21: Chapter 21: Ghost Soldiers Pass By, Living People Avoid Them

Inside the carriage, the warmth was like spring.

Pei Duo held a warm, smooth porcelain bowl containing a 'special supply' warm soup personally brewed by Lady Meng.

The soup was clear in color, lacking the eerie quality rumored to make one forget their past. Instead, it resembled brown sugar and ginger water brewed at home. One sip sent most of the accumulated terror and chill from the s-rank instance scattering through her pores.

"Se... Seventh Master," Pei Duo held the bowl, her tone constrained, "That, my brother—I mean Pei Fei—has he been doing well these past two years?"

White Impermanence sat sideways in the lower seat. His usually pale face, which struck terror into countless wandering souls, was now filled with a gentle smile.

He bowed slightly, leaning forward.

"Replying to Your Highness, His Majesty has been... extremely busy."

White Impermanence carefully chose his words. He held a folding fan, lightly fanning away a wisp of heat from the surface of the soup. "His Majesty is a genius favored by Heaven. In two years, he has reorganized the Six Paths and established supreme authority across the realm. However, he has always been deeply concerned about Your Highness, the Old Master, and the Old Madam. His Majesty began arranging for artisans to build this Soul-Soothing Carriage half a year ago, fearing you might suffer upon your descent."

White Impermanence did not mention the unrest in the Western Underworld at all.

"His Majesty said that failing to protect you before was his fault. Now that you are in his domain, if he allows you to suffer any grievance, then he—cough, cough—will have no face to see the Old Master and Old Madam again."

Pei Duo sniffled, her eyes slightly red. The brother who was always carefree and liked stealing her snacks had truly changed.

Just as warmth filled the carriage, a sharp, stern roar suddenly erupted from outside.

"Stop!"

This shout rolled through the void like a thunderclap, causing the Soul-Soothing Carriage to tremble slightly.

Pei Duo jumped, nearly spilling the soup in her hand.

The smile on White Impermanence's face vanished instantly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. But when he turned back to Pei Duo, he became incomparably gentle again: "Your Highness, do not panic. It is Eighth Brother's fiery temper. He probably encountered some blind, stray ghosts ahead. I shall go take a look."

...

Outside the carriage, the underworld wind howled fiercely.

This was the chaotic boundary where the two realms intersected. The previously gray mist surrounding them had now strangely surged into a scarlet color.

Black Impermanence, Black Impermanence, sat astride a tall skeletal warhorse whose eye sockets burned with faint blue ghost fire. His pitch-black official robe snapped loudly in the foul wind.

An underworld scout carrying a command flag dissolved into black smoke and quickly returned, kneeling on one knee, his voice urgent:

"Reporting to Marshal Black! A spatial coordinate overlap anomaly has appeared ahead!"

"An s-rank instance of the Thriller Game, 'Bloody Ancient Road,' is currently underway, directly blocking our army's necessary path to Luofeng Mountain."

The scout lowered his head: "If we detour, it will likely cost an extra half an hour."

"Half an hour?"

Black Impermanence sneered, violently shaking the black iron chain in his hand, producing a grating, loud 'clank'.

He raised his head, his pitch-black eyes staring fixedly at the scarlet blood mist blocking the way ahead, the anger in his eyes almost turning substantial.

Normally, the Underworld officials had an unwritten rule to 'avoid Game Instances,' as those were separate rule systems—water does not interfere with river water.

But today was different.

The person sitting in the carriage today was the Eldest Princess!

His Majesty had prepared a banquet at Luofeng Mountain. If they were half an hour late, making His Majesty feel they were incompetent, it would be a matter punishable by death!

"A mere barbarian rule dares to block the Eldest Princess's path back to the palace?"

Black Impermanence squeezed the words out through his teeth. Killing intent surged around him, instantly overpowering the surrounding blood mist.

"Pass my order!"

Black Impermanence violently raised the mourning staff in his hand inscribed with 'Peace Under Heaven,' his voice chilling and echoing across the three armies:

"All troops, heed my command! Maintain the charge formation!"

