Chapter 151: There Is No Path Ahead of Me

Of course, he also knew that obtaining the legacy would be no easy task.

According to the God-Favored One, when the time came, all Yin-walking cultivators within a certain radius would head there to try their luck.

This would also include numerous demons, ghosts, malevolent spirits, and other netherworld entities...

Danger and opportunity coexisted.

"Therefore, what I need to do now is to enhance my strength and methods as much as possible.

In terms of cultivation, I need to reach the mid-to-late stage of the Three Incense Sticks level as soon as possible.

As for my various skills, I also need to step up my practice and bring them at least to the Great Accomplishment stage."

Chen Yushu cast his gaze over his attribute panel.

Immortal Dharma Cultivation: Three Incense Sticks (17/100)

This cultivation level could hardly be called weak.

After all, he had only recently broken through to the Three Incense Sticks cultivation realm. However, by the time the Mount Huang Legacy Cliff opened, there would inevitably be many Yin-walkers at the peak of the Three Incense Sticks level, putting him at a slight disadvantage in terms of realm.

Although he considered his Yin-walking methods to be formidable,

he would never underestimate others.

Major sects and prestigious families were never short of geniuses. Coupled with all sorts of miraculous spells and deep foundations, he was by no means guaranteed an advantage.

As for his skills.

Setting the Altar was at Minor Accomplishment, the Pointing Yin Sword was at Minor Accomplishment, and the God-Descent Technique was at Minor Accomplishment. This level of mastery was certainly not weak.

Especially the God-Descent Technique, which was definitely his most powerful offensive method aside from the Altar-Setting method.

Yet, this was still not enough.

The God-Descent Technique at Minor Accomplishment was inevitably inferior to one at Great Accomplishment.

Although the Altar-Setting method was powerful, it required a considerable amount of preparation beforehand. In the heat of battle, no opponent would allow him the time to prepare anything.

Thus, the God-Descent Technique was actually the true foundation of his strength.

"Of course, aside from Yin-walking methods, there is also martial arts.

Yin-walking methods deal mostly with demons, ghosts, malevolent spirits, and the like.

While they have a certain effect on ordinary enemies, they are definitely not as direct and straightforward as martial arts."

Chen Yushu was well aware that once he found himself in a complex environment, his enemies would not merely be those supernatural beings and evil entities.

More often than not, his enemies would likely be other 'people'.

Therefore, he had never considered abandoning the practice of martial arts.

The Medicine King Staging Technique, the Medicine King Strength-Locking Technique, the Medicine King Thunderous Chant, along with the Tiger Roar and Dragon Chant Technique—these formed a trinity that he practiced diligently without slack.

All of his martial skills had also surpassed the Minor Accomplishment stage.

...

The next day.

Two major events occurred in North Jiao Village, causing a sensation throughout the entire community.

The first was that the stone fish beneath the wooden bridge had shattered.

It had cracked suddenly for no apparent reason.

Immediately, the villagers buzzed with rumors and rushed to spread the news. Some elders even stepped forward to claim that the stone fish had attained sentience and was about to undergo its heavenly tribulation, only to be blasted to pieces by divine lightning.

Of course, others claimed they had heard noises at night, suggesting that a high-level master passing through North Jiao Village had noticed the stone fish was about to emerge and harm people, and thus casually eliminated it.

Following this, some people ran to question Uncle Zhong, but he remained silent and did not utter a single word.

The second event was that the wife of Song Rentou, Chen Yushu's neighbor, had gone missing.

She had mysteriously vanished that very night, and even their hunting dog had failed to notice anything.

All morning, the Song family could be heard shouting and wailing, calling upon the villagers to help search for her.

Naturally, few responded; only those on good terms with his family or close blood relatives bothered to help search outside the village.

Yet, by the time they looked, three or four hours had already passed since she had run off—how could she possibly be found?

