Ghost Servants

"Start simulation!"

Seizing a moment amid his busyness, Shen Yi opened the simulator, wanting to see this simulation's experiences and rewards.

Simulation started. Remaining simulations this month: 0

Year One: You reaped abundant gains within the Grotto-Heaven Ruins.

Year Two: You returned from the Grotto-Heaven Ruins.

Year Three: You fell victim to an enemy's treacherous scheme and were imprisoned, tortured to death.

This simulation has ended. Reward obtained: None

No reward? Shen Yi was on the verge of tears. In the previous simulations, he had at least received a temporary reward. This time, there was nothing at all. How strange. He had originally wondered whether he might obtain the other half of the Stone Key and open the Stone Casket he had acquired at the auction house.

Muttering regretfully to himself, Shen Yi shook his head and smiled helplessly. His gaze soon cleared again. The simulator was ultimately only an aid; he still had to rely on his own efforts. With that thought, he let it go.

"Look! The palace gates are moving!"

No one knew who suddenly cried out, but the shout instantly exploded through the crowd.

Everyone stopped cultivating and rose to their feet, surging toward the palace gates, afraid of falling behind and losing the initiative.

To everyone's disappointment, the palace gates had opened only a crack, with a sliver of light spilling out. They scrambled to peer inside, but mist obscured their vision, and they gained nothing.

Several days passed like this. At last, the palace gates opened halfway, and the mist within gradually dispersed. Waves of radiant light could vaguely be seen.

"There must be a priceless treasure inside! Charge!"

At one call, a hundred answered. Everyone roared, rushing excitedly toward the half-open gates, intending to smash them open with their bodies. Yet when they came within three steps of the gates, an invisible force hurled them back.

"A barrier?"

"Fellow Daoists, why don't we join forces today and break this barrier, so we can return sooner?"

The moment those words were spoken, everyone agreed. They unleashed their spiritual power toward the barrier. For a time, spiritual energies of every color gathered together, forming a mighty force that contended against the invisible barrier.

"We'll only use thirty percent of our strength. By the time these idiots break the barrier, their spiritual power will be almost spent. Then we can sit back and reap the rewards!"

Wang Mingxuan whispered to his companions, hoping to fish in troubled waters. But the instant his spiritual power touched the barrier, his expression changed drastically. The spiritual power within him actually surged uncontrollably toward the barrier. "Damn it!"

Shen Yi was faring no better. He cursed inwardly, Sure enough, there is no such thing as a free lunch. The dense spiritual energy here was meant for the barrier to absorb at a time like this. The owner of this grotto-heaven really calculated every step!

"Since you show no mercy, don't blame me for showing none!"

Shen Yi spat, pulled out a large number of talismans from his robes, used part of his spiritual power to activate them, and hurled them all at the palace gates.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The barrier trembled.

"It works!"

Seeing this, everyone activated their talismans and magical artifacts and hurled them toward the palace gates.

For a time, explosions thundered deafeningly. The results were obvious: the talismans and magical artifacts wielded by several hundred Qi Refining cultivators were already no weaker than a Golden Core Cultivator's strike. At last, a crack appeared in the barrier, which began to shatter bit by bit.

"Charge!"

The instant the barrier broke, the crowd sprang into motion, each using their full strength to rush into the palace.

But Shen Yi stopped the four beside him and handed them several pills, telling them to restore their spiritual power first. As for what lay within the palace, it was likely far from simple.

Wang Teng spoke at this moment. "There is a Soul Summoning Banner inside. It is something I need." Seeing the others' surprised expressions, he added, "This Grotto-Heaven Ruins was actually the cave dwelling of a Mysterious Nether Cult senior. I only learned of it in a stone forest on the outskirts of the ruins. It recorded information about this palace, but the stone forest was damaged and the information incomplete. It only mentioned that there was a Soul Summoning Banner within, the lifelong work of that senior."

Only then did Shen Yi and the others understand. Still, none of them were interested in the Soul Summoning Banner. But since Wang Teng wanted it, they were all willing to help him seize it.

"Let's go. We've recovered enough. It's probably already chaos inside."

Shen Yi called out and took the lead into the palace.

The moment they entered, a gloomy aura swept over them. Many statues of ghosts and monsters stood all around, looking exceptionally strange.

"As expected of a Mysterious Nether Cult senior. Even his palace is this down-to-earth."

Shen Yi made a sarcastic remark, but his expression grew increasingly tense. The place was terrifyingly quiet. There were no traces of fighting, nor any sign of the cultivators who had entered before them.

"Look over there!"

Jiang Miaoyi cried out. The others followed where she pointed and all sucked in a cold breath.

A gigantic skull floated there, ghostly flames flickering in its eye sockets. Under their watchful gazes, they clearly saw the skull grin.

"Fuck!"

Shen Yi was genuinely startled. He had never believed in ghosts or gods since childhood, yet today he had learned what true horror was.

"Have you noticed? The air is getting colder and colder."

Yuwen Yue's bearing changed completely. Her seductive charm was gone, replaced by icy sharpness.

"There!"

Wu Liujian gripped his sword, his gaze blazing as he stared fixedly at the statues behind them.

"Watch out!"

Shen Yi and Jiang Miaoyi shouted in unison. Each circulated their spiritual power and attacked the other. Just as their attacks were about to strike, they twisted aside at the critical moment and dodged one another.

"Bang!"

In the blink of an eye, the two exchanged positions, each striking a statue and knocking back the sneak attackers.

"Ghost servants!"

Wang Teng cried out to warn them. Those statues were actually all ghost servants.

Five ghost servants wielding different weapons stepped forward, black light shining in their eyes as they slowly closed in on Shen Yi and the others.

"One each. Be careful!"

Shen Yi warned them and was the first to meet the ghost servant before him, the one holding a Judge's Brush. Jiang Miaoyi faced the ghost servant wielding chains. Wu Liujian went after the one holding an iron broom. Yuwen Yue clashed with the ghost servant carrying a long staff, while Wang Teng restrained the one gripping a long banner.

The winds of the Dragon Elephant Fist roared as they struck the ghost servant, yet it was like a stone sinking into the sea, unable to inflict even the slightest damage. Instead, with a sweep of its great brush, the ghost servant sent out a stream of ghostly qi. The Judge's Brush danced through the air and actually wrote the character for death, forcing Shen Yi back several steps.

"These ghost servants aren't right!"

The others encountered the same situation. They could not harm the ghost servants in the slightest and were instead suppressed by them.

"If mere statues are this formidable, it's hard to imagine what greater trials lie ahead!"

Shen Yi gritted his teeth and charged forward again. He threw a punch, only to be driven back by ghostly qi once more. Some of it accidentally stained his arm, turning it pitch-black at once. He hurriedly circulated the Undying Scripture, barely managing to dissolve the ghostly qi.

"Careful, this ghostly qi is poisonous."

Shen Yi shook his arm. Though the Undying Scripture could dissolve ghostly qi, it could not be used as an offensive method. It could only keep him from being eroded by the ghostly qi.