Chapter 243: 凰禁鬼坊

The Southern Phoenix Continent has many restricted areas, but only one forbidden land: the Phoenix Forbidden Zone.

Its vast area covers more than half of the Southern Phoenix Continent. If it weren't for the Truth Mountains blocking it and some special reasons, the Phoenix Forbidden Zone would likely be even larger.

Despite this, the Phoenix Forbidden Zone's boundaries have continued to expand in recent years, with some areas already engulfing parts of the Truth Mountains.

At this rate, in a few thousand years, the entire Southern Phoenix Continent will become part of the Phoenix Forbidden Zone. The difference between a restricted area and a forbidden land lies in the species they harbor.

Restricted areas mostly contain fierce beasts, strange creatures, or mysterious ruins and seals. However, they do not house intelligent species like the Myriad Races. Only forbidden lands can give rise to intelligent species.

For example, the Corpse Forbidden Land in the Forbidden Sea. The Sea Corpse Race was born there, and their habitat is merely on the edge of the Corpse Forbidden Land. Similarly, the Phoenix Forbidden Zone also harbors such races.

However, because the Fiery Phoenix is friendly to the human race, it does not permit the races born within the Phoenix Forbidden Zone to venture outside. Consequently, all parties coexist peacefully, refraining from disturbing each other and having little interaction.

Even when human forces occasionally enter the Phoenix Forbidden Zone, they avoid the intelligent races within, whether for acquiring resources or hunting fierce beasts.

However, some Phoenix Forbidden Zone races enjoy trading resources with humans, such as the Ghost Market.

The Ghost Market, as its name suggests, is a market of ghosts and strange creatures. This is not a race unique to the Phoenix Forbidden Zone; similar races appear in many forbidden lands. They often appear as a city, but everything within is bizarre, and all inhabitants are strange entities.

The goods sold are typically rare human resources, primarily of a sinister and evil nature. Xu Qing's primary goal upon entering the Phoenix Forbidden Zone was the Ghost Market.

"The Ghost Market in the Phoenix Forbidden Zone is ethereal and has no fixed location, but entering it isn't solely dependent on luck." It was late night, and Xu Qing moved like a phantom through the Phoenix Forbidden Zone, speeding forward.

He would leap occasionally, instantly change direction, or fly onto a tree canopy to observe his surroundings closely. Sometimes, he would take out powder from his pocket and scatter it around himself.

If a cultivator from the First Peak had witnessed Xu Qing's actions, they would have been astonished, as all his movements were executed skillfully and correctly.

He leaped because hidden crawling beasts were on the ground; he suddenly changed direction because spider-like webs and hunters were ahead; and he flew onto the tree canopy to better observe his surroundings and avoid getting lost in the jungle.

He did not ascend into the sky because the sky in restricted areas offers no cover; you never know where danger might suddenly appear.

Even though Xu Qing's combat prowess was extraordinary, he still held a deep reverence for restricted areas. This reverence had become ingrained in his blood, and as long as his blood flowed, it would not disappear.

"In any restricted area, senseless killing is ill-advised. The smell of blood is always one of the factors that attracts powerful fierce beasts." Xu Qing narrowed his eyes, suddenly extending his right hand to grasp a strange insect that flew out of the mud beside him.

This insect was slender, about three inches long, looking like a fish, but its tail had a sharp barb. When it shot out, it flew backward, using its tail barb as a weapon, intending to pierce Xu Qing's neck.

"Land Stinger Fish." Xu Qing crushed the fish's head and tossed its corpse into his storage bag. Senseless killing was not advisable, but killing for resources was permissible.

The barb of this Land Stinger Fish contained a potent poison that could pose a significant threat to cultivators who had not yet formed their foundations.

Despite this being Xu Qing's first visit to the Phoenix Forbidden Zone, he was very knowledgeable about both restricted areas and flora. Furthermore, he was well-prepared, having reviewed extensive information about the races and fierce beasts within the Phoenix Forbidden Zone.

"When people first discovered the Ghost Market, entering it was purely a matter of luck. Later, after years of transactions between both sides, the Ghost Market began to distribute an item called the 'Ghost Flute'."

