Zombie Bodyguard

"Brother Linghu, you've brought me here far enough. I'll handle the rest. I can't drag you into this," Lin Tian said earnestly. Although he had used a bit of a scheme to get to know Linghu Cai, Linghu Cai was indeed a decent person.

When someone gives you a peach, even if you don't return a plum, you shouldn't drag them down, right?

"Brother Lin, what are you planning to do..." Linghu Cai was startled, but before he could finish speaking, Lin Tian had already disappeared from sight. He looked around but still couldn't find him.

Just as he was puzzled, Lin Tian's voice faintly came to his ears: "Brother Linghu, stop looking for me. Leave quickly, we'll meet again someday."

Linghu Cai paused for a moment, then shook his head slightly, speaking to himself with a bitter smile, "Brother Lin is indeed no ordinary person; what I said earlier just slapped my own face." He glanced once more at the distant Ksitigarbha Hall on the street and then turned to leave.

Lin Tian, holding Xiao Manxuan, sped towards the Ksitigarbha Hall. The ghost soldiers at Feng Lu didn't even notice as someone had just slipped past them.

Passing through layer after layer of checkpoints, just as the gates of Ksitigarbha Hall came into view, Lin Tian suddenly sensed a shadow flash by, and someone was already blocking his way. He quickly halted, and in front of him was a person clad in a black robe, tall and slender, with a cold and sinister gaze, waving a black stick in their hand.

If one looked closely, they could find that this stick was made from human leg bones, but the bones had turned pitch black, making it uncomfortable to behold.

The person blocking the way said nothing, swiftly swinging the stick at Lin Tian. Lin Tian had no weapon on him and was holding Xiao Manxuan in his arms, so he raised his hand to block.

With a "bang," both were taken aback. Lin Tian was stunned because the blow was excruciating; it felt as if a needle had pierced his brain, giving him a sense of his soul wanting to leave his body yet, fortunately, he was still alright in the end.

The person blocking the way was shocked because Lin Tian was able to withstand a blow but remained unharmed. To know that their weapon was the Soul-hooking Mourning Stick, which would typically subdue souls it struck.

"What sort of lost soul are you?" the blocker frowned and asked.

"What does it matter to you what kind of lost soul I am? Get out of my way," Lin Tian replied unceremoniously.

"Who do you think you are, daring to speak like that to Lord Black Impermanence!" a ghost soldier leader shouted as he led ghost soldiers to surround Lin Tian.

Lord Black Impermanence? Isn't it the Black Impermanence who issued the netherworld's bounty order? Lin Tian was taken aback, then realized he had no fondness for Black Impermanence. As Linghu Cai said, it was a trivial matter initially, yet a bounty order was issued, making the situation uncontrollable.

Lin Tian didn't bother to respond, shifting his shape to dodge the ghost soldiers and attempt to rush through the gates of the Ksitigarbha Hall. But once again, a black stick blocked his path. Black Impermanence was relentless in not allowing Lin Tian to pass, and their reaction speed surprised Lin Tian.

It seemed that someone capable of holding the position of Black Impermanence was not just a pretty face or useless.

However, Lin Tian was in no mood to engage in a match with him, directly punching towards the mourning stick. Despite its pitch-black appearance like a fire-stirring stick, it astonishingly withstood Lin Tian's punch without breaking.

But the force of the punch still knocked back the mourning stick and Black Impermanence. Black Impermanence probably hadn't encountered such a fierce "lost soul" before, and during the brief instant of surprise, Lin Tian's figure was already gone.

Meanwhile, Lin Tian had entered the Ksitigarbha Hall. He was now intent on finding Zhang Lingyu, regardless of whether the Ksitigarbha Hall was a forbidden place or if Black Impermanence was blocking his way.

"Lord Black Impermanence, he has entered the Ksitigarbha Hall. Should we rush in and capture them?" the ghost soldier leader sought instructions.

"Rush in? You or me? Speak without thinking. This is Ksitigarbha's domain; do you dare rush in?" Black Impermanence reprimanded impatiently.

The leader lowered his head, not daring to speak, as the hierarchy in the netherworld was more severe than in the human world.

"Let him go in. We'll capture him and the woman when they come out together. Disregarding the laws of the netherworld, I'll make them experience what the Eighteen Layers of Hell are!" Black Impermanence said with sinister malice.

Meanwhile, Lin Tian had entered within the Ksitigarbha Hall, which was larger than he had imagined, a complex of buildings more extensive than the Fanyin Temple. After passing through the main gate, there was a plaza, and beyond it, towers rose in clusters.

The bright yellow walls, glazed rooftops—what was more remarkable was that the Ksitigarbha Hall was filled with light. Having walked through the gloomy netherworld for so long, upon seeing the brightness of the Ksitigarbha Hall, Lin Tian almost thought he had returned to the human world.

"This environment really doesn't seem like it's in the netherworld," Xiao Manxuan marveled.

"No matter the environment, let's find Zhang Lingyu first," Lin Tian said.

While the Ksitigarbha Hall was spacious and bright, there wasn't a single person, no souls, nor guards, so no one came to capture Lin Tian and Xiao Manxuan upon entry.

Lin Tian also couldn't fathom the reason and immediately activated the super x-ray vision to scan all the towers in the Ksitigarbha Hall to find Zhang Lingyu's hiding place.

But as he looked through his x-ray vision, all he saw was a bright golden glow. Though bright, it wasn't harsh; it was even gentle. Within this golden glow, Lin Tian couldn't see any images, not even what the physical eye could see clearly.

Previously invincible, his super x-ray was ineffective inside the Ksitigarbha Hall. Lin Tian was startled, thinking there was something wrong with his x-ray vision, but after calming down, he figured the issue likely lay with the Ksitigarbha Hall.

The Ksitigarbha Hall seemed to be shrouded with a thick and gentle energy, making it impossible for the x-ray vision to penetrate.

"Lin Tian, what's wrong?" Xiao Manxuan asked quizzically, seeing Lin Tian motionless.

"Nothing, just be careful. Although it's quiet here, it's oddly quiet," Lin Tian warned, to which Xiao Manxuan nodded in understanding.

Given that the super x-ray vision was useless, Lin Tian had to rely on his physical eyes for the search. Fortunately, the netherworld inhabitants dared not rush in, allowing for a slow search. Lin Tian and Xiao Manxuan crossed the plaza and entered the second gate, where the architecture was peculiar. Though resembling a temple, no deities were enshrined.

Thinking about the dignity of Ksitigarbha, others offering tribute to him seemed more likely. Beyond the second gate lay many corridors and doors, each leading to a tower. At a glance, it was somewhat dizzying, leaving Lin Tian at a loss for where to start.

However, despite endless changes, one constant exists: such important buildings must have a main hall, invariably located at the architectural axis.

If Zhang Lingyu were truly here seeking something, the main hall would be her most likely destination.

Lin Tian recalled the central axis of the outside plaza and extended it, lighting up with an idea. He led Xiao Manxuan towards one of the doors.

Crossing through the gate, a gentle light suddenly illuminated the surroundings. As the gentle light faded, a person was already standing there.