Chapter 59 – Joy City (5)

These three individuals were: Ruhe True Sovereign from the human cultivators’ side, Qingke True Sovereign from the Incense-Offering Path, and Mengyuan True Sovereign from the Hungry Ghost Path.

Only by shedding the mortal shell, comprehending the boundary between life and death, seizing upon a single truth within the vast and boundless cosmos, and ascending to the Nine Layers of Divine Ability could one be called a “True Sovereign.”

Most people knew that the one human and two ghosts standing before them were immensely powerful, yet few understood that with a casual gesture, these three could move mountains and fill seas, ascend to the heavens or descend into the earth — the very legends that ordinary people exhausted their imaginations dreaming of pursuing.

Qingke True Sovereign spoke: “The Nine-Layer Lotus Platform opens once every ten years, and each soul may only enter once. Today, at the hour of Mao, wait for the flower to bloom. You may enter and explore. What you gain or lose is up to you; whether you live or die is a matter of fate.”

“In the yin year, the yin month, the yin hour, heaven and earth bestow upon me their joy. The nine layers of the lotus platform cleanse the ghost’s body; a sliver of life’s hope endures through ten thousand ages.” Mengyuan True Sovereign swept his gaze across the gathered ghosts. “Either finish your fighting and then go in, or come back out and fight afterward. Don’t waste this opportunity for me. Did everyone hear that?!”

The human cultivators watched as both great lords of the ghost paths lectured their own people, and turned their hopeful eyes toward Ruhe True Sovereign — you came all this way, surely you have a few words to say to us as well.

Ruhe True Sovereign glanced over the crowd. “Although you are merely here to join in the excitement, it is nonetheless an opportunity for tempering yourselves.”

“. . .” What a perfunctory dismissal.

“Fellow Daoist Ruhe, since you’re here, why not come sit for a while at my humble abode? I’m sure Fellow Daoist Mengyuan would be most delighted as well,” Qingke said with a smile.

“I would not dare decline such an invitation.”

“Hmph.”

Three streaks of escaping light vanished, and the atmosphere at the scene grew relaxed — but before even a quarter of an hour had passed, yin energy surged upward, nearly condensing into solid form to blot out the sky, as the mighty heavenly pressure bore down.

The gathered ghosts immediately erupted in cheers, reveling in the gift of yin energy. The human cultivators did not fare so well; they felt as though they had sunk into a quagmire, their entire bodies deeply uncomfortable. The weaker ones turned a pallid green-white, looking no different from ghosts themselves.

In the pitch-black sky where the yin energy had condensed, a bolt of white light cleaved downward and fell precisely upon the center of the lotus platform. The cultivators could only watch as a stream of translucent, jade-green liquid flowed from the heart of the platform, instantly splitting into a hundred rivulets that cascaded down layer by layer along the lotus leaves, until the hundred-zhang stone lotus platform was filled to the brim with the green liquid.

A yin wind blew, and a lotus flower was born from within the green liquid. In an instant, tens of thousands of lotus blossoms swayed and bloomed in full.

The gathered cultivators were drawn in by this wondrous sight and for a moment forgot to move — until a Hungry Ghost Path cultivator burst out laughing and leapt into the lotus platform, spurring everyone else to scramble forward in a rush, afraid of being left behind.

The moment Zhan Changfeng stepped into the lotus platform, she felt the dense yin energy pressing in around her. The green liquid was not truly liquid — it was the crystallized essence of pure yin energy. The lotus flowers swaying beside her, each as tall as a person, were real lotus blossoms: Ghostfire Dark Lotuses born from the yin energy itself.

She saw a ghost cultivator sitting cross-legged directly inside one of the lotuses, using the ghostfire to temper their body and the yin energy to cleanse and refine their ghost form.

This place truly deserved its reputation as heaven and earth’s gift to ghost cultivators — used properly, the benefits would last a lifetime.

While the ghost cultivators were in meditation, the human cultivators were ill-suited to this place, even rejecting it. So what were they doing?

“Hurry, hurry! What a huge Ghostfire Dark Lotus — quickly pick it!”

Fortunately, human cultivators could not stay here long, and a pair of hands could only carry a few of the millstone-sized lotus flowers. Otherwise, the ghost cultivators truly would have fought them to the death before returning to their cultivation.

The yin energy on the first layer was relatively thin, but the closer one drew to the second layer, the denser the yin energy became and the greater the pressure. The weaker ghost cultivators and human cultivators who could not endure the concentration of yin energy within wisely chose not to press further.

Zhan Changfeng moved between the lotuses and leaves. If her perception was not mistaken, the white light that had struck down was Supreme Yin Qi — and it was of critical importance to her in transforming her Pure Yin Bones into Supreme Yin Bones.

With a clear objective, she naturally would not dawdle.

