Chapter 1036: Tracking

Taking a calculated risk, Meng Zhang managed to extract information from Princess Chunyu about the origin of the Ghost Deity who was monitoring Ouyang Jian's group. He learned that even Ba Wudi suspected Ouyang Jian's group and had made prior arrangements.

While chatting with Princess Chunyu, Meng Zhang discreetly transmitted this information to Shou Zheng's wisp of soul through his divine imprint.

In Meng Zhang's view, with the intervention of the Dali Dynasty's official forces, no matter what plans Ouyang Jian's group had, their success would be difficult.

However, Shou Zheng's wisp of soul, after receiving Meng Zhang's message, didn't show any joy. Instead, its mood became heavier.

After a while, Shou Zheng's wisp of soul contacted Meng Zhang once again.

Ouyang Jian's scheme might involve seizing a certain treasure. This treasure was something Shou Zheng himself coveted as well. If Dali Dynasty's official cultivators or Ghost Deities were involved, the ownership of the treasure could become uncertain.

The information from Shou Zheng left Meng Zhang momentarily stunned, and then he cursed internally.

No wonder Shou Zheng insisted on his participation in this matter. It turned out he intended to seize the treasure from Ouyang Jian's group—a classic "Seize the Food from Tiger's Mouth" strategy. But if Dali Dynasty's official cultivators were involved, things could become problematic for Meng Zhang.

Taiyi Sect was still under the control of the Dali Dynasty, making it impossible for Meng Zhang to openly compete for the treasure against the Dynasty's official cultivators.

Shou Zheng, this old senior, had really presented Meng Zhang with an enormous challenge.

After bidding farewell to Princess Chunyu, Meng Zhang returned to the Tranquil Soul Inn alone.

Finally, Meng Zhang had the chance to calm down and carefully ponder the whole situation.

If it were just a matter of disrupting Ouyang Jian's scheme or seizing their treasure, Meng Zhang would be happy to oblige.

But now that the Dali Dynasty's official forces were involved, the situation had become more complicated.

From Shou Zheng's intention, he seemed intent on obtaining that treasure no matter what, even if it meant clashing with Dali Dynasty's official cultivators.

Meng Zhang wasn't aware of what kind of treasure it was that drove even a powerful Ghost Deity like Shou Zheng to desire it so strongly. In fact, Shou Zheng hadn't fully disclosed the truth up to now.

However, this might not necessarily be a matter of Shou Zheng's lack of trust in him.

Previously, Shou Zheng's words hinted at the involvement of a Diviner.

Meng Zhang himself was a Diviner, and he knew well the capabilities of Diviners.

If Shou Zheng revealed more information, it could potentially raise suspicion from other Diviners during their deductions.

Meng Zhang had always been regretful about one thing: his progress in Divination hadn't matched his other cultivation accomplishments. Despite his diligence in daily practice, studying Dao scriptures, and comprehending Daoist teachings, he had struggled to advance in the art of Divination.

For some reason, his proficiency in the art of Divination, which had been smooth sailing throughout his cultivation journey, hit a roadblock.

Without a breakthrough in his Divination proficiency, he couldn't deduce matters involving individuals or items on the level of the Primordial Spirit.

Anyone who made Shou Zheng feel threatened, requiring his careful involvement, was certainly a Diviner with a higher level of proficiency than Meng Zhang's current state.

Meng Zhang had previously only encountered one other Diviner, Gu Yue Huaidie. Apart from her, he hadn't met any other Diviner fellow daoists.

Meng Zhang had taken a daring risk this time by coming to the Netherworld with Ouyang Jian's group, driven in part by Shou Zheng's request and a strong curiosity to meet this mysterious Diviner.

However, Ouyang Jian was a Sword Cultivator, Mo Qing True Monarch practiced Demonic Cultivation, and Ouyang Huajin was even more enigmatic. None of these three could possibly be the Diviner. So, who was this Diviner, and where could they be?

These questions couldn't be answered by Meng Zhang's solitary contemplation alone.

Therefore, he temporarily put them aside and focused on understanding Shou Zheng's objectives.

Soon, Meng Zhang made up his mind. No matter what, he couldn't engage in direct conflict with the official forces of the Dali Dynasty.

He could use his full strength against Ouyang Jian's group.

If Dali Dynasty's official cultivators were involved, Meng Zhang would evade temporarily and allow Shou Zheng to act. Even if Shou Zheng became unhappy with this decision, Meng Zhang had to prioritize avoiding conflict.

With his decision firm, Meng Zhang seemed to have forgotten his original purpose.

Apart from staying at the inn, he wandered around Yin Capital, experiencing the local customs and, within his capabilities, purchasing Netherworld specialties.

