Chapter 6: The Secret of the Unpassable Ridge

In the dimly lit passage, Land Yun held the hand of Snow Proud and flew swiftly forward. In Land Yun's eyes, there was a flicker of wisdom as he calculated in his mind, wondering how to deal with the ghosts behind them if there was no way forward. Suddenly, Land Yun's eyes changed, and the mental wave exploring the path had returned, indicating that there was no way forward.

Gently glancing at Snow Proud, Land Yun found her quietly looking at him, her beautiful face adorned with a faint smile, so beautiful, so captivating. Land Yun's eyes showed a hint of infatuation, and he whispered, "Holding your hand, walking together until old age, this life is enough."

With a faint smile, Snow Proud softly replied, "With my heart in exchange for yours, our hearts will be forever intertwined. No matter what the future holds, at this moment, our hearts are together." Land Yun was shaken by her words. Indeed, how could he be certain about the future? He couldn't. But as Snow Proud said, no matter what happens, at least at this moment, their hearts are together.

With a slight exertion of force, Land Yun pulled Snow Proud's tender body into his arms, looking into her eyes as he said, "I may not be able to promise you the future, but I believe that no matter how time changes, my heart will always bear your name and your image. Let us remember this moment forever." Snow Proud smiled lightly, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her beautiful eyes.

Looking at the beautiful and enchanting girl in his arms, Land Yun felt a joy in his heart that he couldn't describe, like a blazing fire igniting within him. With a slight tremble, Land Yun felt an unfamiliar sensation rising in his heart, a desire to kiss Snow Proud, overwhelming him like a tidal wave. Everything was so sudden, so fierce, so irresistible.

With a slightly flushed face, Land Yun couldn't help but show a shy expression. At this moment, he realized that love tasted like this—both wanting and fearing, truly tormenting. Unable to resist the temptation in his heart, Land Yun finally leaned in slowly to kiss Snow Proud. As their lips met, both their hearts trembled, and Snow Proud, opening her eyes, looked at him with a hint of shyness, not resisting. 

Land Yun's heart beat faster than usual at this moment, fearing that Snow Proud would be angry. But as he stole a glance at her, he breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at her, Land Yun's eyes were filled with gratitude.

Moving his gaze away, Snow Proud softly said, "There is no way forward here. Be careful. Everything here is the eternal memory of ours, belonging only to you and me."

Land Yun solemnly replied, "I will remember this moment forever. I will cherish it for the rest of my life." With that, he gently released her tender body and focused his gaze ahead. Snow Proud glanced at him and smiled lightly, saying nothing more.

Looking around, Land Yun discovered that this was a large cave with no way forward. All around, the dim stone walls were shrouded in a black aura, seemingly concealing something. In the center of the cave stood a strange stone statue. The statue emitted a faint black aura, and it had three arms, one on each side except for the front, where there was none. The body resembled that of a human, but the head was different.

The head had a single horn and two faces, as if two people were forcibly pressed together back to back. One face, facing Land Yun and Snow Proud, was a terrifying ghost face with bulging, blood-red eyes, while the other face, facing away from them, was smooth like jade, with no expression except for a pair of mesmerizing eyes. Those eyes flickered with a seductive light, very tempting.

Land Yun looked at the strange statue and whispered, "Be careful. Everything here is different from the human realm. I don't understand what secrets are hidden here. Let's explore the surroundings first, and then we'll study this statue in the middle. From my feelings, this thing is very sinister, probably not of good origin. I really don't understand why it would appear here."

Snow Proud softly replied, "Be careful, so we don't end up like Cloud Maple during the day, summoning some bloodthirsty creature. Let's see what's inside here, maybe we can find some useful clues." With that, her body emitted a burst of light, illuminating the surroundings with her protective true energy. After glancing at Land Yun, Snow Proud walked towards the left.

Carefully observing the stone walls around him, Snow Proud didn't notice anything, but Land Yun found something on the left side. Using his mental waves to explore the surroundings, Land Yun quickly understood that the stone walls were covered in a black aura similar to a barrier, isolating the outside world. Adjusting the frequency of his true energy to match that of the black barrier, Land Yun found that there were many inscriptions on the stone walls. Upon closer inspection, Land Yun understood the secrets hidden here.

The inscriptions on the stone walls roughly explained the following: This is the Unpassable Ridge in the Ghost Realm, one of the three great forbidden places in the entire Ghost Realm. It explains the meaning of "unpassable" throughout the Ghost Realm. Simply put, there are no ghosts in the Ghost Realm that can pass through the Unpassable Ridge. The so-called three great forbidden places in the Ghost Realm refer to the Unpassable Ridge, the Soul Transformation Pool, and the Ghost Island. According to the inscriptions on the stone walls, this passage is the only way out, leading to the Black River ahead. The exit is only a short flying distance from the Black River.

As for the strange stone statue in the middle of the cave, the inscriptions say that it is called the Boundless Ghost Fiend, one of the three great evils in the legend of the Ghost Realm, alongside the Undead Bloodthirster and the Soulless Yin Reaper. Because this is where the Boundless Ghost Fiend resides, there is a mysterious and bizarre barrier above, through which nothing can pass. Hence the legend of the Unpassable Ridge.

