As the second month in the realm between mountains and seas drew to a close, scattered figures from various regions finally appeared at the edge of the Nine Tribulation Seas.
“I thought I was the earliest, but Mo Xingzheng arrived first.”
“As expected of a disciple of Dao Sheng Tian. He’s different from us.”
“Why is he so silent?”
Nan Yan’s group arrived slightly later. Mu Zhanting and Yun Nian had already reunited with their respective regional groups. Only when Nan Yan reached the edge of the Nine Tribulation Seas did she sense the presence of people from the Mao Region.
The Ghost Gate was a range of dark red mountains, with endless walls stretching along their peaks. Beacon towers dotted the mountaintops, with only twelve outer entrances glowing with spiritual energy. In the distance, a demonic aura permeated the air.
“Senior Brother,” Nan Yan greeted True Heng upon reaching the mountain’s base. After paying her respects, she glanced behind him and asked, “Where are the other two junior brothers?”
True Heng sighed softly, “The great path is treacherous. Two junior brothers perished while seeking opportunities. We’ve already chanted sutras for their passing.”
Nan Yan’s eyes dimmed at the news. She joined True Heng and the other Buddhist cultivators from Chou Shan Academy in a moment of silent mourning before assessing the situation around them.
After leaving the Southern Tribulation Sea, she followed the ring’s guidance step by step to reach this place. Few of those she encountered along the way had found spirit wells like they had. Most looked gaunt and injured.
However, some had extraordinary encounters. Nan Yan noticed a cultivator from Yin Region who had tamed a sixth-grade earth-attribute turtle demon beast, his body brimming with earth spiritual energy.
As for the others, most had suffered losses. Only Zi, Chen, and Si Regions remained intact without losing members or scattering. This provided a glimpse into the strength of the major regions.
“Cultivators from different regions have varied spiritual roots. Those who obtained primordial spiritual energy they can’t use will likely exchange it here. However, many have already clashed, some even with blood on their hands…”
Nan Yan noticed True Heng’s grim expression and surveyed the scene. Among the gathered cultivators, about a third bore rings with different colored horizontal lines.
“Seizing others’ jade rings grants an advantage in sensing locations. Look at the Si Region prince’s sister—her ring already bears five life marks.”
Nan Yan was surprised by Li Mian’s demeanor. Though her appearance had been restored, she seemed unusually quiet based on past impressions. Since arriving in Zi Region, Li Mian hadn’t caused any trouble for Nan Yan and was rarely seen. She maintained an icy expression, following behind Li Chi without their previous intimacy.
Nan Yan closed her eyes to sense carefully. She felt that for a moment, Li Mian’s eyes flashed with a strange hatred, seemingly directed at her people from Si Region.
“If Mo Dao-friend were here, the atmosphere might be more relaxed. It’s unclear why he’s so distracted.”
This delicate situation indeed required someone from the Zi Region to take charge. Nan Yan saw Zi Region members surrounding Mo Xingzheng, trying to engage him, but he remained distracted. Other Zi Region cultivators could only reluctantly gather everyone.
“Fellow Dao friends, some of you have likely found spirit wells. As per tradition, before nightfall, our region will host a small trading session. Different attributes of spiritual energy can be exchanged, and those lacking energy can trade with precious treasures.”
Most cultivators lacked sufficient primordial spiritual energy. They needed to collect at least as much as their original energy to successfully form their Core, with more energy resulting in better quality.
Of Nan Yan’s five elemental spiritual roots, wood and fire attributes were already saturated. She still had six or seven wood essence crystals and two fire essence crystals. If revealed, the cultivators here might go into a frenzy to seize them.
She looked around, knowing that her spiritual roots could accommodate any attribute. However, a balance of the five elements would make Core formation more stable… potentially even achieving a perfect ten-star Core.
“Brother, aren’t you going to exchange?” she asked Mu Zhanting.
“I… *hic*,” Mu Zhanting had been hiccupping since swallowing the Fire Ghost Marquis. His speech was fragmented. “I don’t need… *hic* anything. I’ll share the extra with my brothers. Later, they’ll follow me to… *hic* Ten Karma Mountain. I’ll find a place to refine a digestive pill. You go ahead… *hic*.”
