Yamafu Military Affairs

Chapter 622 Ghost Realm
squeak~
Qin Huai looked up and saw a three-headed man resembling a tree monkey hanging upside down at the top of the divine tree. It had a pointed head and a long neck. Although the "Fleeting Glance" indicator showed its strength rating wasn't high, Qin Huai could keenly sense a very subtle connection between this strange being and the entire Jade Forest. It was not to be underestimated.

Seeing Qin Huai look up, the strange man's six protruding red eyes blinked wildly, his red tongue flicked out, emitting sharp and noisy cries. He suddenly leaped up, darting and hovering among the branches and leaves, seemingly terrified and wanting to hide.

"This is Fu Changshu, a three-headed man who guards the Langgan Forest. He is extremely timid, please excuse his cowardice, Your Excellency."

Qin Huai nodded slightly, flew low, and continued flying south with Lu Wu.

After flying for a while, the jade trees gradually thinned out, and dense forests and tall grasses appeared, with wildflowers in full bloom. Through the misty fog, one could vaguely see the ravines and cliffs ahead, with the mountain terrain treacherous. On the edge of the cliff stood a giant thorny tree with a circumference of a hundred feet, its long branches intertwined and piercing the sky, its green leaves layered, and thousands of tendrils hanging down to the ground, swaying with the strong wind, like a long-bearded old man overlooking the cliff.

Upon seeing this extraordinary sight, Qin Huai was startled, realizing that this place must be the Southern Abyss of Kunlun and the Immortal Tree.

The wind howled, and the thick fog thickened, becoming even heavier. Listen closely, and you can hear a roar like giant waves coming from the abyss, creating an indescribable desolation and eeriness in this bleak twilight.

When the group arrived at the tree, they immediately saw a semi-transparent protective shield that shimmered with magical light. It was about five zhang in diameter and filled with large blocks of ice. In the crystal coffin at the center, Tuoba Di lay peacefully. His body, which had been covered with grotesque and terrifying corpse worms and cracked wounds, had been treated. Apart from his pale blue skin, he looked no different from an ordinary person.

"Your Majesty, that's enough for now. Out of respect for the past God Emperors, the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Formation cannot be activated. Please understand."

Seeing that Qin Huai was about to approach, the Queen Mother of the West quickly spoke up to dissuade him.

"I understand. I can observe from here."

Qin Huai nodded and said nothing more. Admittedly, he did have some thoughts about opening the coffin to examine the body, but since he couldn't force it, using [A Glimpse of Beauty] to determine the general condition wasn't out of the question.

【Soul-Nourishing Jade】: A specialty of the East Sea Dragon Clan. When carved into a coffin, the person inside can passively absorb the primordial energy of heaven and earth to nourish their physical body, replenish their soul, slowly repair various injuries and damages, and maintain their soul from dissipation, without needing to reincarnate in the ghost realm.

【Body Without a Soul】: Although the physical body of the God Emperor Tuoba is currently inside the Soul-Nourishing Jade Coffin, his soul and consciousness have long since disappeared, and no one knows where he went.

Seeing the Yanfu prompt that [A Glimpse of Beauty] had only returned after a long exploration, Qin Huai's heart stirred, and he recalled some common knowledge about cultivation in the Great Wilderness from Chu Ning's memories.

Legend has it that at the beginning of creation, the world was divided into the Chaos Realm, the Immortal Realm, the Illusion Realm, the Wilderness Realm, and the Ghost Realm. The Chaos Realm had five primordial spirits: the Platinum Spirit, the Green Wood Spirit, the Black Water Spirit, the Crimson Fire Spirit, and the Yellow Earth Spirit, also known as the Taiyi Golden True, the Taiyi Wood True, the Taiyi Water True, the Taiyi Fire True, and the Taiyi Earth True.

