The growth conditions for the Netherworld Ephemeral Flower were extremely harsh.
First, its seeds had to germinate in a place of extreme Yin.
After germination, the Netherworld Ephemeral Flower needed to continuously absorb Yin and demonic energy to grow.
However, once it reached a certain stage, it required sunlight. Only with the nourishment of sunlight and Yang energy could it bloom into a flower of Yin giving birth to Yang.
After blooming, the Netherworld Ephemeral Flower had to spend a thousand years in a place of extreme Yin, constantly nurtured by Yin, demonic, and Yang energies.
Even with such stringent conditions, demonic cultivators could still devise ways to create environments suitable for its growth.
However, for the Netherworld Ephemeral Flower to mature, it required tens of thousands of years of growth and to reach the ninth rank.
Only a mature Netherworld Ephemeral Flower could save a life.
Any Netherworld Ephemeral Flower below the ninth rank would kill whoever consumed it, be it human, immortal, or demon.
According to the knowledge Yang Hong possessed, the Netherworld Ephemeral Flower posed a fatal threat to both immortals and demons in ancient times, leading them to jointly decree its extinction.
However, people and demons of the lower realms, seeking a trump card against immortals and demons, outwardly complied with the decree while secretly cultivating it more fiercely.
Within the Demon Sealing Secret Realm, due to its unique environment, a considerable number of Netherworld Ephemeral Flowers were cultivated, but very few managed to mature.
The one Yang Hong was looking at had survived and grown due to the valley being densely populated with Yin souls.
"Li ~ ~"
Speak of the devil.
As Yang Hong pondered a solution for the Yin souls, a piercing shriek traveled through the thick soil to his ears.
"Damn it! So quickly, are these Yin souls bloodhounds?"
"Earth Control ~ Earth Control ~ Earth Control..."
Without any delay, Yang Hong performed twelve consecutive Earth Control techniques, reinforcing and solidifying the ground around him, before sitting cross-legged and beginning to recite the "Duren Sutra."
"Tai Shang Tai Xing, Ying Bian Wu Ting... Cheng Jiu Yi Qie Yuan, Ru Jing Suo Cheng Shu."
"Awooo ~ Awooo ~ Roar ~ Roar... Woo woo woo ~ ~"
As the scripture began, terrifying wails of ghosts echoed throughout the valley and beyond, reaching a hundred miles.
Yang Hong, at the center of the valley, immediately began bleeding dark red blood from his mouth, ears, eyes, and nose.
This was the first time Yang Hong had been injured by backlash from purifying Yin souls.
"Tai Shang Tai Xing, Ying Bian Wu Ting..."
Although his life force was draining with the backlash,
Yang Hong dared not stop reciting the "Duren Sutra." He had not forgotten that the sutra had to be recited at least ten times.
After reciting the "Duren Sutra" three times,
the underground space Yang Hong occupied was illuminated by a faint golden light, but this light only penetrated three feet.
Beyond three feet, countless shadows surrounded Yang Hong, their claws and fangs eager to tear him apart.
However, Yang Hong was protected by the purifying golden light and the golden light of merit, causing the Yin souls to be scorched whenever they approached him.
The Yin souls gathered in ever-increasing numbers, their corrosive nature gnawing at the underground space.
A pit three zhang wide and two hundred and thirty zhang deep was corroded by the Yin souls in just a quarter of an hour.
"Little thing, stop chanting and get lost!
I won't kill you, just get lost."
After Yang Hong finished his fourth recitation of the "Duren Sutra," a ferocious ghost, with a grotesque face, pushed aside other Yin souls and rushed before Yang Hong, threatening him loudly.
"Tai Shang Tai Xing, Ying Bian Wu Ting..."
The only response to the ghost was the fifth recitation of the "Duren Sutra."
Yang Hong did not believe these Yin souls filled with resentment and venom.
As the saying goes, one should never believe a ghost's words.
"Ah ~ you hateful little thing, die."
When the threat failed, the ferocious ghost directly opened its maw and lunged at Yang Hong.
"Sizzle sizzle ~"
Amidst Yang Hong's chanting, the sound of sulfuric acid corroding plastic could be heard.
The effect of the golden light of merit and the purifying golden light on Yin souls and ghosts was even more terrifying than a person drinking sulfuric acid.
