“We have to seek out Patriarch Darkriver in order to send Carmine Eternal into the Blood Sea, don’t we?” Lu Yun had never met the personage before, but the name was familiar.

Patriarch Darkriver was a top demonic fiend rivalling Luo Houluo, and he felt a pang of worry when thinking of an assuredly fearsome opponent.

“Don’t worry, Darkriver is as cowardly as a mouse. Mentioning the great and powerful Leize and Huaxu is enough to scare any thoughts of wrongdoing from his mind. Besides, the hundred-and-eight-ranked white lotus is a gift from that man. Once Darkriver sees it, he’ll treat Carmine Eternal like his own daughter.” The little fox was absolutely certain of her prediction.

Past Mount Tai was the real netherdark.

Remains of what’d once been living scattered the vast black land. In stark contrast was the crimson sky above and the bloody sun hung at an angle against the backdrop.

Lu Yun noticed spirits of living souls following in his path and wandering aimlessly into the netherdark. They had died in the great wilderness and wouldn’t reincarnate into another life after entering the world of the dead, but would instead dissipate and return to the world.

“Strange… these souls all possess their true spirits!” Lu Yun voiced his realization.

In the future, living beings in the world of immortals weren’t born with true spirits. Only after ascending to the dao immortal realm could one form their own true spirit with the power of heaven and earth, thus completing their soul.

However, Lu Yun recalled that living beings possessed a complete soul at the inception of the immortal dao. Only after the war that severed the path of cultivation and erased the void realm did the living lose their true spirits, leaving them with only ethereal and corporal soul-parts.

“That’s right. Those in this era are born with a complete soul, containing the true spirit, three ethereal soul-parts, and seven corporal soul-parts.” The little fox added in a quiet voice, “The disappearance of the true spirits was actually God’s doing.”

Lu Yun started. “What?”

God? He was the one who’d extracted true spirits from the living souls?

That doesn’t make sense.

“That’s right.” The little fox nodded. “You’ll understand once you acquire your true spirit, it’s actually a good thing! That earth-shattering battle enabled God to work in secret, separating true spirits from the living’s souls.”

Although Lu Yun’s replica had reached the empyrean realm, his true form remained at the golden core great dao, the equivalent of the peerless immortal realm in the future. Only after ascending to the immortal dao realm could he conjure his own true spirit.

“Do you know why he did it? What was his motivation?” Lu Yun was eager to find out the answer.

“I suppose I can tell you the truth.” After a thoughtful pause, the little fox explained, “The true spirits tempered under the future immortal dao can rival those of the connate demon gods today.

“True spirits are gifts from heaven and earth. Since the chaos realm demon gods were born from nature, their true spirits are the most powerful, granted directly by the world. Their children, the powerful empyrean realm elites, have lesser true spirits. You can follow the logic down the pecking order… Regular living souls who came late into the world are born with unusually weak true spirits.

“Nascent spirits, constitution, and realms can all be improved through cultivation, but true spirits cannot!

“In the future, Demon God Ji Du possesses the true spirit of the Exalted Divine Emperor. Do you think he’s become any more powerful because of it? The divine emperor’s true spirit contained his residue power, that’s why the demon god seems stronger.”

In the future, Ji Du would become the demon god. After countless reincarnations, he’d long forgotten who he was. He’d lose his name and just called himself the demon god.

Of course, his master Luo Houluo had also had a hand in the loss of his identity.

Although Luo Houluo was Ji Du’s master, their relationship was less than sincere. Master and disciple were constantly scheming against each other, looking to devour the other if a chance ever presented itself.

“The true spirits of latter-day beings are too weak to support them through their rise to the peak. The empyrean realm is their limit!”

Latter-day beings were those who were born without cultivation, including the human race and herself. Fortunately, Hongjun’s guidance had raised the little fox’s soul to the level of the connate demon gods.

“Under the immortal dao, the true spirits cultivated by the living can rival those of the connate demon gods. Further cultivation will bring endless possibilities if they continue along their path. It’s possible that one may cultivate their way into becoming a creator themselves.”

Lu Yun chewed over the revelation. No wonder Fuxi and the others held the immortal dao in such regard, putting in foundational work for it even when the human dao had yet to be established. It was astounding that the immortal dao could give latter-day beings such powerful true spirits.

Lu Yun felt that the greatest feat Fuxi and his companions had achieved by travelling to the future wasn’t to bring him between the two time periods, but that they’d separated the true spirits of the living from their souls.

“Does that mean I am to set up the foundation of immortal dao as well?” Lu Yun asked with uncertainty.

“No!” The little fox shook her head. “Just follow everything to its natural conclusion. Don’t do or not do anything on purpose.”

Lu Yun nodded.

Since Darkriver had given his orders, all living souls in the netherdark gave the human visitor a wide berth, lest they attract the troublemaker’s attention.

“Bashe has gone to tattle to Darkriver. Someone like him, though, will consider you public enemy number one and avoid you like the plague.” The little fox said with great self-satisfaction. “After all, Darkriver is in the wrong here. He stole Arbiter’s fortuitous opportunity all those years ago and worries that she’ll come after him for it… He’s probably going to cry with gratitude that we brought Eternal here instead.”

Lu Yun rubbed his forehead with resignation. “As a patriarch and the ruler of the netherdark, should he really be this cowardly?”

“He’s not a coward per se, but he’s terrified of dying!” the little fox corrected. “Both Leize and Huaxu are able to kill him even when he’s in the netherdark.”

“Alright...” Lu Yun nodded. “The netherdark is too small for him to hole up in a hiding place.”

……

Lu Yun rushed straight toward the Blood Sea, stirring up concern and sowing panic in his wake. The subordinates Darkriver sent to keep an eye on him hurried back to the Blood Sea to make their reports.

Darkriver was at a loss; he didn’t know what Lie Shan was trying to do.

“I seized Arbiter’s opportunity from her. She’s close to Leize, Huaxu, and Taiyi. Did Leize send Lie Shan to enact the first step of their revenge against me?” Panic seized the patriarch.

Leize, Huaxu, and Darkriver were among the first connate demon gods to be born into this world. Before they manifested physically, their spirits had become acquainted with each other and some of them had formed a friendly bond.

If Eternal and Arbiter had successfully gained a physical form, they would’ve become one of the greatest powers in the world, rivalling Leize and Huaxu.

“Do you know your crimes, Darkriver?!” A tremor passed through the netherdark, brought about by Lu Yun’s booming accusation.

Beneath the Blood Sea, Darkriver shuddered violently. “My doom has come, Leize sent him to avenge Arbiter!”