Chapter 2 Entering the Ghost Realm for the First Time

As the sky darkened near Fengdu, the atmosphere became particularly eerie. Layers of black mist pervaded the air, hinting at something ominous. Nighttime belonged to the supernatural, and at this moment, with the chilling winds and faint whispers of restless spirits, even the disciples of the Four Courts felt uneasy.

At the entrance of the Ghost Mansion, Liu Xinghun and Master Ziyang were prepared, their respective teams positioned on either side, waiting quietly for Master Xuanyu to give the order. Observing the eleven members of each group, Master Xuanyu spoke up, "The journey to the Ghost Realm is fraught with danger. Along the way, you will encounter countless ghostly creatures. I hope everyone will work together to overcome the challenges and successfully complete the mission. Here, I wish you all a safe journey and a triumphant return. Time is short, so I won't say much. Let's set out now. The seal has begun to crack and will soon break. Remember, when it breaks, stabilize yourselves. When the ghostly creatures swarm out and encounter the barriers we've set, their momentum will wane. That's when you must seize the opportunity to rush into the Ghost Realm. As for what happens next, it's up to you. Good luck, and the safety of the mortal realm is in your hands."

Master Ziyang solemnly added, "Rest assured, we will do our best to complete the mission."

Liu Xinghun echoed, "No matter how dangerous the road ahead, we will courageously move forward and retrieve the Soul Sealing Talisman to complete the mission successfully."

With a hint of concern in his eyes, Master Xuanyu looked at everyone and said softly, "The road ahead is perilous. Take care, everyone. Let's go!" With that, he led the two groups into the Ghost Mansion. Lanyun followed behind Master Ziyang, with Aoxue and Cangyue closely behind, while Xujie and Yunfeng brought up the rear. On the opposite side, Liu Xinghun led the way with Jian Wuchen, Leng Jiahao, Bi Tian, and Du Li, walking side by side with Lanyun and the others.

As they ventured deeper, everyone felt the howling winds and thick aura of ghosts grow stronger. Blackened stone walls emitted eerie glows, adding to the sinister atmosphere. The chilling wind made everyone shiver, prompting them to fortify themselves against the cold.

After a long journey, they finally arrived at the entrance to the Ghost Realm. They saw countless disciples of the Yi Garden busily tidying up the surroundings, while the elite members of the Four Courts gathered, watching the activity at the entrance of the Ghost Realm closely.

Lanyun carefully surveyed the entrance, where a swirling Tai Chi pattern formed a seal like a vast net, completely covering the three-yard-wide entrance to the Ghost Realm. At this moment, the seal shimmered with a blue and red glow, pulsating violently. Countless dark shadows on the other side of the net emitted piercing screams and roars, relentlessly pounding against the barrier. In some corners, rubble scattered, indicating that the net had begun to crack, and a few ghostly creatures had already broken through.

Master Xuanyu's expression turned grave as he looked around and said loudly, "Everyone, get ready. Gather near the stone wall on both sides. Once the seal breaks, stabilize yourselves and seize the opportunity to charge in. The rest of you, retreat behind the first barrier and remain vigilant. Move!" With that, he led the others to step back.

Master Ziyang exclaimed, "Everyone, be on high alert and advance three yards, awaiting the opportunity." With his long sword shining with a dazzling red light, he positioned himself three yards away from the entrance. Behind him, Lanyun, Aoxue, Cangyue, Xujie, and Yunfeng wielded their swords, advancing cautiously and defensively.

Suddenly, a flash of light dimmed the blue and red glow, replaced by a deep black. Countless dark shadows, accompanied by eerie auras, surged forward. The cave filled with terrifying cries, and the air was thick with the lamentations of lost souls. Black mist enveloped the area as the ghastly creatures rushed towards Lanyun and the others, their ferocious aura chilling to the bone. The sight startled Xujie, causing her to tremble slightly.

