As twilight’s last glimmer surrendered to darkness, an eerie, dilapidated city materialized deep within Wuyan Mountain. The city walls, seemingly steeped in blood for ages, exuded a fusion of rust and ash.
The city gate, apparently sealed by some powerful being, stood open at a towering height of ten zhang. Impatient cultivators, fearing others might get ahead, rushed in with flashes of spiritual movement. Even the more cautious ones, after briefly observing that those who entered seemed unharmed, soon followed suit.
Amidst the crowd, Nan Yan was the only one focusing on the city’s tower. Perhaps due to the melancholic flickering ghost fires, that familiar face bore an indescribable, subtle detachment.
Before Nan Yan could speak, she saw Ji Yang’s gaze sweep through the crowd, lingering on her with momentary surprise before shaking his head.
Nan Yan, despite her numerous disguises and identity changes, couldn’t fathom how Ji Yang always spotted her instantly, especially when Yin Ya had specifically transformed into her likeness.
“Make way!”
A carriage rushed up from behind, its wheels clattering. A Nascent Soul cultivator from the Formless Sect waved his hand, ushering them aside as Li Mian’s carriage charged past, seemingly in search of someone.
“Senior Brother Yin! Wait for Mian’er! Brother told you to look after me!” Li Mian called out, half her body leaning out of the carriage. But the man she addressed didn’t even spare her a glance, vanishing from the city wall in a blur.
Li Mian’s face darkened instantly as she shattered the snake-shaped copper lamp on her carriage with a single palm strike.
The cultivators attending her fell silent, waiting for her rage to subside before one ventured, “Though he’s the vice sect leader’s disciple, you’re the daughter of Yu Xie Hou. His rudeness is inexcusable. Perhaps we could find a pretext for the vice sect leader to punish him when we return.”
Li Mian snarled, “I’m puzzled. My Blissful Palace houses thousands of men if not tens of thousands. How is it that no one matches his demeanor? I won’t rest until I pluck this lofty flower!”
Nan Yan: Lofty flower??
Li Mian continued, “I’m the only daughter of Si State’s ruler. If he gained my favor, wouldn’t that fast-track his career? I’ve made so many overtures, yet he remains so obtuse.”
Nan Yan: Obtuse???
After more persuasion from her attendants, Li Mian’s fury finally abated. She kicked one of the beast-like cultivators pulling her carriage and entered the ghost city with her entourage.
The Formless Sect members, ever cautious, waited until Li Mian left before one grumbled, “Her group only has three Nascent Soul cultivators. Why did we have to yield to her?”
“HAh those three are renowned old monsters, each capable of founding their sect. They could easily handle our dozen or so members.”
In truth, the Formless Sect had only one late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator—their Grand Elder. The rest, save for two mid-stage Nascent Souls, had just recently formed their Nascent Souls. Mere months ago, they were all still Core Formation cultivators.
“Alright, alright, let’s hurry in while we can.” The demonic cultivators of the Formless Sect entered with the last wave of people.
However, when Nan Yan’s turn came, her foot barely touched the ghost city’s threshold before a gentle force pushed her back, bewildering Yin Ya.
“What’s wrong?”
Nan Yan, stunned, reached out her hand only to find it trapped as if in thick glue, unable to advance.
“The ghost city is rejecting me.”
“How is that possible?” Yin Ya tried walking in and out with ease. “If you can’t enter, why were you given this scroll?”
Recalling Ji Yang’s headshake before he vanished, Nan Yan speculated, “I’m not sure, but perhaps Shao Cang did something to prevent me from entering this ghost city.”
The question remained: why wouldn’t he let her in?
As she pondered, Elder Yu, the last of the Formless Sect to enter, looked back at them. “Are you two ready? We only have one night here. Who knows if this ghost city will even exist tomorrow.”
After several failed attempts at the gate, Nan Yan realized it truly was targeting only her. Resigned, she told Yin Ya, “Time is short. I’ll keep trying to find a way in from here. You go ahead first, alright?”
Yin Ya gave Elder Yu a disdainful look but knew that lingering longer might arouse suspicion from other demonic sects without the Formless Sect’s cover.
“Fine, I’ll go investigate how to complete the scroll’s task. If you manage to get in, contact me with a messaging talisman.”
“Mm-hmm.”
After watching him leave, Nan Yan glanced around. Only some Core Formation disciples from demonic sects remained on the lookout. She secretly released 90% of her spiritual power in an attempt to force her way in, but no method worked.
