Above the Great Dao

Amidst the mist, there was a ghostly figure, likely chilled by the yin wind, huddled around a campfire for warmth.

Chen Shi involuntarily followed the ghost forward, only to come to his senses by the roadside campfire, thinking: "I've been enchanted by some force!"

Shivering, he stepped out from the ghost's path and squatted by the campfire, extending his hands for warmth.

The ghost near the fire was of unknown breed, with a bird's head and a human face, a long bird beak with nostrils on it, blue skin, red hair floating upwards, looking curiously at Chen Shi as he warmed himself.

It had wings, struck by ice crystals borne by the yin wind; an ice crystal was lodged in its wing, and the wound was bleeding.

It noticed that Chen Shi was of a different kind but did not stop him from warming himself. Instead, it groped in the mist, drew several "firewood" sticks, and fed them to the flames.

——These sticks might have been the leg and rib bones of humans or other creatures, which ignited in the green flames and surprisingly warded off the yin energy.

Gradually, Chen Shi warmed up slightly and activated the Second New Talisman.

This new talisman was drawn by a white-garbed fairy, unraveling the prehistoric text patterns on the Heaven Measuring Iron Ruler.

The second new talisman is a talisman for Refining Primordial Spirit, able to purify the yin energy within, aligning the physical body and Primordial Spirit towards Pure Yang.

While by the fire, Chen Shi mentally recited the Divine Language.

"Circular Light Tai Chi, the ruler wields divine skill. Five Elements True Qi, rotates boundlessly. Mixed Yuan Sect, succeeds in using the scenery. Aiding Dao's mighty power, commands thunder and chases wind, all Qi is the same!"

Within him, thunder light surged, forming the Tai Chi Diagram, refining the invading yin energy from his body.

He repeatedly recited the Divine Language over ten times, activating the Second New Talisman in succession, completely refining the invading yin energy from his Primordial Spirit.

Strangely, as he refined the yin energy, his hair also floated upwards.

In his Primordial Spirit form, he stood over two meters tall, his hair floating to the sky as if in water, extraordinarily wondrous.

Chen Shi exhaled deeply, noticing the bird-headed, human-faced ghost staring at him in astonishment. Hesitant, he formed a Sword Finger with his right hand, pointing it at the ghost's wound.

Chen Shi recited the Divine Language, activating the Second New Talisman, the Five Qi Mixed Yuan forming Tai Chi Thunder Light, gradually refining the ice crystal from the ghost's wound.

After several attempts, he also refined the yin energy from the ghost's body before rising to his feet and looking around.

All around loomed rugged mountains, myriad ghosts walking among them, journeying through the mist.

As for the high hill of Huangpo Village and the towering willow tree's roots reaching the sky, all were nowhere to be seen!

"It doesn't matter; Granny Sha will soon discover my disappearance and perform soul summoning to restore me to my physical body." Chen Shi thought.

"Quack quack." The bird-beaked ghost extinguished the campfire and spoke to him.

Chen Shi smiled and said, "I don't understand ghost talk..."

His words emerged as "quack quack" sounds too.

Chen Shi suddenly realized: "I'm dead and became a ghost; naturally, I understand ghost talk! Every word I speak turns into ghost chatter!"

The bird-beaked ghost solemnly thanked him, saying, "My name is Peng Ju, thank you for your salvation."

Chen Shi laughed, "I'm Chen Shi. You let me warm by the fire; naturally, I must repay you. Do you know what place this is?"

Peng Ju said, "This place is called Yin Mountain, known as the Ten Thousand Great Mountains."

Chen Shi thought carefully; besides the Yellow Stone Mountain Range in the West Bull New Continent, no other place seemed to have so many mountains. However, the Yellow Stone Mountains were filled with volcanoes, dense smoke blocking the sun, unlike the scenery here.

This was clearly not the Henggong Mountain Range either, as those mountains were rounded and did not match the peaks here.

"How am I supposed to return?"

Just as Chen Shi thought of this, his wrist was suddenly grabbed by Peng Ju. He realized he had unknowingly wandered into the ghostly crowd, being led away!

Peng Ju said, "If you are taken by these souls, you might become food for ghost monsters."

Chen Shi quickly said, "I'm newly deceased, unaware of all this."

"No wonder."

Peng Ju said, "You must be a cultivator, right? I can tell by your accent; it's not local."

Chen Shi said, "I'm from Xinxiang."

Peng Ju blinked, not knowing where Xinxiang is.

Chen Shi explained, "It's where there's a giant willow tree, bridging the Yin Yang Two Realms. Under the willow tree is a high hill."

"Oh, you're from the high hill."

Peng Ju realized, saying, "I saw you earlier using Thunder Law and refining yin energy. Do you know the Book of Ghosts and Gods?"

