I hesitated, staring at Black Moon before me. His crescent-shaped eyes stood upright, glinting with an unnatural sharpness as he leaned in, deadly serious.
"So, Boss, I think now we should let Ninefold Abyss and Hades handle this hidden threat first. After all, her power is enough to wound you, Boss."
I pressed my hand to my forehead, struggling to recall what had transpired with her. I only knew Rachel Lan was Zhang Qingyuan's wife, but the details were lost to me, swallowed by the void.
"If we miss this opportunity, this threat may become impossible to eradicate. Boss, you should consider it now. If you think it's worth the risk, even though I'm enjoying the company of Zhang Qingyuan's old friends in the Hall of Malice, I don't mind risking exposure to resolve it."
"It's not worth it, Black Moon. If you reveal yourself, all subsequent plans will be rendered futile. Just keep lurking in the Living World as you are now."
Despite Black Moon's anxious urgency, a faint smile escaped me, sharp against the tension in the air.
"There's no need for such anxiety. Even if I can't recall the details, I know one thing: even if Rachel Lan possesses the power to restrain me, that power is destined to falter, isn't it?"
I rose to my feet. Already, I sensed the first batch of servants returning, those who had gone out with Endbringer and Origin in search of materials.
"Everyone, come with me."
I drifted to the center. Two servants, each cradling a black and a red stone, descended before me. The black stone exuded rigidity, the red stone a disturbing flexibility. Instantly, I recognized these stones, born of Infernal Hell, as ideal for forging Infernal Weapons.
The selection would have to wait; my obsession now was these stones. I approached the black stone and pressed my hand against its cold surface.
"Still not good enough. Is true perfection even possible?"
I asked, and the two servants exchanged bewildered glances. Just then, Black Moon's laughter broke the tension, echoing eerily.
"Boss, if it were too perfect, it wouldn't be human anymore."
I nodded—Black Moon always had a sharp mind. Strangely, Black Shade and Fiona Blaze were unusually silent behind me, their absence of noise unsettling. That's when I remembered the tear test and glanced at the black stone.
"You didn't test it with tears, did you?"
Black Stone stared at me, its reaction tinged with surprise, before replying quickly.
"I'll go now."
Black Stone vanished into the ground. I crouched atop the black stone, tapped it with my finger, and with a sharp crack, a fragment broke off. I weighed it, feeling its eerie density in my palm.
"It's flawed, but as you said, it mirrors human imperfection. You should leave quickly, Black Moon. Are you certain the little cat from the Nether Syndicate has discovered your identity?"
"Why didn't you mention such a convenient thing sooner?"
Black Shade glared at Black Moon with burning fury, but Black Moon only laughed, the sound echoing coldly through the gloom.
"It's not about convenience. These powers can only be wielded at the most critical moments. As for the Celestial Hound, I've briefly collaborated with the Immortality Society many times and mastered its use—helping them rewrite the memories of many. That was experimental. To devour and alter the memories of powerful practitioners requires far greater effort, but I succeeded. Some people's memories have already been consumed, and I've implanted latent triggers that will erupt at the appointed time. Every step Black Stone described, I've anticipated—it's all part of my plan."
I grunted and clapped my hands, the sound echoing in the oppressive silence.
"Now that's a real plan. Haha! Once Black Stone returns, I only need to see how the tears react to begin forging the weapons. After the selection, I'll infuse each weapon with lost souls, engrave them with Hell Imprints, and use the laws of causality to cast them into the Living World."
I clapped my hands. Black Shade and Fiona Blaze carried the stones back to the platform. I sat, snapped my fingers, and the lost souls crawling on the ground erupted into savage combat.
"That's the plan for now. Black Moon, when you return, do nothing reckless. If you are exposed before I descend into the Living World, the consequences will be dire."
Black Moon bowed, his form dissolving into writhing black mist as he vanished. Black Shade looked on, his face twisted in sullen discontent.
"As I said before, now is not the time. You two are responsible for this selection—I want only the strongest lost souls. Understood? I'm heading to the Ghostfire Pool to fetch the hellfire."
As I spoke, I rose and drifted upward. At that moment, Fiona Blaze called out, her voice slicing through the gloom.
"Did you discover something?"
Black Shade and Fiona Blaze were still arguing, so I pressed my hands over their mouths.
"Shut up."
Black Moon bowed to me.
