The seventy-two cities of the extreme realm squatted like dark clouds behind the Ghost Gate, with Bafang City at the very center, while the remaining seventy-one cities surrounded it like stars encircling the moon.

Looking down from above, the cities of the extreme realm formed five circular layers.

Counting outward from Bafang City, there was one at the center, four in the second layer, twelve in the third layer, twenty in the fourth layer, and thirty-five in the fifth layer. But the power entrenched within these cities decreased layer by layer.

The further out, the weaker the cities’ strength. And because the outer circles were too large, the distances between cities were extremely far, making mutual troop movements and support increasingly difficult.

The closer to the inner circles, the more concentrated the strength became.

Whether looking at individual ghost cultivators’ power or the speed of military support, both increased exponentially.

This also meant that the difficulty of conquest would increase progressively.

However, the forces of the Nineteen Continents had already conquered the Ghost Gate and occupied Wangsi City, and had even extended their power into the Eighteen Layers of Hell through Wangsi City. It could be said they had gained a crucial advantage, seizing the throat of the extreme realm!

By blocking the Ghost Gate, they had essentially blocked new ghosts from entering!

This brought the extreme realm to the same situation as the Nineteen Continents – even if they suffered losses in battle, they could not recklessly replenish their forces.

When one side weakened, the other strengthened – this was absolutely a tremendous benefit for the Nineteen Continents.

Therefore, on the third day after conquering the Ghost Gate, nearly ten thousand cultivators from the Nineteen Continents, after sufficient rest and reorganization, launched a fierce attack directly toward the next city from Wangsi City without any detours –

Mao City!

Like a sharp blade, using Wangsi City as a breakthrough point, they thrust straight toward the center of the seventy-two cities!

They only needed to break through the next three layers of defense in the extreme realm to reach Bafang City, directly strike at Lord Qin Guang, destroy the Yama Kings, and restore the cycle of reincarnation!

Everyone understood that every battle ahead would be a hard fight.

But no one was afraid, and no one retreated.

The re-entry of such a powerful expert as Sword Emperor Qu Zhengfeng of Mingri Xinghai undoubtedly brought new inspiration to morale.

The new battle began in an instant.

At this time, Jian Chou had already passed through the outer fourth and third layers without any flaws, arriving at the important city where the ten great ghost clans were truly stationed in the second layer –

Fengdu City.

A ghost city that frequently appeared in various records and ancient texts of the human world’s isolated islands, divided by the ten great ghost clans according to their respective power comparisons into ten areas of varying sizes.

The Wuchang clan was neither high nor low, with territory neither large nor small.

Jian Chou followed the directions in Lian Zhao’s memories, pale-faced and stumbling, came to the gate of the Wuchang clan, falsely claiming she had been severely injured in the Ghost Gate battle, unconscious in the wilderness, and had been extremely lucky not to be discovered by cultivators from the Nineteen Continents, thus managing to return to Fengdu with great difficulty.

The group leader with the highest cultivation in the Wuchang clan, that is, the “Yin Marshal” of the Wuchang clan, had only just reached Void Refining stage. Moreover, those guarding the gate were all small fry. Seeing Lian Zhao return, they didn’t dare to stop her, only hurriedly and frantically ran to report the news.

Elder Kong Yin, who knew she was a ghost, had already died in the Ghost Gate battle.

At this time and place, no one could expose her identity.

Thus, Jian Chou flawlessly “returned” to the Wuchang clan, and after being visited by two ordinary elders, she went into seclusion in her room to heal her injuries.

The room was naturally Lian Zhao’s room.

As a female cultivator with widespread fame for beauty among the ten great ghost clans, her room might be more appropriately called a “fragrant boudoir.”

Translucent glass beads strung into curtains hung down, dividing the luxuriously decorated room into inner and outer sections; a furnace of finest incense sat on a carved lacquer table with cloud patterns, and even unlit, one could smell the faint sweet and alluring fragrance; pink gauze curtains concealed a soft bed covered with snow-white fur, half-visible and half-hidden; embroidered pillows bloomed with gorgeous roses, completely consistent with the original owner’s flamboyant style…

The room reflected its owner.

As soon as Jian Chou entered, she sighed inwardly, feeling very uncomfortable.

But currently infiltrating such an important place as the Wuchang clan’s stronghold in Fengdu City, and with not only the Wuchang clan but also the other nine great ghost clans in the city, she might be seen through by experts at any moment, so she had to be extremely careful.

After thinking it over, she ultimately didn’t move a single piece of furniture in the room.

The so-called “healing injuries” was naturally fake.

Jian Chou wasn’t injured at all, but merely told a reasonable lie for herself as “Lian Zhao.”

But appearances had to be maintained.

So in the three days after infiltrating the Wuchang clan’s stronghold, she saw no one during the day and didn’t go out, only quietly slipping out at night. After three nights, she had roughly figured out the situation within the Wuchang clan and Fengdu City.

On the fourth day, the healing ended.

