At this moment, Jia Zhuangyuan also put aside his usual flippant attitude. He turned serious and said gravely to everyone, “My guess was right—there really is a massive man-made structure beneath us. If I’m not mistaken, this underground city is merely the beginning.”
Everyone looked at him in astonishment. Finally, Liu Dashao couldn’t help himself and asked, “Senior Jia, are you saying this city is just the start of these underground structures? Are there more cities or other buildings yet to be discovered?”
A strange smile flickered across Jia Zhuangyuan’s face. He didn’t directly answer Liu Dashao’s question. Instead, with a mixture of excitement and mystery, he said, “If reaching our destination were this simple, would it even be possible? I suspect this ‘Wuji Daozang’ is beyond your imagination. You should feel fortunate just to witness it once in your lifetime.”
With that, he turned on his flashlight and began scanning the ground below, searching for a path downward.
Jia Zhuangyuan’s words stirred strange emotions in everyone’s heart—especially Liu Dashao’s. A massive city built hundreds of meters underground—who built it, and how? Could people from ancient times really have possessed such wisdom and capability?
As Liu Dashao was lost in thought, Fan Debiao gave him a nudge from behind and said, “What are you thinking about? Everyone’s already gone down.”
Liu Dashao snapped back to reality. He saw Jia Zhuangyuan leading the way, with a few others cautiously following behind. He quickly joined them.
The descent to the bottom of the pit seemed treacherous, with no clear path—just a field of hard, jagged rocks. The flashlight beams revealed that the stones appeared strangely fused together, mostly black and grayish-brown, like cooled volcanic lava.
As the saying goes: “Climbing up is easy, but going down is hard.” The uneven rocks made every step difficult, and progress was painfully slow. In this vast underground space, the beams of their flashlights felt dim and insignificant.
Fortunately, they encountered no strange underground creatures along the way. After about five minutes, they finally reached a relatively flat surface.
The massive underground city now stood quietly not far from them. From their new vantage point below, what had once been an eye-level view from the top of the pit had now become an upward gaze.
At this moment, they noticed something extremely strange. When their flashlights accidentally shone onto the city walls, the entire structure emitted a dazzling black glow.
Jia Zhuangyuan fixed his flashlight beam steadily on the wall. His eyes gleamed with an unusual light. Suddenly, his small eyes darted, his throat convulsively swallowed, and his hand holding the flashlight began to tremble slightly.
His strange behavior startled everyone. After taking a deep breath, Jia Zhuangyuan turned to face them, his expression now calm—almost solemn and somber.
Slowly, he said, “If I’m not mistaken, this underground city we see before us… is the legendary entrance to Fengdu Ghost City—the Yellow Spring Road.”
Liu Dashao stepped forward anxiously, “Senior Jia, did you say Fengdu Ghost City? Are you sure you’re not mistaken?”
Jia Zhuangyuan slowly nodded, saying nothing more.
Liu Dashao’s expression suddenly turned tense and serious. He stared silently ahead, muttering, “Fengdu Ghost City… Fengdu Ghost City…”
He abruptly turned to Jia Zhuangyuan, fixing him with a deep gaze, “So the legends are true? Fengdu Ghost City actually exists in this world? Does it really lead to… that place?”
Jia Zhuangyuan looked at him calmly and spoke slowly and gravely, “I have a feeling the legends are all true. The path we’re on leads directly to that place.”
Their conversation left everyone confused. Fan Debiao quickly asked, “Boss, what are you two talking about? Fengdu Ghost City? Leading to where?”
Liu Dashao sighed and said, “Few people probably even know about the legends of Fengdu Ghost City. Let’s rest here for a while, and I’ll tell you the story. Whether we should continue forward or find a new route, I think we should discuss it first.”
A strange feeling stirred in Fan Debiao’s heart—Jia Zhuangyuan and Liu Dashao’s behavior suggested something serious was at hand.
Liu Dashao signaled everyone to rest in place and assigned Yang Weidong to keep watch.
Everyone sat down on the ground. Jia Zhuangyuan, however, sat a little distance away in silence, turned off his flashlight, and disappeared into the darkness, as if signaling he wouldn’t speak another word.
