Chapter 435 303: Entering Again (Part 2)

Case after case of Evil Spirit incidents was brought up, and for most, the two sides quickly discussed and devised a response strategy. However, when the unnamed Ghost City incident was mentioned, no one could offer a solution.

"I'm already aware of this incident. Last night, the Red Heart Sect lost four disciples at the Blood Strengthening realm. I personally examined the bodies and found nothing abnormal. It's very strange. The morning has passed—have you investigated and compiled statistics on the situation within the city?"

Qiu Qing looked toward Jiang Yun, who was wearing the official uniform of a Chief Constable.

"This matter is indeed very strange. There were several Evil Transformation incidents in the city last night, and the circumstances are quite similar to the victims from your esteemed sect. Furthermore, our investigation has revealed that during the same time period last night, at least one hundred and fifty commoners encountered Evil Spirit incidents. The specifics of each case varied, but the one common thread is that no one survived. So far, two victims have been confirmed to be at the Blood Strengthening realm, and we haven't found any victims above that level. We don't know if it's all part of the same incident, but for so many victims to appear so suddenly in such a short window of time... it's all very peculiar."

Jiang Yun said, frowning.

"Nearly one hundred and fifty people died in a single night?!"

Hearing this, Qiu Qing's brows furrowed deeply, his expression growing solemn. That was not a small number. Although Evil Spirit incidents were frequent in the city, they were mostly low-level threats. As long as they were handled promptly, the death rate among common people wasn't actually that high.

"Yes. We still haven't found the cause. We've done a preliminary investigation into the victims' movements but found no leads. The death rate and the timeframe are just too peculiar. I'm afraid we will need you to take action, Elder Qiu. Tonight, I will mobilize the Government Office's personnel to enforce a city-wide lockdown. Should a similar situation arise, I must ask you, Elder Qiu, to lead the experts from the Red Heart Sect to investigate and, if possible, find the source of this incident."

At this point, County Magistrate Yu Sanyuan also spoke up, his expression grave as he addressed Qiu Qing.

"I understand. Tonight, I will also instruct the disciples of the Red Heart Sect to be on high alert. The Stewards and I will wait at the County Yamen, ready to move out at a moment's notice."

Qiu Qing said with a nod.

"Then we will be relying on everyone from the Red Heart Sect. I thank you in advance."

Yu Sanyuan cupped his fists in a salute to the members of the Red Heart Sect.

However, to everyone's surprise, they stood guard all night, but absolutely nothing happened. Everything was business as usual.

The next day, they remained on high alert and kept the lockdown in place. Yet again, nothing happened.

「The third day.」

Just as everyone was growing puzzled, thinking it was merely a unique, large-scale outbreak of Evil Spirit incidents and had begun to lower their guard, the event started again.

The Red Heart Sect's New Disciple quarters in Guming County.

Seated cross-legged on his bed, Zhao Xuanqi didn't need to concentrate his Spirit to feel a faint but palpable sense of crisis brewing—one that was constantly approaching and swelling.

Zhao Xuanqi's expression hardened as he slowly retracted his Spirit.

The last time, it had been a sudden attack. Caught completely unprepared, his consciousness had momentarily blurred.

This time, he was prepared. 'I'll retract my Spirit and see if I can resist this influence, or maybe even perceive its source. I need to understand how these Evil Spirits affect me.'

Soon, he felt the sense of crisis reach its peak and then erupt.

'It's here!'

Zhao Xuanqi's brow tightened as he focused his senses.

However, all he could feel was a faint, almost imperceptible gaze, as if the Celestial Dao itself were watching him. A powerful daze then flooded his mind. After a dizzying spin, his consciousness sank completely into darkness.

「An unknown amount of time passed.」

Still in a haze, Zhao Xuanqi regained consciousness. He snapped his eyes open and surveyed his surroundings.

The first thing he saw was a courtyard.

Pavilions and rockeries of a unique design filled the space; it was clearly the garden of a wealthy family.

However, the surroundings were dark and chillingly cold. Within the garden, the pond was dry and the trees were withered, their bare branches casting eerie shadows in the gloom.

Before Zhao Xuanqi could even react, it was as if some seal in his mind had been broken, and a flood of memories naturally surfaced.

