With a shrill scream, Felix Zhou cried out, while my vision spun and shifted, turning upside down. It took me a second to realize that my head had just been severed completely by that flash of red light.
My body was also torn apart, sliced into countless pieces. The trees in the courtyard fell in unison, and the entire apartment building collapsed with a thunderous roar, sending dust flying everywhere.
Deathcurse seized Felix Zhou in midair, while the rest scattered. The pain was excruciating—my Ghost Soul had been sliced. Gritting my teeth, I snapped my body into mist, instantly recondensing myself.
"So that's how it works."
I finally understood the power of the Underworld Token—even the Blue Wraith would struggle to wield it.
"It must have some kind of identity recognition effect. If anyone other than a Hell Registrar touches it, it automatically attacks."
Ghost Painting Book Immortal spoke. I made a sound of agreement, a chill lingering in my heart. In that instant, I sensed an overwhelming power, but my consciousness couldn’t keep up. Only thanks to my Ghost Souls and their coexistence did I avoid a fatal injury.
"But with such a powerful strike, its strength must have diminished."
Victor Duan spoke as I walked over, looking at the two Underworld Tokens, each shrouded in a layer of red light. Suddenly, a surge of green ghost energy struck, sending one token flying into the distance. It was Isabelle Frost. Another flash of red light followed, but this time the range was much smaller—only three or four meters. Besides the trees being sliced, none of us were affected.
"One is enough."
Isabelle Frost spoke as I approached the Underworld Token she had knocked away. She released another surge of ghost energy, and with a series of bangs, streaks of red light shot out from the token. Gradually, the red glow faded completely from the Underworld Token, and Isabelle Frost gripped it with one hand.
A sizzling sound erupted—the skin of her hand began to corrode. After she dropped the Underworld Token, she glanced at me. I hurried over and sat down, letting my Specter Web slowly connect to it.
"Instinct... Coexistence..."
In an instant, a surge of dread rose from the depths of my heart, cold as ice. My Specter Web was starting to break down—this force was stopping me from wrapping around the Underworld Token.
After a short while, the resistance from the Underworld Token diminished significantly.
My consciousness began to fade, and in a haze, I glimpsed a streak of emerald green.
Suddenly, I snapped my eyes open.
"Where am I?"
After swallowing hard, I found myself at the bottom of a long staircase. Above was a barely visible building, flanked by towering peaks and strange, twisted pine trees.
Suddenly, my mind buzzed. I felt an overwhelming pressure—so strong I nearly collapsed. I held on, my legs trembling uncontrollably.
Gradually, I collapsed onto the ground. Behind me was nothing but a vast expanse of white mist, empty and silent. The only thing ahead was the building atop the stairs. I decided to climb up.
Deathbane Aura began to seep out, enveloping my entire body. The pressure was still there, but I managed to stand. Taking a step forward, the oppressive force intensified instantly.
"This won't stop me."
I didn’t know how long I walked, but eventually I saw it—a large plaque with five gilded characters: Judge Tai, Seventh Tribunal. I swallowed hard.
The higher I climbed, the stronger the pressure grew, and the chill in my heart deepened.
I didn’t know what I’d face next, but I still took another step forward.
"Heh, let’s see how far you can go."
A commanding voice thundered toward me, like a clap of lightning. A powerful gust nearly blew me off the steps. I quickly crouched down, Deathbane Aura surging around me. The deafening voice echoed through the mountains before finally fading away.
Gritting my teeth, I kept releasing Deathbane Aura, struggling to climb up step by step.
Right now, if I stopped releasing Deathbane Aura, the crushing force would flatten me in an instant. I could see the hall behind the plaque—it was magnificent.
I took another step forward and immediately cried out. An even more powerful wave of pressure swept over me, like a raging flood or tsunami.
My Ghost Soul trembled, my body slowly sinking downward.
"Heh, how about it? There are still 398 steps left. Can you make it to the top?"
That commanding voice rang out again, this time with clear mockery.
