“…”

Did she really think she hadn’t heard that string of complaints earlier?

Jian Chou had just arrived at this Eighteenth Layer of Hell when she spotted Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost over there. Finding it both strange and coincidental, she came over to take a look. How could she have anticipated such a ridiculous scene?

She looked at Little Head Ghost kneeling so properly, her expression odd: “Get up first.”

All this kneeling at the drop of a hat—she didn’t like it.

But unexpectedly, Little Head Ghost’s face showed some embarrassment. Though his mouth responded with “Yes, yes, yes,” his body remained kneeling there without moving.

Jian Chou immediately frowned: “Still not getting up?”

Seeing her frown, Little Head Ghost was immediately scared out of his wits and began wailing: “This lowly one, this lowly one just broke my knees and can’t get up.”

“…”

Jian Chou was speechless again, sighing inwardly and thinking that after eighty years, meeting them again, they were still two stupid ghosts without any improvement.

She raised her hand and waved, injecting a stream of earthly yin essence into Little Head Ghost’s body.

His body suddenly lightened, and the knee he had broken from kneeling too forcefully was healed. He successfully stood up and hurriedly thanked Jian Chou repeatedly, calling her “Thank you, Great Venerable” with every breath.

But just as he stood straight and raised his head to look, he almost got scared into kneeling again!

Standing in this area of ruins wasn’t just Jian Chou alone!

After he heard Jian Chou’s voice and suddenly turned around earlier, he had been scared out of his wits and had no time to notice who was beside her.

Now looking, he discovered that standing a bit further back was a dark-robed man with extraordinary martial bearing and an even more terrifying aura. At this moment, he was furrowing his brow and examining them with a heart-stopping gaze, his eyes moving back and forth between him and Big Head Ghost who was still stuck in the crack.

“Great, Great Great Great Venerable Jian Chou, this this this…”

Little Head Ghost was scared into stuttering.

Jian Chou glanced at Qu Zhengfeng, then explained to Little Head Ghost: “No need to panic, my friend.”

No need to panic…

My ass!

Little Head Ghost was fine when he didn’t hear it, but upon hearing the word “friend,” he automatically categorized this person as the same type as Jian Chou. His heart wanted to cry, yet his face had to show this “friend” of Jian Chou’s an extremely forced friendly smile.

He really hadn’t expected to be this unlucky. In this silent moment, countless thoughts had already flashed through his mind, such as: Why would this demon appear here? Had Shijiu Zhou already fought their way to the Eighteenth Layer of Hell? Or did she really have some special method of entering and exiting the extreme region as others said? How much of his rambling earlier had she heard? Who was this person beside her, and what were they here for?

But he didn’t dare ask any of these questions.

Little Head Ghost only maintained the stiff smile on his face, trying to confuse Jian Chou with his sycophantic behavior.

Jian Chou had heard as much as she had heard when she arrived. How could she not know this little ghost’s true thoughts? It was just that when she had mistakenly entered the extreme region due to the One-Person Platform, these two little ghosts had wanted to cook and eat her but couldn’t do anything to her. Now that she was already a Void Refining great power and had cultivated the Eight Divisions Heavenly Dragon Dharma Body, she had even less need to fear such trivial matters.

She had already observed the surrounding environment when she arrived and found it quite strange.

But now she said nothing, only walked over to pull Big Head Ghost out of the crack, then asked: “How did you end up here?”

This should be our question to you, right?

Little Head Ghost grumbled internally, but only internally.

When Jian Chou asked, he immediately spilled out like pouring beans all the various misfortunes that had befallen the two ghost brothers after she left the extreme region. The content naturally included embellishments and exaggerations, hoping that this demon who dared fight Lord Qin Guang would spare them for the sake of their hard lives.

However, the basic facts were roughly accurate.

Jian Chou could naturally distinguish what had really happened from what he was making up, so she didn’t mind. After listening, she summarized the information she needed.

First, Zhang Tang had already been promoted to Grand Judge of Lord Qin Guang’s hall;

Second, the extreme region was conscripting ghost soldiers on a large scale for war;

Third, this area of ruins…

Her gaze flickered as she looked around again and asked Little Head Ghost: “You said earlier that you’ve been hiding here for eighty years, and Zhang Tang never came to kill you to silence you?”

“That’s right, though this lowly one doesn’t know if it’s coincidence.” Little Head Ghost now answered every question, trying to perform better in front of Jian Chou. He saw that Jian Chou was interested in this area of ruins. Though his heart was bleeding, he immediately invited her to follow him, “This lowly one and Big Head have minimal cultivation and can’t see what’s strange about this place. Why don’t you come see for yourself?”

Jian Chou had no reservations and said: “Perfect.”

Only after speaking did she remember she wasn’t alone now, so she turned to look at Qu Zhengfeng beside her and asked with apparent politeness: “Your Majesty the Sword Emperor, no problem?”

