Chapter 438 - 436: Ghost River

Qiu Rong Wanxue, of course, knew what the Key of the First Evil Tomb signified. But since time immemorial, it had appeared only a handful of times.

While Qiu Rong Wanxue was still in shock, Li Qiye gently lifted her chin, closing her slightly agape lips. He smiled and said, "Our dear Qiurong Clan Leader, don’t lose your composure like this. Your drool is about to hit the floor. I’m sure your usual ladylike demeanor is more than charming enough."

Qiu Rong Wanxue snapped out of it, her face flushing crimson. She glared at Li Qiye and said, "So the legend about the Key of the First Evil Tomb appearing at the Five Realms Gate was true."

"To be precise, the Key of the First Evil Tomb did appear here once," Li Qiye said with a smile. He then shook his head. "Unfortunately, it’s not here this time."

"It appeared here?" Qiu Rong Wanxue couldn’t help but stare at the completely empty clearing.

Li Qiye explained, "There’s no pattern to where the Key of the First Evil Tomb appears. It could show up anywhere in Fengdu City. However, obtaining it requires immense luck and Creation; it’s not something just anyone can get. That said, there are a few places in Fengdu City where it has a certain chance of appearing, though the probability is extremely low."

"How do you know which places have a chance of producing the Key of the First Evil Tomb?" Qiu Rong Wanxue had to ask. This was a monumental secret that outsiders should have no way of knowing.

Li Qiye replied, "It has to do with Fengdu City itself and its relationship with the First Evil Tomb. The two share a secret unknown to the outside world."

"How could you know such a secret?" Qiu Rong Wanxue was deeply stirred. Even a Great Teaching Territory might not be privy to such information, yet Li Qiye seemed to know it like the back of his hand.

"That’s a secret." Li Qiye looked at the elegant, mature woman before him and shook his head. "There are some things you are better off not knowing. It wouldn’t necessarily be good for you."

Hearing this, Qiu Rong Wanxue tactfully dropped the subject. She said, "The First Evil Tomb hasn’t been opened in a very long time. Moreover, legends say the chance of obtaining its key is pitifully small. Since the dawn of time, only a few people have ever managed to get it."

"Trust me," Li Qiye said leisurely. "Now that I’m here, I will definitely find the Key of the First Evil Tomb. The First Evil Tomb must be opened in this era. If it isn’t, I’ll find that key even if I have to turn Fengdu City upside down to do it."

Qiu Rong Wanxue was stunned. What domineering words! Throughout the ages, how many youths who entered Fengdu City dared to make such a bold claim? Countless visitors were unwilling to make an enemy of Fengdu City.

"Where do we go now?" Qiu Rong Wanxue asked, looking at the young man before her. "Are we going to try the other four passes?"

"The other four passes might yield treasures, but they definitely won’t have the Key of the First Evil Tomb." Li Qiye shook his head. "We’re going somewhere else. Let’s go to the Ghost River and try our luck."

"The Ghost River?" Qiu Rong Wanxue said, alarmed. "But that’s a notoriously Evil Land in Fengdu City. I hear people die there every single day."

"Don’t worry, I’ll handle everything," Li Qiye said with unshakeable confidence. "The Ghost River may be dangerous, but it’s not enough to claim me."

After a moment of thought, Qiu Rong Wanxue handed all of her Night Sun Fish to Li Qiye. "You call the shots," she said. "I believe you can bring us great Creation."

Fengdu City had many Evil Lands. A place like the Ghost River was far beyond what she could handle on her own. Thus, she simply entrusted her Night Sun Fish to Li Qiye and let him take charge.

After leaving the Five Realms Gate, the two of them immediately headed for the Ghost River.

Just as Qiu Rong Wanxue had said, the Ghost River was indeed an Evil Land. When Li Qiye and she arrived, they found far fewer people here than at the Five Realms Gate.

The Ghost River was controlled by a heritage known as the Ghost Fortune Sect. Therefore, anyone who wanted to search for treasure in the river had to pay a fee of Night Sun Fish to the sect.

The Ghost River was located underground. After passing through a cave entrance, one would find a ferry landing ahead, where a seemingly bottomless river flowed in silence.

Legend had it that anyone who died in Fengdu City—whether by accident or peacefully from old age—would have their corpse sink into the Ghost River. For this reason, many believed the river was a gathering place for Evil Spirits.

Of course, this was only a legend, and whether the corpses of all who died in Fengdu City truly sank into the Ghost River was impossible to verify.

As Qiu Rong Wanxue stood with Li Qiye at the ferry landing, a chilling draft washed over her from the silent river, giving her an eerie feeling of dense Ghost Qi.