"At precisely 3:45 AM, in an open area of the Phoenix Forbidden Zone, arrange three trees in a triangular pattern, light three candles and place them at the three points, then stand in the center and blow the Ghost Flute. The Ghost Market will then appear before your eyes."

Xu Qing murmured to himself. This was the most accurate method he had found after sifting through countless pieces of information. He had also purchased a Ghost Flute from the sect.

As he sped along, Xu Qing looked up at the sky, then landed on a large tree and surveyed his surroundings.

"This place is suitable."

With a wave of his right hand, the black iron skewers instantly flew out, sweeping fiercely around. As black lightning coursed through the area, three large trees were severed from their bases.

With a rumble, the three trees fell to the ground. The tree Xu Qing was on was one of them. As the three trees crashed, Xu Qing floated down. With a wave of his hand, the three fallen trees rearranged themselves into a triangle.

The black iron skewers returned, and the Golden Vajra Sect Ancestor within them vigilantly observed the surroundings, looking loyal to his master.

Xu Qing tidied up, then landed and stood within the triangle formed by the trees. He took out three white candles and placed them on the trees, then raised his right hand, revealing a flute made of bone.

Holding the flute, Xu Qing looked up at the sky, waiting for the appointed time. Soon after, it was 3:45 AM.

Without hesitation, Xu Qing raised the Ghost Flute to his lips and blew softly.

A piercing sound emanated from the flute, like the screech of a night owl, spreading in all directions. At that moment, the entire world was suddenly enveloped by an eerie wind.

The sinister wind raged, causing the three candles to flicker wildly, carrying an indescribable chill that permeated the air. The ground instantly froze, and frost appeared on the surrounding earth and vegetation. The flames of the three candles changed color, turning green.

Furthermore, a series of murmuring sounds emanated from the void. It was unclear what was being said, like countless people whispering. This sound entered Xu Qing's mind, causing a ripple in his heart, and then a mist appeared in the distance.

The mist appeared suddenly, as if out of thin air, rolling outwards and growing larger until it covered a certain area, obscuring the trees of the jungle.

Then, above this mist, a city appeared. The city walls were gray, and all the buildings within were gray. Its style had an ancient feel, as if an ancient city buried in history had reappeared in the world.

The city was extremely lively. Countless figures could be seen drifting within, densely packed and mostly different in appearance. Some were headless, some had beast bodies, some were tall, some were slender, some had mouths so large they could only hold their chins up, and others were shrouded in malevolence.

Within were not only wandering ghost shadows but also countless shops. The shopkeepers were also strange entities, their appearances grotesque. If a mortal saw them, they would surely be scared out of their wits. This was a true city of ghosts.

There might also be living beings inside, but they concealed their auras, allowing their entire bodies to be covered in a dense, anomalous substance so as not to be detected. This was also one of the rules for entering the Ghost Market.

Although the Ghost Market was willing to trade with humans, the rule was that one's body must be filled with a dense, anomalous substance, indicating they were on the verge of mutation.

Additionally, this ghost city, filled with countless strange entities, though bustling with ghost shadows, was utterly silent, as if all its inhabitants were unable to speak.

The most striking feature within was a giant head floating at the center of the city. The head floated in mid-air and appeared to be human, middle-aged, but bald, like a monk's head. It had its eyes closed and remained motionless in mid-air, bound and suppressed by chains around it. Upon closer inspection, one could see that the chains were actually intertwined, skinless arms.

At the same time, the four gates of this ghost city were guarded by tall, muscular men with bare torsos and infant-like heads, each carrying a black ghost-head broadsword five zhang long, scanning all directions. The gate directly in front of Xu Qing was one such example.

Observing all this, Xu Qing's gaze was restrained, and his mind was a little stirred. He had never seen the Phoenix Forbidden Zone's Ghost City before, but this scene was exactly as described in the information he had reviewed. At the same time, upon seeing it with his own eyes, Xu Qing recalled once seeing a similar ghost city at the bottom of the Forbidden Sea.

