Chapter 463: Daoist Artifacts

I waited by the well for a long time, but Feng Minglong and Wang Shi never appeared.

'Could something have happened to them?' Crossing the barrier between the two realms was incredibly difficult. I had endured suffocation, pain, and numbness myself, only barely breaking the surface of the water at the very brink of death. Given the choice, I would never attempt something so dangerous again.

'Endure it, and the world opens up before you. Fail, and your body dies and the Dao dissolves, your soul scattering to the winds.' This livestream had been incredibly perilous. I had developed a bit of a soft spot for Feng Minglong and Wang Shi; they were, after all, my companions in life and death.

I sat cross-legged by the well. Truthfully, my physical condition was terrible. If I didn't get some nourishment and medical treatment soon, I would likely collapse from sheer exhaustion.

'I'll wait another half hour. If they haven't come out by then, they probably never will.'

Circulating the Profound Truth Mental Method, I turned my focus inward. To my surprise, the Yin Meridian within my body had fully connected, and several previously blocked yin apertures had opened. Without me even realizing it, my Yin-Yang Ghost Art was on the verge of breaking through to the Fourth Layer.

'Driving Spirits and Commanding Ghosts, chasing souls and seizing spirits. I'm finally starting to resemble an orthodox Ghost Cultivator.' That wasn't my only pleasant surprise. Deep within my Liver Aperture hid a pale blue butterfly with folded wings, looking ethereal and illusory. It clung tightly to a cluster of white Locust Tree Flowers beneath it, looking as though it was terrified someone might snatch them away.

'The Dream Wing Gu!'

Within the Liver Aperture, that cluster of Locust Tree Flowers released a faint fragrance. It carried the essence of wood energy, constantly nourishing my body.

The liver corresponds to the wood element and possesses the nature of wind and thunder. Resonating with the thunder trigram, it governs upward and outward movement. As the yang within yin, it regulates the body's qi, blood, and the balance of yin and yang. A person with vigorous liver qi feels high-spirited and full of vitality.

Those Locust Tree Flowers contained a quarter of the thousand-year-old locust tree's wood essence. It was meant as a gift for the Dream Wing Gu, but since the creature was hiding inside my body, I was indirectly reaping the massive benefits. It hadn't been long at all, yet I could already feel my Liver Aperture loosening. It gave me hope that I could once again break open the Nine Locks.

'Last time, with the Ghost Mother's help, the Three-Eyed Infant Spirit had to devour ten Ghost Infants just to break open the Kidney Aperture. But the hardest part is always the beginning. With the help of this thousand-year-old locust tree from the Yin-Yang Boundary, breaking open my Liver Aperture will happen any day now.'

This livestream had been incredibly dangerous, but the rewards were equally massive. Setting aside the livestream points, obtaining a wondrous creature like the Dream Wing Gu made all my suffering worthwhile.

The Underworld Live Show had even generated a specific optional task just for it, offering a massive bounty of points and three broadcast privileges. That alone was proof of the Dream Wing Gu's immense value.

'It's highly likely that even the Underworld Live Show doesn't possess a Dream Wing Gu, which is why they offered such a lavish reward.' I watched the Dream Wing Gu refusing to let go of the locust flowers inside my Liver Aperture, my expression relaxed. This little insect might be of great use in the future. It could even be the key to neutralizing the Plum Blossom Gu Poison. Because of that, I had no intention of handing it over to the Underworld Live Show; I was keeping it for myself.

The distant sky gradually turned blue. The mountain's frigid chill was finally dispelled by a ray of warm sunlight as the sun slowly crested the ravine.

"Ding!"

"Livestream task: Enter the Jiangcheng Northern Suburb Subway Station at midnight and board the final train under the identity of Lu Xing—Completed. Reward: 1 point. Viewership exceeded 9,000—Reward: 9 points. Received 10 Yuanbao during the broadcast—Reward: 10 points. Completed a commission from the Underworld—Additional reward: 1 point."

"Optional Task 1: Successfully disguise as Lu Xing without arousing suspicion—Reward: 5 points."

"Optional Task 2: Destroy a Double-Faced Buddha Statue to receive 1 point—Unfinished."

"Optional Task 3: Steal the Good and Evil Sarira—Unfinished."

"Optional Task 4: Obtain the Dream Wing Gu—Completed. Reward: 5 points."

"Note: Bring this Gu to No-Lights Road and present it to the Underworld Live Show to receive an additional reward of 30 points, one Live Broadcast Immunity, one free chance to call for help, and one random livestream task replacement right!"

"Underworld Live Show special function 'Call for Help' unlocked. First call is free. The unused opportunity will carry over to the next livestream."

"Tally complete: A total of 31 points were earned in this livestream. Current total points: 100!"

"Livestream merit tally: Disrupted the order of the Heavenly Dao—Deducted 300 merit. Saved a person who was meant to die—Deducted 20 merit."

"Eleventh livestream completed. Unlocking the new product catalog."

