Chapter 302: Chapter 266: Yao Zhen’s Little Classroom

To allow the group of refugees to keep up, the carriage moved slowly. In the afternoon, dense dark clouds suddenly gathered over the distant mountains, suggesting a change in weather rather than impending rain.

Moreover, it was limited to the southwestern direction, leaving people with an ominous feeling.

Yao Zhen jumped onto the roof of the carriage and gazed into the distance for a while, “It looks like it’s a Ghost Realm of a powerful ghost.”

Coming down from the roof, Yao Zhen sat cross-legged. Sang Que wasn’t particularly talkative; throughout the journey, it was mostly Yao Zhen speaking. Yao Zhen had a knack for questioning, wanting to learn more about Sang Que, but Sang Que simply wouldn’t engage, often throwing questions back to her.

“Hopefully, there’s no village over there. I hope the ghost is merely passing by. Otherwise, a prolonged stay of a Ghost Realm in one place would turn it into a Death Domain.”

Sang Que was still exploring Ghost Realms, and listening to Yao Zhen, she turned her head slightly.

Yao Zhen noticed Sang Que’s interest and continued, “A Ghost Realm is one level higher than Evil Mist. Evil Mist can only temporarily isolate an area without affecting anything within. If you see decay or environmental changes in Evil Mist, it’s usually an illusion designed to create a terrifying atmosphere.”

“A Ghost Realm is different. Once it appears, if not actively retracted by the ghost or interfered with externally, it can exist for a period and impact everything within that area. Simply put, a Ghost Realm is alive, actively absorbing all vitality around it, turning the surroundings into a wasteland, somewhat like the Hidden Realm. Do you know the Hidden Realm?”

“I know a bit,”

Sang Que replied softly, recalling the Ink-Wash Ghost Realm in Wangshan City, constantly altering the environment, slowly transforming people into ink in a painting and then smearing them into evil spirits.

Initially, she thought all this was manipulated by the Zhuangyuan Ghost. Now it seems to be the Ghost Realm’s spontaneous actions.

Thinking closely, in her Ghost Realm, the red threads were also similar, ready to prey on the living within the Ghost Realm without her command.

“After a Ghost Realm turns an area into a Death Domain, even if the ghost that created the Ghost Realm isn’t there, the Death Domain will still exist. Those who enter the Death Domain will be slowly eroded by the ghost’s power, and rules with ghostly characteristics might appear within some Death Domains. Violating those rules within the Death Domain would lead to death,”

Sang Que suddenly asked, “Then if I want to artificially create a Death Domain with rules and have it exist long-term, how should I do it?”

A Death Domain sounds terrifying, but if used well, it can also serve as defense. For instance, setting up a Death Domain at the gorge entrance of Jinfeng Mountain could prevent outsiders from invading, which is much better than simply building a checkpoint.

Yao Zhen laughed, “The ability of a Ghost Realm is rare. You’ve utilized your Ghost Realm well; it’s indeed a lethal weapon. I once heard from my master that if a Ghost Realm exists in one place for more than seven days, it’ll turn that place into a Death Domain. If supplemented with a Feng Shui Formation to gather yin energy, the Death Domain can even gradually strengthen, which is great for nurturing ghosts and zombies.”

“However, the rules formed within a Death Domain are uncontrollable, depending on the characteristics of the ghost that released the Ghost Realm. To break a Death Domain isn’t difficult, just time-consuming. You need Feng Shui Formation, change the surrounding terrain and slowly drain the massive yin energy from the Death Domain, and the Death Domain will gradually disappear.”

Yao Zhen continued to talk, while Sang Que listened quietly.

Just like when they first met, on their way to Bailong County. At that time, Sang Que was driving a donkey cart, listening to Yao Zhen share various knowledge, and she learned a lot.

Yao Zhen seemed to be in her early twenties, not looking much older than He Buning, yet more knowledgeable than He Buning. Sang Que thought Yao Zhen’s master must be a learned female Taoist.

Perhaps, she could have Yao Zhen bring her master too.

The horses and carts moved slowly, and the crowd behind grew larger and larger. Some joined halfway, seeing so many people walking in one direction, they also silently followed.

Humans are social animals; it’s always safer to huddle together for warmth.

Yao Zhen spoke continuously from Death Domain to the rules of devouring among evil spirits and ghosts, filling the gaps in Sang Que’s knowledge.

Previously, she had a vague understanding that there were two types of devouring among evil spirits and ghosts. One was the simple devouring she did when hunting evil spirits, where nothing was left behind.

In this regard, Yao Zhen seriously reminded Sang Que to manage the Yin Child well and never let the Yin Child casually devour other Ghost Levels.