They were his memories of his last time inside the Ghost City.

'So, when you leave this Realm, the memories aren't forgotten, but sealed away. And when you return, the seal is broken?'

'From the looks of it, this Realm opens once every three days. When the Blood Moon within the Realm reaches its zenith, it casts down a crimson light. This light both stimulates the aura of the living, making it impossible to hide, and drives the Evil Spirits of the Ghost City into a frenzy, giving them an insane craving for flesh and blood. Based on last time, this state lasts for about half a quarter-hour. If you can survive that period, the Realm will close, and the living will be returned to the real world.'

'Also, I didn't appear in my room this time, but at the exact spot I left from last time. Does this mean if I can save a few people and we hold off the ghost tide from the same location, we'll all appear together the next time we enter? That's worth a try.'

Zhao Xuanqi quickly drew his conclusions based on his memories.

Then, he snapped his head up to look at the sky.

A Blood Moon hung on the horizon, slowly ascending toward the zenith.

'Based on my estimates from last time, it'll take about one to two hours for the Blood Moon to reach its zenith. Hmm, I need to think carefully about how to make use of this time.'

'It's a shame about that Red Heart Sect disciple I saved last time. He died in the ghost tide. But that's to be expected. Even I found it incredibly dangerous, let alone him.'

Zhao Xuanqi shook his head slightly. He feared that besides himself, no one else could have survived the ghost tide last time.

Though his mind raced, he didn't forget to remain vigilant. He quickly suppressed his own Qi, and in a flash, used his Force to burst open the door to a room at the side of the garden, planning to think up a concrete plan of action inside.

However, just as he was about to close the door, his movements hitched and his pupils constricted.

He saw the space in the garden before him suddenly distort, as if some kind of power were converging. At the same time, a warped human figure appeared out of thin air. As that strange power coalesced, the figure grew clearer and clearer.

'A person?'

'A newcomer, dragged into this Realm?'

Zhao Xuanqi's expression flickered. He hid by the doorway, observing quietly.

In just a few breaths, the illusory figure solidified completely, appearing in the garden in a prone position.

The person who had suddenly appeared had a tall, slender figure. Her black hair was fanned out around her, accentuating a delicate face with sharp, beautiful features and fair skin. She wore a long white dress, and even lying on the ground, the prominent curves of her chest were clearly visible.

She looked to be a young woman of about sixteen or seventeen. Judging from her clothes, appearance, and bearing, she must have come from a well-off background.

'A woman?'

Zhao Xuanqi frowned slightly. If she was just an ordinary girl from a wealthy family in Guming County, utterly powerless, her death in this Ghost City was all but certain. Even he wouldn't be able to save her.

The very moment the young woman's form fully materialized, her eyes snapped open. A trace of confusion flashed within them before being instantly replaced by clarity. With a light tap of her slender hand on the ground, her prone body floated upward until she was standing.

'Impressive skills.'

Zhao Xuanqi raised an eyebrow. That single move was enough to tell him that this woman was no ordinary person, but a cultivator.

'Judging by her clothes, she doesn't look like she's from the Red Heart Sect. The Government Office? Or maybe a Loose Cultivator from Guming County?'

Zhuang Li stood up and warily surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings, a look of utter disbelief in her eyes.

Just a short while ago, she had led a team to handle an Evil Spirit incident and returned to the Miaoyin Hall quarters in Tang City to rest. How could she have woken up here?

"Where... where is this?! How is the dark, sinister qi so thick?!"

Zhuang Li muttered to herself. Her expression suddenly hardened. She lightly pricked her finger with a sharp nail and, in less than a breath, used the blood to trace a Technique on her own fair, slender neck. She then whipped her head around to look directly at Zhao Xuanqi's hiding spot.

"Who's there? Come out!"

Her voice carried an indescribable, ethereal quality. As it reached Zhao Xuanqi's ears, it carried a faint, irresistible compulsion. The feeling was very slight, however, and he quickly suppressed it. But that was only because his willpower far surpassed that of the Blood Strengthening realm; it was hard to say how someone else at his level would have fared.

'A Technique from another School?'

A flicker of interest appeared in Zhao Xuanqi's eyes.