Sensing Xujie's panic, Cangyue erupted with a powerful aura, enveloping her. With the radiant glow of the Moonlight Divine Sword, she effortlessly annihilated the approaching ghostly creatures. Meanwhile, the others unleashed their techniques, killing the creatures one after another. However, due to their sheer number, the entrance was almost overrun, with all kinds of ghostly beings present, from lowly spirits to specters, wraiths, and even demonic entities.

A vast horde of creatures rushed outward, only to be halted by the first barrier set up by Master Xuanyu. In an instant, a green light flashed, and countless creatures disintegrated into smoke under the barrier's power. After a frenzy of attacks, the outward surge slowed. This was the moment. Master Ziyang shouted, "Now's our chance! Charge forward!" With a burst of red light, his sword emitted a fiery aura as he led the charge. The others followed suit, unleashing their attacks and pushing towards the entrance of the Ghost Realm.

The cave erupted in a dazzling display of colors as countless swords and techniques clashed with the ghostly creatures. However, despite their efforts, most attacks seemed ineffective, only momentarily dispersing the creatures before they reformed and continued their assault. Only the divine swords wielded by Lanyun, Aoxue, and Cangyue, along with Yunfeng's Wind-Cutting Sword, posed a significant threat to the creatures.

The other swords, though not entirely ineffective, struggled to deal with the intangible souls. It was a battle that relied heavily on each individual's cultivation level to harm or kill the creatures. Compared to Lanyun and the others with divine swords, the rest were at a disadvantage.

Upon seeing everyone halted in their tracks, unable to advance, Lanyun made a decision. "Yunfeng, protect Xujie. Master, stay close to Aoxue and Cangyue. I'll lead the way. Remember to follow closely behind me." With a glance at Liu Xinghun's group, who seemed to have the same idea with Jian Wuchen leading, Lanyun charged forward to pave the way.

Luyun's whole body was enveloped in a red glow, and his divine sword danced rapidly. With a deafening sword roar, accompanied by bursts of dazzling red light, it spread outward. Countless ghosts sensed the terrifying aura emanating from Luyun and quickly retreated. Those ghosts who couldn't evade were all turned to dust under his sword. Seizing the opportunity, Luyun moved forward a few steps, and his sword, adorned with dazzling red light, danced in the air, cutting through the crowd of ghosts to create a path. Behind him, the five people hurriedly followed, and with Luyun's figure, they slowly disappeared at the entrance.

Time passed amidst Luyun's fierce fighting. It was unclear how long they fought before Luyun led everyone out of the encirclement of ghosts, hastily fleeing in panic. In the chaos, they separated from each other, losing contact with one another.

After fleeing for a while, Ziyang Realman spoke, "Alright, we've temporarily shaken off those crazed ghosts. Let's take a break for now. Since we're new here, we should pay attention to our surroundings and see what differences there are compared to the human world." With that said, everyone began to carefully observe the surroundings. Previously, they had been focused solely on the battle, so they hadn't paid attention to their surroundings. Now, upon closer inspection, they realized that this place was vastly different from the human world.

Luyun surveyed the surroundings and noticed the vast emptiness, with undulating terrain but devoid of any vegetation—all bare rocks. It was pitch black all around, with faint glimpses of scenery visible about ten meters away. The sky above was also a dull yellowish color, with a black sun hanging in the air, devoid of any light. The howling wind and eerie ghostly sounds could be heard everywhere. On the desolate plain, the chilling wind seemed to permeate everything.

Quietly, Luyun emitted three waves of mental waves, which rapidly spread out in all directions. Soon, he detected countless ghosts wandering around. Continuing his search, he quickly sensed a large group of ghosts heading towards their direction at alarming speed. Judging from his analysis of the situation, there were no fewer than a thousand of them, led by a particularly ominous-looking ghost, indicating that they were not ordinary beings.

Shifting his gaze to the others, Luyun said, "Everyone, take this opportunity to rest. A large group of ghosts is heading our way, and we need to move to a different location immediately. In this ghost domain, the Yin energy is extremely heavy. Remember to maintain your protective qi at all times, or else it could be troublesome if the ghostly energy infiltrates your body."

