Ghosts

Chapter 34: Ghosts

Although Chen Lin had gained some understanding of the Demon Prison from the jade slip, entering the entrance himself brought a strange, unsettling sensation. He found it truly difficult to believe that the other side of the narrow tunnel could be an entirely different world.

This world had no clouds and no daylight; there was only endless, boundless darkness. It was as if a massive black cloth hung across the sky, with only faint starlight flickering to barely illuminate the land.

A cold, ghostly wind whistled past, faintly carrying the sound of shrill, mournful wails.

Chen Lin looked up at the faintly twinkling stars in the sky, yet he could not shake a strange feeling in his heart.

"Does Brother Chen feel that something is a bit off?" Situ Kong, walking at his side, seemed to sense the anomaly in Chen Lin's eyes and asked with a light chuckle.

Chen Lin's gaze flickered, and he nodded slowly. "Indeed. Although this world feels real... I always feel like something is missing."

"Correct. This world was opened up and evolved within the body of an ancient ghost-cultivation master. It possesses incomplete laws of heaven and earth and interface energy, which gives one a sense of unreality. In truth, we are currently inside that ancient master's body."

"Inside a body?" Chen Lin was startled. He shook his head, looking as if he could not believe it. "This world is absurdly large. How could a person's body be this big?"

Situ Kong smiled. "Heh, Brother Chen, you are unaware. Although this world is vast, it is actually just like the Storage Bag at our waists—opened up using heaven-defying divine abilities."

To create and open a world within one's own body—such a method was simply shocking and unimaginable!

A look of astonishment appeared on Chen Lin's face.

"Fellow Daoist Chen must have just stepped into the cultivation world, right? No wonder you find it hard to believe. When I first entered the Demon Prison and learned of this, I was just as surprised as you."

The female cultivator named Han Shuitong gave a gentle smile and interjected, "Opening a world within the body and evolving laws—while such divine abilities are unimaginable, rumor has it that every True Immortal of the Heavenly Realm possesses such means. Of course, that is far beyond what our current cultivation level can conceive."

"Heavenly Realm? True Immortals?" Chen Lin's heart stirred. He asked, "Could it be that above this world, there is a Heavenly Realm?"

"Indeed."

As Situ Kong guided the group forward, he said to Chen Lin, "You have only just come into contact with the cultivation world, so you likely don't know much about it. According to the records of the cultivation world, in the primordial beginning an unknown number of years ago, the heavens and earth were in a state of primordial chaos. There were no such things as worlds or living beings. Later, the heavens and earth split, all things were born, spiritual energy condensed, and all creatures emerged..."

"In the primordial era, the heavens descended with the power of laws, dividing the chaos into the Nine Heavens, thirty-three layers of heaven, three thousand great worlds, ten million small worlds, and some special planar worlds. Among them, the Nine Heavens are supreme, known as the Nine Heavens Immortal Spirit Realm, followed by the thirty-three layers of heaven, and then the three thousand great worlds and ten million small worlds."

"The world we inhabit is a great world named the 'Wild Continent.' It is one of the three thousand great worlds." A hint of longing appeared in Situ Kong's eyes as he sighed. "The ultimate goal of us cultivators is to overcome countless tribulations and ascend to the Nine Heavens Immortal Spirit Realm and the thirty-three layers of heaven, in pursuit of the opportunity for eternal life."

Hearing this information for the first time, Chen Lin was naturally shocked to the core.

"Ascend to the Immortal Realm? Hmph, in our world, no one has ascended to the Immortal Realm for thousands of years. You had best discard such whimsical thoughts. Right now, completing our mission is what matters; let's not discuss these irrelevant things anymore." Liu Han followed behind the three, his tone carrying a hint of impatience. "Fellow Daoist Situ, how much longer until we reach the location of that medicinal herb?"

"Fellow Daoist Liu is right. Thinking of such things is indeed whimsical. Let us finish the task at hand first."

Situ Kong nodded, took out a jade slip, and scanned it with his eyes closed. A moment later, he pointed in a direction and said in a deep voice, "According to information gathered by our sect's disciples, the location of the medicinal herb is to the northwest, less than two hundred miles from here. However, that area is nearing the center of the Demon Prison, so everyone must be careful. If we are unlucky enough to encounter a ghost at the Sea Opening Realm, we may be in danger of perishing."

Hearing Situ Kong's words, the expressions of the group grew slightly grave.

"Hmph, if we are unlucky enough to encounter a Sea Opening Realm ghost, everyone will have to rely on their own means to escape. Do not expect me to stay behind and die with you."

Liu Han sneered, cast a glance at Chen Lin, and spoke without any courtesy.

