Going Ashore

Sword radiance sliced through the nether mist, igniting a fiery fissure within the gloom. The edge of the blade shot straight for the crown of the humanoid phantom's head. With a shrill, wretched shriek, the phantom plunged toward the sea below alongside its camel and ghost banner. Li Weiyi grabbed hold of the rope dangling in midair. Only then did he realize he was already twenty to thirty meters below the ship's bulwark, and a wave of lingering dread washed over him. *Splash!* The phantom crashed into the sea, the evil camel bell bearing it striking the water first and kicking up a huge spray of foam. A moment later, it surged out from the waves, mounted atop the camel, its hooves trampling over the densely packed floating coffins as it raced off in the direction where the red-robed Qi Shanshan had vanished. A dry, raspy voice drifted back: "The ship is an impasse. The You Realm has arrived, and the way out lies right before you. If you have the guts, why not follow and see for yourself?" "That ghost is truly stubborn to kill." Li Weiyi knew full well that the creature was luring him off the ship, still coveting the Daozu Taiji Fish. Yet what the phantom said was true. Staying on the vessel was not just an impasse—it was a death trap. Even though they had strictly rationed their food and water, what remained would only last a few more days at most. *** "The white-boned demon and that camel-bell ghoul wouldn't leave the ship without reason. There has to be a purpose. While alive, they were likely beings of this very realm." "Since the Bronze Ship has temporarily halted, I'll go scout the way ahead. If there is land and no danger, we can all disembark together. Within five days, no matter what happens, I will definitely return. If we die, we die together; if we live, we live together." Uneasy about leaving the people on board, Li Weiyi asked his senior martial brother to remain behind and oversee the situation. Taking only Gao Huan, he descended the rope down to the sea, dropping onto an island formed of closely huddled floating coffins. He brought Gao Huan along first because Gao Huan had drunk Golden Crow blood, granting him a formidable constitution. Second, Li Weiyi's journey was not only to search for land, but also to rescue Cai Yutong. Even knowing the white-boned demon had lured him intentionally, how could he turn away? If they did find land but had to press on after the demon, someone would need to head back to the Bronze Ship to deliver word. Pursuing the lingering aura left behind by the white-boned demon and the camel-bell ghoul, Li Weiyi sprinted across the floating coffins on the sea's surface. Though the road ahead was uncertain, having solid ground beneath his feet brought a long-sought sense of reassurance. Behind them, the Bronze Ship blurred into the dark mist. Before long, it disappeared entirely. *** At the stern of the Bronze Ship. The thirty-foot bronze doors embossed with "A Myriad Hearthfires" and "Yellow Springs Astral River" suddenly creaked open in a gust of wind. From the giant sword within the doorway, countless streaks of light flew forth, coalescing into two figures. One of them looked out into the distance, seeming to pierce through the vast, murky gloom, and murmured, "We've arrived?" *** "If the Bronze Ship sets sail again, we'll be stranded in this bizarre Blood Sea, left with only the dead things in these coffins for company." Having stepped away from the familiar, Gao Huan felt his heart dangling in suspense, thoroughly uneasy. Soon he added, "Whatever. Staying on the ship wouldn't have given us more than a few days to live anyway. Tathagata Buddha, Bodhisattva Guanyin, the Jade Emperor... gods and immortals of every path, please bless us and let us find a way to live." Li Weiyi noticed something and crouched down, touching a fresh droplet of blood on a coffin with his fingertip. "Whose blood is it?" Gao Huan asked. "Senior Cai's." "Did she kill Dr. Cai?" "No! She left this drop of blood on purpose to guide my way," Li Weiyi said. "You must have something she desperately needs," Gao Huan remarked. "If we follow her like this, won't we walk right into her trap?" "Then we catch up as quickly as possible and give her no chance to set one." What worried Li Weiyi more was the prospect of the white-boned demon joining forces with the camel-bell