I couldn't sense anything. Anxious, I spread out the Specter Web in all directions. I was standing at a crossroads, nervously scanning my surroundings. It was late at night—the traffic lights flickered, and the dim street lamps cast a hazy glow.
I'd completely lost track of them—that was my first reaction. Occasionally, cars roared past, their headlights slicing right through me.
"What do I do?"
I panicked. Opportunities like this were rare. I hadn't expected the Hell's Registrars to notice the Specter Web I'd attached to them for tracking.
Now I couldn't sense anything at all. Just moments ago, there was a faint trace of Yin energy lingering, but now it was gone. I stared blankly around, clenching my fists, completely at a loss.
A series of honks rang out, followed by a sharp blast from a car horn.
"What a coincidence, Ethan! What's wrong?"
It was Ray Lin. I stared in surprise as a taxi approached. I briefly explained to Ray that I'd been following two Hell's Registrars to the Underworld Path, but now I'd lost them.
"Oh, Ethan, you didn't know? When Hell's Registrars come up to handle business, they're usually protected by the power of the Underworld Court. That's to prevent powerful ghosts from rescuing prisoners, or practitioners from interfering and breaking them out. So whenever something feels off, the Underworld Court's power activates—and no one can find them. Get in the car."
"You have a way?" I asked, quickly opening the door and getting into the taxi.
Ray Lin smiled.
"Getting to the Underworld Path is nearly impossible—unless you can break through the overwhelming power of the Underworld Court in a split second and force open the passage. Otherwise, even the fiercest Green Wraiths can't get in. But my Ghost Soul is a little special—Tenfold Passages, heh."
I remembered—in that horror story, Ray Lin was able to enter and even helped me. Grateful, I looked at Ray. In an instant, his whole body glowed with a greenish light. He gripped the steering wheel, and the entire taxi slowly lifted off the ground.
"Hurry up, or we might not make it."
"Don't worry, Ethan. To reach the Underworld Path, you have to pass through a place called Halfway Crossing. It's the link between the living world and the Underworld Path. It used to be chaotic, with all kinds of beings gathering there—a crossroads to all realms."
Watching Ray Lin speak calmly, I relaxed a little, seeing his confident demeanor.
"What about now?"
"Now it's been taken over by the Underworld Court. It's a transfer station for Hell's Registrars escorting souls—a place to rest. Things are different now. Back then, both sides of the Underworld Path were lined with beautiful Red Spider Lilies. But with so many wandering souls lingering along the path—just like humans polluting their world—the place became polluted. Now both sides are filled with trees formed from Yin energy. It's a bleak sight."
I made a sound of acknowledgment and nodded.
Suddenly, Ray Lin shouted and began to chant.
"East, west, south, north—all roads connect. Heaven connects, earth connects, sea connects. Every path connects. Ghostrealm, Tenfold Passages—open..."
I watched as a rift opened in the space ahead. Under Ray Lin's control, the taxi drove through. Instantly, I saw a bizarre, kaleidoscopic world—everything was there, but most things were twisted, some modern, some ancient, all kinds of landscapes. I couldn't help but feel a jolt of shock.
"Relax, Ethan. It's still a ways to Halfway Crossing. When we get there, those two Hell's Registrars might not have arrived yet. Let me explain—there's a tricky situation in Halfway Crossing now."
I straightened up and nodded seriously.
"Ethan, you should know that under the Ten Judges of the Underworld Court, there are many officials."
I nodded.
"The trickiest of them are the Ten Marshals of Hades—Day Patrol, the Twin Reapers, the Bullheaded Keeper and Horseface Sentinel. These six usually assist the Judges, each serving a different Judge. The remaining four command animals: Leopardtail, Birdbeak, Yellowjacket, and Fishgill—the Four Marshals."
I couldn't help but laugh—the first six I'd heard of, but the last four sounded so odd that I couldn't help imagining their bizarre appearances.
"Ethan, back then, the seven Ghost Sovereigns were captured by the Ten Marshals sent by the Judges. The ten are only slightly weaker than the Ghost Sovereigns at their peak."
