Ghost Market

Li Qi and Elder Li... no, one person and one ghost, were wandering through the Ghost Market.

Many bizarre scenes passed by the human and the ghost.

There are ghosts embracing their children, ghosts crying, Tibetan monks, Mud Ghost, Rat Play, Snake Husbandry, intestines being pulled out, and many other strange things, but these are all common occurrences in the Ghost Market.

The two exchanged pleasantries and told each other about their situations.

Li Qi also directly told Elder Li why he was not affected: the Fifth Rank Treasure Ship he was on gave them enough blessings when they disembarked.

This blessing is enough to ward off the Yin Qi of the Ghost Gate Pass.

As for why Li Qi was able to ride on Fifth Rank Treasure Ship, neither of them touched on this topic.

The term 'Shaman' already makes things very clear.

Elder Li knew very well that the person in front of him could display the Ghost Emperor Spirit Qi even before reaching the rank of rank, and now he could ride Fifth Rank Treasure Ship as soon as he went out. Clearly, he was a true 'Shaman'.

Not the kind of self-proclaimed Shamanic Priest, but the genuine lineage of the Shaman, one of the true masters of Shaman Path.

To draw a parallel, it is the direct line of the Ghost Path in Fengdu, even more orthodox than the Five Directional Ghost Emperors.

Thinking of this, Elder Li became even more respectful, but he didn't perform any act of bowing down, as that would be too undignified and might easily sever this connection.

Moreover, judging from the current situation... this Shaman seems very interested in this Ghost Market, asking what the strange things he sees are all along the way.

Elder Li, naturally, responded to each question with the respect due to someone repaying a debt of gratitude.

Through these questions and answers, Li Qi learned many details about this Ghost Market.

The reason why so many living souls can be seen is because the Ghost Market does not actually exist in the world.

When you arrive at the Ghost Market, you have actually arrived in the underworld. If you do not have Divine Ability powers to protect you, you will inevitably be eroded by the Yin Qi of the underworld.

As the saying goes, sleep is half-dead. When a person is asleep and dreaming, often part of their soul leaves their body. The part representing life is still inside the body, but the other part has already begun to wander.

This is a soul leaving the body, a dream journey to the underworld. Many powerful figures have known this technique. There was once a great being in the Human Path who wanted to slay a dragon, but was delayed because he had to pay homage to the Human Emperor. Unable to leave, he simply took a nap on the spot. After falling asleep, his Yin Spirit traveled through the night, drifting for thousands of miles, and casually slaying a true dragon. He returned in three quarters of an hour.

Daoists, on the other hand, do not need to sleep because they have completely mastered the Yin Spirit and Yang Spirit and no longer rely on sleep for nighttime travel; they can easily leave their bodies.

Ordinary people cannot actively control this power, but when they are asleep, as their dreams unfold, they can also wander at night. Sometimes they just drift through the streets, but if they are lucky enough, they can fall into deeper levels and enter the underworld, wandering through places such as hell or Ghost Market.

Elder Li told Li Qi about this as an amusing anecdote, but after listening, Li Qi immediately realized something.

On a deeper level... does that mean the underworld and the world of the living are not actually completely separate?

For example, some of those spirits even live in the far north, but after falling asleep, they still come to the Ghost Market of Duoshuo Mountain. When they wake up, they will return to their bodies.

The underworld is not outside the mortal world; they are very likely two sides of the same coin, at least in the world. Anyone can enter the underworld by dreaming, and no matter where you are, you may end up in the territory of another Ghost Market.

So, what exactly is the significance of the Ghost Gate Pass?

Li Qi tried to subtly inquire about Elder Li, but after asking for a long time, he couldn't get any useful information. Elder Li was just an eighth-rank underworld official, a nobody, and didn't know anything about these things.

Li Qi had no choice but to leave the question unresolved and instead asked him other questions.

For example--

"By the way, does this Ghost Market have trade with the East Sea? Or is it only used for trade between little ghosts?" Li Qi asked.

When Elder Li heard this question, he laughed and said, "So this is why you came, Shaman? Of course, the Ghost Market can't just be a place for little ghosts to trade. In fact, many powerful cultivators come here, including some as strong as you, Shaman."

"After all, the Ghost Market is very convenient. You can get to the Ghost Market from anywhere by using Yin Spirit Night Wanderer. Although you can't stay for long, it's more than enough for a short transaction."

"As I thought, then I'll trouble you, Elder Li, could you please help me contact those places? Although the ordinary areas of this Ghost Market are strange, we've already seen enough of them as scenery," Li Qi said.