Sword, Sword Emperor Your Majesty…

Little Head Ghost had already guessed that this dark-robed man had an extraordinary background, but when he heard the Great Venerable Jian Chou, who was called a “demon” and enjoyed the title “Ghost-Seeing Sorrow” throughout the extreme region, actually address him as “Your Majesty the Sword Emperor,” he felt his vision go black.

It was over. Once on this pirate ship, there was truly no getting off.

Qu Zhengfeng, however, frowned.

There were indeed some rumors in Shijiu Zhou about Jian Chou’s journey to the extreme region, but as for what specifically happened, aside from a few people within Yashan, not many knew. Having defected from Yashan, he had to avoid suspicion to some extent and didn’t know too much.

From the current situation, there seemed to be some terrifying aspects to this matter.

He had originally thought that entering the extreme region this time would leave him with nothing to rely on, but who would have expected that as soon as they saw this Eighteenth Layer of Hell, Jian Chou would find “acquaintances” here.

Though these two little ghosts weren’t very likeable, they had provided a lot of information.

Including how they called Jian Chou “demon” when they hadn’t noticed their arrival, but immediately cowered and changed to calling her “Great Venerable” once she appeared.

Whether “demon” or “Great Venerable,” both were hard to understand in the context of the extreme region.

“Demon” wasn’t exactly a good title, especially not in a place like the extreme region;

“Great Venerable” was even more peculiar. Since ancient times, among the human race, only one person could be called “Great Venerable”—Pangu the Great Venerable who opened heaven and earth and gave birth to the human race. These two little ghosts, especially the smooth-talking Little Head Ghost, were probably using this title out of flattery.

However…

To be flattered as “Great Venerable,” without some real power and without having accomplished something, it seemed unlikely.

This place was the Eighteenth Layer of Hell, where a Creation Formation of Released Heaven was located. Qu Zhengfeng had been here before, but after eleven cycles, it had completely changed.

When Jian Chou asked him, he only glanced at her once.

“No objections.”

Jian Chou clearly sensed that he must have some doubts of his own, but now wasn’t the time to talk, so she didn’t ask. She just had Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost lead the way.

The two people and two ghosts circled around the piled-up ruins in front of them and saw a sizable pit behind. The entrance was covered with clumps of sparse grass as camouflage.

Little Head Ghost diligently went to move the grass aside, revealing the entrance.

Jian Chou and Qu Zhengfeng bent down and walked in.

The space inside wasn’t very large, rather cramped, not damp but very dark, looking like an underground stone chamber.

This area of ruins in the Eighteenth Layer of Hell remained a mystery.

This stone chamber before them should be part of these ruins, appearing quite ancient and dilapidated. All four walls were built from whole blocks of gray-white giant stones, but the top was pure white while the ground was pure black. Having experienced long years of change, everywhere the eye could see was filled with cracks large and small, but the lines carved on the stone surfaces were still clearly visible.

Both Jian Chou and Qu Zhengfeng were no ordinary people, both more knowledgeable than the other. The first moment they entered, they noticed these lines.

Clearly, they weren’t carved with sharp tools.

The edges of these lines were all uneven and extremely rough, the overall appearance not smooth either, as if someone had broken a stone and used its sharp end to forcibly carve them.

Not formations, but murals.

Extremely crude murals that could only convey meaning.

Looking at them one by one—

First was a huge circle;

The second showed a giant with head touching sky and feet on earth, holding a giant axe;

Next, a passage appeared behind the giant, with many normal-sized small figures on the passage;

Then was a mural divided into two halves: the left side showed a pile of chaotic, oddly-shaped patterns like a dark cloud, while the right side showed the giant and many other small figures facing left, hands raised to offer the giant axe, as if presenting a gift;

The fifth mural was carved on the pure black ground, like the coming of eternal night, with the giant and small figures fighting in the darkness against those strangely-lined patterns;

The last mural was on the ceiling, on pure white stone. Dawn had come, the giant had disappeared, the chaotic patterns had also vanished, leaving only those small figures in the frame, looking up to some unknown direction.

The more Qu Zhengfeng looked, the deeper his frown became.

After Jian Chou finished looking, she felt as if someone had struck her heart hard with a heavy hammer, and a terrible shock suddenly rose from her spine!

This mural’s depiction, and the crudely-drawn giant in the painting…

“It’s Pangu the Great Venerable’s Heaven-Opening and Earth-Splitting diagram.”

Though Qu Zhengfeng frowned, his face showed no great surprise, and even those chaotic, oddly-shaped patterns that Jian Chou stared at intently, he only glanced at once before moving on.

“This should be a dwelling of ancient ancestors.”

“Ancient ancestors?”

Jian Chou forcibly suppressed the shock in her heart, also forcing herself not to think about the visions she had seen in that divine ancient formation in the deep pit of the snow region. She moved her gaze from the mural to Qu Zhengfeng.