Liu Dashao glanced at him, his lips moving as if wanting to say something, but finally just sat down quietly, lost in thought about how to explain the ghost city to the others.
All eyes turned to Liu Dashao, waiting for him to clear up their confusion.
After a long silence, Liu Dashao finally raised his head and began his story:
At this moment, Jia Zhuangyuan also set aside his usual flippant demeanor and spoke gravely to everyone, “I wasn’t mistaken. There are indeed massive man-made structures below. If my guess is correct, this underground city is just the beginning.”
Everyone looked at him in astonishment. Liu Dashao finally couldn’t hold back and asked, “Senior Jia, are you saying that such a city is just the start of the underground structures? Could there be more cities or other buildings appearing?”
A strange smile appeared on Jia Zhuangyuan’s lips. Instead of directly answering Liu Dashao’s question, he said with a mix of excitement and mystery, “If it were that easy to reach our destination, would it be possible? I suspect the Wuji Dao Zang is beyond your imagination. To witness it once in your lifetime would already be a great fortune.”
After saying this, he shone his flashlight at his feet and began searching for a way down.
Jia Zhuangyuan’s words stirred a strange ripple in everyone’s hearts, at least in Liu Dashao’s. A massive city, built a hundred meters underground—who could have built it? And how? Could humans possess such wisdom and capability?
As Liu Dashao was lost in thought, Fan Debiao nudged him from behind and said, “What are you thinking about? Everyone’s going down.”
Liu Dashao snapped out of his reverie and saw Jia Zhuangyuan leading the way, with several others cautiously following behind. He quickly caught up and moved forward.
The steep slope leading to the bottom of the pit seemed to have no discernible path, just a jumble of hard rocks. The flashlight illuminated the ground, making it seem as if the rocks were fused together, mostly black and grayish-brown, resembling volcanic lava.
As the saying goes, “It’s easier to go up a mountain than to come down.” The chaotic rocks made it difficult for everyone to find footing, and progress was slow. In this vast space, the light from the few flashlights felt incredibly small and dim.
Fortunately, they encountered no strange underground creatures along the way. After about five minutes, they finally reached a relatively flat surface.
The massive underground city stood quietly not far from them, and their perspective shifted from a level view from the pit to an upward gaze.
At this moment, they noticed a very strange phenomenon. When their flashlights accidentally shone on the city walls, the entire structure emitted a dazzling black light.
Jia Zhuangyuan held his flashlight steady on the wall, his eyes gleaming with an unusual brilliance. His small eyes flickered, his throat swallowed repeatedly, and his hand holding the flashlight began to tremble slightly.
Seeing his strange behavior, everyone felt a bit startled. Jia Zhuangyuan took a deep breath, turned to look at them, and his expression quickly calmed, even becoming heavy and worried.
He slowly said to everyone, “If I’m not mistaken, the underground city we’re seeing is… the entrance to the legendary Fengdu Ghost City, the Road to the Yellow Springs.”
Liu Dashao stepped forward and asked urgently, “Senior Jia, what are you saying? Fengdu Ghost City? Are you sure you’re not mistaken?”
Jia Zhuangyuan nodded slowly and said nothing more.
Liu Dashao’s expression suddenly turned tense and grave. He silently gazed ahead, murmuring, “Fengdu Ghost City, Fengdu Ghost City.”
He abruptly turned to Jia Zhuangyuan, looking at him deeply, and said, “Could the legends be true? Does Fengdu Ghost City really exist in this world? Does it truly lead to that… that place…”
Jia Zhuangyuan raised his head and looked at him calmly, saying in a low, deliberate voice, “I have a feeling that the legends are all true. The path we’re on leads to that very place.”
Their conversation left everyone confused. Fan Debiao quickly asked, “Dashao, what are you talking about? What Fengdu Ghost City? What place are you referring to?”
Liu Dashao sighed softly and said, “Not many people know the legends of Fengdu Ghost City. Let’s rest here for a moment. I’ll tell you the story of Fengdu. Whether we should continue forward or find another route, I think we should discuss it before deciding.”
