Sailing towards the Ghost Realm

The wind in the mountains carried a hint of blood, which was immediately replaced by a scorching aura.

Nightmare emotionlessly looked at the puddles of ash on the ground, swept his sleeve, and a gentle breeze blew, dispelling the last trace. The five Cultivators of the Black Fiend Gang, along with their greed and arrogance, seemed to have never appeared here.

He checked the Storage Pouches he had obtained. Besides the Scarred Man's 'fortune' of five thousand Spirit Stones returning intact, there wasn't much else worth noting, just some ordinary Medicinal Pills, Talismans, and Materials. However, the black giant axe was of decent quality and might make a good snack for the Wind-Devouring Demonic Vine.

"Even mosquito legs are meat," Nightmare muttered indifferently, transferring the useful items into his own possession and incinerating the rest, including the Storage Pouches, with his Earth Fiend Demonic Flame.

Having finished all this, his figure, like a ghost, melted into the night and quietly made his way to the agreed-upon Spirit Boat boarding point.

A hundred miles west of Mangshan Market, in a secluded mountain hollow.

A Spirit Boat, entirely black and shaped like the skeleton of some giant bird, was quietly docked. The boat was about ten zhang long, with concealment and defense runes inscribed on its surface, emitting a cold Spiritual Qi fluctuation. This was the "Black Skull Spirit Boat."

At this time, more than a dozen Cultivators had already gathered by the Spirit Boat, each with restrained aura and vigilant expression, maintaining a sufficient distance from each other. They were clearly passengers who had obtained their spots through secret auctions or other channels. The escorts were two emotionless Late Golden Core Stage Cultivators dressed in black robes, presumably the owners of the Spirit Boat or their representatives.

Nightmare's arrival did not attract much attention. He still maintained his sallow-faced, Early Golden Core Stage appearance, silently standing at the edge of the crowd, like an ordinary Loose Cultivator.

Just after midnight, one of the black-robed Cultivators spoke coldly, "Everyone is here. Board the boat. The Spirit Boat will depart immediately. No loud noises are allowed during the journey, no prying into others' privacy, and absolutely no fighting inside the boat. Violators will be killed without mercy."

The voice was not loud, but it carried the pressure and icy killing intent of a Late Golden Core Stage Cultivator, causing everyone present to shiver.

Everyone complied, silently boarding the Spirit Boat. The interior of the Spirit Boat was more spacious than it appeared from the outside, utilizing a space-expanding Formation to separate dozens of simple, independent compartments.

Nightmare casually chose one, entered, closed the door, and set up a simple soundproof Restriction.

Soon, the Spirit Boat vibrated slightly, silently ascended into the sky, transforming into a faint shadow that almost blended into the night, and sped towards the Nether Ghost Domain.

Inside the cabin, it was silent, with only the faint hum of the Spirit Boat breaking through the clouds.

Nightmare sat down cross-legged, not Cultivating, but slowly spreading his Divine Thought, cautiously probing the Spirit Boat itself and the passengers on board.

This Spirit Boat was of no low grade, at least a Medium Grade Fourth-tier, extremely fast and with excellent concealment, no wonder it dared to do such private work. The two black-robed guards had steady auras, and the Cultivation Technique they practiced seemed to be biased towards the Yin-cold path, complementing the environment of the Nether Ghost Domain.

As for the passengers on board, including himself, there were eighteen in total. Among them, one Late Golden Core Stage, three Middle Golden Core, nine Early Golden Core Stage, and five Foundation Establishment Stage. Such a lineup would normally be a formidable force, but now they were all here for the Opportunity in the Nether Ghost Domain.

"The Ghost Gate is loosening... it has attracted so many people," Nightmare mused. "Among them, there are probably many disciples from major Sects and aristocratic families, disguised as Loose Cultivators. As for genuine Loose Cultivators, those with such cultivation and financial resources to board this Spirit Boat are probably not simple either."

His Divine Thought lingered for a moment particularly on the sole Late Golden Core Stage Cultivator. It was a figure shrouded in a large cloak, with an obscure aura, seemingly using even more advanced concealment methods, giving off a profound and unfathomable feeling.

"Interesting," Nightmare retracted his Divine Thought, no longer probing. As long as it didn't hinder him, he couldn't be bothered with others' identities.

The journey was long and tedious.

Several days later, the scenery outside the Spirit Boat gradually began to change.

The sky was no longer a clear azure or a starry night, but was covered by a hazy grey veil, and the light became dim. The Spiritual Qi in the air gradually thinned, and began to be mixed with faint, cold, and uncomfortable Yin Fiend Qi.

The further they went, the more obvious this change became.

The hazy grey sky turned into a heavy lead-grey, and the dense Yin Fiend Qi almost materialized into a thin mist, entwining among the desolate mountains and withered trees. The earth began to crack, and occasionally some pale beast bones or decaying weapon fragments could be seen scattered on the ground, a scene of dead silence and desolation.

Even during the day, it gave a oppressive feeling as if dusk was approaching.

"We're almost there," a Cultivator whispered in the cabin, his tone carrying a hint of suppressed excitement and tension.

All the passengers came out of their compartments and looked out from the side of the boat.

Ahead, between heaven and earth, the Yin Fiend Qi was so dense it couldn't be dispersed, forming an boundless grey-black sea of mist. From deep within the mist, faint, heart-wrenching wailing winds could be heard, as if countless wronged souls were weeping and roaring. That was the Nether Ghost Domain, which made countless low-level Cultivators shrink back in fear, yet drew countless seekers of Opportunity forward in droves!