"So, that should have been a ghost market too?" Xu Qing did not immediately approach but instead observed carefully. Gradually, the candles around him flickered more violently under the eerie wind.

Xu Qing was not in a hurry and continued to observe every detail until he was sure it was safe. Just as the surrounding candles were about to extinguish and the distant ghost city was about to blur and dissipate again, he inhaled towards his shadow.

Immediately, the anomalous substance within him surged violently. In the blink of an eye, his entire being appeared to be saturated with anomalous substance to the extreme, as if he could mutate at any moment, and his skin began to blacken.

Finally, a mist formed from the dense anomalous substance coiled around his body. Only then did Xu Qing lift his foot and walk step by step towards the ghost city ahead. Each step covered approximately three zhang. After a few breaths, Xu Qing had stepped onto the mist and arrived in front of the ghost city's gate. As he reached this point, the two strong men wielding knives on either side fixed their gaze on Xu Qing.

Xu Qing did not pause, allowing the two ghost-general-like beings to gaze upon him as he entered the city. As he entered, the gazes behind him dissipated, and the surrounding mist instantly thickened at that moment, obscuring all directions, so that when Xu Qing looked into the distance, all he saw was mist.

It was as if this place, with the arrival of a trader, had been isolated from the outside world. Only the moon in the sky turned green, casting an eerie glow over the city.

These details matched the information Xu Qing had researched. His expression remained normal as he calmly walked forward, gradually entering the long street and the countless strange entities.

He walked among ghosts.

But at this moment, the enormous monk's head in the sky suddenly twitched its nose, as if sniffing something. Its eyelids seemed to want to open, but as a faint light shimmered on the chains, it quieted down again. Xu Qing looked up, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The long street was teeming with countless ghost figures. Xu Qing shifted his gaze from the monk's head, pondered for a moment, then turned to look around.

He saw a ghost whose entire body looked like paper, walking along while drawing eyeliner on its face with a brush.

There was also a soaking wet ghost, and as it walked, droplets of water falling from its body formed small, six-eyed ghost insects that accompanied it.

There were also small, red-eyed, long-eared imps, blackish-red in color, that looked like three-year-old children, playing and running on the ground.

On a nearby building, a hairless cat was crouched, licking a bloody head in its claws. The black aura emanating from its body indicated that it, too, was a type of ghost.

As for headless bodies, beastly forms, upright skeletons, or multi-faceted misty entities, they were everywhere. Some floated, some crawled, some sat on other ghost figures, some drifted in the sky, and others, at a low altitude, transformed into countless ghost faces, tearing at each other and emitting silent laughter, heading straight forward.

Each of them exuded a fierce malevolence, and an air of hunger, especially the aura they emitted, which made Xu Qing even more vigilant after sensing it. As he walked, he also observed the shops on both sides, searching for what he needed.

The entire street appeared bustling, with ghost figures coming and going, both inside and outside the shops, yet it was utterly silent. Xu Qing also made no sound, floating as he moved. As he scanned the shops, his mind suddenly stirred, and he turned his head, looking coldly ahead.

In front of him, a beast-faced ghost, clutching its chin and covered in large patches of black decay, was walking towards him through the crowd of ghosts. A fierce aura emanated from this strange entity, and it seemed intent on colliding with Xu Qing.

Xu Qing's eyes showed no fluctuation. At this moment, the anomalous substance within him was incredibly dense, and the mist it formed spread out further, swirling to form a grotesque ghost face that grinned at the approaching entity, its eyes filled with greed and desire.

This ghost face was formed by Little Shadow. Since arriving here, it had constantly wanted to devour something, but Xu Qing hadn't allowed it. So, it had to restrain itself. Now, with one walking right towards it, it was quite surprised.

Thus, before Xu Qing could act, as the beast-faced ghost approached with ill intent, the ghost face formed by the mist suddenly rushed out, opening its mouth wide and swallowing the other party whole. Its speed was so swift that the beast-faced ghost vanished in an instant. The ghost mist returned, satisfied.

Xu Qing looked up at Little Shadow within the mist, ignored it, and continued forward. This scene was just a minor interlude; the surrounding ghost figures also took no notice, being used to such occurrences.