ghoul. After all, the two fiends sought different things, meaning they could easily take what they needed without conflict. Perhaps that was precisely why the camel-bell ghoul had rushed after her. *** After pursuing their trail for a full day, the floating coffins beneath their feet seemed endless. The two paused to catch their breath. Their stomachs growled fiercely with hunger, but they could only bear it; the rations they carried were severely limited. Li Weiyi's gaze narrowed slightly, fixing on the crown of Gao Huan's head. "Don't move." Gao Huan tensed up, freezing in place, his voice trembling. "What's wrong?" Li Weiyi reached out and plucked a newly fallen withered leaf from Gao Huan's hair. Then, he looked up into the mist. "What's that in your hand? A leaf!" Gao Huan gasped. A sudden, piercingly cold wind blew past, setting the coffins rocking on the waves. The dark mist was swept back considerably. The two men, who had been sitting on the wood, slowly stood up. Their eyes widened as they stared ahead, their spirits instantly soaring to a peak. A towering, pitch-black mountain range emerged, stretching endlessly upward until its summit vanished into the sky. At their current position, they were standing almost at the foot of the mountain. Ancient trees resembling gnarled scholar trees grew along the nearby shoreline, their leafy boughs dense and impenetrable. Their trunks were as thick as millstones, their robust roots delving into the water, testifying to centuries of indomitable life. Massive vines as thick as thighs wound among the branches of several ancient trees, heavy with fruits the size of watermelons. Beneath the trees, along the water's edge, grew wide thickets of shrubs and cattails. *Clang! Clang!* A green-tarnished bronze bell flew out of the water behind them. In an instant, its ringing echoed with deafening force. Black nether mist surged furiously from the bell, carrying the camel, the humanoid phantom, and the ghost banner straight toward Li Weiyi. "You still dare ambush me?" Li Weiyi had remained vigilant the entire time. Almost the instant the bronze bell breached the surface, he spun around. As the hilt of his sword struck the black iron seal, two currents of qi—one freezing cold, one blistering hot—surged inside. *Rumble! Boom!* Thunder shook the bay. A brilliant arc of lightning blasted forth, striking the humanoid phantom riding the camel squarely within the black nether mist and punching a transparent hole straight through its chest. With a wretched wail, the phantom was hurled from the camel's back. Having suffered successive wounds, its combat prowess had plummeted. It had assumed Li Weiyi would lower his guard upon sighting land, creating the perfect opportunity for an ambush. How could it have anticipated that the youth seemed to have predicted its presence all along, reacting with terrifying speed? Gao Huan scrambled toward the shore, desperate not to become a burden to Li Weiyi. On the other side, Li Weiyi pressed his advantage, giving the phantom no chance to flee back into the camel bell. Three strikes later— *Crack!* The Yellow Dragon Sword snapped the flagpole of the ghost banner and sheared the humanoid phantom in two along a diagonal slash. The soul mist around the phantom dissolved rapidly, its voice filled with utter terror: "No... no...! I already returned to the You Realm... How could I die here? I won't accept this... This king will not accept this...!" Another sword strike slashed down, scattering its soul to the winds forever. Li Weiyi surveyed the surroundings cautiously. Once certain the white-boned demon was not nearby, he retrieved the camel bell that had fallen onto a floating coffin and gave it a gentle shake. Instantly, a gale raged. *Whoosh—* The three- to four-meter-tall, semi-translucent camel mount was drawn back inside the bell. "It just pulls right back in?" Li Weiyi shook it twice more. As the chime sounded, random thoughts swarmed his mind and negative emotions surged up like a tide. He stopped at once. This evil camel bell was far too sinister—an outright ominous relic. Yet it seemed capable of storing physical objects as well, which made it truly extraordinary. The severed ghost banner was a tangible item, after all. Li Weiyi tore down the ghost banner and wrapped it tightly around the evil camel bell, preventing it