The borderland of the human realm, moonlight like water.
A deep crimson sword light streaked across the sky. After an hour of long travel, Lin Zhao finally arrived at the Heavenly Curtain at the western border of the human realm. Before him, a deep blue curtain hung, separating the human realm from the Ghost Realm. Cultivators in the Upper Five Realms could break through this restriction directly with their cultivation, but those below would have to find other means.
"Swish!"
Lin Zhao landed at the foot of the Heavenly Curtain. Looking at the endless expanse before him, he clasped his fists and said in a deep voice, "Human sword cultivator Lin Zhao requests passage."
As he spoke, he took out ten Flying Fish Coins from his pouch and threw them. The coins were immediately gathered by an invisible hand in the wind. Following this, a jade hook appeared in the wind, hooking a small corner of the Heavenly Curtain. It was the curtain keeper between the two realms, who, having received a bribe, made an exception for Lin Zhao.
"Swish!"
He directly soared out on his sword. The moment he entered the Ghost Realm, Lin Zhao immediately ascended, speeding through the sky. He surveyed the land below, using his spiritual sense to search for Lin Wanhua's aura on the ground.
Not long after, he skirted past a mountain peak and looked down upon the land. Ahead, he saw a volcanic area spewing lava. From within the volcano, countless undead armored warriors carrying dilapidated battle axes and long swords emerged, cloaked in dense death qi. They numbered in the thousands, forming a Ghost Realm army stationed in the volcanic region!
Lin Zhao frowned, suppressing his aura to the lowest possible level, his form hidden as if within the clouds, observing quietly.
On the ground, countless Ghost Realm troops lay across the land, their bodies exuding flames and death qi. In the air above, the neighing of warhorses was incessant. Eight skeletal warhorses, clad in armor and treading on ominous dark clouds, pulled a bronze war chariot charging forward. On the bronze war chariot was an eleventh-realm Ghost King, clad in blood-red armor, wielding a fiery red battle axe. He frowned, looking into the distance, and sneered, "Hmph, after Tan Xin reached the eleventh realm, she really thinks she can roam the Ghost Realm at will? To dare challenge me, Volcanic Flame Duke, is simply courting death!"
In the distance on the ground, another dense Ghost Realm army was charging forward. Countless decaying corpses, zombies, giant-mouthed specters, and ghouls ran wildly. In addition to them, there were quite a few undead cavalry. Furthermore, a considerable number of player troops were charging alongside them, the "All Villains" guild led by Ding Chunqiu, with a total number of about 10,000+ people.
Lin Zhao frowned. Ding Chunqiu was now helping Tan Xin conquer the Ghost Realm? What was Tan Xin planning? Was she trying to unify the Ghost Realm? This was quite formidable.
"Kill!"
The two Ghost Realm armies clashed. Ghost cultivators from both sides engaged in fierce battles in the air. The Ghost King "Volcanic Flame Duke," who was riding the bronze war chariot, was indeed powerful. He swung his battle axe, and a fiery arc swept through the air, instantly splitting a Golden Core realm coffin bearer's body in two, along with the zombie he had refined.
"Volcanic Flame, it's been a while!"
From within the crowd, a figure soared into the sky. It was the qipao-clad girl carrying a coffin, Tan Xin. With a ferocious laugh, she conjured a spell in the air and fiercely attacked the Volcanic Flame Duke. The Volcanic Flame Duke, with a single punch, shattered the spell. However, a menacing figure lunged from the wind – it was the twelfth-realm Wandering Corpse. The Volcanic Flame Duke roared, spreading his left hand towards the ground. He instantly refined hundreds of ghost soldiers, holding orbs filled with soul power, and violently repelled the twelfth-realm Wandering Corpse.
No Ghost King could stand their ground in the Ghost Realm without being formidable.
However, before the Volcanic Flame Duke could gloat, a young Daoist figure descended from the sky within the enemy ranks. He ignited a Daoist ghost-repelling talisman and unleashed a formation from mid-air that enveloped the Volcanic Flame Duke. Immediately after, an eleventh-realm female sword immortal in green clothes surged into the sky and pierced the Ghost King Volcanic Flame Duke's chest with her sword, splattering golden blood everywhere.
"Any last words!?"
Tan Xin flew through the air, her hand raised to conjure a blood-red palm dharma image that gripped the Volcanic Flame Duke's neck. She laughed, "Years ago, when my master and I visited you, what did you say?"
The Volcanic Flame Duke's cultivation was constantly shaking, on the verge of falling from the Middle Five Realms. His expression was one of horror. "Those were years ago. How could I possibly remember? Old Ancestor Tan Xin, spare me! I am willing to surrender, willing to serve you day and night, like a dog or horse."
"Too late."
Tan Xin sneered, "Back then, you told my master, 'Your little disciple is quite good. Why not give her to me as a cauldron for refining demons?' Back then, you intended to use my flesh and blood to refine demons!"
"How could that be? It's impossible..."
The Volcanic Flame Duke turned pale with shock, knowing his end was near.
"Die!"
Tan Xin's face contorted with ferocity. She slammed her hands together, crushing the opponent's head. Then, she opened her mouth wide and took a deep breath into the air. Instantly, the fragments of the head in the wind were all incinerated, turning into wisps of ghostly essence which Tan Xin swallowed in one gulp. This was the true essence of an eleventh-realm Ghost King. Consuming it would greatly benefit Tan Xin.
"Kill them all!"