These five divine consciousnesses are the source masters of the primordial spirits and souls of all things under heaven. Like the sun and moon, they radiate their respective primordial spirits, attaching themselves to all things in heaven and earth, thus giving all things spiritual power. All things in the desolate realm, especially demonic beasts capable of cultivating human bodies, are divided into five races—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—based on the different proportions of the five primordial spirits attached to their bodies. After the physical body is destroyed, the weak primordial spirits return to the five divine consciousnesses of the chaotic realm, merge, and then disperse again. The strong primordial spirits directly ascend to the immortal realm, becoming eternal individual divine consciousnesses, while the decaying primordial spirits fall into the ghost realm, unable to return to the chaotic realm, let alone ascend to the immortal realm.

Returning to the Chaos Realm, the scattered primordial spirit merges and reattaches to the beast's body, thus beginning the next life.

The immortal divine consciousness re-enters the desolate realm, attaching itself to a beast's body, thus becoming a reincarnation.

This "theory of the Five Realms and Five Gods" has been regarded as a legend throughout history, circulating among the various tribes in the Great Wilderness, and no one can give a definite answer.

Of course, it is also possible that Chu Ning was only a priest of the Cold Wilderness Barbarian Clan and not a high-ranking member of the five clans, so he could not know the details.

Thinking of this, Qin Huai felt that there was a high probability that Emperor Tuoba had ascended to immortality, but it was hard to say whether he had fallen into the form of a ghost. There was even a certain probability that his primordial spirit was still lingering in the Great Wilderness.

"Queen Mother, what clan does Emperor Tuoba belong to, and what kind of cultivation method does he practice?"

Upon hearing Qin Huai's question, the Queen Mother of the West was slightly taken aback, and then calmly replied, "Emperor Tuoba is a member of the Dragon Clan. Because of his special physique, he and Emperor Shennong are both extremely rare beings with the Five Virtues Body. Therefore, the cultivation method he practices is the [Five Elements Manual] created by Emperor Shennong."

"Hmm? In that case, normally where would his spirit go after death?"

Qin Huai seemed to be deep in thought, and then pressed for an answer.

“Normally speaking, Emperor Tuoba’s cultivation had reached the Taishen realm, and his primordial spirit was extremely strong. After his death, he would naturally ascend to the immortal realm like Emperor Shennong and be eternally immortal.”

Upon hearing Qin Huai's question, the Queen Mother of the West also sensed the inclination in his words and added, "However, nowadays, Emperor Tuoba, who died from being devoured by the myriad Gu, must have had his primordial spirit corrupted by the demonic Gu and fallen into the ghost realm. It is precisely for this reason that the Dragon Consort, despite being pregnant, risked everything to travel through the Ghost Mountain in the Western Regions in order to find Emperor Tuoba from among the myriad ghosts."

"Where is the fossilized body of Emperor Shennong after his death?"

Upon learning of the Dragon Consort's whereabouts, Qin Huai remained silent for a moment before continuing to ask.

"At this moment, he should be in the South Coast of the East China Sea, guarded by the fairy Kongsang, whom he loved most in his lifetime."

As if guessing Qin Huai's thoughts, the Queen Mother of the West continued, "If Your Excellency the Holy Beast wishes to go and investigate, could you step forward on behalf of my Golden Clan to mediate the Shui Mu disaster? With your supreme strength at the Tai Shen Realm, Zhu Long and the Goddess will surely cease hostilities immediately, and the Shui Mu disaster will then have a chance to turn around."

"That's not necessarily true, but I will definitely go to Donghai Nanji Mountain later."

Qin Huai nodded noncommittally and continued, "However, I am determined to go to the Ghost Realm first. If Emperor Tuoba's primordial spirit is really there, I can bring him back and use my great supernatural powers to revive him. At that time, the calamity of the water and wood will naturally be resolved. If I search the Ghost Realm thoroughly but cannot find him, I can bring the Dragon Consort back. It won't be so that Emperor Tuoba will die without an heir."

"Your Majesty the Sacred Beast is truly insightful and far-sighted. Shui Xiang is deeply impressed."

Seeing that Qin Huai had made up her mind, the Queen Mother of the West said no more and immediately made arrangements to return and prepare a banquet.

