86: Chapter 86 The Cave of Ten Thousand Ghosts, the Palace of the Underworld

"Kill without mercy!"

The cold four words, like a death-inducing Talismanic Incantation, echoed before the Ten Thousand Ghost Cave, where the Yin wind howled.

Lin Wan's body was enveloped in the vast Spiritual Pressure of the Soul Transformation Stage, mixed with the supreme Dao rhythm of the Chaos Return-to-Ruins Dao Fruit. It erupted like an invisible storm, crushing towards Vice Master Gui Gu and the hundreds of Xuanyin Alliance Cultivators blocking the way!

"Thump!" "Thump!"

The Xuanyin Alliance Cultivators with cultivation below the Golden Core Stage couldn't even manage a muffled groan before they were directly pressed to the ground by this terrifying pressure, shivering, unable to even lift their heads.

Even those at the Golden Core Stage felt it difficult to breathe, their Nascent Soul Qi stagnant, as if carrying a mountain, making it difficult to move.

Vice Master Gui Gu and the two Vice Alliance Leaders at the Middle Stage of the Nascent Soul Stage also turned pale, retreating repeatedly, their eyes filled with utter horror.

Although they were at the Nascent Soul Stage, the chasm between them and the Soul Transformation Stage was like a natural moat! Moreover, Lin Wan's aura was far deeper, more vast, and more heart-quaking than an ordinary Soul Transformation Early Stage!

"You... are you truly going to tear off all pretenses?!" Vice Master Gui Gu roared hoarsely, his voice trembling. "This is the Forbidden Ground of our Xuanyin Alliance. If you force your way in, you will be the enemy of all Cultivators in the Northern Plains! The Alliance will not sit idly by!"

"An enemy of this Envoy? Do you think you are worthy?" Lin Wan sneered, wasting no more words. He raised his hand and made a grabbing motion in the air towards Vice Master Gui Gu, who was blocking the way.

"Five Elements Returning to Ruins — Seal!"

"Hum—!"

The invisible Chaos Dao rhythm, which seemed capable of imprisoning space, instantly enveloped Vice Master Gui Gu. Vice Master Gui Gu felt the space around him suddenly solidify, and the ghostly Nascent Soul Qi running through his body felt as if it had been frozen. Even his Divine Soul thoughts became sluggish. His entire body felt as if it had fallen into the thickest amber, completely imprisoned in place, unable to even blink an eyelid, his eyes filled with despair and fear.

"Vice Alliance Leader!" "Do it! Save the Vice Alliance Leader!"

The other two Vice Alliance Leaders of the Xuanyin Alliance at the Middle Stage of the Nascent Soul Stage were horrified at the sight. Disregarding their fear of the Soul Transformation Stage, they roared and simultaneously activated their Magic Treasures and cast secret techniques, attacking Lin Wan!

One of them sacrificed a "Hundred Ghost Banner" rolling with black Qi. As the banner unfurled, countless hideous ghost phantoms shrieked and howled, rushing directly towards Lin Wan's Divine Soul.

The other formed hand Seals and chanted incantations. The ground cracked, and several thousand-year-old corpses with powerful auras, clad in tattered iron armor and holding rusted weapons, burst out of the soil. They let out silent roars and lunged at Lin Wan.

"Mere tricks."

Lin Wan didn't even look. His left hand remained gripped in the air, keeping Vice Master Gui Gu imprisoned. With his right hand, he waved casually at the incoming Hundred Ghost phantoms and the thousand-year-old corpses.

"Disperse."

"Pfft pfft pfft pfft..."

It was a soft sound like bubbles bursting. The seemingly ferocious Hundred Ghost phantoms, upon contact with the invisible Qi blast containing the Chaos Return-to-Ruins Dao rhythm that Lin Wan had waved out, melted and dissipated instantly like remnant snow under a scorching sun, without even having the chance to scream.

Those thousand-year-old corpses, with auras comparable to the Early Stage of the Nascent Soul Stage, were struck as if by an invisible giant hammer, instantly torn apart, turning into fragments of bones that fell like rain.

The two Vice Alliance Leaders at the Middle Stage of the Nascent Soul Stage had their Magic Treasures destroyed and their Divine Souls injured. They spat out a mouthful of black blood simultaneously, their auras withered, and they retreated repeatedly. The way they looked at Lin Wan was as if they had seen a ghost—no, a god! What kind of method was this?! A casual wave, and it broke their ultimate combined attack?! To what extent had this Lin Wan become strong?!

