C1892 Waiting for the Appearance of the God of Ghosts

"I'm here to see your leader, Wagner," Yu Yuan declared with a grin. He didn't wait for the Ghost Kings aboard the Ghost Ship to respond before leaping up and landing firmly on the deck.

"Lead the way."

Boom!

The somewhat cramped Ghost Ship shuddered violently from Yu Yuan's sudden descent, sinking slightly from the impact.

His weight alone seemed to be several times that of all the ghosts on board combined!

The ghosts, having reached the levels of Ghost King and Spectre, glared at him with fury, poised to act. But before they could, Yu Yiyi arrived.

Led by Yu Yiyi, the Frost Queen, Chebus, and Shadowfox at the forefront, the most formidable Banes let out a sinister chuckle and encircled the Ghost Ship.

The presence of the nine mightiest Banes, along with the enigmatic Yu Yiyi, swiftly brought the ghosts on the Ghost Ship to a subdued state.

"Behave yourselves, or I'll pull you into the crucible and transform you all into Banes," Yu Yiyi warned as she descended. The Crucible of Evil morphed into a beautifully patterned armor she wore. She cast a mocking look at the Ghost Kings loyal to the God of Ghosts and scoffed, "Quite the sorry sight."

In total, there were five Ghost Kings; three had advanced from Shura souls, while the other two had risen from the souls of the Shadowkin and Darkkin.

These five Ghost Kings were clad in patched-up battle robes and armor riddled with holes, looking almost pitiful in their attire.

Was the Wraithlands this destitute?

Despite being Ghost Kings, Razses, Luo Yue, Taruer, and their ilk from the Land of Terror not only had corporeal forms but also wielded rare treasures.

Yet these five Ghost Kings before her paled in comparison to even her own strongest Banes.

The Wraithlands, it seemed, was not the treasure trove she had imagined.

They might be impoverished, but the spirited bodies of these Ghost Kings and the aura they radiated were far more powerful than those of Ghost Kings like Razses and Luo Yue.

With a bit of refinement, these Ghost Kings had the potential to become the strongest Banes, a prospect that thrilled Yu Yiyi.

"I—" the Shura King began, intending to issue a threat, but upon witnessing the formidable Banes encircling the Ghost Ship and sensing their terrifying aura, he faltered.

"Yu Yuan, someone wishes to meet with you first."

A Ghost King, evolved from a departed Shadowkin soul, presented herself in a female spirited form. Enshrouded in a sheet of white paper, her pale, expressionless face betrayed no emotion. She introduced herself with poise, "My name is Branka."

She cast a glance at the Shura King and frowned, "Shall I take over the negotiations with them?"

The Shura King grunted but remained silent.

"Caren, is it? You come down too."

Branka looked up, fixing her gaze on Caren, who was attempting to shrink back into Shadow Mountain.

"What's it got to do with me?" Caren was nearly in tears.

"Just come down!" Branka commanded sternly.

"Fine, fine."

Caren complied and descended from Shadow Mountain towards the Ghost Ship.

"Don't frighten them. And keep your distance," she instructed.

Yu Yiyi nodded in approval. With a wave of her hand, the strongest Bane that had been crowding around the Ghost Ship dispersed in an instant.

The Bane, now seemingly granted a brief respite of freedom, whirled and danced through the realm of the Wraithlands.

They gazed with curiosity at Shadow Mountain and the sneaky ghosts emerging from its depths.

Yu Yiyi was unfazed.

As the master of the cauldron, she could sense that these Bane, long confined within, were well adapted to the Wraithlands' atmosphere, drawing upon the shadow energy to enhance their power.

Even the slightly more formidable ghosts and Bane could be consumed, fortifying their spirited bodies.

The Bane that had emerged from the cauldron were linked to her by a soul thread, ensuring she could reel in those who strayed too far. Thus, she harbored no concerns for their safety.

According to Caren, the most formidable beings in the Wraithlands were the Gods of Ghosts, with only two indigenous ones.

The Bane, endowed with spiritual wisdom, faced no peril in the Wraithlands unless they stumbled upon a God of Ghosts.

