120: Sequence 028: The Yellow Springs Ferryman

On the surface of the magic bottle, that jet-black, constantly rotating rift of the Netherworld Passage stared at the fury of the Thunder Abyss like a greedy and cold eye.

Pure Nether Death Qi no longer spewed outward; instead, it formed a weak inward-sucking current, swallowing the chaotic energy and even the light dissipating in the surroundings.

Although the collapse of the magic bottle itself had been alleviated, this rift connecting to an unknown, deathly silent world was, in itself, a greater and unpredictable crisis.

Mo Yuan gazed at the deep passage, his powerful Divine Sense attempting to probe inside, only to be fiercely repelled by a cold and deathly Law force; his Divine Sense even felt as if it were about to be frozen and annihilated.

The other end of the passage was by no means a kind place.

However, crises are often accompanied by opportunities.

The pure Nether Law aura dissipating from this rift was, for certain specific sequences, a supreme tonic!

Mo Yuan's gaze instantly turned to the [Yellow Springs Ghost Soldiers] (sequence 016) in the city, which had been severely damaged during the previous turmoil, their spirit bodies having become illusory and dim.

These undead sequences, formed from the Fusion of Cultivator remnant Souls and demonic liquid, were now instinctively "looking" towards the direction of the Netherworld Passage, the ghostly blue Soul fire in their eye sockets flickering violently, filled with extreme desire!

Their essence was of the same origin as the world on the other side of this passage!

This Nether Qi could replenish their damaged spirit bodies, and even... prompt them to evolve further!

"Ghost Soldiers, obey!" Mo Yuan's cold voice, transmitted through the Sentient Thunder Codex network, reached deep into the consciousness of every Ghost Soldier. "Approach the passage, absorb the Nether Qi, and repair yourselves!"

Upon receiving the order, those remaining Yellow Springs Ghost Soldiers immediately turned into translucent phantoms, like weary birds returning to their nests, scrambling to rush towards the rift on the surface of the magic bottle!

The closer they got, the more solid their illusory bodies became, and the brighter their Soul fire burned!

The pure Nether Qi was like sweet spring water, nourishing their parched spirit bodies.

But what Mo Yuan wanted was not just repairs.

"Prepare a high-concentration demonic liquid, mixed with part of the Corrosion Gold Ant Queen's metal manipulation genes (used to condense physical chains), a trace amount of the Dream-Weaving Jellyfish's spirit tentacles (to enhance perception and traction of Soul bodies), and... guide a portion of the Netherworld Passage's Law fragments to merge in!"

A new, bold cultivation plan formed instantly in his mind.

He wanted to take advantage of this rare opportunity of the Netherworld Passage opening, using the Ghost Soldiers as a base and the Nether Law as a guide to create a terrifying sequence that could truly travel between Yin and Yang and wield death!

"Evolution direction: Spirit bodies highly solidified, capable of briefly interfering with the present world, specializing in capturing and pulling Soul bodies, possessing absolute restraint against living beings..."

"Naming: [sequence 028: Yellow Springs Ferryman]!"

An order is a Law.

The specially prepared, ink-black demonic liquid exuding rich Death Qi was injected into the bodies of those Ghost Soldiers who were frantically absorbing the Nether Qi!

Awoo—! A shrill, yet not painful, ghost howl erupted!

The forms of the Ghost Soldiers began to change drastically!

Their originally illusory bodies became solid at a speed visible to the naked eye, no longer translucent phantoms, but transformed into solid entities carved from obsidian, covered in ancient, damaged armor!

Their figures became taller and more burly, their faces hidden beneath hideous ghost-mask armor, revealing only two eye pupils burning with ghostly blue, cold flames.

The most significant change was in their hands, where the combination of Nether Qi and the metal components in the demonic liquid condensed into thick, jet-black, and cold—[Soul-Snatching Chains] covered in barbs and mysterious runes!

The end of the chain was not a hook, but a tiny, constantly rotating Nether vortex that exuded a suction force capable of devouring Souls!

Their aura had shockingly surged collectively from the original Golden Core Early Stage to the Golden Core Late Stage!

Moreover, the death pressure they exuded had a natural deterrent and restraining effect on living beings!

[Yellow Springs Ferryman]! Descend!

They stood silently before the Netherworld Passage like the most loyal guards, their cold Soul fire scanning every living being around them, the Soul-Snatching Chains in their hands moving without wind, emitting a teeth-gritting metallic friction sound.

Just at this moment—Hum! Spatial fluctuations came once again from the outer layer of the Thunder Abyss!

A terrifying pressure, more powerful and vast than any previous Patrol Envoy, carrying majestic heavenly might and an aura of rage, suddenly descended and locked onto the Floating Ink City!

"Evil spawn! You destroyed my Star Skiff and threw my Star Palace into chaos! Today I will surely extract your Souls and refine your spirits, so you shall never be reincarnated for all eternity!"

The roar, like thunder, exploded directly in everyone's Sea of Consciousness!

A figure ignored the violent thunder slurry and stepped into the core area of the Thunder Abyss in one stride!

