I Am Ghost Emperor Jiuwu

Day broke. Eternal Night Western Black Tortoise Front No. 7 had held. As the crowd stepped beyond the defense line and began digging ghost stones out of the corpses of ghost creatures to prepare for tonight's defense, they saw two mounds of ash. No human shape remained. Yet everyone knew who these two mounds of ash belonged to. People merely cast hurried glances and did not linger, busying themselves with excavating ghost stones, though they silently gave the ashes a wide berth. From this day forward, the names Qiu Yisi and Tian Yi would exist no more in this world. The former head of the Eternal Night Hall Western Operations Group, and the acting head of the Eternal Night Hall Western Operations Group. They had fallen in battle on the second night of the Ghost Clan's general offensive. The chief commander of Eternal Night Western Black Tortoise Front No. 7 was an aged man. Trembling, he piled two small earthen mounds atop the city wall; he had retrieved some clothing from the temporary quarters of Old Qiu and Tian Yi to erect two cenotaphs. From Old Qiu's clothes, he had also uncovered a diary. The first page was filled with excitement over joining Eternal Night Hall and becoming a member of the Eternal Night Hall Operations Group. Pages two and three recorded starting a family and having a child. Pages three and four recorded the death of his wife and the death of his son. The fifth page was longer: "All kin deceased, alone I remain. What else to seek in my twilight years, if not to wash the long night in blood." As the old man flipped through the pages, he let out a chuckle. Old Qiu had decided on his own dying words in the diary. It said that before dying, he must roar out at the top of his lungs: "Qiu Yisi—seeks but one death!" Only then would it display true dominance and free-spirited abandon. There was only a slight tinge of regret: he had not heard those words last night. "Rest well," the old man said, rising slowly. "I will come join you tonight." Everyone on this defense line knew that tonight might well be the final night, yet not a single person retreated. Perhaps they felt fleeing at such a moment was disgraceful. Or perhaps they had no attachments left. Perhaps their wives and daughters had already passed on before them. There could be all kinds of reasons, none of which he could truly know. All he saw was that no one fled. He turned to look toward the rear of the defense line. Across the snow-white plain, dense clusters of Skeleton Horse carriages were traveling north through the night, rushing toward Western Desolate Isle. As far as the eye could see, it was an immensely magnificent sight, glowing with a golden light in the early morning. The sole purpose for this defense line's existence was to allow more people to evacuate to Western Desolate Isle. Not everyone had the chance to board a flying boat, ride high-speed rail, or take a teleportation array; most still relied on Skeleton Horses. Yet even a Skeleton Horse was something ordinary people could not afford. The various factions had taken up their responsibility, crafting vast numbers of Skeleton Horses to pick up everyone they came across along the road, creating this grand spectacle of famine-flight. Animals had migrations. Humans had refugee exoduses. In a sense, there was truly no difference. Not a single person spoke. The atmosphere felt somewhat oppressive, with only the first morning rays casting their light downward. The news of the Eternal Night Continent evacuating to Western Desolate Isle had ultimately reached the ears of the Ghost Clan. "Fan Domain." In the Ghost Clan's "Primordial Continent," the severed head of the former Ghost Clan chief was currently hanging high above the grand hall. Seated upon the throne was a diminutive ghost creature holding a scepter. Resembling a dwarf, his presence on the colossal throne looked utterly jarring. At that moment, the ghost creature was looking down with a solemn expression, trimming his fingernails. After who knew how long, he blew a satisfied puff of air, and an order drifted out along with the nail shavings. "No need to infiltrate across; it wastes our forces." "Continue advancing according to plan." "First wipe out all humans on the Eternal Night Continent, then go to Western Desolate Isle to round up the rest in one fell swoop." A Level-1 continent. That such a faction could emerge here was indeed quite a miraculous fortune. Yet it did not matter. A Level-1 continent capped their potential; no matter how strong they became, they could not affect them in the slightest. At most, they would merely cling to life a bit longer. "Ah, right." The diminutive ghost creature suddenly recalled something. "That Ghost Emperor who calls himself Natian—drag him out of