The Legend of the Netherworld

Chapter 165 The True Secret of the Map

Lin Xiao stood at the entrance of the underground palace. The steps in front of him were like a portal leading to the abyss, bottomless and covered with dust, as if no one had set foot on it for a hundred years.

The only source of light came from a faint ray of light from the sky, shining in, as if opening a long-lost secret.

He was filled with both surprise and a hint of nervousness. With a flick of his finger, the cold sword flashed through the air. Following the guidance of his gaze, it flew swiftly down the stairs and disappeared into the darkness.

A moment later, the sword spun rapidly and returned to Lin Xiao's hand. His fingers touched the dusty blade, and the surface of the blade seemed to be covered with a thin film, and the cold light instantly dissipated.

He murmured, "It shouldn't be too dangerous inside. After all, no one has been there for over a hundred years, and the formation has long since decayed."

Despite this, Lin Xiao remained vigilant. He did not rush in, but planned to test the waters first before making a decision.

After taking a deep breath, he took a step forward and gently stepped onto the first step.

As he moved, flames suddenly lit up on both sides of the steps, and the scorching flames instantly illuminated the entire corridor.

The light poured down, illuminating the surrounding murals and stone carvings, revealing both reality and illusion, like an unspoken warning.

Lin Xiao stood on the first step and looked back. There was still deep darkness behind him, but the corridor in front of him had become clear and bright. Everything was within reach under the light of the fire, as if there were no secrets at all.

With a slight sigh of relief, he put aside his doubts and continued to move forward.

As we walked deeper, the steps gradually became straighter. The surrounding murals became more abstract, with the huge fists of monsters and the postures of people practicing martial arts. Although vivid, they also carried some vague symbolism.

Lin Xiao stopped and looked at the murals carefully, but soon lost interest.

The mural seemed to simply depict the daily lives of some monsters, without any profound meaning. He then turned around and continued walking forward.

Gradually, he reached a wide stone gate. The steps came to an abrupt end there, and the light also stopped there, and the carvings on the stone gate were clearly visible.

Lin Xiao approached gently and saw three words engraved on the gate - "Netherworld Palace".

"It seems that this is the secret bedroom of the Ancient Demon King." Lin Xiao whispered with a complicated expression and a bit of awe.

He took a step forward, ready to push open the stone door.

However, the door was extremely heavy, and no matter how hard he pushed and pulled, it did not budge at all.

Lin Xiao frowned, trying to exert brute force. He took a step back, and the energy in his body instantly began to flow.

"Dragon Shadow Fist!"

He swung his fists out with the force of a dragon and fierce wind.

There was a loud noise in the air, deafening, and even the dust on the ground was stirred up and scattered.

However, the stone gate still stood firmly, without moving at all.

Lin Xiao's fists felt like hitting cotton, completely ineffective. His brow furrowed, a wave of displeasure welling up in his heart. Although his brute force hadn't worked, he remained undeterred.

Being experienced, he quickly changed his strategy and began to look around to see if there were any hidden mechanisms.

Scanning both sides of the gate, he spotted a small pedestal beneath the left doorpost, with three holes in it. Under the right doorpost was another similar pedestal, but with only one hole, each in a different shape.

After taking a closer look, Lin Xiao was suddenly shocked.

"Isn't this the shape of the treasures that the Green Forest Flower Demon and the Ancient Tree Spirit Lord transformed into after they died? A wooden sword and a flower stamen!"

Lin Xiao muttered to himself in a low voice, a flash of understanding in his eyes, "Then, the three holes on the left should correspond to the treasures of Thunder Tiger King, Shadow Monkey, and Shadow Wolf King."

He hurriedly reached out and cleaned the dust off the pedestal, revealing the three holes.

The shapes of the wooden sword and the pistil gradually emerged, perfectly matching the shapes of the treasures obtained when the enemy was killed.

Lin Xiao felt a surge of excitement. This discovery undoubtedly meant he had found the key to the stone door. And what lay behind this door seemed to be gradually unveiling its mystery.

Lin Xiao stood in front of the hole in front of him, recalling a sentence on the ancient map: "When the six treasures merge into one, the mysterious will naturally appear." He whispered to himself, "It seems that the six treasures mentioned on the map are the key to this moment."

After saying this, he took out treasures one by one from his bosom—the wooden sword, the flower stamen, the wolf relic, the snake gallstone, and the monkey relic—these five items that had once been transformed by the demon king. The only thing missing was the Thunder Tiger King's treasure.

Lin Xiao pondered for a moment, a smile appeared on his lips, and he whispered: "Why don't I try the tiger relic I cut off from the Shadow Wolf King. Perhaps it has some connection with the Thunder Tiger King."