Elder Li nodded. "What's so difficult about that? We underworld messengers are responsible for guiding people. Shaman is in need, we will do our best. Please follow me."

As Elder Li spoke, he walked towards another part of the Ghost Market.

Li Qi immediately followed, but he was somewhat tempted.

Because he saw that the path Elder Li had walked through was clearly a dead end. The place was filled with Yin Qi, which had condensed into a wall, so that even ordinary ghosts and monsters could not enter.

Li Qi still thought those were just buildings, but now it seems that these places are all roads leading to other places.

So, what exactly is the underworld? Why do ghosts seem to think everything is normal, even those ordinary little ghosts who have never seen the world, or those living souls who think they are dreaming, can naturally find their way, while Li Qi, a living person, feels that something is wrong and can't see the way?

Even those True Knowledge Dao Charm wouldn't be able to tell.

Is the space of the underworld not entirely linear? Are there actually many strange locations there?

As Li Qi made his guesses, he followed Elder Li forward.

Passing through the wall of Yin Qi, Li Qi became even more certain of his guess. The space in the underworld was indeed somewhat strange. It was not a straightforward linear space, but rather had a certain degree of distortion. Only ghosts could be immune to this distortion.

Without the guidance of a ghost, people from the mortal realm would probably find it difficult to move an inch here and could only wander around aimlessly.

So here's the question—

If that's the case, then why did that Reason Way vessel stop here and let everyone disembark and walk around? Walking around like that shouldn't yield any results.

Could it be that Reason Way only came here because he had something to do, so he let the others wander around and relax?

However, we cannot rule out this possibility... After Reason Way, the people of Lidao seem to be quite simple-minded, and Wang Dun seems to be an upright Dao Pursuer.

However, Li Qi felt that those who treat others as fools are the real fools, and he should be wary of them.

As I was thinking this, the Yin Qi in front of me suddenly dissipated.

It was as if I had suddenly found a new village after a long period of darkness, as if I had walked into an endless darkness and then suddenly found myself in a bright and clear place.

Then, Li Qi was astonished to discover—

The Yin Qi atmosphere before him was gone; he found himself in a place that resembled a palace.

This looks like a grand hall, and it's in the water.

The inner and outer chambers are connected, with carved doors, pillars and walls, and copper-lacquered windows, all adorned with intricate patterns and intricate designs.

The True Qi Immortal Pavilion stands majestically, overlooking the surrounding landscape. Flying bridges and stone steps span waterways, adorned with Jade Bead, pearls, exotic treasures, and all sorts of strange beasts.

He also extensively developed gardens and parks, and built mountains with nine slopes every ten miles, to resemble the deep forests and ravines of the two Xiao Mountains, where countless natural wonders and sea beasts roamed. There were also luxurious houses and beautiful maids, all dressed in silk and embroidered earrings.

As Li Qi and Elder Li passed through, they saw numerous maids, all of them mermaids or clam maidens. They carried trays, musical instruments, luxury items for admiring, or food, constantly moving about in various places.

Golden and jade silk and bamboo music, the finest of the time.

The kitchen ingredients are the finest delicacies from land and sea.

Along the roadside, corals grow, some three or four feet tall, with six or seven branches, their colors exquisite and dazzling in the sunlight.

The blazing sun shone brightly on the water's surface, where occasional protruding rocks were visible. The path was carpeted with a mixture of mollusks and phytozoa, and among these creatures were many thin-shelled clams of varying sizes.

Some large, crustaceans, with their long claws raised, watched the passing mermaids warily.

There is no comfortable furniture, and everything is made of stone. There are no comfortable textiles or soft velvet in the water, as these would become wet. However, there are clothes that look like seaweed, similar to swimwear, which are very cool and refreshing.

The buildings here are also different, ranging from various towers and halls carved from living seashells to halls inlaid with bright luminous pearls, with many seaweed balls and coral duckweed, as well as coral trees along the roadside.

This place is like a palace in a shallow sea area.

Music was still playing in Li Qi's ears. The singing was extremely pleasant and soothing to listen to, but there was one thing about it that he couldn't get rid of it.

This feeling is like walking down the street and suddenly the melody of a song you heard a few days or even years ago starts playing in your head. The lingering sound keeps echoing in your ears, and even though you try to concentrate, your mind is filled with that sound, and you just can't stop it.

It's strange, but it doesn't hinder thinking.

Li Qi would hold his breath in the water, but even so, he could still smell the fragrance of the flowers.