Qu Zhengfeng briefly explained: “Primordial Ancient, Remote Ancient, High Ancient, Present Ancient—we are now in the fourth era of Present Ancient, while this should be remains from the second era. At that time, reincarnation had just been established between heaven and earth, and the Yin and Yang realms weren’t yet clearly distinguished. The two stones above your head and below your feet are bipolar stones. Used together, they have the miraculous effect of confusing the universe and preventing investigation. They should have been built by ancient ancestors to avoid calamity. Unexpectedly, times changed, the ancestors disappeared, and surviving until now, these two little ghosts stumbled upon it, had great luck, and hid here for decades without being discovered.”

As for those few occasional outings, not being discovered was also normal.

After all, no matter how murderous Zhang Tang was, he couldn’t constantly monitor the entire extreme region. First, it would require extremely high cultivation, and second, working under Lord Qin Guang, he inevitably had to restrain himself somewhat—going too far would actually arouse suspicion.

So counting it all up, these two had really been lucky.

After hearing Qu Zhengfeng’s words, Jian Chou’s brows showed more doubt, and she almost instinctively asked: “How can you be so certain?”

But just as she finished speaking, she remembered something and said she was being foolish.

Sure enough, Qu Zhengfeng’s next sentence calmly replied: “Nine Curves River Map.”

The “Nine Curves River Map” was the most mysterious object in Shijiu Zhou, passing through the hands of three great powers at the transition between High Ancient and Present Ancient before finally falling into Qu Zhengfeng’s hands. Legend had it that it not only recorded various inconceivable ancient techniques but also involved the most primordial secrets of the universe’s birth.

But this had always been unsubstantiated rumors, not worth believing.

Until this moment, when Qu Zhengfeng gave such a definite and certain answer, Jian Chou finally knew that where there’s smoke, there’s fire!

No wonder Fu Chaosheng wanted to borrow the River Map so badly…

She suddenly felt infinite curiosity and wanted to borrow this “River Map” from Qu Zhengfeng to look at, but thinking about her awkward relationship with this person and considering the awkward timing, she still quietly suppressed this curiosity.

With a great battle ahead, it was better to collect her thoughts and see what to do next.

Since entering, Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost had both widened their eyes, carefully watching the two of them. They obviously couldn’t understand what the two were discussing, but out of concern for their own safety, they didn’t dare interject a single word.

Only then did Jian Chou remember them again.

She asked: “Now that Shijiu Zhou and the extreme region are at war, besides conscripting ghost soldiers, what else do you know that’s related?”

“In response to Great Venerable Jian Chou, besides this, we only know they’ve fought to the front of Ghost Gate Pass. That day when I went out to gather information, I happened to hear that the Eight Directions City was deploying troops. That Zhang fellow, no no no, Judge Zhang, Judge Zhang sir…”

The words “that Zhang fellow” slipped out, and Little Head Ghost felt somewhat bad about it.

He dared say it privately, but when facing others, he became timid.

Jian Chou pressed: “What about Zhang Tang?”

Little Head Ghost regarded both people before him as evil spirits, wishing he could send them away quickly. His red eyes rolled around as an idea came to him, and he obsequiously said: “You don’t know, Judge Zhang sir is now Lord Qin Guang’s favorite! All these years, any important matters have been entrusted to him, even surpassing the original Judge Cui. A while ago, this lowly one heard that Judge Zhang sir is now responsible for dispatching part of the ghost soldiers at Ghost Gate Pass, and should be near the City of Wrongful Death. Great Venerable, you know Master Zhang—he’s an important figure and definitely knows more than us!”

The implication was clear—

We don’t know, Zhang Tang knows, you should hurry and ask him!

How could Jian Chou not hear such obvious scheming?

But looking at Little Head Ghost’s shifty expression with his eyes constantly rolling, and thinking about the “Mirror of Reflection” in the City of Wrongful Death that living people couldn’t enter, now without the mysterious Immortal Wuzhong in the city to help separate body and soul, and during such extraordinary times, how could she dare risk it lightly?

So she stared at Little Head Ghost for a long time, pondering in her heart for a long time, and finally burst out laughing: “I can’t enter the City of Wrongful Death. I know Zhang Tang, you also know Zhang Tang, and you also know me. Why don’t you take a message and help me ‘invite’ Master Zhang?”

“What?!”

Big Head Ghost had no reaction in his wooden way, but Little Head Ghost immediately jumped three feet high, his face pale with fright, shaking his head like a rattle drum and screaming!

“No, we won’t go! We’d rather die than go!”

“Oh.” Jian Chou looked at them indifferently, producing an emotionless syllable. The next moment, she pressed her hand on the sword at her waist and said expressionlessly, “Since you won’t go anyway, I might as well kill you both now.”

Big Head Ghost, Little Head Ghost: ???????

How was this development different from what they had imagined?!