Chapter 122: Soul Detention

Hua Changxi walked along the long road shrouded in heavy mist and dim light, feeling increasingly unsure with every step; the visibility was so poor she could not see the road's end, and facing an unknown future, she felt like turning back.

Whoosh~

A ghostly cold wind blew past, causing Hua Changxi to shudder involuntarily.

This tremor instantly put her on high alert.

She did not fear the cold; her shivering was not caused by feeling cold, but by feeling pain, a gnawing kind of pain.

It seemed something alive within the cold wind was biting her!

As another gust of yin wind arrived, Hua Changxi immediately circulated her spiritual power, and in an instant, her body became covered in flames.

"Ah~"

When the yin wind collided with the flames, a piercing shriek immediately erupted from within the wind.

Hearing the sound, Hua Changxi felt both shock and fear; there truly were living creatures within the yin wind.

The flames on Hua Changxi's body seemed to enrage the creatures in the yin wind; 'Whoosh~', the surrounding mist began to churn violently.

Soon, yin winds blew from all directions, all rushing toward Hua Changxi.

Amidst the fierce impact of the yin winds, the flames on Hua Changxi's body showed signs of extinguishing.

Seeing this, Hua Changxi quickly increased her output of spiritual power; the roaring flames began to standoff against the howling yin winds.

As the yin winds grew stronger, Hua Changxi became somewhat anxious; this was her first time visiting the Ghost Market, she knew nothing, and she did not wish to cause too much of a disturbance.

'Boom~'

A fire lotus bloomed upon Hua Changxi's body.

"Ah~"

An even sharper, more piercing sound rang out, and simultaneously, the yin wind surged; amidst a distortion, a skull head emitting green light materialized.

Upon seeing the skull, Hua Changxi did not hesitate, condensing a fire lotus and flinging it over.

Enveloped by the fire lotus, the skull immediately began thrashing about frantically within the flames.

Seeing that the fire lotus could not burn the skull, Hua Changxi was shaken, until a miniature fire bird flew out from the lotus; the bird spewed a strand of flame, instantly incinerating the skull completely.

The fire bird was a divine ability she gained after her bloodline reverted to its ancestors; its power was to burn the primordial spirit.

What is the primordial spirit?

According to her understanding, it is a person's soul.

If one infers thus, then the skull in the yin wind must be formed from condensed souls!

The pain she had felt just now must have been that skull gnawing at her soul body.

"The Ghost Market..."

She had originally thought the Ghost Market was merely a place name for a gathering of cultivators, never expecting it to truly be a place where ghosts congregate.

After the skull disappeared, the yin wind dispersed, and silence returned to the surroundings.

Should she continue forward?

Hua Changxi hesitated; gazing at the terrifying, gloomy road ahead, she deliberated for quite a while before finally deciding to press on.

She could not remain stagnant forever in safe places; she needed to explore the true world of cultivators.

For the rest of the journey, no yin winds blew.

Hua Changxi forced herself to move forward, and after walking for who knew how long, some lights of other colors finally appeared within the gloomy, misty darkness.

It was a river shimmering with green light; atop the river stood an old, rotting wooden bridge, and before the bridge stood a hunched white-haired old woman, who was stirring a pot of steaming soup.

Witnessing this scene, Hua Changxi truly could not bring herself to go any further.

Yet on the opposite bank of the river, dim yellow lanterns glowed; through their light, she could faintly make out streets, upon which countless figures in black robes were moving about.

Just as Hua Changxi paused in hesitation, several cultivators陆续 appeared from other directions.

They were all Qi Sea realm cultivators, and these people shared a unified mark: they wore black robes that exposed only their eyes.

Seeing Hua Changxi, who made no attempt at disguise, several of them cast surprised glances her way.

None of these people showed any intention of speaking; they walked quickly toward the wooden bridge, took the soup handed to them by the white-haired old woman, drained it in one gulp, and then hurried across the river.

Seeing them all drink the soup so naturally, Hua Changxi was somewhat surprised; could it be that the soup brewed by the white-haired old woman was harmless to cultivators?

Having come this far, Hua Changxi was certainly unwilling to turn back now; after a moment's hesitation, she took out the Fortune Doll mask she had bought earlier from her storage prayer beads and put it on.

Although it could not compare to others' black robes, at least having a mask was slightly better than being completely exposed before others.

Wearing the Fortune Doll mask, Hua Changxi walked to the edge of the wooden bridge.

Seeing the 'Fortune Doll' before her, the white-haired old woman's face, full of wrinkles, broke into a smile: "Little girl, this is your first time visiting the Ghost Market, isn't it?"

Hua Changxi nodded; looking at the boiling soup in the pot, she identified it merely as a soup that sealed spiritual power, and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

The white-haired old woman ladled a bowl of soup and smilingly handed it to Hua Changxi.

Hua Changxi took the soup bowl, tilted her head back, and drained it in one gulp.

Seeing this, the white-haired old woman smiled again: "People coming to the Ghost Market for the first time never dare to drink the soup I, an old woman, brew; you, however, are quite decisive."

