Chapter 64

"Indeed, they are the Soul Cloud and the Ghost Bee. Once these two natural disasters of the Netherworld occur, even disciples like us could be buried in them if we are not careful. Especially the Soul Cloud disaster, which erupts without any warning, making it impossible to avoid even if one tries to," Mu Xianyun explained.

"I hope Senior Sister can provide more details," Liu Ming said, feeling a chill at the gravity of the situation.

"The so-called Soul Cloud is actually caused by a low-level ghost called a 'Soul Corpse' in the Netherworld. These ghosts are born from Yin Qi but have no strength and move slowly, like corpses. The only reason people avoid them is that once they die, the corpse cloud they form can cover several dozen feet and is extremely toxic. The lifespan of these Soul Corpses is very short; if they do not undergo a mutation to become a higher-level ghost, they usually only live for a few years and prefer to act in groups. Once the number of these Soul Corpses reaches over a thousand and their lifespans are at their end, they will collectively transform into a highly toxic cloud. Driven by the Yin wind, this cloud can silently destroy all living beings it encounters and will continue until the toxic cloud completely dissipates, hence it is also called the Burial Cloud. The Ghost Bee disaster is formed by a type of ghost similar to a venomous bee in this place. These ghost bees migrate from one place to another at regular intervals, and once they start, they move in numbers of tens of thousands. If encountered, they are impossible to resist. Fortunately, these ghost bee swarms usually have fixed migration routes, so as long as one is careful, they can be avoided in advance. Besides the Soul Cloud and Ghost Bees, the Netherworld has several other extremely dangerous threats that Junior Brother should be cautious of. For example, if Junior Brother encounters a place similar to a swamp, he must be extremely careful of a mid-level ghost called a 'Decay Ghost.' They..." Mu Xianyun explained in detail.

Liu Ming naturally listened with full attention.

Mu Xianyun spoke for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before stopping.

"Thank you, Senior Sister, for informing me. I didn't realize there were so many dangers in the Netherworld. I will certainly be more cautious," Liu Ming said, bowing in gratitude.

"Junior Brother Bai, you don't need to worry too much. Although the Netherworld is full of dangers, as long as you don't leave the hundred-mile radius set by the Ancestor, it should still be quite safe. After all, the powerful ghosts have long been eliminated by our predecessors. Since Junior Brother has just learned the Spirit Channeling Technique, it's impossible to subdue powerful ghosts. Within a hundred miles, there should still be a chance to find suitable targets. Even if not this time, Junior Brother can come multiple times until you succeed," Mu Xianyun said with a gentle smile.

"I hope so. By the way, since Senior Sister Mu and Senior Brother Du are not here to find spirit channeling ghosts, is there anything I can assist with?" Liu Ming asked with a wry smile.

"Thank you for your offer, Junior Brother Bai. We have been here for over half a month and have already found some leads on what we are looking for, so we don't need Junior Brother to worry too much," Mu Xianyun replied with a smile.

"Since that's the case, I wish you both success. I won't keep you any longer and will go explore the nearby area," Liu Ming nodded and prepared to leave.

"By the way, if Junior Brother Bai still has spirit stones, he can buy a map of the nearby area and a book specifically introducing the unique ghosts of the Netherworld from Old Ghost. With these two items, Junior Brother's actions will be more convenient," Du Hai reminded him.

Liu Ming was delighted to hear this, thanked them again, and then left the stone house.

"After telling Junior Brother Bai about those things, we have finally repaid that favor from before," Du Hai said with a sigh once Liu Ming left the house.

"Indeed. If not for this, the information we gathered through life and death experiences would not be so easily shared. Unfortunately, it only barely balances out. It would be better if he owed us another favor," Mu Xianyun said after a moment of thought.

"Ah, do you have high hopes for Junior Brother Bai?" Du Hai asked, looking surprised.

"Not just high hopes. If I write to my brother and propose that Mingzhu be betrothed to Junior Brother Bai, what do you think?" Mu Xianyun suddenly said.

"What? To betroth Mingzhu to Junior Brother Bai? That seems unlikely. From what I know, Mingzhu seems to have a good impression of a boy with a spirit vein. How could your brother agree to such a thing?" Du Hai was shocked.