from ringing again. "Gao Huan... Gao Fish Soup..." He called out twice, but received no reply. Li Weiyi hurriedly went ashore, pushed through the cattails, and stepped into the gloomy woods. Before long, he spotted Gao Huan slumped limply on the ground. "What are you doing? I called you—why didn't you answer?" Li Weiyi gripped his sword hilt, approaching with caution. Gao Huan finally seemed to catch his breath, letting out a long, ragged exhale. "Fuck! Scared the hell out of me! Skeletons everywhere, and not a single one has a head." Li Weiyi walked up to him. Taking in the sight within the woods, he too felt a chill creep up his spine. The forest floor was carpeted with human bones, every last one headless. Gao Huan scrambled to his feet, forcing himself to look steady. "Why do I feel like the land is even more terrifying than the ship? Do you think we really ended up in the Netherworld? Could this whole world be filled with departed spirits like that white-boned demon and the camel-bell ghoul?" "No. Look over there." Among the sea of white bones, Li Weiyi spotted three human corpses that had died only recently. "Humans... That's great, they're human corpses..." Gao Huan had never felt so excited to see dead bodies before. Li Weiyi checked the perimeter, confirming there were no animal tracks; this did not appear to be a beast's lair. Only then did he look down at the three headless corpses. The edges of their severed necks were extremely jagged, showing no signs of being cut by a bladed weapon. He knelt down and began searching the garments of the bodies. From the chest of the first corpse, he pulled out a palm-sized gray cloth pouch. It clinked softly. When he tipped it, a handful of round, jade-like... coins spilled out. His immediate impression was that they were currency. Given the pouch and their shape, he couldn't imagine them being anything else. "Holy crap! Master Li, you sure think fast." Gao Huan hurriedly joined in searching the bodies. With money, one could travel the world; without it, they would starve even after reaching land. Moving with nimble hands, he soon emptied the clothes of the other two headless corpses and immediately moved on to the clothed skeletons nearby, all his previous fear discarded. By the time he had rummaged through a dozen skeletons and turned back, he found that Li Weiyi had actually put on the clothes of one of the headless corpses and was fastening the belt. "Master Li, what are you doing?" Gao Huan asked in astonishment. Li Weiyi said, "I plan to explore this world! We haven't run into any danger on the way here, so you can head back to the Bronze Ship first to deliver word." "Why does that look like a monk's robe to me?" Gao Huan said. Li Weiyi replied, "I thought so too! But it only resembles the Buddhist robes of our world. What proper monk carries no prayer beads and only pockets full of cash?" Gao Huan quickly pulled on a similar brown robe, figuring that if they encountered any locals, it might help them blend in. And if it really was a monk's robe? Buddhist practitioners could get by anywhere. "Something feels off to me. Why are there so many headless corpses here? Who brought them to this place? We need to leave, fast!" A sudden premonition of danger struck Li Weiyi. The foreboding grew stronger and stronger. It felt right upon them. Looking up, Li Weiyi's face drained of color. He grabbed Gao Huan, preparing to slip away on tiptoe. "What is it?" Gao Huan lowered his voice. "Quiet..." "Look out!" Li Weiyi glanced up once more, his pupils contracting sharply. He immediately hoisted Gao Huan onto his shoulder, the spring eyes in the soles of his feet erupting wildly as he unleashed his maximum speed, fleeing in blind panic. By then, Gao Huan had seen it clearly too. It was that massive, thigh-thick vine! It stretched over an immense expanse, blanketing the dense forest. What they had previously thought were watermelon-sized fruits were now opening pairs of eerie green eyes—revealing themselves to be severed human heads. Hundreds, thousands of them grew straight from the vines. Their mouths stretched wide as bowls, baring sharp, jagged teeth as they unleashed a cacophony of bizarre screeches and cackles—men and women, old and young—swarming through the branches and foliage in relentless pursuit, a spectacle of sheer, unadulterated horror.