Deep within Hell Fortress, Qin Bo had descended no one knew how far underground.
Beneath the entire fortress was a vast hollow.
Countless chains extended from the rock walls above.
Their ends reached all the way to the very center of the hollow.
Qin Bo struggled to gather his qi and blood into his eyes.
Only then could he see what lay at the ends of the chains.
A gigantic mirror—not an ordinary mirror.
It was a stone mirror ground from a massive stone stele.
Circle after circle of runes had been carved across its smooth surface.
Qin Bo gazed at the stone mirror, and an inexplicable awe welled up inside him.
The runes seemed to possess some mysterious power, causing his heartbeat to quicken involuntarily.
Suddenly, a blurry figure appeared reflected in the stone mirror, radiating overwhelming pressure.
Qin Bo felt his breath catch, as if an invisible hand had clamped tightly around his throat.
"Kid, you've got some nerve."
A deep, hoarse voice echoed through the hollow, as if it had come from the depths of the Nine Netherworlds.
Qin Bo forcefully suppressed his fear. Since he had already been discovered, he might as well ask loudly, "You're the Ghost King suppressed here?"
The figure slowly became clear. It was actually a Ghost King with a twisted face, his entire body shrouded in dense black mist that made him impossible to see clearly.
"That's right, kid. I noticed you while I was feeding just now."
"I haven't seen a human in ages. The scent on you brings back memories!"
Qin Bo forcibly endured the terror raging through his heart like storm-tossed seas, but his legs still trembled faintly against his will.
The black mist swirling around the Ghost King before him seemed to possess tangible pressure. Every wisp appeared capable of crushing his soul to pieces.
He knew that he absolutely could not show fear now. Gritting his teeth, he feigned calm and said:
"You're suppressed here. What can you do to me?"
The Ghost King let out a shrill laugh. The sound reverberated through the enclosed space, making Qin Bo's eardrums ache.
"Suppressed? Hmph. The restraint this suppression places on me is growing weaker and weaker. Once I break through the seal, this world will be plunged into endless darkness!"
"And you, kid, will become the first appetizer upon my return to the mortal world."
Qin Bo's heart tightened. But when he considered that the Ghost King had not attacked him immediately, he figured the man was probably strong only on the outside.
He continued probing. "Stop dreaming. The righteous cultivators won't sit by and watch you run amok."
The Ghost King snorted disdainfully.
"The righteous path? Those so-called righteous cultivators can barely look after themselves now. The collapse of the Evil Suppressing Forest is proof of their incompetence."
He tentatively asked, "If you're so powerful, why are you still trapped here? Don't tell me you're just putting on an act."
A flash of anger crossed the Ghost King's eyes, and the black mist roiled even more violently.
"If not for the remaining power of this seal, do you think an ant like you could stand here and speak with me?"
"The Evil Suppressing Forest is about to collapse, and the seal is loosening. The day I regain my freedom is not far off."
"Oh, so that's how it is!"
Qin Bo answered carelessly, which infuriated the Ghost King.
"Damn brat! How dare you look down on me like that!"
As he spoke, he began struggling violently.
As the Ghost King struggled, the entire Hell Fortress began to tremble violently.
Cracks appeared across the surrounding walls, and chunks of stone fell like raindrops.
Qin Bo had no choice but to concentrate, steadying himself while warily observing the situation around him.
The Ghost King's power pierced through the seal and repeatedly battered Qin Bo.
That evil and formidable aura pressed down on him until he could barely breathe.
But Qin Bo understood that he absolutely could not show fear now. The moment the Ghost King sensed his terror, the man would surely intensify his assault.
"Hmph. Do you think struggling alone will let you break free of the seal? Stop dreaming."
Qin Bo feigned composure and shouted back, trying to provoke the Ghost King into revealing an opening.
The Ghost King was indeed thoroughly enraged by Qin Bo's words. He let out a roar that shook the heavens, the black mist around him growing denser as it madly battered the seal.
The runes around the sealing chains flickered erratically, as though they might shatter at any moment.
The next instant, the stone mirror suddenly erupted with blinding radiance, like a sun shooting straight down onto the Ghost King's body.
"Zzz~"
The sound of scorching flesh rang out.
However, the stone mirror's radiance was incomplete.
Upon closer inspection, several cracks had appeared in one corner of the stone mirror.
That was why its radiance was incomplete.
Even so, the light containing ancient, mysterious power still caused the Ghost King unbearable agony.
He twisted his body madly and let out wave after wave of shrill screams.
The black mist that had originally surrounded him dispersed considerably under the light.
The Ghost King then stopped struggling.
"Kid, you were right. I still can't get out for now!"
The Ghost King's venomous voice echoed through the enclosed space.
Although he had temporarily abandoned his struggle, his words remained filled with unwillingness and menace.
"But don't celebrate too soon. Once I escape, I'll tear you limb from limb and make you beg for death yet be unable to die!"
Qin Bo sneered. "If you've got what it takes, come out. Stop spouting nonsense in there. You're still trying to threaten me in your current state?"
Qin Bo knew perfectly well that he had to continue provoking the Ghost King.
Only by throwing him into disarray would Qin Bo have more opportunities to find a way to deal with him.
The Ghost King was indeed enraged again.
But just as he was about to erupt, he seemed to remember something and suddenly calmed down.
He let out a sinister laugh. "Hmph, kid. Do you think you can ruin my plans? The collapse of the Evil Suppressing Forest's seal is the tide of fate. You're merely making a futile struggle. Even if you've wounded me for now, what can you do?"
Qin Bo's heart stirred. He keenly noticed that the Ghost King's words seemed to conceal some information.
He deliberately said disdainfully, "What tide of fate? It's nothing but an excuse you've made for yourself. If you're so capable, then tell me—why would the seal of the Evil Suppressing Forest collapse?"
The Ghost King fell silent for a moment, seemingly weighing whether he should reveal the information.
But in the end, he could not resist speaking. "The seal of the Evil Suppressing Forest relies on the balancing force between Heaven and Earth."
"However, in recent years, the rules of the outside world have fallen into chaos, and all kinds of forbidden lands have appeared, throwing the Heaven and Earth Rules out of balance. As a key node in the seal suppressing me, the Evil Suppressing Forest was naturally affected first, and the seal gradually weakened as a result."
Qin Bo pondered silently. He had not expected such a complicated cause to lie behind all this.
If the Ghost King was telling the truth, then solving the problem completely would require far more than his actions inside the fortress.
But for now, the urgent matter was still dealing with the crisis before him.
As Qin Bo pondered, the Ghost King spoke again:
"Kid, if you help me break the seal now, I can spare your life. I can even bestow upon you supreme power and make you the overlord of this world."
"Well?"
Before you continue