Chapter 503

Following the guidance of the black broken blade, Hua Changxi carried the Bone Lantern and hurried through the gray gloom. Before long, another surging black sea of clouds came into view.

However, unlike the first black cloud sea at the center of the Ghost Realm Fort, which could be freely traversed, this second domain’s black cloud sea had already been occupied by several ghost clan forces, and passing through required paying a toll.

“Why has the price gone up again?”

“Exactly! Before, it was already expensive to cross the ‘Chongyuan Pass’ for five mid-grade Nether Stones. Now they’ve directly raised it to ten! You’re practically robbing us!”

“Cross or don’t cross—if you don’t like it, get lost.”

Hua Changxi stood in the shadow of a distant black rock, watching the commotion among the ghost crowd with cold eyes.

As more and more ghosts gathered, greed and anger fermented in the murky air, and verbal quarrels quickly escalated into physical shoving.

Then, the first piercing scream tore through the noise.

In an instant, the conflict turned into slaughter.

Hua Changxi had intended to slip through the Chongyuan Pass amid the chaos, but unexpectedly, the ghost clan forces entrenched there directly sealed the passage, refusing to let any ghost through.

She normally wouldn’t bother with internal ghost clan strife, but now these fellows were blocking her way, so she couldn’t just ignore them.

Instead of leaping into the chaotic horde and joining the fight, she picked up the Ghost Chariot Soul Flute and brought it to her lips.

She hadn’t practiced the Soul-Devouring Melody yet. The first time she puffed up her cheeks and blew, the flute only emitted a dull thud, and not a single ghost in the distance even glanced her way.

The corner of Hua Changxi’s mouth twitched slightly. Unwilling to give up, she adjusted her breath and tried again.

“Hoo~”

“Woo~”

“Zhee~”

After several attempts, she finally produced some sound, but it wasn’t in tune; rather, it seemed to be cheering on the fighting ghosts.

Uh…

Hua Changxi’s expression stiffened as she stood dumbfounded for a moment. Watching the murderous ghosts in the distance, she took a deep breath and directly walked over to a small mound with a clear view, then sat down.

She didn’t want to personally charge into that battlefield of slaughter; she’d rather practice the Soul-Devouring Melody before crossing.

Those ghosts in the distance would be the perfect tools to test her flute technique.

Hua Changxi quickly reviewed the oral formula and fingering of the Soul-Devouring Melody in her mind, then raised the Soul Flute again.

“Woo…”

At last, a low flute sound rang out.

At first, the melody was still very stiff, like an invisible thread tremblingly drifting toward the ghost crowd.

The ghosts engaged in slaughter only paused slightly, as if they had heard some strange noise, but paid no attention and continued tussling.

Hua Changxi focused on the ghosts’ reactions, her fingers dancing nimbly over the flute’s tone holes, constantly channeling the soul power within her through her fingertips into the Soul Flute.

After a while, the flute sound gradually became more coherent, though it was still harsh and unpleasant—sometimes sharp like a ghost’s wail, sometimes muffled like a dull thunderclap. When it reached the ghost crowd, it only made a few minor ghosts near the mound instinctively frown and shake their heads before they threw themselves back into the fight.

Hua Changxi didn’t get discouraged. Her fingertips flew back and forth, gradually adjusting the pressure on the tone holes, pondering the method of breath circulation recorded in the mental technique. She pressed slightly with her throat to make her breath steadier and deeper.

After more time passed, the flute sound gradually became smoother, no longer a chaotic noise, and took on a hint of cold, eerie rhythm.

This time, when the flute sound drifted into the battlefield, the fighting ghosts’ movements clearly paused.

The ghosts that had been glaring with red eyes and swinging madly now seemed to have a bit less ferocity in their gaze. Their movements slowed, and the bone blades in their hands no longer slashed as savagely.

The scattered ghosts that had been wailing grew quieter, their eyes turning somewhat dazed, as if pulled by something, involuntarily looking toward the mound.

Seeing that the battle was no longer intense, the powerful ghost clan members immediately barked harshly: “What are you all standing around for? Keep killing!”

