After My Rebirth, I Ended Up Happily Ever After with the Saintess - Chapter 131

Deep within the Netherworld Ghost Realm, the environment became increasingly treacherous and unpredictable. After leaving the residual streams of the River Forgetfulness, Ye Li stepped into a barren land shrouded in a gray-purple mist. This mist was no ordinary water vapor; it was the “Soul-Bewildering Ghost Mist,” capable of conjuring incredibly realistic illusions.

Upon entering the misty area, Ye Li didn’t pay much attention, assuming it was just a condensation of common Yin energy. However, she soon noticed that the surrounding scenery began to twist and warp. The previously barren ground suddenly transformed into a vibrant, grassy paradise. In the distance, the scenes of the Xuan Yun Sect appeared, and she even saw her master, Resident Mu Yun, beckoning to her.

“Li’er, hurry back! The sect is in trouble!” The illusionary Resident Mu Yun looked anxious.

Ye Li’s mind jolted, and she almost took a step forward. But in that instant, the fragment of the Samsara Mirror in her Sea of Consciousness vibrated slightly. A cool current flowed through her body, instantly clearing her mind.

“That was close!” Ye Li thought with alarm. This Soul-Bewildering Ghost Mist certainly lived up to its name, directly striking at the most vulnerable parts of the heart. She quickly circulated the Nether Sovereign Emperor Sutra, setting up a layer of extreme cold barrier around her body. At the same time, she infused a trace of the Samsara Mirror’s power into her divine sense, which was barely enough to resist the erosion of the ghost mist.

Traveling through the mist for three days, Ye Li had to maintain high vigilance at all times. Sometimes the illusion would take the form of Qin Yixuan, other times it would be scenes from her previous life in the Li Zun Palace. Each illusion targeted her deepest attachments. Fortunately, with the Samsara Mirror protecting her, she avoided getting lost.

After passing through the Soul-Bewildering Ghost Mist region, a strange forest appeared before her. The trees here were blood-red, and the branches and leaves writhed like blood vessels—this was the notorious “Blood Vengeance Demon Vine.”

The moment Ye Li stepped into the forest, the surrounding demon vines swarmed toward her like sharks scenting blood. These vines were not only incredibly tough, but more frighteningly, they could directly devour the vital essence of living beings.

“Sssshh!”

A demon vine shot out like a venomous snake. Ye Li swung her sword and severed it. The severed end sprayed a crimson liquid, emitting a nauseating, bloody odor. What startled her more was that the severed vine rapidly regenerated, and their numbers were increasing.

Ye Li fought while retreating, her Profound Ice Sword weaving an impenetrable shield. The extreme cold sword energy froze and shattered every vine that came close. But there were simply too many vines; it was as if the entire forest was her enemy. She had no choice but to use the Universe Without Trace Steps to quickly dart through the woods, searching for a way out.

Just then, she noticed an exceptionally large vine in the center of the forest. It was dark red all over and emitted a powerful aura of resentment. This must be the main body of the demon vines.

Ye Li’s mind stirred, and her figure shot out like lightning, heading straight for the main vine. The vines along the way frantically tried to block her, but they disintegrated under the Samsara Sword Intent. Finally, she broke through the layers of obstruction and arrived before the main demon vine.

“Six Paths of Samsara Sword—Preta Path, Spirit Devour!”

The gray sword energy shot out and accurately hit the main body of the vine. Surprisingly, the sword energy did not immediately destroy the vine but instead began to frantically devour the blood essence and resentment contained within it. The vine twisted violently, emitting a piercing shriek, but eventually turned into flying ash in its unwilling struggle.

With the main body destroyed, the entire demon vine forest began to wither. Ye Li dared not linger and quickly left this bizarre place.

After a series of fierce battles, Ye Li arrived at an ancient battlefield ruin. It was strewn with broken weapons and white bones, and the air was filled with a dense aura of slaughter. According to the ancient texts she had consulted in the Heavenly Palace, this was likely a battlefield relic from the ancient war between immortals and demons.

Walking through the ruins, Ye Li could feel the powerful energy fluctuations lingering in the air. In some places, the space was highly unstable, and tiny spatial cracks would occasionally appear. She cautiously avoided these dangerous areas while carefully sensing the vibrations of the Samsara Mirror fragment.

Just as she passed through an altar made of countless white bones, an anomaly occurred!