prison and send him to the front line. Have him lead the main assault on those hardest front lines." "Understood," a raspy voice replied from below the hall. This Ghost Emperor who called himself Natian had released That Person without authorization, allowing Eternal Night Hall to receive word in advance and prepare. Though it did not alter the grand scheme, some punishment was naturally unavoidable. Only then did the ghost creature rummage through his robes for a long while before pulling out a bell. Then his voice echoed eerily through the hall: "May I ask, what is that Thunderstorm Sea encircling the entire Eternal Night Continent?" Their Royal Clan had invaded the Ghost Clan's "Primordial Land" through a rift before arriving at this Eternal Night Continent. Their Royal Clan had campaigned for years and conquered two continents before. Yet... they had never witnessed such a phenomenon, and that Thunderstorm Sea gave him a faint sense of unease. He shook the bell in his hand. Soon, an emotionless voice rang from within the bell: "Heaven's secrets cannot be revealed. Unable to inform." The ghost creature on the throne narrowed his eyes slightly. He had not expected that even the Heaven-Inquiring Bell could not provide him with an answer. A place he had never seen before, appearing on a Level-1 continent—that meant it was an opportunity. He continued his inquiry: "Is the Thunderstorm Sea meant to protect the Eternal Night Continent, or to imprison it?" "Heaven's secrets cannot be revealed. Unable to inform." "If I conquer the Eternal Night Continent, will this Thunderstorm Sea vent its wrath upon me?" "Heaven's secrets cannot be revealed. Unable to inform." "Interesting." He licked his lips and pressed on, "Has anyone ever passed through the Thunderstorm Sea?" "Yes." This time, the Heaven-Inquiring Bell finally gave an answer instead of claiming heaven's secrets could not be revealed. "What is the success rate of passing through the Thunderstorm Sea?" "One hundred percent." A flicker of bewilderment crossed his eyes. In disbelief, he asked once more, but the answer remained one hundred percent. The Heaven-Inquiring Bell did not even know the specific origin of this Thunderstorm Sea, so he had assumed it was something extraordinary. Yet the success rate of passing through it was actually one hundred percent? One hundred percent—didn't that mean literally anyone could cross? Yet he had clearly sensed an intensely perilous aura radiating from that Thunderstorm Sea. Without lingering any further, he declared, "Descend upon the Eternal Night Continent with me. We head for the Thunderstorm Sea." Deep within the sea. Not far off, dark clouds pressed down almost onto the water's surface as waves surged. Countless ghost creatures churned within the breakers, while countless bolts of lightning danced wildly across the sky. "You, lead a team inside." Standing atop the shoulder of a Ghost Emperor, the diminutive, scepter-bearing ghost creature ordered another Ghost Emperor beside him to lead a team into the Thunderstorm Sea. That Ghost Emperor merely responded with a muffled grunt before treading the waves toward the storm. The instant he entered the area, a bloodcurdling scream erupted. An exceptionally thick bolt of lightning plunged from the heavens, blasting this Ghost Emperor straight down into the deep sea. His mouth twitched slightly. He pulled out the Heaven-Inquiring Bell once more and shook it. "What is the success rate now?" "One hundred percent." "One just failed over there." "Not dead." He fell silent. Did surviving mean it wasn't considered a failure? All right. Perhaps it really didn't count; he was merely trapped here temporarily. As for when he would get out, only the heavens knew. It was said that ghost creatures entering this domain automatically gained longevity, becoming nearly immortal. The only downside was that they would spend the rest of their lives in agony. "Let's conquer the Eternal Night Continent first, then head back to ask around if anyone has ever seen such a thing." The diminutive scepter-bearing creature shrugged, shoved the Heaven-Inquiring Bell back into his robes, and returned to the Primordial Continent. The Heaven-Inquiring Bell in his possession was indeed a fine treasure. Its consumption was just a bit high. Before departing, he asked another question: "Do you believe it necessary for the Royal Clan to order the western ghost tide to abandon attacking the front lines and infiltrate across to Western Desolate Isle instead? Should we first take the entire continental landmass of Eternal Night, or take Western Desolate Isle first?" "Whatever you wish." "What do you mean?" "The Heaven-Inquiring Bell knows only the past, not the future." "This Thunderstorm Sea existed in the past, so