The shouts briefly brought some ghosts back to their senses, and the slaughter resumed, but this time it was clearly not as frenzied as before.

“It’s working!”

Watching the commotion in the distance, the corners of Hua Changxi’s mouth lifted slightly. She didn’t stop playing, but instead became even more focused.

Her fingertips grew more agile, her breath steadier, and the melody of the Soul-Devouring Melody gradually became clearer.

The cold flute sound, like invisible threads, twined around the wind and slowly spread, carrying a faint but tangible soul-devouring force. It was no longer sharp, yet it grew more bone-piercing, drilling into every ghost’s soul as if trying to freeze it solid.

[]

After practicing for about half a stick of incense's time, the flute's sound had become melodious yet icy, each note carrying a soul-snatching, spirit-seizing power.

The ghostly horde in the distance was thrown into complete chaos.

The ghostly beings, who had been fiercely fighting, slowly became stiff, their eyes gradually losing focus, and then, with a series of "bang bang bang," they fell to the ground like dumplings being dropped, unable to rise.

Only then did a few ghost leaders notice Hua Changxi on the earthen slope, their eyes full of fear and shock.

Hua Changxi sat on the slope, the Ghost Chariot Soul Flute at her lips still emitting a cold, eerie melody; as her fingers rose and fell, they had already gained a bit more proficiency.

With lowered eyes and a calm expression, she focused solely on feeling the soul-capturing power within the flute's sound, adjusting the rhythm of each note.

The eerie flame of the bone lantern at her feet flickered, casting her profile in shifting light and shadow, forming a strange yet harmonious scene with the ghostly horde in the distance that had fallen into frozen stillness.

After blowing for a little while longer, Hua Changxi felt she had practiced the first layer of the "Soul Capturing Melody" — Bewitching the Soul — to proficiency, and only then did she slowly stop.

At this moment, the vast majority of the ghostly horde in the distance had already lost their wits, only a few leaders still possessed a trace of clarity.

Hua Changxi picked up the bone lantern, stood up, patted the dust off her robes, swept her gaze over the fallen, dazed ghostly beings ahead, and with the lantern in hand, slowly walked down the earthen slope toward the entrance of the Abyss.

Just as she was about to reach the Abyss entrance, a gust of eerie wind howled in.

"Hoo~"

A fierce wind suddenly rose, swirling up the filthy, stinking dust from the ground.

A white sedan chair, like a specter tearing through the gloom, carried a chilling murderous aura and came to an abrupt halt not far in front of Hua Changxi.

The sedan's curtains hung low, obscuring the true situation within.

However, Hua Changxi clearly saw the sedan bearers and the path openers — they were actually the five human cultivators she had encountered on the Yellow Springs Ancient Path!

"Yo!"

"The ghost race actually has a great philanthropist — how rare!"

The sedan's hanging canopy was lifted, revealing a stunningly beautiful woman in white.

With a sweep of her Eye of Truth, Hua Changxi's pupils sharply contracted — the true form of the woman in the sedan was actually a skeleton.

She understood the underlying words of the woman in white, and also read the doubt and scrutiny in her eyes.

She had made a move but did not annihilate and devour this group of ghosts — indeed, it didn't quite match the ghost race's usual modus operandi.

The "Soul Capturing Melody" has three layers: the first layer — Bewitching the Soul, causes the listener to lose their mind and obey commands; the second layer — Severing the Soul, where the flute's sound turns into blades that cut the listener's soul body; the third layer — Annihilation, directly causing the listener's soul body to collapse and scatter into nothing.

She had just learned the "Soul Capturing Melody"; being able to fully play the first layer was already good. To achieve the effects of the second and third layers, she would need much more practice.

Moreover, she had no actual conflict of interest with the ghost race, so there was no need to massacre them on a large scale.

Hua Changxi idly twirled the bone lantern in her hand, lifted her eyes, and looked at the skeletal woman: "I'm not interested in ants. If I want to kill, I kill the strong. Do you want to try?"