He looked at Chen Shi expectantly, taking out a roll of ghost book from his bosom.

Chen Shi hesitated for a moment, took the Ghost Book, and said, "I probably can't understand... huh?"

He opened the Ghost Book and looked at it. The ghostly symbols on the book suddenly became orderly in his eyes. Although Chen Shi had never studied this language, he could strangely read it!

This script was very similar to the characters on the Heaven Measuring Iron Ruler, but in terms of the amount of information contained, it was far inferior to the Iron Ruler.

Chen Shi had seen the four New Talismans decoded from the Iron Ruler's script, and he just happened to understand the writing on the Ghost Book!

This Ghost Book recorded a cultivation technique called the Blood Lake Scripture, which specialized in cultivating the soul!

Chen Shi was taken aback, feeling something was amiss.

"When I comprehended the four New Talismans, I clearly heard the immensely sacred Divine Language reciting the scripture. Evidently, the script on the Iron Ruler should be Divine Writing. But how is the Divine Writing connected to Ghost Writing?"

He repeatedly perused the Blood Lake Scripture. The writing in this book was similar to that on the ghost book of the Black Pot, it should all be Ghost Writing.

But Chen Shi had only learned the Divine Language contained in the four New Talismans, yet he could understand Ghost Writing!

"There must be a problem here!"

He remained silent for a while. Peng Ju said desolately, "You can't understand it either?"

Chen Shi shook his head and said, "I understand it. But how did you come by this book?"

Peng Ju said, "It's a family heirloom."

"Really?" Chen Shi was a bit skeptical.

"Absolutely true!"

Peng Ju became quite excited, raising his hand to swear by the heavens, "If I utter a single lie, may the heavens strike me with thunder! This is a cultivation technique passed down from my ancestors, but neither my father nor grandfather could read it."

Chen Shi was half-believing, half-doubting, and said with a smile, "Since it's your family heirloom, you should know the name of this cultivation technique, right?"

"Blood Lake Scripture!"

Chen Shi's suspicions deepened. Peng Ju could mention the name, it might indeed be his family heirloom. Could it be that the Divine and Ghost Languages are really connected?

And who drew the four New Talismans on the desk?

"My father certainly didn't have this ability. Probably not my grandfather either. If grandfather had come back, he would have awakened me long ago. The only expert around me during that time was..."

An image of a woman flashed through his mind.

"Stone Rock Lady! Could it be that Stone repaid my nurturing grace by drawing those four New Talismans?"

Peng Ju looked at him with pleading eyes, "Can you teach me?"

Chen Shi smiled and said, "Of course. However, I cannot stay long in the underworld. Soon enough, someone will summon my soul and bring me back to life."

Peng Ju was somewhat dubious.

Chen Shi was very certain.

In the mortal world, Granny Sha, Du Yiran, Qing Yang, Hu Xiaoliang, and Azhuo were madly pursuing "Chen Shi". That "Chen Shi" was a demon, extremely cunning and elusive, morphing into a crowd member as soon as they caught up and slipping away when he got the chance.

Granny Sha and the others were at their wit's end. Despite their numerous tricks, capturing a demon deliberately fleeing was exceedingly difficult.

Hu Xiaoliang caught up to Granny Sha, inquiring, "Summoning back Little Ten's Primordial Spirit, is it possible to capture this demon?"

Granny Sha was slightly frantic, "Even if we did, we need to first locate Little Ten's physical body! Without it, summoning back the Primordial Spirit is useless. Black Pot, did you catch Little Ten's scent?"

They pursued for tens of thousands of miles, reaching Niu City, where "Chen Shi" blended into the bustling market. Black Pot sniffed frantically on the ground ahead, trying to catch "Chen Shi"'s scent.

Suddenly, Black Pot sneezed several times, tears streaming down its face.

Qing Yang sniffed the ground too, sneezed, and angrily shouted, "Old Demon Chen scattered pepper all over the ground!"

At this moment, a white-clad figure appeared in their sight.

Granny Sha's eyes lit up, and she smiled, "Little Ten's sweetheart! Follow her! Young lady, where's your lover?"

The white-clad fairy saw them, blushed with shyness, and darted behind an old lady selling tea eggs.

Behind the old lady, a small temple appeared involuntarily. Seeing Granny Sha and others rushing over, she quickly revealed her true body and fled!

In the underworld, at the Yin Mountain Sect, Chen Shi taught Peng Ju the Blood Lake Scripture for two days, and Granny Sha still hadn't summoned his soul.

"He still doesn't know, he's truly dead."

Peng Ju sighed inwardly and said, "Chen Shi, if you have nowhere to go, come with me. I run errands for the Eastern Palace."

— Special thanks to Shen Yanfeng and Moon Listen's Sound for the support as alliance hierarchs.