"There is no time to lose. I will go and return as soon as possible. Please, White Emperor, Queen Mother, and all elders, wait."

Finally, Qin Huai glanced almost imperceptibly at Lu Hushen standing next to Shao Hao, but did not choose to act rashly, knock him unconscious, or drag him into his own Kunlun Hill, where he was sharpening his knives and preparing to expand and create new glories.
-
The full moon sets in the west, and the morning stars fade away.

Having bid farewell to the Jin tribe heroes, Qin Huai, who had been riding the wind for an hour or so, finally crossed most of the Western Regions and came into view the towering Ghost Mountain range.

As Ghost Mountain drew ever closer, the sky grew increasingly dark, and the surrounding valleys were a desolate, gray expanse. A fierce wind howled through the mountain pass, rustling through the trees; the Tongtian River surged and roared in the distance, its flow mournful and tragic. Looking around, Qin Huai saw shadowy figures and surging waves, as if countless ghosts lurked nearby, yet upon closer inspection, all was empty.

Suddenly, a sharp, eerie horn blared from the distant mountains, its mournful sound chilling to the bone, like the wailing of a vengeful ghost. Qin Huai's heart stirred, and he immediately conceived the idea of ​​following the sound to investigate.

At that moment, a strong, eerie wind arose, and a foul stench filled the air. The horn sounded urgent and high-pitched, becoming increasingly sinister and menacing.

Just as Qin Huai was about to make a move, he suddenly heard a series of muffled thuds, and the surrounding grass burst open. At the same time, the great river behind him surged with waves, and countless white, skeletal zombies crawled out from the ground and the river, their appearances tragic and terrifying.

"Looks like we've come to the right place. I just don't know how to get to the ghost realm thousands of feet below with so many ghosts."

Noticing the peculiar environment of Ghost Mountain, with its deep yin energy, Qin Huai's eyes flashed. Although it was night, it was no different from daytime. He flew swiftly among the steep and sharp cliffs and rocks, moving with lightning speed.

In the blink of an eye, Qin Huai rushed up the steep mountain to the summit of a certain peak of Ghost Mountain. The ice and snow shimmered, and the wind howled. He flew through the air, riding the wind and soaring over the snow-covered ridges, leaping and bounding, moving rapidly, following the sound of the horn.

Guishan Mountain is rugged and precipitous, stretching for nearly a hundred miles from north to south. It is winding and meandering, with valleys and ravines scattered throughout. There are occasional cliffs and precipices between the mountain ridges, which are quite far apart.

A fierce wind blew in my face, howling and making a mess. If I didn't have a protective aura to shield me, I would definitely feel my seven orifices dry and painful, and my whole body would be frozen and numb.

Qin Huai moved casually and did not bother to protect himself. The surging icy wind and snow turned into a warm breeze when it got within a few feet of him, no longer showing its ferocity.

Soon, Qin Huai arrived at a sheer cliff, below which lay a massive ravine, formed by the winding, converging peaks of the Ghost Mountain range. The cliff was sheer and precipitous, offering no way to climb, and a chilling aura, carrying wisps of cold mist, rushed up from the dark depths of the ravine.

With jagged rocks and sharp cliffs piercing the sky, the Qinhuai River meanders through the gaps between the scattered sharp rocks, plunging thousands of feet into the valley in an instant.

As it approached the bottom of the ravine, Qin Huai suddenly soared through the air, leaping and plunging with the wind, dissipating the immense force of its descent, and silently circling the mountainside.

The sound of rushing water was deafening, and a huge waterfall seemed to be cascading down in front of us. Beside the waterfall, there was a faint light that was quite conspicuous in the pitch-black darkness.

A chill swept over us, and fine, needle-like raindrops swirled and danced. A hundred paces to the right of Qin Huai, a cascading waterfall resembled a white dragon soaring through the mountains. Mist shrouded the valleys, and towering cliffs surrounded the area, their grim appearance like a jumble of ghosts. Countless carcasses of monstrous beasts lay scattered on the ground, their deaths unknown.

