Ye Kaishan contracted his hands, sealing the space pond with a faint hum.
In the far distance, a deep vibration rippled through the air. The echo spread across the barren land, shaking the lingering mists. Ghosts and wandering souls shrieked and fled in terror, their forms scattering like ashes in the wind.
Song Yan's expression grew solemn. Her gaze fixed on the horizon, eyes gleaming faintly beneath the crimson moonlight.
"We need to find a safe place," she said softly, parting her lips. "That old witch has broken free from her seal. Soon, she'll start devouring ghosts, souls, and the spiritual essence of cultivators to restore her strength. We must move quickly."
Without another word, she grasped Ye Kaishan's hand and soared into the sky atop her flying tool. She had held his hand many times before, yet this time, a trace of hesitation lingered in her fingers.
This feeling—this closeness—was still new to her.
The two streaked north beneath the glow of a red moon. The sword floated beside them, glimmering faintly as they crossed the black forest below. The air itself felt strange—dense and eerie—while the moon hung ten times larger than usual, casting a bloodlike hue across the land.
Ye Kaishan gazed at the otherworldly scene, a sense of quiet satisfaction rising within him.In his previous life, he had been nothing more than a student, repeating the same dull routines every day. He'd had no chance for adventure, no bond like this. This world, though perilous, felt far more alive.
Song Yan increased her speed as they neared a black mountain in the northern reaches of the Ghost Territory.
Meanwhile…
Wang Li and her maid flew eastward, with Yang Bing and the others following closely behind. The group soon landed on a desolate meadow bathed in dim moonlight.
After touching down, Wang Li turned to face them. Her eyes were soft yet deep, tinged with faint redness. She exhaled gently, her cherry lips parting."I didn't introduce myself before," she said. "My name is Wang Li, of the Wang family."
"I'm Yang Bing, and this is Yang Mon. We're from the Yang family," Yang Bing replied respectfully, cupping her hands. Luo Xuan and Yang Mon followed suit, introducing themselves one after another.
"Thanks to Fellow Daoist, we escaped a great disaster," Yang Bing said gratefully.
"There's no need for that," Wang Li replied calmly. "We merely stumbled upon it by fate."
"The Wang family?" Luo Xuan murmured, brows furrowing. "I've never heard of such a family in the Southern Region. Are you from somewhere else?"
"We're from the Northern Region," Wang Li answered.
Luo Xuan swallowed hard as his gaze drifted toward Wang Li's maid. She looked no older than twenty-three or twenty-four, yet her cultivation was terrifyingly high. If even the maid was that powerful… what kind of family did she serve?
He glanced between Wang Li and her maid, unease rising in his chest.
Wang Li returned his gaze, a trace of worry flickering in her eyes."That old witch has locked onto our auras," she said. "No matter where we flee, she'll continue to pursue us. We must leave the Ghost Territory as soon as possible."
Yang Bing frowned. "Is she really that powerful?"
"Yes…" the maid answered quietly. "If my guess is correct, her strength is at least at the Saint level—no less than that."
Yang Bing's face paled. She had never seen a Saint-level cultivator before, and the thought of such power being possessed by a corrupted witch made her heart race.
"Don't be too nervous," Wang Li said gently, noticing their tension. "She can only influence what lies within the Ghost Territory. Once outside, her strength will fade. She cannot follow us."
The group visibly relaxed at her words.
"If she were to escape," Yang Bing thought to herself, "even my clan wouldn't be able to stop her."
Yang Mon, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. "So… what should we do now?"
Wang Li frowned slightly, her expression troubled. "We'll rest here for a while. For now, that witch is likely busy hunting ghosts. Once she moves closer, my maid will be able to sense her within ten miles."
Everyone agreed. They sat down, fatigue visible on their faces, while Wang Li rested quietly upon a smooth boulder under the pale, red glow of the moon.