Suddenly she drew her sword and spun around, splitting an arrow in two. The enormous lotus leaves were layered upon one another and the lotus flowers clustered together, easily obscuring one’s line of sight.

Three more arrows came from deep within the lotus leaves. In the blink of an eye, Zhan Changfeng flipped over and stepped onto the arrows, using the momentum to launch herself into the air. Cold light cleaved through the lotus leaves, forcing the ambusher’s figure into the open.

Zhao Huai saw that his cover was blown and immediately let out a whistle. “Brothers, capture her alive — the future is promising!”

“Such a young age, yet your cultivation is quite impressive. What a pity,” said an elderly man leaning on a crutch as he stepped out from beneath a lotus leaf.

“Stop wasting words — just grab her!”

Qian Shengdian leapt down from a lotus flower, dual blades in hand, eyes burning with intent. This was their pledge of loyalty to join the Gongsun Clan — there was no room for carelessness.

Those who dared enter Ghost City were mostly of the Prenatal realm, and these three were indeed Prenatal-realm martial cultivators.

Prenatal martial artists were rare enough in the martial world to count on one hand. Zhan Changfeng observed the weapons they carried and matched each one to a name.

She gripped her sword and smiled. “Did someone send you to capture me alive?”

“. . .” The three exchanged glances, growing wary. This was the third layer — even they could barely endure the weight of the yin energy here, yet this person moved as though nothing were wrong. Either she had something peculiar about her body, or she carried a treasure. They could not afford to stumble like an old horse losing its footing — that would be far too humiliating.

“Can they promise you a path forward?”

“. . .”

Zhan Changfeng studied their expressions, certain in her mockery. “You only know that he is from the Gongsun Clan, yet you don’t know who I am.”

“Attack!”

Faced with one young teenager, three Prenatal-realm cultivators joined forces to strike. Whoever was an enemy of the Gongsun Clan was most likely someone from Cangyun Ravine — but she had offered them nothing in return!

No matter who she was, she had to be handed over to the Gongsun Clan!

Zhan Changfeng, however, did not engage them. With a shift of her figure, she swept toward the fourth layer. She was not foolish enough to fight three Prenatal-realm cultivators head-on.

The yin energy of the fourth layer pressed down like something solid, as though blades were cutting across her skin.

Zhao Huai watched as her silhouette was about to vanish into the boundless lotus pond and fired three arrows in quick succession. “Quickly block her — we cannot go any further in!”

The crutch-wielding old eccentric cried out: “Brother Qian, lend me a hand!”

Qian Shengdian’s eyes lit up. He summoned the momentum of one who could cleave mountains and rivers, spread his legs into a wide stance, dropped his hips low, and interlocked his ten fingers into a fist. “Come!”

The crutch-wielding old eccentric, running at high speed, planted one foot onto his fist. In that instant, the veins on Qian Shengdian’s arms bulged as he gritted his teeth and roared, “Rise!”

The old eccentric shot upward like a cannonball into the sky, swiftly locating Zhan Changfeng’s position from above and hurling his crutch at her without a moment’s hesitation.

The iron crutch tore through the air, stirring up wave upon wave of yin energy. Zhan Changfeng’s sense of danger flared intensely. She shifted her steps to avoid where the crutch would land — but then the head of the crutch suddenly broke off, revealing a mass of tiny holes, and in an instant a sky-full of needle rain came pouring down upon her!

The old eccentric shouted, “Head to the southwest — she’s been hit!”

Zhao Huai and Qian Shengdian were also elated. “Excellent!”

The three rushed over and looked — sure enough, they saw a figure lying on a lotus leaf.

The old eccentric said, “You may approach. The needles I used were soaked in Ten-Fragrance Muscle-Softening Powder — anyone who touches them loses all their power.”

Having said that, he took the lead, unwilling to give up his share of the credit.

Zhao Huai and Qian Shengdian relaxed as well, and followed.

“Who knows which family’s child this is, to have provoked the Gongsun Clan — quite fortunate for us.” The old eccentric reached out to grab the figure lying limply on the leaf, when all of a sudden her eyes snapped open. With a sweep of her sleeve, a sheet of needle rain shot outward.

The old eccentric had no time to dodge and took several needles directly to the face. Behind him, Zhao Huai and Qian Shengdian reacted quickly, stirring up their true qi and each using their own methods to deflect the needle rain.

“Damn it!” She had already entered the fifth layer!

As Zhao Huai and Qian Shengdian seethed with resentment, the old eccentric screamed, “Quick, quick — help me get the antidote out of my pocket. . .”

“No need to get it,” said a dark shadow, letting out a sinister cackle as the scent of blood spread through the black mist rolling in around them.

Thank you all for your collections and recommendation votes. There will be a second update today.