Chapter 79: Dark Nether Lord's Position of Capturing the Nether

Time often waits for no one.

Just as Lu Yang was lost in thought, the darkness surrounding the yellow-robed elder nearby had already spread to his side, carrying a powerful corrosive force.

Lu Yang raised his head and examined the other party with keen interest.

"So this is a Witch-Ghost?"

The Witch-Ghost Path was once a great sect of the ancient demonic path; at that time, every disciple of the Witch-Ghost Path would refine a natal Witch-Ghost to serve as the foundation for their future cultivation.

However, with the emergence of the Golden Core sword qi, the Witch-Ghost Path was utterly exterminated; without cultivators to control them, these Witch-Ghosts began wandering within the Secret Realm, and based on the strength of their former masters, the Witch-Ghosts were classified into White-Robed, Yellow-Robed, Black-Robed, and the most ferocious, Red-Robed ghosts.

As for the living humans within the Secret Realm, their origins were equally complex.

Their ancestors were either servants formerly raised by the Witch-Ghost Path or disciples who decisively crippled their own cultivation when the sect met its calamity.

This was solely because cultivation was strictly forbidden within the Secret Realm.

Since the Golden Core sword qi sought to eradicate the Witch-Ghost Path's lineage, anyone who stepped onto the path of cultivation, even with only the First Layer of Qi Condensation, would be slain by the sword qi.

This was precisely why Lu Yang, being an outsider and a target for the sword qi to 'bait', was not killed the moment he entered the Secret Realm; yet in truth, the difference was negligible, for as long as the sword qi remained undispersed, his avatar could not leave the Secret Realm, making his state no different from death.

The fate of the Witch-Ghost Path was even more bitterly ironic.

Since only mortals survived and were unable to cultivate, they instead became prey for the out-of-control Witch-Ghosts, constantly captured and devoured.

Those who controlled ghosts were ultimately consumed by ghosts.

"Be that as it may, humans can always find a way out in dire straits."

Although unable to step onto the path of cultivation, over a thousand years, generations of mortals in the Secret Realm risked life and limb, eventually discovering a method to counter the Witch-Ghosts.

That method was 'Offering Ghosts to Serve Yanluo'.

In short, it involved using a secret technique to offer oneself to a Witch-Ghost, allowing one to borrow the ghost's power even as one was being devoured by it.

"The cultivator who founded this system styled himself 'Ancestor Tingyou', and the Tingyou Sect he established has now become the sole sect within the Secret Realm, deeply rooted and widespread, even developing a systematic method for controlling ghosts, assigning different titles based on the grade of the ghost controlled."

Controlling a White-Robed ghost is titled 'Ghost Officer'.

Controlling a Yellow-Robed ghost is titled 'Rakshasa'.

Controlling a Black-Robed ghost is titled 'Impermanence'.

As for the most ferocious Red-Robed ghosts, whoever can control one immediately becomes an Elder of the Tingyou Sect and is known within the Secret Realm as a 'Walker of Yanluo'.

"Quite a variety of tricks."

Although nearly all cultivators who followed this ghost-controlling system lived no longer than a year or two, as long as they lived, their strength was undeniable.

At their peak, they could rival the Great Perfection of Qi Condensation.

The Yellow-Robed ghost before him possessed strength at the level of the Mid Stage of Qi Condensation.

However, what truly intrigued Lu Yang was that he detected a faint, mysterious aura related to 'status' emanating from this Yellow-Robed ghost.

"It seems somewhat like... fragments of a Divine Ability?"

This sensation was akin to the superior abilities that compose a great Divine Ability, merely weakened countless times in hierarchy, thus appearing incredibly faint.

Lu Yang reached out, instantly seizing the Yellow-Robed ghost in his hand and refining it within moments.

"Indeed related to status, yet not reaching the level of Foundation Establishment."

"These Witch-Ghosts wandering within the Witch-Ghost Secret Realm must be connected to a certain great Divine Ability, and these ghosts are all fragments of that single great Divine Ability."

After pondering for a moment, Lu Yang took out the Myriad Souls Banner.

Immediately, the Yellow-Robed ghost was sent onto the banner flag, transforming into a banner spirit... gradually, an unusual expression appeared on Lu Yang's face.

"This is truly... an unexpected joy!"

The Witch-Ghosts within the Secret Realm hid a trace of status aura, seemingly related to a great Divine Ability, while his own Myriad Souls Banner could turn these ghosts to his use.

Lu Yang felt immense surprise, his thoughts racing; facts proved he could completely use the Myriad Souls Banner to subdue and refine every Witch-Ghost in the Secret Realm one by one, reassembling these status fragments, and perhaps eventually condense a great Divine Ability that could aid his breakthrough to Foundation Establishment!

Thinking of this, Lu Yang's heart instantly burned with excitement.

"The living beings here have suffered under the plague of Witch-Ghosts for far too long; I am kind-hearted and always compassionate, so I shall reluctantly accept the burden of collecting these ghosts to restore peace to this land."

Immediately after, Lu Yang turned his gaze to the youth who had fallen into unconsciousness.

With his cultivation base, searching the soul of a mortal would naturally leave no aftereffects; he even left behind a martial arts cultivation method as compensation.

"I truly am a great benevolent person."

Just then, a sound suddenly came from the distant horizon.

Lu Yang looked up, only to see a patch of black clouds, within which stood a black-robed Daoist Priest, followed by two child attendants and over ten beautiful maids.

