Chapter Twelve: The Covenant of Hearts (Part Two)

Just then, Shi Jun slowly regained consciousness. As he opened his eyes, he saw an enormous circular opening above him, rushing toward him at an unimaginable speed. Before he could comprehend what was happening, he felt a sudden heat in his chest. His entire body trembled violently, and to his astonishment, countless dazzling white beams shot out from his left chest.

The moment these slender white rays left his body, they swiftly wove together into a thin curtain of light, enveloping everything within several dozen meters. As the white light continued to pour out from Shi Jun’s chest, the light curtain grew thicker and more substantial. Suddenly, a massive Bagua pattern appeared at the center of the curtain. Around it, eight enormous glowing characters—Heaven, Earth, Thunder, Fire, Water, Wind, Lake, and Mountain—rose slowly from the edges and wrapped tightly around the merged Blue Wraith, spinning rapidly.

As the spinning intensified, the glowing characters shot out even more blinding beams, stabbing directly into the Blue Wraith’s body. The barrel-shaped entity seemed to be subjected to a crushing force of ten thousand tons, instantly compressed into a dense sphere that continued to shrink in size.

Shi Jun stared in disbelief, glancing between the white light pouring from his chest and the Blue Wraith being compressed into a ball, feeling as though he were in a dream.

Meanwhile, the lurking Nether Currents, having witnessed the Blue Wraith’s misfortune, surged forward without hesitation. The powerful currents, churning with vortexes, roared deafeningly as they hurled themselves at the light curtain and Bagua pattern, releasing immense suction and pressure in an attempt to disperse the white light and rescue the Blue Wraith.

But just then, even more beams shot relentlessly from Shi Jun’s chest, each piercing with unerring accuracy into every Nether Current. The continuous thunderous roar assaulted Shi Jun’s senses, making his vision swim and his head spin. To his shock, nearly all the Nether Currents stopped swirling at the same moment. Along with the Blue Wraith, they hung motionless in midair, as if frozen by an invisible spell. The tumultuous noise faded into utter silence.

The once chaotic battlefield was now still. All around, countless immobilized Nether Currents and the massive Blue Wraith sphere hung silently, while only faint threads of white light continued to emanate from the center of Shi Jun’s body...

* * *

After a moment of stalemate, the Blue Wraith struggled slightly. Drops of black liquid seeped from its body, slipping through the restraint of the white light and flying straight toward Shi Jun.

In the blink of an eye, the black droplets followed the white light and sank into Shi Jun’s chest, vanishing without a trace. Suddenly, Shi Jun felt something icy slithering through his veins, and his heart leapt in alarm. Was this the Blue Wraith’s deadly trick? Before he could react, another cool sensation surged from his chest as the black droplets, now sheathed in shimmering silver light, emerged and floated back toward the Blue Wraith.

The moment the droplets touched the Blue Wraith, the eight glowing characters encircling the sphere dissolved and vanished. The sphere swallowed the black droplets, then suddenly split apart, transforming once more into countless blue fish-like creatures that swam slowly toward Shi Jun.

At the same time, the white beams piercing the Nether Currents disappeared, and the currents ceased their attack. As if by mutual understanding, they hovered silently around Shi Jun for a moment before dispersing in all directions.

* * *

This time, the River of the Dead truly fell silent.

Strangely enough, as the Blue Wraiths, now in fish form, swam near him, Shi Jun no longer felt the terror from before. Instead, he sensed their emotions—serene, peaceful—and received waves of friendly, joyful impressions from the little blue fish, as if he had become one with these once-fearsome, now endearing creatures.

Though still utterly confused, Shi Jun was certain he was no longer in danger. Yet, dangling in midair was hardly a solution. Just as the white light from his chest flickered and vanished, Shi Jun remembered to move his stiff limbs. Finding nothing beneath his feet, he instinctively assumed a dog paddle and, to his amazement, found himself gliding gently forward as though swimming in water.

A few blue fish swam over. Though he heard no sound, Shi Jun sensed something reaching out to him. Focusing his mind, he realized it was the blue fish communicating telepathically, offering their help.

Shi Jun quickly thought of Hu Hai and wondered how he could reach the Underworld. No sooner did the thought arise than the blue fish replied in a chorus: they did not know Hu Hai’s whereabouts, only that he had safely left the River of the Dead.

Reassured that Hu Hai was safe, Shi Jun turned to the blue fish and asked if they could help him reach the Underworld. After a lively exchange, the fish transformed into a tiny blue boat shaped like a leaf, lifting Shi Jun and drifting gently forward. Overjoyed at their attentiveness, Shi Jun relaxed and let the “boat” carry him onward.

* * *

The little boat floated with Shi Jun across the now tranquil River of the Dead and rose above the Underworld. As soon as he left the gray, misty river, Shi Jun’s vision brightened.

Below him spread a boundless ocean, calm and still. As the boat descended swiftly, Shi Jun saw, scattered across the water, countless colossal, bowl-shaped orange-red stones, each upturned like a giant dish. Curious, he watched as a small door opened in one of the nearer “bowls,” and a faint figure slid out, easing itself into the sea.

Strangely, the figure was at first nothing more than a smoky outline, but once submerged, it seemed to gain substance and color.

The figure, noticing Shi Jun’s descent, waved cheerfully, moving its mouth as if greeting him, then dove back inside the orange-red bowl-shaped dwelling.

Shi Jun blinked, hoping for a closer look, but the little boat touched the sea and, contrary to his expectations, did not float but began to sink.

* * *

Expecting to be drenched, Shi Jun reflexively flailed his arms, ready to paddle desperately. To his surprise, his hands met nothing—though he was already submerged, not a drop of water clung to him. This “ocean” was, in fact, composed of a dense blue gas. Shi Jun could not have known this was the first layer of the Underworld, the Realm of Rebirth, governed by King Kasyapa. The blue vapor was the chilling nether energy that allowed souls to take form.

Marveling at how the lustrous, watery substance failed to wet him, Shi Jun suddenly spotted several green, ribbon-like creatures darting past. Curious, he craned his neck for a better look.

The green creatures, agile as water snakes, darted about Shi Jun. Oddly, each had a round head at both ends. Their method of flight was erratic—sometimes one head would lead, dragging the body forward, then the other would yank it back, changing direction. When neither would yield, they’d quarrel, biting at each other, engaging in a comical self-conflict.

Whenever this happened, other green “snakes” would gather, excitedly circling the combatants like onlookers at a brawl, paying Shi Jun not the slightest attention.

Shi Jun couldn’t help laughing. Creatures fighting with themselves! If Dahai were here, he would have bitterly lamented the loss of his digital camera—how could he miss such a spectacle?

The boat continued its descent, and in a short while, Shi Jun entered the second layer of the Underworld—the Purification Desert, also called “Limok,” ruled by King Veda.

No sooner had Shi Jun adapted to the gentle blue chill of the nether energy than, upon entering the air above Limok, he instinctively shut his eyes—a dazzling, golden world stretched before him. Endless desert, glittering with golden sand, radiated a blinding light.

After a long moment, Shi Jun’s eyes adjusted. Opening them, he surveyed the wasteland, where jagged rocks and gray-brown hills rose everywhere.

Countless giant beasts with four wings and blue-gray manes, each equipped with claws that could shatter stone and split metal, drifted slowly through the air. Suddenly, one beast would dive at astonishing speed, nearly striking the ground before pumping its wings and soaring skyward, reminding Shi Jun of football players practicing sprints.

Just as he leaned over the boat’s edge for a closer look, the vessel dipped sharply. He felt a weight on his shoulder—a massive claw had landed on him—and Shi Jun’s heart leapt in fright.