Chapter 748: Deep Meaning

The Ghost Art Fifth Layer was exceedingly rare in the modern world.

The Eighteen Yin Apertures were like the stars of the profound heavens. All the malevolent yin energy, ordinary yin energy, and every kind of negative emotion were sealed within them, becoming a power that belonged exclusively to me.

I opened my hand. Across my palm, a dark line cut straight through my life, wisdom, and fate lines. This extra crease was a Nether Rune, which only grew on those who had pierced the veil of the Underworld and stepped into the nether realm.

'All things share a common root. Just as tree rings reveal a tree's growth, palm lines naturally reveal a person's lifeblood.' Although the palm was small, it contained the Tai Chi, the Eight Trigrams, and the Nine Palaces. Palm lines were predestined from birth; barring a massive upheaval, they would absolutely never change. Yet after my ghost art broke through to the fifth layer, a Nether Rune surfaced in my palm, throwing my lines into chaos. This meant my fate was quietly shifting.

'My predestined fate is beginning to change. At the Ghost Art Fifth Layer, I finally possess a measure of real power.' I lowered my hand. The black threads in my eyes had long since vanished. My pupils were deep and gleaming with a dark light, still harboring a faint trace of killing intent.

'It's not enough. The only reason I could resist the Five Great Upper Sects last time was because I relied on the Sect-Protecting Grand Formation the Three Yin Sect had spent over a century preparing. If I marched up to their doors alone, those sect cultivators would definitely scheme to capture me.'

The sky over Jiangcheng had already changed. The city had turned into a massive vortex, and neither the Five Great Upper Sects nor the Two-Faced Buddha, represented by Elder Chen, could escape it.

'Now is not the time to go back.' When Lu Xing was trying to open the Heavenly Gate, I had seen a masked figure suppressed beneath Jiangcheng. He was wrapped in chains, looking like a sinner condemned by the Heavenly Dao. The Five Great Upper Sects had used Jiangcheng's feng shui layout to set up their feng shui grand formation, drawing out the blood-stained Yang Qi from beneath the city. That had caused problems for Jiangcheng's feng shui layout.

The problem hadn't exposed itself yet, but the people of the Five Great Upper Sects would soon realize what an incredibly foolish thing they had done.

With the breakthrough in my ghost art, my mind was as clear as a mirror and my thoughts flowed freely. Many questions that had troubled me for a long time were slowly making sense.

'The person suppressed beneath Jiangcheng wears the same Paper Doll Mask as the Live Show Examiner. He is highly likely the one manipulating everything from behind the scenes of the Live Show. I became a live show streamer and turned into a pawn in their hands. All the live broadcast tasks were arranged by them. The various scenarios I encountered seemed dangerous, yet I could always find a way to survive desperate situations, as if it had all been planned in advance. This couldn't entirely be the Live Show's arrangement, but their layout is definitely woven into it.'

I still remembered that when the Five Great Upper Sects were tapping into Jiangcheng's feng shui layout, the Will of Heaven—which had constantly targeted me—surprisingly didn't make things difficult for me. Instead, it continuously warned the people of the Five Great Upper Sects, as if what they were doing harmed the harmony of heaven.

'The Two-Faced Buddha's schemes are vast. He sent Chen Jiuge to study in the sect and simultaneously made him a live show streamer. The Live Show seized upon this, deliberately allowing Chen Jiuge to broadcast so they could keep him firmly in their grasp, thereby monitoring the Two-Faced Buddha's every move. Jianghu Cancer Research Hospital involved the Two-Faced Buddha's physical body in this life—an Uncorrupted Bone. Yet something so important to the Buddha was destroyed with the flip of a hand under the Live Show's manipulation.'

'Ring interlocked with ring. If that were all, it would merely be astonishing. But the Live Show's scheme didn't end there. Chen Jiuge's death was just foreshadowing. I'm afraid even the Will of Heaven didn't realize this—the Live Show's true target is Heaven itself!'

