Chapter 461: Backbone

To the east of the altar, a black stone mountain burning with green ghostly fire is named Ghost Mother Mountain.

Its shape resembles a lying giant corpse, the mountain body covered with fissures, like dried blood rivers crisscrossing; at the summit, gray-black resentful clouds swirl all year round, and from time to time, harsh baby cries come from deep within the mountain, causing one's soul to tremble.

The mountain surface is covered with a layer of black moss as slippery as rotten flesh; any creature not of the Ghost Clan, upon touching it, will have hallucinations—seeing their loved ones die tragically or hearing their own wails. Those with slightly weaker minds go mad on the spot and die.

Ghost Mother Mountain and Ghost Infant River are the core origin of the Nine Nether Ghost Domain; the area covered by the two together constitutes the forbidden ground of the Ghost Domain.

At this moment, deep within the hinterlands of Ghost Mother Mountain, in an underground prison forged from Nine Nether Cold Iron and Resentment Bones, hundreds of Vermilion Bird Army soldiers and hundreds of human cultivators are glaring viciously outside the iron cell at the few human cultivators who have changed into ghost clan attire.

Just now, Song Weimin attempted to ambush the leader of these few people.

Unfortunately, he failed.

Song Weimin was firmly stepped on the ground by someone, but he still tried hard to lift his head, staring with bloodshot eyes at the human cultivator sitting not far away.

"Chu Tianye, do you think that by defecting to the Ghost Clan and acting as their slaves, you will survive? I tell you, in the end, you will only degenerate into monsters that are neither human nor ghost."

"Slap~"

"Slap~"

A flurry of whips greeted Song Weimin.

Every time the Soul-Severing Whip lashed down, Song Weimin's face grew paler by a shade.

Only when Song Weimin could no longer lift his head and lay limp and motionless on the ground did the sitting human cultivator raise his hand to signal his men to stop the whipping.

Chu Tianye got up, walked over to Song Weimin, crouched down, looked expressionlessly at the dying Song Weimin, with endless resentment and anger surging in his eyes.

"Do you think I want this?"

Song Weimin was too weak to speak; he just lifted his eyelids, glanced toward the iron cell, and twisted his face into a hint of mockery and scorn.

Chu Tianye understood his silent words, knowing that Song Weimin was mocking him for being spineless, for not remaining unyielding like those in the cell.

This mockery undoubtedly struck Chu Tianye deeply.

Chu Tianye viciously grabbed Song Weimin's chin and sneered, "Originally, considering you used to be a dog for the royal family, I was willing to give you a chance to live. Since you don't appreciate it, next time the altar demands people, go and experience what it's like to have your soul drawn and blood drained."

Immediately afterward, Song Weimin was thrown into the prison cell.

The others in the cell immediately rushed forward to catch him.

Before, when Song Weimin suddenly defected to Chu Tianye, they thought it strange; now they understood that Song Weimin defected to Chu Tianye to seek an opportunity to assassinate him.

"Chu Tianye, don't be too smug. Humanity will not let you, a traitor, off."

Fang Zhuyue, the Vermilion Bird Army chiliarch, gripped the iron bars tightly, glaring viciously at Chu Tianye.

"Slap~"

Chu Tianye's subordinate directly gave Fang Zhuyue a lash with the Soul-Severing Whip.

When he wanted to swing the whip again, Chu Tianye stopped him: "Enough, the blood and souls of the Vermilion Bird Army are precious, don't waste them." As he spoke, he looked mockingly at the Vermilion Bird Army in the cell.

"I have become a member of the Ghost Clan; would I still fear humanity?"

Fang Zhuyue, his breathing unsteady from the Soul-Severing Whip, panted heavily and continued, "You're not afraid of humanity... but aren't you afraid of our Hall Master?"

Hearing this, Chu Tianye's expression suddenly changed, showing both fear and resentment.

His several subordinates also showed deep apprehension on their faces.

Fang Zhuyue sensed the fear of Chu Tianye and his men and burst into laughter: "Our Hall Master will avenge us. Chu Tianye, just wait. Not one of you will escape."