why didn't you speak of it?" "Heaven's secrets cannot be revealed. Unable to inform." "Useless piece of trash." Five days later. Just as night fell, Chen Fan stood upon the Jiangbei Defense Line, gazing out at the churning sea beneath the darkness and murmuring, "Tonight is the seventh night since the Ghost Clan launched their general offensive. The rest is up to heaven's will." Over these seven days, the Eternal Night Continent had nearly fallen in its entirety. Regrettably, although Western Desolate Isle had taken in a massive number of fleeing refugees, vast hordes of people had still been overtaken by the ghost tides along the road of exodus. By now, Western Desolate Isle had been completely sealed off. He was certain that in many corners of the Eternal Night Continent, there remained those who had failed to reach Western Desolate Isle in time. Yet... Fan Domain had done everything it could. Many factions had not managed to arrive in person, but they had handed over their resources to the flying boats dispatched by Eternal Night Hall, allowing those supplies to reach Western Desolate Isle. The flying boats of Eternal Night Hall took only resources, not people. Their transport capacity was simply insufficient. At first, he could still receive messages sent personally by hallmasters of Eternal Night Hall, but gradually, they ceased coming through. Right then, the Mother-Child Stone in his robes grew searing hot for the first time in a long while. An unfamiliar voice came from within: "This is the final message from Eternal Night Hall. The Twelfth Hallmaster of Eternal Night Hall fell in battle moments ago at Eastern Black Tortoise Azure Dragon Front No. 13." "All twelve hallmasters of Eternal Night Hall have died in battle on the front lines." "If Fan Domain can carry on our legacy..." "Please record this." The other end of the Mother-Child Stone was exceedingly noisy, mingled with the roars of countless ghost creatures. Before he could even say a word, the connection was cut. Night fell. Western Desolate Isle was officially sealed off. Brightly lit defense lines stood across the three gaps, beginning their final stand. A handful of front lines had not yet fallen, but their time was nearly up. The ghost tides were about to strike. The great battle was about to descend. Eastern Black Tortoise Azure Dragon Front No. 13. A young man who had just hurriedly cut off the Mother-Child Stone gripped the dagger in his hand tightly, his face smeared with blood. Looking at the Ghost Emperor who had already breached the defense line before him, he grinned. This defense line had fallen. The Ghost Emperor who had scaled the wall stared expressionlessly at the man raising a dagger before him. After casually swatting to death several ghost creatures rushing forward, he drew his own side saber from his robes. The Ghost Clan had always favored human culture. They similarly admired the human resolve to charge forward despite knowing death was certain. He considered the Ghost Clan different from the Royal Clan. Without the barrier of a defense line, a human was utterly incapable of rivaling a Ghost Emperor. A few breaths later, the saber in his hand plunged into the man's chest. He murmured, "My name is Natian. In your human culture, 'Na' is a rather noble surname." "Though I do not know your name, you are worthy of this surname." On the brink of death, the young man gripped Natian's arm that had driven the blade into his chest. With the last of his strength, he spat a bloody glob of phlegm squarely onto Natian's face: "F-Fucking idiot." If one looked from the perspective of the Eternal Night Continent's Heavenly Dao, one would see the ghost fires of the Eternal Night Continent extinguishing one by one, until... the entire continent was swallowed by eternal night, plunged into utter silence. Only on Western Desolate Isle did ghost fires still linger. Those defense lines were the final hope of the Eternal Night Continent. It began to rain. A heavy downpour fell over Western Desolate Isle. Everyone was bathed in the rain. They felt the wounds across their bodies slowly mending, as if blessed by the Heavenly Dao, yet also as if the Heavenly Dao were weeping. From the rainwater, they could sense an overwhelming sorrow. The Heavenly Dao was weeping. The Heavenly Dao was the most easily moved to grief. Everyone knew the Eternal Night Continent had nearly completely fallen and countless people had died, but they had not witnessed it with their own eyes. They had not seen the waves of fleeing refugees, eyes filled with despair mingled with a glimmer of hope, overtaken and utterly swallowed by the ghost tides. They had not seen Tian Yi dying on the front line, murmuring that he would dye the heavens in blood and fire. Nor had they seen the