Chapter 1741: Ghost King

There weren't many guests in the inn, just two or three tables. Yan Xuehen discreetly listened to their conversations but gathered no useful information, learning only that the world was exceptionally chaotic.

After listening for a while, Yan Xuehen decided to approach those tables directly. She asked if they had seen Zu An and his companions, and briefly described the appearances of Yun Jianyue and the others.

Both Zu An's handsome and refined demeanor and Yun Jianyue's stunning and domineering presence were distinctive features, hard to forget once seen.

The people at those tables were startled, completely surprised that such a celestial-looking maiden would initiate a conversation.

One person was about to answer when another, whose eyes darted around, quickly interjected, "We've seen them!"

The others, sensing an opportunity, also nodded, "Yes, we have indeed seen them!"

Yan Xuehen was somewhat surprised; she had asked on a whim and never expected to gain anything. "Where did you see them?" she asked.

"Around yesterday, in the next town over..." they chattered, describing the location.

Seeing Yan Xuehen's bewildered expression, one of them suggested, "Why don't we take you there, young lady?"

"That wouldn't be right," Yan Xuehen said, feeling a bit awkward seeing their half-eaten meals.

"What's wrong with that? We're all friends when traveling," they laughed heartily, showing a generous disposition.

"Then I thank you, sirs." Yan Xuehen called the owner over and paid for their table.

As the sect leader of White Jade Capital, while she might not directly control wealth affecting the sect's prosperity, she certainly lacked nothing for personal expenses.

"Alright!" The owner came to settle the bill and counted the money. "I've rounded down the change for you. That'll be two taels of silver."

While his back was to the other men, he secretly mouthed something to Yan Xuehen.

Yan Xuehen's heart stirred, and she subtly handed over the silver.

Soon, the men enthusiastically led Yan Xuehen out. Along the way, they were very eager, constantly asking where Yan Xuehen was from and what she was doing there, all while continuously praising her beauty.

Yan Xuehen, always reserved, replied sparingly.

The men didn't feel slighted; instead, they became even more excited.

Any man would have infinite tolerance for such an ethereal fairy.

Soon, the group left the small town. As their surroundings grew increasingly desolate, Yan Xuehen frowned slightly. "Are we going the wrong way? This doesn't look like what you described."

The men looked around. Seeing no one else in sight, they chuckled with ease. "Young lady, is the person you're looking for your man?"

Sensing their lewd expressions, Yan Xuehen said coldly, "That's none of your business."

"Why is it none of our business? You're so beautiful, why travel all this way just to find a man? We brothers here can keep you entertained. We guarantee you'll forget him after just one try." The men whistled, gradually encircling her. Their eyes greedily scanned her, their faces filled with excitement. It had been years since they had seen such a beautiful woman; they would even shorten their lifespan by ten years just to spend a night with her.

Yan Xuehen calmly stated, "So, you were lying to me earlier? You haven't seen them at all?"

"Of course," the men chuckled mockingly. "We never thought there'd be such a trusting, naive girl in this world. Are you perhaps still a maiden?"

Her cool demeanor made them increasingly certain of their assumption, and they began to argue over who would be first, quickly becoming red-faced in their dispute.

Yan Xuehen's face turned as cold as ice upon hearing their vulgar words.

"Huh, why is it snowing?" One of them suddenly noticed something strange and raised a hand to touch a falling snowflake. The moment he made contact, a layer of white frost formed on his hand, spreading rapidly before his eyes until his entire body transformed into an ice sculpture.

The others' faces paled drastically at the sight. As they tried to flee, they too were quickly encased in ice and snow, their lives extinguished.

Yan Xuehen didn't spare them another glance, gracefully drifting away.

Not long after, she returned to the inn. There were no longer any guests inside, only the owner and the waiter clearing tables.

Seeing her return, both astonishment and surprise filled their eyes.

"Thank you for earlier," Yan Xuehen told the owner, who had subtly warned her to be careful.

The owner chuckled honestly, "You're too kind. It's what we should do. We just couldn't be too obvious with our warning, for fear of retaliation, since we run a business here. Luckily, you're smart, young lady."

Yan Xuehen nodded slightly, then took the opportunity to ask him where the government office was. Although she hadn't been in the area long, she had traveled quite a bit looking for Zu An and the others, but had never seen any sign of official administration.

She figured that if she needed to find people, official channels might be more convenient.

"Government office?" The owner's face showed a strange expression. "There are many government offices in the world, but once you leave their respective territories, no one recognizes their authority."

"Why?" This time, it was Yan Xuehen's turn to be surprised.

Through his explanation, she began to understand this world: it was an era of complete chaos, with no unified, powerful nation. Instead, countless small states had carved out their own territories.

These states were often small in scale, with the smallest controlling only one or two cities.

