C54 Hades Led the Way with the Blessing of Virtue!
The soft, eerie chime of a copper bell echoed from the depths of the abyss.
A bottomless black hole materialized at the point of Lu Yu's finger, with wisps of ghostly light seeping out.
"Let's go, step into the cycle of reincarnation and be reborn!" Lu Yu commanded, and the spirits filed into the black hole one by one.
Within the hole, a mist slowly cleared, revealing a bridge in the distance with tumultuous waters raging beneath it.
At that moment, a group of shadowy figures emerged on the opposite side of the bridge.
These shadows, shrouded in black robes and armed with iron chains or lanterns, advanced with slow, deliberate steps.
The figure at the forefront reached the bridge and surveyed the gathered spirits, his voice booming, "Who dares to shepherd lost souls without permission!"
"And who might you be?" challenged Lu Yu.
"I am Fu Shao, Deacon of the Yinluo Sect. To guide these souls, you must first forfeit a century of your own life!" the black-robed figure demanded in a gravelly tone.
Lu Yu's brow furrowed. "It's absurd that the realms of hell are under the thumb of a mortal sect!"
The black-robed figure let out a sinister cackle. "With the Underworld in ruins and the elements in disarray, it is only by the grace of my Yinluo Sect that chaos hasn't already engulfed this world!"
Then, his gaze fell upon Lu Yu.
"A mere mortal child, ignorant of the vastness of heaven and earth, dares to trespass into my Yinluo Sect with a host of souls? You've got quite the nerve," he sneered with a piercing laugh.
The other robed figures closed in, their chains tethered to tormented souls, their limbs shackled, faces twisted in agony.
"You're asking for death, boy. Now, hand over your life!" the lead figure bellowed, brandishing his iron chain at Lu Yu.
With a whoosh, Lu Yu barked defiantly, "It seems you're the one with a death wish!"
Boom!
A formidable aura erupted, instantly enveloping all of hell.
"My lifespan, why is my lifespan reversing!"
The man in the black robe shuddered violently, his grip on the iron chain weakening until it clattered to the ground.
"No, what kind of magic is this!?" he shrieked in agony as his hood flew back, revealing a middle-aged face that continued to age at a horrifying pace.
His hair turned gray, and wrinkles crept across his skin.
"No, no!" With a cry of despair, the middle-aged man turned and fled. The other black-robed figures were quick to follow, not daring to linger a moment longer.
"I shall claim a century of your lifespans. Reflect on your actions!" Lu Yu's voice, icy and detached, caused the black-robed man to cough up blood.
For a cultivator, life was exceedingly precious, even though it far exceeded that of ordinary mortals.
If his cultivation level stalled, death would inevitably follow.
"How can such a powerful being exist!?" The black-robed man seethed with rage, yet lacked the courage to retaliate.
At the stone bridge.
The ghosts, released from their chains by Lu Yu, knelt before him and then proceeded to cross the bridge.
Beneath the weight of Lu Yu's presence, not one of the Yellow Springs Yin Devils lurking in the river dared to emerge.
They typically prowled near the bridge, preying on the Yin Spirits.
But under Lu Yu's formidable aura, they instinctively knew better. To act would mean certain death.
The Yin Spirits crossed the bridge in peace.
With each passing soul, a faint golden light traced over Lu Yu, sinking into his being.
Eyes closed, he basked in the enveloping radiance of the golden light.
This was the merit of his deeds!
These souls, once doomed to wander as lost ghosts outside the cycle of rebirth, were now given another chance by Lu Yu to cross back over the bridge and rejoin the cycle, to be reborn as humans in their next lives.
By guiding countless souls to purification, Lu Yu's cultivation level surged with the accrued merit!
He ascended to the Sixth Level of the Xiantian Realm!
Then the Seventh!
Lu Yu's breakthrough came to an abrupt halt upon reaching the eighth level of the Xiantian Realm.
