: Escape from the Ghost Gate

Ning Zhuo’s interest was immediately piqued.

Sun Lingtong had previously taken out the Netherworld Ghost God Seal and the Soul-Shattering Rattle Drum without showing such excitement.

Could it be that the treasure hidden in Qi Bai’s essence sea was even more valuable than those two artifacts?

Under Ning Zhuo’s watchful gaze, Sun Lingtong retracted his mist, pulling out a spirit plant.

It was a small clump of grass.

The plant stood about three feet tall, with thick roots covered in bark-like textures. The tips of the roots were white, gradually darkening as they extended toward the leaves, eventually turning pitch black.

The leaves could be divided into two parts.

The lower leaves were dry and curled, resembling ancient scrolls weathered by time. The upper leaves, however, were vibrant and full of life, with clear veins and faint fluorescence along the edges, like a glimmer of hope in the darkness.

Before Sun Lingtong could speak, Ning Zhuo exclaimed in recognition, "Escape from the Ghost Gate Grass?"

This world was divided into two realms: the mortal realm and the netherworld.

The mortal realm was where Ning Zhuo resided, a place of sunrise and moonfall, teeming with life.

The netherworld, on the other hand, was filled with wandering spirits, perpetually gloomy and shrouded in deathly energy.

The passage between the mortal realm and the netherworld was called the Ghost Gate.

Ghost Gates were one-way passages.

One could only enter the netherworld from the mortal realm or vice versa.

Escape from the Ghost Gate Grass could only grow near a Ghost Gate leading from the netherworld to the mortal realm.

The roots of this grass burrowed deep into the soil of the netherworld, absorbing deathly energy, while its leaves stretched into the mortal realm, brimming with vitality.

Born from death, it possessed an incredibly potent restorative ability.

Even a mortal on the brink of death could recover rapidly just by inhaling its fragrance.

Ning Zhuo now recalled the earlier battle.

Qi Bai had recovered swiftly from near-fatal injuries, likely by using this very spirit plant!

Sun Lingtong sighed in admiration, "Every stalk of Escape from the Ghost Gate Grass is a treasure at the Nascent Soul level. Qi Bai was quite fortunate to obtain such an opportunity."

"His cultivation aligns with Yin-attributed energy, making this grass especially suitable for him!"

Ning Zhuo counted the leaves and found seven stalks in the clump.

"We've struck it rich!" he remarked succinctly.

The market value of a single leaf surpassed the total cost of the mechanical constructs he had expended in the battle. Moreover, these leaves were priceless and rarely available.

The disparity between cultivators was vast, growing even wider at higher levels. The same applied to spirit plants.

The mechanical constructs Ning Zhuo had lost in the battle were, at best, infused with some Foundation Building-level materials. But Escape from the Ghost Gate Grass was a Nascent Soul-level treasure, and its life-saving, healing properties further inflated its market value.

"This is perfect, Boss Sun. You won’t have to worry about your physical injuries anymore," Ning Zhuo said with a smile.

Sun Lingtong nodded slightly. "It’s a pity my energy isn’t Yin-attributed. To make the best use of it, I’ll need to set up a formation."

Different cultivation resources required varied methods and yielded different results depending on the cultivator.

After carefully storing the Escape from the Ghost Gate Grass, Sun Lingtong continued his search for treasures.

Soon, he retrieved a miniature garment from Qi Bai’s energy sea.

The garment was only the size of an adult’s palm, woven from golden threads. The exquisite craftsmanship indicated it was the work of a master tailor.

It was this Golden Thread Garment that had created the protective golden light, rendering Ning Zhuo’s Hanging Whip ineffective.

Now, the Golden Thread Garment was badly damaged and unusable. Repairing it would be troublesome, requiring advanced tailoring skills.

After finding no further treasures with his mist, Sun Lingtong extracted a large portion of Qi Bai’s essence blood and infused it into his own Blood Gourd.

As a result, Qi Bai’s essence, energy, and spirit were severely depleted, drastically reducing his threat level.

The Netherworld Ghost God Seal, the Soul-Shattering Rattle Drum, the Escape from the Ghost Gate Grass, and the Golden Thread Garment were Qi Bai’s most valuable possessions.

Three of them were artifact-level treasures, while the grass was a Nascent Soul-level spirit plant.

Only artifact-level treasures were worthy of being nurtured within a cultivator’s three energy seas.

Just like the Heart Demon Seal of Buddha in Ning Zhuo’s divine sea.

