Thirteen Paths of the Underworld

The Thirteen Paths of the Netherworld centers on folk customs, regional ghost stories, and growth through solving mysteries, weaving together a century of hidden Netherworld secrets and struggles of human nature. Strange incidents plague the remote mountain village of Qingwuling. The old man who guarded the mountain dies a mysterious death, and Chen Yan, a young man who has returned home, is unexpectedly drawn into a century-old secret. His grandfather was actually the guardian of the Yin-Locking Formation. Half of the Book of Yin Residence Discernment and a green-scaled jade pendant among his belongings reveal ancient legends about the four townships’ demon-suppressing tokens, the Yinluo Cult, and the Netherworld Child. To uncover the cause of his grandfather’s death and protect the villagers, Chen Yan sets out with the pendant. Along the way, he gathers a ragpicker family’s orphaned heir, an herb-gathering girl, a Daoist priest, the Yinluo Cult’s holy maiden, Jiangnan occultists, and other companions to form a Five Elements team. Together, they venture through dangerous places such as the corpse lands of western Hunan, yin residences of Sichuan and Chongqing, the underwater palaces of Jiangnan, and Netherworld Valley, seeking three tokens: the corpse-driving bell, the soul-suppressing lamp, and the soul-summoning flute. They oppose the Yinluo Cult, which controls ferocious demons and seeks to release the Netherworld Child. As the Netherworld Child’s seal weakens and baleful energy spreads across the world, an even older threat emerges: a primordial Chaos Evil God. The group must gather the blood essence of the five guardian beasts, block the source of the Netherworld, and strengthen the seal on Guixu. With mortal bodies, they face the power of the Netherworld and protect the balance between the human realm and the Netherworld. Amid eerie, terrifying adventures, they witness the choices and growth that test their family bonds, friendships, and Daoist convictions.