"Slap~"

Chu Tianye snatched the Soul-Severing Whip from his subordinate's hand and lashed Fang Zhuyue once, sending him to the ground unable to rise.

"Ha ha..."

"Are you scared?"

"Do you dare to beat me to death?"

"Beat me to death, and your ghost masters will never let you off!"

Although Fang Zhuyue could no longer stand up, he still lay on his back and loudly mocked Chu Tianye.

Chu Tianye stared at him coldly, as if looking at a dead thing: "Go ahead and laugh. Enjoy it while you still have breath."

"The ghost clan can't wait much longer. You people will soon be sent to the sacrificial altar. And then, what awaits you?"

"Oblivion... utter destruction of soul and body..."

"Tsk, tsk..."

Chu Tianye shook his head and left with a few of his men.

Once they were far away, a lazy voice sounded from the corner of the cell: "I tell you, why do you have to be like this?"

Fang Zhuyue, helped by other Vermilion Bird soldiers to sit against the wall, looked over: "Even if the Vermilion Bird Legion dies, we die with backbone."

Gongshu Xingyan shook his head, looking very disapproving: "You can't prove your backbone by begging to be beaten. That's just stupid."

Fang Zhuyue gave a 'humph': "Then I wish you, senior, a long and everlasting life of cowering in this ghost prison."

Gongshu Xingyan caught the sarcasm in his words and was about to retort when Song Weimin interrupted.

"Senior Gongshu."

Gongshu Xingyan saw Song Weimin sit down beside him and swallowed the words he was about to say.

When the others in the cell were no longer paying attention, Song Weimin quietly slipped a foot-long black chisel into Gongshu Xingyan's hand: "The ghost chisel you wanted."

A flash of surprise and excitement crossed Gongshu Xingyan's eyes: "You actually got it?"

Song Weimin countered with a question instead of answering: "Senior, do you really have a way to break out of prison?"

Gongshu Xingyan gave an 'mm' in affirmation.

Song Weimin's face lit up with joy: "I'll go tell Commander Fang right now. With the Vermilion Bird Legion's help, we can leave this damned place sooner."

Gongshu Xingyan grabbed Song Weimin and said solemnly, "No one else can know about this except you and me."

Song Weimin's expression stiffened: "What do you mean, senior?"

Gongshu Xingyan said, "Whether you and I can escape this damned place still depends on fate. How can we worry about others?"

Hearing this, Song Weimin replied without a second thought: "No way."

Because his voice was too loud, it immediately drew the attention of others.

Gongshu Xingyan kicked Song Weimin in exasperation, then closed his eyes and said nothing.

Song Weimin was silent for a while. When everyone's gaze shifted away, he reached out and tugged Gongshu Xingyan: "Senior, we're all humans..."

Gongshu Xingyan opened his eyes and looked at Song Weimin helplessly.

"Do you think this place is somewhere ordinary?"

"It's the forbidden land of the ghost domain—Ghost Mother Mountain."

"Even the ghosts themselves can't come and go freely here, let alone humans."

"And that escape method of mine has less than a one percent chance of success. I'm only doing it because I'm about to go crazy from being locked up. Otherwise, I wouldn't take this risk."

Song Weimin listened, the hope in his eyes gradually fading, and then he fell silent.

Not long after, Fang Zhuyue came over.

Gongshu Xingyan looked at him warily and was about to close his eyes when he heard Fang Zhuyue speak.

"I know you two want to break out of prison."

"If you're going to do it, do it quickly, while we haven't been sent to the sacrificial altar yet."

Hearing this, Gongshu Xingyan looked at him in surprise.

Song Weimin also looked over.

Fang Zhuyue smiled faintly: "I know me and my men are doomed, but... you still have a chance."

"No matter what, whoever can escape, let them escape."

"I have only one wish. If any of you can make it back alive to the human world, please go to Lingguang Hall and deliver a message for us."

"Tell our hall master about the Ghostfire Well connecting to the Nine Nether Ghost Domain."

The Vermilion Bird Bone must not fall into the hands of the Ghost Clan.