earth Immortal. If you become master of the Black Vein, I’ll still be your pawn.

Losing a dragon beast for a chariot meant little to Heiluo. The real sting was Ji Feichen’s public slight, which fuelled his resentment.

Watching the old man’s retreating figure, Ji Feichen thought, “To prevent further troubles in the future, I absolutely must not let him profit in the end.”

Intrigue was rampant in the Demon Sect, but after these years, Ji Feichen no longer feared it.

If he dared to dance on the blade’s edge, it was because he had his own means and resources.

In the ancestor aperture at his brow burned a bright flame—the true fire of the Drought Demon—his deepest confidence. He didn’t need to summon the Drought Demon Immortal herself; merely invoking her name was enough to serve as Ji Feichen’s bargaining chip with Heichi.

Heichi, in his current predicament, even with the Sect Master’s faction behind him, would never want to become a puppet in their contest. The Drought Demon’s support was crucial to him.

Heiluo, too, was in a difficult position. If Heichi truly advanced to Earth Immortal, he could easily cast aside Heiluo and his peers, respectfully present the Dao fruit to the Hall Master, and seize the throne for himself.

As for the Hall Master, he let his disciples plot as they pleased. When he ultimately transcended into the supreme demon god of the Nine Hells, who cared who would rule Kanming Hall then?

Ji Feichen’s mind spun with countless schemes, and he had already devised several plans. But for him, the most favorable outcome was for the demon lords to exhaust each other, allowing him to escape the Demon Sect unscathed.