Fan Debiao suddenly felt a strange sensation. The behavior of Jia Zhuangyuan and Liu Dashao seemed to indicate the seriousness of the situation.
Liu Dashao signaled everyone to rest for a while and assigned Yang Weidong to keep watch.
Everyone sat on the ground. Jia Zhuangyuan sat quietly some distance away, silently turning off his flashlight and hiding his small frame in the darkness, as if indicating he wouldn’t speak another word.
Liu Dashao glanced at him, his lips twitching as if he wanted to say something, but he ultimately sat down. He lowered his head, seemingly pondering how to explain the matter of the ghost city to everyone.
Everyone’s eyes were fixed on Liu Dashao, hoping he would quickly clear up their doubts.
After a long silence, Liu Dashao raised his head and began to speak, “Legend has it that in Fengdu City, there is a mountain called Pingdu, the 45th of the 72 blessed lands in Taoism. According to the ‘Liexian Zhuan’ from the Eastern Han Dynasty and Ge Hong’s ‘Shenxian Zhuan’ from the Jin Dynasty, during the Han Dynasty, people like Wang Fangping and Yin Changsheng abandoned their official posts to cultivate here and eventually ascended to immortality. As the fame of Wang Fangping and Yin Changsheng grew, many immortals came to visit. For example, the legendary Ma Xiangu once visited Wang Fangping but missed him. To this day, remnants like ‘Xiangu Rock’ and ‘Magu Cave’ remain. Additionally, Lü Dongbin also visited Wang Fangping and Yin Changsheng. Later, the two immortals were referred to as ‘Yin Wang,’ mistakenly interpreted as ‘King of the Underworld,’ and thus their dwelling place—Fengdu—became the underworld ruled by Yama. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the Five Pecks of Rice Sect flourished in Sichuan, and Fengdu, part of Ba Commandry during the Han Dynasty, was one of the early Taoist strongholds. The Five Pecks of Rice Sect, incorporating many shamanistic elements, was called the ‘Ghost Path,’ and its shamans were referred to as ‘Ghost Officials.’ This blend of immortals, humans, and ghosts in Taoist belief led to the formation of the ‘Ghost City.’ Thus, the once celestial Pingdu Mountain gradually became shrouded in ghostly aura, and a host of underworld deities flooded into the capital of the ghost kingdom—Fengdu—turning it into the underworld of the living. This is the surface-level Fengdu, but the true Fengdu remains unknown, only that it is the true gate to hell as recorded in ancient texts.”
After saying this in one breath, Liu Dashao took the water bottle handed to him by Fan Debiao, drank a few sips, and continued, “What I just told you is the history of Fengdu Ghost City. However, how much of it is true and how much is embellished, only those who have studied Taoist texts would know.”
Just as he finished speaking, a strange “crackling” sound suddenly echoed through the vast, silent underground space, creating an eerie and terrifying atmosphere.
Everyone jumped to their feet, fearfully scanning their surroundings to locate the source of the strange sound. Only Jia Zhuangyuan remained seated calmly, saying softly, “That’s the sound of the Red Spider Lilies growing. They’ve been dormant for a thousand years, waiting for us to awaken them.”
“Red Spider Lilies?” Cai Qingchong asked in surprise, “Aren’t they supposed to grow on the banks of the Naihe Bridge leading to the underworld?”
Jia Zhuangyuan replied mysteriously, “Do you think Fengdu isn’t part of the underworld?”
Cai Qingchong stared at him in disbelief, his inner shock beyond words.
As the eerie “crackling” sounds of the Red Spider Lilies growing continued, coupled with Liu Dashao’s low narration, a wave of fear and palpitations swept through everyone.
Just as Liu Dashao finished speaking, a strange “creak” echoed. Jia Zhuangyuan shouted, “Bad news! The city gates are opening!”
With a loud “clang,” a strange yellow light shot out from the opening gates. For a moment, everyone’s blood seemed to freeze. The scene was too unbelievable, too bizarre!
The yellow light from the gates was dazzlingly bright. Slowly, it felt like watching a scene from a sci-fi movie as the entire Fengdu Ghost City gradually lit up. In an instant, golden light illuminated the entire underground space.
