The slightly yellowed sky covers what was once only gray and black. Vast fields of Red Spider Lilies sway in the breeze, and a nearly completed path of white stone bricks lies quietly before us.
I hadn't expected the search for the Yin Ghost to go so smoothly. Deep within the Sea of Red Spider Lilies lies a large, silent black woodland. The Grudgewood, which once flanked both sides of the Underworld Path, has now shifted entirely to the right. The Resentful Ghosts slumber within that Grudgewood.
These vast Red Spider Lilies completely block the Grudgewood, which once tried every means to devour passing souls. The flowers look dazzling, especially under the sunset sky, but in truth, they are all defensive barriers crafted by Rachel Lan using curse power. She explained this to me when we arrived and handed me a red six-petaled flower-shaped token.
I took out the token and held it up. A fierce wind swept by, and in the blink of an eye, a small path appeared through the Red Spider Lilies. The path seemed to stretch farther and farther, cutting through the flowers. We stepped onto it and began walking slowly ahead.
"It's honestly surprising to me that, in the end, everything wound up in a woman's hands."
I frowned slightly, gritting my teeth as I turned back.
"What's wrong with a woman?" I shot back, my tone sharp and unyielding.
Ghost Fiend Star quickly smiled apologetically. Black Moon was much quieter along the way, barely saying a word. The reason for suggesting that the nine ghost souls originally belonging to Ethan Zhang enter my body was because my Yin aspect had completely vanished. Every being has both Yin and Yang; if my body lacks Yin for too long, the Yang will start causing abnormalities.
Gradually, we stood beside the Grudgewood. The intense resentment was still palpable. Perhaps sensing the presence of the living, the resentment that flowed quietly like water within the Grudgewood began to emit waves of wailing. Distorted human faces surfaced from the resentment, and the bizarre trees seemed to come alive, moving as the resentment surged like a torrent, trying to break through the barrier set by the Underworld.
The pounding noises continued, each wave of resentment crashing harder than the last. I drew closer and shouted out.
"Resentful Ghost, are you there?"
My voice seemed to provoke intense hostility from the resentment. From the depths and sides of the Grudgewood, waves of resentment surged towards me, soon forming a towering black wave a hundred meters high, crashing against an invisible wall.
The crashing sounds grew louder and more violent. At that moment, the Yin Ghost slowly drifted out from within me. As she stood by my side, I flushed with embarrassment.
"What are you wearing?"
I stared at the Yin Ghost in shock—it looked exactly like me, but was covered only by a few scraps of cloth, appearing both seductive and provocative. I quickly took off my coat, intending to cover it, but a black dress suddenly materialized on the Yin Ghost, looking eerie with its purple-black lips and golden-red eyes.
Ghost Fiend Star muttered, "Not bad at all." I shot him a glare and slapped him, making him stumble back, clutching his forehead.
Ghost Fiend Star muttered under his breath. I turned and slapped him, making him step back, clutching his forehead.
"Alright, let's hurry. Unlock a corner of this barrier first so we can get inside. I think we need to reach the heart of the forest."
At this moment, Black Moon raised both hands and shook his head.
"I don't need to. I brought very little power with me this time, and I still have a lot to do. If I run out of strength, I'll have to return to Hell, but I'd rather not—things over there are really hard to describe."
I glanced sideways at Black Moon and took out the token. Beams of red light fell onto the invisible barrier before us, melting it away. As soon as a small gap appeared, black resentment shot out like a water jet. Ghost Fiend Star stepped forward, tendril-like appendages emerging from his palm to entangle the black stream, and soon a small opening formed in the wall.
Ghost Fiend Star stepped inside. At that moment, I saw a red-clad female ghost appear, and the surrounding resentment parted to either side. The ghost radiated resentment, homogenizing the energy around her.
"Follow me, Rachel Lan."
The Yin Ghost and I stepped inside. I sensed a barrier of resentment on either side, perfectly homogenized with the resentment of the Grudgewood, so now the resentment couldn't detect my presence.
We continued forward; the deeper we went, the denser the resentment became. I quietly observed the surroundings while the Yin Ghost sensed the aura of the Resentful Ghost.
