After speaking, Zhang Tang retrieved the new ghost registry bearing Jian Chou’s name from his sleeve and opened it. His slender fingers pressed down on the crooked characters “Jian Chou”—

Swish!

Instantly, a wisp of ink-black energy rose from these two characters, condensing into the shape of a small sword that shot swiftly toward the Mirror of My Reflection!

With a soft whoosh, the sound was almost inaudible.

That sword-like wisp of ink energy immediately transformed into a mass of sinister black smoke, writhing across the red jade surface before condensing once again into the characters “Jian Chou”!

This scene possessed a rather mystical quality.

Jian Chou glanced sideways at the open registry in Zhang Tang’s hand and clearly saw that the position where her name had originally been was now completely empty, without a trace of ink remaining.

Zhang Tang’s maneuver just now had actually transported this ink to the Mirror of My Reflection?

Jian Chou clearly didn’t understand what was happening.

Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost had already excitedly gathered around to help explain to Jian Chou.

“This is called ‘sending names,’ which sounds like ‘sending lives.’ It’s the process of reporting a new ghost’s name to the Mirror of My Reflection. Once the mirror receives this name, it verifies the identity of the entering soul. In a certain sense, what’s sent in are indeed human lives, so calling it ‘sending lives’ is quite apt.”

Sending names, sending lives.

This explanation was rather interesting indeed.

Jian Chou was somewhat surprised. She had wanted to ask how Zhang Tang and the others would enter next, but thinking of Zhang Tang’s various methods during his time in Great Xia, she immediately dismissed this thought.

Though she was in the Extreme Domain, a completely unfamiliar environment, she now had Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost, and even Zhang Tang.

That original sense of unease had diminished considerably.

The immediate priority was simply to avoid Cui Jue’s investigation.

After completing the name-sending ritual, Zhang Tang made no further moves, only watching Jian Chou.

Jian Chou steadied her already calm mind and stepped onto the bridge.

The long bridge was entirely wooden, only wrapped with strangely textured iron sheets at the joints, emanating a cold aura.

Beneath her feet rolled molten lava. Though the bridge was long, under the assault of those heat waves, Jian Chou almost suspected her hair might be scorched. It seemed that with one careless step, she would plummet into this moat of lava.

Having already struggled through several life-and-death situations, Jian Chou’s determination far exceeded that of ordinary people.

Her expression remained unchanged, her heart steady, her hands empty. She appeared to stroll casually while maintaining a stable pace forward.

One step, two steps…

On the red jade Mirror of My Reflection, besides her own name, everything else remained empty and unclear for the moment.

The Mirror of My Reflection was meant to reveal the “true original soul.”

In other words, to some extent it carried metaphorical meaning and foreshadowing.

After learning of the Mirror of My Reflection’s existence, Jian Chou had already understood this point. As she advanced, she couldn’t help but grow curious: what would she see in the mirror?

Zhang Tang and the two little ghosts did not advance a single step, only standing on this side of the bridge to observe.

Big Head Ghost looked ahead curiously, whispering, “What… what will it be?”

“Who knows?”

Though the point about reflecting the soul remained unchanged and Jian Chou should be fine, what exactly could be reflected was unknown to anyone.

Little Head Ghost secretly rolled his eyes but quietly glanced at Zhang Tang.

Zhang Tang had also crossed this suspension bridge where the Mirror of My Reflection was located, had also passed through the Mirror of My Reflection.

But what had Zhang Tang seen back then?

Zhang Tang sensed Little Head Ghost’s gaze but didn’t turn to look.

His sight never departed from Jian Chou for even a moment.

At this moment, she was only two zhang away from the Mirror of My Reflection.

Step by step, step by step…

Jian Chou gradually approached that mirror.

During this approach, she found herself unable to suppress thoughts of everything that had happened at the Left Three Thousand Small Assembly, within the Gate of Right and Wrong, Cause and Effect…

Anticipation mixed with fear.

Jian Chou had no idea what she would see.

The final step.

Only one zhang remained.

The moment she stepped within this distance, the entire Mirror of My Reflection suddenly projected a captivating golden light!

The ink-black characters “Jian Chou” lay within this golden light, as if gilded with a golden border, yet also like solar spots, making them difficult to look at directly.

However…

The expected burning sensation never appeared.

Instead, it was a feeling of being covered by flowing water.

All the golden light transformed into flowing water, enveloping her within it, washing downward as if trying to separate her physical form from her soul.

In that instant, Jian Chou actually had the illusion of standing upon a river.