Many were more accurately described as lordships or city-states rather than nations.

Various factions waged continuous wars for resources and wealth, leaving the common people struggling to survive.

"Those government offices only govern a small patch of land; their authority isn't recognized outside their own territory," the owner mused before replying. "If you're looking for someone, young lady, you could try the Adventurers' Guild."

"Adventurers' Guild?" Yan Xuehen paused, finding the name quite strange, completely different from the naming conventions of her own world.

"Yes," the owner replied. "Each faction has its own territory and they don't communicate much. But the Adventurers' Guild is one of the few organizations found in various territories, and their information is the most up-to-date." He paused. "However, they don't easily share intelligence with outsiders; they only provide it to their internal adventurers. The higher your rank, the more information you can access."

"If you wish, young lady, you could join the Adventurers' Guild and become an adventurer."

Yan Xuehen's delicate brows furrowed slightly. "Is it really that easy to join?"

After all, sects usually have very strict requirements for accepting disciples.

The owner chuckled, "It's neither easy nor difficult. You simply need to complete one adventure mission they assign, and you'll automatically become an adventurer. The more missions you complete, the higher your rank will rise."

He paused, then sighed, "This world is very chaotic. Ghosts and monsters run rampant, and there are dangers everywhere, so there are many adventure missions available."

"Ghosts and monsters?" Yan Xuehen's expression subtly changed. The owner's tone suggested this was not merely a figure of speech.

"Yes, all sorts of demons, ghosts, and monsters exist..." The owner gave her a general overview of the situation.

Yan Xuehen listened, secretly alarmed. She hailed from a Daoist sect and possessed methods for expelling evil, but these were typically used against unintelligent undead creatures. She had never encountered ghosts that resembled humans as described in legends.

Next, she asked the owner a few more questions, which he patiently answered. Then, glancing outside, he advised, "Young lady, it's getting late. Why not rest here for the night? It's very dangerous to be without shelter in the wilderness at night."

Yan Xuehen recalled the demons and monsters the owner had mentioned. Thinking she needed to find Zu An and the others as quickly as possible and didn't need any additional complications, she nodded. "Then I'll trouble you, owner."

"No trouble at all, no trouble. We're running a business, we're happy to have you," the owner said, scratching the back of his head with a particularly honest expression.

Late at night, at the third watch, several figures stealthily appeared outside Yan Xuehen's door. They carefully used a knife to pry open the latch, then pushed open the door and gazed at the beautiful woman sleeping on the bed.

One of them breathed a sigh of relief and laughed heartily. "Boss, even the Five Tyrants were defeated by this woman before. She's a formidable one. I was worried we might be in danger."

The leader was none other than the inn owner, who now wore a sinister smile on his face, completely devoid of his previous honest demeanor. "Do those Five Tyrants, who only rely on brute force, compare to me? She's fallen victim to my Ecstasy Powder. No matter how high her cultivation, she's now completely at my mercy."

Seeing her peerless beauty and figure, his breathing quickened. He felt incredibly lucky tonight.

Another subordinate asked, confused, "Her cultivation is unfathomable. After what happened with the Five Tyrants, she must be even more cautious. Boss, how did you manage to poison her?"

"I put poison in both the tea and the candle separately," the owner said with a smug smile. "Neither is poisonous on its own, but combined, they become potent. No matter how careful she was, she couldn't escape it."

"So that's how it is..." A soft sigh suddenly echoed.

The owner felt all the hair on his body stand on end. He turned around and saw Yan Xuehen already standing.

"You... you weren't poisoned?" The owner was terrified.

Yan Xuehen remained silent. In her years of wandering, her extraordinary beauty had attracted countless covetous eyes, and she had encountered every kind of trap and scheme imaginable.

Moreover, White Jade Capital possessed various detoxification pills and artifacts, so she naturally had no fear of such poisons.

But there was no need to explain any of this to him.

At that moment, the owner roared, "What are you scared of? Let's all go!"

The other waiters also drew their knives. As thugs from a black inn, they were all fierce individuals who reveled in violence. They quickly charged at Yan Xuehen with shouts and cries.

However, a cold wind swept past. Before they could react, they felt their blood seemingly freeze, and then they plunged into endless darkness.

Glimpsing the ice sculptures before her, their ferocious expressions still faintly visible, Yan Xuehen sighed. "Constant warfare, the strong preying on the weak, and humanity's ignorance and cruelty—no wonder ghosts and monsters run rampant."

Since arriving in this world, she had been appalled to find that she hadn't encountered a single good person.

***

Meanwhile, Zhao Hao and his group, having passed the sphinx's trial, were searching for clues about this world.

Unfortunately, the dilapidated house was also in a desolate wilderness, with no one for thousands of miles around.