The waterfall hangs upside down on the east side of the ravine, with a precipitous cliff directly in front of it, like a wolf's tooth across the sky. On the top of the cliff stand two burly demons, one with a bull's head and eyes like copper bells, and the other with a horse's face and a blood-red mouth. Both of them have eyes that gleam with a green light, and they are fierce and savage.

The bull-headed man raised his head and blew a huge silver-white horn. The mournful sound of the horn, like the wailing of ghosts, came from him. The horse-faced man held a huge blood-red banner in his right hand, which fluttered in the wind. The word "ghost" was embroidered on the banner.

【Ox-Headed Ghost Soldier】: A ghost soldier guarding the gates of the underworld, with two thousand years of cultivation, responsible for gathering ghosts with the sound of horns and sending the wandering ghosts generated in the Great Wilderness each year into the ghost realm.

【Horse-faced Rakshasa】: A ghost soldier guarding the gates of the underworld, with two thousand years of cultivation, responsible for leading the way with the blood banner, sending the wandering ghosts generated in the Great Wilderness every year into the ghost realm.

The wailing of ghosts echoed through the ravines as countless zombies and grotesque ghosts surged in from the mountain passes on the east and west sides, forming neat square formations and advancing in layers like a tide. Under the command of the blood banner in the horse-faced demon's hand, they turned and circled in an orderly manner.

Tens of thousands of ghouls dragged corpses, wailing and wailing, as they traversed the mountains and valleys, heading towards the huge, icy pool before the raging waterfall, where white steam billowed.

Plop plop~
Qin Huai watched as the pale, bloated zombies and the skeletal ghosts mechanically moved forward, disappearing row by row into the icy pool. He knew that it was July, and the gates of the desolate realm were wide open, so such a grand spectacle was not surprising.

Having figured out the key point, Qin Huai, skilled and daring, transformed into a bolt of lightning, illuminating the deep ravines, piercing through the howling winds and pervasive demonic mist, and plunged headlong into the rolling waterfall.

Qin Huai moved extremely quickly, and before the corpse demons and the ox-headed and horse-faced demons could react, he had already dived more than ten feet underwater into the dark pool.

The chill was bone-chilling and oppressive. The water around Qin Huai seemed to freeze suddenly, and then everything went black as the icy water poured into his seven orifices, ignoring all protection.

Qin Huai knew this was a necessary process of spatial transformation, so he did not resist. Instead, he relaxed his mind and body and instantly sank into the bottomless, cold abyss.

As he plummeted, Qin Huai slightly opened his eyes, his clear, glassy light scanning his surroundings. He saw countless pale, swollen zombies floating in the gray, icy abyss, sinking rapidly alongside him.

Suddenly, the vortex swirled violently, as if a giant abyss was swallowing him whole. The world turned upside down, and Qin Huai was suddenly plunging down from the waterfall. The wind howled in his ears, the waves surged, and countless zombies fell around him with wails.

Qin Huai steadied himself and looked down. The black mist stretched endlessly, seemingly concealing countless malevolent spirits.

"The Underworld, huh? That's interesting."

Hovering on the wind, Qin Huai turned around and looked at the icy, turbid spring behind him. He tried to calculate his location, but could not determine his position. The surroundings were shrouded in mist, with no guidance, and he did not know where to start.

"Very well, let's follow this surging Yellow Springs forward and explore. With more effort, we're bound to find some clues."

With a thought, Qin Huai summoned a gale to disperse the black mist, revealing a blood-red river below, with a stench that assaulted the nostrils.

The blood-red torrents surged, and countless white bones and zombies crashed down with the waters of the underworld, disappearing into them like a dense rain, rising and falling, drifting forward woodenly.

"The light of the great sun shines in all directions!"

Qin Huai snapped his fingers, and a burst of red light erupted from above. A blazing golden sun, high in the sky, shot out countless bright red arcs from the dark mist, instantly illuminating the surroundings in a bright red glow.

Looking at the vast, boundless plain of corpses before him, Qin Huai sighed and randomly chose a direction to begin a large-scale search.

(End of this chapter)