Chapter 99 Street Roving in the Lower Realm
Ding—
System prompt: Host detected exploring forbidden land Ten Thousand Ghost Cavern, achievement triggered—Street Roving in the Lower Realm.
System prompt: Epic achievement triggered—Street Roving in the Lower Realm.
Street Roving in the Lower Realm: Explore all seven forbidden lands in the lower realm. Progress [2/7].
Complete this achievement to receive a random supreme immortal art (complete version).
…
Hearing the system prompt in his mind, Chen Chang'an scratched his head in puzzlement. This avatar's hair had an unusually fine texture, and playing with it was addictive. He had quickly developed this bad habit.
What did this [2/7] mean? Hadn't he only entered the Ten Thousand Ghost Cavern? Did he somehow stumble into another forbidden land before? It couldn't be a system bug, could it?
Hmm, maybe it really was a bug.
Still, this achievement seemed rather simple. If his real body had to go, he would have to think carefully. But since this was just a clone that didn't fear death, he could take some time later and tour all the forbidden lands to complete it.
Thinking of this, Chen Chang'an's mood lightened considerably. Even the white-robed man who had been trailing them at a distance for two days seemed less annoying.
The shadowy passage stretched endlessly. For two full days, the three of them had walked, and the white-robed man had followed.
The Ten Thousand Ghost Cavern was far larger than imagined. To call it a cavern was misleading—it was a complete underground world.
Towering walls rose upward into eternal darkness, with no visible ceiling. Sometimes the path widened like plains, other times narrowed like a single thread of sky. The wind moaned through cracks in the stone, carrying an eerie rhythm.
Strange as it was, after a while it almost possessed its own bleak beauty.
Chen Chang'an brushed his fingers over glittering black crystals embedded in the walls. They glimmered faintly like fallen stars lodged deep underground.
Xiao Ling'er pulled her cloak tighter. "They say these are ghost qi crystals. For cultivators who practice ghost arts, they're valuable treasures. But for ordinary people, they're harmful."
Even as she spoke, she saw Chen Chang'an snap one off curiously. Alarmed, she shouted, "Sister Lin, don't touch it!"
"No harm." Chen Chang'an examined it with interest, finding it felt like obsidian, then casually tossed it to Old Mo.
The old man froze slightly as he caught it.
Coincidence?
He had just been thinking of collecting some himself. For practitioners of ghost arts, these crystals were like concentrated incense for focus—one could last for a long time. Taking too many was unnecessary.
He probed again with his divine sense, confirming there wasn't the faintest trace of true essence in Chen Chang'an's body. Relieved, he sighed. It really must be coincidence.
Still, this young woman's temperament was rare. If her talent matched, her future cultivation prospects would be extraordinary. He even felt the stirrings of wanting to take her as a disciple.
Along the way, other cultivators appeared.
Some were solitary wanderers, swords on their backs as they hurried past. Others were small caravans, herding rune-marked beasts burdened with goods from the ghost domain.
The cultivators who had started out traveling with them had long since split off at a crossroads, clearly seasoned regulars of this place.
Xiao Ling'er pointed at glowing arrows etched into the walls. "The Ghost-Suppressing Army marks the path every hundred feet. Without them, this labyrinthine cavern would swallow most travelers whole."
Just then, a crisp crack rang out ahead.
The three halted, spotting a young cultivator scrambling awkwardly to his feet. He had clearly stepped on an ancient skeleton, crushing it underfoot.
When he looked up and saw them, he forced an embarrassed smile. "S-sorry…"
Old Mo's brow furrowed as he scanned their surroundings. The bones were more numerous here, some gnawed by teeth.
"We should quicken our pace," the elder said gravely. "This stretch is far more dangerous than before."
But Chen Chang'an's gaze drifted toward an unmarked side passage.
The darkness there was absolute, even the glow of ghost qi crystals could not pierce it.
"Sister Lin?" Xiao Ling'er followed her gaze, nerves tightening. "That path isn't marked…"
"That would be the Lake of Ghost Qi," the young cultivator suddenly interjected. "First time in the Ten Thousand Ghost Cavern, isn't it?"
Brushing ash from his robes, he grinned, showing teeth yellowed by ghost qi. "You've been sticking to the main road. Headed to the Black Market, right?"
Xiao Ling'er eyed him warily, while Old Mo narrowed his gaze, his Longevity aura subtly pressing down.
The youth hastily waved his hands. "Don't misunderstand! I'm just a long-time drifter surviving here. Sometimes I guide travelers too." Lowering his voice, he added, "The main road takes three days. But if you cross the Lake of Ghost Qi—you'll reach it in just one."
"The Lake of Ghost Qi?" Chen Chang'an raised an eyebrow.
"There, right there." The cultivator pointed toward the shadowed fork, fear flashing in his eyes. "The lake's surface is shrouded year-round in ghost mist that never disperses. Ordinary cultivators who touch even a wisp would have their flesh and soul corroded…" He suddenly gave a conspiratorial wink. "But the Ghost-Suppressing Army has placed a warding formation at the bottom. As long as you follow the formation marks, you'll be safe."
Old Mo gave a cold snort. "If it's so dangerous, why take this route?"
"Heh, fortune comes to those who dare." The cultivator rubbed his fingers together. "Across the lake is the Black Market. That place dares to openly sell even ghost creatures…"
Xiao Ling'er tossed him a top-grade spirit stone. "Lead the way."
The cultivator caught it but hesitated. "This… is far too little."
"What? Just for leading the way? You think a top-grade spirit stone isn't enough?" Xiao Ling'er was astonished.
"Fairy, look around. This place is perilous. Even just guiding you, my life may be at risk."
"Fine then." Xiao Ling'er nodded and produced another spirit stone.
The young cultivator beamed as he pocketed it. "That's more like it."
Then, gritting his teeth, he pulled three yellowed talismans from his robe. "These are Warding Ghost Talismans. Attach them to your chest and they'll hold for two hours. Stay close to me—and whatever you do, don't touch the water!"
Xiao Ling'er took them, then suddenly cursed herself under her breath. She turned toward Chen Chang'an. "Sister Lin, if you think it's too dangerous… maybe we should stick to the main road…"
The truth was, Chen Chang'an's calmness unsettled her. Being near her gave Xiao Ling'er an inexplicable sense of safety, to the point she almost forgot this Sister Lin was a mortal with no cultivation at all.
"No need." Chen Chang'an accepted a talisman and slipped it casually into her sleeve, eyes glinting with curiosity. "I've never seen a lake formed of condensed ghost qi. I'd like to take a look."
…
The three followed the young cultivator into the fork, and soon the air grew sharply colder.
The rock walls turned an eerie blue-black, and dark red, foul-smelling liquid seeped from the soil beneath their feet.
After about a quarter of an hour, the path suddenly opened wide—
A vast black lake stretched before them, boundless to the eye.
Its surface was still as glass, yet thick gray-black mist churned above it.
The vapor sometimes twisted into distorted human faces, sometimes dispersed into shapes like grasping ghost claws.
At the lake's heart, several pale green lanterns floated, faintly illuminating glowing runes carved beneath the water.
And unseen in the shadows, a wisp of gray mist silently drifted after them.
Hey readers! If you're eager to dive into advanced chapters, consider joining our Patreon. By joining, you'll get access to 20 chapters ahead and enjoy 8 new chapters per week. Plus, we have 2 more exciting fics with the same chapter release rate, giving you a total of 32 chapters per week! Join now and keep the adventure going!
Patreon: https://patreon.com/Alex_Cruise