Nan Yan replied, “Take care of yourself then. I’ll go ask if any medicine masters can treat your condition.”
At that moment, another wave of cultivators arrived in the distance, exuding a murderous aura. Nan Yan looked up, her lips curling into a slight smile—it was Yuan Ang’s group.
Yuan Ang looked much more disheveled than when they first met. As soon as he landed, he headed straight for Si Region’s unorthodox camp. His spiritual sense immediately detected Nan Yan smiling at him, causing his eyes to bulge with rage.
“You! How are you still alive?!”
Nan Yan calmly chanted “Amitabha” and took two steps back. The protective squad, instructed by Mu Zhanting, immediately surrounded her.
“What business does the prince have?” they asked.
Seeing Nan Yan’s body brimming with spiritual energy, especially her jade-like skin, Yuan Ang raged, “So you monopolized that wood attribute spirit well?!”
All eyes focused on Nan Yan, particularly those from regions with wood-attributed spiritual roots, who looked envious.
Nan Yan smiled and said, “As a mere Core Formation cultivator, how could I dare to monopolize a spirit well surrounded by demons? I merely possessed a secret treasure and luckily escaped with my life, cultivating nearby. Prince Yuan, since you were familiar with the ghost marquis in that spirit well and even used me as a sacrifice, surely you obtained plenty of primordial spiritual energy. Why do you look so haggard?”
Her words angered the Buddhist cultivators from the Mao Region and the protective squad.
“Prince of Wu Region! Did you harm Zhen Yuan?!”
Since they had initiated the harm, Yuan Ang didn’t bother to deny it. He sneered, “Surviving is your ability, dying would’ve been your misfortune. You’ve already benefited, so why play the victim here? Are you trying to get Mu Zhanting to fight for you?”
Nan Yan replied, “He’s indisposed and can’t speak easily. This poor nun can stand up for herself. Prince, shall we find a place to settle this?”
As she said “settle this,” two streams of spiritual energy—one red, one blue—surged from Nan Yan’s body, combining to emit an aura at the Core Formation level.
“Her primordial spiritual energy exceeds the Core Formation stage by several times!!!”
The crowd was shocked. In the cultivation world, strength was paramount, especially in this secret realm where the rules of mountains and seas were suspended. Cultivators with good fortune, even those with average aptitude, far surpassed depleted princely geniuses.
Yuan Ang’s face darkened. As he was about to attack her in a fit of rage, Li Chi held him back.
“Zhen Yuan, fellow Daoist,” Li Chi finally seemed to acknowledge that this woman resembling Nan Fang Zhu was indeed his enemy. “We still need to work together to break through the Ghost Gate. Can we postpone any old grudges?”
Oh? Why this sudden change of heart?
Nan Yan carefully scanned the Si Region team behind him and replied, “As a monk, I never initiate trouble, but I don’t fear it either. Please proceed.”
Yuan Ang’s outburst had revealed Nan Yan’s good fortune in the wood essence spirit well. Immediately, numerous cultivators gathered around.
Nan Yan exchanged her wood and fire essences for earth and metal essences. Only water essence remained, reportedly held by the unorthodox faction at a water essence spirit well. To supplement her energy, she’d have to trade with them.
Nan Yan considered this and decided not to seek them out actively. She found a secluded spot to meditate. Sure enough, an unorthodox cultivator soon approached.
It wasn’t Yuan Ang or Li Chi, but Li Mian.
Li Mian looked at her sinisterly and said, “I have a wood attribute celestial spirit root.”
Meeting her gaze, Nan Yan replied, “Apologies, this poor nun doesn’t trade with unorthodox cultivators.”
Ignoring Nan Yan’s attitude, Li Mian transmitted a message mentally: “I’ve hidden a small water essence crystal. Swear on your Dao’s heart to help me, and it’s yours.”
Nan Yan’s eyebrow twitched as she looked up, “Today… have you been possessed?”
Li Mian coldly produced a blue crystal the size of a fingernail, waving it before Nan Yan before putting it away. Noticing Nan Yan’s slight interest, she said, “I’m telling the truth. My brother likes your face. If you soften your attitude slightly, he’ll surely lower his guard.”
These siblings?
Nan Yan’s interest was piqued: “What do you want to do?”
