63: Chapter 63 Arrival in the Ghost Realm

As Lin Chen confirmed [Pack and Recycle] on the system interface, an invisible but extremely high-level power of rules, like a precise scalpel, instantly enveloped the massive Ferryman skeleton on the beach, along with the wailing vengeful spirits and writhing vines entangled around it.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, nor any intense energy confrontation.

In the face of the absolute power of rules originating from the [nether domain asset system], whether it was the spirit body that had accumulated eternal resentment, the eerie plants growing from the filth of the Styx, or the ancient dragon bone itself made of extraordinary material, all lost any right to "resist."

It was like a pencil drawing being erased by an eraser, or a block of ice being thrown into a furnace.

Under the dumbfounded gazes of Zhang Hao and Su Qingyu, the mountain-like white skeleton, the thick black clouds of resentment, and those vines emitting a corrosive aura... right before their eyes, they disintegrated inch by inch, turning into the purest nether energy and material foundations, then drawn and compressed by an invisible force, finally disappearing completely!

In its place, only an exceptionally clean stretch of black mud was left, without even a trace of residue remaining.

It was as if the massive dragon bone and its "attachments" had never existed.

[Ding! Recycling successful! Obtained nether talisman +158,000!]

[Obtained special materials: "Ferryman's Dragon Bone (Essence)", "Pure Resentment Crystal", "Styx Vine Extract"... Automatically stored in the system warehouse.]

The system notification sounded in Lin Chen's mind.

Zhang Hao's mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg, unable to close for a long time. He knew his master was amazing and knew his master was a big spender, but this... this fucking surpassed his understanding of "amazing" and "spending"! Materials that others had to fight for their lives, risking being devoured by vengeful spirits or corroded by vines to barely obtain, were just "one-click cleaned" by his master? And he even made a profit on the side?

Su Qingyu was also shocked beyond measure. She looked at the empty beach and then at Lin Chen, who looked as calm as if he had just thrown away some trash, the waves in her heart unable to subside. This way of solving problems—simple, crude, and efficient to the extreme—completely overturned her understanding of power and combat.

"Ma... Master... this... that's it?" Zhang Hao asked stutteringly, feeling like his worldview was being repeatedly rubbed into the ground.

"Otherwise?" Lin Chen glanced at him, his tone matter-of-fact. "Should I have tried to reason with those resentful spirits and vines, or gone down to dig up the bones myself?"

He clapped his hands as if dusting off non-existent dirt. "Materials acquired. Next, styx river water."

His gaze turned toward the dark, viscous, and deathly silent Styx flowing beside them.

The styx river water contained extremely strong properties of annihilation and oblivion. The system clearly indicated that it could not be carried without a special container.

With a thought, Lin Chen directly exchanged for a [Special Styx Water Collection Bottle] from the system mall. The bottle wasn't large, crafted entirely from a translucent black crystal with complex sealing runes carved on the surface, valued at five thousand nether talismans.

He handed the bottle to a nearby Yin Soldier Centurion: "Go, bring back a bottle."

"By your command." The Yin Soldier Centurion took the bottle and, without fear, walked with steady steps toward the bank of the Styx.

However, just as its foot was about to step into the range of the Styx and the bottle in its hand was about to reach for that dark river water—

A sudden change occurred!

The previously deathly silent styx river water seemed to be stimulated by something and suddenly began to "boil"! It wasn't a rise in temperature, but a restlessness of the rules!

Splash!

A giant palm composed entirely of viscous, dark styx river water reached out from beneath the surface without warning. Carrying a terrifying aura that annihilated all life, it was as fast as lightning, grabbing toward that Yin Soldier Centurion!

This change was too fast! Too sudden!

The Yin Soldier Centurion didn't even have time to make any reaction before it, along with the special crystal bottle in its hand, was firmly grasped by that giant palm of styx river water!

Sizzle—!

Like a red-hot iron searing into ice, a tooth-aching sound of erosion rang out.

That Yin Soldier Centurion of decent strength, along with the special crystal bottle in its hand, couldn't even last half a second under the grip of the Styx water palm. Its soul body instantly dimmed and disintegrated, turning into the most primitive Yin energy, and was then completely assimilated and devoured by the Styx water! As for the special crystal bottle, it lasted less than a breath before it filled with cracks with a "crack" sound, then annihilated into powder and vanished within the giant palm.