Hua Changxi said: "I saw the people ahead drinking it; since they dared to drink, I assumed there must be no harm in it."

The white-haired old woman smiled, neither affirming nor denying, then looked again at the Fortune Doll mask Hua Changxi wore; a look of reminiscence flashed in her eyes, and after a moment's hesitation, she finally offered a reminder: "The mask you are wearing is useless; it is no different from wearing nothing at all."

Hua Changxi was startled: "How can that be?"

The white-haired old woman said: "The black robes others wear can block spiritual sense exploration; your mask is merely a mortal object." Saying this, she tapped the pot before her.

"What is brewing in the pot is Spirit-Sealing Soup; after drinking it, one cannot mobilize spiritual power."

Upon hearing this, Hua Changxi immediately tested it, and finding she indeed could not mobilize her spiritual power, her eyes widened instantly as she stared at the white-haired old woman in shock.

The white-haired old woman saw Hua Changxi's shocked eyes through the mask and laughed: "Little girl, you lack too much experience; think carefully, since everyone who comes here has their spiritual power sealed, there should be no danger between them, so why do they still wear black robes?"

This question indeed stumped Hua Changxi, but soon, she figured it out: "Wearing black robes is not to guard against other cultivators, but to guard against the people of the Ghost Market."

The white-haired old woman said: "You are quite clever."

Seeing the White-Haired Old Woman confirm her answer, Hua Changxi's heart immediately sank.

Spiritual sense probing...

For a cultivator to project their spiritual sense externally, they must advance to the Spirit Platform Realm.

Does this mean those running the Ghost Market are all powerhouses of the Spirit Platform Realm?

Hua Changxi felt somewhat heavy-hearted; she had originally thought her rapid advancement to the Infant Transformation Realm was rare, never expecting there to be Spirit Platform powerhouses within the Ghost Market.

"Old Woman, where should I go to buy a black robe?"

The White-Haired Old Woman smiled: "Where to buy one, this old woman does not know, but if you want a set of black robes, it is simple enough."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi immediately clasped her fists and bowed, adopting a posture of humble inquiry: "Please, Old Woman, offer your guidance."

The White-Haired Old Woman raised her right hand, pointing at a black-robed cultivator approaching from that direction: "Robbing is the simplest way."

Hua Changxi: "..."

Seeing the stunned 'Fortune Child,' the White-Haired Old Woman shook her head with a smile: "Little girl, you cannot currently mobilize spiritual energy; if you do not wish to die, hurry across the bridge."

Heeding the warning, Hua Changxi glanced at the cultivator running quickly toward her, said nothing more, and dashed onto the wooden bridge, crossing the river swiftly; standing on the opposite bank, she intended to thank the White-Haired Old Woman, only to see several more cultivators arriving.

Those few individuals launched a fierce assault on the cultivator who had not yet crossed the bridge, and soon, that cultivator collapsed in a pool of blood.

Next, his black robe was stripped off, everything on his person was confiscated, and finally, the cultivator's corpse was kicked into the Green River.

As soon as the corpse entered the Green River, the waters began to churn violently.

Faintly, Hua Changxi seemed to hear the sound of gnawing.

Watching those few cultivators begin dividing the spoils on the spot as if nothing had happened, Hua Changxi took a deep breath, quickly produced a Spirit-Dispelling Pill, and swallowed it.

Only after confirming she could once again mobilize her spiritual energy did she breathe a sigh of relief.

She absolutely must not become like that previous cultivator, prey in the eyes of others.

"Old Woman, thank you."

Hua Changxi shouted toward the opposite bank, then turned and walked toward the crowd.

The White-Haired Old Woman watched Hua Changxi's retreating figure, her face bearing an expression of pity; like a sheep entering a wolf pack, there was no return—what a pity, she was still so young.

Truly, one did not know how her parents had raised her, allowing a child to come to the Ghost Market for tempering; and having come, she was utterly unprepared—was this not simply sending her to her death?

Hua Changxi walked toward the area with the strongest light; along the way, dim yellow skull lanterns hung at regular intervals, resembling from a distance the illuminating lanterns of the mortal world at night.

Not only was the light on the opposite bank stronger and no longer misty, but although it remained gloomy and terrifying, she now felt the illusion of having arrived in another world.

Looking upward, one could not see the top; instead, it gave people a sense of depth and vastness akin to a night sky.

At this moment, Hua Changxi clearly realized that the so-called Ghost Market was absolutely not a simple gathering place for cultivators to trade.

Before long, Hua Changxi saw the trading street crowded with cultivators.

It was exactly as Eunuch Lin had said: one could find anything here.

On the streets, there were not only various shops but also all kinds of street stalls, selling everything imaginable.

Apart from the black-robed cultivators, there were many cultivators in ordinary attire on the street; these people were mostly sellers.

Hua Changxi had originally thought that wearing a mask would make her stand out, but upon entering the crowd, she discovered she was not too conspicuous; although people glanced at her, she was not particularly special.

