Chapter 108: In a Faction, Everyone Shines

Old Liu fought with his life on the line, luring the ghost from the Court Faction’s area to attempt crossing the blue flames, drifting slowly from above.

It seemed terrified of the eerie blue fire burning in the chasm, yet at the same time, it was drawn to the vitality radiating from Old Liu.

The ghost was moving sluggishly but had already floated to a high enough position, inching its way across.

“Just a little more… just a little more…!”

Li Yan was so tense that his heart felt like it could stop at any moment. He clenched his fists, staring unblinkingly at Old Liu.

Then, the ghost suddenly picked up speed in midair.

Boom!

Out of nowhere, a surge of blue fire erupted from the chasm, rising nearly three meters high—just two meters shy of reaching the ceiling.

“Aaaahh!!”

A sharp, wailing screech echoed through the room as the vengeful ghost fled in terror, darting back to the Court Faction’s side in the blink of an eye.

For a brief moment, silence filled the room, heavy and absolute.

Then—

“Hahahaha!”

The Scholar suddenly burst into laughter, the tension and despair that had been suffocating him vanishing in an instant.

On the Prince Huai Faction’s side, even Li Yan, who was usually cold-hearted and pragmatic, reacted instinctively. Ignoring his own safety, he lunged forward and grabbed Old Liu, who was teetering at the chasm’s edge.

With all his strength, he pulled, and the two of them tumbled backward, hitting the ground hard.

“Ghosts from different areas… they can’t cross the blue fire.” Old Liu’s face was pale, his lips turning purple as if he had been thrown into an ice cellar. His whole body trembled. “We can’t steal them.”

“Yeah… Are you okay?” Li Yan asked, his voice laced with concern.

“…I’m… I’m fine. Just being away from that place… I feel a lot better.” Old Liu shook his head weakly.

“Let’s get out of here first. We still have ghosts on our side.” Li Yan paid no attention to the two ghosts pressing against his back, focusing only on supporting Old Liu as they left.

…

Roughly five minutes later.

The soul chamber had been cleared. The two factions now stood on opposite sides of the blue fire, locked in a silent standoff.

Tang Feng and the Scholar had each captured 107 ghosts. They were both just one away from the final goal.

“Why… is there one missing?”

The Horsekeeper stood on the other side, his face filled with confusion.

Near the doorway, Guo Cai’er’s expression was tense, her eyes wary as she watched the Horsekeeper and the Scholar, her heart pounding.

The Scholar glanced around, then whispered to the Horsekeeper, “Both of us are missing one ghost… Do you think this trial also involves sacrifice?”

The Horsekeeper hesitated, instinctively glancing at Guo Cai’er out of the corner of his eye. “The Star Gate wouldn’t use the same mechanic in two consecutive trials… would they?”

“Then why are we one ghost short?” the Scholar countered.

The Horsekeeper was left speechless.

At the doorway, Guo Cai’er took two slow steps backward.

Whoosh!

At that moment, Tang Feng, who had been scanning the surroundings, suddenly noticed a small head bobbing in the center of the ceiling.

Startled, he focused his gaze and discovered that inside the large, extinguished lantern hanging from the ceiling, a child sat quietly. The boy wore a red bellyband, his tiny head poking out as he peered down.

It was the same ghost that had been riding on Old Liu’s shoulders earlier—it had been hiding inside the lantern this entire time, unnoticed by everyone.

Since the ghost had now revealed itself, the three people on the opposing side also took notice.

The soul chamber was devoid of any other furnishings apart from the extinguished lantern. No matter the angle, it was clear there was no other ghost remaining.

In other words—

The last ghost was that child. Whoever captured it first would clear the trial.

This was the first thought that ran through the minds of all six people present.

Thud! Thud!

The Scholar and the Horsekeeper reacted instantly. Making deliberate noise, they rushed toward the central chasm.

As expected, the little ghost hesitated for a moment upon seeing them approach but slowly shifted toward their side. However, it didn’t jump down.

It seemed to possess some level of awareness—its gaze was fixed on the Scholar’s Soul-Binding Rope, occasionally glancing at the injured Old Liu. But the blue fire aura surrounding him made it fearful.

“Come on, come on…!” The Horsekeeper craned his neck, waving his hand urgently, sweat pouring down his forehead.

On the Prince Huai Faction’s side, Li Yan suddenly turned to Tang Feng and said, “…The closer someone is to death, the more likely they are to attract spirits. Hand your Soul-Binding Rope to Old Liu and come here. Choke me.”

Tang Feng hesitated, his eyes filled with doubt.

“Trust me—hurry!” Li Yan hissed in a low voice.

At that moment, no one noticed that Guo Cai’er, who had been standing at the doorway, had vanished.

Slap!

Tang Feng didn’t understand the intricacies of the supernatural, but he followed Li Yan’s instructions anyway. He threw aside the Soul-Binding Rope, extended his hands, and wrapped them around Li Yan’s neck.

Imperial Inspector Liu lay on the ground, enduring the searing pain coursing through his body as he pressed down on the Soul-Binding Rope. “T-This… will this work?”

“Put your back into it!”

