Rat in Yellow Wind Ridge, rising from plundering entries

Chapter 40 The Ghost Realm, the Ghost King of the Xuan Immortal Realm! Fire a Few Shots Within Range First!

Flowing Sand Kingdom!

Black smoke rose from the city in waves, forming large black clouds that covered the sky, blocking the sun. The winds howled mournfully, and the atmosphere was heavy with an eerie chill.

Within the city, the ground was in disarray. Zombies, evil spirits, and vengeful ghosts roamed freely, many of them grotesque and distorted in form. These were the souls of the people of Flowing Sand Kingdom who had died but were unable to enter the Underworld. Instead, they were trapped here, becoming ghost slaves, forced to serve the Ghost King.

At various locations within the city, large pots bubbled with black smoke and malicious energy. If one looked closely, they would see yellowish corpse water boiling with bones, flesh, and even the souls of those who had refused to submit to the Ghost King. These souls screamed and cried in agony, their sorrow and resentment blending to create a ghastly force that shaped the very nature of this ghostly realm.

Soon, an evil spirit would come, dropping a mysterious liquid into one of the cauldrons. It was clear from the care taken in handling it that it was no ordinary substance.

Crack!

A whip cracked across the back of an old ghost. The bone demon guarding the pot yelled, “What are you looking at? Get to work!”

The old ghost fell to the ground, seemingly fragile despite being a ghost. It looked as though it could scatter into nothingness at any moment.

The evil spirit glanced at it and muttered, “Don’t kill it. The king will need these souls for the ritual when he reopens the gates of hell.”

The bone demon grinned and said, “Don’t worry, I know my limits. Brother, you got any goods?”

The evil spirit shook its head.

“No, the Yellow Springs water the king brought is running low. Can’t make decent pills from the living souls anymore.”

The bone demon clicked its tongue.

“Hope nothing goes wrong when the gates open.”

“I’ve been enjoying the energy from the living souls of the human realm for these past few years,” it added, peeling off some of its own flesh.

The ‘living’ energy had become something it craved. The evil spirit chuckled.

“The human realm is the place for prosperity. The blood and souls there let us cultivate at a pace a hundred times faster than before.”

Turning back toward the palace, the evil spirit saw a squad of elite soldiers, fully armored, guarding a large altar. On the altar, yin fire burned fiercely, fueling a massive bronze cauldron.

A green-faced, sharp-toothed figure was drawing souls from a monstrous snake and throwing them into the cauldron. The snake hissed, writhing in pain. Inside the cauldron, not just one, but hundreds, even thousands, of snake souls wriggled together, a sight that sent chills down one’s spine.

As the Ghost King cast his magic, the lid of the cauldron closed with a heavy thud. The snake’s hissing faded as the cauldron radiated dark light. The cauldron’s belly trembled violently.

Another ghost soldier approached, dragging a dead snake’s body and throwing it into a nearby river. The river was filled with corpses and skeletons, the water yellow and swirling with malevolent energy. The land along the banks was poisoned, the groundwater tainted, and the very air thickened with dread.

Just then, a panicked voice came from the sky. The black clouds parted, and a monstrous bird-headed figure descended from above. The Ghost King had been raiding the living, capturing spirits and demons alike. Some demons, too scared to resist, had surrendered and now served him.

The bird-headed figure landed in the courtyard and knelt.

“My lord, trouble has come. The Demon King of the southern mountains is gathering his forces and heading this way.”

The Ghost King turned, surprised.

“Gathering forces?”

With a mocking tone, it added, “That Demon King only commands a hundred or so low-level demons. What kind of army is that?”

The surrounding ghost generals laughed.

The bird-headed figure said, “Not just that. He has also chosen over a hundred strong humans from Hundred Fox Mountain and is marching with them.”

The Ghost King froze for a moment before bursting into laughter.

“Humans? What are they capable of? Coming here to offer their heads?”

The other ghost generals laughed as well.

