Above the Great Dao

Chen Shi asked, "I heard that only after cultivators die can their primordial spirits come here and attach to skeletons. How did you all manage to get here?"

Tong Qianshou laughed, "We are from the Medicine King Sect, naturally well-versed in various medicinal properties. Before heading to the underworld, we take a drug to induce a state of pseudo-death and are placed in coffins. The Yin Messanger will then pull our primordial spirits away. Once the drug wears off, we come back to life, and seeing that our lifespan is still ongoing, the Yin Messanger will try to send us back to the mortal world. At this time, we prepare plenty of paper money to bribe the Yin Messanger, allowing us to remain in the underworld. We can then possess skeletons to pick the dark flowers."

This kind of scheme requires accomplices. After picking some dark flowers, the accomplice will perform a soul summoning to bring one back to the mortal world to avoid actual death.

Tong Qianshou added, "However, the strength of the dark flowers is formidable, and sometimes instead of picking the flowers, we are picked by them. Many in our sect have been captured by the dark flowers and buried under their roots as fertilizer."

He seemed somewhat forlorn.

As the sect leader, Tong Qianshou felt responsible and guilt-ridden that the disciples of the Medicine King Sect died while collecting herbs, and he was powerless to help.

Tong Qianshou continued, "In Yin Mountain, there are many ghost gods inhabiting the mountains, each ruling a territory. We must avoid these areas; otherwise, we'd risk offending those ghost gods. Their power is not less than those in the Mahayana Realm."

The strength of ghost gods varies; the strongest can even surpass the Mahayana, while the weakest are only equivalent to cultivators in the Divinity Transformation Realm.

For example, when members of the Funiao Clan reach adulthood, they are several zhang tall. If they are wealthy, they can afford a small Yaksha to offer incense every day and thus become ghost gods, although their power is only a tad stronger than that of a cultivator in the Divinity Transformation Realm.

But those ghost gods hundreds of zhang tall have truly terrifying strength.

These are the ghost gods they need to avoid.

However, such ghost gods maintain their own territories, commanding countless ghost generals and small ghosts. As long as one does not invade their territory, they generally will not trouble a small skeleton like Chen Shi.

Chen Shi was not very familiar with Yin Mountain, only now realizing how dangerous his previous flight was.

"Why is Chen, the top scorer, seeking those ghost gods?" Tong Qianshou asked.

Chen Shi replied, "I promised a ghost monster named Peng Ju to take care of his sister. His sister was captured by those ghost monsters, so I came to rescue her."

Tong Qianshou frowned slightly and said, "Among the ghost gods we passed just now, there was one with three heads, extremely powerful. We may not be able to handle it..."

Suddenly, Sang Xixi slowed down and whispered, "They are ahead!"

Chen Shi and Tong Qianshou also slowed their steps. As Chen Shi looked ahead, he saw that many peaks had disappeared, replaced by large and small irregular lakes coming into view.

These lakes were not far from each other, connected by waterways, forming a complex water system. At the source, a rift in the sky poured down with water, resembling a galaxy hanging across the heavens, cascading like jade.

At the edge of the nearest lake, more than a dozen ghost gods clad in armor were on their way, their heights varying, with the shortest being at least three or four zhang tall, surrounded by small Yakshas offering incense and praying.

Chen Shi dispersed the blood pool spinning behind his head and quickly moved toward these ghost gods.

Tong Qianshou followed him, whispering, "Chen, the top scorer, do you see that ghost god with arms like two long swords, stooped over? He is a Blade Labor Clan ghost god, his arms tempered to an extreme degree."

As Chen Shi glanced over, he indeed saw a peculiar ghost god, stooped, with no nose or ears on its head, only a huge mouth. Its nostrils were on its back, a series of fist-sized holes, spewing green mist while breathing.

"That one wielding an axe is a Thunder Ape Clan ghost god. He can stand among the dark clouds and attack others from above."

Tong Qianshou spoke in a low voice, "That big-bellied ghost god without a head has its face on its front belly. You can't see it from this angle. Its ears are located on the sides of its buttocks, from the Big Belly Clan, immensely powerful."

Chen Shi asked, "What about the one with three heads?"

Tong Qianshou's voice grew solemn, "That's from the renowned combat race of the underworld, known as the Green Evil Clan, astonishing combat power. I've seen this Qing Sha a few times in the Heavenly Pond Capital; he once manifested saintly, revealing a ghost god body of a hundred zhang! A cultivator in the God Refining Realm has a primordial spirit a hundred zhang tall, and it takes the union of primordial spirit and physical body to achieve a physical body of that height! He is likely as powerful as a strong God Refining Realm cultivator!"

Chen Shi shook his head, "Not quite. Without a cultivation technique, merely relying on bloodline power, his strength is at most the Three Corpses Realm."

Tong Qianshou hesitated for a moment, "To be honest, Chen, I haven't cut the Three Corpses and am currently only in the Unification Realm, combining divine embryo, primordial spirit, and physical body. I'm afraid I can't be much help."

Reaching the Unification Realm is already remarkable, making him the most powerful sect leader in a thousand years. His predecessors could not compare.

However, the Unification Realm is a whole level lower than the Three Corpses Realm, with a significant disparity in strength. The God Refining Realm even more so is beyond reach.

Sang Xixi said, "Sect Leader, why not use our Medicine King Sect's treasured artifact?"

Tong Qianshou asked, "You mean?"

Sang Xixi excitedly suggested, "Blow them up with gunpowder!"

Tong Qianshou shook his head, "I didn't bring... "

"I brought two hundred jin of gunpowder!" The skeleton female ghost grew even more excited, producing a Qiankun Bag.

Tong Qianshou gritted his teeth, "Give it to me! While you, my benefactor..."

Chen Shi said, "I need to get close to them."