Chapter 179

Zhang Hao, carrying the old man, quickly emerged from the darkness.

Bang!

Accompanied by the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground, Zhang Hao placed the old man in the courtyard on the first floor of the wooden house.

"Zhang Hao, is this fellow human or Ghost?"

He Yuelian looked at the old man with some doubt.

The old man's lower half had no legs at all; it was fused with a tombstone, which looked extremely strange.

"It's a Ghost," Zhang Hao said calmly.

"Young one, thank you for helping me, but calling me a Ghost—doesn't that seem a bit excessive?"

The old man's figure flickered, his eerie old face bearing a smile, yet behind that smile lurked an indescribable gloom and seepage.

It seemed that at this moment the old man became somewhat less like a human.

A subtle thing gradually revealed itself; his aura became cold and eerie, as if his body were no longer in reality.

"Such disrespect to an elder, then..."

"As punishment, I have no legs now, can't walk; how about you carry me from now on—where I tell you to go, you go?"

The old man still wore a smile, but it was grim and terrifying.

At the same time, the old man extended his gaunt arm, as if to climb onto Zhang Hao's back, coil tightly around him, and embed himself in his body.

"Old thing, you think I already know you're a Ghost? Then why did I rescue you?"

Zhang Hao listened to the old man's voice and saw his actions and expression unchanged.

At the same time, a chillier aura than the old man's leaked out, and Zhang Hao's slightly hollow, indifferent eyes stared fixedly at the old man.

In an instant, a terrifying sense of oppression appeared.

Zhang Hao reached out and seized the old man's hand that tried to crawl onto his body.

The flickering old man seemed to be dragged by that palm from the Spiritual Realm into reality, unable to evade or struggle.

The old man's smile instantly froze, and the tombstone beneath him creaked, as if it could shatter at any moment.

"How is that possible? You fellow, are you human or Ghost?"

The old man looked at Zhang Hao with some terror, even though the earlier Staircase couldn't bear Zhang Hao's weight had already shown his horror.

But what exactly is this unsolvable suppression?

Even in front of the other, I involuntarily feel I've lost my Spirit Qualification.

It feels as if I've become a true human, while the other is the Ghost.

However, the old man soon sensed something amiss, not because of Zhang Hao but due to the nearby Dry Corpse Bride.

"That's wrong, you fellow, the bride beside you is a Ghost; you may look human, but in fact you're also a Ghost."

"Discovered, huh?" Zhang Hao heard the old man's words and showed little reaction.

"I originally thought, it's rare in this world to have someone who, like me, is a Ghost Controlling Human, and has progressed this far on that path, yet still wants to let you off and join me to deal with that fellow."

Zhang Hao's palm turned pale, and a certain black-and-white Ghost Power began to spread outward; soon this inexorable black-and-white seeped onto the old man.

"But now, you should just die."

Under this black-and-white Ghost Power, the tombstone beneath the old man began to disintegrate into dust.

And as the tombstone disintegrated, the old man grew eerie; his once lifelike complexion became hollow.

As the departed Ghost Power activated, everything on the old man began to die.

Even if the old man were a true Fierce Ghost, against this ultimate evolved attack there was no way to resist.

Soon, before Zhang Hao only an old bone remained.

"Is this the true body?" Zhang Hao picked up the bone and swallowed it in one bite.

The inherently strong Ghost Power meant he needed hardly any conversion time to ingest this part.

Soon, Zhang Hao felt his own Ghost Power undergoing a change.

At this moment, the Black and White Ghost Domain was released by Zhang Hao; within the Black and White Ghost Domain, pale-faced, hollow-eyed figures emerged one after another.

These were Wraiths that Zhang Hao had slain and that ordinary people had forgotten.

Among them were, astonishingly, captains such as Yang Jian, and the Republic Era Seven Elders like Zhang Dong.

The Wraiths, though bearing faces similar to their former selves, had completely hollow visages, and could no longer wield the Ghost Power of their pre-birth Fierce Ghosts.

Yet at this moment, these Wraiths seemed to undergo a change.

A terrifying Supernatural Aura began to appear on them.

Completing the old man's Ghost Power in Baishui Town successfully gave Zhang Hao's Ghost Domain new characteristics.