Princess Chunyu also had her own tasks and couldn't accompany Meng Zhang all the time.

Many times, Meng Zhang explored on his own.

On the other side, Shou Zheng's wisp of soul continued to secretly observe Ouyang Jian's group.

The Ghost Deity Duan Ci and the Human Clan cultivators from the Human Clan also monitored Ouyang Jian's group in secret within Yin Capital.Of course, they were unaware that their actions were all under Shou Zheng's watchful gaze.

On the fourth day since Meng Zhang's arrival in Yin Capital, Ouyang Jian's group finally left the Joyful Soul Tower and began their operations.

Zhang Xingda, who had made prior arrangements with Ouyang Jian, temporarily put aside all affairs in Yin Capital, secured leave from his superiors, and departed Yin Capital with Ouyang Jian's group.

Outside of Yin Capital lay an endless expanse of plains, surrounded on three sides by the Weeping Ghost Mountains.

After leaving Yin Capital, Ouyang Jian's group flew directly northward.

The Ghost Deity Duan Ci and a Human Clan Primordial Spirit cultivator, who had been secretly following them, also left Yin Capital.

Shou Zheng concealed his presence and followed at the very end.

Through his divine imprint, Shou Zheng transmitted a message to Meng Zhang, urging him to leave Yin Capital immediately as well.

Yin Capital's gates and city walls were equipped with prohibitions, and yin soldiers were stationed to guard them.

With Zhang Xingda, a Yin Capital Ghost Deity, accompanying them, Ouyang Jian's group could easily leave.

Both groups of trackers departed Yin Capital without leaving a trace, unnoticed by the ghosts.

Yin Capital was usually heavily guarded, and entering or leaving the city gates by Ghosts wasn't straightforward.

Fortunately, during this period, there were many cultivators from the mortal realm who needed to leave Yin Capital and venture into the Weeping Ghost Mountains. Thus, the official authorities of Yin Capital had relaxed their restrictions.

As long as these cultivators explained their origins, proved their identities, and stated their purpose for leaving the city, they could do so.

Even so, when Meng Zhang left Yin Capital, he was still slightly delayed by the inspection of yin soldiers, although the delay wasn't significant and didn't hinder his main mission.

After leaving Yin Capital, Meng Zhang followed the guidance of his divine imprint and flew in the direction the group had taken.

Meng Zhang hadn't anticipated that after leaving Yin Capital, he would continue flying for over half a month without stopping for rest.

Not only did he distance himself from Yin Capital, but he also left the plains outside the city and entered the depths of the Weeping Ghost Mountains.

As he delved further into the mountains, he encountered increasingly powerful Ghosts along the way.

While there were some wandering Ghosts on the plains outside Yin Capital, their numbers were few and their strengths modest.

This was because Yin Capital's Ghost Deities regularly led yin soldiers in large-scale sweeps of the plains outside the city.

These Ghosts were either eradicated or driven away.

As a result, the plains outside Yin Capital were devoid of a significant number of Ghosts and powerful ones.

However, the Weeping Ghost Mountains were situated outside of Yin Capital's control range.

The deeper one ventured into the Weeping Ghost Mountains, the weaker Yin Capital's control became.

By the time they reached the depths of the mountains, Yin Capital's influence was almost non-existent.

In fact, Meng Zhang learned from his conversations with Princess Chunyu that there were numerous powerful Ghosts deep within the Weeping Ghost Mountains. Even ordinary Ghost Deities wouldn't stand a chance against them.

Yin Capital had previously launched several large-scale expeditions into the Weeping Ghost Mountains, but those efforts had not been very successful.

After facing severe casualties multiple times, Yin Capital temporarily abandoned its exploration of the Weeping Ghost Mountains.

Yin Capital was slowly amassing its strength and might resume its exploration of the mountains once it had sufficient power.

The Weeping Ghost Mountains stretched vast and boundless. The mountain range covered an area that nearly surpassed the entirety of the Jiuqu Province.

And this was merely within Yin Capital's knowledge. Beyond this scope, Yin Capital's Ghost Deities were completely in the dark.

Guided by his divine imprint, Meng Zhang encountered many powerful Ghosts along the way.

These Ghosts not only possessed individual strength but also formed formidable groups.

Before Meng Zhang, three groups had already passed through this area.

The two trailing groups had concealed their presence well and probably hadn't been detected by these Ghosts.

However, Ouyang Jian's group advanced openly, inevitably drawing the attention of the Ghosts.

The Ghosts they encountered on this journey had already been cleared out once.

Of course, their objective wasn't to eliminate the Ghosts. Therefore, their clearing process was quite rough.