"Assisting the tyrant in his tyranny, obstructing the inspection—how is this any different from a demon? I cannot spare you."

Lin Wan's voice was indifferent. He gently pointed his right index finger at the two heavily injured Vice Alliance Leaders at the Middle Stage of the Nascent Soul Stage.

"Extinguish."

Two faint specks of Chaos brilliance flew from his fingertip and instantly entered the space between their eyebrows.

Their bodies suddenly stiffened, and the horror and unwillingness in their eyes instantly froze. Immediately, their entire bodies, along with their Nascent Souls, disintegrated inch by inch like sand sculptures blown away by the wind, turning into gray-black dust that drifted away with the wind, their bodies and souls destroyed.

One finger, extinguishing two Nascent Souls!

The whole scene was deathly silent.

All the Xuanyin Alliance Cultivators who could still move were terrified out of their wits by this terrifying scene, their livers and gallbladders shattered. With no thought of resistance left, they knelt on the ground one after another, kowtowing like pounding garlic, wailing and begging for mercy.

"Inspector, spare us! Spare us!"

"We were forced! It was Vice Master Gui Gu and the Alliance Leader who forced us!"

"We are willing to surrender! We are willing to serve the Inspector as dogs and horses!"

Lin Wan didn't even look at these underlings. His gaze fell on the imprisoned Vice Master Gui Gu, and a trace of disgust flashed in his eyes.

"Soul Search."

With a thought, an incomparably powerful Divine Sense, mixed with the Chaos Return-to-Ruins Dao rhythm, forcefully broke into Vice Master Gui Gu's Divine Soul and began to scour his memories.

"Ah——!!!"

Vice Master Gui Gu let out a miserable scream that didn't sound human. Black blood gushed from his seven orifices, and his face was twisted and deformed by the extreme pain. However, under Lin Wan's absolute control, he couldn't even self-destruct.

A moment later, Lin Wan withdrew his Divine Sense, his brows slightly furrowed.

There was not much useful information in Vice Master Gui Gu's memory. The Xuanyin Alliance Leader, who called himself "Alliance Leader You Ming Zi", was at the Nascent Soul Great Perfection stage. He was in seclusion all year round, his whereabouts were secretive, and he rarely appeared.

The anomaly deep in the Ten Thousand Ghost Cave was indeed related to Alliance Leader You Ming Zi. It seemed he was conducting some kind of dangerous ritual related to the Legacy of the ancient Ghost Dao, attempting to communicate with, awaken, or even... control the "Nether Palace" sealed deep within the Ten Thousand Ghost Cave, which was suspected to be the work of an ancient Ghost Dao giant, and the terrifying existence that might be inside.

There were indeed people in the Central Region secretly supporting the Xuanyin Alliance, but Vice Master Gui Gu's level was not high enough. He only knew that the other party came from a powerful force in the Central Region, but he didn't know exactly who it was.

And the recent surge of Yin Qi in the Ten Thousand Ghost Cave and the rampant ghost creatures were indeed caused by Alliance Leader You Ming Zi's ritual, aimed at blood sacrifice to accumulate power.

"Nether Palace... Legacy of the ancient Ghost Dao... blood sacrifice..." A cold light flickered in Lin Wan's eyes. This Alliance Leader You Ming Zi had great ambitions, and his methods were cruel. Using living beings for blood sacrifice was already entering the path of a demon. It was even more likely related to "the end", or at least, he was taking advantage of the Chaos brought by the erosion of "the end" to perform this Heaven-Defying act.

"This Nether Palace is worth a visit." Lin Wan released the imprisonment on Vice Master Gui Gu. Vice Master Gui Gu's Divine Soul had already collapsed, turning him into a foolish, drooling walking corpse, collapsing on the ground.

"Elder Zhou, you, Great Master Liaokong, Elder Hua, and Mo Wen, stay here to reorganize, detain the remnants of the Xuanyin Alliance, clean up the outer ghost creatures, and pacify the surrounding area. Yue Lingfeng, follow me into the Ten Thousand Ghost Cave to explore the Nether Palace." Lin Wan ordered.

"Inspector, is it too risky for you to go alone? That Alliance Leader You Ming Zi might already be at the Nascent Soul Great Perfection stage, and he has the Legacy of the ancient Ghost Dao and the geographical advantage of the Nether Palace..." Elder Zhou said worriedly.

