Chapter 706

"Fu Wan! Fu Wan!"

Yu Nian shook my Soul Body, incessantly calling my name.

After a while, I abruptly broke out of that Chaos consciousness, opened my eyes, and met Yu Nian's probing gaze.

Yu Nian asked, "What just happened to you? Are you not adapting to the Nether Realm's environment?"

I shook my head, tried to calm myself, and replied, "Maybe I'm a bit unadjusted; I just spaced out for a moment, I'm fine, I'm all right now."

Yu Nian then took my hand and walked toward the Wangchuan River bank.

As we walked, she said, "The Yin energy in the Nether Realm is still a bit too strong; this is only the Yellow Springs Road. Only after crossing the Naihe Bridge do you truly enter the interior of the Nether Realm, where the Yin energy is heavier, bringing an oppressive, overwhelming sense of pressure and dignity."

By the time we finished speaking, we were already standing at the Wangchuan River bank.

Just as the legends say, the banks of the Wangchuan River are filled with blooming spider lilies, gorgeous and dripping, their fragrance assailing the nose.

The Wangchuan River churned with waves, its water black, revealing nothing within.

A wave surged forward, the churning river water seeming to open a beast's maw, intent on swallowing every creature around the Wangchuan River into its belly, leaving not a scrap.

Yet I felt no fear at all; that strange sense of familiarity washed over me again.

At that moment, a boat appeared on the Wangchuan River, speeding rapidly toward us.

"Here it comes." Yu Nian said, "Wanwan, follow me, we're boarding."

As Yu Nian spoke, she leapt onto the Ferry.

She stood firmly at the bow, legs slightly apart, one hand bracing the pole, and thus she held the Ferry steady amid the Wangchuan River's churning waters.

Stable as Mount Tai.

I hesitated not at all, drifting straight onto the Ferry.

The Ferry was no more than half a meter from the shore.

But just as I drifted away from the bank, skimming above the water, I clearly saw two skull heads suddenly bob up from the river.

Those two skull heads were black, their crania pitted with large and small holes, from which black tendrils sprouted like thin, elongated tongues, lunging at me to wrap around.

I reacted swiftly, turning my palm over; a cluster of ghostfire had already condensed in my palm.

But before I could release the ghostfire from my palm, the two skull heads, as if startled, hastily retracted their tendrils, sank into the water, and vanished.

Huh?

What happened?

I instinctively turned my head to look at Yu Nian, as if I somewhat understood: those two skull heads must have been intimidated by Yu Nian, not daring to act out.

I successfully boarded the Ferry.

This Ferry was forged entirely of black gold, quite heavy, and its interior exuded a faint chill.

After I boarded, Yu Nian immediately punted the Ferry to the middle reaches of the Wangchuan River.

Wherever the Ferry passed, the river water automatically grew calm, with no wind or waves.

All manner of demons and monsters, all the weird and wicked creatures, now shrank back like turtles pulling into their shells.

I couldn't help but praise, "Senior Sister Yu Nian, you're amazing—even the filthy things in the Wangchuan River are cowed into obedience by you."

Yu Nian stood at the bow, her gaze continually fixed on the surface of the Wangchuan River.

Hearing my praise, she opened her mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed the words back.

She glanced at me, her eyes seeming to hold some deep meaning, leaving me somewhat puzzled.

Huh? Did I praise wrongly?

The Ferry continued forward.

No matter how great the waves ahead, no matter what turmoil churned in the water, as soon as the Ferry approached, the water instantly became smooth and still, with no filth visible.

We proceeded like that for about a quarter of an hour, during which Yu Nian didn't say a word to me the whole time.

The Wangchuan River is vast; when its surface is utterly calm, combined with the dim light of the Nether Realm, I grew so bored I actually felt like sleeping.

Of course, ghosts don't need to sleep.

I propped my hand under my chin, leaning against the Ferry's rail, listlessly scanning the surroundings.

Until I turned my head and saw the scene behind the boat, my entire Soul Body jumped with fright.

I saw on the water behind the boat a multitude of oddly shaped heads bobbing up: there were bleached-white skulls, pitch-black ones, faces piled with chunks of rotting flesh, heads reduced to half, and many more bearing bird beaks, fish scales, seaweed… all manner of monsters.

They kept pace, neither close nor far, trailing behind the Ferry.

As the Ferry moved forward, they kept the same tempo, moving forward in sync.

This eerie sight made me feel uncomfortable all over.

That pack behind me was like wolves lying in wait, biding their time for an opportunity.

An opportunity, ever ready to pounce!

"Wanwan, hold steady—something's ahead."

Yu Nian suddenly called out loudly.

I immediately snapped to attention, no longer minding the filth behind, straightened my back, and looked forward.

Ahead, at the water-sky horizon, a vast black mass, like dark clouds, kept drawing near.

But I soon realized it wasn't clouds, for I faintly heard eagle cries.

Eagle?

I sprang to my feet, narrowed my eyes, and fixed my gaze on the approaching thing.

As they drew near, they began to cry and circle.

I had seen this scene more than once in Wufu Town!

When those black herons flew overhead, I noticed something different.

These gathered herons were not of the mortal realm.

They are formed from the condensation of Yin Sha Resentful Qi, carefully raised and refined by people!

I took a rough look; this huge eagle flock has over a hundred members.

At the same time they flap and circle above our heads, pairs of scarlet eyes lock onto us; anyone with even a little less courage could be scared to death.

Be careful!

Yu Nian gave a warning aloud.

As soon as her voice rang out, a large azure eagle swooped down at me.

That speed, that pressure—there's no time to react.

I didn't have time to think; I backhanded a ball of ghost fire shooting at that azure eagle.

The ghost fire accurately struck the azure eagle.

That azure eagle just fell with a plop into the cabin.

The azure eagle's corpse emitted streams of black qi; logically it should soon turn into a lump of pus and blood and disappear.

But this azure eagle did not immediately turn into pus and blood.

Even stranger, as I stared at it, I found myself swallowing saliva.

After becoming a ghost, I rarely have such a strong appetite.

At this moment I desperately wanted to pounce, tear apart the azure eagle's chest, and dig out its demon core...

The azure eagle's cry broke my train of thought; this time, over ten azure eagles, their bodies wreathed in black qi, charged at me, each with widened scarlet eyes, opening their long beaks, attempting to surround me and devour me alive.

Two fists can't fight four hands, let alone over ten azure eagles with Xiūwéi surrounding me.

I flicked out two streams of ghost fire, hitting two more azure eagles, and in my peripheral vision I saw an azure eagle already within arm's reach, its long beak about to peck my temple.

In the blink of an eye, I backhanded grabbed the azure eagle's neck, my other hand following up, directly snapping its neck!

That azure eagle didn't even have time to let out a scream; its neck was already being pulled by me, and even its spine was torn apart.

A black demon core flew out, and I opened my mouth and swallowed it...