At a glance, the attendants held treasures to guard his left and right, while the maids either held fans and incense or played flutes and pipes; behind them followed a long procession dressed in black and white, holding suonas, gongs, and drums, playing music and dancing as they walked, a vast swarm that appeared extremely grandiose.

"Hmm? Where are the Witch-Ghosts of this place?"

The black-robed Daoist Priest in the clouds fixed his gaze on Lu Yang, then frowned: "Are you the commoner who sent the message? Where is the Ghost Officer of this place?"

Hearing this, Lu Yang glanced at the other party and said indifferently: "Dead."

According to the youth's memories obtained through soul-searching, that Ghost Officer had long been killed by the Yellow-Robed ghost, which was why the youth had been hiding in the ruins to evade the Witch-Ghosts' search.

Upon hearing this, the black-robed Daoist Priest in the clouds frowned even deeper, then suddenly reached out and signaled the attendant beside him to take out a round mirror and shine it down upon Lu Yang from the sky; seeing this, Lu Yang raised an eyebrow slightly, and with a sweep of his spiritual sense, he discerned the mirror's function, yet he neither dodged nor avoided, allowing the mirror light to fall upon him.

The next second, the black-robed Daoist Priest revealed a cold smile:

"I wondered who it was, so it turns out to be a wild fox chan from the outside world; surely you killed the Ghost Officer and seized the Witch-Ghosts of this place; it seems I cannot spare you today!"

"... ild fox chan?"

Hearing this, Lu Yang felt it was utterly absurd; a heretical path from within a Secret Realm actually calling him a wild fox chan? It was simply turning heaven and earth upside down!

On the other side, the black-robed Daoist Priest felt nothing was amiss.

Although the Witch-Ghost Secret Realm was hidden from the world, it was not completely isolated, so over the years, some scattered cultivators had accidentally entered the Secret Realm by chance.

The black-robed Daoist Priest had seen many such individuals.

However, scattered cultivators were weak and alone, their cultivation at best no more than the Early Stage of Qi Condensation, or slightly better, the Mid Stage of Qi Condensation, appearing far too frail before the Tingyou Sect.

Over time, the black-robed Daoist Priest naturally came to look down upon so-called cultivators from the outside world.

Therefore, facing Lu Yang now, he was full of confidence, not taking him seriously at all, thinking only of quickly capturing him to return and report his success.

The next second, the black-robed Daoist Priest focused his mind and circulated his energy.

His originally ruddy complexion instantly turned deathly pale, while only his lips became full and rosy, increasingly vivid, revealing a strange Daoist rhyme.

The ghost he controlled was a Black-Robed ghost named 'Call Name, Drop Dead'; as the name implies, after this Witch-Ghost locked onto a target, it could divine the opponent's name, and once the black-robed Daoist Priest spoke the name, the person called would immediately have their soul hooked away by the ghost, dying within three hours.

Relying on this ghost, he had always been invincible when engaging in magical combat with others.

This time was no different; he directly urged the ghost to begin divining the name of this wild fox chan before him, and almost simultaneously, Lu Yang also felt a sensation.

"Divining me?"

Lu Yang raised an eyebrow slightly: "Interesting; these ghosts, as fragments of a great Divine Ability, tainted with a trace of status aura, can actually involve karma..."

As he spoke, he formed hand seals to obscure the karma.

Although he believed that with his own status, it mattered not what the opponent divined, a gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall, so there was no need to take risks.

"How can this be!?"

Seeing that 'Call Name, Drop Dead' had achieved nothing, the black-robed Daoist Priest instantly panicked, unable to understand why his invincible ghost had encountered such an anomaly.

Seeing this, Lu Yang shook his head: "Truly no challenge at all; far inferior compared to Foundation Establishment."

"But this is fine; overcoming the superior with the inferior was never my style anyway; I am more adept at this kind of cross-realm killing that accommodates those below..."

On the other side, the black-robed Daoist Priest seemed to suddenly think of something, then reached into his robe and actually took out a deity statue carved from red wax; its appearance was majestic and solemn, with three long incense sticks standing atop its crown, and without another word, the black-robed Daoist Priest directly ignited them.

The next second, green flames began to burn behind the statue's head.

"I invite the Ancestor to manifest!"

The black-robed Daoist Priest bowed prostrate, and in an instant, rolling auspicious clouds drifted from the three long incense sticks atop the statue, while the statue's own brows relaxed.

Immediately, celestial music rang out, sweet rain fell from the sky, and golden lotuses surged from the earth; countless miraculous phenomena surrounded the statue, making it appear increasingly sacred and majestic, until even its facial features became vivid; though merely a body of red wax, it seemed like a living person, looking at Lu Yang and speaking in a booming voice:

"What petty villain dares to offend my sect's lineage?"

"..."

Lu Yang did not answer, silently observing the other party with an unusual expression, for in the eyes of those with and without status, the statue's appearance differed vastly.

Ordinary people looking at the statue could only see it as lifelike, just like a living human.

However, in Lu Yang's eyes, the statue remained merely a statue; what truly moved was a beam of Divine Ability light that had now appeared beneath his feet.

The light of the ability was profound, within which seven seal scripts clearly floated and sank, continuously erupting with magnificent magic power.

Lu Yang instantly understood; this was the great Divine Ability he had previously guessed could only be condensed after gathering the myriad Witch-Ghosts within the Witch-Ghost Secret Realm!

Its name was:

【Dark Nether Lord's Position of Capturing the Nether】!

(End of Chapter)