Along the way, after killing an unknown number of monsters that pounced on them, Lin Rong finally arrived beside a small river.
The surroundings were shrouded in mist, and beside him was a small river about three to four meters wide.
The river was divided into black and white, one side black and the other white, strongly resembling the legendary River of Life and Death, but it was too small.
Looking at the quietly flowing river that resembled the River of Life and Death, Lin Yu said, "Let's go upstream!"
"Alright!"
Lin Rong nodded and followed the riverbank towards the source.
Along the way, they encountered countless monsters, but none of them were a match for Lin Rong and his countless clones. In the end, even Lin Yu's clones were not idle and actively attacked.
By the time they found the source of the river, no ferocious beasts dared to attack them anymore.
"Brother, this should be the Hall of Life and Death!"
Before them stood a tall palace, colored black and white.
The palace was very high, piercing into the gray mist, its top unseen.
As Lin Rong approached, a warrior statue at the entrance suddenly came to life.
"Intruder of the Hall of Life and Death, die!"
As the words fell, the statue became battle-ready, poised to attack.
Its stance clearly indicated that it would attack immediately if Lin Rong dared to approach the Hall of Life and Death.
Lin Rong sneered, took a few steps forward, and entered the statue's attack range.
"Intruder of the Hall of Life and Death, die!"
Stab!
A spear lunged forward fiercely.
Lin Rong reached out, caught the spear, and with a sudden heave, shattered it into three pieces!
"Hmph, not enough strength! You die!"
He slapped the statue's head.
With a crack, the statue crumbled to the ground. He stepped on the shattered stone fragments and reached the palace entrance.
It was a tall bronze door, with two giant beasts carved on each leaf. One was shaped like a rat, and the other like a cat.
"Does the Lord of the Hall of Life and Death like cats and mice?"
As the words left his mouth, the statues on the doors came to life, their forms flickering as they transformed into two giant beasts, baring their teeth at him.
"Living being, you shouldn't have entered this place!" the rat-like creature warned vigilantly.
The cat-like creature glanced lazily and said disdainfully, "Living being, entering this place leads only to death. Are you ready to die?"
The rat-like creature rolled its eyes at the cat, "Our master ordered that anyone who comes here shall be killed. Attack!"
Boom!
Before they could even make a move, Lin Rong struck first, pressing his hands on their heads.
Immense power instantly restrained them, and no matter how they struggled, they could not break free.
"Hmph, unable to move now!" Lin Rong said.
"Let us go!" they struggled, but to no avail.
"Tell us, where is the Lord of the Hall of Life and Death?" Lin Rong asked.
To take away the River of Life and Death, he had to refine the Hall of Life and Death. But it seemed the Lord of the Hall of Life and Death was not dead yet.
"Living being, even if you kill me, I won't tell you!" the cat roared haughtily.
The rat snorted, "Living being, although our master was injured in that battle, he has consumed a massive amount of life force and is about to recover! When our master emerges, you will surely die!"
They had great confidence in their master's strength.
However, a hint of panic flickered in their eyes, indicating that the reality was not as they claimed.
Creak~
The door opened.
Sensing a presence from within the door, the two beasts rejoiced.
"Our master is here, you are finished!"
"Master, kill him quickly!"
Before their words could even fully register, they heard their master cough.
Hearing the cough, they were shocked, as it indicated their master's injuries had not yet healed.
"Damn living being, let go of me!"
"Be careful, our master will kill you!"
The cat and the rat struggled in his grasp, but no matter how hard they tried, they could not escape.
"Fellow Daoist, please release them."
A weak voice emanated from the person entering.
Lin Rong looked up and saw a middle-aged man in a black and white robe, holding a scepter with a white top and black bottom. A Tai Chi Yin-Yang symbol faintly appeared behind him.
"Greetings, fellow Daoist!" Lin Rong bowed and released the cat and the rat.
The newcomer said gratefully, "To give this old man face, I am honored!"
Lin Rong smiled, "They are just little fellows, it doesn't matter if they are released or not. You have been healing here for countless years, why not return to the Underworld?"
The Hall of Life and Death was one of the twelve halls of the Underworld in ancient times.
The lords of these halls were all at the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm. They were only one step away from touching the Primordial Chaos realm, making them much stronger than ordinary Grand Unity Immortals.
In essence, they were the strongest beings below the Primordial Chaos realm.
He hadn't encountered many such powerful beings, and Lin Yu's clones, strictly speaking, were already stronger than peak Grand Unity Golden Immortals, so he wasn't too concerned about such individuals.
This was his first time truly assessing a peak Grand Unity Golden Immortal.
"Your twelve Hall Lords of the Underworld are all peak Grand Unity Golden Immortals, aren't they?" Lin Rong asked with a smile.
The Lord of the Hall of Life and Death nodded, "Yes, but not many of the twelve Hall Lords survived that year."
After speaking, the Lord of the Hall of Life and Death smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist, are you here as a guest? Please, let's discuss inside."
He stepped aside, revealing the interior of the hall.
Lin Rong, with his courage honed by skill, did not refuse and stepped inside.
Upon entering, the hall appeared empty.
Lin Rong remarked curiously, "Fellow Daoist, your hall is truly deserted!"
The Lord of the Hall of Life and Death gave a wry smile, "In the battle back then, I used everything I could, which is why there are not many treasures left in the hall."
"Fellow Daoist, please follow me to the Hall's Qiankun Realm."
He lightly chanted an incantation and waved his arm, and a spatial portal appeared before them.
Stepping through the spatial portal, the scenery changed.
Birds chirped, flowers bloomed, and a gentle stream flowed, exuding an aura of spring.
A small deer, unperturbed, walked up to them. The Lord of the Hall of Life and Death stroked its head.
He smiled, "My little one, you've grown so big."
"Go play over there, and pick some fruits to entertain our distinguished guest."
"Fellow Daoist, please come this way."
With that, he led Lin Rong to a patch of grass with a table and two chairs.
They took their seats.
Soon, the small deer returned, carrying a flower basket, and placed it before them.
Taking the basket, it was placed on the table, and with a wave of his hand, seven or eight bowls and plates appeared on the table.
With another wave, the fruits from the flower basket landed on the plates.
"Fellow Daoist, please," he said.
Lin Rong did not stand on ceremony and picked up a red fruit to eat.
The taste was refreshing, sweet, and delicious.
"Excellent fruit!"
"Fellow Daoist, eat more!"
The Lord of the Hall of Life and Death was also not idle, and he too ate the fruits.
In a short while, the fruits were finished.
"Little deer, go pick some more," the Lord of the Hall of Life and Death instructed.
Soon, the little deer returned, and another table full of fruits appeared.
Lin Rong smiled, "Fellow Daoist, shouldn't we get down to business?"
While the fruits were delicious, they couldn't keep eating them indefinitely.