"No matter." Lin Wan waved his hand. With his Soul Transformation Stage cultivation, combined with the Chaos Return-to-Ruins Dao Fruit and the chaos dao sword, he had the confidence to suppress everything. Moreover, the Yin Qi in this Ten Thousand Ghost Cave, which was poisonous to others, could instead be refined and absorbed by him using the Chaos Return-to-Ruins Dao Fruit, replenishing the "Nirvana" aspect within the "Return-to-Ruins".

"Yes!" The crowd said no more.

Lin Wan took Yue Lingfeng, stepped forward, and plunged into the pitch-black, Yin-filled entrance of the Ten Thousand Ghost Cave.

Once entering the cave, their vision was completely swallowed by darkness. The thick, inseparable Yin Qi pressed in from all directions like a viscous swamp. Countless miserable shrieks of resentful souls and ghosts, and malicious whispers echoed in their ears and Divine Souls, attempting to erode, confuse, and drag them into the endless Hell.

Sword light surged around Yue Lingfeng, turning into a sharp Sword Qi shield to isolate the Yin Qi, but he still felt immense pressure, his mind constantly under attack. He was a Sword Cultivator with a firm will, but he still needed to resist with all his might.

Lin Wan's expression remained normal, the Chaos Dao rhythm circulating around his body like the purest flame. Wherever he passed, the Yin Qi retreated and melted, unable to get close at all. The shrieks and whispers of those resentful souls and ghosts were nothing more than a breeze on his face, unable to shake him in the slightest.

The cave was extremely deep, winding and twisting, with many fork roads like a maze. But relying on his sensing of the source of the Yin Qi and the fragmented information obtained from Vice Master Gui Gu's memory, Lin Wan moved towards the deepest part without hesitation.

Along the way, various ghost creatures attacked constantly. There were formless resentful souls, powerful physical zombies, strange and hard-to-guard-against ghosts, and even some Yao Beasts and Cultivator remains that had been eroded by the Yin Qi and mutated. These ghost creatures varied in strength from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core and Nascent Soul, and they were numerous, rushing forward one after another, unafraid of death.

Yue Lingfeng's sword light was like a dragon, slaying the ghost creatures that dared to approach one by one with sharp Sword Intent. After slaying the ghost creatures, their remaining Yin Qi would be purified and absorbed by Lin Wan's Chaos Dao rhythm.

The deeper they went, the heavier the Yin Qi became, and the stronger the ghost creatures became. There even began to appear some powerful Ghost Generals and Ghost Kings that possessed intelligence, knew how to cooperate, and could even cast Ghost Dao Divine Abilities. Their strength was not inferior to Cultivators at the Early or Middle Stage of the Nascent Soul Stage.

But in front of Lin Wan, it was still not enough. Often, before they could even get close, they would be struck by a chaos dao sword beam or a palm wind containing the Chaos Dao rhythm, their souls flying away and spirits scattering, and their Yin Qi Origin would also be devoured.

"This Ten Thousand Ghost Cave is indeed a Forbidden Ground. If it weren't for the Inspector's vast Divine Ability, any ordinary Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator would likely have to expend some effort." Yue Lingfeng sighed, admiring Lin Wan's strength even more.

"The Yin veins gather here, and it has been managed by Ghost Dao Cultivators for years. It is even more likely that it connects to a fragment of some ancient Netherworld, so it is not surprising that such a Forbidden Ground has formed." Lin Wan said, looking ahead, "We are almost there."

Ahead, a massive gateway constructed from stark white bones appeared. Beyond the gateway, it was no longer a natural cave, but a much wider area that seemed like an independent space. Thick, almost liquefied pitch-black Yin Qi churned behind the gate. Within it, one could faintly see the outlines of broken palaces, the phantoms of massive bronze coffins, and countless resentful souls bound by chains, wailing in agony as they floated in the Void Realm.

Above the gateway, carved in some ancient ghost Dao runes, were two ferocious characters—Nether!

The entrance to the Nether Palace!

Before the gateway, more than ten elite Elders of the Xuanyin Alliance, dressed in black robes with chilling auras and cultivation levels in the Early Stage and Middle Stage of the Nascent Soul, sat cross-legged. They were forming a profound ghost Dao Formation, continuously pouring their ghost Dao Nascent Soul Qi into the gateway, seemingly maintaining its opening and providing power to some existence within.

What was even more heart-stopping was that behind these Elders, on both sides of the gateway, stood two three-zhang tall, pitch-black ghost Dao Puppets. They were clad in ferocious bone armor, wielding massive bone blades, with ghostly green soul fire burning in their eye sockets, emitting a terrifying aura comparable to the Late Stage of the Nascent Soul! Clearly, these were the guards of the Nether Palace.