"Ram through it for this Marshal—!"

"Boom—!!!"

Following Black Impermanence's order, the thousands of underworld soldier formations, previously silent as mountains, instantly erupted with earth-shattering battle intent.

Thousands of Netherworld long spears struck the ground heavily at the same time. Black nether energy surged into the sky, transforming into the phantom image of a ferocious black dragon coiling above the convoy.

The four Netherworld bone horses pulling the carriage seemed to sense their commander's will. They let out silent neighs toward the sky, their four hooves stirring up wind. Not only did they not slow down, but they transformed into a black lightning bolt, fiercely crashing toward the scarlet barrier representing the rules of the Thriller Game!

...

Simultaneously, in the Thriller Game, B-rank instance 'Bloody Ancient Road.'

This was a desolate ancient battlefield: the setting sun was like blood, with withered trees and crows.

The veteran game streamer 'Yellow Prawn' was currently leaning against a withered, crooked tree, covered in blood.

His peach wood sword had already broken into two pieces, and the protective talismans he prided himself on were long reduced to ashes.

The bullet comments in the livestream were not mockery, but wails of despair.

[Yellow Prawn, hold on! Don't give up!]

[It's useless... This is absolutely not the difficulty of a B-rank instance! This BOSS has taken the wrong medicine and mutated directly!]

[It's over, this Red-Skinned Yaksha has advanced to A-rank!]

Ten meters ahead of Yellow Prawn, a terrifying figure nearly three meters tall was dragging a giant bone saber, approaching step by step.

It was the instance BOSS, the Red-Skinned Yaksha.

It had just swallowed two teammates whole and was now staring at the last prey with eyes full of mockery and cruelty.

"Fresh... liver..."

It raised the bone saber smeared with minced flesh, aiming directly for Yellow Prawn's neck.

"Brothers... I did my best."

Yellow Prawn let out a tragic laugh, leaving his final words for the camera, "In the next life, I won't be a streamer. This Thriller Game... is truly not for humans to play..."

He desperately closed his eyes, awaiting the descent of death.

The blade wind whistled down.

However.

The expected sharp pain never came.

"Rumble—!!!"

The entire earth suddenly shook violently. This vibration was not localized; it felt as if the entire world was trembling.

The blood-red moon overhead was, without warning, obscured by a sudden, thick black cloud.

Yellow Prawn abruptly opened his eyes.

He saw a scene that shattered his worldview.

The A-rank Red-Skinned Yaksha, which had been so arrogant just moments ago, about to cleave off his head, now looked as if the pause button had been pressed.

The bone saber in its hand was frozen in mid-air. That ferocious and terrifying face now displayed a fear even more exaggerated than a human's.

It was the instinctual tremor etched into the genes of a lower creature facing its natural predator.

"Roar... Wuwu..."

The Red-Skinned Yaksha let out a terrified whimper from its throat. It didn't even bother killing; it turned around, wanting to flee, its two thick legs shaking wildly.

"Crack—!"

The black stone cliff on the left side of the instance, which never fell throughout the years, collapsed with a crash like a brittle biscuit.

It was not a natural collapse.

It was forcibly smashed apart by a black torrent of steel!

"Underworld soldiers pass by, mortals stand aside!!"

A roar that seemed to come from ancient times shattered the system prompt sound within the instance.

Yellow Prawn stared blankly at the figure rushing out from the rolling dust and smoke.

A giant god wearing a tall hat, his face as black as iron, rode a skeletal horse burning with flames, descending through the air.

Behind him was a formation of underworld soldiers clad in heavy armor, neat and uniform like a tsunami.

That chilling aura instantly crushed the field of this so-called 'B-rank Thriller Instance.'

This was... the regular army of the Underworld!

Black Impermanence, seated on the horse, didn't even glance at Yellow Prawn below. His gaze coldly swept over the Red-Skinned Yaksha blocking the middle of the road, which was attempting to flee.

"What stray dog dares to block the way! Scram!"