Her physical form floated on the river like a small boat, while her soul separated from her body, rising ethereally to stand upon that boat formed by her physical shell.

Nearly transcendent!

Bathed in golden light, standing before that enormous circular mirror, Jian Chou’s gaze became vacant, but her consciousness—or rather, that soul seemingly floating outside her physical form—clearly saw that the ink traces were changing.

The clear characters “Jian Chou” seemed to be scattered by the golden light, actually spreading outward as if transforming into a boundless night sky.

However, there were no brilliant stars whatsoever.

Jian Chou felt momentarily bewildered, not knowing what this meant.

But the moment this thought emerged, countless figures came flying through this night sky.

Amid earth-shaking tremors, countless human figures—individually like ants, but together like a tide—surged forward connecting heaven and earth!

Vaguely, Jian Chou actually sensed something familiar from these people. Though she couldn’t see their forms clearly, only blurred shadows, she seemed able to judge—

Those were cultivators.

They surged forward continuously, as if pursuing something.

But upon reaching a certain place, they suddenly stopped.

Jian Chou was also startled.

As they halted, she too saw it.

At the very front of this human tide, a flash of light passed by. Something seemed to have gone past, and simultaneously, a figure appeared in the original location as this light disappeared.

A faint figure with the most upright spine.

Jian Chou couldn’t see this person’s face clearly, much less distinguish their gender. She only saw that the moment this person stopped, a sword was suddenly drawn!

World-toppling sword light like a falling galaxy completely blocked the countless surging human tide…

As if drawing the sword to bear the burden of the world!

Thus, the human tide immediately became furious and frenzied, seeming unable to understand this suddenly appearing person’s actions, becoming turbulent…

“What’s happening…”

Jian Chou felt only confusion in her mind. She wanted to continue watching, to see more clearly, but suddenly a breath mixing ice-cold and scorching heat invaded!

The soul floating ethereally above that physical boat was struck as if by a hammer to the head, uncontrollably plummeting back into Jian Chou’s body!

Boom!

A thunderous roar filled her mind as Jian Chou’s eyes snapped open!

On the red jade Mirror of My Reflection, the ink traces that had spread into a night sky seemed scattered by something, or perhaps their power was finally exhausted. They completely collapsed, recongealing into a thin, long line that dropped from the top, sliding downward…

As if without end, without destination, never to stop—a chaotic mass.

This was a painting that carried metaphorical meaning, but Jian Chou couldn’t decipher it.

After appearing for just a moment, it shattered completely like waves crashing against massive rocks.

The remaining ink traces, like mercury spilling to the ground, seeped into the mirror’s surface and disappeared.

Jian Chou’s form swayed, her mind shaken. Under the severe headache, she nearly lost her footing and almost fell from the long bridge.

Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost cried out in alarm: “Careful, careful!”

Only then did Jian Chou regain her composure. Looking up, she saw that the Mirror of My Reflection one zhang away was swaying with numerous overlapping images.

She knew it wasn’t the Mirror of My Reflection that had problems, but her eyes.

Struggling to maintain balance, Jian Chou stood still without moving.

In her chaotic field of vision, the Mirror of My Reflection slowly descended from above, retracting its surrounding red glow as it gradually submerged into the boiling, churning lava, consumed by it, becoming boiling lava itself, merging completely in the blink of an eye.

“Success, success!”

Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost immediately cheered.

Zhang Tang, standing at the starting point of the long bridge outside Wrongful Death City, also nodded slightly. However, his gaze fixed on Jian Chou now carried a trace of puzzlement.

What exactly had she seen to lose her composure so completely?

He should know that when he had seen those scenes initially, he had never experienced such震动.

After pondering briefly, Zhang Tang still retrieved a token from his sleeve.

Apart from new ghosts needing to enter, other ghost cultivators required underworld tokens to enter and exit Wrongful Death City. So most residents of Wrongful Death City were ghost souls who originally belonged in the city. Those who mixed in through various crooked means were in the minority.

This place was like a massive prison—entry and exit weren’t entirely free, but for others wanting to enter normally was also extremely difficult.

For Jian Chou at this moment, this was indeed the best choice.

Zhang Tang held the token and stepped forward. Upon reaching the bridge head, he raised his hand to press the token in the air before the bridge.

Swish.

Vaguely, there seemed to be the sound of something opening.

After hearing this, Zhang Tang put away the token and stepped onto the long bridge.