"Dream-Entangling Grass (Food for the Dream Wing Gu; long-term consumption offers a chance to make the Gu worm grow further. 10 points per stalk.),

"Map of Partial Yin-Yang Regions (Marks three connecting passages. 30 points.),

"Damaged Good and Evil Asura Mask (Slightly obscures changes in the heavenly secrets. 20 points.),

"Benefactor Talisman (Also known as 'Benefactor's Guidance'. Whether at work, seeking opportunities, or encountering various problems, the user can receive help from influential or professional figures. 3 points.),

"Five Dragon Talisman (For the 'Five Directions and Five Earths Dragon Gods, Front and Back Earth Gods of Wealth'. Mostly used to worship local deities or the earth. Highly effective for suppressing haunted houses and evil spirits. 5 points.),

"Cloud-Patterned Wooden Fish (Its clear sound awakens the mortal realm. Also known as a wooden drum, commonly called 'fish roe'. Round and carved into the shape of a fish, hence the name wooden fish. Hollowed out in the middle, it makes a sound when struck. Used in coordination with the rhythm when chanting scriptures. Striking it on every word of the scripture multiplies the power of spells. 10 points.),

"Three Pure Ones Bell (Ringing the dharma bell makes gods and ghosts bow in respect. Bronze handle, with a clapper inside the bell that sounds when shaken. The upper end of the handle is shaped like a mountain, symbolizing the Three Pure Ones. Has the power to summon deities and banish demons. 10 points.),

"Ruler of Tianpeng (In ancient times, peach branches were used to dispel misfortune. Houyi died by a peach club, so later generations used them to drive away ghosts. The Ruler of Tianpeng belongs to this category. A long rectangular piece of wood, its six sides are carved with patterns of the sun, moon, the Twenty-Eight Mansions, the Three Stars, the Big Dipper, the South Dipper, and more. It can crush and kill demonic entities. 20 points.),

"Purification Whip Dharma Rope (The wooden handle is carved with a snake head pattern, attached to a rope body made of twisted hemp or palm fibers, ending in a tail that looks like a flying serpent. The snake head is coated in red lacquer with a bagua pattern. It can whip demons and ward off evil monsters. 20 points.),

"Five Directions Command Flags (A Daoist ritual artifact. It can summon gods and dispatch generals, and expel evil and banish demons. It is a necessary item for a fasting and offering ritual altar. 10 points.),

"Altar-Suppressing Wood Block (The front is carved with the words 'All Gods Listen,' and both ends are carved with the four trigrams of Qian, Kun, Kan, and Li. Used by Daoist priests when performing spells to strike the table and intimidate evil spirits and demons. 10 points.),

"Yellow Springs Token (A supreme treasure for Ghost Cultivators. It possesses the ability to open the Ghost Gate once a solar year. Holding this token allows one to traverse backward across the Yellow Springs. 44 points)..."

After the eleventh livestream concluded, the product catalog updated with a slew of new items. Unlike before, there were no secret manuals or tomes this time. Instead, it offered a vast, diverse array of magical artifacts covering Daoist, Buddhist, and Ghost Cultivator traditions. It felt like the Underworld Live Show was consciously undergoing some sort of shift.

Counting this latest livestream, I had accumulated a total of 100 points. It seemed like a lot, but if I tried to spend them all on magical artifacts, it wouldn't be nearly enough. I couldn't even afford to put together a complete fasting and offering ritual altar.

'No wonder Leng Qingxuan, despite being a direct disciple of the Maoshan Yin Master Lineage, only had a Ruler of Tianpeng to his name. These artifacts are far more precious than I thought.' Putting away the Underworld Live Show Phone, I took one last look into the Deep Well. The murky water was completely opaque. It seemed Wang Shi and Feng Minglong really hadn't made it out.

'In a single night, I ended up all the way from the Jiangcheng Northern Suburb Subway Station into the Depths of Henshan. Looking back, everything that happened on that train still feels like a fever dream.' I reached into my jacket and suddenly brushed against something. I pulled it out, and a white ceramic bowl landed in my palm. 'Isn't this the bowl that held the Sorrow-Forgetting Water?'

The water inside was gone, leaving only the ceramic bowl that looked as though it were carved from white bone.

'Getting this bowl is a decent unexpected windfall. At least the hundreds of merit points I was docked didn't go to waste.' The thought of my deducted merit still made my heart bleed. Every other cultivator built up their merit through good deeds. Even the most rampant demonic entities would mask the heavenly secrets before cultivating their evil arts just to reduce their merit drain. But me? I burned through merit like water. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before I was cursed with endless bad luck and bogged down by karmic obstacles.

'What am I supposed to do? It's downright depressing!' Once my stamina had recovered a bit, I headed into Suolong Village to investigate. Li Changgui had specifically mentioned this place in his will. I couldn't shake the feeling that the Suolong Village in the Yang Realm also hid some unspeakable secrets.

Following the familiar dirt road, I ventured alone into the depths of the deserted village.