lowly soldiers raising their blades to charge forward, knowing full well they were no match. Yet all of this, the Heavenly Dao took in completely. Perhaps having no emotion was a form of protection for the Heavenly Dao. Night deepened. Fan Domain Underworld Gate Defense Line No. 1 welcomed guests. Two colossal crocodiles, battered, scarred, and covered in blood. And upon the back of one crocodile lay a comatose middle-aged man, gripping a three-foot green blade tightly in his hand. "Open the gates!" In disbelief and grief, Weiwei rushed forward, licking the wounds on the bodies of the two crocodiles. Almost instantly, it recognized that these were its parents. "Weiwei," the enormous crocodile on the left spoke with warmth and laughter in its tone, "Are you happy to see Dad?" Weiwei froze at first, not expecting its father to speak human tongue. Its eyes reddened instantly as it nodded repeatedly, then opened its wide maw to spit out a great pile of things. There was luzhu, dumplings, and bizarre stones it had collected years ago when bored all alone on Nameless Mountain. "What kind of junk is all this..." The giant crocodile looked deeply at Weiwei with reluctant affection. Just as it was about to say something more, its pupils began to dilate. It turned back with difficulty to glance at the monstrously long wound across its back and smiled. It crashed to the ground. Beside it, the slightly smaller crocodile merely looked at Weiwei with eyes full of tenderness. Straining, it took a piece of luzhu from the ground into its mouth and squeezed out a smile: "Delicious, Weiwei." Immediately afterward, it crawled a few steps over to the side of the fallen crocodile and slowly closed its eyes as well. "Huu... roarrr..." Unable to speak, Weiwei—eyes burning red and verging on frantic—rushed over to Chen Fan as he hurried from afar. Scooping Chen Fan up on its head, it rushed back to its fallen parents. Though it could not speak, its intention was crystal clear. "Don't panic, Weiwei." Chen Fan stepped forward and placed a hand beneath the giant nostrils, feeling no breath. Beside him, Fan Domain members had already begun pouring holy water. The Valley Master of Medicine King Valley, having rushed over, said troubledly, "Domain Lord, Medicine King Valley isn't well-versed in treating exotic beasts." Across the Eternal Night Continent, Medicine King Valley was not an exceptionally powerful faction; right now, asking them to treat exotic beasts was truly like driving ducks onto a perch. "Little Qiu." With a grave expression, Chen Fan pulled a voice transmission talisman from his robes to contact Little Qiu, intending to have Little Qiu dispatch several medical factions that had recently arrived in Fan Domain. Just then— "Domain Lord Chen, let us handle this." From the crowd stepped a group of people, the leader looking somewhat familiar. "The Jiangnan He family?" "Indeed. We didn't expect Domain Lord Chen to still remember us. We joined the Fan Domain defense lines a few days ago to defend Western Desolate Isle together." "If you save them, you will be rewarded." After a brief exchange, Weiwei's parents were entrusted to this group. He remembered them—the Jiangnan He family was a reclusive clan with deep expertise in exotic beasts, whose primary trade had been crafting spiritual treasures for exotic beasts. At first, they had even opened a shop in Fan Domain. Later, it went out of business. There simply weren't enough people buying spiritual treasures for exotic beasts; exotic beasts were far too rare. "Take this man down, Medicine King Valley. Little Qiu has already dispatched people to support you. Save his life at all costs," Chen Fan said in a deep voice, looking at the green-robed middle-aged man on the crocodile's back. This man... He had already guessed who he was—the one who had once resided on Nameless Mountain: That Person. Now severely wounded and unconscious. After seeing to all this, Chen Fan finally climbed atop the wall. Standing in the rainy night, he gazed outward toward the perimeter illuminated by ghost fire. Underworld Gate. He had constructed four defense lines here in total, all Level 10—the highest concentration anywhere. The other two gaps had three Level-10 defense lines each. This place was guaranteed to be the main direction of assault. After all, only attacking Underworld Gate required no infiltration across waters; heading to the other two gaps necessitated covert crossings. The cost of infiltration was by no means low. Each infiltration attempt saw fewer than one in ten survive. As long as defense lines plugged the gaps, the interior of Western Desolate Isle could not be subjected to the descent of Heaven Arrays. Tonight, they would likely encounter the first wave of the ghost tide. He took a