Chen Lin frowned slightly, knowing that Liu Han was implying something, but he returned the sneer and remained silent.

"In a matter of life and death, it is only human nature for Fellow Daoist Liu to act this way." Situ Kong frowned, but still spoke with a smile. "Actually, you need not worry too much. Generally, Sea Opening Realm ghosts hide in the center of the Demon Prison where the Yin energy is dense to cultivate; they do not easily come out to roam."

Hearing this, Chen Lin finally felt a little more at ease.

For some reason, perhaps due to his Advanced Perception, ever since entering the Demon Prison, he had felt as if he were being watched from the shadows. This feeling made him very uncomfortable and filled him with unease.

Perhaps I am just overthinking it?

Chen Lin did not know the source of this unease, but seeing that the others around him had not noticed a thing, he felt he might be imagining things.

The cold, biting wind whistled, and black mist swirled through the sky as if trying to scatter their souls. The world of the Demon Prison consisted only of barren mountains and hills, with green ghost-fire and corpse-phosphorus visible everywhere—terrifying and eerie.

To conserve spiritual energy, and perhaps out of consideration for Chen Lin's cultivation, the group did not use flight techniques but instead trudged forward.

Although they were careful enough, they inevitably encountered several waves of ghost attacks along the way.

"Swish!"

Chen Lin's five fingers hooked like claws, gripping the skull of an Innate-stage Yin Corpse, and he squeezed hard with an expressionless face.

"Splat!"

The Yin Corpse's skull was crushed instantly. Thick, black blood sprayed out, disappearing quickly upon contact with Chen Lin's skin. Then, a black gas—visible only to Chen Lin—emerged from the corpse and drilled into his body.

This was naturally Death Energy.

Chen Lin had not expected that ghosts could provide him with Death Energy points, and even more than living beings did upon death! This discovery filled him with joy.

He circulated the Soul-Devouring Soul-Refining Scripture within his body, and instantly, a wisp of green soul-fire from the shattered skull transformed into a stream of pure energy, zipping into Chen Lin's forehead.

"Eh?"

The others, who were busy fighting other ghosts, naturally saw Chen Lin's method during a lull and looked on with surprise.

"It seems Brother Chen also practices ghost-path immortal arts, being able to condense the remnant souls of ghosts." Situ Kong whipped a whip-like Dharma Artifact, shattering a ferocious, beast-like ghost into several pieces before turning back, his gaze toward Chen Lin carrying a hint of surprise.

"Indeed." Han Shuitong's eyes flickered with curiosity. She smiled at Chen Lin, saying meaningfully, "Generally, such ghost-path immortal arts are only passed down among direct disciples and have already transcended the scope of ordinary immortal arts. It seems Fellow Daoist Chen has had quite the fortuitous encounter."

"Hmph! Nothing but a side-door trick." Liu Han squeezed his fingers, crushing the throat of a pale skeleton before him. A cold, sinister look appeared on his pale face as he glanced at Chen Lin with disdain.

"Heh heh, Fellow Daoist Liu is right. It is merely a side-door trick with little power, naturally incomparable to Fellow Daoist Liu's methods. We will likely encounter more ghosts on the road ahead, and we shall have to rely on your divine abilities, Fellow Daoist Liu." Chen Lin chuckled and brushed it off, naturally not intending to argue with Liu Han.

A look of smugness flashed in Liu Han's eyes. As if intentionally showing off his skills, he quickly killed a ghost before him, glanced at Chen Lin, and nodded with a cold, indifferent tone. "Hmph, as long as you know."

Situ Kong was slightly taken aback. For some reason, ever since they began dealing with the ghosts, Chen Lin seemed to have forgotten the previous conflict with Liu Han, performing a complete one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn in his attitude and even offering Liu Han a few compliments from time to time.

Could it be that Chen Lin feared Liu Han's cultivation and worried that he would harbor a grudge and seek revenge?

Han Shuitong shared the same thought as Situ Kong, and even Liu Han himself believed this to be the case.

After all, offending a powerhouse at the Peak Xiantian Realm was not a rational move. Although everyone felt that Chen Lin's actions were wise, a flicker of contempt inevitably flashed in their eyes, and their attitudes toward him grew much colder.

Chen Lin naturally sensed the shift in their attitudes toward him. His face remained calm, but he sneered inwardly, Heh, this Liu Han is also a conceited and arrogant man; a few casual compliments and he's already floating on air, fighting the ghosts as if he's chopping melons and vegetables.

Kill away, kill away. The more ghosts you kill, the more relaxed and comfortable I shall be. Let the Death Energy come even more fiercely!