Ziyang Realman looked around but saw nothing unusual. He couldn't help but ask, "It seems quiet here. Luyun, how did you know that ghosts were approaching?" Everyone's gaze turned to Luyun, waiting for his explanation.

Luyun remained calm and glanced around before speaking softly, "This place is different from the human world, with heavy Yin energy. Just pay attention to the density of the gloomy aura in the air, and you'll notice many things. I believe Yun Feng is the most adept at this and must have noticed something too."

Lin Yunfeng chuckled and, seeing everyone's attention on him, said, "Luyun, don't push it onto me. It's true that I noticed something, but it's because of the Yin-Yang technique I practice, which gives me a certain sensitivity to these ghosts. But how did you sense it? You need to explain that."

Luyun gave him a stern look, glanced to his left, and said, "Time is running out. Let's move. As for how to sense these ghosts, just follow what I said earlier, and you'll naturally gain something. Let's go." With that, he turned and headed in the opposite direction, leading the group with his sword.

The group followed Luyun, their six auras streaking across the sky like rainbows in the gloomy sky. Mid-flight, Ao Xue spoke up, "Our current situation is aimless wandering without any goal. How can we find the Ghost King's City like this? This isn't the human world, and we're completely unfamiliar with this place. Finding the Ghost King's City through random searching seems futile. Moreover, our time is limited. We should come up with a plan."

Ziyang Realman said, "Ao Xue is right. It's difficult to find our target like this. Although it's said that the Ghost Domain is not as large as the human world, it's still considerable. If we continue like this, by the time we find it, the Soul-Sealing Talisman may already be destroyed. It would be meaningless then."

Yunfeng asked, "What do you suggest then? We've just entered the Ghost Domain, and we're completely unfamiliar with it. We need an adaptation period. Otherwise, blind action could lead us to be surrounded by ghost armies, making it difficult to escape, let alone find the Soul-Sealing Talisman."

The group fell into contemplation, unable to come up with a solution.

While the group was lost in thought, suddenly, Luyun's sword above emitted a clear and pleasant sword cry. They looked up to see the sword, now motionless, pointing directly ahead.

Luyun's face darkened as he looked at the black sun in the sky, and he spoke softly, "We don't have much time. In the human world, we can distinguish between day and night, but here, there are no obvious changes. That's one issue. Second, I've noticed that the Yin energy here is extremely heavy. You might not feel it while maintaining your protective qi, but as soon as you stop, you'll realize the immense corrosive power of the Yin energy. This forces us to maintain our protective qi at all times. But can we keep this up for thirty consecutive days? That's a very serious problem."

As the others tried to sense their surroundings without their protective qi, they quickly realized the chilling atmosphere. Yunfeng exclaimed, "It's incredible! This gloomy atmosphere is like extreme cold, slowing down my blood flow and stiffening my muscles in just a moment. If this continues, we're in real trouble."

Xu Jie asked, "In this environment, what can we do without constantly maintaining our protective qi?" The question was met with silence, as nobody could think of a good solution.

While everyone was deep in thought, Luyun's sword emitted another cry. Looking up, they saw it pointing ahead, surrounded by a red glow. Luyun said, "Yunfeng, try to cultivate here and see if you can absorb energy from the surroundings like in the human world to replenish your depleted true essence. This is crucial and will determine the success or failure of our mission. Start now; we'll watch over you."

Yunfeng understood the gravity of the situation and didn't say anything. He sat down and began to cultivate. Meanwhile, the other five wielded their swords, watching for any movement.

As the howling wind and black mist enveloped them, a large group of ghostly figures appeared around them, surrounding the six of them. Luyun's expression darkened, and his sword emitted a dazzling red

 light. Hundreds of sword shadows gathered in front of him, exuding a terrifying aura, as they charged towards the approaching ghost soldiers.

Meanwhile, Ao Xue, Cangyue, and Ziyang Realman also launched their attacks simultaneously. Three different-colored sword auras, accompanied by formidable power, swept towards the enemy from three directions, marking their first real battle since entering the Ghost Domain.