Chapter 497

Inside the scarlet palanquin, the light was dim and murky.

Hua Changxi sat upright within, her crimson robe—identical to that of the Crimson Nightmare Matron—looking especially bewitching, yet it only made her face appear even paler, utterly bloodless.

She lowered her eyelids, staring at the pitch-black bell in her palm.

Recalling the scene she had just experienced in the Chaos Rock Forest, she still felt a lingering fear.

Under the relentless hacking of the black broken blade, the ghostly body of the red-clad female ghost had finally shattered. But she never expected that beneath the shattered ghostly body lurked a ferocious soul (primordial spirit).

While she was not paying attention, that soul directly invaded her sea of consciousness.

Had it been anyone else, they might have already been possessed by the red-clad female ghost.

Unfortunately for the ghost, she happened to encounter her.

In her sea of consciousness was the Divine Farmer Cauldron; as soon as the soul intruded, it was suppressed by the cauldron.

And that was just the beginning.

Within her sea of consciousness were also the tokens of six great cave paradises: the Mausoleum of Light Hall, the Karma Fire Terrace, the Nine Heavens Fire Spring, the Fire Leaving Cliff, the Zhurong Tomb, and the Parasol Tree Forest.

The moment the red-clad female ghost's soul invaded her sea of consciousness, the six tokens, as if stimulated, simultaneously erupted with blazing firelight that seemed capable of destroying heaven and earth.

That soul did not even let out a scream before it was instantly refined into ashes by these six layers of firelight.

It was an overwhelming victory!

Yet Hua Changxi could not bring herself to rejoice.

She had not yet opened her Spirit Platform; her sea of consciousness remained in a primal, chaotic, and fragile state. Although the foreign invasion had been wiped out, the violent impact still rampaged through her sea of consciousness like a furious tempest.

At this moment, her head felt as if it were about to explode, the pain nearly driving her to wish for death.

Gritting her teeth against the excruciating pain that threatened to tear her consciousness apart, Hua Changxi took out her Moonlight Cup and began to absorb the Soul River water.

As her soul power was replenished, the turbulence in her sea of consciousness gradually calmed.

Only when she could no longer continue absorbing soul power did she put away the Moonlight Cup, slowly closed her eyes, and began to rest her spirit.

Though her sea of consciousness had suffered an invasion, the gains were also gratifying.

As the red-clad female ghost's soul was utterly annihilated, all the information from that ghost's lifetime flooded into her mind.

The red-clad female ghost was the master of Ghost Nightmare Village—the Crimson Nightmare Matron.

The Crimson Nightmare Matron was renowned throughout the Ghost Domain for two great skills, and even other races in the Nine Abysses greatly feared her: one was the Nightmare Art; the other was the Nightmare Bell.

The Nightmare Art was overbearing and insidious; it could weave illusory, bewildering dreams, luring people to indulge in them willingly, and could also silently invade others' dreams, taking lives in the midst of slumber without leaving a trace.

The Nightmare Bell was a top-grade magical artifact for controlling the soul.

As soon as the bell rang, it was both the moment the soul was controlled and the moment the nightmare descended.

Just now, it was precisely by means of the Nightmare Bell's sound that Hua Changxi had instantly taken control of the entire group, and then smoothly cast Soul-Controlling Art, quietly rewriting their memories.

At this moment, to all the ghost clansmen in this group, she was their supreme master—the Crimson Nightmare Matron of Ghost Nightmare Village.

Furthermore, after reading the Crimson Nightmare Matron's memories, she also learned that the obscure ghost language she had heard earlier was not a language exclusive to ghosts, but the common tongue of the Nine Abysses—the Netherworld Language.

Now, having "experienced" the Crimson Nightmare Matron's entire life, Hua Changxi was no longer unfamiliar with the Netherworld Language. Speaking it might still have some difficulty, but understanding it was no longer a challenge.

The piercing sound of the suona horn spiraled above the gloomy north gate of Ghost Realm Fortress, then slowly descended.

The Crimson Nightmare Matron's iconic scarlet palanquin also came to a stop at the city gate.

In the past, entering and leaving the city had not been subject to strict inspections; ghosts could come and go quite freely.

