IS Chapter 91

Chapter 91

On the edge of the Ghost Realm, due to chance encounters, it often borders other realms. Stray incense offerings might drift in, or it could attract the blood and flesh of living beings. Scattered throughout are many desolate and remote small towns, inhabited by minor ghosts with meager magical powers.

Listening Heart Town is one such place.

However, recently, Listening Heart Town has been heavily guarded, layer upon layer, inside and out. All the small ghosts within the town have been cleared out, wandering outside its borders.

They crane their necks, wanting to see what exactly is happening inside, hoping for their own opportunity, but they are invariably driven away to other places by fierce and menacing ghost soldiers.

After several days, they only know that a great figure from the Ghost Realm has arrived.

Traveling thousands of miles to grace this wretched town where even ghosts are starving, could this great figure have a problem with their head?

——In the center of Listening Heart Town.

“Brother Yu Hu,” a teasing voice chuckled, “Why so distracted?”

The speaker was a young man clad in luxurious ink-blue robes, his eyes deep and profound. His appearance was rather unconventional, his long hair casually draped, the corners of his eyes and brows hinting at a cynical smile. The only difference between him and a living person was his exceptionally pale complexion, his fingertips resting on the table tinged with a faint jade-purple hue.

And the one he addressed as “Brother Yu Hu” was an old Daoist dressed in a white robe, his beard and hair all white. The aura around the old man was long and profound, seemingly resonating with heaven and earth.

Being addressed as an equal by a young man who appeared much younger than himself, the corners of his mouth tightened, but he remained composed.

“The loud noise just now, I presume Your Majesty also heard it?” True Man Yu Hu said, “Has something happened?”

“I heard it,” the Ghost Emperor said casually, “It sounded like it came from your realm’s direction. I wonder if Brother Yu Hu has any idea what it was? I could send someone to investigate.”

“No need to trouble you,” Yu Hu said, “I’ll send a disciple.”

“Very well, after all, the negotiations are paramount,” the Ghost Emperor lightly flicked his sleeve, “Brother Yu Hu is here on behalf of the human realm, so since your realm thinks this way—presumably no one will come to cause trouble.”

“Right, Brother Yu Hu?” The Ghost Emperor raised his wine cup, offering True Man Yu Hu a smile, and drank the wine.

Yu Hu’s smile betrayed nothing, “That is only natural.”

“However, shouldn’t Brother Yu Hu’s sincerity be mentioned?” The Ghost Emperor put down his wine cup, looking directly at Yu Hu’s face, the casual smile fading slightly.

“To let Brother Yu Hu know, everyone says my position is unstable, but I’ve been sitting here for decades,” the Ghost Emperor’s dark eyes reflected Yu Hu’s figure, “It’s naturally good to connect with your realm without losing a single soldier. But there are plenty of things in the Ghost Realm that are starving and desperate. If we come to blows, it seems I have nothing to lose.”

Eloquent words are useless; only concrete benefits hold negotiating power.

In just a few days, True Man Yu Hu had already learned that this Ghost Emperor, who appeared young, vigorous, and cynical, was actually a smiling tiger, not someone easy to deal with.

Conspiring with a tiger is always like walking on thin ice.

“That is incorrect,” True Man Yu Hu said, “War between realms brings devastation and is harmful to the harmony of heaven. My human realm may not be as strong as the Ghost Realm, but it is not without the power to fight. However, even if the Ghost Realm wins, the incense offerings from the human world would likely belong to the entire Ghost Realm.”

The Ghost Emperor smiled, waiting for him to continue.

Yu Hu continued, “My sect, as the leader of the Immortal Alliance, seeks to preserve the entire human realm. I have long heard that Your Majesty is kind and benevolent, which is why I secretly invited you. With my sect’s help, the connection between the two realms can be seamless and without a sound. Your Majesty only needs to use your trusted aides to rebuild the underworld and the six paths of reincarnation in the human realm. By then, the incense offerings from the human world will naturally belong entirely to Your Majesty alone.”

True Man Yu Hu was certain that the Ghost Emperor would be tempted by such benefits.

It was precisely because they had heard that the Ghost Emperor’s foundation was shallow and that he was surrounded by enemies in the Ghost Realm that they dared to take this risky move.

“Brother Yu Hu is truly thinking of the human realm, so righteous. I truly admire it,” the Ghost Emperor said, “In that case, I will also give you a definite answer: Two, is too few.”

“Then what does Your Majesty want…?”

“Your sect claims to have the locations of the connection points between the human and ghost realms, which can help me take over the realm with ease, yet you are only willing to hand over two at this point and want to obtain benefits from me, is this not a bit too eager?”

“How would I know if those points are real? How would I know if your sect truly possesses all the points between the human and ghost realms?”