deep breath. The chill in the air helped clear his mind for a moment. Over these seven days, he had slept fewer than twelve shichen in total, relying entirely on Refreshing Pills to keep his mind sharp. Part of his time went into building defense lines, another into constructing buildings, and the rest was spent swiftly appraising the anomalous treasures brought by other factions, looking for anything that could be put to use. His primary appraisal focus was building blueprints. He needed time. As long as he could hold out for a month, a year... Once he digested all the resources gathered this time, he had full confidence he could launch a counteroffensive. Time. What he needed most right now was time. Tonight marked the ghost tide's first formal general assault against Fan Domain at Underworld Gate. The night deepened. The horizon across the Underworld Gate region began to writhe. At first, it was merely an unnatural undulation in the eternal night at the edge of vision. Gradually, an arched wall spanning the horizon swelled upward, grinding slowly forward. First came hundreds of millions of ghost insects fluttering through the air, unleashing wave upon wave of scalp-numbing, high-frequency screeches. Immediately following was the collective roar of countless clusters of ghost creatures stampeding across the earth. The regular army had arrived. At a single glance, it was an oppressive, pitch-black expanse, like a hundred-meter-tall dark tsunami roaring forward, the air thick with a nauseating stench. Within a city in the Underworld Gate region, millions of ghost creatures knelt on both knees. Outside the city, Ghost Emperor Jiuwu knelt on both knees leading a retinue of confidants. Gazing at the vast ghost tide charging toward him, he took a deep breath and roared, "Ghost Emperor Jiuwu, having assaulted the Fan Domain defense lines here for long, welcomes the arrival of the Ghost Clan!" "I stand ready to charge and break enemy lines for the Ghost Clan!" The ghost tide parted down the middle, sweeping past them and splitting into two torrents that surged straight toward Fan Domain Underworld Gate Defense Line No. 1! Countless shadows and deafening din engulfed them in an instant, like plunging into the deep sea. Who knew how much time passed. A diminutive ghost creature standing atop a Ghost Emperor's shoulder looked down upon Ghost Emperor Jiuwu kneeling below, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes. "Ghost Clan? The Ghost Clan perished long ago. What you see now is the Royal Clan." "Royal Clan?" Kneeling on the ground, Ghost Emperor Jiuwu froze for a moment. He hadn't known; no one had told him! But he reacted in an instant: "Ghost Emperor Jiuwu stands ready to charge and break enemy lines for the Royal Clan!" "Bark like a dog three times." "Woof, woof, woof!" Without the slightest sense of shame, Ghost Emperor Jiuwu knelt on the ground and barked three times. As if afraid the other would be unsatisfied, he added three more barks. "Fascinating, truly fascinating!" The diminutive creature atop the giant Ghost Emperor's shoulder clapped his hands, laughing so hard his mouth could barely close. "Those kneeling beside you—let me hear them bark too." "Woof, woof, woof!" "Woof, woof, woof!" Barks rose and fell one after another. "Not good." "I don't like old dogs." The next instant— A beam of grayish-white light shot violently from the diminutive creature's fingertips, instantly enveloping the old ghost kneeling behind Ghost Emperor Jiuwu. The already senile old ghost had his chest pierced in an instant, his vitality draining rapidly away. "W-Woof..." Still holding his mouth in the shape of a bark, the old ghost knelt on the ground, looking down at the viscous fluid rapidly pouring from his chest. As if relieved, he reached out to grasp Ghost Emperor Jiuwu's robe, his voice trembling: "K-King... I'm going ahead. D-Don't be reckless..." "L-Live on..." "You... you still need to take a wife... you still need to..." Before he could finish, the old ghost's gaze went slack. His right hand clutching Ghost Emperor Jiuwu's robe slipped limply away, and he collapsed onto the wasteland. Kneeling on the ground, Ghost Emperor Jiuwu turned back dazedly to stare at the scene. Noise roared all around his ears, yet right now, it seemed he could hear nothing at all. Scenes of the past resurfaced before his eyes. "Congratulations, King, on breaking through to Ghost King!" "The King is truly magnificent, having become a Ghost Emperor!" "King, what do you think of the name Jiuwu? In human culture, 'nine-five' signifies supreme nobility." "King, you must never attack the Fan Domain defense line right now." "King, once the war is over..." "Hey!" "Does a dead old hound make you that heartbroken?" In a daze, he heard the