"Truly fascinating, you humans."
In the pristine, milky-white room, a chilling, sinister voice echoed.
As this praise reverberated, the temperature in every direction dropped. Even the walls began to crackle, spreading a cold, spectral frost.
The terror of Netherfiends—unimaginable!
The ancient legends of the Nine Hells were not mere invention—they arose from the existence of Netherfiends. As for tales of monks blessing temples or masters enchanting jade pendants to ward off ghosts, those are the true fabrications, comforting myths spun from wishful thinking.
Since ancient times, ghosts have been hard to kill—and even harder to resist!
So-called righteous qi, youthful vigor, and noble character have never truly mattered—they exist only to soothe the heart, beautiful self-deceptions born from longing for peace.
For ghosts are terrifying, and Netherfiends even more so.
It is the harsh, freezing reality that breeds these lies—lies that have stretched on for centuries, forming the well-intentioned myths passed down through Sinovera.
"Indeed."
"If righteous qi truly worked, then after a lifetime of serving Sinovera, dedicating myself to humanity, why should I, Dr. Liam Lee, still need to fear mere ghosts?" Liam sighed inwardly, unable to keep from shaking his head and laughing at himself.
When it comes to contributions, ancient times belonged to martial artists; today, both martial artists and scientists stand at the forefront.
Science accelerates the growth of martial arts, while martial arts support scientific progress, offering their protection in return.
Thinking this,
Liam Lee let go of his private musings and instead turned calmly, gazing at the face bulging out of the wall.
The frost on the wall thickened. That lifeless face slowly pulled free from the surface, as if stretched by glue—a blood-soaked, bodiless head emerged alone, floating in the room.
A terrifying Netherfiend!
Its ghostly form now bore flesh and blood!
Faced with this horrifying sight, Liam Lee asked coolly, "Where is Sky-Soaring True Person Qian of the Law Realm?"
As the scientist codenamed White Dragon, Liam Lee was always guarded by a Law Realm expert. But Venerable Saints could remain on Earth only for half a month before disaster struck, so it was usually Sky-Soaring True Persons who watched over him.
"He's dead."
The Netherfiend bared its teeth, its voice icy and sinister: "He never expected us to break the stalemate. Even in his final moments, he accused us of tearing up the agreement for peaceful coexistence—how naïve. The four of us Netherfiends joined forces and killed him outright."
Hearing this,
Liam Lee paused, gazing quietly at the Netherfiend, and sighed with regret: "I was wrong—so terribly wrong. I shouldn't have judged you by normal standards. I thought we could hold out at least until the end of the year, but it happened so quickly... What a pity. If humanity had just another century, our science could have wiped you out."
That's right.
They really are about to move—an all-out invasion is imminent.
"Human science?" The Netherfiend's head bobbed up and down two or three times. "Your strength moves us, your wisdom makes us wary. Combined, they might truly drive us back—for a time."
For a time...
Drive us back...
Catching these two key words, Liam Lee grinned: "So I was right... In ancient Sinovera, there were legends that after death, the soul lingered. Wronged souls, especially those of the powerful or unjustly killed, could become fierce ghosts, returning on the seventh day to claim vengeance, wandering the mortal world."
At this point, Liam Lee paused.
"Go on," the Netherfiend's head swayed indifferently, grinning wickedly to prompt him.
Liam Lee smiled as well: "All those tales are fabricated, meant to deceive the world. And the ones who forged these myths were you Specters—you spread those rumors on purpose!"
The Netherfiend's expression shifted.
Liam Lee stepped forward: "We were wrong—gravely wrong. From ancient times to now, humanity has never seen the truth, always shrouded in doubt and deception, fooled by your lies."
"What are you really trying to say?" The Netherfiend's head edged closer, the atmosphere growing suffocating, as if endless gloom filled the milky-white room, infecting it with chilling fear.
But Liam Lee was unfazed.
He simply smiled, his voice soft: "I guessed right... You're not native to Earth. Your origins lie in outer space—you're visitors from beyond the solar system!"
Hiss!
The Netherfiend's mouth gaped open, its head exploding as it revealed its true ghostly form: "Interesting. I have to admit, in my five centuries of existence, you are the wisest and most courageous human scholar I've ever met."