According to Yao Zhen’s explanation, Sang Que suppresses the Yin Child with the Heart Lamp, whose strength fluctuates with people’s beliefs and is unstable.

If the Yin Child suddenly devoured a ghost, its power would increase dramatically and if Sang Que’s Heart Lamp couldn’t suppress it, the Yin Child might take the opportunity to counterattack her.

Little did Yao Zhen know that when Sang Que used the Yin Child to devour other evil spirits and ghosts, 90% of the power would be absorbed by the Yansheng coin to complete the trigram, only passing to the Yin Child when Yansheng coin couldn’t absorb anymore.

Besides the Heart Lamp, the Mountain Ghost Seal from the Yansheng coin also suppressed the Yin Child.

Only with the Heart Lamp, the Yin Child couldn’t harm her but could resist orders passively, requiring negotiations to act. When the Heart Lamp was unstable, it could immediately counterattack.

The Mountain Ghost Seal from the Yansheng coin suppresses them by binding her fate with the Yin Child, forbidding it from harming her and requiring obedience to her commands without negotiations.

Under this double suppression, the little one could only work diligently.

Strictly speaking, she no longer relies on the Heart Lamp to command the Yin Child, but its presence is still necessary to balance her level within the Nine Netherworld. Future advancements also require the Heart Lamp’s power.

Otherwise, even if the Yin Child didn’t kill her, she would lose her reason and become a madwoman.

The second type of devouring among evil spirits and ghosts is selective devouring, which can enhance one’s abilities or add new ones.

Those evil spirits and ghosts not under control will naturally follow this devouring rule when not subjected to a fatal attack, refraining from randomly devouring others; only when fatally attacked will they counter-devour the one who attacked them.

Through the vision of the female Zombie, Sang Que once saw the Gambling Ghost attack the Zhuangyuan Ghost, who then counter-devoured the Gambling Ghost, possibly for this reason. Otherwise, there’s hardly a connection between a gambler and a Zhuangyuan, so it’s unlikely for the Zhuangyuan Ghost to actively devour the Gambling Ghost.

Afterwards, the Zhuangyuan Ghost depleted most of its power, releasing many evil spirits, yet it didn’t actively devour one to replenish its strength, likely for this reason.

The Yin Child previously devoured the village resentment, completing the Yin Child’s heart, and devouring the Ming Family’s ghost looking for his child, granting the Yin Child’s Evil Mist teleportation and illusion-creation abilities.

The Yin Child originally planned to devour the Golden Child. If successful, Sang Que’s current Ghost Realm would become the Yin Child’s ability.

Acquiring new abilities through devouring requires the Yin Child’s own choice; only the Yin Child knows what it needs.

The last time with the Fog Ghost, Sang Que thought it could enhance the Yin Child’s power, as the Fog Ghost’s ability to create illusions with Evil Mist was quite similar to the Yin Child’s.

In the end, the Yin Child didn’t see merit in the Fog Ghost; after devouring it, it converted it to pure energy, turning it all over to the Yansheng coin without retaining the one-tenth that should have been left for the Yin Child, showing some favor to Sang Que.

Sang Que knew what the Yin Child wanted most now was that tongue in Jinzhou. Neither Xiao Liu nor anyone else knew its exact location, so Sang Que had to slowly investigate.

“… I have another question,” Sang Que stopped the carriage at a crossroads, “They say Yin Walkers don’t live long, but I find that Yin Walkers of the fourth layer usually exist in a half-human, half-ghost state. What determines my lifespan now?”

Yao Zhen raised an eyebrow, “Good question!”

“So?”

“I don’t know,”

Sang Que’s face fell.

Yao Zhen quickly explained, “I truly don’t know. Only the Yin Walker knows the answer. There aren’t many Yin Walkers above the fourth layer in this world. No one has lived until natural expiration; all died halfway.”

“Among the Yin Walking Generals at the Evil Suppression Bureau who became Yin Walking Generals, the one who has lived the longest survived for over twenty years, now about fifty years old. Jin Dynasty civilians reaching sixty are considered old. Maybe try hard and live to a hundred, to see if you’ll die?”

Sang Que sighed, “Forget it, let’s not talk about this; we’ve arrived.”

“Huh?” Yao Zhen turned around and saw a rugged path going up the mountain beside the rocky slope, obscured by two large mountains ahead, preventing sight of what’s beyond.

“Where is this?”

“Jinfeng Mountain,”

Hiss~

“Sounds a bit like Wild Chicken Mountain. Why not change the name, haha, it’s so tacky, hahaha.”

Sang Que: ……

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