He carefully picked up the tiger relic and gently placed it into the last hole.

Then, the entire underground palace suddenly shook, and a loud rumbling sound echoed all around. Lin Xiao took a step back warily, a hint of vigilance flashing in his eyes.

The stone door began to open slowly, the vibration gradually disappeared, and a heavy smell of dust filled the air.

Lin Xiao was not in a hurry to enter, but waited patiently for the dust to gradually dissipate.

He cautiously cast his gaze towards the open stone door, but what came into view was a hazy huge figure. He could vaguely see a tall and majestic stone statue standing in the deepest part of the stone chamber.

Lin Xiao thought to himself that something was wrong and immediately summoned his long sword, guiding the tip of the sword in first to detect possible mechanisms and traps.

As the long sword returned unharmed, Lin Xiao finally breathed a sigh of relief and his vigilance eased slightly.

When he finally stepped through the stone door, the stone chamber was suddenly illuminated by a faint light, and the surrounding scene gradually became clearer. However, the source of this light could not be identified.

Lin Xiao was slightly suspicious, but he didn't stop. He walked forward cautiously, his eyes fixed on the gradually emerging stone statue.

The lifelike stone statue is actually a fairy statue. It is carved from snow-white marble, with a surface as smooth as a mirror, which seems to reflect the surrounding scenery, adding a sense of ethereality.

The fairy's figure is light and graceful, as if ready to take off with the wind at any time, her sleeves swaying gently in the air, and every stroke of the carving presents a flowing beauty.

Her hands are gently folded before her chest, palms facing upward, as if absorbing the purest energy from heaven and earth. Beneath her feet, a stone sculpture of a blooming lotus cleverly supports her body.

Lin Xiao was stunned for a moment. He was deeply shocked by the exquisite carving and elegant aura of the stone statue.

However, to his surprise, the fairy did not seem to be a simple female image - she actually had a pair of horns growing on her head.

"It seems that this stone statue should be the former demon king of Wangyou Valley. I didn't expect it to be a female bull demon king." Lin Xiao muttered to himself, looking at the stone statue carefully.

The more he looked at it, the more he felt that this stone statue was not simple.

He continued to move forward cautiously, determined to explore the true appearance of the stone statue.

According to the clues on the map, the secret of the martial arts may be hidden in this stone statue.

His pace gradually quickened, but he remained highly alert, fearing that some mechanism would suddenly be activated.

Gradually, he approached the statue's folded hands and found a scroll there. The scroll lay quietly between the statue's hands, as if waiting to be discovered.

Lin Xiao's heart moved, and he suspected that this was the place where the martial arts mentioned in the map were.

At this moment, an excited and trembling voice suddenly came from the stone door behind him: "I'm finally back here again!"

Lin Xiao was startled and stopped in his tracks alertly. The sword in his hand immediately gathered a strong energy. He turned and looked at the stone gate, and asked vigilantly: "Who? Who's behind?"

"My king, I miss you so much!" The voice sounded again, excited but with a hint of impatience. Then, a figure slowly appeared, with a pair of horns on its head.

Lin Xiao's eyes fixed and he saw that the man was Haotian Tianniu.

Haotian's eyes were cold, completely ignoring Lin Xiao. He quickly ran towards the stone statue. He held the left leg of the female bull demon king statue with both hands, hugged the statue tightly, and said, "I really miss you so much!"

Lin Xiao saw clearly that the person coming was Haotian Tianniu, and he immediately felt relieved, and he also felt no malice from him.

After all, although Haotian Tianniu, who has now cultivated to the ninth level of transformation, is powerful, there is still a big gap compared to himself.

Lin Xiao was not too afraid of him. Instead, seeing his appearance, he felt a little curious and questioned: "Why is he here?"

Haotian Tianniu heard Lin Xiao's question and calmed down his excitement. He looked at Lin Xiao, while his left hand was still tightly grasping the left leg of the stone statue. He smiled coldly: "I waited for a full fifty years before I finally found this stone statue."

Hearing Haotian Tianniu's answer, Lin Xiao stood in front of Haotian Tianniu, a hint of vigilance flashed in his eyes.

His eyes were fixed on Haotian Tianniu, and he also noticed the changes in his surroundings. He asked calmly, "What exactly do you want to do by tricking me here?"

Haotian Tianniu didn't answer immediately, but continued to act on his own. He glanced at the stone statue next to him and gently kissed its left leg, as if he was filled with some deep emotion for the statue.

Lin Xiao frowned slightly, his eyes fixed on Haotian Tianniu's every move. Although he was full of doubts, he did not interrupt immediately.