Elsewhere — In the Southern Region of the Ghost Territory
The old witch ran barefoot across the rocky wasteland. Each step she took released a low rumble as black mist surged around her. Ghosts shrieked and scattered before her presence, but she only reached out a clawed hand, grabbing a cluster of spirits and crushing them in her grasp before devouring their essence.
Her laughter echoed—a sound neither human nor ghostly, spreading terror through the land.
Suddenly, she stopped. Her eyes—two orbs like black beads in an endless sea of darkness—narrowed sharply. She turned toward the north.
For a long moment, she stared in silence. Then a sinister smile crept across her face."Emperor Orb…" she whispered.
The words slithered through the cold air, sending shivers through the wandering souls nearby.
Withered trees surrounded her, their branches twisted like claws. Thick, black liquid seeped from her eyes, tracing down her cracked cheeks to her chin.
It was a sight from hell itself.
Her expression twisted into a mad grin as she turned eastward. "First… I'll deal with those ants who dared shoot an arrow at me."
Cackling, she resumed devouring souls, her power swelling with each consumed spirit. Even the inner elixirs of powerful ghosts dissolved within her mouth like dust.
At the Western Edge of the Ghost Territory
Lee Xiao and Lee Mo descended into a vast valley—the base of the Ghost Sect's main camp.
Ghost servants stationed outside immediately rushed forward and bowed."We greet the Master!"
Lee Xiao gave a curt nod and entered alongside Lee Mo. The wounds from her encounter with Wang Li's maid had partially healed, though her expression remained grim.
Inside the main hall, she sat upon the high platform, while Lee Mo retreated into his subspace.
Slamming her fist onto the armrest, she snarled, "How can the Wang family be here? This cursed day has been nothing but trouble ever since that dog couple—Song Yan and Ye Kaishan—stole the Yin Drop from me!"
Her jaw tightened as her eyes flickered with fury. "And in that cave… who took the best treasure? Who disappeared, leaving behind only that sword manual?"
She fell into deep thought, then sighed heavily. "No matter… there's still time. When the moment comes, everything will fall into my hands."
Her eyes gleamed with malice as she smirked, shadows curling around her throne.
Inside the subspace, Lee Mo could only shake his head helplessly.
Back in the Northern Region
Song Yan and Ye Kaishan landed atop the black mountain. The terrain was barren, with occasional flickers of ghostly flame illuminating the slopes.
"We'll stay here for a while," Song Yan said quietly. "I still need to stabilize my realm."
Ye Kaishan nodded, then noticed a small hut a short distance away. Its walls were cracked, its roof half-collapsed."Song Yan!" he called out. "There's a hut ahead. We can rest there until my teleportation ability recovers."
Song Yan eyed the structure cautiously. "Alright—but we should check it first."
Ye Kaishan grinned. "Don't worry. There's no one inside."
Song Yan shot him a teasing look. "And what if there are traps or forbidden arrays?"
Ye Kaishan blinked, speechless.(Ye Kaishan: -_-)
Well, he couldn't deny she had a point. An empress didn't survive this long by being careless.
With a faint smirk, Song Yan activated her Heaven and Earth Detection technique, scanning the surroundings. Finding no traps or hidden arrays, she finally relaxed.
After all, strength meant little if one died from carelessness."a genius is not a genius if he dies early" and even "a trash will be hailed as a genius if he constantly progresses and achieve greatness
Once the area was deemed safe, the two entered the hut. Inside lay shattered furniture—a broken table, splintered chairs, and a cracked statue of a young girl.
One of the statue's hands was missing, yet its face remained intact, smiling faintly through the fractures. Cracks ran down its body, and beside it hung a faded painting—the same girl in a red dress, wearing skull-shaped ornaments and a black diamond waist chain.
Ye Kaishan and Song Yan examined the statue silently before cleaning the space. They then sat upon the old bed.
As Song Yan crossed her legs to stabilize her cultivation, a deep stillness settled over the hut.
The wind outside howled faintly, carrying whispers of ghosts that lingered just beyond the walls.