'The Five Great Upper Sects follow the Heavenly Dao; they are the most loyal supporters of the Will of Heaven. When Chen Jiuge died unexpectedly, the Five Great Upper Sects—sharing the same breath and branches—absolutely wouldn't stay out of it. When they came to Jianghu Cancer Research Hospital to investigate, the Live Show borrowed a knife to kill, first forcing a collision with the Two-Faced Buddha, and then inviting them into an urn to weave an even larger trap.'

'The Underworld Live Show's scheme is truly too massive. Xu Yan, Lu Jingxiu, and a few second-generation disciples couldn't possibly satisfy their appetite. It's quite likely they are the ones fueling the flames from the shadows, blowing this entire incident completely out of proportion.'

'As expected, the Five Great Upper Sects dispatched their peak forces. Six Celestial Masters arrived at once. Time was tight, and there was only one path laid out before me at the time: go to the Three Yin Sect and rely on their Sect-Protecting Grand Formation to buy myself time.'

'The Underworld Live Show understands me too well. It seems to grasp every thought at the bottom of my heart, peering right into my soul. They knew exactly what I would do.'

'Thinking back on it now, the Underworld Live Show was guiding all of this from the very beginning.'

'This scheme began as early as the Death Train Live Broadcast. I proceeded with the broadcast according to the Live Show Mission, and on the train, I "coincidentally" saw that I would die the next day. Forced into a corner, I had no choice but to start usurping fate, becoming an enemy of the Will of Heaven with no possibility of turning back.'

'There's also the most critical point. After I used the Yellow Springs Token to defeat Lord Snake and arrived at No-Lights Road, the Live Show issued me a very bizarre mission! They told me to slaughter every last member of the Three Yin Sect. Perhaps worried that I would be too soft-hearted, they unprecedentedly paid me an item in advance—the Good and Evil Asura Mask!'

'Facts proved that it was later, under the influence of the Good and Evil Asura Mask, that I committed that monstrous bloodbath in the Three Yin Sect. And it was only then that I learned of the existence of the Three Yin Sect's Sect-Protecting Grand Formation!'

'That's right, the Underworld Live Show was silently guiding all of this.'

'The Three Yin Sect's Previous Generation Meng Po was captured by the Live Show years ago, becoming a madwoman on No-Lights Road. The Live Show definitely knows the layout inside the Three Yin Sect even better than I do. The Ten Directions Ghost Refining Grand Formation was prepared for me from the very start. Everything was just paving the way for their final plan.'

'I fortified myself using the Three Yin Sect's Sect-Protecting Grand Formation, and in order to break the stalemate, the several Celestial Masters naturally wanted to borrow Jiangcheng's feng shui layout.'

'They aren't from Jiangcheng. They had no idea what that feng shui layout represented, nor had they ever heard the legend that Jiangcheng is actually a massive grave!'

'This resulted in them—the loyal supporters of the Will of Heaven—doing the very thing Heaven least wanted to see. The perfectly running Jiangcheng feng shui grand formation developed flaws because the Five Great Upper Sects and Elder Chen selfishly diverted its power. At that moment, everyone clearly saw the sky over Jiangcheng change color!'

'Deceiving the heavens to cross the sea—nobody guessed that destroying the Two-Faced Buddha's physical body and killing the upper sect's disciples were just done in passing. The Live Show's true plan was to use Heaven's supporters to break the rules of heaven and earth, ultimately achieving their own goal. It seems they are preparing to free the person trapped in that massive grave!'

The entire scheme was laid out on a massive scale. I was in the middle of it, and it was only now—after my ghost art broke through to the fifth layer, my thoughts cleared, and a Nether Rune appeared on my hand—that I finally realized it in hindsight.

'Even Heaven itself was schemed against. Can I really defeat an enemy like that?'

Every one of the Live Show's tasks held deep meaning. My current realm was still far too lacking; I could only see the surface, while the Live Show saw the future.

'This live broadcast brought me to the Pig Cage Apartments. The Live Show Mission here is identical to the address I heard from that other streamer over the phone. What exactly are they scheming? Could this broadcast be another one of their traps?'