Later, some people connected her disappearance to the shattering of the stone fish. Rumors spread that a high-level master had abducted Song's wife, or perhaps that someone from her own family had arrived, smashed the stone fish, and taken her away at the same time...

In short, there were all sorts of theories,

each with their own speculations.

Naturally, Chen Yushu paid no heed to any of it.

Every day, he proceeded with his routine cultivation, either practicing martial arts or honing his Yin-walking secret techniques.

Uncle Zhong, however, quietly sought out Chen Yushu once. When asked about the stone fish, Chen Yushu did not spell it out completely, merely hinting vaguely that it was related to Granny Ghost.

Uncle Zhong's heart instantly tightened, and a flurry of thoughts raced through his mind. Nevertheless, with a look of sudden comprehension, he simply turned around and walked away in silence.

At first, Chen Yushu was not entirely sure what Uncle Zhong meant by his 'understood'.

However, on the first day after the New Year, when the village organized its ancestral temple worship and Liu Qiao'er's family—specifically Qiao'er's mother—was placed in the front row for the very first time, he finally understood.

The decade-old resentment within the village was finally beginning to melt away and dissolve.

...

At the dawn of the New Year, all things renewed!

At night, Chen Yushu met Liu Qiao'er by the head of the bridge.

"Sister Qiao'er, for the next period of time, we might not be able to meet."

Chen Yushu looked at her and spoke.

"Hmm? You're leaving too?"

Liu Qiao'er asked in surprise, her eyes blinking in curiosity.

"Ah? Sister Qiao'er, you..."

Chen Yushu also wore an expression of unexpected astonishment.

"Actually, those were the exact words I intended to say to you.

That day, Uncle Zhong came specifically to my house and sought out my mother. He brought up the events of the past, finally resolving the long-standing grievances between my family and the village.

To me, this matter was ultimately inconsequential, and I never really cared about it.

But my mother could not let it go.

She is a native-born villager with deep emotional ties to this place.

If it weren't for protecting me, she would not have lived with such grievance and constraint over the past decade, forced to present herself as a madwoman..."

At this point, a trace of sorrow inevitably appeared on Liu Qiao'er's face.

She had long since grown accustomed to the cold remarks and ostracizing attitudes of the villagers, to the point where they no longer stirred any ripples in her heart.

Yet her mother was different.

She had witnessed her mother's suffering all these years.

Now that her mother was once again accepted by the villagers, her own heart felt a slight comfort, and she could finally rest easy.

"In fact, the reason I was in such a hurry to resolve the village's affairs wasn't just to lift the crisis hanging over it; more importantly, it was to free myself from any lingering worries.

Because I, too, have decided to set off for Mount Tianxuan after the New Year."

Liu Qiao'er said.

"Mount Tianxuan? The Ghost Spirit Sect?"

Chen Yushu asked in astonishment.

"That's right.

The Ghost Spirit Sect on Mount Tianxuan is the sect my grandmother belonged to.

Back then, due to her involvement in an internal sect struggle—and to prevent my father from being implicated—she descended the mountain to live in seclusion, avoiding the numerous conflicts and infighting among her fellow disciples.

Yet she was far too kind-hearted.

In order to resolve the troubles of the nearby villagers and eliminate the scourge of demons and evil spirits, she intervened on multiple occasions, ultimately exposing herself to her enemies, who tracked her down.

Ten years ago, to protect us, my grandmother had no choice but to return to the Ghost Spirit Sect on Mount Tianxuan.

Ever since she left, there has been no news of her whatsoever.

Not even a single word has been passed back. As her granddaughter, I naturally must go and investigate the truth."

Liu Qiao'er said, her expression turning solemn.

"Wouldn't that be extremely dangerous?

Your grandmother went back all those years ago and never returned.

Who knows if those enemies from back then are still within the Ghost Spirit Sect?
Going there now, isn't that walking right into a trap?"

Chen Yushu frowned and advised cautiously.

"It's fine.

I have my own ways of handling this trip.

Besides, there is no path left ahead of me."

