Chapter 28: Everywhere

Cheng Shan, even with ten thousand times the courage, wouldn’t dare to visit the Abyss of Demons. However, sensing the rare friendliness in Han Luo’s tone and having just helped him, she boldly suggested, “Master, when will you consider sealing this divine sense charm? It’s not a solution to let it run wild like this, don’t you think?”

After a long time, Han Luo’s voice entered her mind, very soft but questioning, making Cheng Shan choke a little. “Why did you revive the divine sense charm?”

Cheng Shan cast her eyes into the distant dark void for a while and said, “Anyway, you saved me too. We’re even now, right?” What Cheng Shan didn’t say was that the so-called master-disciple relationship probably ended here. After all, this time, Han Luo being trapped in the Abyss of Demons was said to be the will of the Ghost Emperor. It’s likely he wouldn’t come out for a while. And if things got worse, he might turn into smoke one day.

However, Han Luo’s next words shattered her thoughts: “I finally endured until the Divine Consciousness Gu is about to wither, and you actually rescued it with your own hands. You gave up the only chance to get rid of the Divine Consciousness Gu, so don’t blame me.”

“Cheng  Shan felt helpless and couldn’t argue. Suddenly, Cheng Shan asked, “What do you mean by ‘finally endured’?”

“When I was targeted by Wu Dui, I resisted without fighting back, and I was beaten to the point of having no true energy, so the Divine Consciousness Gu naturally withered. But I won’t try such a risky method a second time. I hope you understand.”

Han Luo’s tone was casual, but Cheng Shan found it particularly difficult to understand. She couldn’t help but blurt out, “Are you really so kind?”

Hong Ying, who was standing nearby, heard the conversation, turned around, and looked at Cheng Shan with a faint smile. “I was dreaming while napping; don’t mind me.”

“Miss Cheng,” Han Luo said with a precise tone, rolling his eyes, “if I hadn’t been a bit kind, I should be leisurely wandering between heaven and earth now. You should appreciate my kindness.”

Cheng Shan couldn’t retort and fell silent. After a while, Han Luo asked, “How did you get to the Netherworld?”

Cheng Shan glanced at Yang Taizai, who was meditating with closed eyes, and recounted her recent experiences, ending with a question, “Can I trust them?”

After asking, Cheng Shan was surprised by her own words. It seemed that at some point, she had come to consider him the most trustworthy person. Han Luo seemed indifferent and said after some contemplation, “Yang Taizai and his group haven’t caused much trouble over the years, but rescuing your father should be well within their capabilities. Since he said you are the reincarnation of a queen, just consider yourself as one.”

“Is there a possibility that I am really the reincarnation of a demon queen?” Cheng Shan felt a bit embarrassed about pretending to be a queen and couldn’t help but ask.

“How would I know?” Han Luo responded without much thought. After a pause, he added, “But it doesn’t seem likely.”

“Why doesn’t it seem likely?” Cheng Shan almost blurted out the words again and sneaked a glance at Hong Ying. Seeing that he paid no attention to her, she continued to ask in her mind, “Why can I absorb the spiritual power of Zidian?”

Han Luo calmly said, “If Zidian recognizes you as its master, it might not be because you are the reincarnation of a demon queen. It originated from the waters of the North Sea. By the way, did your mother ever mention the Realm of No Form to you?”

“What realm?” Cheng Shan was puzzled and inexplicably felt a sense of loss. She said, “From childhood to adulthood, my mother was no different from other mothers. She never told me about these things, only that she was an orphan who wandered from a very distant place.” Reflecting on it now, if it weren’t for her father’s true love for her mother, how could he not investigate the numerous loopholes in her origin? If it weren’t for Ming Yan’s interference, their family would have been happy and peaceful.

Han Luo probably sensed her low spirits and paused for a moment. Just then, Hong Ying suddenly lit up and said, “They’re here!”

Yang Taizai immediately stood up at the words, and Cheng Shan, pulling back her thoughts, stood up as well. She looked toward the front with a serious expression. Bright lights were rapidly moving towards them, and a surge of resentment rose in Cheng Shan’s heart. The enemies were closing in, and Ming Yan personally led the troops, searching all the way.

Yang Taizai sighed softly and said to Hong Ying, “It looks like we have to break through the crossing forcibly.”

Although Yang Taizai could enter and exit the entrance to the Hode Palace at any time through bribery, the crossings throughout the Netherworld strictly followed specific schedules, and ghost soldiers would come to guard at those times. This place, the Reminiscence Platform, was originally an abandoned site with a few stationed soldiers. Yang Taizai had often managed it with various benefits, thinking that it would be easy to sneak out, but who could have expected to attract Ming Yan’s attention?

Yang Taizai and Hong Ying exchanged a silent glance. Surrendering was not an option. As the remnants of the Han faction were beaten by Ming Yan, they had no way out. Ming Yan was always ruthless and wouldn’t spare any remnants. It seemed that a good battle was inevitable.

The two faced in the direction of Ming Yan, on high alert, completely ignoring Cheng Shan’s combat strength and treating her as a protected object. Cheng Shan, however, tightened her grip on Zidian, staring intently at Ming Yan. Taking a step forward, she drew her bow, ready to unleash her power, and without looking back, she said, “Leave Ming Yan to me. You two go break through the checkpoint.”