Retracting my thoughts, I gently patted the Fate Ghost's shoulder. The Nether Rune faintly flashed. In my hand, his ethereal body felt as solid as a physical entity.

The Fate Ghost didn't seem to understand what I meant. Merely seeing that I was feeling much better, he gathered his black hair and silently retreated into the shadow behind me.

He couldn't smile, he couldn't cry, and he couldn't speak, yet I could still feel his heart.

"The ghost art is mysterious and profound. One day, I'll allow you to truly complete your rebirth."

These words weren't just idle talk. After my ghost art broke through to the fifth layer, I had gained a much deeper understanding of ghosts, reincarnation, and life.

Many subtle changes had also occurred within my own body, and what caught my attention the most was the Spleen Aperture among my five internal organs!

The spleen was the ultimate yin among yin. In the Five Elements, it belonged to earth. It was the root of the Post-Heaven Stage, governing transformation and generating qi and blood.

In traditional Chinese medicine, the spleen encompassed the stomach and intestines, playing a role in digestion and consumption.

Inside the Longchang Old Site, I had devoured nearly a hundred obsessions in a row. Having endured the trials of negative emotions and all sorts of evil thoughts, the Spleen Aperture had inadvertently loosened.

'With the Nine Locks Binding the Body, my fate has begun to change following the appearance of the Nether Rune. The Dao Lock has loosened. It's difficult at first but easier later on. I'm afraid it won't be long before I can break another lock!'

Feeling the heavy, earthy power within the Spleen Aperture, my gaze grew resolute. "Whether it's Heaven or the Live Show, stop dreaming about controlling my future!"

Even though my ghost art had broken through, the Spleen Aperture hadn't opened at the same time. I pondered the reason for this.

Among the five organs, the spleen and stomach were classified as the ultimate yin within yin. I had swallowed nearly a hundred obsessions in a row, which should have satisfied this requirement long ago. The fact that it hadn't opened yet meant I likely still needed a bit of external help.

This aperture belonged to earth in the Five Elements. To open it, the best method would be to pack it with some Yin Soil.

Yin Soil would be hard to find anywhere else, but in the Longchang Old Site, I had a very high chance of finding that kind of ultimate yin earth. After all, a gap in reincarnation was hidden here; this was a place where two 'worlds' intersected.

'Every time I open an aperture, the boost in power is secondary. The key is the memories hidden within the Dao Lock! Those things are far too important for me to uncover the truth.'

Having made my decision, I no longer feared exposing my location. I lightly touched the Nether Rune on my palm. The Eighteen Yin Apertures churned like a vortex in a sea of qi, drawing in the surrounding yin energy. "Yin-Yang Has an Order!"

"By decree, the Green Plague Ghost of the East, essence of rotting wood! The Red Plague Ghost of the South, essence of blazing fire! The Blood Plague Ghost of the West, essence of vile metal! The Black Plague Ghost of the North, essence of murky pools! The Yellow Plague Ghost of the Center, essence of imperial earth!"

Words spoken and law follows. As soon as I chanted the decree, the world seemed to grow instantly quieter. Slowly, an endless tide of malevolent yin energy surged out from this vast complex of ancient buildings, and five massive ghost figures, each several meters tall, materialized out of thin air.

After the ghost art reached the fifth layer, controlling the Five Plague Ghosts was no longer a burden to me in the slightest. Not only that, but the Five Directions Plague Ghosts also seemed to have undergone certain changes. They were no longer blurry; their bodies were clear, and even their beards and hair were distinct.

I strolled forward with the Five Plague Ghosts following closely behind me. There was no need for much communication between us. With a wave of my hand, I sent them off to search the surroundings.

Wherever the plague ghosts passed, yin energy howled. Before long, there were results.

"There isn't a single living person inside the building, but there seems to be a hidden mystery on the top floor."

Making our way all the way up, the highest point of the Apartment Building was already dilapidated beyond belief. Many of the stone bricks on the roof had been sheared away by the wind and rain, leaving craters everywhere.