"So this is… what one hundred percent recognition feels like?"
Bai Jue opened his eyes, light flickering within them.
He raised his right hand and spread his fingers. Black mist surged forth, moving in accordance with his thoughts, continuously shifting into different shapes.
At this very moment—
Bai Jue could clearly feel that all of his abilities had received a subtle boost.
Within the Underworld, the density of yin energy had increased.
The undead and evil spirits he had already taken in would grow stronger at an even faster rate.
And yet…
The Yama Domain was still not unlocked.
Perhaps it required him to reach Third Rank first.
As for the fifth ability mentioned in the manual he had read earlier, there was still no clue whatsoever.
However, Bai Jue was certain of one thing—
The figure he had seen earlier was undoubtedly the consciousness of the Ghost Festival itself.
But…
What troubled him was the final set of voices.
What exactly were they?
Shaking his head, Bai Jue decided not to dwell on it any further. Overthinking would only waste time.
Instead, he picked up the cultivation manual Sikong Xi had given him and began to read.
This was a technique from another civilization, known as Breath Concealment Art.
It did not enhance combat strength at all.
Its sole purpose was to hide one's aura, even masking one's cultivation realm.
According to the novels Bai Jue had read in the past—
This was a classic "pretend to be weak, then shock everyone" skill.
He skimmed through it once.
And just like that—
Understanding flooded his mind.
With his current comprehension ability, and given the technique's low difficulty, mastering it was effortless.
Closing the manual, Bai Jue took a deep breath.
Prayer power circulated through a specific pathway within his body.
Instantly, the fierce, sharp, baleful aura surrounding him began to withdraw, as if being folded inward.
Moments later—
His presence became indistinguishable from that of an ordinary person.
"Phew."
Bai Jue opened his eyes and let out a long breath, feeling noticeably more relaxed.
"That should do it. Time to head out and eat."
With his baleful aura restrained, he no longer had to worry about frightening people.
He stretched, grabbed his wallet, and prepared to leave.
Just then—
[Notification: Qingming expresses extreme fondness toward you.]
The sudden system prompt froze Bai Jue in place.
"…What?"
His brows furrowed.
"Why did that suddenly pop up?"
He thought about it briefly, but couldn't make sense of it. Shaking his head, he left the house.
What Bai Jue did not know was—
Somewhere unknown.
Fengdu City.
Yin energy surged endlessly.
Ghostly howls echoed through the air.
Underworld enforcers patrolled the streets, escorting vicious spirits in chains.
Deep within the city lay the Eighteen Layers of Hell, each more horrifying than the last.
The shrill screams of tortured souls rang ceaselessly, chilling to the bone.
At this moment—
Within a vast area of Fengdu—
Darkness permeated the surroundings.
Evil spirits surged like a tide.
An old man sat atop a massive boulder, a bronze sword resting in his hands.
He appeared aged and frail, like a mortal nearing the end of his years.
But in truth—
He had been dead for over a thousand years.
Having become a powerful evil spirit, he refused reincarnation and remained within Fengdu.
The old man wiped his bronze sword with a cloth.
The blade gleamed coldly—
Yet no matter how much he wiped it, thick blood continued to seep out, as if the sword contained an endless ocean of gore.
Behind him yawned a colossal pit.
Within it—
Countless evil spirits roared and shrieked, their hatred boiling as they stared at the old man's back.
The resentment was so dense it was almost tangible.
This place was a forbidden zone even within Fengdu.
The sheer malice here was enough that even Ghost Kings dared not approach.
"How noisy."
The old man spoke impatiently.
He turned around.
In that instant—
A monstrous tide of blood surged behind him, blotting out the sky.
Like a slaughter god incarnate.
His killing intent and baleful aura fused together, forming a terrifying pressure that made all of Fengdu tremble.
The evil spirits in the pit went silent.
Their hateful roars turned into whimpering fear.
"I have been dead for a thousand years,"
the old man said coldly.
"And I have sat here for a thousand years."
"A thousand years ago, I killed all of you."
"I thought that after death, you would come seeking revenge."
"How boring."
"Utterly boring."
"For a thousand years, not a single one of you has dared to strike at me even once."
His eyes flashed like thunder as he roared—
"Trash! If you are trash, then stop making noise! Otherwise, I killed you once in life—and I can kill you again in death!"
Silence.
Absolute silence filled the pit.
Not a single evil spirit dared to utter a sound.
Suddenly—
Footsteps echoed.
An underworld enforcer, sweat beading on his forehead, cautiously approached.
After hesitating, he bowed respectfully.
"Sir Gongsun… Yama requests your presence."
"For what reason?"
"I… do not know."
"Lead the way."
"Yes."
The old man followed the enforcer away.
The moment he left—
The evil spirits erupted once more in furious hatred.
But in the next second—
A bronze sword shot through the air and embedded itself into the boulder where the old man had been sitting.
Instantly—
Silence returned.
Yama Hall.
The old man entered, his expression calm and indifferent.
"What is it?"
From the high platform, Yama spoke directly.
"Gongsun, you may soon return to the world of the living."
"What?"
The old man's eyes flared sharply.
"Why?"
"It concerns your descendant," Yama said calmly.
"Whether you may go still requires time to be confirmed. This is merely advance notice."
The old man's brows knitted tightly.
"My descendant is in danger?"
"You need not worry," Yama replied with a chuckle.
"Your descendant is safe. However, the living world is vastly different from the one you left behind."
"When the time comes, you will understand."
"Leave."
The old man fell silent for a long moment.
Then he clasped his hands slightly and turned away.
Slowly retreating from the hall.
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