Li Mian took a deep breath, her eyes turning vicious, “Although Ten Karma Mountain is the final battlefield, it’s not dangerous unless you reach the peak. Even cultivators who want to give up can find a secluded spot and crush their jade ring to teleport out of the secret realm. I want you to… kill my brother on Ten Karma Mountain before he teleports out.”
These siblings?
Nan Yan remembered Li Mian always calling him “brother,” and Li Chi treated her well. Now she was full of hatred. Curious, Nan Yan probed, “How do I know he didn’t send you to trick me? Shouldn’t you have some reason to convince me?”
Li Mian’s face contorted slightly. She pulled open her collar, revealing a strange, worm-like inscription below her neck.
Surprised, Nan Yan asked, “This is…?”
“It’s a twin curse mark,” Li Mian covered her collar, eyes full of hatred. “If I hadn’t been disfigured by a ghost curse in You Quan Valley, I wouldn’t have had the chance to overhear my father and brother’s conversation while he was treating me… I’m not truly alive. To make my brother’s constitution suitable for the ghost path and seize the position of Hell Lord, my father extracted one of my brother’s souls when we were still in the womb. He sacrificed it to Dao Sheng Tian’s Minhe Waterfall, allowing them to create a twin ghost fetus.”
Nan Yan sat up straight but, mindful of onlookers, maintained an expression as if discussing a trade.
“Continue,” she urged.
“Our Si Region has been under Dao Sheng Tian’s control for years. Those Dao Sheng Tian people are monsters. They extract souls from living people and offer them to the Soul River Waterfall. After absorbing enough netherworld ghost energy, they send the souls back, using Divine Transformation stage techniques to reconstruct the body. This makes us appear as twins at birth. In reality, I’m an auxiliary soul that can share cultivation with my brother. When he needs it, he’ll devour me…” Li Mian’s face showed both hatred and fear. “On Ten Karma Mountain, if he doesn’t die, I will… Once my brother devours me, he can directly form his Core without being rejected by the secret realm. Then you’ll all die!”
Nan Yan was shocked. Among the princes of various regions, Mu Zhanting would not withdraw. He might be the most vulnerable to a sudden attack.
“Alright, tell me…” Nan Yan agreed.
…
An hour later, as the cultivators from various regions finished trading and were absorbing primordial spiritual energy, a sound like a beast’s roar or a horn echoed from atop the city wall. Mo Xingzheng, who had been silent until now, finally stood up.
“Fellow Daoists, in this realm between mountains and seas, demons and ghosts battle fiercely as the moon rises, and disperse as it sets… Beyond these walls lies the Ghost Gate. Only by passing through can we reach Ten Karma Mountain, where the Mountain River Sea Crown resides. With the Emperor’s passing, the crown automatically returns there. The arbiter of the cultivation world is within reach. Who dares to fight?”
“I dare!”
“How can we stand idly by while the great regions compete?”
The fervor of youth surged skyward, continuously disappearing into the spiritual light of the city towers. Nan Yan turned to find Mu Zhanting, intending to warn him about Li Chi, but saw his silhouette already flying towards a secluded tower.
Huh? Wasn’t Chen Region’s tower on the left? Why was he sneaking off alone?
With cultivators’ figures everywhere, Nan Yan had no choice but to follow him alone into a corner tower.
“Brother, why aren’t you with the Chen Region people? Hey, when did you change clothes?”
Hearing her voice, “Mu Zhanting” tensed slightly. His hunched posture from nervousness straightened as he adjusted his expression before turning around.
“I just thought this place was safer. Why did you follow?”
Nan Yan felt something was off about Mu Zhanting and asked, “Is your stomach better now?”
His mouth twitched as he replied, “Thanks for your concern, sis… I’ve fully recovered. I came here with a plan in mind.”
“Huh?” Nan Yan was puzzled. “What do you mean, big brother?”
He looked worried and said, “The ghost tide on the left is the most ferocious and difficult to handle. Moreover, with so many regions eyeing us, it’s easier to dodge open attacks than hidden arrows. For safety, we need to observe quietly. If you’re with me… you must follow my lead and not act on your own.”
“Oh, okay,” Nan Yan agreed verbally, but her gaze on the back of her brother’s head grew increasingly sharp.
Something’s not right. Why is he suddenly using idioms so fluently?