The Ghost River was not particularly wide, but even with a Celestial Eye, one could not see how deep it was.

Looking upstream from the ferry landing, one could only see a vast, hazy expanse with no end in sight. Looking downstream, the cavern grew dark and deep, and it was impossible to tell where the river led.

Rumor had it that powerful figures had once traveled upstream, seeking the river’s source, while others had followed it downstream to see where it flowed. But whether they went upstream or down, none of them ever returned alive. This included even those from the Invincible Generation, such as Great Sages.

"Thirty Night Sun Fish per Ghost Algae Box. You do the salvaging, you bear the risks. Pay up as soon as you pull one out. No guarantees on what you’ll find," a disciple from the Ghost Fortune Sect guarding the landing announced as soon as Li Qiye and Qiu Rong Wanxue arrived.

Ghost Algae Boxes would float down from upstream, and anyone could try to retrieve one—so long as they weren’t afraid to die, and provided they had the strength.

In truth, a Ghost Algae Box wasn’t a box at all. It was a mass of plants called ghost algae, tangled into a dense ball. Each of these tangled masses contained something, but as for what that something was, it was hard to say.

A Ghost Algae Box might contain a treasure, or it could just be worthless junk. No one could say for sure where they came from. One theory was that when people died in Fengdu City and sank into the Ghost River, their belongings would drift upstream and gather in one place. There, they would become overgrown with countless ghost algae. As Time passed, these bundles would eventually break free and float downriver.

Another theory claimed the Ghost Algae Boxes came from a Treasure Basin within Fengdu City. This basin was said to have collected countless items, including legendary Divine Artifacts, ancient Immortal Stones, and even relics from the Mythical Era—as well as the worthless junk left behind by the dead.

According to this theory, the Treasure Basin was located somewhere upstream, and items from within it would occasionally wash down the Ghost River.

Regardless of the theory, no one truly knew where the so-called Ghost Algae Boxes originated.

In reality, the chances of finding treasure in a Ghost Algae Box were low. Even if one did, it was usually something ordinary. Obtaining a legendary Divine Artifact was so difficult that the odds were low enough to be considered hitting the jackpot.

The most fondly recounted tale was that of the legendary Giant Sky Immortal Emperor. As the story went, when he was young, he came to the Ghost River to try his luck and ended up obtaining a peerless treasure. It was said that because of this treasure, a common Loose Cultivator from the Ghost Race like him was able to eventually become an invincible Immortal Emperor.

It was because of the Giant Sky Immortal Emperor’s legendary luck that many powerful young Cultivators in later generations were willing to risk an adventure at the Ghost River.

Of course, a great number of young people also met a tragic end in the Ghost River each year. The perils here were far greater than at the five passes of the Five Realms Gate, which was why only a dozen or so people were present when Li Qiye and Qiu Rong Wanxue arrived at the landing, unlike the long queues at the gate.

Li Qiye and Qiu Rong Wanxue had only been at the landing for a moment when one of the dozen young Cultivators staring upstream shouted, "Another batch of Ghost Algae Boxes is floating down!"

Everyone immediately looked upstream. Sure enough, Ghost Algae Boxes were drifting down, one after another. Each was different—some large, some small, some round, some flat. The ghost algae, resembling black vines, were tangled together so densely they looked like writhing little snakes. Even more horrifying, the thin strands of algae emitted a black mist that shrouded the entire bundle.

As the Ghost Algae Boxes floated down, some tried to use their Celestial Eyes to peer inside. However, it was difficult to penetrate the black mist emitted by the algae, making it nearly impossible to see what was within.

As the Ghost Algae Boxes drifted closer, Li Qiye stared intently at them, carefully examining each one to see if any were worth making a move for.

When the boxes drifted near the landing, someone finally made a move. Six young Cultivators shot forward in an instant, reaching out to snatch the Ghost Algae Boxes.

These six young Cultivators were all powerful experts from the younger generation of the Ghost Race, and their Dao Practice was remarkable. They moved like lightning, each selecting their desired Ghost Algae Box in a flash.

SPLASH—! The moment the Ghost Algae Boxes left the water, the river below erupted.

With the sound of splashing water, vicious creatures shot out from the depths. A Giant Snake formed from ghostly mist erupted from the river, its jaws snapping wide. A tongue-like appendage whipped out from the water, lashing toward a young Cultivator. A hand of white bone reached out from the river, grabbing viciously...

In the Ghost River, taking a Ghost Algae Box would always provoke an attack from some vicious creature at the bottom. Some said these were the corpses that had sunk into the river, which regarded the items within as their own property. The moment a box was taken, they would strike.