Jian Chou calculated the time she had agreed upon with Fu Chaosheng and opened her door.

It was morning.

Outside the room was a quiet corridor, with steps on one side of the corridor, below which was a very small garden with flower beds planted with strange flowers unique to the extreme realm.

Faint, sharp discussions drifted from outside.

“Did you hear? That vixen was severely injured in the Ghost Gate battle and came back, how pitiful. She’s been shut in healing, not seeing anyone. Several senior brothers went to find her but were all turned away.”

“Heh, has she changed her ways?”

“Usually at this time, wouldn’t she be eager to lure people into her room? You’re not joking, are you?”

“Really, I saw it with my own eyes.”

“Saw it with your own eyes?”

“Senior Brother Qin and the others, as soon as they heard she was alive and back, rushed over with lots of things wanting to see her, but couldn’t even get through the door. That vixen said she needed to heal and temporarily wouldn’t see anyone.”

“No way, she’s usually like that…”

“Could it be because of Junior Brother Xiao Mou?”

“Ah, I heard about that too.”

“Didn’t everyone who came back from the Ghost Gate battle say that Junior Brother Xiao Mou had something going on with her? They went together originally, now Xiao Mou is dead but she was only injured and came back alive…”

“You must be crazy! She’s such a heartless person! I’d believe if you said Xiao Mou was infatuated with her and died for her. But saying she’s heartbroken over Xiao Mou and won’t mess around with those people anymore after coming back? Tell that to ghosts! Have you all forgotten what happened back then?”

These were the voices of several women.

Jian Chou listened and felt one of them sounded somewhat familiar.

Who else could it be but Xue Yin?

She naturally heard the content clearly, and when she heard the four words “Xiao Mou is dead,” she was slightly stunned, then understood: since Qu Zhengfeng had decided not to infiltrate the extreme realm with her but to follow the cultivators of the Nineteen Continents in a frontal attack, he would naturally kill Xiao Mou, who they had previously imprisoned, to eliminate future troubles and avoid arousing suspicion from the Wuchang clan.

Poor Xiao Mou’s secret feelings for Lian Zhao.

Indeed, he was the new Sword Emperor of Mingri Xinghai…

How could she think Qu Zhengfeng would show mercy to a Xiao Mou? This Sword Emperor clearly acted cautiously and thoroughly, striking without leaving any room for error.

As the thought circled in her mind, Jian Chou didn’t dwell on what Qu Zhengfeng’s mood might have been when killing Xiao Mou. She suddenly realized that the discussion of those female cultivators outside provided her with a very good approach –

How to avoid harassment while impersonating Lian Zhao?

Although others thought it impossible, why couldn’t she be heartbroken over Xiao Mou’s death and thus become cold and changed?

Continuing to walk outside, Jian Chou didn’t stop, while the voices of discussion outside grew closer.

They were still talking about Lian Zhao.

But the main character involved had changed. The moment she heard that name, her brows raised slightly in surprise.

“Compared to Lord Lihan, even if Xiao Mou was a good person, how much place could he have in her heart? Poor Brother Xiao loved the wrong person…”

“Yes…”

“Serves her right! Back then she was arrogant about her beauty. Using dirty tricks was one thing, but she was also haughty. When Lord Lihan came down on business, she actually ran to seduce him, throwing herself at him, thinking anyone who saw her would be entranced. What happened? Lord Lihan didn’t even glance at her, just flicked his finger and threw her out like a vase, injuring her badly and completely disgracing our Wuchang clan!”

“She really couldn’t think straight, seducing anyone but Lord Lihan…”

“That’s a more frightening evil star than Judge Zhang!”

“Tch, now there’s a good show to watch. I heard that three days ago Lord Lihan emerged from seclusion with greatly advanced cultivation, directly reaching ‘Dao Integration.’ Just when Judge Zhang from Bafang City suddenly disappeared – supposedly he defected – Lord Qin Guang was short of people and directly sent an edict to the Ghost King clan, having Lord Lihan handle affairs. These past days he’s been selecting people from the ten great ghost clans. Guess what – with Lian Zhao’s nature, if she knew this news, could she still stay in her room ‘healing’?”

“Where’s the need to guess?”

Just as that sharp, mocking voice fell, a voice with faint, vague laughter came from behind those female cultivators standing under the corridor, floating like catkins without substance.

Everyone, including Xue Yin, felt their spines turn cold.

Turning around, they saw the “protagonist” of their discussion had somehow appeared by the corridor pillar. Though her face was still pale, the alluring color in her eyes became even more heart-stopping because of this pallor!

Her rippling gaze swept over them, smiling both seductively and wickedly: “I originally didn’t know this news, but now that I’ve heard it, naturally I can’t stay put anymore, can I?”

Xue Yin gasped.

Jian Chou withdrew her gaze, lowering her eyes to look at her rounded nails painted with red lacquer, continuing leisurely: “But Sister Xue Yin really looks down on people too much. Any man that I, Lian Zhao, want…”