Everyone abruptly looked up and saw, to their disbelief, that cracks were spreading across the strange Blood Moon in the sky.
When the cracks reached a certain point...
CRACK!!
A corner of the Blood Moon shattered.
The Blood Moon in the sky was no longer whole.
At the same time.
RUMBLE!!
The entire Ghost City began to shake inexplicably. Neither the surrounding Evil Spirits nor the people could keep their balance.
This was especially true for the people. They felt the world spin as their consciousness involuntarily faded. Everything around them grew hazy, and a strange sensation of falling overwhelmed all their senses.
Inside the Huang Mansion, Zhuang Li, Ren Fei, and the others felt a similar sensation.
’He succeeded...’
Everyone marveled internally, but they could no longer communicate. The feeling of weightlessness had completely taken over.
Simultaneously, the figures of the people within the Ghost City began to fade and disappear before their very eyes. It wasn’t just them; the Evil Spirits around them also grew illusory. It was as if the source of power supporting the Ghost City’s existence had been drained away, and what was illusory was finally returning to illusion.
Everything in the Ghost City was a manifestation of the Evil Cult Statue’s power. Now that something had gone wrong with the statue, the entire Ghost City could no longer be sustained.
「...」
「...」
「In a cave somewhere in Heqing Dao.」
Two cloaked figures watched helplessly as cracks appeared on the crimson light screen before them. It finally shattered violently, and the entire scene vanished.
CRACK!!
A soft sound followed as a crack appeared on the Evil Cult Statue standing in the center of the cave. Chunks of dried mud broke off its body. The statue’s form, repaired after opening the Ghost City several times and absorbing a great deal of blood and flesh, was once again broken and incomplete. The ruby-like vertical eye on its forehead dimmed, its light extinguished.
The two cloaked figures fell silent, neither speaking a word.
"The Evil Cult Statue... is it completely destroyed?"
Finally, the tall cloaked figure was the first to speak.
"No. Given the Evil Cult Statue’s status, it can’t be destroyed by a simple attack. However, the damage has become much more severe. The statue’s consciousness has fallen into a deep slumber. It would require a much greater price to awaken it again, which is no longer worth it."
The child-like cloaked figure said slowly.
"So, we can’t open the Ghost City again?"
the tall cloaked figure said.
"For now, that seems to be the case."
The child-like cloaked figure said with a hint of resignation.
"This happened much faster than we anticipated. We can no longer stall for time or draw more attention."
the tall cloaked figure said.
"That’s because an unexpected ’variable’ appeared."
The child-like cloaked figure said faintly.
Originally, his plan could have been called foolproof. Even if a few accidents occurred, he had prepared sufficient countermeasures. Even if some people from the various sects managed to escape the Ghost City, they would have been very few in number.
And indeed, by the final stages of the Ghost City, everyone was facing a situation of certain death. If not for the appearance of Zhao Xuanqi, the sects would have suffered disastrous casualties this time, with no chance of survival.
It was Zhao Xuanqi, an existence outside of the plan, who had shattered all of the child-like cloaked figure’s preparations.
"Report this matter. We need to adjust our next steps to deal with this ’variable’."
The child-like cloaked figure said faintly.
「...」
「...」
「Meanwhile, at the bases of the various sects.」
With the disappearance of the Ghost City, the disciples from the various sects who had been drawn inside began to awaken.
「Guming County, inside the main hall of the Red Heart Base.」
A group of Red Heart Sect higher-ups, led by Qiu Qing, wore grave expressions as they closely monitored the condition of the disciples who had been caught in the Ghost City.
Of the disciples the Red Heart Sect had sent into the Ghost City, only six were still alive. The rest had all undergone Evil Transformation and were now under forceful restraint. They had lost nearly two-thirds of their people.
Qiu Qing’s heart was bleeding, but he had no time to dwell on such thoughts.
The condition of the remaining six was also dire. The strongest among them, like Lu Dong and He Xijun, were still alive, but their internal Primordial Qi was almost completely depleted. The Primordial Qi in two others was chaotic and strange, suggesting some unknown incident had occurred. The rest were not in good shape either.
"How much longer until the Ghost City incident is over?"
Qiu Qing asked in a low voice.
"About... a Quarter Hour more. According to our intelligence, this should be around the time the Night Parade of Hundred Demons is about to begin inside the Ghost City."
an Elder said gravely.
The people around them fell silent. The Ghost City incident was nearing its end, but they all knew this final stage was the most dangerous part. No one knew how many of these six would be able to hold on until the very end and awaken.
Just then, the sleeping disciples began to react. Their bodies twitched unconsciously, and their internal Primordial Qi fell into a brief state of chaos.
Qiu Qing and the others’ expressions changed drastically. They immediately prepared to step forward and check on the disciples’ conditions.
However, in the next moment, another change occurred that made them halt in their tracks.
In a flash, their tightly shut eyes snapped open in unison. As if by reflex, they all shot upright like people startled from a nightmare. Some still had looks of terror and confusion in their eyes, and cold sweat instantly streamed down their backs. But after they got a clear look at their surroundings, an expression of overwhelming excitement appeared on every one of their faces.
The mission into the Ghost City had been fraught with one crisis after another; it was simply too perilous. For them, the ordeal was no different than a true journey through Purgatory. They had truly survived a brush with death.