Just as the group lamented the world's extreme desolation, a monster suddenly passed by.

This monster was entirely composed of dense black mist, its body seemingly pieced together from many corpses, writhing intermittently. Many human heads on it were contorted in grimaces, appearing to be in endless torment.

Even the experienced Xuan Bajing and Li Changsheng were startled.

Only Zhao Hao remained calm, assessing the monster while pondering the composition of its power.

The monster saw the three of them and let out a harsh laugh. "Hahaha, I smell your vital essence; it's especially delicious. Come, embrace me!"

With that, its form vanished.

Xuan Bajing and Li Changsheng felt a strong sense of alarm and instinctively tried to dodge, but being severely injured, they were ultimately a step too slow.

Feeling the aura of death around them, every cell in their bodies screamed a warning. Their hearts turned cold. They never imagined they would meet their end inside such a monster. It would have been better to die by the emperor's hand; at least then they would have been heroes.

Just then, Zhao Hao placed his hands on their shoulders and instantly retreated dozens of yards.

Almost simultaneously, the monster appeared exactly where they had just been.

The flowers, trees, and even a large rock that had been there were instantly corroded to nothingness after being engulfed by it.

Li Changsheng and Xuan Bajing swallowed hard. If they had been engulfed, they would have been instantly digested.

"Huh?" The monster seemed surprised by their speed. Then, its topmost head suddenly opened its mouth and roared.

A series of sharp, piercing sounds erupted. Li Changsheng and Xuan Bajing were both Grandmasters, having even cultivated their Yin souls, but being severely injured, they found the shrill shriek intensely uncomfortable. It was an attack targeting the soul!

At the same time, the monster's body trembled. The corpses on it seemed to come alive, each enveloped in black mist, surrounding them from all directions.

Li Changsheng and Xuan Bajsheng simultaneously drew their long swords, their sword energy piercing through the corpses one by one.

However, the corpses were already dead. After being pierced, they fell to the ground, only to be quickly re-enveloped by black mist and rejoin the fight.

Li Changsheng and Xuan Bajing's expressions changed. These things were too bizarre; they were endless and seemingly unkillable.

Furthermore, they felt that the Yin souls attached to their long swords were somewhat corroded and polluted by the black mist.

Just then, a golden light flashed, and the corpses screamed, falling one after another to the ground.

A large golden hand directly pierced through the black mist and seized the monster behind it.

Upon encountering the golden light, the black mist began to melt away continuously, like snow meeting the sun.

The monster struggled desperately, letting out painful roars. It had never imagined this person would be so powerful.

The opponent had just broken its spell, leaving it severely weakened. It wondered how many more people it would need to consume to recover.

Zhao Hao's gaze fell on the golden palm, which was also sizzling as it was corroded by the monster's black mist.

He frowned. "What kind of monster are you?"

The monster didn't answer him, instead snarling, "I serve the Ghost King! If you dare to oppose me, the Ghost King will not let you off!"

"Ghost King?" Zhao Hao raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

The monster flinched, a look of fear appearing on its face. "You dare to insult the Ghost King? You are doomed! Your soul is destined never to find peace!"

Zhao Hao snorted coldly, and the golden light in his hand intensified. The monster shrieked, its black mist almost completely receding, revealing a form like a gaunt black dog.

"Who is the Ghost King?" Zhao Hao's gaze was sharp.

The monster, in extreme pain, could only reply, "The Ghost King is the king of all ghosts, an incredibly powerful being. All of us ghosts must obey his commands."

"You just said you were working for the Ghost King. What task were you performing?" Zhao Hao pressed on.

The monster hesitated noticeably, but ultimately unable to withstand the golden light from Zhao Hao, it quickly answered, "The *Baopuzi*. I was ordered to find the *Baopuzi*."

"The *Baopuzi*?" Zhao Hao was momentarily stunned. The name sounded somewhat like a scripture.

"It was written by Immortal Lord Baopuzi, the culmination of his life's efforts. Legend says it contains the method to become an immortal. The Ghost King wants to become a ghost immortal, so he mobilized all the ghosts in the world to help him find it," the monster replied quickly.

"There's really a way to become an immortal in this world?" Zhao Hao's breathing quickened. Over the years, he had deployed immense human and material resources, yet never found a method for immortalization.

With the Five Declines of Heavenly Beings approaching, he held an inexplicable obsession with the art of immortalization.

Even Li Changsheng and Xuan Bajing perked up their ears. Immortalization held immense allure for every cultivator. In their world, becoming an immortal was a mere elusive legend, but who would have thought there would be clues in this world?

"I don't know. The path to immortality was severed long ago, and no immortals have appeared for a very long time. However, Immortal Lord Baopuzi emerged, astonishing an entire era. Later, it was rumored he had ascended to become an immortal, which is why the Ghost King wants to find and study his *Baopuzi*," the monster replied.