And the Spirit Boat was descending towards a huge valley on the outskirts of the mist, where flickering lights could faintly be seen.

Black Wind Market City!

This market city was not built on flat ground, but relied on a huge mountain gorge. Countless Immortal Caves and buildings were carved into the sides of the gorge, and powerful Formation light barriers were set up on the periphery, barely isolating the all-eroding Yin Fiend Qi, forming a relatively safe sanctuary.

At this moment, people were coming and going at the entrance of the market city, with various spiritual lights rising and falling non-stop, making it even livelier than Mangshan Market, but everyone's faces carried more or less solemnity and vigilance.

The Black Skull Spirit Boat smoothly stopped at the designated landing spot outside the market city.

The two black-robed guards opened the cabin door and said coldly, "Black Wind Market City has arrived, everyone please disembark. A reminder: private duels are strictly forbidden within the market city, but if there are grudges, you may go to the 'Life-and-Death Arena.' Outside the market city... take care of yourselves."

Everyone filed out, immediately feeling an even denser Yin Fiend Qi assaulting them. The Foundation Establishment Cultivators with weaker cultivation had to immediately circulate their Cultivation Techniques to resist, their faces turning somewhat pale.

Nightmare took a deep breath. The pure Yin Fiend energy in the air was like a tonic to him. The Myriad Poison Demonic Scripture in his body circulated slightly, refining and absorbing the invading Evil Qi. Not only did he feel no discomfort, but he also felt invigorated.

He scanned the surrounding environment, roughly memorizing the layout of Black Wind Market City and the flow of people.

The mysterious Late Golden Core Stage Cultivator from the Spirit Boat had, after disembarking, flashed away like a ghost, disappearing into the crowd without a trace. Most of the other passengers also dispersed, either entering the market city to find lodging or calling friends to prepare to enter the Ghost Domain.

Nightmare did not rush into the market city but first walked slowly around its periphery, seemingly familiarizing himself with the environment, but in reality sensing more detailed auras coming from the direction of the Nether Ghost Domain.

"The Yin Fiend Tide has indeed weakened considerably, but the danger level of the core area has not decreased... instead, it has become more complex due to the influx of a large number of Cultivators," he quickly judged in his mind. "The most urgent task is to first gather the latest intelligence, determine the most likely areas for 'Yin Soul Jade' to appear, and... any clues regarding the 'nine nether soul-returning grass.'"

Having made up his mind, he walked towards the magnificent entrance of Black Wind Market City, which was constructed from giant beast bones.

Inside the market city, it was even more crowded, with shops lining both sides of the street. However, most of what was sold were various Yin-attribute Materials, Magical Artifacts and Medicinal Pills to resist Evil Qi, and incomplete ghost Dao Cultivation Techniques. Fierce-looking Cultivators were everywhere, including many demonic Cultivators, ghost Cultivators, and even some evil Cultivators carrying dense Death Qi. The environment was more than ten times more chaotic than Mangshan Market.

The influence of the Sky Patrol Alliance here also seemed extremely weak.

Nightmare walked directly towards the most conspicuous building in the market city—also a branch of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion. No matter where, the Heavenly Secret Pavilion was always the best choice for obtaining intelligence.

Entering the Heavenly Secret Pavilion and paying a considerable amount of Spirit Stones, Nightmare received two Jade Slips.

One recorded the latest map of the outer regions of the Nether Ghost Domain, marking the distribution of the Yin Fiend Tide's strength, the explored dangerous areas, and potential locations for high-grade Yin-attribute spiritual Materials.

The other contained detailed information about the "nine nether soul-returning grass." The Jade Slip mentioned that this grass typically grew in the deepest parts of the Nether Ghost Domain, near the "Soul Burying Valley" or "Yin Nether Ravine," guarded by powerful ghost creatures or natural illusion Formations. There had been no confirmed records of its collection in the past hundred years, only some vague rumors.

"Soul Burying Valley... Yin Nether Ravine..." Nightmare noted these two place names.

Just as he was about to leave the Heavenly Secret Pavilion to find a temporary Immortal Cave to settle down, a conversation from another part of the pavilion caught his attention.

"Did you hear? A few days ago, someone found an ancient Cultivator's Immortal Cave near Ghost Cry Gorge, suspected to be related to ancient ghost Cultivators, attracting several groups to fight over it, battling fiercely!"

"More than that! It's said that the True Disciples of the Xuanming Sect have arrived, and people from the Tiansha Sect too. Both sides almost went to war over control of that Immortal Cave!"

"Tsk tsk, with these big Sects coming, what's left for us Loose Cultivators? But it seems the Restrictions outside that Immortal Cave are extremely powerful; many people have died, and it hasn't been completely broken yet..."

Ancient Cultivator's Immortal Cave? Ghost Cry Gorge?

Nightmare's heart stirred. Ghost Cry Gorge was on the only path to Soul Burying Valley.

It seemed this trip to the Nether Ghost Domain would definitely not be peaceful.

A storm was gathering.

And he would unhesitatingly throw himself into it, seizing all Opportunities that belonged to him.

A cold arc formed at the corner of Nightmare's mouth as he walked out of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, melting into the chaotic and surging crowd of Black Wind Market City.