C1889 It Felt Familiar
The Wraithlands, a mysterious region within the Starry Sky Forbidden Zone, remained perpetually sealed off. Few were even aware of its existence, let alone brave enough to explore its depths. This enigmatic domain was a forbidden territory for most beings but a sacred destination for ghosts and spirits.
Yu Yuan, with the Dragon Slaying Stage in hand and guided by the Starpierced, set foot into the Wraithlands on a mote of void dust. Instantly, he felt as though he was ensnared by an immense net. His physical body and the Dragon Slaying Stage in his grasp seemed to endure the scrutiny and chastisement of the Wraithlands' rules upon contact with the net.
This colossal net appeared to be sizing him up, determining whether he was worthy of entry. However, the constraints were fleeting. As a wave of relief washed over him, Yu Yuan crossed the threshold of the net, entering the Wraithlands as if granted absolution.
He didn't divert his gaze but instead turned to study the region he had just traversed. Behind him stretched a vast net, woven from countless strands of refined shadow energy, sprawling across the void. Its magnitude was such that it could ensnare tiny stars, capture cosmic giant beasts that dared to intrude, and even confine the mightiest of the Otherkin, like Brie and Rebecca, within its grasp.
Upon closer inspection, the gray shadow energy resembled tributaries of the Lunar Meridian, akin to the River Styx beneath the Land of Terror, which beckoned the Ghost King. Narrowing his eyes, Yu Yuan discerned the tiny, star-like glimmers of Shadow Moon Essence scattered throughout the immense lattice.
Upon his entry into the Wraithlands, Yu Yuan's connection to the Solar Spirit was severed, leaving him unable to sense its presence any longer.
Suddenly, the spirits of extraterrestrial beings pierced through the giant net and into the Wraithlands. These spirits, some fragmented and brimming with the despair and fear of their final moments, others laden with animosity towards the living, flickered with disjointed memories. Most had long lost their spiritual wisdom and, now in pieces, they drifted without purpose, unaware of their fate.
Ghosts devoid of spiritual wisdom and without a home, entangled with a myriad of negative emotions and thoughts.
To Yu Yuan, such ghosts held no value. The energy required to cleanse and refine them exceeded the Soul Power they possessed.
Yet...
Yu Yuan soon noticed that the ghosts ensnared by the vast net were drawn to a singular entity, as if compelled by an unseen force.
A river of blood!
The Levi River!
Upon their entry into the blood-yellow waters of the Levi River, the fragmented and incomplete souls appeared to undergo an immediate purification. The Soul Power within them swiftly assimilated into the Levi River.
Their insignificant residual memories, along with a spectrum of emotions, seemed to dissolve into the Levi River.
The Levi River stretched on, parallel streams converging as if drawn to the river's source.
Even among these souls, some retained a murky and chaotic spiritual wisdom, emitting low moans and wails, as though lamenting the injustices of their fate and seeking acknowledgment from some higher being.
They yearned for recognition from a formidable presence, one that might extricate them from the Levi River and spare them from the cycle of rebirth.
In the Wraithlands, there was no earth, no stars, no sun, nor moon. The Levi River meandered through the void.
Surrounding the blood-yellow rivers were Shadow Mountains of varying sizes, undulating in an endless chain.
These Shadow Mountains, reminiscent of the Land of Terror, were saturated with dense shadow energy, seemingly capable of actively accumulating it within their mass.
Unlike the terrestrial mountains, the Shadow Mountains of the Wraithlands floated freely, unanchored, just like the Levi River.
Some were colossal, rivaling the stars of other realms, and more expansive than continents such as Zekrica and Ionodios.
In stark contrast to the barren Shadow Mountains of the Land of Terror, the Wraithlands' massive Shadow Mountains were home to a variety of twisted and terrifying flora.
Most of these plants and flowers exuded an eerie sense to Yu Yuan, as if they were imbued with a life force and souls.
Upon closer inspection, he observed that souls which had not yet reached the Levi River, when too close to the Shadow Mountains, were consumed by the malevolent vegetation.
They feasted on the psychic force and the tangled thoughts within the residual souls.
"It seems there's more than one entrance to the Wraithlands. The Starpierced likely knows of a passage accessible to living creatures."
Yu Yuan mused, gazing at the immense net behind him that appeared capable of ensnaring stars, and the residual souls that emerged intermittently. He surmised there must be alternative routes for the influx of souls.