Elder Li then introduced from the side, "Doesn't it smell good? Shaman, the clothes worn by these maids are called Low-Light Lotus. They are like black pearls and can be used as pendants. After the flowers and leaves wither, they are woven into clothes. The fragrance can be smelled for more than ten miles. Eating them will make your breath smell good and benefit your skin."

"And then there's the sound in my ears. That's the sound of sea monsters, the decadent music that's always playing in this palace. There are a thousand sea monsters in total, rotating every day to keep the palace filled with this pleasant music every day."

"It's really amazing, but where is this place? We were just in the Ghost Market, how did it become like this?" Li Qi looked around at the bright sunshine and the melodious singing, somewhat puzzled.

Elder Li explained, "The various great demons, cultivators, and Ghost Kings of the East Sea can't exactly conduct business in that gloomy, Yin Qi, can they? With this kind of environment, important figures can do things more cheerfully. This is the second side of the Ghost Market, the 'Dragon Palace' built by the Flood Dragon Tianhong Jun."

The Flood Dragon Tianhong Jun!? The Dragon Palace? The Second Side of the Ghost Market?

Li Qi immediately grasped the key information.

This is still the Ghost Market, but it has been 'renovated' to better suit the aesthetic tastes of the great demons, cultivators, and Ghost King of the East Sea.

This wasn't something the underworld did; the mastermind behind it all was Tianhong Jun, the famous Flood Dragon.

"Perhaps Shaman are unaware, but Tianhong Jun is extremely fond of extravagance and fine food. He can consume 50,000 catties of meat in a single meal. Therefore, this place is also extremely luxurious, and the food is even more tempting. It is a good place to conduct business in the deep sea of the East China Sea. However, like all similar places, he takes a 50% cut as a notary and stamp duty officer. But it is still worthwhile, after all, the hospitality here is lavish, and Tianhong Jun is a powerful figure with great strength. As a witness, almost no one who breaches the contract has ever escaped from his grasp," Elder Li said with a smile.

"Wait, do you mean that Tianhong Jun is responsible for acting as a notary here, guaranteeing every transaction?" Li Qi asked.

"That's right. Moreover, Tianhong Jun is known for its excellent hospitality and fair dealings. Shaman must be looking to do business, right? Whether you're selling or buying, this is the most suitable place. This kind of Ghost Market is a place that the True Dragon and the Ghost Emperor negotiated and built. There are as many as four thousand such places in the East Sea. If you're not an insider, you might not be able to find Tianhong Jun's Dragon Palace accurately. I can only say that you're really lucky, Shaman, to have met me!" Elder Li patted his chest and boasted.

True Dragon... has a partnership with the Ghost Path?

Interesting.

Li Qi nodded and then said, "Then thank you very much for leading the way, Elder Li. I do have a lot of things I want to buy. Here is a list. Could you please help me contact some merchants? I see you know the way well, so you must know some people, right? Why don't you introduce me to a couple so I can buy some at a cheaper price?"

"Of course, it would be best if I could Shaman. Shaman me a list of what you want, and I'll go find it for you." As soon as Elder Li heard that he needed something from him, Li Qi Weng became even more attentive.

If we could get on Li Qi, we'd be set for life.

Therefore, being able to help the other party was something that Elder Li was more than happy to do.

However, Li Qi did need the help of a local strongman, so he didn't mind. Instead, he took out the list that Sea Cooking Pot had written for him from the Mustard Seed Bag, copied it out, and handed it to Elder Li.

After receiving it, Elder Li gasped in shock!

He asked in astonishment, "Live Boat Carp, White Flood Dragon Tendon, Huang Neng, Dragon Lord Scale... Hiss, Shaman, you didn't want these things yourself, did you?!"

"Of course, this is something an elder asked me to buy for him in Donghai. Don't worry, I definitely have enough money," Li Qi said.

"This isn't about money. These things, I'm not saying... Shaman at our level, we probably can't even come into contact with them! Take Huang Neng for example, it's formed from the corpse of the fallen Heavenly Horse, it's at least a fifth-grade!"

Huang Neng is a three-legged turtle that is half dragon and half steed. It is the transformation of the white divine horse 'Gun' from the Heavenly Court after its death. Moreover, Gun was Innate Spirits and the ancestor of all horses in the world. This is one of the reasons why the horse can become Dragon Steed.

Although the divine horse is dead and has transformed into an entire species, so it is sometimes captured, it is still something that Eighth Rank Underworld Emissary can not access!