Book 4: Chapter 13: Netherworld Hall |
Vol 4 Chapter 13: Netherworld Hall
News of Lin Jing’s arrival in the Western Desert began to spread from the Golden Light Temple.
It didn’t take long before the entire Western Desert knew the Holy Son of the Demon Court had arrived.
Naturally, there weren’t many Buddhist cultivators in possession of Lin Jing’s Longevity Flesh, and the ghosts residing in the Western Desert also generally showed no interest in the Longevity Body.
Because they were already “dead,” existing purely in the form of souls.
This form was already a defiance of heaven—robbing time from the Heavenly Dao itself.
As a result, weak ghosts had extremely short lifespans and could dissipate at any moment.
Stronger ghosts, however, if they found the right method, could persist for terrifyingly long spans—an extreme contrast.
But on the other hand, while not limited by lifespan, ghosts had more weaknesses and their cultivation was not easy.
Aside from Buddhists and ghosts, news of Lin Jing also reached the ears of the Western Desert’s demonic beasts and the demonic sects.
And then came an odd development—few powerful beast clans in the Western Desert tried to capture Lin Jing to devour him.
Most instead tried to use him as a bridge to connect with the Demon Court and become part of the demon race, searching tirelessly for traces of Lin Jing.
As for the Netherworld Hall...
A white-robed Netherworld Saintess, her long black hair covering her face, knelt on one knee before the throne.
Seated upon it was a figure draped in black robes, with no flesh or skin, a human-shaped skeleton whose heart was formed by a flickering nether ghostfire—
A ghost cultivator at the Dao-Seeking Stage... the Hall Master of the Netherworld Hall.
“According to the intel, the Holy Son of the Demon Court is likely here for the Golden Light Gu of the Golden Light Temple, which has nothing to do with our plan.”
“However, it’s said the Holy Son displayed the Netherworld Hall’s ghostfire technique in Tongtian City and, with the Demon Emperor’s help, cultivated it to perfection... I don’t know what his intentions are.”
The Netherworld Saintess finished her report, but the Hall Master remained silent for a long while.
Eventually, he spoke slowly: “Since the Demon Court isn’t here for us, don’t concern yourselves with them.”
“My unfortunate junior wasn’t weak, and even he was forced to disband—best not to provoke this Demon Court Master.”
“Our target is that vessel ghost.”
“Once we obtain control of it, whether it’s the Demon Court or the Ancient Kingdom, we’ll have no reason to fear either.”
A flicker of ghostfire lit up in the Hall Master’s hollow eyes.
The vessel ghost—Ghost Mother.
What even the Buddhist sects didn’t know was—
This ghost wasn’t a conventional one. According to ancient records in the Netherworld Hall, it was actually a war weapon created by the Ancient Celestial Palace—a final-tier artifact spirit.
It was essentially a universal key, capable of activating any magical artifact.
Even immortal-grade artifacts could be partially controlled by it...
The Hall Master’s bony fingers lightly tapped the armrest.
Immortal artifacts...
Weapons said to only be usable by true immortals.
At present, throughout the entire Tianyuan Continent, while a few immortal artifacts still remained in the hands of major forces,
not even the Ancient Emperors of the Ancient Kingdom could activate them.
Right now, the only one on the continent known to be able to use an immortal artifact—
was the City Lord of Martial Emperor City.
No one knew what method he used,
but precisely because of it, he was able to stand between the Ancient Kingdom and the Western Desert with the power of just one city, answerable to neither side.
To be exact... the entire Martial Emperor City was the immortal artifact.
A city used as a weapon!
Coincidentally, the Netherworld Hall also possessed a legacy immortal artifact.
Unfortunately, they had never found a way to activate it.
An unactivated immortal artifact was no better than scrap metal.
And that final-tier artifact spirit from the Ancient Celestial Palace—the Ghost Mother—was one of the Netherworld Hall’s few hopes of triggering it.
Several years ago, Netherworld Hall cultivators located the seal site of the vessel ghost in the Western Desert. But before they could crack the ruins and retrieve the sealed war spirit,
the Golden Era descended, and the vessel ghost broke free on its own.
Once free, it became uncontrollable. Its whereabouts unpredictable. Even if the artifacts it possessed were destroyed, sealed, or blocked, its true body couldn’t be found.