Liu Qiao'er first offered a word of reassurance, and then, with a rare hint of helplessness, she continued: "After entering the Dao through Yin-walking, the path ahead may seem smooth.

Out-of-body travel, wandering by night, wandering by day... But what I practice is the Yin-walking method of the Ghost Spirit Sect, the foundational volume of the *Ghost Spirit Descent Chronicles*.

Furthermore, it is nearly impossible for me to switch to cultivating another method. Therefore, if I wish to continue my cultivation and learn the subsequent techniques for out-of-body travel, night-wandering, and day-wandering, I have no choice but to go to the Ghost Spirit Sect."

At this, a trace of helplessness could not help but show on Liu Qiao'er's face.

The Dao Dharma is not easily passed on.

This holds true for any sect or power.

The techniques Liu Qiao'er practiced originated from her grandmother.

However, what her grandmother had learned came from the Ghost Spirit Sect, and it contained only the preliminary foundational volume—at best, enough to bring her to the Dao-entry level.

If she wished to continue cultivating and improving, she had no choice but to travel to the Ghost Spirit Sect, pay her respects to a master, and learn their arts.

This was actually standard practice for many Yin-walking and mystic sects.

They were not stingy about having the foundational teachings of their sects spread outward, and some even actively distributed them.

However, what they passed on were merely the foundational chapters.

Their purpose was precisely to entice those cultivators who managed to enter the Dao through these means to seek them out voluntarily and pledge allegiance to their sect.

Thus, once Liu Qiao'er's cultivation truly broke through to the Dao-entry realm, the Ghost Spirit Sect was a place she was destined to visit.

"Perhaps Sister Qiao'er doesn't need to go to this Ghost Spirit Sect at all? And didn't you cultivate an out-of-body technique?"

Chen Yushu thought of the Mount Huang Legacy Cliff he was about to visit, and could not help speaking up.

"You're referring to the *Treading Snow Ascension Technique*, aren't you?

This *Treading Snow Ascension Technique* is indeed a very exquisite out-of-body method.

However, it doesn't truly match the Ghost Spirit Sect's cultivation manual that I practice, the *Ghost Spirit Descent Chronicles*.

Consequently, practicing this technique has been extremely difficult for me, giving me the distinct feeling of putting in twice the effort for half the results.

If I were to rely on this method for my cultivation, my training efficiency would drop drastically, which is certainly not what I desire."

Liu Qiao'er first shook her head, then looked at him with curiosity and asked, "What about you? You mentioned earlier that you wouldn't be able to meet for a while as well. What is that about?"

"Has Sister Qiao'er ever heard of the Mount Huang Legacy Cliff?"

Chen Yushu looked at her.

"The Mount Huang Legacy Cliff?

Could it be the legacy left behind by the Old Ancestor of Mount Huang? Known as the rogue cultivator's dream, it's one of the places where ordinary Yin-walkers can obtain the most supreme Yin-walking legacies without having to pledge themselves to orthodox mystic sects.

Could it be that this year marks the reopening of the Mount Huang Legacy Cliff?"

Liu Qiao'er raised an eyebrow and immediately asked for confirmation.

"That's right."

Chen Yushu nodded. He was not surprised that Liu Qiao'er knew of this; in his standing impression, she seemed omniscient and capable of everything.

Although this perception wasn't entirely accurate, Mount Huang was the closest famous mountain to their Jianghuan Town, and since it concerned the Yin-walking legacy, it was only natural that Sister Qiao'er would know about it.

He then continued: "Up until now, it has always been Sister Qiao'er passing down arts to me. Although I haven't said much about it, I am truly grateful.

And you once said that while you were helping me now, there might come a day when I would need to help you.

Therefore, this time I plan to head to the Mount Huang Legacy Cliff to undergo the legacy trials. Perhaps I will have the chance to obtain the Yin-walking legacy of the Old Ancestor of Mount Huang and acquire the subsequent methods for Dao-entry Yin-walking cultivation.