Seeing Lin Wan and Yue Lingfeng appear, the ten or so Xuanyin Alliance Elders opened their eyes simultaneously. Ghost fire flickered in their eyes, revealing expressions of shock and anger.

"Who dares to trespass into the Nether Forbidden Ground?! Halt! Otherwise, you shall be killed without mercy!" the leading ghost Dao Elder at the Late Stage of the Nascent Soul shouted sternly. At the same time, the two massive ghost Dao Puppets slowly turned around, their ghostly green soul fire locking onto Lin Wan and his companion.

"I am Lin Wan, Inspector of the Five Domains Alliance Against the Calamity." Lin Wan spoke calmly, not stopping his steps. "I have come to purge the evil demons and destroy this den. If you surrender now and reveal the whereabouts of Alliance Leader You Ming Zi, you might be spared. If you resist stubbornly, you shall be buried with them."

"Lin Wan?! It is you!" The ghost Dao Elder's expression changed drastically. Clearly, he had heard of Lin Wan's reputation. A trace of fear flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by madness. "The Nether Palace is about to restart, and the Holy Master is about to return! If you dare to disturb the Holy Master's ceremony, you will surely die! Form the array! Activate the Puppets! Kill him!"

"Stubborn and unrepentant." Lin Wan shook his head and said no more, telling Yue Lingfeng, "Leave those Elders to you. Finish it quickly. I will take the Puppets."

"Yes!" Yue Lingfeng let out a long whistle. His Sword Qi soared into the sky, transforming into a fierce sword rainbow that rushed straight at the dozen Xuanyin Alliance Elders forming the array! The sword light split, instantly enveloping several people and launching a fierce battle.

As for Lin Wan, he took a step forward and arrived before the two ghost Dao Puppets.

"Roar—!" The two Puppets let out a silent roar. Their massive bone blades, carrying the terrifying power of Yin Qi capable of splitting mountains and freezing souls, slashed at Lin Wan from the left and right in a cross Formation! Where the bone blades passed, black ice crystals faintly condensed in the space, creating a terrifying momentum.

"Nice toys, but a pity, you chose the wrong master."

Lin Wan did not dodge or evade. He raised his right hand, splayed his fingers, and made a gentle grasping motion towards the two huge bone blades that were slashing down.

"Five Elements Returning to Ruins—Suppress!"

"Hum—!" An invisible Chaos Dao charm, seemingly capable of suppressing the heavens, descended with a boom! Those two powerful bone blades, capable of killing a Late Stage Nascent Soul, suddenly froze just three feet above Lin Wan's head. It was as if they had fallen into an invisible quagmire; no matter how the two Puppets roared and exerted their power, they could not advance even an inch!

"Shatter." Lin Wan lightly spat out one word.

"Crack! Crack!" Crisp cracking sounds rang out. Those two massive bone blades, along with the arms of the Puppets holding them, began to crumble from the point of contact with Lin Wan's Dao charm. It was as if they were being crushed by an invisible giant force, breaking into pieces inch by inch and turning into bone powder that filled the sky! Immediately after, the shattering spread to the entire bodies of the Puppets. Their tall frames rapidly disintegrated and collapsed, finally falling with a loud crash into two piles of lifeless withered bones.

Two ghost Dao Puppets comparable to the Late Stage of the Nascent Soul were suppressed and killed by Lin Wan with a single word!

The Xuanyin Alliance Elders, who were engaged in a fierce battle with Yue Lingfeng, saw this scene and were scared out of their wits. The Formation immediately fell into Chaos. Yue Lingfeng seized the opportunity as his sword light flared, killing three people in succession, and the rest were also in imminent danger.

Lin Wan no longer looked at them, casting his gaze towards the massive bone gateway and the churning pitch-black Yin Qi space behind it.

He could feel that in the depths of that space, in the so-called "Nether Palace," there was an aura that was even more obscure, more ancient, and more evil and chaotic, slowly awakening and rising. Within it, there was also a trace of... something that made his Dao Fruit tremble slightly, something similar to "the end," yet colder and more "deathly."

"Alliance Leader You Ming Zi... Nether Palace... ancient ghost Dao Legacy... and this trace of unpleasant 'death' aura..."

Chaos radiance flowed in Lin Wan's eyes. He took a step and crossed the bone gateway, stepping into the pitch-black Yin Qi space.

Seeing this, Yue Lingfeng forced his opponent back with a sword strike and hurriedly followed.