At the same time, everyone saw countless vivid, blood-red flowers blooming around the city and along the path opened by the gates. These massive red flowers were incredibly beautiful and vibrant, yet they had no leaves, creating an unreal, eerie sensation.
Witnessing this scene, everyone was too stunned to speak. After a long while, Jia Zhuangyuan finally said slowly, “The Ghost City, the Red Spider Lilies, the Path to the Underworld—we’ve seen it all. What happens next? No one knows. The Naihe Bridge? Or the Eighteen Levels of Hell?”
His words snapped everyone back to reality. What should they do? This was the true question in everyone’s mind.
All eyes turned to Liu Dashao and Jia Zhuangyuan. Jia Zhuangyuan spread his hands and said with a bitter smile, “Don’t look at me. Honestly, I don’t know much more about Fengdu Ghost City than young Liu here.”
Liu Dashao said gravely, “Now, I think we have no choice. The blooming of the Red Spider Lilies means we’ve been registered in the Book of the Underworld. None of us can leave this place now. Moving forward might be our only hope of survival.”
Fan Debiao finally couldn’t hold back and asked Liu Dashao, “Why? What does the blooming of the Red Spider Lilies signify? Why can’t we leave? I was hoping we could find another way out of this ghostly place.”
Liu Dashao smiled bitterly and said, “The Red Spider Lily, also known as the Hell Flower, is said in Taoism to signify that you’ve reached hell when you see it. What we’re seeing might still resemble our previous surroundings, but in reality, we’re already in hell, and no one can escape. Additionally, the Red Spider Lily has another name—Manjusaka—the only guiding flower of the underworld. When you see this flower, you’re already dead. Even though you retain your memories from your past life, once you step onto the Path to the Underworld, you’ll forget everything.”
Cai Qingchong interjected, “Dashao, I think your explanation is a bit far-fetched. Aren’t we still alive? And our memories are intact. If we leave now, shouldn’t there be no problem?”
Liu Dashao suddenly sat down on the spot, closed his eyes, and entered a meditative state, refusing to speak further. Jia Zhuangyuan glanced at him, sighed softly, and also sat down.
Fan Debiao looked anxious, glancing between Liu Dashao and Jia Zhuangyuan, feeling at a loss.
Cai Qingchong suddenly had an idea. He said to Fan Debiao, “Debiao, let me try something. I’ll go back the way we came. If I can make it out of this valley, then everyone else can too. We’ll find another route.”
Hearing this, everyone agreed, as they weren’t entirely convinced by Liu Dashao’s words. Trying it out would make things clear.
Cai Qingchong looked at everyone, nodded, and turned to walk back the way they had come. At that moment, Jia Zhuangyuan and Liu Dashao suddenly shouted in unison, “No!”
Cai Qingchong paused, turned to look at them, and Liu Dashao stood up, saying to everyone, “I know you don’t believe me, and I won’t stop Cai Qingchong from trying, but I don’t want to see him become a wandering ghost. Does anyone have a sturdy rope? Bring it to me.”
Fan Debiao responded, took out the remaining climbing rope from his backpack, and handed it to Liu Dashao. Everyone watched in confusion as Liu Dashao walked over to Cai Qingchong, tied the rope around his waist with two secure knots, and said to him, “Qingchong, some things need to be proven before they’re accepted. I’ll just say this: you must walk slowly, step by step. Never run. If anything changes, remember to hold onto the rope around your waist.”
Cai Qingchong nodded blankly, indicating he understood. Liu Dashao then took a yellow triangular talisman from his bag and placed it in Cai Qingchong’s chest, saying, “This talisman will protect your life and keep your soul intact.”
After saying this, Liu Dashao handed the rope to Fan Debiao and said to everyone, “Please all hold onto this rope. It’s the lifeline that will protect Cai Qingchong.”
Everyone felt a chill. What did this mean? Cai Qingchong, who was about to start walking, also felt a cold sensation. Could something dangerous happen just from taking a few steps?
Everyone held onto the rope behind Cai Qingchong with a mix of doubt and apprehension. Cai Qingchong began to walk slowly forward, with Fan Debiao and Yang Weidong gradually letting out the rope behind him.