This relieved her considerably, but remembering that the Ghost Market was run by powerhouses above the Spirit Platform Realm, she dared not wander aimlessly; walking the streets, she focused solely on finding a talisman master so she could leave quickly.

After she obtained a black robe, she would properly explore the place during her next visit.

"What a fragrant soul."

As Hua Changxi passed a street stall, the middle-aged stall owner's nose suddenly twitched violently, and an expression of enjoyment appeared on his face: "What a fragrant soul."

The middle-aged stall owner glanced at Hua Changxi, quickly stood up, and walked toward a pavilion not far away.

A plaque hung on the pavilion bearing three glowing green characters: 'Ghost Envoy Pavilion.'

Seeing the middle-aged stall owner enter the Ghost Envoy Pavilion, nearby vendors all revealed expressions of envy.

Before long, two towering, muscular giants emerged from the Ghost Envoy Pavilion, each holding an iron claw chain emanating a gloomy aura.

Several hundred meters away, Hua Changxi was crouching before a street stall, browsing the spirit talismans for sale and chatting casually with the vendor to ascertain his talisman-making abilities.

Although she was conversing with the vendor, she had not forgotten to observe her surroundings.

Thus, she noticed immediately that vendors on both sides were sizing her up, while the black-robed cultivators on the street were moving away from her.

Realizing something was amiss, Hua Changxi quickly stood up, intending to leave.

Just then, two iron claws attacked simultaneously, one from the front and one from behind.

She dodged one but failed to evade the other, which clamped onto her left shoulder.

This was not a fatal wound; Hua Changxi was confident she could break free from the iron claw, yet the next moment, she was horrified to discover she could no longer command her body, standing fixed before the stall as she watched the two giants approach.

"Two honored sirs, it is her; her soul is exceedingly fragrant. If you present her to Venerable Ox-Head, you two will surely receive the Venerable's reward."

The two giants removed Hua Changxi's mask, examined her from head to toe, and displayed expressions of satisfaction: "Venerable Ox-Head favors beautiful female cultivators the most."

Having spoken, they tossed a white stone to the middle-aged stall owner.

Upon receiving the stone, the middle-aged stall owner bowed repeatedly in gratitude.

Then, the street vendors and black-robed figures watched as Hua Changxi, like a walking corpse, was dragged away by the two giants.

"Sigh~"

A black-robed figure let out a long sigh: "Daring to come to the Ghost Market without even carrying a magical artifact to isolate one's soul aura—is this not simply seeking death?"

At this moment, unable to control her own body, Hua Changxi was truly terrified in her heart.

Having become a cultivator and progressed too smoothly, she had still been careless; she had still underestimated the dangers of the cultivator world.

What should she do?

What exactly were these iron claws?

Why could she no longer control her body?

At this moment, Hua Changxi not only realized her understanding of the cultivator world was too shallow but also discovered that she had been fighting entirely alone.

Only Lin Sheng knew she had come to the Ghost Market, and since they had known each other for barely two days, if she went missing, he would never make any real effort to find her, let alone summon others to rescue her.

Moreover, she did not know any powerful experts; even if she wanted to find someone to save her, there was no one to find.

Amidst trepidation and fear, Hua Changxi was dragged out of the Trading Street by the two men, then led toward a direction where the light grew increasingly dim.

Everything within her sight turned into a gray haze once more; Hua Changxi's visibility extended only a few dozen meters, through which she vaguely saw herself being pulled by the two burly men into a massive mountain.

The shape of the massive mountain somewhat resembled an ox head.

Though it appeared as a huge mountain from the outside, inside it was a stone palace; Hua Changxi was brought into a vast, empty hall.

Directly above the hall crouched a massive... yellow ox.

The two burly men dropped to one knee: "Venerable One, this humble servant has a gift to present."

The yellow ox slowly opened its eyes; upon seeing Hua Changxi hooked by the Soul-Hooking Claws, its bovine eyes brightened, and it immediately rose.

As the yellow ox rose, a white radiance ignited around its body; amidst the surging white light, it transformed into a tall, muscular man clad in a white vest.

The yellow ox, now smiling, walked up to Hua Changxi, circled her twice: "Exquisite; I like her, especially the lotus pattern between her eyebrows—it deeply pleases me."

"What a pity it is red; if the lotus pattern were green, it would be even better."

The two burly men were the yellow ox's trusted confidants and knew its heart's desire; they immediately laughed: "Is Venerable One once again thinking of the Venerable Green Lotus of Lotus Mountain?"

The yellow ox sighed, wearing the air of a resentful lover: "What good is thinking? She won't even let me touch her hand. Never mind; finding a female human cultivator to relieve my boredom will do just fine."

So saying, under Hua Changxi's cold gaze, it reached out and touched the lotus pattern between her eyebrows.

Yet, the instant the yellow ox's hand made contact with Hua Changxi's skin, flames coursed within the lotus pattern.

"Ah!"

White smoke rose from the yellow ox's hand; it swiftly withdrew, then stared at Hua Changxi in astonishment. After a moment of silence, it waved a hand before its nose.

"This female cultivator's scent does not please this Venerable One. Throw her into the Soul Well."