They weren't focused on exterminating Ghosts, merely displacing them to create a safe passage. In the process, they happened to eliminate a number of Ghosts as well.After they left, the Ghosts that had been driven away might return to their original positions.

Meng Zhang followed behind and encountered these Ghosts now.

Ghosts came in various types, including specters, phantoms, malevolent spirits, and even ghostly beasts.

In the Cultivation World, many classified ghostly beasts as a type of Ghost, considering them a unique form of Ghost.

However, others believed that ghostly beasts, due to their distinct forms, weren't entirely Ghosts and possessed some semblance of living beings.

Meng Zhang didn't concern himself with these classifications; he only cared about how to quickly drive away the obstructing ghostly beasts.

During his time in the capital, he hadn't procured any talismans or magic tools specifically designed to deal with Ghosts.

After all, he had primarily cultivated the "Sun-Moon Wheel Turning Sutra." He was adept at Sun-Moon Avenue and could harness the power of the sun and moon.

For Ghosts, the power from the sun was their natural bane.

Whenever he encountered obstructing Ghosts, Meng Zhang unleashed the Solar True Flame.

The scorching Solar True Flame carried nearly endless light and heat, reducing groups of Ghosts to ashes upon contact.

Ghostly beasts had slightly higher resistance to the Solar True Flame due to their unique physicality. It required Meng Zhang to spend a bit more time and effort to eliminate them.

Throughout his journey, Meng Zhang encountered numerous obstacles. Apart from Ghosts and ghostly beasts, he also faced natural dangers.

The Weeping Ghost Mountains earned their name from the eerie wailing sounds that frequently resonated within the mountains, whose origin was unknown.

These wailing sounds easily unsettled the minds of Cultivators, causing their souls to tremble.

These ghostly wails came in waves and were almost omnipresent.

The strength of the wailing sounds varied depending on different locations and times.

In certain treacherous parts of the Weeping Ghost Mountains, these special wailing sounds were frequent.

These sounds were exceptionally powerful, far surpassing ordinary ghostly wails. Even a Primordial Spirit True Monarch's heart and mind would tremble upon hearing them, potentially losing their rationality or even becoming thoroughly lost.

Meng Zhang belonged to the category of cultivators with a steadfast Dao heart and strong will. Among Primordial Spirit True Monarchs, he was considered exceptional.

However, there were times when he encountered certain areas and the sudden wailing sounds. In response, his heart would immediately sound the alarm.

He hardly hesitated; instead, he would swiftly turn around and run, escaping the range where the wailing sounds originated.

Even if it was just the residual effects of the wailing sounds brushing past him, his Primordial Spirit felt like it was jumping uncontrollably, almost as if it wanted to burst out of his body.

Whenever these situations arose, Meng Zhang could only sigh in frustration.

These wailing sounds didn't persist indefinitely; they would quiet down after a certain duration.

After entering the Weeping Ghost Mountains, Meng Zhang gradually discerned some patterns.

He would wait in the distance for a while, until the wailing sounds grew fainter or even ceased completely, before proceeding through those areas.

However, this approach inevitably slowed down his progress.

Sometimes, the wailing sounds ahead didn't cease but persisted without end.

Helpless, Meng Zhang had no choice but to take detours.

After all, he was guided by his divine imprint, ensuring that he wouldn't go astray in terms of direction.

Meng Zhang was puzzled, wondering how the three groups before him managed to pass through these dangerous areas safely without significant delays.

While advancing, Meng Zhang also encountered two Ghost Kings.

As rulers among the Ghosts, Ghost Kings often possessed some level of intelligence, unlike the mindless lower-level Ghosts.

After brief confrontations with Meng Zhang, they realized their inferiority and chose to retreat voluntarily.

Given his pressing business, Meng Zhang didn't have the leisure to chase them down.

However, there was one instance where Meng Zhang encountered a Ghostly Beast King.

This peculiar creature, seemingly not too bright, despite experiencing firsthand Meng Zhang's strength and enduring considerable hardships, refused to back down.

The more damage Meng Zhang inflicted on it, the more enraged it became. It charged at Meng Zhang in a frenzied state, seemingly willing to fight to the death.

Since simple displacement wasn't an option, Meng Zhang had no choice but to endure and engage the beast king in battle.

Ultimately, Meng Zhang wielded the Startled Swan Sword and dismembered the beast king, using the Sun and Moon Divine Light to obliterate its soul, ending the battle completely.

He barely had time to examine the spoils; he quickly stored the mutilated body of the beast king and continued on his way.

[Thanks for reading at Patreon.com/maxnkoga , if you supporting this novel, a heartfelt thankyou, enjoy the content!]