21. Is this also 98% likely?

The Ghost City, has long existed within this eerie game. However, the Ghost Cities that can master instances in this eerie game, total to only four.

They are relatively new creations, emerging just a few years ago.

And these four Ghost Cities also correspond to the player rankings of Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta: Alpha Supreme Players, Beta Super Players, Gamma Great Players, and Delta Players.

The Ghost City of Lang Shou is exactly the one that corresponds to the Beta Super Players within these four massive Ghost Cities.

Within this bizarre world, there is no shortage of ferocious ghosts.

That is because the spirits "sent over" by Tan Shuchang have already begun their transformation into fierce ghosts. Of these, the one with the best aptitude is only a little short of becoming a fully qualified fierce ghost.

Thus, logically speaking, such Ghost Cities should not lack a guardian.

But you can't help it when the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta player rankings established by the eerie game place the Beta Super Player level as a crucial, intermediary rank.

There are only two ways for players to obtain supernatural powers: one is through ghost arts, and the other is through ghosts.

And what players can obtain on their own is typically a chaotic mess.

Therefore, once a player successfully gains eligibility to enter the Ghost City of Lang Shou, the Master of the Ghost City must then organize the players' powers, allowing these players to form systematic abilities that significantly enhance their combat effectiveness.

Besides that, the City Lord of the Ghost City of Lang Shou must also ensure that a certain number of Beta level players survive and reach the Ghost City corresponding to the Alpha players.

"This certain number was originally set at just thirty percent. After all, we are not the parents of those flesh-and-blood players! But, a while ago, a new leader came in and said thirty percent wouldn't show our abilities, and changed it to fifty percent. This fifty percent wasn't much, and as new officials tend to be particularly zealous, we subordinates can understand and are quite willing to cooperate! Who would have thought, those damned ones would pass the buck down, and when it reached us who actually do the work, it turned into ninety-eight percent!"

"Ninety-eight percent?"

"Yes, ninety-eight percent, and they even said this was more appropriate, more cautious! City Lord, don't you think this is a joke?"

Tan Shuchang had already arrived at the Ghost City of Lang Shou.

After all, his injuries were not yet healed, and he would avoid fighting if he could. And since he had considerable authority over the fierce ghosts, he also wanted to see just how extensive it was.

The conversation was between him and his strategist with a canine head.

This strategist was a fierce ghost dressed like a scholar, looking delicate and weak, yet the malicious aura he emanated was the strongest Tan Shuchang had seen among fierce ghosts so far.

However strong the aura of malice might be, this fierce ghost was extremely respectful towards Tan Shuchang. Before Tan Shuchang had arrived at the Ghost City of Lang Shou, this strategist had already led several fierce ghosts to welcome him with gongs and drums on the road.

The music was so persistent it almost triggered Tan Shuchang into action.

It was only because Tan Shuchang needed to heal his injuries, and the prompt self-identification by the strategist, that a conflict was avoided.

"So, who is our current leader? I'm sent by the Earth Extinguish King," Tan Shuchang asked curiously.

"City Lord, it is the Earth Extinguish Venerable!"

Tan Shuchang: "..."

Not only did this person possess a benevolent heart towards ghost entities, but he also cared for the living?

No wonder the survival rate indicator for players in the Ghost City of Lang Shou had become ninety-eight percent, and no one had come out to stop it—perhaps it was tacitly permitted by the Earth Extinguish King…

However, Tan Shuchang finally understood why he, a living person, had been promoted to the position of City Lord just like that.

Achieving a huge transformation from player to an insider of the eerie game itself.

He surmised that there probably wasn't a single fierce ghost willing to take a seat as guardian in this Ghost City of Lang Shou.

After all, those who could sit at the position of City Lord could not be ordinary fierce ghosts; they had to be at least on the level of those fierce ghosts from the realms where humans and spirits coexisted, capable of natural communication with humans, possessing complete consciousness, and a certain level of cognitive ability.

And how could such formidable ghosts not seek benefits and avoid harm?

After much pushing and shoving among themselves, it came to be that he, a living person, was pulled over to take up the role of the City Lord.

"Is there a record of the Player's power system?" asked Tan Shuchang. Although he had taken over a hot potato, he did not come to be the City Lord with pure intentions, so these troubles were not really troublesome for Tan Shuchang.

At worst, he would be marked by Earth Extinguish.

"Lord City Lord, all these have been prepared by your humble servant, please review them." Upon hearing Tan Shuchang's question, the dog-headed military advisor quickly ordered two robust ghosts to bring over a chest.

Tan Shuchang looked at the chest, expecting it to contain a space filled with various bamboo scrolls, but after a brief sensing, he couldn't help but cast a strange glance at the ghost scholar, "Don't you know any secret techniques like Sleeve Art?"

The chest looked big, but inside there were only about a dozen bamboo scrolls.

With a single use of Sleeve Art, all of these items could fit inside one's sleeves.

Although Sleeve Art did not involve space-related secret techniques, it was still possible to stuff a hundred pounds of items in limited space.

In the Jiawu Realm, Sleeve Art was a widely spread secret technique.

And on the way here, Tan Shuchang had also seen a subordinate ghost of this dog-headed military advisor use a secret technique similar to Sleeve Art.

"This subordinate naturally knows how, but doing it this way seems more formal, and it looks good too! Outsiders will see that our Lord City Lord is a diligent and dedicated official," explained the ghost scholar hastily.

Tan Shuchang couldn't be bothered with this bureaucratically-minded ghost any longer. He flicked his sleeve gently, and the chest opened. The dozen or so bamboo scrolls flew onto the stone table in front of him and opened one by one.

Soon enough, Tan Shuchang had finished reading, and he had gained a sufficient understanding of the ghost technique system.

In this bizarre game, each Player could only have nine ghost techniques. To acquire a ghost technique, one must first inscribe ghost inscriptions on oneself.

These ghost inscriptions could be self-inscribed or inscribed by a formidable ghost.

As long as one faces a formidable ghost and survives, ghost inscriptions capable of holding ghost techniques will appear on the body.

There were four methods to acquire ghost techniques: purchasing from the ghost technique shops in Street of Forgotten Dwellings where humans and ghosts live together, receiving as a gift from others, being tainted by an object of a formidable ghost, and learning from a ghost.

Because of these somewhat chaotic methods of acquisition, many Players' ghost techniques had major conflicts, and a slight mishap could lead to backlash.

Therefore, the Master of the Ghost City, like Tan Shuchang, was needed to sort out the Players' learnings.

"Using one's flesh and blood to harbor formidable ghosts, is it possible to borrow the power of the ghosts?"

This was another way for Players to gain power.

However, Tan Shuchang just glanced over it and ignored it because not only was this method crude, but it also easily turned oneself into a container or even a plaything for the formidable ghosts.

At that moment, the sound of a bronze bell being struck came through.

"Lord City Lord, there are flesh-and-blood Players arriving!" exclaimed the dog-headed military advisor upon hearing the sound, quickly turning to Tan Shuchang.

"Then let them wait at the city gates, I'll go over later," Tan Shuchang waved his hand casually, sweeping the dozen bamboo scrolls back into the chest.

Although he now understood the principles of ghost techniques, he was not capable of sorting them out for the Players.

Hence, Tan Shuchang decided to "take on disciples on behalf of his master."

He would help his master, the Heartless Old Man, spread the Sevenfold Demonic Body Scripture and fulfill his filial duty. After all, as his junior brothers and sisters descended from the mountain, the spread of this Cultivation Technique was inevitable, and it might even become the first choice for Loose Cultivators.