Chapter Thirty-Nine: Passing Through Three Trials

I stood rooted to the spot for quite some time, unable to decide which direction to take next. My chest felt constricted, as if I couldn’t catch my breath. Though the twin guardian fish of black and white hovered protectively by my side, the sensation persisted, undeniably real. Could this be a side effect of the underworld?

Just then, I remembered what Yoon had said earlier—head south. If the underworld also had cardinal directions and my guess was correct, then south was surely the way. Resolutely, I confirmed the general direction and set off toward the south.

Inside the Castle of the Underworld.

The Ghost King Qingchen sat above, gazing at the three ghost generals seated on either side, and spoke, “I’ve summoned you here. You must already know why. Do you have any opinions?”

The first ghost general on his right nodded and replied, “My lord, Tan Boqing and his companions have entered the underworld. This is a blatant provocation. Our clan has longstanding grievances with him. Why not seize this opportunity to crush the Guardians once and for all? Then you, my lord, can unify both realms and reign supreme.”

“Yes, my lord. Tan Boqing is but a minor figure, not worth fearing. Keeping him around will only breed future trouble. As General Xingqing suggests, it’s best to take advantage of this moment and eliminate him,” another ghost general echoed in his rasping voice.

The Ghost King Qingchen gave a cold smile and said, “This gathering is indeed for the purpose of destroying Tan Boqing. Since he’s come to the underworld, as hosts we cannot afford to neglect our guests. I’ve already ordered all ghosts of Yin Mountain and the Abyss of Ten-Thousand Ghosts to be stationed at Bitter Gate and Boundless Mountain. Chihun, do you have anything to add?”

At these words, Qingchen shot a cold glance at General Chihun, who looked back calmly and replied, “Such matters are at your command, my lord. We have no objections.”

Chihun's words drew agreement from the other ghost generals, who nodded and voiced assent. General Xingqing continued, “My lord, Chihun is right. We await your command. However, do we really need so many ghost soldiers just to deal with a mere Tan Boqing?”

The Ghost King Qingchen rose, walking slowly to the balcony. The three ghost generals stood and followed respectfully. He spoke, “If it were only Tan Boqing, it would be simple—I could handle him myself. But those companions of his are no ordinary men: the chieftain of the demon clan, the greatest master of Celestial Mansion, the current head of the Chu family in the mortal realm, and even a former defeated rival, the ghost deity Qiyuan. These names resound in the mortal world, and now they’ve all gathered together. How interesting.”

Qingchen finished, suddenly laughing. Behind him, General Xiefan spoke in a low tone, “How do you intend to deal with them, my lord? At your command, we would gladly die a thousand deaths.”

“We would gladly die a thousand deaths!” the other two generals chimed in.

Qingchen toyed with a ball of black mist in his palm and said, “Xingqing, Xiefan, Chihun, hear my command: each of you shall lead one hundred thousand ghost soldiers. Xingqing, guard Boundless Mountain. Xiefan, guard Bitter Gate. Chihun, you guard Longevity Peak. Treat our guests well.”

“Yes!” the three ghost generals answered in unison and withdrew.

On the land of the underworld.

Alone, I walked across this desolate earth, gazing at the vast expanse ahead. At last, persistence paid off. After walking for a long time, I spotted a series of faint footprints on the cracked ground ahead. Squatting for a closer look, I confirmed they were left by shoes. A smile crept to my lips as I quickly set off in the direction of the footprints.

At that moment, my master and several elders walked shoulder to shoulder across the underworld. Elder Sikongfan spoke to my master, “Hey, boss, where are we heading now?”

My master, hands in his pockets, turned to Sikongfan and said, “Boundless Mountain.”

“Boundless Mountain? Oh, I know—it’s Qingchen’s territory, along with Bitter Gate and Longevity Valley,” Elder Chufeng added.

My master nodded, addressing the group, “We’re almost there. Get ready. Qingchen won’t let us pass unscathed. To reach Huafeng Fortress, we must break through three gates. Stay alert and adapt as needed—plans rarely survive contact with reality. Everyone, be careful.”

After his words, the group nodded and marched forward. Soon, they arrived at the base of a towering peak. My master turned to the group and said, “This is Boundless Mountain, but something feels off.”

The others grew puzzled and asked, “Boss, what’s wrong?”

Without answering, my master conjured a golden longsword and hurled it at the mountain. With a whoosh, the sword flew upward only to be stopped by an invisible barrier. Immediately, my master said, “Just as I thought—a water-moon illusion, nothing but trickery.”

Everyone saw the sword blocked and understood what he meant. At this moment, the ghost deity Qiyuan said, “This is General Xingqing’s usual trick. Sikong, you can show your skills now.”

Sikongfan smiled, stepped forward, and snapped his fingers. A bolt of heavenly thunder crashed down onto Boundless Mountain, making it tremble. Suddenly, countless ghost soldiers appeared atop the mountain, led by an armored ghost general.

Seeing my master and companions at the foot of the mountain, the ghost general called out coldly, “Tan Boqing, long time no see!”

