Time waits for no one. Just as Lu Yang was pondering, the darkness surrounding the yellow-robed old man in the distance had already spread to his side, carrying a strong corrosive power. Lu Yang looked up, sizing up the other party with great interest.
"So this is a Witch Ghost."
The Witch Ghost Sect was a great demonic sect of ancient times. Back then, every disciple of the Witch Ghost Sect would refine a life-bound Witch Ghost to serve as the foundation for their future cultivation. However, with the appearance of the Golden Core sword qi, the entire Witch Ghost Sect was exterminated.
Without the control of cultivators, these Witch Ghosts began to wander the secret realm. Based on the strength of their former masters, the levels of the Witch Ghosts were divided into White-robed, yellow-robed, black-robed, and the most ferocious, red-robed ghosts. As for the living people within the secret realm, their origins were also quite complex.
Some of their ancestors were servants raised by the Witch Ghost Sect in the past, while others were disciples who had decisively crippled their own cultivation when the sect faced its calamity. This was because cultivation was forbidden within the secret realm.
The Golden Core sword qi aimed to destroy the inheritance of the Witch Ghost Sect, so anyone who set foot on the path of cultivation, even if they were only at the first level of Qi Refining, would be slain by the sword qi.
This was also why Lu Yang, being an outsider and a target for the sword qi to lure in, was not killed the moment he entered the secret realm. But in truth, it was not much different.
After all, as long as the sword qi did not dissipate, this clone of his could never leave the secret realm, which was no different from being dead. The fate of the Witch Ghost Sect was even more ironic.
Since only mortals survived and they were unable to cultivate, they instead became prey for the out-of-control Witch Ghosts, constantly being captured and devoured. Those who controlled ghosts were ultimately devoured by ghosts.
"That being said, people can always find a way out of a predicament."
Although they could not step onto the path of cultivation, after a thousand years, generations of mortals in the secret realm had risked their lives and finally found a way to resist the Witch Ghosts. That was to 'control ghosts to serve Yama'. In short, it was to use a secret art to offer oneself to a Witch Ghost.
While being devoured by the ghost, one could also borrow its power.
"The cultivator who created this system called himself the 'Listening Nether Patriarch', and the Listening Nether Cult he established has now become the only sect in the secret realm. It has deep roots and has even developed a systematic method for controlling ghosts, with different titles determined by the grade of the ghost being controlled."
Those who controlled White-robed ghosts were called 'ghost messengers'. Those who controlled yellow-robed ghosts were called 'Rakshasas'. Those who controlled black-robed ghosts were called 'Impermanence'.
As for the most ferocious red-robed ghosts, whoever could control one could immediately become an elder of the Listening Nether Cult and would be known as 'Yama's Walker' within the secret realm.
"... Quite a lot of tricks."
Although almost all cultivators who walked this ghost-controlling path could not live for more than a year or so, as long as they were alive, their strength was beyond doubt. At their peak, they could rival a cultivator at the Perfection of the Qi Refining Realm.
And this yellow-robed ghost before him was at the level of the middle stage of Qi Refining. But what truly interested Lu Yang was that he actually sensed a trace of a strange, mysterious aura related to 'status' from this yellow-robed ghost.
"It's a bit like... a fragment of a divine ability?"
This feeling was like the superior divine abilities that made up a Great Divine Ability, but its level was weakened countless times, making it appear extremely faint. Lu Yang stretched out his hand and instantly caught the yellow-robed ghost, refining it in a flash.
"It is indeed related to status, but it hasn't reached the Foundation Establishment level."
"These Witch Ghosts wandering in the Witch Ghost Secret Realm should all be related to a certain Great Divine Ability, and these Witch Ghosts are all fragments of that Great Divine Ability..."
After a moment of thought, Lu Yang took out the Myriad Spirits Banner. Immediately after, he sent the yellow-robed ghost directly onto the flag banner, transforming it into a banner spirit. Gradually, a strange look appeared on Lu Yang's face.
"This is truly... an unexpected delight!"
The Witch Ghosts in the secret realm concealed a trace of the aura of status, seemingly related to a Great Divine Ability, and his Myriad Spirits Banner could turn these Witch Ghosts to his own use. Lu Yang was greatly surprised, his thoughts racing.
The facts proved that he could completely subdue and refine all the Witch Ghosts in the secret realm one by one through the Myriad Spirits Banner, thereby reassembling these status fragments. In the end, he might even be able to condense another Great Divine Ability that could help him break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.
At this thought, Lu Yang's heart immediately burned with passion.
"The living beings here have long suffered from the scourge of the Witch Ghosts. I am a kind person, always compassionate. I shall reluctantly take in these Witch Ghosts and bring peace back to this land..."
Following that, Lu Yang looked at the unconscious youth. With his cultivation level, performing a Soul Search on a mortal would naturally not leave any side effects. He even left behind a Martial Dao cultivation method as compensation.
"I truly am a great benefactor..."
Just then, a sound suddenly came from the distant horizon. Lu Yang looked up and saw a patch of dark clouds. Within the clouds was a black-robed Daoist, followed by two young attendants and more than ten beautiful maidservants.
A single glance revealed young attendants holding treasures, guarding his left and right. The beautiful maidservants were either holding fans and incense or playing xiao and flute. Behind them was a long procession, divided into black and white colors, holding suonas, gongs, and drums.
