The first floor of the spiritual realm, Hell of Ashes, is a rugged terrain where flames flicker among uneven gravel, and smoke billows from cracks in the ground. This floor serves as the gateway to the eighteen levels of the spiritual realm, featuring four imposing gates: North, South, West, and East. As the initial stop for all spirits, the Hell of Ashes is one of the largest expanses in the afterlife.
Each gate opens to different parts of the human realm, and coincidentally, it was through the West Gate that Si Shen first entered upon his death. With the tip of his umbrella tapping rhythmically against the gravel, he retraces a familiar path, inhaling the acrid scent of ash that once suffocated him upon his arrival in the afterlife.
It's amusing how, even in death, his sense of smell remains as keen as in life. He chuckles at the memory of evading women due to their overpowering perfumes, which earned him a strange reputation. His younger sister had fiercely defended him against such rumors, her hands on her hips and her face flushed with indignation as she scolded those who dared to gossip about her brother. Eventually, most abandoned the topic; it was unwise to offend a lady of her stature.
Si Shen recalls trying to soothe her, insisting he didn't care about the gossip. She had glared at him, unwavering. "You may not care, but I do."
A sigh escapes him as he remembers her fierce spirit. She was always protective, even to her last breath. Her fiery nature had often overshadowed her reputation and marriage prospects, making it a near miracle when she finally found a husband—though he'd never dare to say that to her face.
Si Shen's footsteps halted abruptly as he sensed an approaching presence. The sound of hurried footsteps and labored breathing drew his attention. Narrowing his eyes, he spotted two servants rushing toward him, their black outfits and masked faces obscuring their features. He noticed their eyes widened in surprise when they met his gaze, prompting them to quicken their pace even more.
Cupping their fists in greeting, they bowed respectfully. Si Shen nodded in acknowledgment before asking why they were in such a rush. The servants reported sightings of a human cultivator near the barrier of the West Gate over the past decade. Recently, the human had managed to locate the barrier and had begun to analyze it.
A frown creased Si Shen's brow as he recalled the reports from previous years. Such sightings were common—humans often took wrong turns in the forests, inadvertently wandering near the gates of the first floor. However, he had never seen a report indicating that anyone had actually reached the barrier.
"What is the gate guardian doing?" His question made the two patrol servants flinch. Each gate had a guardian tasked with protecting it and guiding souls into the spiritual realm, as well as warding off intruders—particularly cultivators seeking personal gain.
"The West Gate guardian is aware of the intruder," one servant replied, his eyes fixed on the ground. "He believes the intruder cannot breach the barrier."
That explained why the report hadn't reached Si Shen. He opened his mouth to scold the servants for their negligence, emphasizing that they should have reported this to either Nan Ling or Nan Liu. But then he felt it—a surge of spiritual energy gathering at the edge of the boundary between the human realm and the spiritual realm.
A sense of dread and urgency washed over Si Shen. Without hesitation, he flung his umbrella open, flipping it around so the handle faced upward. Leaping onto it, he soared toward the source of the energy at an incredible speed.
The spiritual energy was unmistakably that of a cultivator, and an uneasy knot tightened in his stomach as he recalled the report he had just received. Judging by the intensity of the energy, Si Shen sensed that the cultivator was strong—far stronger than usual. He had finished analyzing the barrier and was now attempting to break it through sheer force.
Not a bad strategy, considering that the barrier could only be undone using resentment energy to decipher the array sustaining it—and as a human, the cultivator would be unable to wield such energy. However, this barrier was exceptionally robust, a creation of the previous Death God. Even a powerful cultivator would require days to breach it through sheer brute force. Yet something in Si Shen's gut told him that this particular individual might possess the capability to succeed.
In less than a minute, he reached the gate and saw the West Gate guardian brandishing an axe over his muscular shoulders, taunting the cultivator before him to break the barrier if he dared. Si Shen felt a surge of frustration—did the guardian not sense the energy coalescing in the cultivator's hand? That energy could obliterate the West Gate!
Before Si Shen could interject, a flash of white fabric caught his eye, drawing his gaze to the cultivator. The man, appearing to be in his mid-thirties, had long flowing hair adorned with a headpiece signifying his status in the cultivation world. A sword with a white sheath was strapped to his waist, and he held one hand behind him while the other cradled a pulsating orb of energy. His expression remained calm and composed, entirely unfazed by the guardian's provocation.
Si Shen's breath hitched as he noticed a white ribbon tied around the cultivator's wrist, resembling a brace. His eyes narrowed as realization dawned—he recognized the energy. This was Xue Renjie, the hidden illegitimate child of the Xue Clan.