The entire process took less than two seconds.

An elite Yin Soldier Centurion and a special container worth five thousand nether talismans were easily "digested" by the Styx right before everyone's eyes.

After completing the devouring, the giant Styx water palm slowly sank back into the river and disappeared. The river surface returned to its deathly silent flow once more, as if everything just now had been a hallucination.

But the residual aura of annihilation in the air that froze one's soul, and the fact that the Yin Soldier Centurion had completely vanished, were all coldly declaring the terror of the Styx!

Zhang Hao was so scared he fell onto the deck of the soul ferry boat, his face white as paper and his teeth chattering. Su Qingyu also took a sharp step back, her heart pounding wildly and her back instantly drenched in cold sweat. Too terrifying! This Styx wasn't a river at all, but a living, terrifying existence with rule-based consciousness!

"Ma... Master... this water... it... it won't let us take any!" Zhang Hao's voice carried a hint of crying.

Lin Chen looked at the Styx which had returned to "calm," his eyes narrowing slightly. Far from being afraid, his face instead showed a hint of... impatience?

"Won't let us take any?" He sneered. "Just a river, yet it has quite a temper."

He raised his hand again, and the system interface appeared.

This time, he didn't exchange for a collection bottle but instead directly locked onto the branch of the Styx before him!

[Scanning special rule creation: "Styx Branch (Unnamed Section)", containing extremely high value and extremely dangerous properties.]

[Detected autonomous defense rules in this area.]

[Option 1: Attempt forced collection. Requires payment of 100,000 nether talismans to construct a temporary rule channel. Success rate: 30%.]

[Option 2: Pay 500,000 nether talismans to temporarily "persuade" this section of the Styx's rules, allowing safe collection of 1 standard unit of styx river water.]

[Option 3: Pay 5,000,000 nether talismans to permanently "buy out" the "collection rights" for this branch of the Styx (1 kilometer in length). Subsequent collections only require payment for the basic container fee.]

Looking at the three options provided by the system, especially the sky-high price of five million nether talismans for the third one, Lin Chen's lip twitched.

"Five million? Why don't you just rob me?" He cursed under his breath; the system's profiteering nature truly never forgot itself for a moment.

After a brief thought, he directly ruled out the high-risk Option 1. As for Option 3, although it was a permanent solution, there was no need to invest so much for a single standard unit of styx river water right now.

"Choose two."

[Confirm payment of 500,000 nether talismans to temporarily persuade the Styx rules?]

"Confirm."

Instantly, 550,000 nether talismans evaporated! (500,000 for the persuasion fee plus 50,000 for the container fee—Lin Chen conveniently bought another bottle.)

The second the nether talismans were deducted, an even more grand and fundamental power of rules, like an invisible contract, descended upon this section of the Styx.

The originally deathly silent river water seemed to pause slightly for a moment.

Then, under the unbelievable gazes of Su Qingyu and Zhang Hao, at the very spot where the Yin Soldier Centurion had just been devoured, the river surface surged again. But this time, it wasn't an aggressive giant palm; instead, a small stream of dark water slowly condensed, as if held up by an invisible hand. It floated steadily and submissively to the front of the soul ferry boat's deck and slowly poured into the newly exchanged special crystal bottle in Lin Chen's hand.

Not a drop more, not a drop less—exactly one standard unit.

Once filled, the stream of water dissipated, and the Styx returned to its deathly silent flow as if nothing had happened.

Lin Chen capped the bottle and casually tossed the crystal bottle—which was filled with styx river water and emitting a cold aura of annihilation—to Su Qingyu: "Hold this. Next target."

Su Qingyu hurriedly caught the bottle. Feeling the chill emanating through the bottle walls that made even her soul tremble, and looking at Lin Chen's nonchalant back, she didn't know what expression to make for a moment.

Zhang Hao scrambled up from the deck, his eyes looking at Lin Chen as if he were looking at a god.

Utterly inhumane wealth!

This was truly using money (nether talismans) to smash through the rules! Even the Styx had to bow its head!

Lin Chen, however, had already turned his gaze toward the optional task on the pier's stone tablet—

[Clear the restlessness of the "Faceless Wedding Dress Shop"].

The main materials were already in hand; as for this accompanying mysterious shop, it wouldn't hurt to take a look.

After all, he was already here.