Taking the first step, Cai Qingchong quickly glanced around. Nothing seemed to have changed, and he felt slightly reassured. He then took a second step, and suddenly, he felt the environment around him shift. The light from Fengdu Ghost City became more dazzling, and he felt a cold wind blowing around him.
Cai Qingchong’s heart began to race. He hesitated for a moment but steeled himself and took a third step. Suddenly, he felt dizzy, his consciousness becoming muddled. He looked around in confusion. A faint black mist began to rise, enveloping him, and the cold wind grew stronger.
Cai Qingchong bit his tongue hard, the pain shooting through his brain. Though he felt unwell, he continued and took a fourth step.
In an instant, Cai Qingchong was horrified to see that everything around him had changed! He was now in a vast, icy white world, with a bone-chilling wind cutting through him. His consciousness was rapidly fading, and his last memory was seeing countless black shadows dancing wildly, screaming, and lunging at him with claws outstretched…
When Cai Qingchong woke up again, he opened his eyes to see everyone’s anxious gazes. He felt extremely weak, with no strength in his body, and a severe headache.
Seeing that Cai Qingchong had woken up, Liu Dashao walked over, crouched down, took Cai Qingchong’s left hand, and checked his pulse. He then asked, “How do you feel?”
Cai Qingchong smiled bitterly and said, “I’m fine, just weak and with a headache.”
Liu Dashao nodded and said, “Fortunately, you only took four steps. If you had taken nine steps, even the greatest immortal couldn’t have saved you. I told you the Red Spider Lily is the guiding flower of the underworld. When you see it, your soul is locked in place. Everyone has three souls and six spirits. If you forcibly leave this place, you lose a part of your soul with each step. By the ninth step, all your souls would be lost.”
Cai Qingchong shook his head helplessly and said, “I never imagined such a flower existed in the world.”
Jia Zhuangyuan walked over, chuckled, and said, “Fortunately, I noticed something was wrong and had them pull you back. Otherwise, you’d be in hell by now. Do you think legends are all fake? Do you think ghosts and gods are all fictional? Young people, you must listen to the words of your elders, understand?”
Everyone accepted his sarcasm with resignation, as reality had left them speechless.
After checking Cai Qingchong’s pulse, Liu Dashao said, “Fortunately, we pulled you back in time. It seems your souls are intact, but your body has been invaded by evil spirits. Rest for a while, take one of my ‘Dragon-Tiger Golden Pills,’ and you’ll recover within half an hour. Let’s all rest for a bit. We have no choice but to venture into Fengdu Ghost City.”
Seeing Cai Qingchong’s condition, everyone reluctantly accepted the reality Liu Dashao had described. Entering Fengdu Ghost City, whether they lived or died, was now entirely up to fate.
After resting for half an hour, Cai Qingchong stood up, moved around, and felt that his body had mostly recovered. He informed Liu Dashao.
Seeing that Cai Qingchong was fine, everyone stood up, ready to enter Fengdu Ghost City. Jia Zhuangyuan said gravely, “I think there’s no need to say more about the current situation. We must enter Fengdu Ghost City. I hope everyone can muster the courage to face whatever may come. Let’s go!”
After the recent events, everyone understood that there was no turning back. A sense of fatalism quietly spread through each person. Without further words, Liu Dashao called Fan Debiao and took the lead.
Fengdu Ghost City gradually came closer. The city gates were now open, revealing a strange, indigo-blue main street inside.
After this long explanation, Liu Dashao took a few sips from the water gourd Fan Debiao handed him and continued, “That’s the history of Fengdu Ghost City. Whether it’s true or how much exaggeration exists in the records—only those who compiled Daoist scriptures can say for sure.”
Just as he finished speaking, a strange sound—*pili-pala*—suddenly echoed through the vast, silent underground space, eerie and terrifying.
Everyone immediately stood up, scanning around in alarm, trying to locate the source of the sound. Only Jia Zhuangyuan remained seated calmly, saying indifferently, “It’s the sound of the *Bianhua* (Flowers of the Other Shore) growing. They’ve slept for a thousand years, waiting for us to awaken them.”