"Of course, Boss. The reason I defected from the Nether Syndicate was because I wanted to take the Celestial Hound for myself. It can eat people's memories, alter them inside its belly, and then return them—an incredibly useful ability. The second reason is the Thought Ghost, a special entity that can use thought power to change others' minds. Now, it's essentially in our hands as well."
I looked at Black Moon in confusion.
"Is there really such a thing?"
Black Moon nodded immediately.
"That's because your memory was eaten by The Wraithlord, Boss. I couldn't tell you, but these things do exist. Once you descend, go find the Thought Ghost. He'll definitely follow you. The rest goes without saying, right?"
I nodded right away. Black Shade and Fiona Blaze had figured it out too.
"Why didn't you mention such a convenient thing sooner?"
Black Shade glared furiously at Black Moon, who just laughed.
"It's not about convenience. These things can only be used at critical moments. As for the Celestial Hound, I've briefly worked with the Immortality Society many times and mastered how to use it, helping them successfully alter quite a few people's memories. That was just the experimental phase. If you want to use this power to devour and alter the memories of powerful practitioners, it takes real effort—but I managed it. Some people's memories have already been eaten by the Celestial Hound, and I've implanted latent memories that will erupt at a specific time. Every step Black Stone mentioned, I've considered, and this is part of my plan."
I grunted and clapped my hands.
"Now that's a proper plan. Haha! Once Black Stone comes back, I just need to know the reaction of the tears to start forging weapons. After the selection, I'll infuse the weapons with lost souls, and once they're all done, I'll engrave them with Hell Imprints and use causality to send them into the Living World."
I clapped my hands. Black Shade and Fiona Blaze took the stones back to the platform. I sat down and snapped my fingers, and the lost souls on the ground began to fight.
"That's the plan for now. Black Moon, when you go back, don't do anything reckless. If you expose yourself before I descend into the Living World, it'll be a problem."
Black Moon bowed, slowly turning into drifting black mist and disappearing. Black Shade looked on with obvious displeasure.
"As I said before, now isn't the right time. You two are in charge of this selection. I need the strongest lost souls, understood? I'm heading to the Ghostfire Pool to bring back the hellfire."
As I spoke, I floated up. At that moment, Fiona Blaze called out to me.
"Master Qingyuan, can't I go to the Living World?"
I pondered for a moment.
"It's not that you can't go. None of you listen. If you promise to obey Black Moon's arrangements absolutely, then I'll let you go with the other three."
"You want me to listen to Black Moon?"
Fiona Blaze looked at me, conflicted, then nodded. At that moment, I noticed a lost soul moving at the edge of the Heart of Darkness in the distance. I smiled and instantly moved over.
"Where are you going, little girl? I told you, this is Hell."
I landed in front of the woman, who was now wearing a white dress. She looked at me in horror and fell to the ground.
"I want to go back."
"There is nowhere for you to go back to, ever since you were swallowed by Hell."
I smiled. The woman's expression darkened, her head lowering in despair.
"Are you just like me?"
The woman asked cautiously. I glanced around and nodded.
"Those others before were the same. We were all swallowed by Hell and slowly awakened. After a while, you'll get used to it."
For some reason, I lied to this woman, and I kept feeling like I'd seen her somewhere before.
"You've been here so long—do you know any way to escape from Hell?"
I shook my head. The woman stood up, still a little afraid of me. She came over and pressed my cheek with one hand.
"See, we're just like you. We're all lost souls."
I stepped behind the woman and suddenly pulled off her dress. She cried out in shock and turned around.
"What are you doing?"
I blinked.
"I have a spell. If you don't want to be harassed by the mindless lost souls, I'll carve this spell on your back so you won't be bothered."
The woman turned around, half believing, exposing her snow-white back. I smiled and pressed my hand to her back. Instantly, a red, labyrinthine pattern appeared—four interlocking segments with a square vortex at the center, connecting the maze-like designs. This was the Hell Imprint: from any angle, it seemed an endless maze, looping forever.
"Are you done?"
"Done."
The woman put on her clothes, still looking at me with suspicion.
"Don't worry. With this spell, you won't be bothered by lost souls."
I smiled as I spoke. In truth, it was so the other wardens here would see her and not kill her. Smiling, I walked away.
"Where are you going?"
"Just going for a walk. Want to join me?"