"Can you feel it?"
I asked. The Yin Ghost shook its head.
"That guy said when he left that he didn't plan to retain consciousness. So after returning to the Grudgewood, he completely dispersed his awareness—or rather, it's more accurate to say he went into a deep sleep."
I nodded, and we kept walking. Ghost Fiend Star led us deeper into the Grudgewood, where resentment had solidified like stone. All around, you could see resentment fused with stone and trees.
I kept calling out several times, but still received no response. The Yin Ghost looked pale.
"Maybe it's useless now."
We arrived at the center of the Grudgewood, where a slowly rotating black vortex emitted endless resentment. Ghost Fiend Star crouched beside the vortex.
"I've been here before with the boss. So many years have passed, and it's still the same."
Ghost Fiend Star continued, explaining that long ago, he and Wraithshade came to the Grudgewood to study it. They found this place where resentment endlessly poured out. They tried to take some of the resentment outside to study it, but no matter what method they used, they couldn't remove any resentment from the vortex.
(Irrelevant system message skipped)
This is the source of the resentment. Each year, the amount increases, gradually expanding its range. Resentment can't be transferred into the Forest of Desire, so it was slowly moved to both sides of the Underworld Path and sealed off by the Underworld Court.
Black Yin energy began to surge from the surface of the Yin Ghost's body, transforming into sharp blades that sliced rapidly through the air. Large swathes of resentment were instantly divided.
Wind blades continued to drift widely, cutting the resentment into several pieces. The resentment's ability to regroup was much slower than its division. The Yin Ghost kept sensing, then suddenly opened her eyes and pointed to the right.
"Over there."
Ghost Fiend Star led us through the divided resentment as we hurried forward. I noticed the red-clad female ghost floating beside Ghost Fiend Star looked pale; the resentment she naturally emitted was being devoured by the surrounding resentment. She wouldn't last much longer.
"Move faster."
Ghost Fiend Star urged us on, and we quickened our pace. In the distance, where the Yin wind had sliced through, a flash of golden-red appeared. We hurried over—it was indeed the Resentful Ghost, but his golden-red eyes were vacant, and only half his body remained, with black resentment swirling below.
"Resentful Ghost, I need your help."
I spoke directly, but the Resentful Ghost showed no reaction. Sweat beaded on Ghost Fiend Star's forehead.
"This is bad."
As we spoke, the Yin Ghost lifted me up, seemingly intent on getting me out of here first.
As we spoke, the Yin Ghost lifted me up, seemingly intent on getting me out of here first.
Ghost Fiend Star shouted loudly. I looked at the Yin Ghost and willed her to take me back to the surface. With a swoosh, she returned to my body.
"My power should be useful."
A flash of golden light appeared. As the resentment surged toward us, the golden light instantly pushed it aside, clearing a path. Using my power now felt incredibly smooth.
Immense power surged endlessly from within me. A stream of black and white energy appeared before me—Coexistence manifested and walked straight toward the Resentful Ghost. Suddenly, the Resentful Ghost roared, and all the surrounding resentment erased the golden light, surging toward us like a tidal wave.
I grew anxious, but with each roar, a blue glow appeared on my skin. A translucent Azure Dragon emerged from my body, enveloping me. Instantly, streams of blue energy swept in all directions, suppressing the resentment completely.
I walked slowly up to the Resentful Ghost and stared at him quietly. Blue scabs, like armor, covered my skin, and the blue glow pushed the resentment aside. I stood before the Resentful Ghost.
I repeated. This time, the Resentful Ghost stopped howling and quietly raised his head.
I repeated. This time, the Resentful Ghost stopped howling and quietly raised his head.
"Rachel Lan!"
I looked at the Resentful Ghost in surprise. The Yin Ghost emerged from my body again, grabbed the Resentful Ghost, and pulled him out of the resentment.
"Didn't I already say? Even though Ethan Zhang has vanished, we still have a chance."
I looked at the Yin Ghost in confusion. Their conversation was ambiguous, as if they had approached Ethan Zhang for a specific purpose. Now that Ethan Zhang was gone, their goal couldn't be achieved.
"Leave it to me—I'll help you!"