“Don’t be ridiculous. If we weren’t saving them for sacrifices, we would have eaten them already.”

“Exactly, just a bunch of pigs!”

“No need to fear him!”

The bird-headed figure seemed worried.

“The small demons and humans won’t be a problem, but the Demon King… his powers are vast!”

The Ghost King laughed and replied, “What is there to fear?”

A red-eyed zombie wearing armor stepped forward, its voice dripping with arrogance.

“We are infamous bandits of Yin Mountain, even in the Underworld. We are not to be trifled with.”

The other ghost generals chuckled in agreement.

“Exactly, we didn’t act earlier because we were focused on transforming this city. But now that the Nine Fiends Convergence Formation is ready, the human ghost realm is just around the corner.”

“Indeed, we don’t even need that formation. The Ghost King is an immortal of the Taiyi Xuan Immortal Realm. Why should he fear this demon?”

“Even if a Taiyi Xuan Immortal were to come, it would be slaughtered by the Ghost King.”

The flattery made the Ghost King laugh loudly. “Well said. When that Demon King arrives, I will tear out his soul and refine some Taiyi Great Soul Pills for you all!”

“Thank you, my lord!”

“Long live the Ghost King!”

The Ghost King laughed as it turned, its eyes cold as it contemplated.

“We must make some noise to avoid attracting attention from the Celestial Court.”

“Once I capture this demon, I will refine it into a primary soul.”

“Then, after sacrificing ten thousand living souls and opening the Ghost Gate, gathering ten thousand souls to create the Soul Banner, I can return to the Underworld.”

Building a human ghost realm in the mortal world? That was a death sentence!

The Ghost King wasn’t foolish. It had been lurking here for years, already gathering information on Yellow Wind Ridge. The recent activity meant the time to strike was near.

_____

Thirty miles away, King Yellow Wind gazed up at the black clouds that now covered a vast area, frowning.

“It seems I underestimated them. It’s turned into quite a force.”

When he had first returned, he’d noticed a few signs, but it wasn’t as severe. Even when he exterminated the Thousand-Year Corpse King, he’d heard rumors from the Toxic Enemy, but he didn’t pay much attention, as it wasn’t a threat in his memory of Yellow Wind Ridge five hundred years later.

“My lord, this situation isn’t easy to deal with,” Old Black Fox said gravely. “That black cloud looks like a formation, and anyone who enters it will have their vitality suppressed.”

“If we fight inside, we won’t have the advantage.”

Silver Wolf General shot a sideways glance at Old Black Fox.

“Don’t raise his spirits too high and crush our own.”

He turned to King Yellow Wind, saying, “My lord, give me the command. I’ll take the lead and test it.”

Golden Lion also spoke up, “My lord, let me lead the charge!”

Mouse General wasn’t far behind.

“My lord, I’ll go!”

King Yellow Wind looked at his eager subordinates and smiled with appreciation.

However, he shook his head.

“No, fighting requires not only bravery but also strategy.”

“We’ve come prepared, but the Ghost King is not moving. He’s likely setting a trap. If we rush in, we’ll fall into his snare.”

Six-Tusked Elephant asked, “So, what do we do?”

King Yellow Wind replied, “First, let’s fire a few shots!”

Everyone stared in confusion.

King Yellow Wind unstrapped the Thunder-Striking Divine Wood Bow from his back and took out a peachwood arrow. He invoked the incantation for the Five Thunder Method.

The peachwood, a gift from the ancient peach tree, had been struck by lightning three times, with many branches lost in the process. Despite that, it hadn’t rotted, and its energy had become a powerful material for crafting exorcism artifacts.

King Yellow Wind knew its value, and now, it was about to serve its purpose. The power of lightning surged through his demon pill, the lightning patterns flashing as his demon energy converted into lightning force, coursing through the bow and into the arrow.

Zzzzz…

Electricity crackled, and a powerful aura surged from King Yellow Wind, causing the surrounding demons to step back in shock.