Chapter Fifty-Three: The Haunting of Demons

At this moment, Yan Mengdie, who had been unconscious, happened to wake up. She saw the coffin strapped to Xu Cheng’s back but could not spot the terrifying figure from before, so she couldn’t help but ask, “Where’s that girl from earlier?”

“She’s in the coffin,” Xu Cheng replied, patting the coffin’s lid on his back.

“Then why are you still carrying her around? Why not offer her as a sacrifice to the Yellow Springs?” Yan Mengdie demanded angrily.

Indeed, if they sacrificed that being to the Yellow Springs, given her power, the Yellow Springs would at least reward him with an immortal spell.

But Xu Cheng was reluctant to part with the coffin, for inscribed inside was an immortal spell of the Ghostly Path, and on its surface, there were mysterious runes as well. If he opened it and that being awoke, it was likely they themselves would be doomed.

These tangled thoughts kept Xu Cheng from taking action.

“It’s the immortal spell of the Ghostly Path carved inside that makes me hesitate,” Xu Cheng finally admitted after holding back for some time.

“You mean a Ghostly Path immortal spell?” Yan Mengdie was taken aback. Xu Cheng did not know the significance of such a spell, but her clan’s inheritance recorded that the Underworld’s Ghostly Path was the most unpredictable—though cultivation required becoming a ghost or monster, once mastered it allowed one to walk between life and death, and cultivators or sword cultivators of the same rank would be hard-pressed to harm them.

Seeing Xu Cheng nod, Yan Mengdie’s thoughts churned. If her clan’s arts were not equally formidable, she might have been tempted to become a ghost herself for the sake of practicing the Ghostly Path.

As for Xu Cheng, Chrysanthemum, Cen Ningyue, and Niu Dazhuang, all four were beings of the Underworld, ghosts in their own right, and could cultivate the spell directly.

“What do you all think her cultivation level truly is?” Xu Cheng asked as the five of them exited the cave.

“Right Envoy, I think she’s at least survived six tribulations of heavenly thunder! Even the Demon Lord Yun Sheng, who’s passed four, never gave me such pressure!” Chrysanthemum said, still shaken.

“How about we find a quiet place and focus on our cultivation for a while?” If they could attain the power of the woman inside Xu Cheng’s coffin, what would an old ancestor at the Nascent Soul stage be but a mere chicken or dog?

“The map shows that five kilometers straight ahead is Fuchang City! Ten kilometers to the left is Jade Toad Palace!” Xu Cheng took out his map, made a quick comparison, and pinpointed their current location.

The five of them were on the official road, with the occasional merchant or carriage passing by.

“Hurry, run! Run for your life!”

…

The five were still debating where to cultivate when suddenly a crowd of people came running toward them from up ahead.

Puzzled, they wondered what could have happened. Xu Cheng stopped a panting passerby and asked, “Brother, what’s going on up ahead?”

“Judging by your… appearance, you must be headed to Fuchang City! Don’t go! Everyone in the city has turned into monsters! Hurry, get out of here!” The man circled around Xu Cheng and ran off without another word.

“Monsters?” Could it be more ghosts?

“Right Envoy, why don’t we go take a look?” Chrysanthemum’s curiosity was piqued.

How many times had Xu Cheng gotten into trouble because of curiosity? While he always managed to escape danger, the saying “curiosity killed the cat” was not without reason!

“Mew~” Just as Chrysanthemum was waiting for Xu Cheng to make a decision, a humanoid creature with a cat’s face and claws lunged at them.

Before Xu Cheng could act, Chrysanthemum’s brush danced in the air, unleashing his ultimate technique—Cursive Sword Script. Black calligraphy in the air transformed into several sword auras, shredding the cat monster to pieces before it even landed.

The Gates of the Yellow Springs sprang open, dragging the remains inside—yet no soul was left behind.

“This monster! It should be akin to a demon, but something feels off—even demons should have souls!” Xu Cheng analyzed carefully, then continued, “Since we’re here, we might as well investigate and see what’s happened!”

Yan Mengdie, Chrysanthemum, and the others nodded in agreement.

They pressed on toward Fuchang City. Along the way, the ground was littered with mangled corpses, features gnawed beyond recognition; occasionally a monster would appear, but their strength was negligible, posing no threat to the five.

At the city gates, the streets within teemed with all manner of monsters—some with frog heads, some centaur-like, others wolfish—yet not a single normal human remained, all had transformed into these demon-like creatures.

Seeing Xu Cheng and the others, the monsters surged out of the city toward them in a frenzy.

Without hesitation, Xu Cheng opened the Gates of the Yellow Springs, channeling his power to swallow all those who came near!

The city had housed at least several hundred thousand souls; though some had escaped, most had become monsters.

Pushing the Gates of the Yellow Springs to its utmost, after the time of one incense stick, no more monsters appeared. Xu Cheng made his offering, and the Yellow Springs rewarded him with ten Underworld Forging Pills.

Only now did Xu Cheng realize that the Yellow Springs’ rewards were based on the cultivation level of the offerings. Though the pills were all pitch black, their effects varied greatly.

The pills Old Demon Qiong received were likely for strengthening the soul. Still, Xu Cheng wondered why no powerful monsters had emerged from the city.

The five of them entered the city.

The streets were gruesome, the transformation had come so swiftly that the citizens had no chance to react.

A short distance away, a few scattered monsters gnawed at corpses; hearing the group’s footsteps, they leapt at them.

The Underworld Flame Chains lashed out, blasting them to pieces.

“Thank you, Immortals! Thank you!” A normal-looking man stumbled out from nearby and knelt at Xu Cheng’s feet.

If not for the clarity in his eyes, Chrysanthemum’s brush was already poised to unleash a spell.

“Enough, go quickly!” Xu Cheng said, unsure what else to say—this place was too strange, and any ordinary person lingering here risked their life.

The man, as though pardoned from death, fled toward the city gates at breakneck speed.

Fortunately, few monsters remained in hiding. Watching the man escape safely, they continued to investigate the city.

From one end of the street to the other, they dispatched every stray monster.

“Wasn’t there supposed to be a demon in Fuchang City? Why is there no one here, Senior Brother?” A female voice, as gentle as a trickling stream, reached Xu Cheng’s ears.

“I’m not sure. Master sent us to investigate—we should look around more carefully,” replied her senior brother, his voice deep and resonant.

Judging by their voices, they were just around the corner ahead; from their conversation, it was likely they were cultivators from the nearby Jade Toad Palace.

After a few hurried steps, they met at the corner.

At the sight of the two, Xu Cheng nearly opened the Gates of the Yellow Springs on the spot.

The first thing he noticed was the female cultivator’s enormous mouth, stretching almost to her ears; upon closer inspection, her face was as round as a pancake, adorned with numerous freckles and a large mole on her right temple.

The man’s head was broad, his face wide, nose large, and though his mouth was small, his lips protruded like sausages, with eyes so tiny they were nearly invisible.

These two were truly unspeakably ugly.

After a moment’s stunned silence, Xu Cheng managed to squeeze out a few words through clenched teeth: “Hel… hello to you both!”