But now, the scene at the city gate was entirely different.

On the city walls, ghost soldiers stood with their spears, their ghostly green eyes flickering beneath the shadows of their helmets, warily scanning the area below.

At the city gate, a ghost general held an ancient black mirror, its surface swirling with pitch-black ghostly aura; every ghost entering or leaving had to pause before the mirror.

Hua Changxi sat quietly inside the palanquin, gazing at the scene before her through the gaps in the scarlet curtain.

From the Crimson Nightmare Matron's memories, she knew that the black mirror was called the Soul-Chasing Mirror—its surface roiled with mist and could instantly reflect a ghost's recent movements.

It seemed the ghost clan was desperate to give the Yellow Spring Lord an explanation, even deploying such a treasure.

The arrival of the scarlet palanquin naturally drew the attention of the city gate guards.

A ghost general in heavy armor stepped forward rapidly, stopping several meters away from the palanquin, daring not to approach any closer.

He bowed at the waist and said with a tone that was respectful yet tinged with stiffness: "Welcome, Lady Red Nightmare."

Before the palanquin's curtain stirred, the handmaiden's icy voice rang out first: "Her Ladyship wishes to enter the city—why aren't you clearing the way at once?"

The ghost general's face showed reluctance as he lowered his voice even further: "Forgive me, Lady Red Nightmare, but Lord Soul Hunter has ordered that every ghost entering or leaving the North Gate must pass before the Soul-Tracking Mirror for identity verification."

"Identity verification?"

The handmaiden's voice shot up sharply, carrying undisguised fury: "Open your dog eyes and see clearly—the one seated in this palanquin is Lady Red Nightmare!"

"What does Soul Hunt think he is, daring to issue orders to Her Ladyship?"

"Do you want him to personally deal with you, or shall we cripple you right now and settle accounts with him later?"

The ghost general trembled all over, his head bowed as low as it could go. Just as he was caught in a dilemma, a black figure suddenly dropped down from the city wall.

"You fool! What are you standing around for? Get lost—welcome Her Ladyship into the city!"

The newcomer was precisely Lord Soul Hunter.

Soul Hunt turned toward the scarlet palanquin, bowed slightly, and spoke with respectful tone: "Forgive me, Lady—my subordinates lack manners. Please enter the city."

The ghost general, as if granted amnesty, quickly retreated to one side.

Lord Soul Hunter then stepped aside to clear the path, yet kept his eyes lowered, not daring to look directly into the palanquin.

"Don't let it happen again."

The handmaiden gave a cold snort, shot the ghost general a vicious glare, then lifted her chin and followed the scarlet palanquin into the city.

From beginning to end, the person inside the palanquin never uttered a single word. Neither the gate ghosts nor the ghosts waiting outside dared to raise the slightest objection.

At the same time, a thousand meters from the city gate, Chu Junyi and his four companions stared solemnly at the entrance.

"Boss, how do we get into the city?"

"That black mirror in the ghosts' hands is no ordinary thing—if we just walk over, we're bound to be discovered."

Chu Junyi pondered for a moment and said, "Since that red palanquin convoy was allowed to bypass inspection, others can too."

"Let's wait here for the next big-name ghost who likewise won't accept inspection. Then we'll find a way to blend into their entourage."

The red palanquin convoy passed through the massive city gate. The gray mist above was gone, and the view opened up before them.

Hua Changxi looked at the scene inside Ghost World Fortress, unable to hide a flicker of awe in her eyes.

This was no mere city; its scale was so vast it seemed like an independent minor world.

The sights inside the city were bizarre and dazzling—blue-black streets crisscrossed, and rows upon rows of towers and pavilions nestled together in overlapping layers.

Low ghost huts hugged the ground, while soaring pagodas pierced the darkness like swords, tier after tier stabbing into the sky, casting eerie, massive shadows under the ghostly green flames.

Among them, what astonished her the most were the islands suspended in midair.

Those colossal landmasses floated high above, defying all common sense.

On those islands stood jade palaces and magnificent mansions, with pavilions and terraces scattered about, brightly lit like celestial palaces in the heavens.

Ghostly figures flitted to and fro among those sky islands, forming a picture that was both lively and uncanny.