The white bones under her feet suddenly emitted a ghostly light, and an ancient and malicious curse was triggered. Ye Li felt her soul struck hard, her vision went black, and she nearly collapsed.

The next moment, she found herself in a bloody battlefield. Immortals and demons clashed in the sky, corpses lay strewn across the ground, and the sounds of shouting and screaming were incessant. A blood-soaked demon general charged at her, his demonic blade carrying the might of world-destroying power.

Ye Li instinctively raised her sword to meet him, only to find that her cultivation had dropped to the Core Formation Realm! The demonic blade was upon her, and she felt the threat of death.

“No, this is an illusion!” Ye Li suddenly woke up, but the illusion was too real, and her soul was still greatly impacted. At the crucial moment, the Samsara Mirror fragment in her Sea of Consciousness burst forth with a brilliant, clear light, like a beacon illuminating the darkness, protecting the clarity of her spiritual platform.

The illusion shattered, and Ye Li returned to reality, but her face was pale, and a trace of blood leaked from the corner of her mouth. The power of this ancient war curse far exceeded her imagination. If not for the Samsara Mirror’s protection, she would have been lost forever in the illusion of slaughter.

She quickly retreated from the vicinity of the white bone altar and found a relatively safe stone cave to treat her injuries. The cave was cold and damp, but at least it lacked those bizarre curses.

Sitting cross-legged, Ye Li began to reflect on the gains and losses of this battle. “The Samsara Mirror is not only for attack; it is also miraculously effective in protecting the soul and dispelling illusions. I have previously focused too much on its offensive capabilities.”

She recalled her experiences in the Soul-Bewildering Ghost Mist and the war curse. If the Samsara Mirror hadn’t protected her in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable. This made her realize that the Samsara Mirror, as an ancient supreme artifact, had many more wondrous uses than just attack.

Thus, while healing her injuries, Ye Li began to consciously explore the potential of the Samsara Mirror in defense and auxiliary functions. Combining her previously comprehended “Origin Tracing Eye,” she attempted to develop a defensive technique specifically aimed at soul attacks.

After several days of deduction and experimentation, she finally created the preliminary “Samsara Heart Shield” technique. This divine ability uses the power of the Samsara Mirror as its foundation, forming an invisible shield around the periphery of the Sea of Consciousness, specifically designed to resist various soul attacks and illusionary manipulations.

Although it was still in its nascent form, Ye Li could feel that as her understanding of the Samsara Dao deepened, this divine ability would undoubtedly unleash greater power.

After her injuries healed, Ye Li’s cultivation actually advanced, a blessing in disguise. She was no longer satisfied with passively responding to the dangers in the Ghost Realm but began actively seeking out powerful ghost entities to temper herself.

Based on the information gathered on the battlefield, she found a place called the “Yin Fiend Soul Nest.” It was one of the areas with the heaviest Yin energy in the Ghost Realm, housing thousands of various ghost entities, including three Ghost Kings in the early Divine Power Realm.

Standing at the entrance of the Soul Nest, Ye Li could feel the terrifying Yin energy emanating from within. An ordinary cultivator would probably not even dare to approach. But battle intent flashed in her eyes—this was the tempering she needed.

Without hesitation, Ye Li plunged into the Soul Nest alone. As soon as she entered, countless ghost entities surged toward her like a tide: skeleton soldiers, zombies, phantoms, fierce ghosts… all sorts of ghost creatures, but all exuded a dense aura of resentment.

“Bring it on!” Ye Li let out a clear shout. The Universe Without Trace Steps was deployed to its maximum, her figure flickering erratically within the horde of ghosts. At the same time, her Extreme Cold Domain was fully unleashed. Centered on her, the temperature within a hundred zhang radius plummeted, and the ghosts’ movements became sluggish.

With every swing of the Profound Ice Sword, large numbers of ghosts were frozen, then shattered into ice crystals. But there were simply too many ghosts, seemingly inexhaustible. What was more troublesome was that the three Ghost Kings finally showed themselves.

The first Ghost King looked like a giant ape, covered in bone armor, wielding a massive bone great-axe. The second Ghost King was a mass of constantly shifting black mist, capable of splitting into countless clones. The third Ghost King was the most bizarre: it had no fixed form, sometimes transforming into a beautiful woman, other times a hideous fiend, specializing in mental attacks.

The three Ghost Kings attacked simultaneously, their power astonishing. The Bone-Armored Ghost King’s great-axe carried the power to split mountains and crack stones. The Black Mist Ghost King’s clones were ubiquitous and difficult to defend against. And the Illusory Ghost King’s mental attacks struck directly at the soul.

