Chapter 1068: Unbroken Past Thirty-seven

However, at this moment, the ghost god did not immediately pursue the escapee. The changes on the distant bank of the Yellow Springs River were far more astonishing, and if left unchecked, they could cause even greater problems. Through their Golden Body Dharma Eye, they saw red and black flames continuously rising from the distant mist, drowning out the screams of ghosts and underworld officials.

"How astonishing, what terrifying karma!"

The ghost god pressed their palms together, silently recited a spell, and then spread their hands apart again. An invisible, powerful magic, accompanied by a rich incense aura, transformed into a boundless net that extended towards the distance. Its purpose was not to extinguish the flames directly, but to first contain the continuously spreading mist.

However, out of the corner of the ghost god's eye, they still caught sight of another faint light escaping. With a slight squint, they understood that it must be the one who had previously fought against the sword-wielding demon.

"Hmph, they're probably no good either!"

However, at this moment, the abnormalities in the underworld were not limited to this area alone. The surging Yellow Springs River, boiling like a cauldron, had already triggered a chain reaction. The ghost god's dharma image grew larger and more distinct. Infinite magical power spread out, enveloping the initial area in a dazzling light. Above the dharma image, yin and yang intertwined and constellations appeared, clearly indicating that its cultivation had surpassed the limitations of ordinary ghost gods, making it a truly formidable being of the underworld.

"Take this!"

*Rumble—*

Above the Yellow Springs, it was as if rivers and seas were being overturned. The infinite Yellow Springs water was churned, forming towering waves that enveloped the strange flames.

The commotion there was simply too great. Even Hu Yun and Mi Huang, who had already fled, looked back into the distance while escaping. The boundless Yellow Springs water, dousing the red and black flames, finally showed a slight trend of suppression.

Mi Huang's clone narrowed his eyes and muttered in a deep voice.

"As expected of an expert from the Netherworld, who devised the most suitable countermeasure in mere moments. I wonder if it's a Yama King or one of the Underworld Marshals?"

But before Hu Yun and Mi Huang could think further, a majestic voice filled with anger echoed from the Netherworld along the Yellow Springs River basin, resounding throughout the underworld.

The voice was like thunder, an avalanche, and a tsunami. For a fleeting moment, it seemed to shake the entire underworld, and all these sounds converged into a single message.

Every ghost god and even some ghost cultivators in the underworld understood its meaning. It was roughly that evil beings were causing chaos in the Netherworld, leading to a great disaster in the underworld. Underworld deities, underworld officials, and orthodox ghost cultivators were to apprehend them, regardless of life or death.

Although Hu Yun and Mi Huang were not practitioners of the underworld's divine path or ghost path, understanding this message was not difficult for them. Knowing that the peace of the underworld had been shattered, Hu Yun secretly reminded himself to seize the moment, while Mi Huang, who would stop at nothing, merely sneered.

For Sun Yiqiu and She Ji, their situation was naturally even more dangerous. However, their true danger at this moment did not come from the underworld's ghost gods, but from the things behind them.

As She Ji fled with Sun Yiqiu, several gloomy and strange ghost creatures soon followed behind them. These creatures had escaped from the bottom of the Yellow Springs River, and it was unknown what they had become after death; in any case, they had completely lost their human form.

They were even in a state of semi-decomposition, as if being dissolved by the Yellow Springs water.

At this moment, these ghost creatures, appearing deranged, relentlessly pursued Sun Yiqiu and She Ji. Although they seemed to lack any reason, they actually possessed an extremely keen instinctive sense of smell.

"Stay here, stay here..."

The hoarse and frantic voices of the ghost creatures occasionally rang out. Every time Sun Yiqiu looked back, his soul would be greatly startled. Even though he was already dead, he felt so cold he shivered.

"Don't look at them. These things are no longer ghosts; they are defiled soul monsters. It's unknown how many vengeful spirits and monstrous decaying bodies have converged to form them. Looking at them too much will capture your mind and spirit!"

She Ji spoke with a slight gasp. She wasn't flying with Sun Yiqiu at the moment, but was fleeing close to the ground, much like a martial artist's light-body technique. Often, they had to climb over obstacles. Although it wasn't as convenient as flying, their speed was not slow, and it had the advantage of conserving energy and offering greater concealment.

However, even so, She Ji felt her physical strength severely depleted. It was even less possible for her to stop and deal with the ghost creatures behind them first. In fact, at this moment, she didn't even have the confidence to get rid of all those monsters.

Sun Yiqiu was afraid and dared not make any unnecessary movements. He looked at the woman beside him, and even though he didn't understand much, he knew that she seemed to be in poor condition.

The nearby scenery rapidly receded as if by lightning. As a recently deceased ghost, Sun Yiqiu still retained many habits of the living. In such tense moments, he couldn't help but tense his body and hold his breath. Fortunately, he no longer needed to breathe, so he could hold his breath indefinitely without worrying about suffocating.

Besides paying attention to Sun Yiqiu's condition and the ghost creatures behind them, She Ji also strained to observe everything ahead. Finally, after entering a large underworld mountain and traversing through its shadowy trees, they had a chance to shake off the ghost creatures behind them.

A short while after entering the mountain, She Ji, who had been constantly moving through the forest with Sun Yiqiu, suddenly grabbed a millstone-sized black stone from the ground. She then forcefully threw it towards the valley ahead. Holding onto Sun Yiqiu, she swayed and slipped into a large tree hollow of a huge shadowy tree nearby.