Yet, while there may be numerous entrances, it seems they are all filtered by that peculiar, vast net.
Regardless of the entrance used to step into the Wraithlands, be it an Otherkin like himself or the souls of beings from extraterrestrial realms, they all emerge from that same colossal net.
The mysterious net doesn't concern itself with the regular influx of souls, nor does it scrutinize them.
Only those like him, who delve into the Wraithlands in their flesh and blood, receive extra scrutiny and care.
He inhaled deeply.
The air, or rather the chill breath, clearly nourished his soul.
Whether it's the dominant soul, Lunar Spirit, or a devil soul akin to a Sky Fiend, any spirited body seems to draw sustenance from the shadow energy within the Wraithlands.
However, there's an absence of cosmic energy, spiritual energy, or vital energy.
This means that as long as he roams the Wraithlands in his real body, the innate power he possesses can only diminish, with no chance of replenishment from the Wraithlands—except for the soul.
Gradually, his body felt an increasing heaviness, sinking ever downward.
He had an epiphany—if his soul could separate from his physical form and traverse the Wraithlands as a spirited body, he would instantly feel light and agile, capable of soaring freely.
In essence, the Wraithlands were designed to cater to souls and ghosts, imposing numerous limitations on the corporeal body.
This principle aligns perfectly with the Land of Terror.
After some experimentation, Yu Yuan, conserving his energy, set down the Dragon Slaying Stage he held.
He positioned his increasingly burdensome body atop the Dragon Slaying Stage, using it for support as he continued to survey his surroundings.
Nearby, several Shadow Mountains bore the scars of brutal conflict, with some areas fractured and torn.
The Shadow Mountains were actively amassing shadow energy, channeling it to mend the fissures that had formed.
This indicated that a fierce battle had recently occurred in the Wraithlands.
Could it have involved Han Qi and Kaiya, or perhaps Han Miaoyuan and Youyu?
Yu Yuan pondered this and suddenly realized that entities like Youyu, Han Qi, and Kaiya thrived in the Wraithlands, much like fish in water.
Youyu and Han Qi were revered as Gods of Ghosts, while Kaiya was the exalted primordial spirit, well-versed in numerous mystiques related to the Root of the Lunar Meridian.
Whoosh!
Atop a distant, towering Shadow Mountain, a formidable figure materialized out of thin air.
Shadow energy swirled around him like gathering clouds, obediently clustering beside his imposing figure. This mighty being, peering through the succession of Shadow Mountains and over the flowing Levi River below, curiously observed Yu Yuan and remarked, "Here's another who has braved the Wraithlands in his corporeal body."
"Sigh, it's quite the eventful time."
He was a formidable Silverscale Tribe warrior who, in death, had honed his soul into a Spectre within the Wraithlands. His murmured soliloquy was in the Silverscale tongue.
Yu Yuan understood him.
Before his Solar Spirit had transformed, while using the Altar of Rebirth to assimilate the lifeblood of Otherkin, Yu Yuan had naturally become fluent in the languages of various extraterrestrial races, including that of the Silverscale Tribe.
Upon entering the Wraithlands, Yu Yuan, who had yet to encounter any beings with spiritual wisdom, was instantly invigorated by the sight and words of the Spectre.
Beneath him, the Dragon Slaying Stage made a beeline for the Spectre who had ascended from the souls of fallen Silverscale Tribe warriors.
The area was peculiar; the Dragon Slaying Stage was unable to teleport and could only draw closer to the Shadow Mountain using its inherent power.
Moreover, the energy expended by the Dragon Slaying Stage for movement was significantly greater than in the outside world.
"Divine Artifact!"
The Silverscale Tribe's Spectre's demeanor shifted as he reached down to the Shadow Mountain and donned a piece of battered armor, his entire being exuding tension.
As a Spectre in the Wraithlands, especially within this unique region, he was well aware that any corporeal being who could locate the Wraithlands' portals and dared to venture in was no ordinary individual.
Moreover, he was already well aware of the recent tumultuous events.
The intrusion of some outsiders had thrown the Wraithlands into utter disarray, sparking conflicts among the God of Ghosts and disrupting the realm's order, leaving everyone feeling vulnerable.
Surprisingly, yet another outsider had arrived!
What on earth was happening in the starry expanse beyond?
The Wraithlands, long ignored and shrouded in secrecy, had somehow garnered the interest of the formidable entities from the outside world.
...