Chapter Six: The Secret of Non-Transgression

In the dimly lit passage, Lu Yun held Aoxue's hand tightly as they swiftly moved forward. With a flicker of wisdom in his eyes, Lu Yun pondered, strategizing on how to deal with the ghost behind them if there was no way forward. Suddenly, his thoughts returned from exploring the path ahead, signaling that there was no route forward.

Gently glancing at Aoxue, Lu Yun noticed her serene gaze fixed on him, a faint smile gracing her beautiful face. "Holding hands with you, accompanying you through life, is enough for me," he murmured softly.

With a gentle smile, Aoxue replied in a soft voice, "With my heart in exchange for yours, our hearts will always be intertwined. Whatever the future holds, at least in this moment, our hearts are together." Lu Yun was shaken by her words. Indeed, could he be certain of the future? No. But as Aoxue said, regardless of what lies ahead, their hearts were together in this moment.

With a slight exertion, Lu Yun embraced Aoxue's tender body, looking into her eyes. "I cannot promise you the future," he said, "but I believe that no matter how time changes, my heart will forever bear your name and your image. Let us remember this moment forever." Aoxue smiled calmly, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her beautiful eyes.

Looking at the beautiful and enchanting girl, Lu Yun felt a joy in his heart that was indescribable, like a fierce fire burning within. Glancing at the ghost-headed serpent that was closely pursuing them, Lu Yun realized how despicable it was to disturb the beautiful memory he shared with Aoxue. With a flick of his left hand, a silver light burst forth, and a soul-suppressing talisman appeared in front of the ghost-headed serpent without warning, colliding with it fiercely.

In the passage, a terrified scream echoed for a moment before disappearing. Looking at the ghost-headed serpent, now transformed into a black mist, Lu Yun did not look back. Holding Aoxue's enchanting body tightly, he shot forward.

With no threat from the ghost-headed serpent, Lu Yun slowed down, quietly gazing at Aoxue in his arms. Seeing her beautiful face, her rosy lips, and her delicate blush, everything was so alluring. A strange sensation surged in Lu Yun's heart, an urge to kiss Aoxue, overwhelming him like a tide. It was sudden and fierce, difficult to resist.

With a blush on his face, Lu Yun felt a rare sense of shyness. This moment made him realize the flavor of love: the desire and fear, truly tormenting. Unable to resist the temptation in his heart, Lu Yun finally leaned in slowly to kiss Aoxue. As their lips met, both their souls trembled. Aoxue opened her eyes, looking at him with a shy gaze, not resisting. Lu Yun's heart raced faster than usual, afraid of angering Aoxue. Sneaking a peek at her eyes, he felt relieved. And so, he kissed Aoxue, deeply enamored by the sweetness of her lips.

Aoxue's jade-like face flushed, her beautiful eyes captivating. At that moment, Lu Yun felt a strange sensation, an overwhelming desire to kiss Aoxue again. Sensing his accelerating heartbeat, Lu Yun's expression became somewhat flustered as he looked at her tempting lips, ultimately giving in to the urge and kissing her gently once more.

Trembling, their hearts intertwined, Aoxue opened her eyes, her gaze containing a hint of shyness as she looked at him, not resisting. Lu Yun, feeling her response, kissed her with a mix of clumsiness and longing, deeply enchanted by the sweetness of the moment.

With a blush on her beautiful face, Aoxue softly said, "There's no way forward. Be careful. This moment, let's cherish it forever." Lu Yun replied solemnly, "I will always remember this moment, and I will cherish it for a lifetime." With that, he gently released her captivating body, his gaze fixed ahead. Aoxue glanced at him, smiled faintly, and said nothing more.

Surveying their surroundings, Lu Yun discovered they were in a large cave with no exit. The dimly lit walls were shrouded in a faint black light, seemingly hiding something. In the center of the cave stood a peculiar stone statue. It had three arms, one facing forward and two to the sides, but none in the back. Its body resembled that of a human, but its head was unlike anything Lu Yun had ever seen.

The head had a single horn, and there were faces on both sides, as if two heads were forcibly pressed together. One face was a terrifying ghost, with bulging blood-red eyes that seemed lifelike and eerie. The other face, facing away from Lu Yun, was smooth as jade, with no expression except for a pair of captivating eyes shimmering with an eerie allure.

Lu Yun looked at the strange stone statue and whispered, "Be careful. Everything here is different from the mortal realm. We don't understand what lies hidden here. Let's explore the surroundings first and then study this statue. It's incredibly ominous; I wonder why it's here."

Aoxue whispered back, "Be careful. Just like White Day Cloud Maple earlier, we might encounter something dangerous. Let's see if we can find any useful clues here." With that, she illuminated the surroundings with her protective qi and moved towards the left.

As Lu Yun carefully observed the walls, he quickly realized that they were covered in a black barrier similar to a formation, isolating the area from the outside world. Adjusting the frequency of his qi to match the barrier's, Lu Yun used his extraordinary mental powers to decipher the inscriptions on the walls. Soon, he understood the secrets hidden within.