"Where is the *Baopuzi*?" Zhao Hao demanded.

"Well..." The monster hesitated, but recalling its previous torment, it quickly answered, "I heard that a large tomb recently appeared in the Zhichuan area. Items emerging from it are said to be related to the late Immortal Lord Baopuzi, and Zhichuan was also where Immortal Lord Baopuzi once sought the Dao. So, everyone speculates there might be something to gain in the tomb."

"Where is Zhichuan?" Zhao Hao asked.

The monster roughly described the location to him.

Li Changsheng couldn't help but say, "It's so far away. Will you make it in time? The local powerhouses have probably already obtained whatever was inside."

The monster replied, "That tomb has very strong restrictions. It hasn't opened yet, so I should make it there just in time."

Li Changsheng and Xuan Bajing exchanged glances. Both wanted to make the trip to see if this item, which even the Ghost King was interested in, truly held a chance for immortalization.

Unfortunately, they knew they could only follow Zhao Hao's lead now.

At this point, Zhao Hao looked down at the monster in his hand. "How does this Ghost King you speak of compare to me in strength?"

The monster's face contorted. "Although you are powerful, you are far inferior to the Ghost King. You'd best release me, or else..."

Zhao Hao snorted coldly, and a flash of golden light in his hand instantly crushed the monster into dust.

"Your Majesty, what do we do next?" Li and Xuan cautiously asked.

"This monster had some power, and for it to be commanded, the Ghost King is clearly not simple," Zhao Hao mused for a moment. "Since we're completely in the dark right now, we might as well go to Zhichuan and see."

Experience with many secret realms suggested that one often needed to complete a specific task to successfully exit.

It now seemed highly probable that it was related to the *Baopuzi*.

Moreover, with the secret of immortalization hidden within, they naturally had to investigate.

Li and Xuan were overjoyed. "With Your Majesty leading the way, success is guaranteed!"

***

Meanwhile, at Ruolan Temple, Zu An stared at the beautiful and regal woman before him, momentarily lost in thought.

Not to mention Wei Suo, even Zu An himself subconsciously believed that the "Grandma" in ghost films should be a disgusting, ugly monster, and that Senior Sister just now had fit the description.

He never expected her to be such a beautiful woman. There was not the slightest trace of ghostly aura about her; instead, she resembled the pampered daughter of a prestigious family.

Furthermore, she looked somewhat familiar to him, resembling a female celebrity from his previous life.

"To dare to stare at me like that, do you have no lingering attachment to the mortal world?" The woman's expression turned cold. With a flick of her sleeve, countless green specks of light flashed by.

"Ah, why am I blooming?" A panicked cry came from nearby. Wei Suo frantically held up his hands, where a green tinge suddenly appeared on his skin. Soon, the green broke through his skin, revealing tiny green shoots.

Within a few breaths, the green shoots grew, sprouted leaves, and then bloomed into small white flowers.

Even more horrifying, his hands were covered in wounds from which tiny new shoots continuously broke through his skin, producing more small flowers. They were densely packed and seemed to be spreading across his entire body.

He was naturally panicked, but no matter what he tried, he couldn't stop the saplings and flowers from spreading.

Zu An also felt countless tiny, dense things stirring within him, as if drawing strength from his flesh and blood, attempting to break through his skin. However, his physical body was simply too resilient for them to emerge.

Zu An snorted coldly and directly unleashed the power of the Fire Phoenix. A pure elemental fire cleansed his entire body, incinerating all the small things within him.

At the same time, he looked anxiously at Qiu Honglei, only to see that she wasn't affected like Wei Suo. Instead, her body glowed, blocking some of the green light.

Many green lights, upon touching her protective aura, instantly dimmed and fell to the ground.

This was a defensive spell from the time-element.

Zu An looked closely and saw what appeared to be seeds on the ground. No, they were smaller than seeds, like spores.

They had been invisibly inhaled, then rooted and sprouted within the body, truly making them impossible to guard against.

Seeing that she was unharmed, Zu An went to Wei Suo, took his blooming hand, and directly used the Phoenix Flame to burn away the shoots and small white flowers on it.

To his surprise, Wei Suo let out a bloodcurdling scream, as if it were his own flesh and blood being burned, not just the flowers.

The beautiful woman, who had initially been surprised that the two hadn't been affected, couldn't help but sneer, "It's useless. Those are already connected to his flesh and blood. To a certain extent, these shoots and flowers *are* him. When you burn the shoots with fire, you're burning him."

Zu An's heart sank. This move was truly insidious. If left unchecked, wouldn't Wei Suo eventually transform completely into a plant?

"Dare to kill my disciple? This is the price," the beautiful woman said, her expression cold, as if stating something utterly commonplace.