Chapter 461

The black stone mountain on the east side of the altar, burning with green ghost fire, was called Ghost Mother Mountain.

Its shape was like a giant lying corpse, and the mountain body was covered with cracks, appearing like crisscrossing dried-up blood rivers; gray-black resentment clouds swirled around the mountain peak all year round, and from time to time, shrill infant wails would emerge from deep within the mountain belly, making one's soul tremble.

The surface of the mountain was covered with a layer of black moss as slippery as rotting flesh; living beings other than the Ghost Clan would experience hallucinations upon touching it—either seeing their loved ones die tragically or hearing their own wails; those with weaker minds would go mad and die on the spot.

Ghost Mother Mountain and the Ghost Infant River were the core of the origin of the Nine Netherworlds Ghost Domain, and the area covered by the two together constituted the forbidden zone of the Ghost Domain.

At this moment, deep in the hinterland of Ghost Mother Mountain, in an underground prison cast from Nine Netherworlds cold iron and resentment bones, over a hundred Zhu Que Army members and hundreds of human cultivators were looking fiercely at the human cultivators outside the iron prison who had already changed into Ghost Clan attire.

Just a moment ago, Song Weimin had attempted to ambush the leader of these few people.

Unfortunately, he failed.

Song Weimin was stepped on hard by someone, but he still struggled to lift his head, looking at the human cultivator sitting not far away with scarlet eyes.

"Chu Tianye, do you think that by defecting to the Ghost Clan and serving as a lackey for the Ghost Clan, you will be able to live? I tell you, in the end, you will only end up as a monster that is neither human nor ghost."

"Slap~"

"Slap~"

What greeted Song Weimin was a round of whipping.

Every time the Soul-Severing Whip fell, Song Weimin's complexion turned a shade paler.

It was not until Song Weimin no longer had the strength to lift his head and lay limp on the ground, motionless, that the sitting human cultivator raised his hand, signaling his subordinates to stop whipping.

Chu Tianye stood up and walked to Song Weimin, squatted down, and looked expressionlessly at the dying Song Weimin, with endless unwillingness and anger surging in his eyes.

"Do you think I want it to be like this?"

Song Weimin was already too weak to speak, only lifting his eyelids slightly to look toward the iron prison, a trace of mockery and sarcasm pulling at his face.

Chu Tianye understood his silent words, knowing that Song Weimin was mocking him for having a soft spine and not being like those in the prison who remained unyielding to the end.

This mockery undoubtedly struck Chu Tianye hard.

Chu Tianye viciously grabbed Song Weimin's chin and sneered: "Originally, seeing that you had once been a dog for the Imperial family, I was willing to give you a chance to live. Since you don't cherish it, then next time the altar needs people, you can go and experience the taste of having your soul extracted and blood drained."

Immediately, Song Weimin was thrown into the prison cell.

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

Before, Song Weimin had suddenly defected to Chu Tianye, and they had found it strange; now they understood that Song Weimin had defected to Chu Tianye to find an opportunity for assassination.

"Chu Tianye, don't be too smug; the human race will not let you, this traitor, go."

Zhu Que Army Battalion Commander Fang Zhuyue gripped the iron bars with both hands, glaring fiercely at Chu Tianye.

"Slap~"

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

When he wanted to whip again, Chu Tianye stopped him: "Alright, the blood and soul of the Zhu Que Army are very precious; don't waste them." As he spoke, he looked mockingly at the Zhu Que Army members in the prison.

"I have already become a member of the Ghost Clan; would I still be afraid of the human race?"

Fang Zhuyue's breathing was unstable from the Soul-Severing Whip, and he panted heavily as he continued: "You are not afraid of the human race... could it be that you are also not afraid of our Hall Master?"

Hearing this, Chu Tianye's eyes changed suddenly, showing both fear and hatred.

His few subordinates also revealed deep apprehension on their faces.

Fang Zhuyue sensed the fear of Chu Tianye and the others and burst into loud laughter: "The Hall Master will avenge us. Chu Tianye, just you wait; not one of you will escape."

"Slap~"

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

"Haha..."

"Are you afraid?"

"Do you dare to beat me to death?"

"If you beat me to death, your ghost master won't let you off!"

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

Chu Tianye looked at him coldly, as if looking at a dead object: "Laugh, while you still have breath."

"The Ghost Clan side is already getting impatient; you people will soon be sent to the altar. When that time comes, what will be waiting for you?"

"Having your souls scattered..."

"Tsk tsk..."

Chu Tianye shook his head and left with his few subordinates.

After they had gone far away, a lazy voice sounded from the corner of the prison cell: "I say, what is the point of all this?"

Fang Zhuyue was helped to the wall by other Zhu Que Army members and looked over: "The Zhu Que Army would rather die with backbone."

Gongshu Xingyan shook his head, looking very disapproving: "You can't just rely on getting beaten to show your backbone; it's very stupid."

Fang Zhuyue gave a "humph": "Then I wish you, Senior, a long and lingering life in this ghost prison."

Gongshu Xingyan heard the sarcasm in his words and was just about to retort when he was interrupted by Song Weimin.

"Senior Gongshu."

Seeing Song Weimin sit down beside him, Gongshu Xingyan swallowed the words in his mouth.

When the others in the prison cell were no longer paying attention to them, Song Weimin quietly stuffed 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 managed to get it?"

Song Weimin did not answer but asked in return: "Does Senior really have a way to break out of prison?"

Gongshu Xingyan gave an "um."

Song Weimin's expression brightened: "I'll go tell Battalion Commander Fang right now; with the help of the Zhu Que Army, we can leave this ghost place sooner."

Gongshu Xingyan grabbed Song Weimin, his expression serious: "Except for you and me, no one else can be told about this."

Song Weimin's expression paused: "What does Senior mean?"

Gongshu Xingyan: "Whether you and I can escape this ghost place depends on heaven's will; how can we take care of others?"

Hearing this, Song Weimin said without thinking: "No."

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

Gongshu Xingyan kicked Song Weimin speechlessly and closed his eyes, saying nothing more.

Song Weimin was silent for a long while, and after the others' gazes shifted away, he reached out and tugged at Gongshu Xingyan: "Senior, we are all human..."

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

"What kind of place do you think this is?"

"The forbidden zone of the Ghost Domain—Ghost Mother Mountain."

"A place that even the Ghost Clan themselves cannot enter and exit at will, let alone humans."

"Moreover, my method for breaking out of prison has less than a one percent chance of success; I'm also being driven crazy by being locked up, otherwise, I wouldn't be willing to take this risk."

Hearing this, the hope in Song Weimin's eyes gradually extinguished, and he stopped speaking afterward.

Not long after, Fang Zhuyue came over.

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

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

"If you want to break out, do it quickly, while we people haven't been sent to the altar yet."

Hearing this, Gongshu Xingyan looked at him in surprise.

Song Weimin also looked over.

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

"No matter what, it's better to have one person escape than none."

"I have only one wish: if any of you can return to the human world alive, please go to the Lingguang Hall and help us deliver a message."

"Tell our Hall Master about the Ghost Fire Well connecting to the Nine Netherworlds Ghost Domain."

"The Zhu Que bone must not fall into the hands of the Ghost Clan."