Behind the gateway was an independent, vast, and gloomy space. The sky was an eternal leaden gray, and the earth was cracked scorched soil, scattered everywhere with broken weapons, decaying skeletons, and twisted, withered strange trees. In the air, the thick aura of death, Yin Qi, and resentment almost condensed into substance. An ordinary Cultivator here would likely not last more than an hour or two before their vitality was eroded, turning them into withered bones.

In the very center of the space stood a broken, ancient, yet still emitting endless majesty and evil aura—black palace.

The palace was built from some unknown black boulders; its style was ferocious, carved with scenes of countless evil ghosts, Asuras, and suffering in Hell. The palace gate was wide open, and the interior was pitch black, as if it were an entrance leading to the deepest part of the Nine Netherworlds. That most evil, most ancient, and most chaotic aura, as well as the "death" flavor that made Lin Wan's Dao Fruit tremble, were coming from the depths of this palace.

"Nether Palace..." Lin Wan looked at the black palace, his brows furrowed slightly. He could feel that this palace itself was an extraordinary ghost Dao Magic Treasure, and it was even more likely to be... a Seal! Sealing some extremely terrifying existence.

And that Alliance Leader You Ming Zi was clearly trying to break this Seal, or utilize the power within the Seal.

"Let's go in and take a look."

Lin Wan, with his high level of skill and bold nature, led Yue Lingfeng and walked slowly towards the Nether Palace.

The closer they got to the palace, the heavier the aura of death, coldness, and evil became. From the scorched earth beneath their feet, pale bone hands began to reach out, attempting to grab their ankles. The gray mist floating in the air condensed into faces twisted with pain, emitting silent wails. Furthermore, bursts of eerie chanting and whispering came from the depths of the palace, filled with temptation and corruption, attempting to stir up one's Heart Demon.

But all of this had no effect on Lin Wan. Wherever the Chaos Dao charm passed, all evil was warded off.

Finally, the two stepped into the gate of the Nether Palace.

Inside the palace, the space was even wider than it looked from the outside. Pitch-black stone pillars, each requiring several people to embrace, supported the towering dome. On the stone pillars were carved even more detailed and hair-raising scenes of Hell. The floor was covered with a thick layer of grayish-white bone powder; stepping on it produced a "rustling" sound.

At the end of the main hall was a high altar constructed from countless skulls. On the altar lay a massive, pitch-black bronze ancient coffin, its surface inscribed with complex ghost Dao Talismanic Incantation.

At this moment, the lid of the ancient coffin was already half-open. Thick mist, intertwined with dark red and pitch black, emitting an aura of extreme evil, death, and Chaos, was continuously pouring out from the coffin, filling the entire hall. Beside the ancient coffin, a figure dressed in black ghost emperor robes, with a face shrouded in shadow, revealing only a pair of eyes burning with ghostly green flames, sat cross-legged. Their hands continuously cast weird hand Seals, injecting streams of pure ghost Dao Nascent Soul Qi into the ancient coffin. At the same time, they were muttering, seemingly chanting some ancient, evil incantation.

Around this figure, dozens of Cultivators with not-weak auras, but dull expressions—clearly having been controlled—knelt. There were men and women, with cultivation levels ranging from Golden Core to Nascent Soul. Strands of their life essence and Divine Soul power were being forcibly extracted from their bodies, turning into streams of blood-red and gray Qi, which were injected into the ancient coffin. They were clearly "sacrifices" used for a blood sacrifice!

"Alliance Leader You Ming Zi!" Yue Lingfeng let out a low shout and gripped his long sword. This person was none other than the Alliance Leader of the Xuanyin Alliance, Alliance Leader You Ming Zi! His aura had clearly reached the Peak of the Nascent Soul Great Perfection, and it was extremely refined and strange; he seemed to be only a hair's breadth away from the Soul Transformation Stage! Even more terrifying was that the ghost Dao aura emanating from his body was vaguely fused with the Nether Palace and the ancient coffin, as if he were a part of this hall, the... tomb keeper of this ancient coffin, or... the awakener.

Hearing the commotion, Alliance Leader You Ming Zi stopped the hand Seals and the incantation. He slowly raised his head, and those eyes burning with ghostly green flames stared fixedly at Lin Wan, who had stepped into the hall, from a distance. A hoarse, dry voice, like the sound of two bones rubbing together, slowly sounded:

"Five Domains Alliance Against the Calamity... Inspector... Lin Wan..."

"This seat... has been waiting for you... for a long time..."