Li Yan’s eyes bulged as he shouted at Tang Feng, who was right in front of him.

At this critical moment, Tang Feng didn’t hold back. Using every ounce of his strength, he clenched Li Yan’s throat tightly, even pressing down on his Adam’s apple with his thumb.

A suffocating sensation overwhelmed Li Yan. His face turned a deep purple-red, his eyes rolled back, and his body instinctively tried to collapse backward.

Thud!

With a muffled sound, Li Yan fell to the ground. His body was already reacting physiologically—limp all over, his legs unable to muster any strength.

Now that he was on the ground, it was even easier for Tang Feng to exert force… In no time, Li Yan’s eyes had completely rolled back, his body convulsing, foam spilling from his mouth.

With his breathing forcibly cut off, he rapidly entered a near-death state.

Whoosh…!

At that moment, the little ghost in the lamp basin darted around in agitation, staring fixedly at Li Yan with eager eyes. However, it seemed repelled by the aura emanating from Tang Feng and hesitated to move forward.

Ghosts are drawn to yin energy, and the closer one is to death, the weaker their yang energy and the stronger their yin energy.

That’s why many dying people often mutter the names of the deceased before their passing…

On the ground, the weak Old Liu continued pressing down on the Soul-Binding Rope, ready at any moment to bind the ghost.

Across from him, the Horsekeeper was pacing anxiously, cursing, “Fuck, think of something! That little ghost is about to jump over…!”

Whoosh—!

Just as the little ghost was about to leap toward Li Yan, it suddenly turned around and looked toward the Court Faction’s area, its gaze vacant.

A staggering female figure appeared at the entrance. Her right arm was covered in festering sores, her pupils dilated, and her disheveled hair made her look even more ghostly than an actual ghost.

It was none other than Guo Cai’er, tormented beyond recognition by the Princess’ Tomb.

Swish!

The little ghost atop the lamp basin didn’t hesitate for even a second—it lunged down in a frenzy.

A sudden turn of events!

Seeing this, the Horsekeeper shouted excitedly, “It… it jumped down!”

The Scholar, tense all over, did not act rashly. He simply watched as the ghost shot across the central chasm and sped toward Guo Cai’er, who had collapsed at the entrance.

On the other side, Tang Feng and Old Liu’s faces filled with despair as they witnessed the scene.

Swish!

Rattle!

Just as the ghost pounced on Guo Cai’er, the Scholar swung the Soul-Binding Rope with practiced precision and successfully bound it.

“Holy shit, we won!” the Horsekeeper pumped his fist in triumph.

The hardships they had endured, the life-or-death struggles, the emotional rollercoaster—all of it vanished in an instant. Nothing was more exhilarating than an unexpected victory.

“Save her!”

The Scholar, after issuing the command, immediately dragged the captured ghost toward the Soul Chamber’s exit.

Once Horsekeeper snapped out of his daze, he rushed to Guo Cai’er’s side. “How the fuck did you pull that off? That was a huge play!”

As he spoke, he glanced down and saw that Guo Cai’er was holding a suona in her left hand. However, on her right arm, a three-inch-long snake clung tightly, its fangs sunk into her flesh, hungrily sucking her blood while emitting an eerie chill.

A woman is of yin energy, and a snake is of yin energy—the combination, along with her poisoned and near-death state, made her an irresistible lure for the ghost.

“That’s fucking brilliant!”

With just one glance, the Horsekeeper understood—Guo Cai’er must have returned to the Poison Chamber, used the suona to lure out a yin-aligned snake, and deliberately injured herself to bait the ghost.

Smack!

Without hesitation, the Horsekeeper grabbed the venomous snake from Guo Cai’er’s arm and flung it into the blue fire pit at the center of the Soul Chamber.

Boom!

A burst of blue flames erupted, and the airborne snake was instantly reduced to ashes.

Supporting Guo Cai’er, the Horsekeeper turned toward the Prince Huai Faction and sneered, “One less soul for you. Haha, enjoy waiting for your deaths! And that Imperial Inspector Liu… I must say, I admire your choice.”

With that, he carried the poisoned Guo Cai’er out of the Soul Chamber, praising her with genuine admiration, “You’re absolutely insane… but damn, you’re incredible.”

With her head hanging and hair covering her face, Guo Cai’er slowly turned her gaze toward the Horsekeeper. Her mocking eyes seemed to say:

“One less soul? Even if I didn’t risk my life, I’d still be dead anyway.”

The Horsekeeper froze. He understood that gaze. A flicker of guilt flashed in his eyes before vanishing.

Inside the Soul Chamber, in the Prince Huai Faction’s area.

Tang Feng and Imperial Inspector Liu were utterly spent, both physically and mentally. They lay collapsed on the ground, their eyes filled with despair.

Beside them, a recovering Li Yan sat in a daze, lost in thought.

Inside the mirror space.

Ren Ye plopped down on the floor. “It’s over… we didn’t get it.”

…

Near the Court Faction’s Path to Reincarnation, the Scholar threw the final soul into the drop-off point.

[Congratulations to the three Grave Keepers of the Court Faction. You have successfully cleared this stage. To commend your courage in facing ghosts and poison without fear, the Star Gate has decided… to resurrect your fallen teammate.]

