Chapter 1048: Pursuit

For cultivators, especially those in the Primordial Spirit realm, entering the Netherworld wasn't too difficult. However, ensuring a safe arrival in Yin Capital was quite challenging.

The Netherworld was vast and boundless. Without proper navigation in the Netherworld, there was no telling where one would end up when crossing the boundary between the mortal world and the Netherworld. Once lost in the Netherworld, even a Primordial Spirit True Monarch might encounter life-threatening danger.

Without the special passages owned by the Dali Dynasty's royal family, even powerful sects like the Sea Spirit Sect would find it difficult to teleport close to Yin Capital, let alone other individuals.

Therefore, it wasn't strange that Meng Zhang had paid a price to strike a deal with Princess Chunyu for the opportunity to come to Yin Capital.

Many cultivators under the jurisdiction of the Dali Dynasty coveted such an opportunity.

Yin Capital and its surroundings were considered very safe. As long as cultivators didn't wander around recklessly and stayed close to Yin Capital, they were unlikely to encounter any accidents.

Within Yin Capital, a variety of Netherworld's unique products were available for purchase. Even cultivators with the lowest permissions could acquire some, saving them the trouble of collecting items throughout the Netherworld.

Up to this point, Meng Zhang's actions were within the normal realm and didn't raise any suspicion.

After Meng Zhang returned to Yin Capital, several days passed before Ouyang Jian and Mo QingTrue Monarch, both in a state of heavy injuries and disarray, returned to Yin Capital.

According to their account, they intended to reach a certain location in the Ghost Weep Mountains to utilize its geographical advantage in aiding Ouyang Huajin's transformation into a Ghost Deity.

However, during the transformation process, they somehow agitated a powerful Ghost deep within the Ghost Weep Mountains. The influx of these strong Ghosts overwhelmed them like a tide.

Helpless, they were forced to split up and flee.

Ouyang Huajin, who was in the process of transforming into a Ghost Deity, was engulfed by the Ghosts.

Zhang Xingda, who had initially come at Ouyang Jian's invitation to help gather spiritual energy, also got caught amidst the swarm of Ghosts and unfortunately perished, leaving no trace of his remains.

Ouyang Jian and Mo QingTrue Monarch barely managed to escape with their heavily injured bodies.

The ruling Ghost Deities of Yin Capital, of course, didn't easily believe Ouyang Jian and Mo QingTrue Monarch's account. After repeated inquiries, they didn't show any signs of inconsistency.

Furthermore, it seemed Ouyang Jian and Mo QingTrue Monarch were victims themselves, enduring significant losses.

Their injuries were genuine, and Ouyang Jian's disciple, Ouyang Huajin, had also been consumed by the Ghosts while in the process of transforming.

Zhang Xingda, a friend of Ouyang Jian, who had voluntarily gone to assist, ended up dead in the hands of the Ghosts. Even though the authorities in Yin Capital might be displeased, they couldn't easily voice their dissatisfaction.

As for the Ghost Deity Duan Ci who was tracking Ouyang Jian and the imperial spy, they hadn't returned either.

Ouyang Jian and Mo QingTrue Monarch naturally had no knowledge of these individuals secretly trailing them. Based on their behavior, they appeared completely unaware of being followed.

In Yin Capital, a plausible theory emerged that the trackers had followed too closely and were overwhelmed by the surging Ghosts, resulting in their demise.

If it were ordinary individuals, the higher-ups in Yin Capital might have employed more coercive methods, like soul searching. However, Ouyang Jian was a veteran of the Dali Dynasty, possessing a long-standing background, and many of the Ghost Deities in Yin Capital were his juniors.

Moreover, he had a broad social circle and numerous friends. Aside from Zhang Xingda, he had many old friends in Yin Capital.

Mo QingTrue Monarch was a Demonic Cultivation and directly answered to Ba Wudi, not being subject to anyone else's authority.

Although Ouyang Jian and Mo QingTrue Monarch raised several suspicions and were likely linked to the disappearance of Ghost Deity Duan Ci and his companion, without concrete evidence, the high-ranking officials in Yin Capital found it challenging to take action against them.Finally, an old bureaucrat came up with a solution.

Yin Capital was situated in the Netherworld and governed not only Ghost Deities but also Ghosts under the jurisdiction of the Dali Dynasty. As for living individuals like Ouyang Jian and his companions, they naturally should be dealt with by the living.

According to the intention of the high-ranking officials in Yin Capital, members of the royal family were preparing to escort Ouyang Jian and his group back to the capital city to hand them over to Ba Wudi for disposition.

This way, Yin Capital was essentially passing on this troublesome issue to someone else's hands.

Because this matter involved two official Ghost Deities of Yin Capital.

The soul lamps dedicated to Zhang Xingda and Duan Ci within Yin Capital had already gone out, indicating their demise.

The higher-ups in Yin Capital couldn't ignore this matter and had to uncover the truth behind it.

Yin Capital began to organize teams of Ghost Deities to venture deep into the Ghost Weep Mountains and investigate the deaths of the two Ghost Deities.

Of course, even though the investigation hadn't formally started, the high-ranking officials in Yin Capital were well aware that the investigation would likely face difficulties.

The Ghost Weep Mountains were filled with various dangers and treacherous landscapes. Despite being close by, Yin Capital had organized multiple expeditions to explore the area and paid a heavy price for it, yet they hadn't been able to penetrate deep into the mountains.

Now, attempting to investigate the whereabouts and truth behind Ouyang Jian and his group's activities within the Ghost Weep Mountains posed an evident challenge.

Although they understood that the investigation would undoubtedly be difficult and come at a significant cost, the high-ranking officials in Yin Capital still intended to proceed.

However, when the truth might be uncovered remained uncertain.

In the time that followed, Ouyang Jian and Mo QingTrue Monarch effectively found themselves under house arrest in Yin Capital, unable to go anywhere.

They seemed unfazed by this, showing no signs of discontent. They stayed put, using this time to tend to their injuries.

And so, Meng Zhang and Ouyang Jian's seemingly unrelated groups found themselves remaining in Yin Capital.

Taking advantage of this rare opportunity in the Netherworld, aside from experiencing various offerings and enriching their knowledge, Meng Zhang utilized the unique environment to contemplate the Grand Dao of the heavens and earth, seeking to comprehend the power of the Grand Dao.

As for the golden stone egg he had accidentally obtained, Meng Zhang didn't dare to bring it out for inspection in Yin Capital, fearing exposure.

He had safely stored it within his mustard seed space long ago, ensuring it didn't emit even the slightest aura.

Meng Zhang's mustard seed space, under the care of his two spirit pets, not only possessed substantial storage capacity but also supported the existence of living creatures.

What puzzled Meng Zhang was that the delegation from the Sea Spirit Sect, after arriving in Yin Capital, left early and began acting on their own without anyone knowing their whereabouts.

With the days of the spatial passage's opening drawing near, the Sea Spirit Sect cultivators had yet to return to Yin Capital. This caused some concern that they might have been trapped and couldn't return in time.

Fortunately, these worries did not materialize. Two days before the spatial passage's opening, the Sea Spirit Sect's group of cultivators finally safely returned to Yin Capital.

Although nearly everyone in the group was wounded, there were no casualties. Moreover, each member of the group bore a satisfied smile, evidently having successfully completed their mysterious mission.