Ghost Realm.
Ghost Fox Territory.
The Bone Lord and the Ghost Fox Lord were exchanging cups, drinking ghost brew filled with ghastly qi.
"Bone Lord, regarding this unexpected affair in the Heavenly Realm, I hope you can speak favorably to the Pupil King for me, and give me a chance to redeem myself..."
The atmosphere was about right, and the Ghost Fox Lord stated his purpose.
He was just one of the over dozens of Lords under the Pupil King.
This time, he was in charge of matters concerning the Heavenly Realm, a heavy responsibility.
Unexpectedly, the Forbidden Sand Sea, untouched for millions of years, had consecutive incidents.
The Ghost Specters in the first four Stone Gate Realms all vanished.
This meant that four of the thirteen passages were destroyed.
This was surely a grave offense!
If known by the capricious Pupil King, death was certain.
Only if the Bone Lord spoke for him, might the Pupil King show some leniency, perhaps sparing him.
The Bone Lord patted his chest, laughing, "Rest assured, it's all on me. However..."
He leered at the Ghost Fox Lord, "I heard you have acquired two Female Shuras in the Shura Realm, can you give me one?"
The Shura Realm was a large realm that could rival the Ghost Realm.
For millions of years, war between the two realms had been unending.
And the Female Shuras among them were supreme cauldrons for dual cultivation.
If he could obtain a Female Shura, he wouldn't remain trapped in one tribulation for so many years.
The Ghost Fox Lord tensed, reluctant.
Those two Female Shuras were at a six tribulations cultivation level; dual cultivation with them might elevate him further, even reaching the pinnacle of seven tribulations.
However, seeing the Bone Lord's stance, he understood.
If he didn't comply with the Bone Lord's demand, there's no expecting the Bone Lord to speak kindly to the Pupil King.
"Haha, since the Bone Lord fancies it, I should naturally show my respects..."
Ha, a one tribulation Ghost Soldier dares to cultivate with a six tribulations Shura, not afraid that a moment of passion from the Female Shura would crush him!
The Ghost Fox Lord mocked inwardly, but his expression remained unreadable, as if the smile on his beastly furry face never faded.
The Bone Lord was satisfied, his tone brightening, "Well, since the Ghost Fox brother is so generous, I can't neglect loyalty, I'll handle the Heavenly Realm matter..."
The Ghost Fox Lord rejoiced, laughing, "By the way, I recall that your Eight-Handed Clan seemed fond of Wind Realm humans as food. As it happens, I have tens of thousands of Wind Realm humans in my domain; I'll send them to the Bone brother as additional meals!"
"Oh? Ghost Fox brother actually has Wind Realm humans? After the fall of the Wind Realm, they became rare, I must thank Ghost Fox brother..."
The two, once addressing each other as Lords, switched to calling each other brothers after a few words.
Just then, a cautious fourth tribulation Ghost Soldier approached them.
"Reporting to the Lords, Lord Gui Tu's Ghost Lantern has extinguished..."
"What?"
The Ghost Fox Lord swiftly turned, astonished at the Ghost Soldier.
The extinguishing of a Ghost Lantern signifies the fall of a Ghost General.
Gui Tu was a six tribulations Ghost General, sent to the Heavenly Realm merely to kill a mere Fourth Tribulation Thunder human, how could he have fallen?
Noticing the hesitant Ghost Soldier, the Bone Lord coldly said, "What's the matter, speak up."
The Ghost Soldier cautiously replied, "The Ghost Specter of The Fifth Stone Gate Realm also vanished... right after Lord Gui Tu used the Ghost Path Method."
At that, both Bone Lord and Ghost Fox Lord's expressions changed.
Gui Tu himself was a six tribulations Ghost General; after enhancing with the Ghost Path Method, he could crush a six tribulation cultivator in the Heavenly Realm.
Yet, he still fell.
Could he have encountered a Seven Tribulation Thunder or Eight Tribulation Thunder in the Heavenly Realm?
"Bone brother, please go to the Pupil King to speak favorably for me!"