"Ahhh ahhh ~ ~"
The ferocious ghost not only failed to bite Yang Hong, but its golden light of merit seemed to erupt in response, expanding to three zhang.
"Wuuu ~ Wuuu ~"
All the Yin souls and ghosts surrounding Yang Hong were instantly pushed outward. Some weaker ones were even annihilated by the crushing force of other ghosts.
But the effect was limited.
Within the Demon Sealing Secret Realm, it seemed the rules of heaven and earth were different. After ten recitations of the "Duren Sutra," Yang Hong found that while all the Yin souls became quiet, he could not purify them.
In fact, drawn by the sutra, all the Yin souls within a radius of four hundred li gathered around.
The pit around Yang Hong had already expanded to three li in width.
The Yin souls, with their incorporeal forms, had corroded the ground, which was comparable to a fourth-tier artifact.
After ten recitations of the "Duren Sutra," Yang Hong knew he was in big trouble as the Yin souls had neither been purified and reincarnated nor directly annihilated.
"Fortunately, I'm a transmigrator. I have not only a golden finger but also many memories from my past life."
Seeing the Yin souls and ghosts begin to assault the golden light of merit again, Yang Hong quickly switched to another scripture.
"Pi Jia Lan Duo
Qie Mi Ni
Qie Qie Na
Zhi Duo Jia Li
Suo Po He..."
The second scripture Yang Hong recited was the Buddhist "Rebirth Mantra."
He remembered this mantra from seeing it frequently on Douyin in his past life. His memory had also improved when he advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, allowing him to recall it.
However...
"Holy crap! Ten more recitations, and why do these Yin souls seem even more ferocious?"
Indeed, they were more ferocious.
For some unknown reason, during Yang Hong's ten recitations of the "Rebirth Mantra," all the Yin energy within a radius of ten thousand li converged there.
All the Yin souls seemed to have taken a power-up, their strength continuously increasing.
The ferocious ghost that had spoken earlier had fallen silent.
It was currently evolving from an eighth-rank Ghost Lord to a ninth-rank Ghost Emperor.
"Holy crap ~ Holy crap ~"
Snapping back to reality from the spiritual world, Yang Hong continuously cursed.
"Never use the 'Rebirth Mantra' again!
Switch to the next one!"
"Thus I have heard, at one time the Buddha was in the Trayastrimsa Heaven, expounding the Dharma for his mother... Each sent attendants to inquire about the welfare of the World-Honored One."
For his third purification scripture, Yang Hong switched to the "Earth Store Bodhisattva's Vow Sutra."
This scripture contained thousands of characters. Before reaching the Nascent Soul stage, Yang Hong would have definitely been unable to memorize it.
In his past life, he had only seen it once or twice online, and that too was a cursory browse.
It was thanks to Yang Hong forging the Four Spirit Dao Palaces when he advanced to the Nascent Soul stage that his past life memories resurfaced in abundance; otherwise, he wouldn't have remembered it.
The effect of the "Vow Sutra" had also mutated.
As the scripture began, the golden light of merit and the purifying golden light suddenly surged, covering an area of four li.
Moreover, this time the golden light did not push the Yin souls away but enveloped them directly.
Within the golden light, the originally ferocious Yin souls gradually calmed down.
As Yang Hong chanted, those Yin souls with less resentment and demonic energy began to clasp their hands in prayer.
"There's hope."
Seeing some Yin souls clasp their hands, Yang Hong's heart stirred, and he switched the cultivation method driving the scripture to the "Great Bright Buddha Scripture."
However, the effect of the "Vow Sutra" was limited. It only calmed the Yin souls, stopping their ferocious attacks on Yang Hong.
But their strength continued to increase.
At the same time, Yang Hong also sensed a thought of yearning for refuge, which was also not what he wanted.
"Holy crap, what's with these Buddhist scriptures, they're actually increasing the strength of these Yin souls.
It seems I can only rely on Daoist scriptures."
With this thought, Yang Hong quickly switched scriptures again, to the Daoist "Tai Shang Jiu Ku Jing."
"At that time,
the Heavenly Venerable of Great Suffering permeated the ten directions, always with divine power,
rescuing all sentient beings, helping them escape from the path of delusion. Sentient beings are ignorant,
like the blind seeing the sun and moon. I was originally born from the Great Void, leading without bounds..."
As the "Tai Shang Jiu Ku Jing" was chanted, the Yin souls around Yang Hong finally showed a slight change.