So, I would like to ask Sister Qiao'er to wait for a while.

If I truly obtain the Yin-walking legacy, I can naturally teach it to you for your cultivation.

Presumably, supreme legacies share common principles.
If we are not fated to receive the legacy, it won't be too late for Sister Qiao'er to make your decision then."

Chen Yushu spoke earnestly.

In his heart, he actually felt a certain degree of confidence regarding his upcoming trip to the Mount Huang Legacy Cliff to accept the legacy trials.

After all, he was well aware of his own special trait.

Constant Meditation!

Reaching the state of Constant Meditation in one's meditation practice was virtually unheard of among Three Incense Sticks Yin-walking cultivators. He believed that since the Old Ancestor of Mount Huang wished to choose a successor, he would inevitably look for disciples with extraordinary talent and superior aptitude.

While he might not dare compare himself to those supreme geniuses in other aspects,

if it came down to comparing meditation states, he was confident he was an absolute standout, virtually surpassing all other geniuses.

And as everyone knew, the meditation state could almost directly represent one's natural talent within a Yin-walking legacy.

Much like cultivators with Heavenly Spiritual Roots in ancient cultivation methods—their training speed and efficiency were simply beyond the reach of those with Three Spiritual Roots, Dual Spiritual Roots, or even Mutant Spiritual Roots.

Heavenly Spiritual Roots.

Named after the heavens to denote their uniqueness, they stood above all other spiritual root aptitudes.

His achievement of the Constant Meditation state had a similarly wondrous and miraculous effect on his cultivation.

It made him a being who undoubtedly towered over all other cultivators at the Three Incense Sticks realm.

"I truly didn't expect the Mount Huang Legacy Cliff to open so soon.

However, since I have already entered the Dao, I have already missed the qualifications to participate in the trials.

Still, Daoist cultivation is just like that: gaining it is my fortune, losing it is my fate.

If I hadn't entered the Dao, I would never have dared to boldly eradicate the evil spirit in the ancestral temple and slay that stone fish.

At that time, the evil spirit within the ancestral temple, nourished by the annual sacrificial offerings, might have broken its seal ahead of time and even used the power of incense vows to break through its realm and transform into a malevolent specter.

That could have triggered a catastrophe, repeating the tragedy of ten years ago.

Not to mention the even more threatening stone fish.

Therefore, given the chance to choose all over again, I would still choose to break through and ascend into the Dao."

A trace of surprise flashed across Liu Qiao'er's face, but she quickly spoke with a calm and composed expression.

Chen Yushu naturally believed her.

Despite Liu Qiao'er usually appearing indifferent to everyone, deep down she possessed a pure and innate kindness.

If that were not the case, when the two of them first met in Jianghuan Town, she would never have directly imparted Yin-walking techniques to him, helping him travel further along the path of Yin-walking.

"As for you passing on the legacy to me after you obtain it,

that simply won't work either.

Setting aside the fact that the legacy of the Old Ancestor of Mount Huang is vast and varied and might not even be a Yin-walking cultivation manual,
even if you genuinely acquired a Yin-walking cultivation manual, you would undoubtedly be bound by restrictions that forbid passing it on to outsiders."

Liu Qiao'er then shook her head and added.

Chen Yushu thought about it for a moment and could only nod in agreement.

No matter how generous the Old Ancestor of Mount Huang might be, he surely wouldn't allow his legacy to be hawked around like cheap street goods, spread indiscriminately everywhere.

"When are you leaving?"

Chen Yushu asked next.

"Tomorrow!"

Liu Qiao'er replied.

"What a coincidence, I'm leaving tomorrow too."

Chen Yushu smiled upon hearing this.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the two little ghosts, Xiaohong and Xiaoyin, knowing that both parties were about to part ways, were currently hugging each other tightly, looking extremely reluctant to separate.

The bond between the two of them was pure.

And exceptionally deep...