"Hmph, my brother is blinded by the fame of Gao Chong's spirit vein and wants to recruit him as a son-in-law. He doesn't consider that with Gao Chong's talent, many female spirit disciples will be vying to be his dual cultivation partner. It's unlikely he would marry an outer sect disciple without a spirit vein. To put it bluntly, Mingzhu probably doesn't even have much hope of becoming his concubine. The reason he is still entangled with Mingzhu is partly because he is young and still relatively innocent, and partly because the Grandmaster enforces strict rules, giving him few opportunities to interact with other female disciples. The fact that Mingzhu can occasionally interact with him is likely a deliberate arrangement by the Grandmaster. Don't forget what cultivation technique that boy is currently practicing!" Mu Xianyun said with a grim expression.

"What? Does the Grandmaster intend to use Mingzhu as a...?" Du Hai's face changed, and he gasped.

"Indeed, the Grandmaster probably intends to use Mingzhu as a preparatory furnace for that boy's mental cultivation," Mu Xianyun said coldly, omitting the term "Grandmaster."

"From what you say, it does seem possible. If that's the case, betrothing Mingzhu to Junior Brother Bai is a good idea. Although Junior Brother Bai is a spirit disciple, he only has three spirit veins, so his chances of advancing to later stages are not high. Given the Mu family's influence, the Bai family would be very willing to facilitate this. With Junior Brother Bai as a mid-stage spirit disciple, the Bai family's power would grow significantly, making them a strong ally for the Mu family. However, convincing Mingzhu herself might be difficult," Du Hai said, taking a deep breath and becoming very supportive.

"Mingzhu is still young and doesn't understand the gravity of the situation. I will find an opportunity to persuade her, but the matter of proposing to the Bai family should not be delayed. My brother should start working on it immediately. After all, since Mingzhu is not a spirit disciple, her marriage must be decided by the family," Mu Xianyun said slowly.

"That's the only way. But doing so might make Mingzhu resent you for life," Du Hai sighed.

"Even so, I must do this. I cannot let her suffer a fate worse than death as a furnace," Mu Xianyun said, clenching her teeth.

This time, Du Hai stepped forward, gently holding Mu Xianyun's hand, and said nothing more.

Mu Xianyun sighed and leaned her head on Du Hai's shoulder, also remaining silent.

For a moment, the two were quiet, but a subtle and ambiguous atmosphere emerged between them.

...

Liu Ming held a rough map drawn on animal skin and flew slowly at a height of thirty to forty feet above the ground.

At this point, he was already several miles away from the square, carefully observing his surroundings.

Although Mu Xianyun had said there would be no major dangers within a hundred miles, given his cautious nature, he did not take it lightly.

Along the way, he encountered only a few low-level ghost lizards, but no other ghosts.

Liu Ming was not surprised by this.

After all, over thousands of years, the disciples of the Savage Ghost Sect had swept through the nearby area countless times. If it were so easy to find a suitable spirit channeling ghost, it would be strange.

After flying for thirty to forty miles, Liu Ming stopped in front of a patch of low, red trees.

This area, though not large, was a favorite food of the low-level spirit channeling ghost, the 'Double Bone Ox.' Although it had been inspected many times, some people had occasionally found success through good luck.

Liu Ming quickly circled the red forest several times but left with a disappointed look.

His next target was a dark pond about ten miles away, where the low-level ghost, the Corpse Crocodile, often appeared.

However, an hour later, he left the black pond, which was shrouded in gray mist, with a disgruntled expression and flew to another place.

Over the next three to four days, Liu Ming checked all the locations marked on the map as the easiest places to find spirit channeling ghosts within a hundred miles, but found nothing.

On this day, as he stood in the air above a low mound, looking at an empty, nest-like large pit on the ground, he frowned.

He had not expected it to be so difficult to find a suitable low-level ghost. He couldn't really go looking for ghost lizards, which were even less powerful than ordinary wild animals, to be his spirit channeling ghost.

But this was already the last location marked on the map within a hundred miles. If he wanted to continue searching, he would have to go to more distant areas.

Liu Ming thought about this, then flipped his palm to take out the map and scanned it again.

The closer to the base, the more detailed the map was, and the farther away, the rougher it became. Beyond a thousand miles, the map was blank.

"It seems I have to take some risks; otherwise, the hundred contribution points for this trip will be wasted," Liu Ming said to himself, putting away the map.

This was a loss he could not afford!

Even if he gathered enough contribution points to come again, there was no guarantee he would find anything.

...