Tan Xin ascended into the air, standing on her flying coffin. She pointed forward and said, "The subordinates of Volcanic Flame Duke, leave none alive. Kill them all, they are all your nourishment!"
For a time, the Ghost Realm troops belonging to the coffin-bearer faction on the ground seemed to go mad. Especially the giant-mouthed specters, who devoured the enemy's fire specters one by one. After eating more than ten fire specters, some of the giant-mouthed specters' mouths grew so wide that their bodies condensed with fiery armor, evolving into leaders of powerful fire-armored giant-mouthed specters!
In the air, Lin Zhao watched the scene below, his brow furrowed. He had initially thought that the human, demon, and devil realms, with their complex and interwoven forces, were chaotic enough. But now, looking at this, the Ghost Realm was truly in utter chaos. In this Ghost Realm, there were no rules or righteousness to speak of; it was a genuine case of the big fish eating the small. Right before his eyes, one Ghost King's legion annihilated another. Such scenes were likely happening daily in the Ghost Realm.
"Hmm?!"
Suddenly, Qi Lian Dao in the wind seemed to sense something. He looked up at the sky and sneered, "A mere ninth-realm sword cultivator, have you watched enough?"
"Courting death!"
Tan Xin also discovered him and raised her hand. Instantly, a blood-red palm print dharma image descended from the sky, landing directly on Lin Zhao's back!
"104773!"
A six-digit damage value in an instant, nearly killing Lin Zhao outright.
"Hahaha~~~"
Ding Chunqiu flew over on his sword, laughing heartily. "Master, it's that guy who calls himself Lin Baiyi from the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool! A mere small fry, Master, don't let him get away, kill him!"
"Take your life!"
Qi Lian Dao grunted, slashing his long sword towards the sky, his sword light exceptionally brilliant.
Lin Zhao, without thinking, directly activated the Human Emperor Shield skill of the Human Emperor Ring, rendering him invincible for 9 seconds – the longest invincible duration skill in the national server, bar none. The moment invincibility activated, Lin Zhao swiftly flew towards the human realm on his sword. But there were too many ghost cultivators pursuing him. Besides Tan Xin, Qi Lian Dao, and Shu Fan – all in the Upper Five Realms – there were many Middle Five Realms ghost cultivators also chasing him. Even Ding Chunqiu, that fellow who was relying on brute force, was pursuing him on his sword.
No other choice.
Lin Zhao had to crush a town scroll. He had to be decisive; if he delayed any longer, he wouldn't be able to escape.
"Swish!"
The moment Lin Zhao vanished into the air, Tan Xin's blood-red claws struck empty. She was furious, desperate to twist off the head of this detestable Lin Baiyi from the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool!
...
Snow Domain Heavenly Pool, a mountain-peak villa.
Dong Cang sat serenely in a bamboo chair in front of the Natural Dwelling. Wang Lao Dao, looking like a proper gentleman, gazed at Dong Cang's fortune without looking askance, only examining her face. As he looked, Wang Lao Dao frowned. This apricot maiden's fate lines were too messy. She had suffered many hardships after becoming an apricot maiden. Later, they had forcibly implanted an eleventh-realm pear demon's life wood into her. This haphazard ingestion, he feared, would not greatly benefit her grand Dao.
Thinking of this, the old Daoist couldn't help but shake his head. The people in the mountain-peak villa, although they had many in the Upper Five Realms, their research into the Dao of fate lines was not even superficial. If he, this old man, hadn't appeared today, Miss Dong Cang would likely never have seen the Upper Five Realms in her life, and would eventually grow old alone. What a pity that would be!
"Dong Cang."
The old Daoist pondered for a moment and said, "Your physiognomy is rather complex, and your bone structure beneath the skin is extremely rare. Merely looking at your face will likely be of no use. If you trust this old man, could you use a bamboo branch as a medium to feel the bone structure beneath your face for you?"
"..."
Not far away, Wo Zhi frowned. That stinky Daoist was becoming more and more excessive! If the Master were here, he would probably have already ordered the guest to leave.
Chu Yu also frowned, wishing he could send the old Daoist to the west with a single punch.
But he was ultimately Lin Zhao's guest. Therefore, Chu Yu dared not overstep his bounds. If Lin Zhao were to get angry, given his personality, he wouldn't severely punish him. But provoking Lin Zhao's anger was something Chu Yu particularly wished to avoid.
Dong Cang, with her gentle nature, pursed her red lips and said, "Daoist, I... I believe you..."
"Good, thank you!"
The old Daoist turned and broke a thin bamboo branch from the bamboo forest. After smoothing one end, he used the bamboo branch to feel Dong Cang's facial bone structure. In reality, however, faint wisps of spiritual energy were flowing along the bamboo branch, gradually helping Dong Cang untangle those originally very chaotic fate lines. In just the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Dong Cang's entire being seemed to radiate with renewed vigor. Although she did not cultivate, her cultivation as an apricot maiden seemed to have undergone some subtle changes.
...
In the south, a sword light bypassed the mountain gate and went directly to the Natural Dwelling. To be so audacious in the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool, only the Mountain Lord could do so.
When Lin Zhao landed in front of the Natural Dwelling, his body swayed. He had taken a palm strike from Tan Xin on his back, and blood had seeped through, staining his white robe in a mottled pattern.
"It seems your trip to the Ghost Realm wasn't very smooth!"
Wang Lao Dao said with a smile, speaking telepathically to the female sword immortal within his sleeve.
Lin Wanhua's delicate face was covered in frost. Although she remained silent, her heart ached terribly.