Chapter 944 - 668: Gathering Ghost Soldiers

Moonlight Pool.

Chen Sheng sat cross-legged in the center of the pool.

The pool water was as dark as a mirror, reflecting his upright figure, his clothing hanging lightly and motionless.

The moonlight entwined around him like a veil covering his body, silver threads falling like a myriad, enveloping him in a cold halo of light.

He slowly closed his eyes, his long lashes gently drooping, and his heart spirit delved deep, completely immersed into the Qi Sea within his Dantian.

In the past, his Qi Sea within his Dantian was a realm of chaos and void.

But at this moment, the moonlight poured in through his meridians, like a tide filling the Qi Sea, thoroughly illuminating the void.

Within the Qi Sea, mist billowed endlessly, with faint glimmers moving in its depths.

A cluster of the coolest light hovered in the center of the Qi Sea, its brilliance restrained, yet sufficient to illuminate every inch of the void.

Beside the light cluster, a vast Yin Qi churned wildly, shadows drifting faintly, as if countless blurred figures were surfacing and wandering within the mist, like a ghostly procession.

...

Outside, beneath the dome of the Grotto Heaven, mystical phenomena abruptly arose.

The ground around the Moonlight Pool silently cracked with fine lines.

Clusters of crystalline and transparent lunar laurels sprouted out at a pace visible to the naked eye.

The branches spread, with leaves glowing with a gentle lunar light, their veins clearly visible, as if sculpted by moonlight.

In a moment, they covered every inch of land around the pool, their fragrance crisp and mingled with a cold Yin chill, pervading in all directions.

Atop the lunar laurel branches, clusters of Nether Frost Mushrooms leisurely bloomed.

Their caps were as black as ink, from which strands of chill emanated, stirring the Yin spirit of the world, which cascaded down, silently dissipating.

In the void.

Yin Qi and moonlight intertwined and wrapped around, forming a thin mist, shrouding the sky above the Moonlight Pool like a veil.

Deep within the mist, a blurred shadow of a crossing slowly floated, as if drifting from the end of Yin and Yang, stirring solemness in the depths of one’s heart.

Red Wood sighed softly:

"What profound atmospheric phenomena!"

His gaze shifted slightly, as he pondered over the profundity of this Dao Foundation, thoughts swiftly flowing in his mind:

"[Ethereal Crossing] is the Dao Foundation formed by the fourth-tier True Qi, incomparable to ordinary Taiyin Dao Foundation..."

"It is rumored that the most astonishing mystery of this Dao Foundation is its ability to connect to the Netherworld and gather Ghost Soldiers..."

"Considering this, the shadowy Yin spirit forms in the mist of the Qi Sea may be the initial manifestation of this mystery."

In the moment his thoughts turned,

above the heavens, the moonlight surged unexpectedly, with the cold brilliance pouring down like a celestial river.

The vast fog enveloping the sky above the pool suddenly condensed, no longer drifting chaotically.

An ancient, desolate, and entirely black crossing slowly took form from the void, becoming increasingly clear.

A plank bridge rose across the sky, one end connecting deep within the mist, the other suspended in the void, leading to the unknown beyond of Yin and Yang.

Beneath the crossing, jagged rocks stood abruptly, their surface patterns winding like dry bones, transcending life and death!!

Countless semi-transparent phantom swallows spiraled out from the depths of the mist, flying towards the other side, crossing Yin and Yang, ferrying life and death.

Witnessing this scene, Red Wood froze abruptly in place.

He stared intently at the black crossing truly manifested in the Grotto Heaven, his pupils suddenly contracted.

Having lived nearly a century, practicing cultivation since youth, understanding the profundities of the Dao Foundation, and having witnessed the Foundation Establishment of several fellow practitioners, he was more than familiar with the phenomena of each stage of the Dao Foundation.

The Tao Foundation cultivators are divided into four stages: Early-stage, Mid-stage, Late-stage, and Perfection.

The differences in phenomena at each stage are extremely apparent, distinguishable at a glance.

In the Dao Foundation Early-stage, manifestations are mostly spirit light, with illusory and fleeting phenomena.

Like his own Dao Foundation [Incorruptible Gold], during the time he established his Foundation, it merely shone with boundless light, with a phantom golden mountain floating in the spirit light.

By the Mid-stage of the Dao Foundation, the phantoms gradually solidify.

And at this moment.

The ancient black crossing in the sky is neither an ephemeral phantom nor momentary spirit light.

It is a tangible, reachable entity, formed by the fusion of Dao Rhyme, Yin Qi, and moonlight.

This is clearly... a phenomenon only present in the Mid-stage of the Dao Foundation!

Red Wood’s heart spirit quaked violently, as countless thoughts exploded in his mind:

"One Foundation Establishment... is already at the Dao Foundation Mid-stage?!"