Those Wraiths are no longer merely spirits that can drag people into the Spirit World; they are now terrifying Wraiths that can inherit portions of their former power.

Zhang Hao could feel that, if he wished, he could even use the Soul Summoner's Ghost Power to let these Wraiths leave his Ghost Domain and truly step into reality.

"From the Spirituality Level, have you achieved the ability to pull people from other time periods into reality?"

Zhang Hao observed the Wraiths' power and found they possessed roughly six-tenths of their pre-death Ghost Power.

It is worth mentioning, for example, guys like Yang Jian and Ye Zhen.

When they were on the brink of death, their own Ghost Power received a boost.

This caused their Wraiths, after death, to inherit the peak power they had while alive.

For instance, Yang Jian's Ghost Power was to complete a tall male corpse, opening nine stacked Ghost Eyes.

Now the Wraith of Yang Jian, though only at six-tenths Ghost Power, can still stack six Ghost Eyes.

As for Ye Zhen, it's even more outrageous; his Wraith inherited the Ghost Power that, in life, completed a Disaster Blocking Ghost.

However, the most noteworthy is the old man standing motionless within Zhang Hao's Ghost Domain.

That is Zhang Dong's Wraith; even as a Wraith, no other Wraith dares to approach him.

It seems even these wraiths instinctively avoid Zhang Dong; unless Zhang Hao deliberately orders otherwise, these wraiths, lacking true intelligence, would continuously steer clear of Zhang Dong's location.

These wraiths can possess intelligence, but that depends on Zhang Hao's intention.

Clearly, at present Zhang Hao has no plan to restore the wraiths' former intelligence.

After observing for a while, Zhang Hao reclaimed the Ghost Domain.

Restoring the changes this old man brought to Zhang Hao certainly won't be that simple.

It's just that, from the ghosts' standpoint, many of the changes brought by the Spirit Road of the Dead have little meaning for the current Zhang Hao.

After all, resurrecting the dead is unnecessary.

"Let's go, leave here."

Zhang Hao glanced at the wooden house that had been turned to ash in the Black and White Ghost Domain's invasion, then said to He Yuelian and the Ghost Bride.

Hearing Zhang Hao's words, the Ghost Bride hurried forward and wrapped her arms around Zhang Hao's hand.

"Where should we go now?"

He Yuelian was a little puzzled at this moment. Given the current situation, all the Fierce Ghosts in the world should already have been devoured by Zhang Hao.

In this case, aside from killing, Zhang Hao seems to have no need for further action.

But killing those ordinary people holds no meaning for Zhang Hao.

Ordinary Fierce Ghosts kill because of the Killing Rule, and after the killing, Ghost Slaves can to some extent bear their own Ghost Power, thereby stacking it.

As for Zhang Hao, he can create as many Ghost Slaves as he wishes, and the Killing Rule has already reached a state where he can control it freely.

"A place you've never been to."

Zhang Hao gave no answer, merely using the Black and White Ghost Domain to envelop He Yuelian and the Ghost Bride.

Accompanied by black‑and‑white light expanding outward, Zhang Hao soon led them to the location of Dachang City's urban area.

"This place…has a very strange feeling."

He Yuelian, having just appeared in Dachang City, immediately sensed something was off.

It seemed a terrifying Ghost Power lingered here, with a chilling aura spreading everywhere.

The source of this chilling aura was not Zhang Hao, but a terrifying Fierce Ghost hidden within Dachang City.

"Zhang Hao, what's going on?"

He Yuelian habitually asked Zhang Hao.

"A special road."

Zhang Hao gave no further explanation, to prevent He Yuelian from overthinking.

After all, humans easily become tangled over what is false or even what is real.

Fierce Ghosts are different; for them, if they clearly recognize that they are in a Derived World and that they themselves are derived Ghosts,

then those ghosts will instinctively think of transforming themselves into a real existence.

Take Zhang Hao now as an example; he instinctively wants to enter Yang Jian's world without disappearing.

In fact, as long as Zhang Hao does not go to Yang Jian's world, he will not be attacked.

After all, no matter how Yang Jian is, he wouldn't deliberately come to deal with a matter from a Derived World.

With He Yuelian, Zhang Hao soon arrived at the exit of Yin Yang Lu.

Because previously Zhang Hao had opened the Golden Gate that had blocked the exit of Yin Yang Lu.