"Coexistence... Manifestation... Evil Ghost's Shadow..."
With a roar, a faint black mist erupted from my back. A ferocious Evil Ghost appeared, raising its hands as if tearing something apart. Instantly, the oppressive feeling vanished, and I rushed up the stairs.
"I've made it, Lord Tai Shan."
The moment I reached the top, I knew—it was Lord Tai Shan. But he didn’t appear, which struck me as odd. The grand hall was completely empty.
"Hmph, such petty tricks, and you dare to act out? Crows' Perdition..."
The air filled with harsh cawing. I stared in shock as the sky darkened, swarming with red-eyed crows. They swooped down to peck at me. Instantly, I drew my Deathbane Shotgun from my back and fired into the clustered flock above.
With a bang, a burst of black light shot skyward, instantly reducing those crows to ashes. But more crows closed in from all sides. I started to run—unable to fly, which was the most dangerous part.
"Yin Ghost..."
I roared. As some crows closed in, black wind blades spun around my body, shredding those that got too close. But I could only keep fleeing—the crows were endless, swarming to drive me off the mountain.
As I neared the steps, I waved my hand, sending wind blades slicing a path through the flock, and doubled back.
"Lord Tai Shan, don’t you want to hear about the Old Hell?"
I shouted, but Lord Tai Shan’s wild laughter echoed from the sky above.
"Even if those three aren’t dead, even as ghosts, they’re no match for us. Why fear them? But you, Ethan Zhang, you’ve fallen into my hands. I told you last time—I will never let you go."
I wondered why, after reaching the mountaintop, the oppressive force vanished. The number of crows seemed limitless, but killing me now was impossible. My Deathbane Aura was strong enough that even standing still, the crows couldn’t harm me.
Suddenly, I felt a rumble beneath my feet. With a crack, the ground split open. I leapt backward, but a burst of red flames erupted—too slow, and my hand was instantly reduced to nothing.
A chorus of wails followed as the flames coalesced into a giant ghostly skull, chasing after me. The crows in the sky scattered.
I sprinted away—the searing power was genuine hellfire, something I’d experienced before. I absolutely couldn’t let it touch me, or I’d be in serious trouble.
But I wondered why Lord Tai Shan hadn’t used this power to suppress me from the start, instead relying on those useless crows.
I neared the grand hall, but suddenly the ground split open again. This time, the erupting flames didn’t harm me, but I was caught between two dangers.
"It’s the grand hall."
I cried out. After dodging another attack, I dashed toward the hall. Lord Tai Shan seemed to be preparing something. The earlier crow attack was meant to force me off the mountain. As I neared the hall, the ground split open again.
Without hesitation, I darted into the hall. Instantly, everything behind me vanished.
I breathed a sigh of relief, but at a glance, pillars lined both sides of the path. The hall seemed endless—I couldn’t see its far end at all.
"Lord Tai Shan, what exactly are you trying to do?"
I roared, but there was no echo. I thought for a moment, then decided to walk deeper into the hall.
The hall was vast and empty. I’d been walking for a long time, and the entrance behind me was nearly out of sight, yet the hall still seemed endless.
I stopped. There was nothing to sense here, but turning back wasn’t an option—I could only keep going forward.
Just then, I noticed something odd—the white pillars on either side had turned black, and a deeply unsettling aura seeped from them.
With a rush, a black gust landed before me—a horned Evil Ghost wielding a spear, its face twisted in a snarl.
"Who stands beneath Tai Shan?"
I stared in shock—the pillars had vanished, and before me appeared the long white staircase once again.
"An illusion?"
I murmured. The Evil Ghost advanced toward me, and I gave a faint smile.
"Where is this place?"
With a swish, the Evil Ghost thrust its spear. I raised Belle and parried, then lunged in—Belle sliced the ghost cleanly in two.
A wailing sound arose—the Evil Ghost turned to ash. All around, more Evil Ghosts gathered. I gripped Belle tightly.
"I’m not here to fight. Tell me—where is this place?"