My master frowned, looking at General Xingqing, and said to the group, “Plans have changed. I suspect Qingchen has assigned three ghost generals to guard each gate.”

Qiyuan asked, “What now, boss?”

My master thought for a moment and replied, “We fight swiftly.”

The group nodded. At the summit, General Xingqing, eager for battle, shouted to his hundred thousand ghost soldiers, “All ghost soldiers, hear the order! Whoever slays these intruders will be handsomely rewarded!”

With that command, the long-dormant war erupted. My master’s group did not shrink back. Qiyuan soared into the air, plunging into the throng of ghosts to battle, while the rest charged into the fray. In an instant, cries, shouts, and spells filled the battlefield.

Elder Yaoshengtian was the wildest, unleashing a violent demonic aura that shattered the souls of a hundred ghosts around him. He then flew to confront General Xingqing, and the two became locked in combat. Xingqing was no pushover; his longsword slashed fiercely at Yaoshengtian’s shoulder. With a clang, the blade struck, but Yaoshengtian showed no sign of pain, only grinned madly and taunted, “Little ghost, is your sword made of bubbles?”

General Xingqing frowned, exchanged a palm strike with Yaoshengtian, and retreated, asking, “Demonic aura? You must be the demon clan chieftain Qingchen spoke of.”

“So? Are you afraid?” Yaoshengtian sneered.

Upon hearing this, General Xingqing laughed and said, “Just a monster. Watch me bring out your true form.”

Yaoshengtian said nothing, beckoning with a finger. General Xingqing raised his sword and charged again, engaging in close combat. After dodging several blows, Yaoshengtian smiled and murmured, “Daring to fight a demon hand to hand—you’re courting death.”

No sooner had he spoken than Yaoshengtian’s fist slammed into General Xingqing’s body, the force sending him flying. Yaoshengtian dusted off his hands, straightened, and laughed, “Ha! Little ghost, not much to you after all. Where’s all that bravado now? Pathetic, hah!”

Clutching his chest, General Xingqing stood and glanced at the battlefield. Despite their numbers, his ghost soldiers were being utterly annihilated by my master’s group. Stunned, General Xingqing realized that in mere minutes, almost all his hundred thousand soldiers had been wiped out—a terrifying feat.

After destroying the remaining ghost soldiers, my master’s group gathered beside Yaoshengtian. My master smiled, “Old demon, nicely done!”

Yaoshengtian chuckled and said, “Boss, this ghost general isn’t as formidable as you all claimed. After only a few exchanges, he fell behind. I think you all were worrying too much.”

My master shook his head and replied, “Better safe than sorry. Don’t get cocky. Let’s go—to Bitter Gate!”

The group nodded and headed toward Bitter Gate, while General Xingqing had already vanished.

Following the footprints across the underworld, I stopped at the base of a towering mountain. The air was thick with ghostly energy, and both the ground and the mountain bore signs of battle. Clearly, my master’s group had just left, and judging by the scene, they must have won. A wave of relief washed over me as I hurried up the mountain, searching for their trail.

My master’s group soon arrived before Bitter Gate. Unlike a simple doorway, inside it was a labyrinth of interconnecting paths. They paused at the entrance, and my master said, “This is Bitter Gate. There are many routes and countless traps. Stay together, so no one gets lost.”

The group nodded, carefully following my master into Bitter Gate. As soon as they entered, a deep voice echoed from afar, “Humans, once you enter Bitter Gate, you’ll never escape. Ten thousand ghost soldiers, hear the order! Slaughter these humans within, let their bones rest here, let hatred endure forever.”

At that, a thick fog of resentful ghost energy shrouded the gate above. Amid ghostly wails and howls, ten thousand ghost soldiers surged forward. My master turned to Sikongfan and said, “Sikong, bring down that cloud for me!”

He pointed at the sky. Sikongfan nodded, and a bolt of heavenly thunder struck the black cloud, but it didn’t break. Instead, General Xiefan laughed, “Ha! It’s useless, useless. That black cloud is reinforced by Yin Mountain stone. No matter how strong your thunder is, it’s powerless against this cloud.”

The group frowned at these words. Sikongfan looked at my master. My master patted his shoulder and said, “No matter. Let’s go—destroy anyone who stands in our way.”

The group nodded, charging ahead. Ghost soldiers blocked their path at every turn, making escape impossible. As the number of enemies increased, my master’s expression grew colder. Suddenly, he stomped, summoning the Nether Gate. With a wave, he enlarged the gate several times, pointing forward. Instantly, many ghost soldiers were sucked inside, relieving much of their burden. General Xiefan, standing behind, was astonished at the sight and muttered, “Northern Nether Pass? How could it appear here? Impossible!”

But before he could ponder further, all the ghost soldiers inside Bitter Gate were pulled into the Nether Gate. Those who hadn’t charged in yet began to retreat, none daring to advance.

After running atop Boundless Mountain for a while, I suddenly saw a mass of black clouds ahead. I immediately rushed toward the darkness.