"Crossing the Early-stage in one step, directly ascending to the Mid-stage, how is this possible?!"

"Is this the terrifying foundation of a Purple Mansion True Master’s reincarnation transforming for cultivation?!"

...

No one knows how long it has passed.

The waning moon in the sky gradually withdrew its light, and all the celestial phenomena faded away.

Only the glistening osmanthus on the ground and the blooming Netherworld cold orchid on the branches remained quietly.

Red Wood suddenly came to his senses, hurriedly stepped forward, walked not far from the edge of the pond, and bowed deeply:

"Congratulations, Father, for stepping up and reaching Dao Foundation mid-stage, with astonishing depth, shaking the heavens!"

Chen Sheng simply raised his eyes indifferently, his gaze calm without a trace of joy:

"No need for formalities. I need to straighten out the Dao Foundation and stabilize my breath. You can step back now."

His voice was flat, without fluctuation, devoid of any emotion.

Red Wood hesitated, his body pausing slightly, with a faint sense of doubt in his heart.

Such a great joyous event of rapid ascension, any cultivator would be ecstatic, yet Father was so calm, even revealing... a hint of indifference?

Was it his illusion?

Red Wood dared not ask more, nor linger, quickly bowing again respectfully and replied, "Yes, Child retreats."

...

Beside the Moon Shadow Pond, only Chen Sheng remained.

He slowly raised his hand, his fingertips lightly brushing the residual moonlight around him, sighing quietly.

It’s not that he isn’t happy.

It’s disappointment.

Others at Mid-stage Qi Refining, can gather sixty percent Dao Rhyme.

With his Dao enhancement, he can gather a full hundred percent Dao Rhyme to impact the Dao Foundation.

He thought that the Dao Foundation he gathered would be different from others.

But in the end, it was still "Netherworld Crossing."

Chen Sheng gently shook his head, speaking internally with a hint of helplessness:

"A big apple is still an apple."

"No matter how big it gets or how sweet it tastes, it cannot turn into a watermelon, let alone transform into the heavens."

"True Qi is determined, the path is defined, indeed these words are not without reason."

"As for my Dao Foundation..."

His heart moved, his Heart Spirit once again immersed within the body, urging the Dao Foundation to operate.

The myriad mysteries of the Dao Foundation suddenly clearly surfaced in his mind, like observing lines on the palm.

Using "Netherworld Crossing" as a lead, one can tear through the barriers of Yin and Yang, temporarily communicating with the Netherworld, summoning Yin spirits to obey commands, for personal use.

Also, it can gather roaming souls and ghosts of the world, refining them into exclusive Ghost Soldiers, forming a Netherworld battle array, sweeping all directions.

"Bringing in the Netherworld, gathering Ghost Soldiers... it’s not entirely useless."

Chen Sheng casually gestured.

Immediately, a mist around him slightly moved, a piece of pitch-black mist rose from the edge of the pond, within which, hundreds of blurry Ghost Soldiers’ figures slowly appeared.

These Ghost Soldiers’ forms were illusory, their breaths weak, mostly at Mid-stage Qi Refining or Late-stage levels.

The one Ghost Soldier leading was several times larger than the others, Cyan Faced with tusks, eyes crimson red, faintly having Early-stage Dao Foundation fluctuations.

"Barely stepped into the Dao Foundation level, can be counted as a Ghost General."

Chen Sheng glanced at the Ghost General indifferently:

"At Dao Foundation mid-stage, being able to summon a Ghost General to serve me, such might is then still decent."

His thoughts shifted, suddenly recalling something, a hint of curiosity flashed in his eyes:

"By the way, I wonder, how much this Ghost General understands about the Netherworld."

In this realm, there is talk of reincarnation, discussion of the Netherworld, he’s always been curious, wondering what exactly the Netherworld looks like, and how reincarnation operates.

His mind moved, the Dao Foundation subtly operated, an invisible force shrouded the Ghost General, following the connection between Yin spirits, attempting to invade the Ghost General’s memory, seeking more information about the Netherland, about the Netherworld.

But the next moment.

The curiosity slowly faded from Chen Sheng’s face, he gently shook his head, disappointment resurfacing in his tone.

"Speaking of communicating with the Netherworld, in fact, it’s just the shallowest layer of the Netherland, hardly the true Netherworld."

"As for these Ghost Soldiers, they’re merely roaming souls and wild ghosts, hard to be deemed useful."

"This Ghost General’s memory only has scattered fragments of the Netherworld’s outskirts, disorganized, still far from the core of the Netherworld..."

He shook his head helplessly, withdrew the power, then those hundred Ghost Soldiers and the Ghost General turned into mist, re-merging into the world, disappearing without a trace.