Now, nearly half the Netherworld Hall’s members were scattered throughout the Western Desert, examining magical artifacts in hopes of tracking down the ghost.
....
“Why hasn’t it shown up yet...”
“It’s been six months already...”
Six months later, above the Western Desert—
The Thunder Dragon Ancestor was flying the Nine-Dragon Boat aimlessly across the region.
Following Lin Jing’s instructions, it was hauling a wagon full of magical artifacts in hopes of attracting the vessel ghost. But after half a year, the Ghost Mother had refused to invade a single item.
Though, the Thunder Dragon Ancestor had heard occasional rumors of the Ghost Mother killing elsewhere, by the time they arrived, the ghost had always vanished without a trace.
“Old Ancestor, could it be that you’re just too strong, and that’s scaring her off?”
One young Thunder Dragon prodigy hauling the cart tried flattering him.
“That’s not it!” the Thunder Dragon Ancestor shook his head. “Not long ago, that vessel ghost even dared to snatch a Buddhist artifact from a temple guarded by a Void Mystical monk. She doesn’t strike me as the timid type.”
“Then maybe it’s that the artifacts we’re using as bait don’t suit her tastes?” another Thunder Dragon youth guessed.
“Maybe one or two items, sure. But we’ve got a whole wagon here, including top-tier magical artifacts. She can’t possibly be that picky,” the Thunder Dragon Ancestor still didn’t get it.
And to bait the Ghost Mother properly, he’d even sealed off his thunder powers and his dragon clan yang energy.
Ten thunder dragons all sighed in unison—first time they’d ever found ghost-catching to be so difficult.
“We’re running out of time. The Golden Light Temple’s inheritance trial ends in just half a year,” the Thunder Dragon Ancestor calculated in his mind.
At the same time, he glanced into the flying boat. Fortunately, the Holy Son had yet to exit seclusion.
They had arrived in the Western Desert rather late. The Golden Light Gu’s inheritance trial, due to the Indestructible Monk’s limited lifespan, would only last three years.
By the time Lin Jing and the others showed up, only one year remained.
By now, the other Buddhist contenders had probably already sealed their ghosts and were waiting for the final contest.
“If this keeps up...” As the Thunder Dragon Ancestor mulled over whether he should use the Thunder Dragon Clan’s treasured artifact to help the Holy Son fish, suddenly, his expression shifted as he looked toward the distant horizon.
“She’s here!!!”
As the sky darkened, the Thunder Dragon Ancestor felt the ghostly might of a Void Mystical-level entity and his eyes lit up.
The nine thunder dragons pulling the boat quickly transferred the Holy Son and the others into the Thunder Dragon Ancestor’s internal space to shield them from any battle fallout.
However—
Just as the Thunder Dragon Ancestor prepared for a showdown with the vessel ghost he’d waited six months for,
the ghost that appeared made the entire dragon freeze in thought.
Staring at the “Red-Robed Ghost Bride” before him, the Thunder Dragon Ancestor couldn’t help tugging at his beard.
Wait a minute—why is it the Ghost Bride, not the vessel ghost???
“Ghost Bride it is, then. If we can’t catch the vessel ghost, we still need something to show for it,” the Thunder Dragon Ancestor gave up thinking in the next instant.
His aura immediately surged, crashing down toward the Ghost Bride.
Crack!!!
The Thunder Dragon Ancestor returned to his true form, massive bolts of lightning coiling around his body. With a roar of thunder, a sphere of lightning the size of a dragon pearl formed in his mouth—
“On your body...”
Faced with the Thunder Dragon Ancestor’s overwhelming power, the Ghost Bride instinctively felt a sense of dread.
But there was something inside the Thunder Dragon Ancestor that made her ignore the danger and confront him head-on.
“On your body, there’s a marriage certificate—that belongs to me.”
“I don’t intend to fight you. I’m only here for that marriage scroll.”
“Huh???” The Thunder Dragon Ancestor froze at the Ghost Bride’s words.
Marriage scroll?
He knew exactly what he had brought with him.
And those nine juniors certainly had nothing to do with this Ghost Bride.
So what was she talking about?
“Senior, let me out. The marriage scroll she’s talking about is with me.”
At that moment, a voice came from within the Thunder Dragon Ancestor’s body, sending him once again into deep thought.