"Agh... stay here, stay here..."

The howling sounds of the ghost creatures grew closer. Sun Yiqiu and She Ji hid in the tree hollow, concealing all their presence, until the sounds they heard became fainter and more distant.

After a long while, both She Ji and Sun Yiqiu let out a slight sigh of relief.

"These evil ghost creatures must be somewhat muddled in their minds. They should keep chasing in this direction. We can rest here for a while. Young Master Sun, are you alright?"

She Ji looked at Sun Yiqiu, observing him carefully. Sun Yiqiu also calmed his emotions, looked himself over, and shook his head, still feeling lingering fear.

"I'm fine, thank you for saving me... Miss, is it really you?"

"Yes."

Sun Yiqiu stared at She Ji. Her beautiful hair, her eyes, her lips, her clothes—everything was as familiar as in his dreams, yet clearer than in any dream. Recalling their last dream together, Sun Yiqiu muttered blankly.

"Miss, last time in our dream..."

Just now, in her haste, she hadn't given it much thought. But upon hearing this, She Ji instantly understood what Sun Yiqiu was referring to. She recalled how they had intertwined in that dream, and now, they were truly sitting opposite each other...

She Ji felt her face burning. She lowered her head and let out a mosquito-like "mm," her neck faintly reddening. Even she, who had no prior similar experiences, had been incredibly uninhibited in that dream of farewell, using every imaginative way to ensure the other person wouldn't forget her. Now, truly facing the person she admired, she even knew that he must be thinking of every detail and every sigh from that time. A surge of shame overwhelmed her instantly.

"This isn't a dream, is it?"

Sun Yiqiu looked at She Ji's blushing, emotional expression, asked blankly, and then murmured, "If it's a dream, I don't know whether to call it a nightmare or a beautiful dream..."

"This isn't a dream..."

She Ji looked up at Sun Yiqiu.

"Young Master Sun, haven't you always wanted to know my name? My name is She Ji. It can be said that your current predicament is largely due to me. I'm sorry..."

Although Sun Yiqiu seemingly died a natural sudden death, She Ji instinctively knew it must be related to her. The feeling of having caused the death of her beloved was one of extreme guilt. She then briefly explained to Sun Yiqiu, at least what she believed to be the source of the disaster.

Sun Yiqiu's emotions were very complex; he didn't know what to say. To speak of resentment, he simply couldn't bring himself to say it to She Ji. Furthermore, such an extraordinary woman, who he believed had feelings for him—even if she was a demon, she was as passionate and tender as female demons like Lady White from legends. Men in the world dreamt of such encounters, but like Lord Ye who claimed to love dragons, they might admire such tales in books but overlook the inherent dangers and sorrow in the background of those winding stories. Only when it happened to them did they realize the bitterness and fear.

After a long while, Sun Yiqiu finally sighed, and at the same time, still held a sliver of hope for his own situation.

"Miss, did you specially come to save me? Is there still a chance for me to return?"

She Ji nodded and then shook her head.

"When I returned to Ning'an County, I learned of your passing and knew you might be in danger, so I specifically came here to save you. As for whether you can return to the living world, I don't know. It depends on whether Immortal Hu has a way. To be honest, merely escaping with you now is already a great struggle for me. Even if I could take you back to the living world, I wouldn't have the power to make you human again."

"Rest assured, Young Master Sun, Immortal Hu must have already entered the underworld by now. She will find us."

"Is that so? Then Immortal Hu is..."

Before he finished speaking, a loud boom suddenly came from the distance. Moreover, bright flashes of light, accompanied by the roars of ghost creatures, lit up.

"An underworld ghost god has made a move; we must leave quickly."

"Ghost gods? Shouldn't we ask them for help?"

Sun Yiqiu asked foolishly, and She Ji explained with a wry smile and a shake of her head.

"The aura of the Yellow Springs on us is too strong; we are essentially no different from those escaping ghost creatures. Moreover, we have likely caused an enormous disaster. If we reveal ourselves now, we will only be sliced into a thousand pieces!"

They had to avoid ghost creatures, and they also had to avoid ghost gods. There was also a demon of unknown power looking for them. Coupled with the extremely long period they spent beneath the Yellow Springs, Sun Yiqiu felt somewhat numb.

With a quick glance from the corner of his eye, Sun Yiqiu finally, belatedly, noticed She Ji's condition. Her breathing was slightly hurried, her complexion was poor, and her eyes, when they looked at him, carried guilt and a hint of panic. When she looked outside, she was extremely tense, as if he could feel her self-reproach, her fear of being disliked, and at the same time, her heightened vigilance against everything.

This She Ji, so different yet so unified with the uninhibited and mischievous woman in his dream, made Sun Yiqiu feel a pang of sympathy. So he tried his best to force a smile, wryly poking fun at himself.

"The male protagonists who enjoy such romantic fortunes in supernatural tales are indeed not for everyone. Thinking about it this way, I, Sun Yiqiu, am probably no longer an ordinary person, am I? Uh, I'm already a ghost..."

She Ji turned her head to look at Sun Yiqiu. With both happiness and emotion, and to ease Sun Yiqiu's tension, she revealed her first smile in a long time.

"I will definitely protect you!"