Ye Li was in a tough fight, but she showed no fear. The Six Paths of Samsara Sword was fully displayed at this moment:

The Preta Path Sword Intent transformed into an invisible vortex, frantically devouring the ghosts’ soul power, thereby replenishing her consumption.

The Animal Path Sword Intent disrupted the Black Mist Ghost King’s clones, causing them to fight amongst themselves.

The Naraka Path Sword Intent inflicted endless pain and torment upon the Illusory Ghost King, preventing it from concentrating to launch attacks.

The most spectacular was her head-on confrontation with the Bone-Armored Ghost King. This Ghost King was immensely strong and incredibly well-defended; every axe swing carried the power to tear through space. Ye Li did not clash with it directly but used her exquisite movement technique to circle, searching for its flaw.

“Now!” A sharp light flashed in Ye Li’s eyes as she seized the instant when the Bone-Armored Ghost King’s old strength was spent and new strength had not yet been generated. The Profound Ice Sword turned into a streak of light, piercing directly into the gap in its bone armor.

“Puchi!” The sword tip accurately penetrated, and the Extreme Cold Sword Energy instantly erupted. The Bone-Armored Ghost King let out an unwilling roar, and its massive body crashed to the ground, turning into a heap of shattered bones.

With the most troublesome Bone-Armored Ghost King dealt with, the remaining two Ghost Kings were no longer a threat. Ye Li pressed her advantage, the Samsara Sword Intent sweeping across the field, quickly slaying them one by one.

This battle was earth-shattering, with ghosts wailing and gods howling. When the last Ghost King’s soul scattered, the entire Soul Nest was emptied. Ye Li stood in the sea of corpses and bones, covered in blood, but her aura became increasingly condensed and powerful.

Through this exhilarating battle, her control over the power of Samsara advanced another step, and her cultivation naturally broke through to the middle stage of the Divine Power Realm! The spiritual energy in her body became purer and denser, and her divine sense coverage expanded by more than twofold.

After the battle, Ye Li began to clear the battlefield. In the deepest part of the Soul Nest, she discovered a piece of metal that was pitch black yet faintly glowed with a ghostly light—this was “Nether Soul Iron,” a top-grade material for refining soul-type artifacts.

To her even greater surprise, through the Samsara Mirror’s resonance, she found a small fragment buried beneath the Soul Iron. It was neither metal nor jade, and its edges flowed with starlight. Carefully digging it out, it was indeed the third fragment of the Samsara Mirror she had been searching for!

Although this fragment was small, only the size of a fingernail, it resonated with the previous two pieces. When the three fragments converged in her Sea of Consciousness, the phantom of the Samsara Mirror became more solid, and the aura it emitted grew more vast.

At the same time, more information flooded into her mind: a method on how to better conceal the aura of the Samsara Mirror, an introduction to the Mirror’s other functions, and even some vague impressions about the possible locations of other fragments.

“This is great!” Ye Li was thrilled. This concealment method was extremely important to her. As she collected more fragments, the aura of the Samsara Mirror would grow stronger, and without a way to hide it, it could easily be detected by those with malicious intent.

After integrating the new fragment, Ye Li did not rush to leave the Netherworld Ghost Realm. She used the now-cleared Soul Nest as a temporary base, setting up multiple restrictions, and began to consolidate her cultivation and digest her recent gains.

In the following days, she cultivated while continuing to hunt powerful ghost entities in the Ghost Realm to hone her divine abilities. At the same time, she also began to consciously utilize the unique Yin soul environment of the Netherworld Ghost Realm to temper her soul.

She discovered that under the protection of the Extreme Cold spiritual energy and the power of Samsara, moderately absorbing and refining pure Yin energy could actually strengthen her soul, making it more resilient and powerful. Although this cultivation method was perilous, the gains were also immense.

Three months later, Ye Li’s cultivation was completely stabilized at the middle stage of the Divine Power Realm, and her use of the power of Samsara was more effortless. She felt that it was time to leave the Netherworld Ghost Realm and head toward her next destination.

Packing her belongings, Ye Li took one last look at the Soul Nest where she had stayed for several months, then resolutely turned and walked toward the outside of the Ghost Realm. Behind her, all that remained was a deadly silence, and the Yin Fiend Soul Nest—a place that once terrified countless cultivators, now completely empty.