Seeing this, Little Head Ghost and Big Head Ghost quickly followed closely behind Zhang Tang in a few steps, afraid of being left behind, also stepping onto the bridge.

Jian Chou stood at the bridge’s center, her gaze still fixed on the boiling lava below—the direction where the Mirror of My Reflection had disappeared.

That scorching, blazing firelight reflected in her eyes carried an indescribable grimness and coldness.

When Zhang Tang, Big Head Ghost, and Little Head Ghost approached, she finally came to her senses somewhat and turned to look at them.

Little Head Ghost was extremely curious, looking Jian Chou up and down excitedly: “We’ve passed! Great Lord, Great Lord, what did you see in the mirror? Tell us quickly, tell us quickly!”

“…”

What did she see?

Jian Chou found it difficult to explain clearly what she had actually seen.

This feeling was like the mystical experience she’d had before the Gate of Right and Wrong, Cause and Effect.

Past?

Present?

Future?

Metaphor or foreshadowing?

What did that endless line that appeared at the end represent?

What did those cultivators forming the human tide represent?

Where did they come from?

What did that escaping light represent?

And who was the sword-drawing figure who appeared last?

Vaguely, Jian Chou actually felt an indescribable sense of alarm, because…

She felt that the final sword-drawing figure was far too familiar.

Too much like herself.

Her thoughts were in chaos.

Jian Chou closed her eyes heavily, forcibly driving all the images from her mind before reopening them.

Facing the searching gazes of Little Head Ghost, Big Head Ghost, and even Zhang Tang, Jian Chou shook her head: “I saw some uninteresting scenes. We don’t have time—let’s go first.”

That sensation of soul and body separating earlier was truly too astonishing.

Her soul was damaged, and though she had condensed a soul pearl with those ten points of spiritual light, the soul itself hadn’t changed at all—only the fatal impact on cultivation had disappeared.

This state similar to soul departure seemed to cause too much damage to her soul, which was why the headache occurred.

A pill appeared directly in her palm. Jian Chou swallowed it in one gulp before stepping toward the other end of the long bridge.

This time her pace was much faster.

Wrongful Death City’s gates only opened for one quarter-hour. In that state earlier, Jian Chou had no way to estimate time and could only cross the long bridge at maximum speed.

Ten zhang remained—merely dozens of casual steps.

Soon Jian Chou had crossed over, with Big Head Ghost, Little Head Ghost, and Zhang Tang all crossing successfully as well, Zhang Tang being the last.

The moment his front foot left the long bridge, the entire bridge suddenly began to shake violently.

From high above, from within Wrongful Death City’s gates, several thick black chains extended taut, actually pulling the laid bridge back toward the gates!

Clang clang clang!

The sound of chains pulling was amplified to the extreme in the silent darkness, as if the entire Wrongful Death City was shaking.

The skull heads hanging from the city walls trembled and shook, seeming ready to fall at any moment.

The moat’s lava went completely mad, creating fire-laden waves that surged upward.

Little Head Ghost immediately shrieked in terror: “It’s closing! Run!”

Once the long bridge was retracted, the four of them standing at the gate would be crushed into “soul pancakes” the next moment!

All four set off without hesitation, almost simultaneously rushing toward the other end of the gate.

The continuously retracting bridge was like a beast returning to its cage, rushing inward.

Inside the gate tunnel was pitch black. Jian Chou plunged headfirst into it, feeling as if she were diving into mist where she couldn’t see her own hand.

A trace of the most primitive fear sprouted in her heart.

However, before Jian Chou could carefully savor whether this trace of fear was harmful or beneficial, the cold wind rushing toward her tore through the darkness in an instant!

Appearing before them was an extremely wide street. Any random section could serve as a gathering plaza.

The buildings on both sides of the street towered high with varied architecture—some exquisite, some fierce, different styles, even colorfully brilliant!

Black, fierce stone pillars rose from the street’s edge toward the sky the moment a terrifying closing sound came from behind them!

Like sharp, inverted spikes!

Standing on such a wide street, amid these unbelievably tall buildings, people felt a strange sense of insignificance.

The entire Wrongful Death City, rough yet grim, exquisite yet brilliant, with various different styles mixed together, created a massive impact.

Jian Chou’s footsteps seemed nailed to the ground, unable to move.

Her gaze penetrated this silent darkness, wanting to reach the end of this city, but this city had no end.

What greeted her gaze was only emptiness.

The shock in her heart was indescribable.

This was even a terrifying sense of upheaval—

This was Wrongful Death City!