“Furthermore, who knows if the sudden separation of the human and ghost realms was not caused by your human realm? If I give you what your sect wants, but your human realm suddenly runs away again, wouldn’t I be like what you humans say—a meat bun thrown to the dog,” the Ghost Emperor paused with a smile, “Gone forever?”

Yu Hu was inwardly annoyed!

Not seeing the rabbit, not releasing the hawk; why was this Ghost Emperor such a difficult person to deal with?

The human realm had a suspended great formation that could separate the two realms. This was his trump card, which he had planned to use to increase his bargaining power when negotiations were hopeless, but being so bluntly laid out by the Ghost Emperor, how could it make him even more difficult to advance or retreat?

“Your Majesty, you might as well speak plainly about what you want.”

“Six, give them to me immediately,” the Ghost Emperor said, “My strategist, who studies the way of realms, has long since arrived here with me. Brother Yu Hu, give me the locations, and I will immediately send the strategist to verify them. Once they are confirmed to be true, I will offer your sect the spiritual treasures you desire with both hands.”

True Man Yu Hu slowly closed his eyes, “Your Majesty, please allow me to consider it first.”

“No rush,” the Ghost Emperor said, “It is not impossible to discuss with the others in your sect for a day or two.”

True Man Yu Hu wanted to discuss it with the other two.

However, since that loud noise earlier, the communication of divine thoughts had been blocked by an invisible force, giving him an ominous premonition.

The disciple sent to investigate had not yet returned, and he had to concentrate on dealing with the Ghost Emperor, so he was temporarily unable to spare any attention.

“Brother Yu Hu,” the Ghost Emperor suddenly said.

“What do you wish to teach, Ghost Emperor Your Majesty?”

“Don’t you feel something strange around you?”

“Is that so?” True Man Yu Hu carefully felt it, and said, “Not to hide it from Your Majesty, since I came here, I have felt the aura of strange beasts surrounding this place.”

“That’s not it,” the Ghost Emperor pondered a little, “I just feel that something is not right.”

Suddenly, there was the sound of a heavy object falling.

——The Ghost Emperor’s personal guards drew their weapons, instantly on alert.

Looking outside, they saw two disheveled figures in blue robes falling down only a few feet away.

Because the speed of the fall was too fast, even the deep red ground shook.

In an instant, sharp weapons pointed at them, surrounding the two figures.

Shen Jingzhen barely managed to stand firm, ignoring everything else, first pulling Shen Xinge to see if he was alright.

—Were they assessed to have good cultivation and not easy to die from falling, so they just released their claws and threw them down?

Shen Xinge was fine.

He even said to Shen Jingzhen with excitement, “Fellow Daoist Yuan flew so fast!”

But in an instant, he changed to worry, “Why didn’t Fellow Daoist Ye come down with us? Could he have been kidnapped by Fellow Daoist Yuan? Eh, where did they go?”

Shen Jingzhen didn’t want to answer.

As for where those two people went, he didn’t want to investigate either.

At first, he heard that person asking Ye, the Second Palace Master, if he was shaken when they crashed into the boundary wall, and Ye, the Second Palace Master, replied that he was the one who was shaken.

Then vaguely it seemed that they had an argument over this “shaken” matter, and the tone sounded like they were about to fight.

—And then, they threw them both down.

Clan Master Shen just patted Shen Xinge’s shoulder in reassurance, his eyes crossing the heavy encirclement, looking directly at the two who were sitting face to face in the Ghost Realm’s wine pavilion.

One was a ghost, a high-ranking figure in the Ghost Realm.

One was a human, a guardian of the right path in the human realm.

Some things are self-evident.

Clan Master Shen, who had always been gentle as jade, was now as cold as frost.

“May I ask True Man,” Shen Jingzhen said coldly, “Why are you here? What are you doing?”

True Man Yu Hu quietly looked at him.

Heavy Dao pressure, along with his gaze, fell on Shen Jingzhen.

This strength was enough to crush a person to pieces.

Shen Jingzhen protected Shen Xinge, his figure like a pine tree, standing firm and unmoving.

—Hongmeng Clan Master Shen Jingzhen, a Dao cultivator, also cultivates talismans and formations, late stage of Crossing Tribulation. Not worth mentioning.

The pressure from the Guardian True Man was as heavy as a mountain, coupled with the suppression of the divine soul, if one couldn’t withstand it, one would be injured in body and spirit.

Of course, if Clan Master Shen knew what was good for him, it wouldn’t come to that.

Shen Jingzhen looked directly at True Man Yu Hu.

The aura on his body, under the heavy pressure that made even breathing impossible, rose layer by layer.

From the late stage of Crossing Tribulation to the peak stage of Crossing Tribulation.

And at the peak stage of Crossing Tribulation, it rose again, to the highest Human Immortal Realm in the human world.

It was a natural result, not breaking through the realm, but finally unloading the disguise, revealing his brilliance.

“May I ask True Man,” Shen Jingzhen said, word by word, “Why are you here?”