"Can you tell me? John Chou, what exactly are you trying to investigate?"
We've been stuck in this sealed space for hours. It must be night outside now. I can't take it anymore. Lord Shenyan sits quietly in the corner, wordless.
John Chou is still waiting for something. Even if we continue our infiltration, we won't find anything new. The only thing we've learned is that the Emperor God and his people have a way to resurrect dead ghosts. That should be enough, but John Chou hasn't explained his plan to us at all.
There's another thing: they've probably implanted a thought in every ghost, allowing them to control these ghosts. Once war breaks out, these ghosts will become fearless soldiers who only know how to charge forward.
"Be patient, brother. Senseless slaughter solves nothing."
At that moment, Lord Shenyan opened his eyes.
"Are you trying to find the ones helping the Emperor God?"
I looked at Lord Shenyan in surprise. John Chou remained silent. After thinking it through, my eyes suddenly widened—despite the Underworld Court sending people to the living world to close all entrances to the ghost realm, the market hadn't collapsed. Instead, every city still had stable sources for goods.
If these ghosts can't eat for a long time, their quality will inevitably drop over time. This would solve some problems. Plus, closing the portals can stop the ghosts from invading the living world.
I wandered the streets today. Most things aren't conjured out of thin air—they come from the living world. And the only ones who can reopen the portals between the living world and the ghost realm are people from the Artificer Guild.
"Since you've all figured it out, just wait quietly. Opening the ghost realm with sorcery only requires the right coordinates and some special places in the living world. Many in the Artificer Guild can do it, but keeping it open steadily isn't something one or two people can manage. The ghost realm is huge—thousands of cities, each with its own portal. Once war starts, no one can predict the consequences. If the outcome is unpredictable, we must control the war and keep it within manageable bounds. That's the safest way."
"Isn't that impossible?"
John Chou shook his head.
"Just keep waiting, brother. Stay calm."
The room fell silent again. I lay on the floor, staring quietly at the ceiling.
The situation at Mount Boundless is probably settled by now, and the Emperor God must have learned through some channel that the Wraithlord's Earthly Soul has been moved to the space where Buddhism and Daoism mingle. They can't reach it anymore, and it's impossible for the Forest of Desire to break in. Only Lady Meng and Lord Shenyan can enter. The Wraithlord's Human Soul is safe for now, but the unpredictability of the Immortality Society is still a wild card. Even though Xu Fu is trapped in that sealing formation, it's only a temporary measure—he won't just sit and wait.
"Why haven't the three of you changed at all?"
Wang Lang's voice came from the other side. I sneered.
"Even if we stayed here for years, nothing would change. If you know something, you'd better spill it."
Then the voice faded away. John Chou still sat motionless, silent.
"There's no point in waiting any longer."
Lord Shenyan stared quietly at John Chou. I knew that once Lord Shenyan attacked, the Underworld Court's army would immediately march in and build massive fortresses on this land.
I suddenly noticed an abnormal heat in the room, as if the temperature was rising.
John Chou opened his eyes and then smiled.
"It's confirmed—the one who set this trap is from the Artificer Guild."
In an instant, Lord Shenyan opened his eyes. Then John Chou spoke.
"Brother, take Huang Mingfa straight to the Underworld Court later. They'll be interested in him—how he got that thought implanted. He used to be with the Immortality Society. Even though the evil has been purified, there might still be something inside his ghost soul."
As John Chou spoke, he stood up.
"As for me, I have something to do. When Ethan Zhang returns, give this to him."
John Chou pulled out a Red Specter Web. I put it away, and in an instant Lord Shenyan's appearance shifted back to normal. He raised the Sinblade and, with a swift motion, slashed forward.
With a thunderous boom, a beam of light burst in, rumbling through the room. John Chou and I were instantly thrown out. The entire city shook from the blow, and a massive surge of ghostly energy erupted. The ghosts inside panicked in chaos.
Lord Shenyan had already grabbed Wang Lang by the throat. Nearby, a man whimpered on the ground—I floated over. Suddenly, I couldn't sense John Chou's presence. When I turned around, he was gone.
The city's ghosts began to float away, fleeing outside. I immediately released strands of Specter Web. As soon as I spotted Huang Mingfa, I moved toward him and grabbed his collar.
"Where are you going?"
"Isn't this escaping for my life?"
With a thunderous boom, I felt a disturbance and was instantly thrown into the air. Clusters of flame, like falling meteors, smashed in all directions. When they hit the ground, the fire scattered as if alive. Anything that touched the flames turned to ash in an instant.
Within minutes, the city was a dead zone. Aside from Wang Lang in Lord Shenyan's grasp and the man with severed legs, I couldn't see a single ghost.
"Hey, hey, there's no need to kill them all. We could've brought some back..."
Before I could finish, the dust swirling through the city began to gather. One by one, the ghosts slowly revived.
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"Why is this happening?"
My eyes widened as Lord Shenyan stared coldly at the terrified Wang Lang.
"Why is this happening?"
"I don't know. Master Xavier must have given these ghosts something after he came here. I have no idea—just leave me out of it!"
Without a word, Lord Shenyan suddenly squeezed. Wang Lang screamed and turned to ash, but this time he didn't revive. I dragged Huang Mingfa into the shattered house, where the man with severed legs whimpered in agony.
"You're the one who helped connect the portal to the living world, aren't you? Come, I'll take you somewhere."
I smiled, but suddenly Lord Shenyan yanked me back. The man with broken legs began to swell rapidly, and with a deafening bang, a blinding explosion erupted.
As my vision returned, I swallowed hard. The desolate city had turned completely to ruins, and the ghosts who'd just revived were gone—obliterated by that bizarre explosion. The force unleashed was pure yin energy.
Huang Mingfa, whom I was gripping, had gone pale, trembling uncontrollably.
Powerful ghostly energy surged behind me. As I turned, red and green lights intertwined in the distance. From the mountain range, a dark mass advanced—the Underworld Court was on the move.
"Capture half of Searing Plains within one hour."
I swallowed hard. At Lord Shenyan's command, the Ten Swordmasters and a host of Hell Troopers flew out in all directions.
But where did John Chou go? In such a short time, all I knew was that he couldn't persuade Lord Shenyan to keep waiting. I noticed huge bone monsters hauling supplies toward us.
"The war is about to begin."
Lord Shenyan said, glancing at me.
"Remember this, Ethan Zhang. In this war, there are no winners—only those left standing at the end."
In a flash, Lord Shenyan flew off into the distance. I swallowed hard and started heading back. Soon, I saw the massive army of skeletons and Hell Troopers pouring down the mountain pass.
I couldn't help but look back at the ruined city behind me. Just hours ago, everything inside was calm and ordinary. Now, in just a few minutes, it was all rubble.
"This is what you wanted to show me, isn't it, Lord Shenyan? Ha! For me, none of this matters anymore. Sooner or later, war will break out. Since things are already like this, I need to get back to the living world and prepare my army."
With the Underworld Court's help, I now know where the Forsaken in the living world are. I plan to gather them and make them my soldiers.