clamor around him once more, cut through by a grating mockery. Kneeling on the ground, Ghost Emperor Jiuwu turned his head toward the diminutive ghost creature standing on a Ghost Emperor's shoulder not far away, who was sneering down at him. Slowly, Jiuwu stood up, his colossal frame standing out starkly amid the ghost tide. He patted the dust from his knees. He picked up the heavy blade from the ground beside him. And murmured, "My name isn't 'hey'." The next instant— Monstrous ghost qi detonated from his colossal body like a physical wave, sending plumes of dust erupting into the air. Ghost Emperor Jiuwu burst from the dust, both hands raising the butcher blade high as he roared: "My name is Jiuwu!" "Ghost Emperor Jiuwu!" He had never fought with his life on the line. Whether attacking the front lines back then or infiltrating Fan Domain, he had never staked his life—doing just enough had always been fine by him. He feared death, and all he had ever dreamed of was life after the war. He had never imagined that one day he would risk his life. Run if you can't beat them. Surrender if you can't run. That was his creed. Yet... Yet the moment the old ghost died, when this military strategist who had accompanied him for so long was casually butchered amid ridicule, he felt an unprecedented fury burning violently within his chest. Boom! The heavy blade slammed down violently! The Ghost Emperor beneath the diminutive creature was split clean in two. Jiuwu had never unleashed his true strength, but that did not mean he was weak. However... Standing amid the gore, the diminutive creature held a single finger above his head, blocking that heavy blade. A sneer played in his eyes: "Did the big lug get angry? But... the fury of the weak truly looks hilarious." "Heh." With bloodshot eyes, Ghost Emperor Jiuwu looked down at the diminutive creature on the ground who had stopped his heavy blade with a single finger, and suddenly laughed. He realized he was quite a failure; he had achieved nothing in his life. Still, it wasn't all bad. At least he had enjoyed a year of idyllic pastoral life. He turned his head to look not far away at the fields he had labored over for the past year, now being trampled and ravaged by the boundless ghost tide. He felt that in this life, there was one thing he ought to do. He would make this little runt accompany the old ghost in death. The heavy blade in his hands suddenly twisted. Flipping the diminutive creature on the ground up into the air, he swallowed him whole in the blink of an eye, faster than lightning. Then, taking a deep breath, he roared with a voice that rang between heaven and earth: "Chen Fan!" "I am Ghost Emperor Jiuwu!" "Blast your damn trick at Underworld City! There's some bullshit big shot here, and I've trapped him for you!" "Blow the shit out of him!" "I want him dead!" The next instant— The moment his voice fell, Ghost Emperor Jiuwu collapsed with agonizing pain in his abdomen, his body curling up on the ground. Gripping his stomach tightly with both hands, he roared heart-wrenchingly, "Blast the shit out of him! I want him buried with my brother!" Blood holes multiplied across his belly. The searing agony caused him to thrash violently. Not far off, the horde of ghost creatures that had been kneeling on the ground had long since risen. The foremost confidants of Ghost Emperor Jiuwu glanced down at the old ghost's corpse, let out low roars, and started sprinting, piling on top of Ghost Emperor Jiuwu to pin him down underneath them. More and more ghost creatures joined the charge. They pinned Ghost Emperor Jiuwu down firmly beneath them. Seen from afar, all that could be spotted was a colossal sphere of flesh—a mound formed of tens of thousands of ghost creatures, still growing by the moment. "Heh heh..." Through the gaps, Ghost Emperor Jiuwu at the very bottom saw three icy-white beams of light slicing through the sky. Feeling the life force steadily draining from his body, he murmured with a touch of smugness: "Quiet now, aren't you?" "Brother, wait for me down below..." "I didn't manage to find you a wife, but I brought you something good." The next instant— Boom! Boom! Colossal detonations shook the entire Underworld Gate region. Countless fragments of ghost creatures flew through the air. The three Heaven-Reaching Pillars split into nine, delivering repeated carpet strikes across Underworld City. "No—!" The diminutive creature was obliterated in a despairing shriek. Ghost Emperor Jiuwu, deceased. However... This scene did not alter the broader ghost tide. In massive waves, carrying a sky-filling stench, the ghost tide charged unstoppably toward Fan Domain Underworld Gate Defense Line No. 1! This would be the largest ghost tide Fan Domain had ever faced in its history.