At this moment, Guan Jiang Xiao Qu underwent a massive change.

The neighborhood was filled with an extremely chilling aura; the modern skyscrapers now looked bizarre, like a Spiritual Realm.

If left unchecked, within less than half a year this place would, under the influence of the supernatural, completely become a special Spiritual Realm.

If Fierce Ghosts exist, the speed at which the neighborhood turns into a Spiritual Realm could be even faster.

Zhang Hao arrived before the Golden Gate that had been moved aside.

Last time he had placed a lot of Paper Money at the doorway, but now most of that Paper Money had been taken away by some unknown ghosts.

"It seems even Yin Yang Lu does not contain infinite Fierce Ghosts."

"Perhaps it's because that gate has not yet been opened."

"Let's go." Zhang Hao said to the Ghost Bride and He Yuelian behind him, then stepped through the great gate toward the darkness ahead.

As they advanced, the surroundings changed dramatically; the darkness gradually faded, and at that moment Zhang Hao and the others reached a special location.

It was a broken road, seemingly unsure how to proceed forward.

At the broken part of the road, it connected to an unknown Spiritual Realm.

Once stepped onto it, one would likely walk into those unknown Spiritual Realms.

"What should we do next?" He Yuelian asked.

These broken roads emitted an extremely eerie aura, inexplicably making He Yuelian feel apprehensive and uneasy, instinctively drawing her closer to Zhang Hao.

"Don't worry, since I came to this place, I naturally know a solution."

Zhang Hao looked left and right; while he called it observing, he was actually using Precognition and Human Skin Paper to deduce a way to traverse this road.

The last time, only Zhang Hao himself was present; in his Precognition he cared about nothing and simply walked through.

This time, with He Yuelian and the Ghost Bride, if they got separated on Yin Yang Lu, it would be troublesome.

After all, Zhang Hao also does not know where Yin Yang Lu ultimately leads.

Some broken sections may connect not only to this world but also to the Spiritual Realm of another world.

Fortunately, the effect of Human Skin Paper is still quite good.

Although it cannot reveal what lies behind the White Bone Gate, it does not hinder the deduction of Yin Yang Lu.

"Hold onto me, don't get lost; I'll lead you straight through."

Zhang Hao signaled the Ghost Bride and He Yuelian to come forward, extended his hand, and grasped each of their hands.

At the same time, the black‑and‑white spirit phenomenon enveloped them now, cutting off all external spirit phenomena.

Under the protection of the Ghost Domain, the three advanced again.

Zhang Hao led the charge, planting one foot on the darkness ahead of the broken road.

However, the pitch‑black darkness that led to an unknown place strangely caught Zhang Hao, as if the darkness were a tangible thing.

"How strange, I clearly didn't feel anything."

He Yuelian crouched and waved a hand into the darkness, but it was an empty void.

"Because this passage leading to the Spiritual Realm cannot bear my passage."

Zhang Hao remained calm about it, even the Spirit Phenomenon on this road; this unknown darkness instinctively feared him.

If this darkness truly let Zhang Hao walk into it, perhaps no action from him would be needed; this broken road connecting to the Spiritual Realm would then be unable to endure the loss of spirit phenomenon.

According to Zhang Hao's judgment, this road should be some unknown Ghost.

And that White Bone Gate is also a special Ghost, though its origin remains unknown.

Without overthinking these matters, after passing several broken intersections in succession, Zhang Hao quickly led the Ghost Bride and the others to the White Bone Gate.

Having devoured all the Fierce Ghosts in this world, yet even so, looking at this gate, Zhang Hao still felt an inscrutable sensation.

It seemed that this gate would not be weaker than Zhang Hao, who had devoured all the Fierce Ghosts of this world.

Fortunately, this time Zhang Hao, looking at the gate, did not instinctively sense danger as he had seen in the previous Precognition.

Although the previous Zhang Hao already had a high Terror Level.

But compared with the current Zhang Hao, there was still a great gap.

After a moment of thought, Zhang Hao stepped forward and raised his hand before the White Bone Gate.

"Dong! Dong! Dong!"

The sound of bones being struck echoed; this White Bone Gate was not just a frame, apparently even the door panels were fashioned from white bone.

(End of Chapter)