Chapter 120: The Abyss of Ghostly Howls

The line of text at the top, in particular, filled Jiang Xiaofei with great joy.

"The Ghost Saint’s Pilgrimage Seal is a supreme ghost art I created myself during the peak of my existence. I hope you will not disgrace the title of Ghost Saint."

Jiang Xiaofei etched these words into his memory. Although he did not know who the Ghost Saint was, he felt intuitively that she was no ordinary figure, and the ghost art she had left behind could surely not be simple. Thinking of this, he felt a surge of excitement. With this "Underworld Ghost Path" manual, would he not rise to prominence? It felt as though he could finally see the hope of attaining godhood.

Immediately, Jiang Xiaofei cast aside all distracting thoughts and began to practice. Immersed in this selfless cultivation, three days passed in the blink of an eye, and the decisive battle at the Abyss of Ghostly Howls drew ever closer.

On that day, morale in Ghost Abyss City reached an all-time high. Under the summons of the Corpse King, thousands of ghostly figures could be seen as far as the eye could reach, standing in neat, well-prepared ranks. The Corpse King nodded in satisfaction. Behind him stood Su Muhe and Meng Feixue, along with Elder Song and various generals. They were all clad in battle armor, looking confident and imposing.

"Why haven't King Fei and the Mansion Lord arrived yet?" Elder Song asked. "Perhaps, Protector Su, you should go and urge them?"

"They should be emerging soon," Su Muhe replied with a slight nod.

"My apologies for keeping you all waiting."

Just as Su Muhe finished speaking, a burst of laughter echoed out. Hearing this, everyone turned in unison toward the entrance of the Mansion of the Dead, where Jiang Xiaofei and Jun Yao were seen walking out together.

"You are too polite, King Fei!" The generals immediately stepped forward to greet them, showing their deep respect.

Jiang Xiaofei nodded in satisfaction and said in a deep voice, "Very well, let us set out for the Abyss of Ghostly Howls immediately."

"Yes!" In an instant, the cries of ten thousand ghosts shook the heavens, and the massive army began its grand march toward the abyss.

...

The Abyss of Ghostly Howls was located due north of the southern region of the Underworld. With its towering mountains and deep, precipitous ravines, it was a treacherous place and one of the primary battlefields for successive eras of power struggles. Because of this, the area was perpetually filled with sinister ghost energy and a murderous atmosphere, often giving rise to strange phenomena.

At this moment, the cliffs surrounding the abyss were crowded with thousands of ghost figures. They did not belong to any single sect, but were instead powerful factions of the Underworld—groups like the Ghost Commander City, the Alliance of the Four Great Families, the Wuji Sect, and various smaller family forces were all present.

Given the current political instability, today’s battle between Ghost Abyss City and Sky Ghost City was critical to the future trajectory of the realm, naturally drawing the close attention of all major powers.

Within the Ghost Commander’s army, a dashing young man laughed as he spoke: "Between Ghost Abyss City and Sky Ghost City, who do you think will win today?"

"In my humble opinion," an old general replied, "Sky Ghost City has an eighty percent chance of victory."

"Do you wish for Sky Ghost City to win so much?" the young man asked, his expression darkening with displeasure.

The old general quickly explained, "It is not that I wish for them to win, but Sky Ghost City is powerful and well-equipped, and they have the support of that mysterious faction. I fear Ghost Abyss City is no match for them!"

The young man scoffed, "Though Sky Ghost City is formidable, they forget that Ghost Commander City and Ghost Abyss City have always been allies. If they want to swallow Ghost Abyss City, they must first ask if my city allows it."

The old general frowned. "Does this mean, Young Master, that you intend to help Ghost Abyss City fight them? But have we not always maintained neutrality?"

The young man nodded. "Do you think Sky Ghost City would let us remain the only other power? Once they consume Ghost Abyss City, it will surely be our turn next. Before my father left, he specifically instructed me that if Ghost Abyss City were to falter, we should intervene."

The old general nodded, sighing, "It seems the City Lord still remembers the old favors from the previous Underworld King."

"Look, the people from Ghost Abyss City have arrived!"

Just then, someone shouted. All the factions turned their gaze toward the east. A massive number of ghost figures were surging forward; it was the Ghost Abyss army. Leading them were Jiang Xiaofei, Jun Yao, the Corpse King, Su Muhe, Meng Feixue, Elder Song, and the other generals.

The appearance of the Ghost Abyss army stirred the entire scene. The various factions were astonished; rumors had suggested that Ghost Abyss City was in decline, yet this army appeared to be at least two hundred thousand strong. How could this be called a decline? Moreover, the dozen generals leading the vanguard were all experts of the Heaven-Transformation Realm. Even more importantly, the cultivation levels of the three people in front could not be perceived, which meant they were at least at the Dao-Extreme Realm.

Within the Ghost Commander’s army, an old man said with high spirits, "I suspect you all don't know this, but Ghost Abyss City has only been feigning weakness."

"Oh?" A general asked, intrigued. "Old Man Feng, how do you know that?"

Old Man Feng chuckled, "Because my nephew serves in their army. He told me that under the leadership of King Fei, the current Ghost Abyss will soon quell the rebellions and come to rule the Underworld! He also said that following King Fei is the path to a bright future."

"And who is this King Fei?" The general frowned.

Old Man Feng pointed at Jiang Xiaofei in the Ghost Abyss army. "Look, that is him. He is King Fei. Don't let his youth fool you; his methods are god-like. He annihilated a Dao-Extreme expert with just a single strike!"

"Is he really that powerful?" the general asked, finding it hard to believe.

Old Man Feng smiled, "I did not see it with my own eyes, but my nephew told me that King Fei wields a strange fire—a truly terrifying one. It was that fire that incinerated the Dao-Extreme expert!"

Back in the Ghost Abyss army, Jiang Xiaofei noticed Old Man Feng pointing at him and became deeply intrigued. He felt a hint of danger from this old man. Considering that he was currently borrowing the power of Little Phoenix and possessed strength comparable to a peak Dao-Extreme expert, the fact that he felt threatened suggested that this old man had reached an even higher level.

Jiang Xiaofei was not entirely surprised; the Underworld had existed for tens of thousands of years, and it was normal for such ancient monsters to linger in the world. Fortunately, these figures did not act lightly, or the Underworld would be in total chaos. He was merely curious why such an ancient monster would be hiding within the Ghost Commander’s army. Was he just here to watch the show?

Jun Yao, seemingly sensing Jiang Xiaofei’s confusion, whispered, "This Old Man Feng is Feng Qingyang, a man who once dominated the Underworld. Even my father was defeated by him once. However, he was later broken by love and his cultivation was stalled at the Half-Step Divine Path for the rest of his life. It is a pity, considering how he once commanded the battlefield."

"Broken by love? How so?" Jiang Xiaofei frowned.

Jun Yao replied, "He was betrayed by his lover, who was once hailed as the greatest beauty in the Underworld. She abandoned him to marry the King of the Underworld. In his grief and rage, Feng slaughtered his way into the Netherworld, but the forces there were too strong. He was defeated, and ever since, he has been listless, wandering about in a state of madness."

Jiang Xiaofei sighed, "A pitiful man indeed. It is a shame that his devotion to that woman was wasted."

Jun Yao nodded slightly. "If you wish to recruit him, I can try to persuade him. I believe he would help you out of respect for my father."

Jiang Xiaofei smiled and shook his head. "Forget it. Let such a man be free. Why should we seek to bind his liberty?"

Jun Yao nodded and said no more.

Just then, a voice rang out: "It seems everyone has arrived. It appears my Sky Ghost City is late!"