Chapter 123: Nox and The Ghost

Nox’s POV

Little by little, the rising and sinking of the platform calmed. The whole hall stopped feeling like it was about to collapse.

Ghost Master’s eyes flickered once under the cape.

"...Interesting."

Nox opened his eyes, breathing a little hard, and gave a tired but proud grin.

"So? Did I pass, Master?"

Ghost Master floated above him silently. "Not yet. The time has come..."

The moment his word fell, the entire hall gave a violent shake, then came an earthquake so big that it stumbled Nox away from his place five feet away. The low growl of the land shifting roared in his ear like a drum.

Debris flew around, cutting through the air. One even slammed into Nox’s cheek, making him burn with pain.

The Ghost Master stood still, watching all with silent observation.

Then everything went still.

The earth vein under the platform settled.

The air currents calmed and began to flow in a steady, gentle circle.

A soft green glow rose from the center of the stone platform, and a small, shiny golden-brown object slowly floated up into the air.

It was a golden-brown jade seal the size of a palm, carved with ancient patterns that resembled a world tree.

The moment it appeared, Nox felt a faint connection form between it and his soul force.

Ghost Master’s cold voice drifted down.

"Hmm! Nini. Good for you... You have calmed the vein. The Earth Core recognizes you."

Nox reached out and caught the jade seal. The cold and smooth touch made his hand shiver.

As soon as he touched it, a wave of scenes flashed in his mind.

Control over the earth vein, the ability to seal or open this cave, and a simple defensive artifact bound to the seal.

Nox grinned ear to ear. "So I got it?" he looked at the phantom Ghost master.

"You did," Ghost Master said. "But the seal cannot be fully activated from inside. You must step outside the cave and claim the place with your blood. Only then will the entrance close to outsiders."

Nox’s grin faded a little.

He looked at the jade seal, turning it side to side, then asked confusedly, "Why is it a tree?" He thought Ugo was the one with plant affinity.

The Ghost Master flew to another side and sat on the big dais there. "Not a tree. It’s ’World Tree’," he corrected.

"World Tree grows on the world’s best fertilizing concentrated spiritual land. The land you are stepping on is that divine treasure—Xirang, the living soil."

He chuckled as he saw Nox’s eyes widening more and more with shock.

For a moment Nox lifted one foot and then the other, couldn’t decide if he could really step on such a holy land!

"It’s fine. This cavern is not big, and the soil here is protected by the earth vein you just collected. It’s yours anyway."

Then he turned serious. "Any more questions? I need to get down."

"Get down where?" Nox asked, scratching his ear.

"To the earth. I am a burrowed soul in the earth." Ghost Master laughed, his dark phantom shaking from the laughter.

Nox suddenly felt the hair on his skin standing up. Did he just talk with a real ghost? A dead body?

"You...?"

"Why are you scared? Aren’t all spirits a kind of ghost?" He laughed again, the sound dry and eerie.

"Um-hm. I guess so." Nox nodded.

"Now go back. Don’t disturb my rest often. Better not to come back again."

Saying that, the phantom ghost really went down and burrowed into the earth.

Nox stood there dumbstruck.

He tried to send a message through the communication jade Axe had given him.

Nothing.

The jade stayed silent.

He tried again, pouring more soul force into it.

Still dead.

He also tried to sense the Lupine Palace, but there was no response.

"...Damn."

He looked at where Ghost Master had burrowed and exhaled a breath. It seemed he needed to go back first.

He turned and walked back the way he came.

The air currents no longer tried to push him. The ground stayed steady under his feet.

When he reached the narrow crack that led back to the Black Sea Gorge, he paused for half a second, then stepped out.

The moment his boots touched the muddy shore outside, the jade seal in his hand grew hot.

Nox knew it wanted to be contracted, but...

He wanted to gift it to Moon.

He still remembered how happy Moon had been when he contracted the Lupine Palace.

But if he didn’t contract it, the cave would remain open. He was stuck, not knowing what to do.

Just as he was trying to enter the Lupine Palace again, he heard footsteps coming from behind.

Not one or two.

Many footsteps.

His stomach dropped.

Not good.

The pack’s squad might have already come.

What to do?

.

.

.

On the high ridge and the sloping paths leading down to the gorge, a large group of people was descending.

Black clothes, different pack emblems—Vaelis, Lyris, Vesper, Blackthorn, Ironfang. There were far more of them than before.

At least thirty or forty from each group.

But most of them looked terrible.

Their faces were pale and dark with black poison lines. Some staggered as they walked. Others had black veins crawling up their necks.

Only five or six figures still moved with steady strength. They were the real Eclipse-rank Shadow Lords.

The rest were just sentinel warriors and some generals who had been forced to enter the gorge with only limited Moon’s Tear protection.

The Black Sea poison had already started to corrode them by the time they reached the crack.

The Vaelis Shadow Lord at the front stopped at the crack.

His eyes were cruel with greed.

"Damn it, move faster! What have you been eating all those days? Can’t even pass a gorge?"

He roared, but completely avoided the fact that only he held the Moon’s Tear pearl, while the others didn’t have anything to protect them from the poison.

The other four Shadow Lords also agreed with him, scolding and forcing everyone to move ahead.

But as the group entered the crack, they noticed the poison didn’t reach here and instead faded.

So, in a frenzy, all of them started to pour inside as their lives depended on it.

In just a few breaths, the entire crack and the path leading to the five cave mouths filled with zombie-like warriors.

Their steps became hurried and furious.