As they walked, they played music and danced. It was a dense crowd, a grand spectacle indeed.
"Hm? Where are the Witch Ghosts of this place?"
The black-robed Daoist in the clouds looked at Lu Yang and frowned.
"Are you the commoner who sent the message? Where is the ghost messenger of this place?"
Hearing this, Lu Yang glanced at him and said flatly, "Dead." According to the memories obtained from the Soul Search of the youth, that ghost messenger had long been finished off by the yellow-robed ghost, which was why he had been hiding in the ruins to avoid the Witch Ghost's search.
The black-robed Daoist in the clouds frowned even deeper upon hearing this. He then suddenly raised his hand and gestured for a young attendant beside him to take out a round mirror and shine it down on Lu Yang from the sky. Seeing this, Lu Yang's eyebrows twitched slightly.
A sweep of his spiritual sense revealed the mirror's function, but he did not dodge or evade, allowing the mirror's light to fall upon him. The next second, a cold smile appeared on the black-robed Daoist's face.
"I was wondering who it was. So it's some unorthodox practitioner from the outside world. It must have been you who killed the ghost messenger and took the Witch Ghost from this place. It seems this lord cannot spare you today!"
"... Unorthodox Practitioner?"
Lu Yang found this utterly absurd. A heretic from a secret realm was actually calling him an unorthodox practitioner in return? This was simply turning against the natural order of things!
On the other side, the black-robed Daoist felt nothing was wrong. Although the Witch Ghost Secret Realm was hidden from the world, it was not completely isolated. Therefore, over the years, some Rogue Cultivators would occasionally stumble into the secret realm by chance.
The black-robed Daoist had seen quite a few. However, Rogue Cultivators were weak and alone, with cultivation levels at most in the early stage of Qi Refining, or the middle stage at best. They appeared far too feeble in front of the Listening Nether Cult.
Over time, the black-robed Daoist naturally came to look down on the so-called cultivators from the outside world. Therefore, facing Lu Yang now, he was even more confident, not taking him seriously at all. He only wanted to capture him quickly so he could go back and report his success.
The next second, the black-robed Daoist focused his mind and circulated his qi. His originally ruddy complexion instantly turned deathly pale, while only his lips became fuller and ruddier, increasingly vibrant, exuding a strange Dao charm. He controlled a black-robed ghost named 'Name-Summoning Ghost'.
As its name implied, after this Witch Ghost locked onto a target, it could divine the target's name. The black-robed Daoist would then call it out, and the person whose name was called would have their soul immediately snatched away by the Witch Ghost, dying within an hour.
Relying on this Witch Ghost, he had always been invincible in his battles against others. This time was no different. He directly urged the Witch Ghost to start divining the name of this unorthodox practitioner before him.
Almost at the same time, Lu Yang sensed it.
"Divining me?"
Lu Yang's eyebrows raised slightly.
"Interesting. As fragments of a Great Divine Ability, these Witch Ghosts are tainted with a trace of the aura of status. They can actually involve karma..."
As he spoke, he formed a hand seal and obscured his karma. Although he was confident that with his own status, it wouldn't matter what the other party divined, a gentleman does not stand under a collapsing wall. There was no need to take the risk.
"How can this be!?"
Seeing that the 'Name-Summoning Ghost' had achieved nothing, the black-robed Daoist was suddenly flustered, not understanding why his invincible Witch Ghost would encounter such a mishap. Lu Yang shook his head upon seeing this.
"Truly no challenge at all. A far cry from a Foundation Establishment cultivator."
"But this is fine too. Defeating a superior was never my style. I'm much better at this kind of downward-compatible, cross-realm killing."
On the other side, the black-robed Daoist seemed to have suddenly thought of something. He then reached into his robes and actually took out a divine statue carved from red wax. Its appearance was majestic and solemn, and three long incense sticks stood on its crown.
Without another word, the black-robed Daoist lit them. The next second, a green flame began to burn behind the statue's head.
"I request the Patriarch to show himself!"
The black-robed Daoist bowed down. In an instant, rolling auspicious clouds drifted from the three long incense sticks on the statue's head, and the statue's own brow relaxed. Immediately after, immortal music was heard, sweet rain fell from the sky, and golden lotuses sprouted from the earth.
Countless phenomena set off the divine statue, making it appear increasingly sacred and majestic. Even its facial features became vivid. Though it was only made of red wax, it seemed like a living person as it looked at Lu Yang and said in a booming voice: "What petty scoundrel dares to offend our cult's lineage?"
"..."
Lu Yang did not answer. He silently observed the other party, a strange look on his face, because in the eyes of those with and without status, the appearance of the divine statue was vastly different. An ordinary person looking at the divine statue would only see it as lifelike, just like a living person.
However, in Lu Yang's eyes, the statue was still just a statue. What truly made it move was a magical light of a divine ability that had appeared at its feet. The magical light was profound and mysterious.
Within it, seven seal script characters floated, continuously erupting with magnificent magical power. Lu Yang instantly understood. This was what he had speculated about before, the Great Divine Ability that could only be condensed after gathering the thousands of Witch Ghosts in the Witch Ghost Secret Realm!
Its name was: 【Mysterious Underworld Palace Lord Seizing the Nether Position】