Although Cheng Shan had made significant progress in her cultivation, she wasn’t blindly confident. In her heart, if she couldn’t stop this guy… Well, Han Luo wouldn’t just stand by.

“Master,” Cheng Shan urgently called out in her mind, “how is it on your side? Can you lend me a hand by flying over?”

Han Luo’s calm voice echoed, “Who did you encounter?”

“Ming Yan.”

“No problem.”

Cheng Shan couldn’t help but laugh at his assurance. These three words seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

Ming Yan swiftly approached, stopping not far from the Reminiscence Platform. Behind him were several hundred ghost soldiers. Their numbers weren’t large, but each of them had a phosphorescent medal on their shoulders. Even Cheng Shan, a newcomer, could see that this group of ghost soldiers was different from the patrol army led by Gongzi Qi.

After clearly seeing Cheng Shan’s face, Ming Yan laughed heartily and said, “After receiving the report, I was curious about how a neglected ghost slave suddenly appeared. It turns out to be you, little girl!”

Cheng Shan impatiently sneered, “Who are you? Did I give you permission to call me ‘little girl’?” As she spoke, she heard the sharp whistle of Zidian, and a burst of energy arrows shot through the air. Ming Yan evaded quickly, seemingly avoiding any harm. However, the flames under his feet struggled for a moment and extinguished without a trace, even emitting a chill.

Ming Yan furrowed his brows, and his expression became more serious. He waved his hand to signal the ghost soldiers to attack together. Cheng Shan urgently circulated her true energy and shot another arrow at Ming Yan, shouting, “Master!” Immediately, a majestic true energy gathered from all directions, responding to Cheng Shan’s command. Cheng Shan focused her thoughts on Zidian, and its red light surged, emitting a continuous whine.

Seeing this, Hong Ying also shouted, rising into the air and transforming into a red shadow. Seeing Cheng Shan bravely stepping forward, he launched a strike that created a vague archway in mid-air.

Meanwhile, Cheng Shan’s third arrow had been launched with full force. The arrow transformed midway, turning into a wave of energy that swept through the ghost army, covering hundreds of soldiers with a layer of frost and freezing them in place. Behind her, Yang Taizai had instantly rammed dozens of times, finally breaking through the gate of the crossing. He turned back and shouted to Cheng Shan, “Hurry, go!”

“No way!” Ming Yan flashed to the front, his hand grabbing Cheng Shan’s wrist and holding the bow, attempting to take the bow from her. Cheng Shan circulated her energy in her right hand, fiercely striking out, but this move left both of them stunned. Cheng Shan’s counterattack was instinctual, never imagining she could force Ming Yan back, yet he was undeniably, unequivocally pushed back by her.

Cheng Shan couldn’t help but ponder the feeling of that strike and muttered to herself, “Where is my sea of consciousness? Why does it seem like I can generate true energy with just a casual move?”

Han Luo’s puzzled voice came in: “Seems to be everywhere.”

“What?” Cheng Shan, out of sync with the situation, was dumbfounded.

“What are you staring at? Hurry up!” Yang Taizai pressed the red-tasseled spear against the arch, urgently shouting at Cheng Shan.

Cheng Shan immediately abandoned Ming Yan, leaped, and Yang Taizai grabbed her, tossing her into the gate, withdrew the red-tasseled spear, and closed the door immediately, trapping Ming Yan with an angry expression outside. The teleportation crossings in the palace are numbered in the hundreds or thousands. Once back there, unless Ming Yan knew their destination, it would be extremely difficult to track them.

After a moment of dizziness, Cheng Shan fell ungracefully into a clump of manjusaka flowers. Yang Taizai followed, and Hong Ying fell to the ground, transforming into a young man. He pulled Cheng Shan up without a word and started walking.

“Hey,” Cheng Shan’s eyes sparkled, “can’t we take a short break?”

The doubtful gaze of Hong Ying quietly looked at Yang Taizai. “Why does she seem like trash one moment and a mysterious expert the next?”

Yang Taizai looked at Cheng Shan with confusion, sighed, raised his foot, and said, “Just walk slowly; stopping is absolutely not allowed.”

Feeling like she was a complete mess now, Cheng Shan asked, “How far is it?”

“Not far, and once we reach the Reincarnation Hall, you’ll probably adapt better,” Yang Taizai said, hands in his sleeves, looking at Cheng Shan with a gaze that seemed to have some hidden meaning. He sighed, “Two hundred years, I never thought I’d see the true Qi of the Underworld City again.”

Yang Taizai was still immersed in his thoughts, but Hong Ying’s mood was complicated. If Cheng Shan was truly the reincarnation of the princess, it had pros and cons for the demonic clan. The downside was that their plan for the revival of the demonic clan had to accelerate, as she would undoubtedly become a thorn in the eyes of the Slaying Monarch. The advantage was that Cheng Shan had Han Bu Shang behind her, seemingly not requiring her to slowly awaken her past cultivation. However, Hong Ying watched from the sidelines, feeling that Yang Taizai didn’t seem to care much about these downsides. Instead, he appeared somewhat excited, ready to see this young girl brave danger.

Following the two through the labyrinthine palace, Cheng Shan finally stopped in front of a larger hall. The plaque above the hall read “Reincarnation Hall,” and it was evident that the decorations inside were all illusions; the door inside remained the same.

Exhausted, Cheng Shan climbed onto Yang Taizai’s back, wanting nothing more than to sleep.