The Ghost Fox Lord began to fear.
With thirteen passages, now five destroyed, if accountability fell upon him, even as a Lord, death would be inevitable.
If it were other realms within the Ten Thousand Realms, it might be manageable, but this was the Heavenly Realm.
The realm where that great figure started laying the groundwork millions of years ago.
If anything went wrong, even the Pupil King himself would be reprimanded.
"Rest assured, I still have this bit of influence, but be cautious as the Heavenly Realm has some sinister things!"
The Bone Lord felt the Heavenly Realm's strangeness, as even a six tribulations Ghost General had fallen.
The Ghost Fox Lord nodded helplessly.
He was already overwhelmed, at a loss for handling the situation.
Sending more six tribulations Ghost Generals was not an option.
If faced with actions from Seventh or Eighth Tribulation Thunder overlords of the Heavenly Realm, sending more six tribulations Ghost Generals would be sending them to die.
As for going personally, it was out of the question.
Sending a six tribulations Ghost General required three to five Wang Lings along with tens of millions of Ten Thousand Realms beings.
If he, being a Seven Tribulation Lord, were to go, it would require north of thirty Wang Lings, and beings from the Ten Thousand Realms in tens of millions!
He couldn't afford the expense!
"Damn, what the hell is happening in the Heavenly Realm!"
...
Ghost Realm.
Ghost Fox Territory, Ten Thousand Foxes Domain.
Under the jurisdiction of the Ghost Fox, regions are ranked as Ten Thousand Foxes Domain, Thousand Foxes Domain, Hundred Foxes Domain, Ten Foxes Domain, Lord's Domain.
Ten Thousand Foxes Domain is the most hostile environment in the Ghost Fox Territory, typically used for detaining prisoners.
The prisoners here are from various races across the Ten Thousand Realms.
As conquest spoils of the Ghost Realm over the Ten Thousand Realms, these prisoners from myriad races have no freedom, reduced to lowly as ants.
A prisoner camp in the Ten Thousand Foxes Domain detains those from the Wind Clan of the Wind Realm.
The Wind Clan were originally part of the human race, but after cultivating special methods and evolving for hundreds of millions of years, they became a distinct race.
This race also practiced Dao Methods, possessing Tribulation Thunder Thoughts.
However, their Tribulation Thunder Thoughts are predominantly wind-based, mastering various wind Dao Methods.
After the Wind Realm was devastated by the Ghost Realm, they ended up here.
Thought they could scrape by here, but changes occurred again.
"Uncle Liu, something seems wrong..."
A handsome young man approached an elderly man, looking somewhat nervous.
Even now, while his face was smeared with dirt, his handsome features were undeniable.
The Wind Clan, regardless of gender, were extremely attractive, leading to their invasion by the Ghost Realm.
The man referred to as Uncle Liu was the last stronghold of the Wind Clan.
Before being sealed by the Ghost Realm's king, the old man had an eight tribulations cultivation level.
However, now he was much like a normal human, even a few extra steps left him gasping.
Continued sealing meant he wouldn't survive too many years before succumbing to age.
Feng Liu glanced at the young man before him, sighing, "Feng Hui, at this point, what could be wrong... We are merely waiting for death..."
With cultivation level sealed, imprisoned in the Ghost Realm, the Wind Clan was in total despair.
Even without their cultivation sealed, they'd be suppressed by the Ghost Realm, barely managing one-tenth of their true strength.
They had no hope of escaping.
Feng Hui hastily said, "I just saw Gui Zhan leading people toward us, seemingly headed for the Wind Clan."
Hearing this, a ripple finally stirred in Feng Liu's bleary old eyes.
Gui Zhan, a fourth tribulation Ghost General, was guarding in the Ten Thousand Foxes Domain.
His arrival always meant taking tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of people.
Those he took never appeared again.
The prisoners from myriad races were fully aware that those taken were sacrificed to the Tower of Myriad Realms.
"Finally, is it the turn of the Wind Clan?"
Feng Liu's voice carried indistinct sorrow or relief.