Yu Yiyi was no longer vulnerable prey. With Yu Yuan, the custodian of the Dragon Slaying Stage, by her side, and the presence of Youyu and Kaiya, her fears were significantly allayed.

The Ghost Ship sped along the Levi River.

Yu Yuan observed the vessel with keen interest, noting the Ghost King and Spectres aboard. He saw that when they approached the Levi River, any residual souls with lingering spiritual wisdom would leave the Ghost Ship to pursue them.

These captured ghosts were tossed into the ship's hold to be nurtured.

The spirited bodies that retained their wisdom were immersed in an amber liquid within the ship's hold, seemingly having their spiritual wisdom and memories partially restored.

"Ghosts that still hold value are recruited for necromancy training after an evaluation deems them suitable," Branka explained, seeing Yu Yuan's interest. "Lord Wagner has a penchant for talent and requires capable subordinates. However, most souls are cleansed by the Levi River, losing their memories and spiritual wisdom, rendering them unable to continue with necromantic cultivation."

"Upon arriving from the outside world and sinking into the Levi River, very few survivors retain their spiritual wisdom."

"Those who are pulled up undergo further screening to identify potential candidates for necromancy. Not all who qualify are willing; some prefer to enter the Crucible of Evil sooner rather than later."

"For instance, some souls died naturally without regrets and do not wish to persist as ghosts," Branka elaborated.

Yu Yuan nodded slightly, recognizing the similarity to the Land of Terror where not every soul desired to exist as a ghost.

The duration of the Ghost Ship's voyage was unclear, but it eventually came to a halt in front of the imposing Shadow Mountain. The summit was adorned with rudimentary buildings crafted from cold stones, with numerous ghosts awaiting their arrival.

Among them stood Fernand, who was surprisingly the weakest of the group. At the level of a Celestial Shade, his spirited body seemed murky and poorly refined.

Yet, the stronger ghosts around him treated him with considerable respect.

"Fernand has requested to see you," Branka said as the Ghost Ship docked and she noticed Yu Yuan's look of astonishment. "He's been fortunate; several Shura Kings were once under his command. They vouched for him to Lord Wagner, earning him Wagner's trust."

Branka inhaled a thick cloud of mist as she spoke, making her way toward the mountain's summit adorned with buildings.

Without a moment's hesitation, Yu Yuan disembarked from the Ghost Ship alongside Yu Yiyi. He quickly reached the summit, paying no mind to the Ghost Kings and Spectres flanking Fernand. He focused solely on Fernand, a mere Celestial Shade, and reflected, "I never thought we'd see each other again."

"It's my fault... I wronged you."

Fernand's spiritual wisdom was intact; as soon as Yu Yuan landed, he acknowledged, "When you were in the outside world, you freed me from Yue Mu's Skyfall Net. You've done so much for me, and thanks to you, Elena has escaped numerous perils—I'm aware of all of it."

"Ah, but he was our king. How could I defy his command?"

In the past, Fernand had covertly assisted Lin Zhuyun in unleashing the Frost Well in Ionodios, aiming to engulf the realm in the Dark Realm's utter darkness, aiding Grec's plan to eradicate the Boulderdawn and the merchants. The Abyssal Leviathan had a hand in it too.

Their plan ended in utter failure.

The Blood King Sabonis fled, gravely wounded, and Grec perished in Ionodios. His rich blood was harvested by Taishi to nurture a second Titan Spinosaurus.

The Abyssal Leviathan fled upon realizing the tide had turned. But Fernand and the other Shura elites met their demise.

President Lyi was the one who executed Fernand.

"Discussing this serves no purpose."

Yu Yuan maintained a nonchalant demeanor as he said boldly, "Since you can relay messages to Wagner, let him know that I, Yu Yuan, have arrived in the Wraithlands. I intend to pay him a visit, so tell him to meet with me at his earliest convenience."

His request for a visit was phrased more like a summons for Wagner to come to him.

The Ghost King and the assembly of ghosts on the summit were left bewildered by Yu Yuan's audacious demand.

Had the outsiders become so brazen?

Who did Yu Yuan think he was?

"Just a moment, Lord Wagner is already en route," Fernand replied, his expression a mix of emotions, as he nodded. "You won't have to wait long."

...