Chapter 498

After entering the city gate, the red sedan procession did not stop in any of the noisy streets and alleys but instead passed straight through the most bustling Ghost Market and proceeded toward the deepest part of a certain lane.

As they went deeper, the number of ghost lanterns around gradually decreased, but the range each lantern illuminated grew larger, and the air was no longer filled with clamor and uproar but a silence that made one involuntarily hold their breath.

Hua Changxi looked out through the sedan curtain, and at the end of the street, a towering black building rose abruptly from the ground.

That was the residence of Lady Crimson Nightmare in the Ghost Realm Fortress—the Lady Tower.

The Lady Tower was five stories tall, built entirely of black crystal stone, with each story’s eaves curving sharply upward, and beneath the eaves hung eerie green lanterns.

The lantern light swayed, casting an enchanting yet sinister glow in the darkness, making people dare not approach.

The buildings within the Ghost Realm Fortress were not randomly constructed; their heights were determined by the owner’s cultivation level, serving as the most direct symbol of status and absolute power.

The realms of the Ghost Clan were divided based on the strength of the ghost body and the soul (prime spirit).

From low to high, they were: Small Ghost, Big Ghost, Ghost Lieutenant, Ghost General, Ghost Marshal, Ghost King, Ghost Emperor, Ghost Venerable, Ghost God.

The Small Ghost Realm and Big Ghost Realm were the lowest ranks of ghost soldiers and ghost troops.

Only upon reaching the Ghost Lieutenant Realm did one count as a mid-level Ghost Clan member.

The Lady Tower was five stories high, meaning Lady Crimson Nightmare’s strength was at the Ghost Marshal Realm, which corresponded to the Spirit Platform Realm of the Human Clan.

However...

“Her Ladyship has already broken through the Ghost Marshal Realm. Now, a sixth story can be added to the Lady Tower.”

The maidservant’s fawning and reverent voice rang out.

The five-story height merely represented the past; Lady Crimson Nightmare, who had been slain by Hua Changxi in the Chaos Rock Forest, had actually already stepped into the Ghost King Realm!

Although the appearance of the Yellow Springs Lord was the trigger for Lady Crimson Nightmare to enter the Ghost Realm Fortress at this time, the true core was that she had successfully advanced to the Ghost King Realm—entering the Ghost Realm Fortress was in fact to compete for a territory large enough to support her ambitions.

It was simple: although Ghost Nightmare Village bordered the forbidden zone of the Ghost Domain and had dense ghost qi, its territory was ultimately too small to sustain the cultivation needs of the Ghost King Realm.

One must know that after stepping into the Ghost King Realm, Lady Crimson Nightmare could open her own “Miniature Ghost Domain,” similar to a human cultivator’s dojo.

The larger the “Miniature Ghost Domain,” the more Ghost Clan members she could command, the stronger her strength would become, and the greater the possibility of advancing to the Ghost Emperor Realm.

Therefore, any Ghost Clan member who entered the Ghost King Realm had to face a very practical problem—competing for territory.

The size of one’s territory directly determined the amount of cultivation resources and was also a symbol of status and power.

While Hua Changxi was pondering these things, the blood-red large sedan had slowly stopped at the main entrance of the Lady Tower.

Acutely sensing the faint probing gazes in the surrounding air, she did not directly show herself and descend from the sedan but instead flew into the building.

The other Ghost Clan members in the procession showed no special reaction to this and entered the building in an orderly manner.

After entering the building, Hua Changxi discreetly surveyed everything inside. Before she could look much, she suddenly felt countless hot and burning gazes cling tightly to her.

Following those gazes, she saw it was actually the attendant Ghost Clan members.

At this moment, these ghost attendants were staring at her with eager eyes, their expressions revealing intense hunger and anticipation, causing her expression to stiffen slightly.

She was not surprised by the ghost attendants’ reaction.

It was simple: in the past, whenever Lady Crimson Nightmare entered the Ghost Realm Fortress, she would use the Nightmare Bell to put the low-level Ghost Clan members around the Lady Tower into a dream state, then turn them into “food” and grant them to the attendant Ghost Clan members for a “feast.”

There were two paths for Ghost Clan members to increase their strength: one was to cultivate step by step, and the other was to devour their own kind to seize their power.

Compared to the time and effort required for hard cultivation, devouring their own kind was undoubtedly a shortcut, so the vast majority of Ghost Clan members were drawn to it.

“We beg Her Ladyship to bestow a reward.”

The ghost attendants, seeing Hua Changxi standing still, were somewhat puzzled, then all knelt down to “beg for a reward.”

Hua Changxi looked at the kneeling Ghost Clan members but did not act immediately.

The “food-granting” by Lady Crimson Nightmare was not only anticipated by the ghost attendants but was also tacitly accepted as a “rule” by the other Ghost Clan forces around the Lady Tower. If she did not comply, it would surely draw attention and probing.

It was easy to ring the Nightmare Bell, but should she really do so?