I gasped and swallowed hard.
If you exit the Underworld Path directly, it's not so troublesome. But to enter, you need a permit—an Access Pass—and everything is strictly recorded. The one guarding the gate is Marshal Leopard, currently stationed at Halfway Crossing. He's there to make sure no troublemakers sneak into the Underworld Court. After all, last time, John Chou caused a huge commotion at Halfway Crossing trying to rescue you from the Underworld Court—the whole place was destroyed.
I looked out the car window with a hint of resentment, realizing it was all because of John Chou that Marshal Leopard was sent to guard Halfway Crossing. I sighed—Redmond hadn't mentioned any of this to me, so I asked.
"That lord probably hasn't set foot in the Underworld Court for hundreds of years. He doesn't really know much about it. All his information comes from his two trusted Green Wraiths, Vivian Maple and Noah Grimm. He can't be bothered with these things, so, naturally, he wouldn't know."
I was exasperated—why are all these Ghost Sovereigns the same? Something so important, and no one tells me. Luckily, by accident, I attached the Specter Web to those two Hell's Registrars. When they noticed, they ran, and I lost them. If I'd followed, it could have been dangerous.
"Ethan, even though I don't know why, I can't sense any powerful ghostly aura on you. But now that we're inside, we have to be extra careful. We need to get an Access Pass. Only if we slip past Marshal Leopard can we enter the Underworld Path."
I nodded and thanked him.
The space around us kept shifting. I grew anxious, but Ray Lin reassured me—no need to worry too much. Halfway Crossing is like a small town now, with plenty of ghosts doing business there. Most have permits. As long as we're careful and don't get noticed, we'll be fine.
"By the way, it's a good thing you brought so much money this time. When the time comes, just pay a ghost merchant—every creature has its way, after all."
I grinned with delight. It's true—Miles Mao had burned so much Joss Paper for me, and now it would finally come in handy.
"We're almost there, Ethan. Be careful—we'll be appearing in a forest soon."
I nodded. Suddenly, a rift opened before my eyes, and I saw a moonlit forest. With a whoosh, the taxi sped out. As soon as we entered, I heard laughter and music nearby—like a banquet was underway.
"Get out, Ethan." We stepped out of the car, and Ray Lin raised his hand, putting the taxi back into his Shadow Realm. Then, in a flash, he grabbed me and flew up into the branches of an old tree.
"There was an unusual ghostly aura just now."
I saw two Hell's Registrars in red standing where we'd just been. Their faces were all alike, nothing special, but each carried a Red-Headed Baton on their backs—the highest rank of Hell's Registrar, like a police captain.
Ray Lin and I didn't dare breathe up in the tree, afraid they'd notice us. The two Hell's Registrars lingered, one of them crouching down.
"That's right. There was an unusual ghostly aura here, but now it's gone. Was it just my imagination?"
"No, it wasn't. The culprit is probably a powerful Blue Wraith—erasing their ghostly aura isn't hard. Let's go report to Marshal Leopard right away."
Suddenly, Ray Lin vanished beside me, letting go. I stared in shock as green light flared from the Hell's Registrars below. Hands emerged from their bodies—one clamped their mouths, another twisted their arms. With a crack, a rift opened nearby.
It was Ray Lin. In an instant, he'd subdued the two Hell's Registrars and tossed them into his Shadow Realm, then disappeared himself.
After a long while, Ray Lin still hadn't come down. I dropped from the tree to the ground.
"All done, Ethan."
Ray Lin appeared before me as a rift opened in space, holding two sets of clothes, two Access Passes, and two Red-Headed Batons. I saw the round, black Access Pass in his hand, with the character 'Registrar' on the back, meant to be worn.
"Did you kill them?"
I asked, and Ray Lin shook his head with a smile.
"If they died, their superior would know immediately. We'd be exposed. I just subdued them for now. By the way, Ethan, do you remember what those two looked like?"
I stared blankly at Ray Lin, not understanding. He smiled, and gradually began to change—soon, he looked just like a Hell's Registrar, bare-chested and covered in scars.