245: Chapter 245 A Narrow Escape and the Game at the Ghost Inn

Nine Nether City, Tongyou Inn.

This inn was quite famous in the city, not only because its owner was said to be an old acquaintance of the City Lord's Mansion, but also because it sold a potent liquor called 'Drunken Sha Brew.' This wine could briefly suppress the Sha Decay within the body, making it a rare life-extending treasure for Gray Realm Cultivators who lived their lives on the edge of a blade.

At this moment, the atmosphere on the second floor of the inn was exceptionally heavy.

Clatter.

The wine cup in Stone Breaking Void's hand fell to the floor, splashing dark red liquid everywhere. He stared fixedly out the window at the green-robed man who was giving him a 'kind' smile, feeling as if his heart were being squeezed hard by an invisible hand.

"Li... Li Feiyu..."

Stone Breaking Void swallowed hard, instinctively wanting to get up and flee. But the moment he moved, the hidden injuries torn open by Spatial Turbulence flared up violently, causing him to break into a cold sweat from the pain as he slumped back into his chair.

"Calm down... I must stay calm..."

Stone Breaking Void took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the terror in his heart.

"This is Nine Nether City! It is a place of law and order overseen by Daluo Realm powerhouses! He would never dare to openly murder someone here!"

"And Third Uncle will be here soon... I just need to stall... just for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea!"

Thinking of this, Stone Breaking Void quickly pulled a gray Formation Plate from his robes, his fingers flying as he cast several incantation gestures.

Buzz—

A faint gray light curtain rose before the window; it was a defensive Restriction capable of isolating Divine Sense probes and physical attacks.

Only after completing this did he breathe a small sigh of relief and look back out the window.

However.

Outside the window, it was empty.

The green-robed man was gone.

"What?!"

Stone Breaking Void's pupils shrank, a chill rushing from his spine straight to the crown of his head.

"So fast?!"

Thump, thump, thump.

Just then, a steady and rhythmic set of footsteps echoed from the stairs of the second floor.

Every step felt as if it were treading directly on his heartbeat.

The figure made no attempt to hide or sneak, walking up in a completely unconcerned manner.

Zhou Wannian (under the alias Li Feiyu) was dressed in a green robe and wore a bamboo hat, carrying a jar of 'Drunken Sha Brew' he had conveniently picked up downstairs.

Ignoring the fierce-looking Gray Realm diners around him, he walked straight toward the table by the window—the very spot where Stone Breaking Void was sitting.

"This Fellow Daoist."

Zhou Wannian stopped before the defensive light curtain. He didn't move to break the Formation, but instead raised the wine jar and gave it a shake through the barrier.

"Old friends meeting again, won't you invite me for a drink?"

His voice was flat, betraying no emotion.

But Stone Breaking Void felt as if he were being stared down by an ancient Vicious Beast. He could even hear the sound of the Gold-Devouring Insect grinding its teeth inside the other's sleeve.

"Li... Fellow Daoist Li..."

Stone Breaking Void squeezed out a smile that looked worse than crying and tremblingly withdrew the light curtain.

He knew this layer of light couldn't stop the man. If he provoked this bringer of calamity, the inn would likely be reduced to ruins in the next second.

"Please... please sit."

Zhou Wannian didn't stand on ceremony. He pulled out a chair, sat down, and poured himself a cup of wine, draining it in one gulp.

Hiss—

The strong liquor entered his throat, transforming into a scalding hot stream of Evil Qi that rushed through his limbs and bones before being rapidly assimilated by the Fan Sheng True Demon Art.

"Good wine."

Zhou Wannian set down the cup, looking at Stone Breaking Void with a half-smile.

"City Lord Shi, you certainly have a tenacious life."

"Even the spatial storm couldn't tear you apart?"

Stone Breaking Void's face was pale as he forced a smile:

"Fellow Daoist Li must be joking... If not for Fellow Daoist Li's final 'helping hand' of a foot, I'm afraid my bones would have been lost long ago."

He was testing him. Testing whether Zhou Wannian knew the truth about the blood sacrifice Formation back then.

