Chapter 1145: Resentment
Previously, Lin Tian had only seen other souls being devoured by vengeful spirits. Now, when it finally happened to him, he understood what Zhang Lingyu meant by those words.
The Ruishui River of the Wangchuan River flows on for all eternity, where countless lost souls and wild ghosts have drifted for countless ages without reincarnation, burdened with deep resentment that even the Ten Halls Yama dare not touch.
Lin Tian now truly felt the immense pain of being devoured by vengeful spirits. He didn't know what it felt like to be pierced by ten thousand arrows, nor the torture of being dismembered, but at this moment, the pain he was suffering surpassed everything.
Even a zombie's body couldn't withstand such devouring, because each bite from the vengeful spirit didn't just pierce his body, but also imposed the grievances and tragic experiences of the spirit onto him. It was a torment of both body and soul.
The Wangchuan River appeared not like water, and Lin Tian seemed to have entered another world, drifting aimlessly. He wanted to shout, to vent the negative emotions in his heart, but as soon as he opened his mouth, a vengeful spirit crawled into it, attempting to gnaw him clean from the inside out.
At that moment, Lin Tian almost collapsed, not physically, but mentally. Countless vengeful spirits stabbed their grievances into his mind, making him feel as if he had experienced thousands of cycles of rebirth in an instant, and they were all tragic.
This is the terrifying aspect of the vengeful spirits in the Wangchuan River; a tough man can withstand any physical torment but cannot bear such a hundredfold reincarnation in an instant. Even if the Ten Halls Yama become involved, they would be dragged into the mortal plane.
At the brink of collapse, Lin Tian closed his eyes, and the figure of Xiao Manxuan appeared in his mind. The little girl in school uniform stood under a sun-dappled tree in the afternoon schoolyard, showing an angelic smile.
Second Miss, I still need to find the Second Miss, I can't get lost here! Lin Tian screamed in his heart, snapping his eyes open. His originally pitch-black pupils were now replaced by bright yellow, and zombie teeth emerged from his mouth. Under immense pressure, Lin Tian revealed his true zombie form in an instant.
"Roar..."
Lin Tian let out a massive roar, an endless force surged from deep within his body, blowing away the waters of the Wangchuan River around him.
The souls, ghost soldiers, Ghost General, and Ferryman outside the river were all looking at the surface. They suddenly heard an explosion, and then saw the Wangchuan River shoot up several meters high as if a bundle of dynamite had been thrown in.
The river water splashed everywhere, scaring the ghost soldiers who scrambled to dodge, not wanting to be tainted by the Wangchuan River's water. After the surface exploded, it quickly returned to calm, as if nothing had happened.
Below the river, after Lin Tian's eruption, a purple flame mark appeared on his forehead. With its emergence, a flame shield naturally surrounded him, separating him from the river water.
Lin Tian touched the mark on his forehead, still feeling its heat. He had been able to control a small flame in his palm, but now his fire power had multiplied, automatically forming a flame barrier.
How could this be? Temporarily freed from the vengeful spirits' torment, Lin Tian pondered this question, puzzled as to why his fire power had strengthened after entering the Wangchuan River?
Could it be because of the resentment and Evil Qi in the river? Lin Tian considered this possibility; zombies inherit the universe's resentment and Evil Qi, feeding on blood in the human world, and are not governed by the six paths. It seemed plausible that they would be strengthened in such an environment.
After much thought, Lin Tian was still baffled, but being temporarily freed from the torment of vengeful spirits was something to be thankful for. He wasn't a masochist and naturally did not enjoy suffering.
Lin Tian looked around, realizing that underwater was vastly different from above. The water surface was a blood-yellow hue, reeking of blood.
Yet under the water, the river was remarkably clear, allowing him to clearly see the wandering vengeful spirits outside. Lin Tian felt as if he had entered another world.
There was no sound of water in this world, only an occasionally eerie song. It was unclear which vengeful spirit was singing laments, but this song only made the world feel even more dead silent.
Vengeful spirits continued to attack his flame shield, but Lin Tian temporarily paid them no mind. He suddenly remembered that the red-clothed female ghost had come down with him. Could she have already perished?
Uh, she's a female ghost already, so not perished, more like her soul dissipated, or eternally lost in the Wangchuan River.
Lin Tian looked around and finally spotted the red figure not far away. She was now entangled by vengeful spirits, her expression dreamy, seemingly trapped in another mental world.
This was the result of a spiritual attack by vengeful spirits, likely similar to his experience earlier. Without immediate rescue, the red-clothed female ghost might sink into endless oblivion.
Considering she had helped him earlier, Lin Tian shook his head and swam toward the red-clothed female ghost, pulling her into the flame shield upon reaching her. Without Lin Tian's command, the fire power did not harm the red-clothed female ghost.
Once free from the vengeful spirits' devouring, the red-clothed female ghost's expression gradually returned to normal until she finally opened her eyes.
Upon opening her eyes, the first thing she saw was Lin Tian. The red-clothed female ghost did not react aggressively, but said quietly, "Did you save me?"
"I wouldn't call it saving, just gave you a hand," Lin Tian replied nonchalantly.
The female ghost's quiet demeanor showed less hostility; looking at her now, she was quite a beautiful woman. Unfortunately, she had become a Fierce Ghost for reasons unknown, sure to be another tragic tale behind it.
The red-clothed female ghost glanced at Lin Tian's flame shield and said, "Looks like I underestimated you."
"I underestimated you too, thought you were caught by the Ferryman, didn't expect you to let it happen on purpose. But I really want to know, why did you do that? Once in the Netherworld, it's hard to get out," Lin Tian asked out of curiosity.
He felt strange talking calmly with a female ghost, something he never imagined he would do.
The red-clothed female ghost's expression turned desolate and sad. After a long while, she spoke, "Once I entered, I never thought about leaving."
Lin Tian's eyes flashed as he recalled her various actions, frowning involuntarily, "Your purpose for willingly being captured was to jump into the Wangchuan River?"
This guess was outrageous, but given the red-clothed female ghost's behavior, he couldn't think of another reason. The red-clothed female ghost's silence confirmed Lin Tian's suspicion.
"Why... do you want to enter the Wangchuan River?" Lin Tian asked again.
The red-clothed female ghost lifted her head, staring blankly at Lin Tian, unnerving him, before she said, "I just want to wait under the Naihe Bridge, to see when that heartless person will come down, and then have him accompany me, forever accompany me..."
Though spoken lightly, Lin Tian felt a chill run down his spine. Wanting someone to accompany you, doesn't that mean dragging them into the Wangchuan River? Such intense resentment was on par with the vengeful spirits here.
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