“*Bianhua*?” Cai Qingchong asked in surprise. “Aren’t they supposed to grow on both sides of the Naihe Bridge leading into the underworld?”
Jia Zhuangyuan replied quietly, “Didn’t you think Fengdu itself is the underworld?”
Cai Qingchong stared at him, unable to conceal his shock.
As the eerie sound of the *Bianhua* continued, combined with Liu Dashao’s ominous narration, a chill ran through everyone’s spine.
Just as Liu Dashao finished speaking, a strange *zhiya* sound suddenly pierced the air. Jia Zhuangyuan shouted, “No good! The city gate is opening!”
With a loud *kuangdang*, a strange yellow light burst forth from the gate. In an instant, everyone’s blood froze—this was beyond belief, utterly surreal!
The golden yellow light was dazzlingly bright. Slowly, it was as if everyone were watching a sci-fi movie, watching the entire Fengdu Ghost City gradually light up. In no time, golden light illuminated the entire underground space.
At the same time, everyone saw countless enormous, blood-red flowers blooming around the city and along the newly opened gate passage. These giant red flowers were incredibly vivid and beautiful, yet they had no leaves or branches, giving off an eerie, surreal feeling.
The sight left everyone speechless with fear. After a long silence, Jia Zhuangyuan finally said slowly, “The ghost city, the *Bianhua*, the path to the underworld—we’ve seen them all. What happens next? No one knows. The Naihe Bridge? The Eighteen Levels of Hell?”
His words snapped everyone out of their shock. What should they do? This was the unspoken thought in everyone’s heart.
All eyes turned to Liu Dashao and Jia Zhuangyuan. Jia Zhuangyuan shrugged helplessly and said with a bitter smile, “Don’t look at me. Honestly, I don’t know any more about Fengdu Ghost City than young Liu here.”
Liu Dashao’s expression was grave as he said, “Now, I think we have no choice. The *Bianhua* have bloomed, meaning we’ve already been registered in the underworld’s records. No one can leave this place anymore. Only by moving forward might there still be hope of survival.”
Fan Debiao finally couldn’t hold back and asked, “Why? What does the *Bianhua* blooming mean? Why can’t we leave anymore? I was hoping we could escape this cursed place and find another way out.”
Liu Dashao gave a bitter smile and said, “The *Bianhua*, also known as the Hell Flower, signifies in Daoist belief that when you see it, you’ve already arrived in hell. The scenery you see may seem the same as before, but in truth, we are already in the underworld—no one can escape. Additionally, the *Bianhua* has another name: *Manzhu Shahua*—the only guiding flower of the underworld. When you see this flower, you are already dead. Although you may still retain memories of your past life, once you step onto the path to the underworld, you will forget everything.”
Cai Qingchong said, “Boss, your explanation sounds far-fetched. We’re still alive, right? Our memories haven’t faded. If we leave now, there shouldn’t be any problem.”
At this, Liu Dashao suddenly sat down, closed his eyes, and fell silent, as if in deep meditation. Jia Zhuangyuan also looked at him, sighed softly, and sat down as well.
Fan Debiao looked anxious, glancing between Liu Dashao and Jia Zhuangyuan, unsure of what to do.
Suddenly, Cai Qingchong made a decision. He said to Fan Debiao, “Debiao, let me try. I’ll go back the way we came. If I can make it out of this valley, then we can all try to find another way.”
Hesitant and uncertain, the group heard Cai Qingchong’s suggestion and agreed. After all, they didn’t fully believe Liu Dashao’s words yet. Testing it out would clarify everything.
Cai Qingchong nodded at everyone and turned to retrace their steps. At that moment, both Jia Zhuangyuan and Liu Dashao suddenly shouted in unison, “No!”
Startled, Cai Qingchong turned back to face them. Liu Dashao stood up and said, “I know you all don’t believe me. I won’t stop Cai Qingchong from trying, but I don’t want him to become a wandering soul. Does anyone have a strong rope?”