The inscriptions revealed that they were in one of the three forbidden places in the ghost domain called the Non-Transgression Ridge. It was impossible for any ghost in the ghost domain to pass through this ridge. The three forbidden places in the ghost domain were the Non-Transgression Ridge, the Soul-Transforming Pool, and the Phantom Island. The passage they were in led to the Black River ahead, a short flight away from the exit.

As for the peculiar stone statue in the cave, it was called the Abyssal Ghost Fiend, one of the three evils in the legends of the ghost domain, alongside the Undying Blood Specter and the Soulless Shadow Demon. Because the Abyssal Ghost Fiend resided here, there was a mysterious barrier above preventing anything from passing through. Hence, the legend of the Non-Transgression Ridge.

Cangyue glanced at the ghost head, her expression slightly surprised. "Yun Feng, this won't work. Haven't you noticed that your attacks can't harm it at all? If we continue like this, when your true energy is depleted, it will be dangerous. We need to change our approach and see if there are other ways to kill it."

Yun Feng's heart shook at her words, gradually returning to a calm state as he carefully monitored the movements of the ghost head. After a while, Yun Feng realized that Cangyue's words made sense. This approach was futile, only wasting true energy. Glancing at Ziyang Zhenren, Yun Feng said, "Master, you hold it off. I'll use the Yin-Yang Sword Technique to destroy it." With that, he backed away, preparing himself.

Ziyang Zhenren, upon hearing this, focused on blocking the ghost head's attacks to give Yun Feng enough time to unleash the Yin-Yang Sword Technique. In the passage, layers of dark blue light emanated from Yun Feng's body, while the surrounding air currents converged towards him. Yun Feng's body lifted three feet off the ground, his Wind Slashing Sword swirling rapidly above his head. A powerful and astonishing aura burst forth from him, and his hands formed seals in front of his chest. Countless flashing symbols of blue and red light rotated rapidly around him, forming various strange shapes. Yun Feng's eyes flickered with blue and red light as he shouted loudly. Suddenly, a rift in space opened above, and a sword shimmering with red and green light appeared without warning.

In a flash, the rift closed, and Yun Feng controlled the Yin-Yang Sword Technique, moving it instantly above the ghost head, enveloping it. Ziyang Zhenren, relieved, retreated to stand beside Cangyue, and the three of them carefully watched Yun Feng's miraculous sword technique.

The ghost head emitted a terrifying scream, its grotesque face contorting in horror. The black aura around the ghost head condensed into a mass, while its red and green eyes emitted a frantic dual-colored light, continuously defending against the attacks of the Yin-Yang Sword Technique. The symbols on the sword flashed endlessly, forming a closed space around the ghost head, attacking incessantly with the destructive aura of the red and green light. Under the relentless assault, the ghost head's aura weakened significantly in just a short time.

Looking at Yun Feng, Xujie exclaimed, "I didn't expect this sword technique of his to be so powerful. It doesn't seem to be from our Easy Garden, right, Master Ziyang?" Ziyang Zhenren nodded slightly. "Correct, this is indeed not our Easy Garden's technique. I heard from Lu Yun that this was accidentally obtained by my junior apprentice Xuangui in an ancient cave. And Yun Feng is the direct disciple of that junior apprentice Xuangui. They both returned to Easy Garden to study the Demon-Slaying Sword Technique only recently."

Xujie nodded in understanding, finally realizing the underlying reason. Cangyue whispered softly, "Look, the ghost head is almost finished." Xujie focused her gaze and indeed saw that the ghost head had shrunk to three feet in size, its terrifying face gone, and instead, it had turned into a black mass, being compressed and oppressed layer by layer by the Yin-Yang Sword Technique. A piercing scream echoed in the passage, followed by the breaking of the black aura, and everything disappeared in an instant.

Yun Feng lightly exclaimed, and the miraculous Yin-Yang Sword Technique disappeared instantly. Turning around, he landed gently beside Xujie, grinning. "I've dealt with this annoying thing. How about that? I did pretty well, didn't I?" With a glance at him, Xujie said softly, "Impressive, you're really impressive. Everyone saw it, why ask me?" In just a few short sentences, there seemed to be some hidden meaning. Ziyang Zhenren glanced at Cangyue, and both of them flashed a faint mysterious smile, as if they had sensed something.

Yun Feng blushed slightly, chuckling awkwardly and remaining silent. Seeing his embarrassment, Ziyang Zhenren changed the subject. "Alright, now that this annoying thing is gone, let's go back and find Lu Yun and Aoxue. Once we find them, we'll figure out a way to leave together."

As soon as he finished speaking, they heard Lu Yun's voice from behind. "Perfect timing, we're here. Let's continue forward; that's the only way out." With that, Lu Yun and Aoxue appeared in front of them. Cangyue glanced at Aoxue, then at Lu Yun, a barely noticeable hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes.

Yun Feng, seeing Lu Yun return, was immediately delighted. "Great, now that you're back, let's go. Later, we'll talk about what you encountered; did you come across any strange things?" With that, he pulled Lu Yun and shot forward. Behind them, the four of them watched their figures with faint smiles and followed along.