"Helping hand?"

Zhou Wannian's fingers lightly tapped the table, producing a series of crisp sounds.

"Stone Breaking Void, we are both smart people; let's stop the acting."

"Back at that altar, you intended to use me as a sacrifice for the Formation, didn't you?"

"If I didn't happen to understand a bit of the Space Law, I would be the one turned into fertilizer right now."

Stone Breaking Void's hand trembled.

Since the cards were on the table, he simply stopped pretending.

"Li Feiyu, what do you want?"

Stone Breaking Void lowered his voice, a trace of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes.

"This is Nine Nether City! My Shi family is a prominent power in the Black Earth Immortal Domain, and we have a Foundation here in the Gray Realm as well!"

"If you dare to kill me, don't think you'll leave here alive!"

"Threatening me?"

Zhou Wannian laughed.

He slowly extended a finger, a wisp of grayish-white flame dancing on the tip. It wasn't ordinary fire, but the Spirit-Devouring True Fire, which fused Evil Qi with the devouring power of the Gold-Devouring Insect.

"Stone Breaking Void, you've misunderstood one thing."

"Whether I can leave alive is a matter for later."

"But whether you can live past the next breath..."

Zhou Wannian's finger moved forward, and that wisp of flame instantly burned through the defensive Restriction between them, hovering right before Stone Breaking Void's brow.

"Depends entirely on my mood."

"You...!"

Feeling the destructive aura contained within that flame, Stone Breaking Void's newly gathered courage instantly collapsed.

"Wait! Don't kill me!"

"I'm useful! I'm very useful!"

To save his life, Stone Breaking Void spoke at a rapid-fire pace:

"You're going to the Xisha Pool, right? I know you're looking for that! In all of Nine Nether City, only that place is attractive to outsiders!"

"But the Xisha Pool is located beneath the Netherworld Pagoda and is personally guarded by the Nine Nether Domain Lord, Yin Hua! Without a specific token, anyone who approaches within a hundred feet will be ground to dust by the pagoda's protective Formation!"

Zhou Wannian's finger didn't move as he said calmly:

"Continue."

"I have a token!"

Stone Breaking Void grit his teeth and pulled a black triangular token from his robes, which was engraved with a hideous ghost head.

"My Third Uncle gave this to me! He is the captain of Lord Yin Hua's personal guard! With this, one can enter the outer areas of the Netherworld Pagoda!"

"As long as you let me go, this token... is yours!"

Looking at the token, a flicker of interest crossed Zhou Wannian's eyes.

This was indeed an unexpected surprise.

He had originally planned to grab a captive to interrogate for information, but he hadn't expected it to be delivered right to him.

"A single token to buy your life?"

Zhou Wannian shook his head.

"Not enough."

"What else do you want?!" Stone Breaking Void said frantically. "My Storage Pouch was lost long ago in the spatial storm! I'm so poor that I only have this token left!"

"I want your... mind."

Zhou Wannian suddenly reached out and grabbed Stone Breaking Void's wrist.

"Don't be nervous."

"I just want to leave... a souvenir inside you."

Buzz—

A strange Divine Sense vibration instantly surged into Stone Breaking Void's Meridians.

This wasn't an ordinary Restriction, but a Seal of the Years—a technique Zhou Wannian had created himself by combining the Time Law from the Great Five Elements Illusory World Art with the Spirit Refining Art.

Once planted, no one could remove it unless their cultivation was two major Realms higher than Zhou Wannian's. With a single thought from Zhou Wannian, the seal would erupt, forcing the victim's Divine Soul to experience ten thousand years of desolate silence in an instant, turning them directly into an idiot.

"Agh—!!"

Stone Breaking Void let out a muffled scream, feeling as if a red-hot iron had been pressed into his mind.

A moment later, the pain vanished.

But he could clearly feel that at the center of his Nascent Soul's brow, a faint golden hourglass mark had appeared.

"What... what did you do to me?!" Stone Breaking Void asked in terror.

"Nothing much, just a little gadget that will give you an 'open mind' if you don't listen."

Zhou Wannian withdrew his hand and smoothly took the black token from the table.