Some demonic cultivators noticed her, sneering, “Look at that female cultivator hovering at the entrance. Is she scared?”
“They say ghosts run rampant inside. It’s understandable if she’s afraid.”
“She might not be able to compete with Nascent Soul cultivators anyway. Better to go home.”
Overhearing their talk of ghosts inside the city, Nan Yan suddenly remembered that Yin Ya, despite being a fox spirit, was afraid of ghosts. She wondered how cowardly he might become inside and felt it was better to find a way in to keep an eye on him.
The city itself might not be dangerous, or else Ji Yang wouldn’t have allowed Yin Ya to enter.
Nan Yan decided to sit cross-legged by the city gate, closely observing the structure.
Her eye-skill had transcended mortal limitations. Looking past the blood-smeared surface of the city walls, beneath layers of bloody grime, Nan Yan faintly discerned a signboard above the gate. It appeared to have been hacked at with axes, its original form lost, but she could barely make out two characters: “You Quan” (Dark Spring).
After just a few breaths of observation, Nan Yan felt a chill enter her eyes, causing a sharp pain. She quickly closed them, only to sense a wisp of ghostly energy invading her body.
Simultaneously, Nan Yan’s expression changed slightly as something in her storage ring began to vibrate—it was the stone box Yin Ya had brought from beneath the beast-sealing formation, the one that summoned ghosts when opened.
That stone box had originally been sealed under the beast-sealing formation. Yin Ya mentioned a stone tablet nearby inscribed with “Han Quan Chuan” (Cold Spring River). Coincidentally, Jian Xiong of Wei State had also mentioned a ghostly abyss called Xia Quan (Lower Spring) beneath his Tian Qiao Peak.
Additionally, when Nan Yan was in Mao State, she heard fellow monks speak of a treacherous secret place called Ku Quan Ghost Gate (Bitter Spring Ghost Gate) sealed beneath Chou Mountain. Connecting these pieces, an intriguing pattern emerged.
Contrary to the widely known concept of eighteen layers of hell, ancient earthly legends spoke of nine hells governing the yin and evil spirits of all things in heaven and earth. The hell lord ruled over heavenly demons, while the rest were divided into eight hells: “Ya, Huang, Han, Yin, You, Ku, Xia, Ming” (Proper, Yellow, Cold, Dark, Secluded, Bitter, Lower, Netherworld).
Beast-sealing formation: Han Quan (Cold Spring).
Chou Mountain in Mao State: Ku Quan (Bitter Spring).
Tian Qiao Peak in Wei State: Xia Quan (Lower Spring).
Ghost city in Si State: You Quan (Dark Spring).
This realization made Nan Yan break out in a cold sweat… This place was likely the true gate of hell.
As other demonic cultivators continued to enter the ghost city, Nan Yan watched intently. Suddenly, a blood-covered cultivator rashly charged in from behind, only to be pushed back with a dull thud, just like Nan Yan.
Unlike Nan Yan, who gave up after two attempts, he seemed to anticipate this outcome. With a swift motion, he crushed three blood-stained demon cultivator’s golden cores. Instantly, the residual demon fire within the cores materialized, carving a circle on the city gate. He then swiftly dashed through.
“It’s a righteous cultivator!” By the time the demon cultivators behind him reacted, he had already vanished into the Ghost Gate. Spells erupted like lightning in his wake.
Nearby, Nan Yan noticed the remaining demon cultivators were only at the Golden Core stage. Seizing the moment before the small circle disappeared, she conjured a golden lotus illusion with one hand, deflecting the incoming spells. In a flash, she darted through the gate, leaving a wall of core fire behind to block the pursuing demons.
A dozen demon cultivators rushed towards the entrance. One, overconfident in his defenses, attempted to force his way through the firewall. Upon contact, his demonic energy shield crumbled like paper. Witnessing this, the others could only furiously assault the barrier with their demon fire, desperately trying to disperse it.
“Damn it! Someone notify the Nascent Soul elders inside! Righteous cultivators have infiltrated!”
The Golden Core stage demon cultivators lingering outside the city suddenly felt their consciousness shaken. When they regained their senses, they found themselves kneeling on the ground.
To their horror, dense clouds suddenly obscured the moon, plunging the surroundings into an eerie silence where even the wind was muted. A spatial rift abruptly opened before the city gate, and an elderly man with graying hair emerged.
