C17 The Soul Devouring Black Soul Stone

“Wang Xu, I… I really don’t hold it against you. I believe that none of the ghosts you consumed were good spirits. They got what they deserved. Please… don’t ignore me…” Bai Xiaoxiao’s voice was faint as she spoke to me.

Despite being as petite as her name suggested and looking somewhat underdeveloped, she was quick to take action. She nearly stripped me of my clothes without hesitation. It’s surprising how fragile she seemed in her weakened state; appearances can indeed be deceiving.

Now, however, was not the time for tenderness. A single misstep and both Bai Xiaoxiao and I could end up dead.

I dipped my finger into a bottle of mineral water, retrieving a bit of the black essence, and applied it to Bai Xiaoxiao’s body. This black essence was a concentration of ghostly souls, brimming with their power. As a result, her complexion visibly improved after the application.

I refrained from having Bai Xiaoxiao ingest the black essence as I did because those who refined it were no saints. Bai Xiaoxiao, a benevolent spirit radiating white light, should not be tainted. Her spirit had already been soiled to a degree that even I found unsettling…

“What’s happening? How did I lose so much ghost energy without realizing it? What’s going on…” Bai Xiaoxiao, having regained some strength, was visibly alarmed. The loss of power had been subtle and gradual, something she had failed to notice.

I gestured towards the walls around us and explained to Bai Xiaoxiao,

"I’ve figured it out. The reason the Old Ghost isn’t here but insists on keeping us confined is clear now. These iron gates and walls are not of this world; they originate from the Underworld and are likely a type of prison there. It’s the perfect place for the Old Ghost to trap us!"

Bai Xiaoxiao’s eyebrows lifted in curiosity,

"The Underworld? A prison? I’ve been to the Underworld after my death. I know about the eighteen levels of hell, but they mainly involve torturous cooking methods. I’ve never heard of a hell like this…"

I let out a cold chuckle,

"My dear, that’s because you’re uninformed. The eighteen levels of hell are intended for the run-of-the-mill wicked spirits. However, when the Underworld’s ghostly enforcers commit errors that aren’t grievous enough to warrant soul-shattering punishment, they aren’t sent to those levels of hell. Instead, they are handled directly by the Ten Yama Courts."

Bai Xiaoxiao gasped in disbelief,

"How could this be? Isn't the Underworld supposed to have the strictest management? Why have I never heard of any punishments beyond the eighteen levels of hell?"

In reality, Bai Xiaoxiao was a bit too innocent. No matter how stringent the laws of the Underworld were, having a ghost servant punished and sent to the eighteen levels of hell was a matter that the Ten Yama Courts preferred to handle internally. It wasn't something that was openly discussed, and certainly, these were details that I couldn't comfortably share with Bai Xiaoxiao, as they likely touched upon the Underworld's secrets.

"This cell is known as the Soul Devouring Prison. It was specifically designed by the Underworld to punish errant ghost servants. These iron doors are forged from the same material as the Soul Gouger Chains. Just standing near them can destabilize your soul. And these stone bricks are called Profound Soul Stones, a unique product of the Underworld, capable of siphoning the essence from ghosts and spirits.

A single Profound Soul Stone has only a weak ability to extract essence, but when you have an entire prison built from them, they incessantly drain the essence from our souls. I've heard that the Profound Soul Stones were originally as clear and colorless as crystal. The more essence they absorb, the darker they become. These stones have turned as dark as bricks, which suggests that a significant number of spirits have been drained dry here..."

After I finished explaining the history of the prison, Bai Xiaoxiao shuddered. She had initially been repulsed by the black ooze on her body, but now she was casting occasional glances at it and asked me,

"You... You're human, not a ghost. How do you know so much about the Underworld?"

I gave a wry smile and replied,

"An old scoundrel taught me. Plus, considering what I'm always drinking, wouldn't you expect me to know a bit about these things?"

Following our exchange, both Bai Xiaoxiao and I lapsed into silence, surrounded by the Profound Soul Stones, feeling death drawing nearer with each passing moment.

But as we settled into the quiet, I began to hear sounds from all around us. Behind the iron gates, there were the voices of vengeful ghosts and infernal soldiers; from behind the walls of Profound Soul Stones, other faint noises were emerging—sounds we hadn't detected before.

"Exactly, the Soul Devouring Prison isn't Taishang Laojun's gourd; it must have been placed here by someone. Therefore, any of the four sides could be an exit. Otherwise, how did that old ghost manage to open the door for us from the inside?

Since there are only ghosts and soldiers behind the iron door, let's search the other three sides. Perhaps we'll stumble upon the route the old ghost used to come out and open the door for us."

Upon hearing this, Bai Xiaoxiao's eyes sparkled with excitement, and she eagerly began to search the walls. However, getting too close to the stone wall was perilous, so I pulled her back and smeared a layer of black juice on both our hands as a precaution.

Together, Bai Xiaoxiao and I felt along the stone wall, looking for any hidden mechanisms. Despite our hands being coated in black juice, it began to dissolve upon contact with the stone wall, thinning out rapidly, an occurrence that was unprecedented.

My anxiety grew; due to the recent Ghost Festival, I had only brought one bottle of black juice for emergencies. If it ran out, I'd be in real trouble...

To survive, I could resort to refining Bai Xiaoxiao, just as I had done with the green ghost, to harvest some black juice and extend my endurance. But considering her fiery spirit, capable of driving at the drop of a hat, I couldn't bring myself to do it.

We examined every inch of the surrounding walls, tapping and touching, but found nothing. The stone walls seemed to be solid and impenetrable.

"What do we do? What do we do? We're going to die! We're going to die!"

Bai Xiaoxiao was frantic but refused to stop searching. The stone walls remained icy and unyielding, offering no clues. Frustrated, I sat down, inhaling the scent of the black juice from the water bottle, using the least amount possible to keep from being absorbed by the stone.

After ten minutes, Bai Xiaoxiao, exhausted, slumped against me. I dabbed a few more drops of black juice on her, knowing her fatigue stemmed from the stone wall draining her vitality.

"Wang Xu, isn't it strange? If the walls are indeed solid, then how on earth did the old ghost open the door for us?"

"What's with that shadow of the old ghost squatting in the corner? His actual form can't just be a shadow!" Bai Xiaoxiao exclaimed, clearly frustrated.

Yet, her words triggered a realization in me, causing my pupils to constrict. I had overlooked a crucial detail.

The shadow of the old ghost had been squatting in the corner the entire time. But because of her diminutive stature, when she squatted down, she appeared even smaller, just enough to fill the corner. I had mistaken it for a mere shadow projection and hadn't given it much thought...

Reflecting on it now, there was no reason for the old ghost to be squatting there. Were we looking at a shadow that a ghost shouldn't possess, or was it something else entirely?

I approached the corner where the old ghost had been and tapped on the wall. That's when it all made sense to me.

"So, that's what it was..."