"You once asked me about the grudge between the Shadow Monkey King and me. Today, I will tell you the whole story of this past." Haotian Tianniu finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse.

He pointed at the stone statue before him and said slowly, "This statue is modeled after the former Demon King of the core of the Ancient Forest—the Blue Ox King. The Shadow Monkey King and I were both trusted subordinates of the Blue Ox King. We were once her right-hand men, helping her govern the Ancient Forest and bring prosperity to this place. The demon beasts all lived in peace and happiness, and every demon beast had a hopeful future."

"Until one day, a group of people from the Xuanyuan family broke into the Ancient Forest. In order to rob resources and kill monsters, they almost wiped out all life in the Ancient Forest. The Green Ox King took action and killed those people."

Haotian Tianniu paused, a shadow of pain flashing in his eyes. "After that great battle, the Blue Ox King was severely injured. Despite this, she was able to recuperate within the core layer. However, one night, the Shadow Monkey King took advantage of the Blue Ox King's recovery and secretly sent me away. He then secretly killed the Blue Ox King and usurped the throne of the Demon King."

"When I returned, I discovered that the Shadow Monkey King's cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds, far surpassing mine. Despite my best efforts, I was unable to defeat him and was eventually forced to flee into the middle levels of the Ancient Forest. The Green Forest Flower Demon and the Ancient Tree Spirit took me in, but the Shadow Monkey King's power grew ever stronger, and I could no longer pursue him."

Haotian Tianniu's voice was choked with sobs. He opened his arms and hugged the stone statue of the Green Ox King tightly, whispering softly, "Don't worry, my king. I have avenged you."

Shock flashed in Lin Xiao's eyes. He hadn't expected Haotian Tianniu to be so affectionate and devoted to the Blue Ox King. He was simply a "pure boy."

However, Lin Xiao's suspicions deepened. Haotian Tianniu's actions and words raised even more questions. "Why did he say 'I've avenged the Blue Ox King'? Didn't I, Lin Xiao, personally kill the Shadow Monkey King? What's the conspiracy here? Why is he telling me all this?"

Suddenly, a light bulb went off in Lin Xiao's head. His eyes lit up suddenly, and he stared at Haotian Tianniu, saying in a serious tone:

"It was you who drew the map, creating a misunderstanding among the world about the treasure, and used it as an opportunity to lure me into this place. Ultimately, you avenged the Blue Ox King through the death of the Shadow Monkey King, right?"

Upon hearing this, Haotian Tianniu raised his head and gently wiped away the tears from his eyes, a trace of admiration in his eyes. He still hugged the stone statue of the Green Ox King tightly and said with a smile, "It's you, indeed. You are so wise, worthy of being the young man who could decipher that map and slay the demon king along the way. You saw part of it, but..."

"What? There is another meaning?" Lin Xiao's heart tightened, his pupils shrank slightly, and a trace of uneasiness flashed through his mind.

Haotian Tianniu continued, "This is the palace that the Great King secretly ordered me to build. However, after the Great King's death, it can no longer be opened. It can only be opened by relying on the power of the illusions created by other demon kings after their death."

At this moment, Lin Xiao suddenly felt a strong chill coming from behind him.

He instinctively turned and threw a punch, unleashing his "Dragon Shadow Fist." The punch was so swift and powerful, like a dragon shadow soaring into the air, striking the oncoming person with earth-shaking momentum.

However, what came towards him was a sharp tiger claw, as fast as lightning, and collided with Lin Xiao's fist with an air-breaking aura.

The terrifying force instantly made Lin Xiao's heart tremble. He quickly increased his strength, but at the same moment he felt his physical strength being quickly drained, as if all the strength in his body had been devoured.

"Bang!" With a resounding bang, Lin Xiao's fist collided with the tiger's claws, unleashing an earth-shattering roar. A powerful shockwave lifted the surrounding air, sending a gust of wind sweeping through. Lin Xiao's body swayed, and he was instantly knocked back by the force.

"Thunder Tiger King..." Lin Xiao's heart was shocked. The person who came was the Thunder Tiger King!

At this moment, the Thunder Tiger King's whole body burst with strength, his eyes were filled with fierceness, and he was obviously determined to completely destroy Lin Xiao.

A cold light flashed in Lin Xiao's eyes, and he quickly regained his stable position, with a resolute murderous intent surging in his heart.

He knew very well that if he didn't give it his all, the Thunder Tiger King in front of him would never let him go easily.

However, with the violent impact, Lin Xiao suddenly felt weak all over, his strength was rapidly draining away and his body was almost out of control.

Then he was knocked to the ground by the tiger's claws.