His sleeves were embroidered with intricate star patterns, and between his brows sat a Yin-Yang symbol. His sudden appearance terrified the Zi State demon cultivators into silence, leaving them to communicate only through telepathy.
“The Starry Robe of the Dao Sky… How could a Dao-Birth Heaven Transcendent appear here?!”
“He can silence all creation… This is no ordinary Transcendent. He must be in the first stage of decline from Celestial to Mortal!”
“Dao-Birth Heaven doesn’t kill indiscriminately. Who dares to speak with him?”
After a moment, a bold demon cultivator spoke up: “This… this secret realm was discovered by our Zi State’s Heavenly Demonic Path Elder Huo Wuji. May I ask why an elder from Dao-Birth Heaven has graced our Zi State?”
The elderly man gazed up at the ghost city, attempting to probe it with his divine sense. Discovering ancient restrictions that even his Transcendent cultivation couldn’t penetrate, he calmly replied:
“I am Zhu Sui. I mean no offense to Zi State, nor do I intend to interfere in the war between Chen and Zi States. I merely heard that Chen State’s Imperial Son was pursuing a demon cultivator who had captured one of his Dragon Capital cultivators. As I happened to be passing by, I came to ensure the safety of the next generation’s imperial candidate.”
Chen State’s Imperial Son?
The demon cultivators’ expressions darkened. The first cultivator who entered earlier, his face covered in blood as if fresh from battle, had slipped past their notice. They hadn’t realized he was Chen State’s Imperial Son.
Yet as the elder spoke, he didn’t seem eager to inquire about the Imperial Son’s whereabouts. Instead, he carefully examined the seemingly endless ghost city, his expression unreadable.
“I won’t interfere with your fortuitous encounters. I’ll wait here. If he doesn’t emerge by dawn, I’ll enter. At that time… I apologize for any disturbance.”
…
Nan Yan plunged into the ghost city, immediately enveloped by mist. After a few steps, she found herself surrounded by dwellings reminiscent of the mortal world. Thatched huts, wooden cabins, and stone houses were scattered haphazardly along both sides of a cobblestone path. Beyond, everything was shrouded in mist, save for a faint blue flame flickering in the clouds ahead.
A bone-chilling cold seeped through her protective spiritual light, reaching her very marrow. It felt as if it were draining her life force.
She extended her divine sense but found it restricted. Not only could she not penetrate the distant mist, but she couldn’t even probe the tightly shut houses nearby.
Most bizarrely, when Nan Yan looked back, the city gate through which she had entered was gone. It was as if she had been randomly teleported onto this empty ghost city street upon entry.
What a strange place, she thought, wondering where her brother had gone.
As she prepared to fly up for a better view, she noticed a cultivator about five or six houses away attempting the same. The moment he surpassed the rooftops, a window in a nearby house creaked open.
The airborne cultivator glanced down, his eyes widening in terror. Before he could flee, black threads ensnared him, dragging him into the room.
It all happened in an instant. Terrifyingly, despite the cultivator being at the late Golden Core stage, Nan Yan’s keen hearing detected no sounds of struggle after he was pulled inside.
Nan Yan froze, sensing danger. Thankfully, even without relying on her divine sense, her physical senses were far superior to other cultivators’. Her ears twitched, catching footsteps approaching from afar. She swiftly ducked behind a nearby house.
Moments later, the sound of dragging chains echoed down the long street. From her hiding spot in the darkness, Nan Yan saw a ragged old man shuffling into view. Chains bound his feet, and as he reached the intersection, he stopped. His entire head emitted a bone-chilling creak as it began to turn.
Then, his face rotated to the back of his head.
Nan Yan’s body instantly stiffened. For a split second, she thought their eyes had met, but quickly realized his eye sockets were empty.
After the old man’s head had twisted to face his back, it slowly rotated once more. Finally settling on a direction, he pushed open a thatched hut and entered. His hollow eye sockets stared out at the street as he slowly closed the door behind him.
Nan Yan wondered: If someone were to open that door now, would the old man be standing there waiting?
As she pondered this, a Nascent Soul stage demon cultivator suddenly rushed in from afar. Reaching the intersection, he waved his sleeve, instantly creating a trail of footprints leading into the thatched hut.
The Nascent Soul demon cultivator laughed heartily, brandishing a soul banner. “I may not be able to capture a Transcendent soul, but how could I fail to claim your Nascent Soul? My Hundred Ghosts Soul Refining Banner is only missing a Nascent Soul as its main spirit. Old man, you’re mine!”