As the announcement from the Star Gate rang in their ears, the three of them were collectively stunned.

Even the poisoned Guo Cai’er and the intelligent Scholar were left in a daze.

They had neither Mr. He’s letter nor the ability to deduce the meaning of “rebirth through death” in the previous stage.

Boom!

A flash of white light erupted, and a figure appeared in the seventh level of the tomb chamber.

The severely weakened Guo Cai’er raised her head and saw a familiar silhouette.

Yes, that figure was none other than Xing Tao, who had been dead for an entire stage.

He stood before the three of them, coldly scanning the Scholar and Horsekeeper before his gaze landed on the tortured and barely recognizable Guo Cai’er.

“I ought to thank you all… for allowing me to gain some fortuitous encounters,” Xing Tao said grimly. He had no time to explain further and simply instructed the Scholar and Horsekeeper, “Take care of her. If the Mute Woman dies… I won’t pass this stage, and we’ll all perish together.”

With that, Xing Tao strode toward the peddler’s cart, grabbed the fourth wooden plaque, and hung it at his waist.

Once everything was in place, he immediately sprinted toward the Path of Rebirth.

3!

2!

1!

Just as Xing Tao reached the entrance of the Path of Rebirth, the iron gate unexpectedly swung open on its own. Staring at the densely packed ghosts and venomous creatures within the tomb passage, he gritted his teeth and roared, “Cai’er, hold on! I will reach the end as fast as I can and clear this stage!”

At that moment, the Scholar finally understood—the Path of Rebirth they had arranged was actually prepared for the sacrificed teammate from the previous scene.

Moreover, the Star Gate’s rules had explicitly stated: The faction that first completes capturing ghosts and venomous creatures will gain the decisive advantage in securing victory.

What did that mean?

Now, it was crystal clear…

Since the Scholar had cast the final ghost first, Xing Tao was revived first, and the Path of Rebirth opened for him first.

This meant that even if the Prince Huai Faction somehow conjured another ghost out of thin air… they were already significantly behind.

Between seeing the Prince Huai Faction fail and seeing Xing Tao resurrected, the Scholar much preferred the former.

…

Inside the tomb chamber.

Imperial Inspector Liu lay on the ground, sighing in frustration for the first time. “Damn it… so this is fate, huh? Fate has finally caught up with me.”

“No, something’s been bugging me. Why are there four wooden plaques on the peddler’s cart when there are only three of us?” Li Yan suddenly shook his head, his expression dazed as he murmured, “The Star Gate said this stage requires the courage to face overwhelming odds alone—’Though thousands stand against me, I shall press forward.’ But… who are the ‘thousand’? And who is the ‘I’?”

As he finished speaking, he instinctively looked outside the Soul Chamber, recalling the scene within the Path of Rebirth.

Countless ghosts and malevolent spirits…

“Right, four plaques! We’re definitely missing one person. But who could it be?”

Li Yan suddenly snapped his head up toward the ceiling. “Could it be… that ‘I’?”

“What do you mean?” Imperial Inspector Liu, still reeling from his words, slowly regained his senses.

“If we’re doomed anyway, we might as well take a gamble. Go all in,” Li Yan abruptly stood up. “Follow me, quickly!”

Seeing his solemn expression, the other two scrambled to their feet and followed him out of the Soul Chamber.

About ten seconds later, Li Yan squatted beside the Path of Rebirth. He pulled out the reed and mouthpiece from a suona and planted the bell end firmly on the ground, tilting the sharp, conical tube upward.

Imperial Inspector Liu and Tang Feng were both stunned.

“What are you doing?” Imperial Inspector Liu asked.

“This Star Gate mechanism is incredibly intricate and detailed,” Li Yan said calmly, looking up at the two. “Each faction needs to capture 108 souls, meaning there should be 216 souls in total.”

“Yeah! But we searched everywhere—there were only 215 souls in the Soul Chamber!” Tang Feng replied excitedly.

“No, there’s still one more.” Li Yan shook his head.

“Where?!”

“It’s me.” Li Yan pointed to his own cheek. “I’m the final soul! Because my body was lost, I’m essentially just a spirit now. Besides… I originally came here with that group of tomb robbers.”

Tang Feng and Imperial Inspector Liu were momentarily dumbfounded.

“There’s no time left. I don’t know if I’m right, but like Old Liu said… we should fight to the very end,” Li Yan rasped. “Tang Feng, when I die, you extract my soul. Let’s hope… that wooden plaque can be turned over.”

“You…!”

Imperial Inspector Liu instinctively reached out to stop him. “Don’t be reckless!”

Swish!

Li Yan gripped the suona’s conical tube tightly with both hands, lowered his head abruptly, and thrust his neck against the sharp edge.

“Squelch!”

His throat struck the instrument’s bell, sliding downward along the brass until it came to a slow stop near the base.

Kneeling on the ground, Li Yan’s neck bled profusely. His body convulsed twice before he stopped moving entirely.

Blood gushed forth, staining the golden brass of the suona… and dyeing his still-warm hands red.