The newcomer was dressed in the attire of a Star Palace Grand Elder, with a withered face, but eyes as sharp as stars; the Spiritual Pressure radiating from his body was like a vast sea of stars, unfathomable!

Its strength was far beyond the Nascent Soul; shockingly, it was a... Soul Transformation Stage expert!

The internal strife of the Star Palace had obviously made some old monsters in seclusion unable to sit still, personally taking action to crush this "ant" that had repeatedly provoked the Star Palace with thunderous momentum!

A Soul Transformation Cultivator! This was a completely different level of life!

Under its pressure, the entire Mo City groaned under the unbearable weight, and the newly repaired shield was instantly covered in cracks!

Mo Yuan's expression changed drastically; his Thunder God Arm sent a warning sting!

The remaining units of the Star Corpse Guard were pressed to their knees, unable to move!

The Soul Transformation Cultivator did not give any time to react at all, snorted coldly, pointed his fingers like a sword, and made a distant point towards Mo City!

A beam of annihilation, condensed to the extreme and seemingly formed from countless compressed stars, ignored spatial distance and appeared instantly before the Mo City shield!

Wherever the finger beam passed, even the violent thunder slurry was forcibly pushed aside and annihilated!

This finger was enough to easily pierce stars and destroy all things!

Can't block it! Absolutely can't block it!

Just at this critical moment—

A look of extreme madness flashed in Mo Yuan's eyes. He pointed fiercely at the newly arrived Soul Transformation Cultivator and issued a final order to the Yellow Springs Ferryman standing quietly before the Netherworld Passage: "Target, Soul Transformation Cultivator! Ferry his Soul!"

The leading Yellow Springs Ferryman suddenly raised its head, the ghostly blue Soul fire in its eyes flaring up!

It stepped out without fear, actually passing directly through Mo City's crumbling shield, and met that destructive finger beam!

At the same time, it fiercely threw the Soul-Snatching Chain in its hand!

The chain did not shoot towards the finger beam, but weirdly merged into the Void Realm. The next moment, it actually emerged directly from the shadow behind the Soul Transformation Cultivator and, at a speed exceeding Divine Sense perception, wrapped around his neck!

The Soul Transformation Cultivator snorted coldly: "Demons and monsters, you dare to get close?" His protective Star Qi automatically erupted, strong enough to shatter Nascent Soul Magic Treasures!

However, the Soul-Snatching Chain seemed invisible and intangible, and also seemed to specifically restrain the Souls of living beings, treating the massive Star Qi as if it were nothing, easily passing through it and locking tightly onto the Soul Transformation Cultivator's neck!

"What?!" The Soul Transformation Cultivator's expression finally changed drastically!

He felt his Primordial Spirit being forcibly locked by a cold Law force from the world of death, and it began to be dragged outward!

His vast, sea-like star spiritual power had very little effect on this chain!

Just in that split second of his shock and his Primordial Spirit being restrained—Shhh! The annihilation finger beam also accurately hit the approaching Yellow Springs Ferryman.

There was no explosion.

The Yellow Springs Ferryman's obsidian body was like ice meeting the scorching sun, instantly melting and vaporizing, leaving not even a trace of residue behind.

It was completely erased.

But it had fulfilled its mission—using its existence to buy that precious sliver of time for the chain!

"No—!" The Soul Transformation Cultivator let out a terrified and unwilling roar; his Primordial Spirit was actually being forcibly dragged halfway out of his Physical Body by that eerie chain!

And even more terrifyingly, the Netherworld Passage on the surface of the magic bottle seemed to have smelled a supreme delicacy, suddenly expanding by a circle, sending out an irresistible, terrifying suction force that acted upon the chain!

The Soul-Snatching Chain suddenly pulled taut! Whoosh! The Soul Transformation Cultivator's Primordial Spirit, along with his Physical Body, which had instantly dimmed and stiffened after losing its Primordial Spirit, were dragged by the chain, turning into a streak of light. It paused slightly at the mouth of the Netherworld Passage, and then was dragged without resistance into that deep, deathly silent darkness!

The passage vortex rotated slightly, as if it had belched, then slowly shrank and returned to its original state.

It was as if nothing had ever happened.

Only the trace of Soul Transformation Spiritual Pressure remaining in the air, not yet fully dissipated, and the deathly silence in the Thunder Abyss, proved the terrifying event that had just occurred in that split second, one capable of shocking the entire Chaotic Star Sea—

The Yellow Springs Ferryman, at the cost of its own annihilation, killed a Soul Transformation expert beyond its rank! First kill of a Soul Transformation Cultivator!

Mo Yuan slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, looking at the Netherworld Passage that had returned to calm, and then at the empty Void Realm outside the city.

The cost was huge, the loss of a newly born and powerful sequence.

But the results... were horrifying!

Yellow Springs Ferryman... Netherworld Passage... In his hands, he finally possessed a trump card capable of threatening and even killing a Soul Transformation expert!

Star Palace's retaliation? Perhaps it was their turn to feel... the fear from the Netherworld.