Fan Debiao responded immediately, pulling out a climbing rope from his backpack and handing it to Liu Dashao. Everyone watched in confusion as Liu Dashao approached Cai Qingchong, tied the rope around his waist with two tight knots, and said, “Some things must be proven to be accepted. I’ll say this—walk slowly, step by step. Absolutely no running. If anything changes, remember to hold tightly to the rope.”
Cai Qingchong nodded uncertainly, indicating he understood. Liu Dashao then took out a yellow triangular talisman from his bag and placed it in Cai Qingchong’s pocket, saying, “This talisman will protect your life and keep your soul intact.”
After tying the rope, Liu Dashao handed the other end to Fan Debiao and said, “Everyone, please hold onto this rope—it’s the only thing keeping Cai Qingchong alive.”
A chill ran through everyone. What did this mean? Even as Cai Qingchong was about to take his first step, he felt a cold dread—was walking a few steps really so dangerous?
With hesitation, everyone grabbed the rope behind Cai Qingchong. Slowly, Cai Qingchong took his first step. He looked around quickly—nothing seemed to have changed, and he felt slightly reassured. He took a second step. Suddenly, he sensed a shift in the surroundings—the glow from Fengdu Ghost City became blinding, and a cold, eerie wind began to blow.
His heart raced. He hesitated but then forced himself to take the third step. Suddenly, Cai Qingchong felt dizzy, his mind clouded. He looked around in confusion. A thin layer of dark mist slowly rose, enveloping him, and the cold wind grew stronger.
Cai Qingchong bit his tongue hard—pain shot through his body. Still, he took the fourth step.
In an instant, Cai Qingchong saw everything change—he was now in a vast, snowy white world. The piercing cold wind cut into his bones. His consciousness rapidly faded. His last memory was seeing countless black shadows dancing wildly, shrieking, and lunging toward him with claws bared…
When Cai Qingchong awoke, he opened his eyes to see everyone’s anxious faces. He felt weak, his whole body drained of strength, and his head throbbed painfully.
Seeing Cai Qingchong awake, Liu Dashao knelt beside him, took his left hand, and checked his pulse. Then he asked, “How do you feel?”
Cai Qingchong gave a bitter smile and said, “Not too bad. Just weak and with a headache.”
Liu Dashao nodded and said, “Luckily, you only took four steps. If you had taken nine, even the greatest immortal couldn’t save you. I told you—the *Bianhua* is the underworld’s guiding flower. The moment you see it, your soul is marked. Every person has three souls and seven spirits. If you try to leave this place, each step you take will cost part of your soul. After nine steps, your soul will be completely lost.”
Cai Qingchong shook his head helplessly and said, “I never imagined such a flower could exist in this world.”
At this moment, Jia Zhuangyuan approached with a sneering laugh, “Thankfully, I noticed something was wrong and had them pull you back. Otherwise, you’d already be in hell. You thought legends were fake? You thought ghosts and spirits were just stories? Young man, you should listen to the elders!”
Everyone accepted the sarcastic remark silently, unable to argue in the face of reality.
After checking Cai Qingchong’s pulse, Liu Dashao said, “Good thing we pulled him back in time. His soul seems intact, though his body has been invaded by malevolent energy. After resting a bit and taking one of my ‘Dragon-Tiger Golden Pills,’ he’ll recover within half an hour. Everyone, rest for a while. We have no choice but to enter Fengdu Ghost City.”
Seeing Cai Qingchong’s condition, everyone reluctantly accepted Liu Dashao’s words. Whether they would live or die now depended entirely on fate.
After half an hour of rest, Cai Qingchong stood up and stretched, feeling mostly recovered. He nodded to Liu Dashao.
Seeing that Cai Qingchong was fine, everyone stood up, ready to enter Fengdu Ghost City. Jia Zhuangyuan said gravely, “There’s no need to explain further. We must enter Fengdu Ghost City now. I hope everyone has the courage to face whatever may come. Let’s move!”
After what had happened, everyone understood—there was no turning back. A sense of resolve, even of facing death, quietly settled over each of them. No one spoke unnecessarily. Liu Dashao called for Fan Debiao, and the two led the way forward.
Fengdu Ghost City loomed closer. The gate was now open, revealing a main street bathed in a strange, deep blue glow.
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