Yellow Springs Road had no end.
There was no cycle of day and night here, only an overcast sky where lead-gray clouds of baleful intent churned eternally.
Underfoot lay a soft, rotting road formed from bone dust accumulated over countless ages and foul black mud. Every step made a squelching sound, as though he were treading on decaying flesh.
Li Xiang blended into the rear of the long procession of departed souls like a true walking corpse, his eyes vacant and his steps stiff as he mechanically followed the fat merchant ghost ahead.
Within his body, [Leakless Body] locked every trace of vitality and yang energy deep inside the Dragon Pearl in his dantian, while [Withered Wood Seals the Acupoints] brought his heart almost to a standstill.
Covering his skin were the death qi and corpse stench produced by pushing the [Embalmer] and [Paper Effigy Maker] traits to their limits.
Right now, he was the most repulsive Old Consumptive Ghost among the countless wandering spirits on Yellow Springs Road.
At the head of the procession, the two Soul-Guiding Lesser Ghosts shook their soul-seizing bronze bells while swearing and complaining about the recent turmoil in the Netherworld.
Deep inside Li Xiang's robes, however, Dijiang, the Ten Fiends cub disguised as a little yellow dog, was behaving unusually well.
Rather than being driven into a frenzy by the dense death qi around it, it was like a mouse that had fallen into a granary, silently breathing in the essence of the Netherworld.
With every breath, its round belly swelled a little, and it let out a contented purr.
This little thing is like a fish in water here in the Netherworld.
Li Xiang grumbled inwardly while diverting a sliver of his attention to the intuition of [Dragon-Seeking Instinct], silently recording the contours