"From now on, you are my hidden pawn."

"In Nine Nether City, you will do the things that are inconvenient for me to do personally."

"You will gather the information that is inconvenient for me to look into."

"Do well, and I will naturally remove this seal for you. Do poorly..."

Zhou Wannian didn't finish, but simply blew out the flame on his fingertip.

Stone Breaking Void's face was ashen as he slumped in his chair.

He knew he was completely finished.

Just then.

Rumble—!!!

A violent booming sound suddenly echoed from the sky outside.

A massive, suffocating pressure rapidly approached from the direction of the city gates.

It was a mass of rolling dark clouds, within which stood a Gray Immortal three zhang tall, covered entirely in heavy black armor. He held a massive black scythe and radiated the terrifying aura of the Taiyi Early Stage.

"Who dares to harm my nephew?!"

A roar shattered the windows of half the street.

Hearing this voice, a flicker of hope instantly burst forth in Stone Breaking Void's originally despairing eyes.

"Third Uncle! Third Uncle is here!"

He instinctively looked toward Zhou Wannian, seemingly expecting to see a look of terror on the other man's face.

However.

The seat across from him was already empty.

Only the jar of unfinished 'Drunken Sha Brew' remained on the table, still faintly steaming.

And a faint telepathic message echoed in his Sea of Consciousness:

"Don't forget your status."

"If you dare to speak out of turn..."

"The hourglass will begin its countdown."

...A moment later.

The scythe-wielding Taiyi Gray Immortal—Shi Zhanfeng (Stone Breaking Void's Third Uncle)—landed heavily on the inn's second floor.

"Po Kong! How are you?!"

Shi Zhanfeng supported the slumped Stone Breaking Void, his Divine Sense quickly scanning his body.

"The injuries aren't heavy... and the Evil Qi erosion isn't deep... fortunately."

"Who beat you like this? Where is he?!"

Shi Zhanfeng's eyes were wide with fury as he surveyed the surroundings, trying to find any trace of the culprit.

Stone Breaking Void's lips trembled as he looked at his formidable Third Uncle.

He desperately wanted to tell the truth.

He wanted to scream: "The culprit is nearby! Catch him quickly!"

But he didn't dare.

Because the golden hourglass in his mind was trembling slightly along with his killing intent, and a shadow of death loomed over his Soul.

"Third... Third Uncle..."

Stone Breaking Void took a deep breath and lowered his head to hide the fear in his eyes.

"No one hit me... It's just that the injuries I sustained in the spatial storm flared up again..."

"Really?"

Shi Zhanfeng looked at him suspiciously.

"Really," Stone Breaking Void grit his teeth. "I just... just missed Third Uncle."

"Hmph, useless."

Shi Zhanfeng snorted coldly, but he also breathed a sigh of relief.

"Since you're fine, follow me back to the manor."

"Lord Yin Hua has been gathering experts lately, preparing to open the Xisha Pool. If you can recover your cultivation, perhaps you can get a share of the benefits."

Hearing the words 'Xisha Pool,' Stone Breaking Void's heart skipped a beat.

He instinctively felt his now-empty robes where the token had been.

"It's over..."

"This time... I've truly become a collaborator."

...In a shadowed alleyway outside the inn.

Zhou Wannian was cloaked in black robes, blending perfectly into the surrounding shadows.

Watching Stone Breaking Void being taken away by that Taiyi Gray Immortal, a satisfied curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Very good."

"Having an inside man makes things much easier."

He toyed with the black ghost-head token he had just snatched.

"So this is the key to entering the Netherworld Pagoda?"

"Tie Zhu, analyze the Restriction fluctuations of this token."

"Analyzing... Analysis complete. This token is an Intermediate pass, allowing entry to the first through third floors of the Netherworld Pagoda. To enter the core Xisha Pool (seventh floor), a higher level of authorization is required."

"Three floors?"

Zhou Wannian stowed the token and turned to vanish into the vast night.

"That's enough."

"Once I'm inside the pagoda, the rest..."

"Can be left to Golden Boy's appetite."