Qi Bai truly lived up to his reputation as a true disciple of a major demonic sect. With three artifacts and a Nascent Soul-level spirit plant, his wealth was considerable.

After all, most Golden Core cultivators used magical instruments at best, and even if they possessed an artifact, it was usually just one.

As the "Blind Judge," Qi Bai was no ordinary Golden Core cultivator. He owned three artifacts. The Nascent Soul-level spirit plant was invaluable, something even Nascent Soul cultivators coveted.

"If not for the Fire Persimmon Immortal City, Meng Kui’s bystander ability, and your monkey constructs, defeating Qi Bai would have been nearly impossible!" Sun Lingtong exclaimed.

The battle against Qi Bai had been extremely difficult and risky, but the rewards were equally great.

The three artifacts and the spirit plant were the main prizes, but Qi Bai’s clothing and accessories included many magical instruments, such as storage belts and bracelets.

Ning Zhuo had already taken those earlier.

As for the treasures hidden in the three energy seas, Ning Zhuo lacked the ability to extract them.

The contents of the storage belt and other items were something both of them looked forward to discovering.

With the treasures from the three energy seas removed, Sun Lingtong had successfully disarmed Qi Bai.

Sun Lingtong’s energy was severely depleted. His previously rosy complexion turned pale again, and his temporarily boosted vitality plummeted to its lowest point.

"Qi Bai must die."

"If he lives, he’ll seek revenge."

"But it’s best if we don’t kill him ourselves. As a true disciple and future high-ranking member of the Soul Devourer Sect, killing him would leave a soul mark, branding us for the sect’s retaliation."

"Our strength is no match for the Soul Devourer Sect’s vengeance."

Sun Lingtong sighed, furrowing his brow as he pondered how to deal with Qi Bai.

Ning Zhuo, however, said, "I might have a solution."

"Oh? What is it?"

"Let the Molten Immortal Palace kill Qi Bai!"

Sun Lingtong was curious. "What’s your plan?"

Ning Zhuo wasn’t in a hurry to reveal it. "I’m not sure if it’ll work. I need to test it first."

"Boss, my apologies."

"Huh?" Sun Lingtong was baffled, unsure what Ning Zhuo meant.

Meanwhile, the Fire Persimmon Immortal City was under strict lockdown.

Chi Dun walked out of the city lord’s mansion in disappointment.

He had just reviewed the array records with Fei Si but found nothing useful.

Fei Si explained, "The array in that battlefield was first tampered with by Sun Lingtong using the Empty Gate technique."

"After that, Qi Bai erased the array patterns completely. It’s no surprise there’s no detailed record of the battle."

Chi Dun nodded.

Although the two disliked each other, they cooperated closely under the city lord’s orders.

The two Soul Devourer Sect Foundation Building demonic cultivators—the one with the hooked nose and the one with narrow eyes—had been arrested by the city lord’s forces.

Sun Lingtong, Han Ming, and the Hanging Guest were now wanted, with a high-priority manhunt underway.

Sun Lingtong’s black market operation was finished, and Han Ming’s whereabouts were unknown.

"Sun Lingtong…" Fei Si sighed inwardly, feeling a sense of regret.

Over the past few years, Sun Lingtong had secretly provided him with many benefits.

Fei Si had grown fond of Sun Lingtong, not just for the bribes but also because he had brought order to the black market, saving Fei Si a lot of trouble.

Chi Dun said, "Earlier, Han Ming disappeared, likely hiding in some underground base."

"After witnessing today’s battle, I realized how many gaps there are in our city’s grand array!"

Fei Si pondered, "A city-wide search is pointless. I suspect there are many such underground bases."

"Perhaps we should report to the city lord and request a reconstruction of the immortal city’s grand array, minimizing the gaps as much as possible."

Chi Dun thought for a moment and agreed.

The two went to the mountaintop to seek an audience with the city lord.

The city lord was discussing the city’s grand array with Zhu Xuanji.

Zhu Xuanji said, "When the royal family initially built the city’s grand array, we left ample space to avoid interfering with the Molten Immortal Palace."

Meng Kui replied, "Now that the Molten Immortal Palace has emerged, if the royal family intends to rebuild the city’s array…"

Zhu Xuanji shook his head. "I’m not here to discuss that."

"City Lord Meng Kui, feel free to submit your opinions."

"My main purpose is to inform you that I will be entering the immortal palace soon. I expect your full cooperation."

(End of )