When the First Hall Yama reappeared, he was already at the heart of a soul stone vein. The Ghost King Shen Tu, assigned to guard the vein, immediately revealed himself.
"Greetings, First Hall Yama Daren!"
Shen Tu bowed respectfully, his eyes turning to the First Hall Yama. This formidable figure rarely visited the soul stone veins.
The First Hall Yama flicked his sleeve, releasing Yunxi and the other three. Then he turned to Shen Tu and instructed: "Shen Tu, these four helped the underworld prevent the shattering of the Eighteen Hells' barrier, but their divine souls were gravely wounded. This hall permits them to recover here. They may draw from the soul stones without restriction."
The Ghost King bowed again. "Yes, I will see to their care."
The First Hall Yama finally looked at Yunxi and the others. "The Soul Thunder will not dissipate anytime soon. But if you manage to refine even a trace of it, your divine souls will undergo a qualitative leap. You will understand the benefits in time.
In recognition of your merit in stopping the barrier-breaking formation, I grant you a month to heal here. Consider this my repayment of that favor. Make the most of it."
With that, he vanished, needing to report to his superior and handle the malicious spirits that had escaped from the Eighteen Hells. He had no time to linger with the group.
Once the First Hall Yama disappeared, the Ghost King straightened his posture, swept his gaze over the four, and said in a cool tone: "You heard the Yama Daren. For this month, you may absorb as much power as you need from the soul stones to mend your divine souls, but not a single stone may leave this place. Understood?"
Though Yunxi's soul was throbbing with agony, she forced herself to cup her fists and reply,"Senior Shen Tu, rest assured, we will not break the rules of the Ghost Realm. Please designate an area for us. We will remain within the bounds you set and will not wander."
As soon as she finished, her body wavered. Han Lian, sweating from the pain, caught Yunxi's arm to steady her.
Xun Kun and Yun Chen stayed silent, enduring their own torment as they moved to Yunxi and Han Lian's side, their gazes fixed on the Ghost King Shen Tu.
Shen Tu nodded and led the four to the very center of the soul stone vein, where a pool of soul liquid lay. The soul energy here had condensed into liquid form. Even Shen Tu occasionally cultivated in this pool.
Since these four had been personally escorted by the First Hall Yama, Shen Tu dared not neglect them. He settled them in the cavern, reminded them not to leave, and departed quickly. He needed to investigate the disturbance he had sensed earlier.
Once Shen Tu was gone, Yunxi's trembling hand activated her energy barrier, enclosing the entire Soul Pool. Then she collapsed onto the ground with a groan. "Ah! This pain is killing me!"
Han Lian slumped as well, her body shaking uncontrollably as she sank to the floor, her voice weak."This Soul Lightning is relentless… all my spiritual power is being used to fight it."
Xun Kun's complexion was the worst of the four. The demonic energy within him was being completely suppressed, leaving his soul unstable, as if it might leave his body at any moment.
Yun Chen Fózǐ, though composed, also wore a grimace. Sweat dotted his smooth scalp, proof that the torment of his soul had triggered physical reactions.
After weathering a wave of pain, Yun Chen said solemnly, "Amitabha. We must leave our bodies and enter the Soul Pool immediately to stabilize our souls. If we delay, this Soul Lightning will drain our soul force completely."
Yunxi, too exhausted to speak, simply nodded and summoned Li Li from her spatial treasure.
The little beast blinked at the sudden change in surroundings. After spotting the battered group, his jewel-like eyes flickered with light. He bounded to Yunxi's side. "Zūnzhě, what happened to you? Why is your divine soul so frail? And what is this purple-red thunder entangled around it?"
Yunxi took a deep breath before answering, "Li Li, we need to submerge ourselves in the Soul Pool to repair our souls. Guard our bodies."
She then brought out her ice coffin, and with Li Li's help, lay down in it. In the next instant, her soul left her body and plunged straight into the Soul Pool. Of the four, she had been hurt the most.
The Soul Lightning had been aimed at her. Even though Han Lian, Yun Chen, and Xun Kun helped share the burden, the thunder only grew fiercer. Though they eventually used merit power to neutralize part of it, the thunder clung stubbornly to their souls.
The others also summoned their ice coffins, but they didn't bother lying back. One by one, their souls separated from their bodies and entered the pool, each taking a corner. Drawing strength from the soul liquid, they began resisting the Soul Lightning's invasion.
Once Li Li confirmed that their souls had stabilized, he gently moved their bodies back into the coffins and closed the lids with care. Finally, he curled up beside Yunxi's coffin, tail wrapped around himself, and started cultivating, his ears twitching at every faint sound.
The Soul Pool returned to calm, but Shen Tu soon returned after gathering information from a trusted Ghost General. His expression flickered when he learned the truth. Back at the center of the vein, he saw the pool encased in a glowing barrier, denying him entry.
Shen Tu frowned but did not approach. The First Hall Yama had granted them a month to heal. Unless that time elapsed, he dared not forcefully break the formation. He concealed his presence and kept watch nearby.
Meanwhile, throughout the Ghost Realm, a new order spread: all escaped spirits from the Eighteen Hells were to be recaptured. Rewards would be issued on the spot for every capture, and even ordinary ghost cultivators would be rewarded for reporting their whereabouts.
The entire Ghost Realm was in motion. The Black and White Impermanence and the Ox-Head Horse-Face were run ragged, and even Judge Cui worked without pause. The First Hall Yama had summoned all his brothers for a council.
The Second Hall Yama sipped soul tea from a ghost servant's tray and asked, "Big Brother, you called us together. Do you have orders?"
The Third Hall Yama cut in before he could answer. "Second Brother, clearly you aren't keeping up with the news. Big Brother must be talking about the Eighteen Hells' barrier being broken."
The Fourth Hall Yama added, "And perhaps the tampering with the Death Stars as well."
The Fifth Hall Yama frowned. "So the evil cultivators' hands have reached the Ghost Realm. We never even sensed it. This is troubling."
The Sixth Hall Yama nodded. "Indeed. I've already begun secretly investigating the ghost officers under my command. This isn't something just a few lowly subordinates could orchestrate."
The Seventh Hall Yama's face was cold as he growled, "To make a move under our very noses… they truly hold us in no regard!"