Just like this, Xu Qing walked for a long time on the street and finally found a shop. The items sold in this shop were various kinds of sinister and evil poisons. These poisons had no physical form, resembling mist, and some were even illusory, sealed within various green ghost heads.

So, when looked at, the items in this shop were floating ghost heads of various sizes, all with smiling expressions. Xu Qing scanned them, and after a careful look, he was satisfied. What he came here to find was exactly this type of poison that countered yin and evil. And indeed, most of these poisons had no physical form, and living beings, unless they possessed special cultivation methods, found them difficult to collect; only strange entities could touch them.

Xu Qing looked up at the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper resembled a bear, with lips like cinnabar, eyes like mirrors, long horns on its head, and green fleshy wings on its back that spanned over a zhang when unfurled, along with a leopard-like tail.

It was also observing Xu Qing. After their eyes met, it opened its wide, blood-red mouth, seemingly smiling. Xu Qing's expression was calm. He raised his right hand and grabbed, and immediately thirteen ghost heads flew from the hundreds floating in the shop, hovering between Xu Qing and the shopkeeper.

Then, Xu Qing took out a small bottle and pushed it forward. The shopkeeper's tail flew out, sweeping around the small bottle with a swift blur. Silently, the small bottle shattered, and as a bloody scent diffused, a mass of fresh blood was revealed. This blood was the heart blood of a Night Dove, with several hundred drops in one bottle.

Now, as the tail coiled it into the shopkeeper's mouth, the shopkeeper chewed with delight. Xu Qing saw countless soul shadows appear within the heart blood—all Night Doves. As it continued to chew, the shopkeeper nodded in satisfaction.

Without a word, Xu Qing gathered the ghost heads before him, put them into his storage bag, turned, and left. He continued to walk along the ghost street, moving through groups of strange entities, stopping at several shops to purchase items.

As the night was about to end, Xu Qing searched for a long time and finally found the last item he wanted. It was a shop similar to an inn. Inside, many corpses were hung on display—humans, beasts, foreign races, and illusory shadows. All of them were hooked onto the walls, and surprisingly, they were still alive.

Below them, candles of various colors burned, seemingly forming some mysterious pattern that caused the hung living beings to emanate various emotional fluctuations. Some were ecstatic, some angry, some sorrowful, and some overjoyed. It was as if they were in a dream-like illusion, experiencing an entire lifetime.

What attracted Xu Qing was not these living beings, but the candles below. This shop sold precisely these candles. Regarding this item, Xu Qing had seen it in the information he bought from the sect before coming here. He knew that it was actually a type of poison with a beautiful name: "Three Lives Drunk," and it was extremely expensive. This was also a key target for Xu Qing.

Upon seeing it, he did not hesitate to take out four small bottles and place them in front of the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper of this shop was an old man who looked relatively normal, dressed in a yellow robe. He looked at the small bottles Xu Qing presented and shook his head.

The moment he shook his head, his face changed continuously, first becoming a handsome youth, then a wrinkled old woman, and then a mischievous child, which was very peculiar. Xu Qing frowned. He only had eleven small bottles of heart blood, having used five previously.

According to the information and data he had, four bottles should be enough to purchase the Three Lives Drunk. After a moment of thought, Xu Qing took out another one and placed it before the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper gave Xu Qing a deep look, but still shook his head.

Xu Qing's face, hidden within the mist, darkened. After a moment of silence, he took out the last small bottle. But the shopkeeper still shook his head, as if knowing Xu Qing had taken out all he had. So his face changed many times, finally becoming blank, turning into a faceless person, then he raised a finger and pointed at Xu Qing's face.

Xu Qing remained silent. He calculated the time; dawn was near, and he recalled that this was the only shop selling candles he had seen on his journey. So, he took a step forward, his life fire blazing, his life lamp shining brightly, as if a world was rising and burning within him.

A terrifying aura erupted from his body, forming a heat wave that, combined with the vast blood qi of the Golden Crow Refining Myriad Spirits, spread out with a roaring sound. The shopkeeper was no longer faceless but rapidly transformed into the appearance of an old man, his expression greatly changed. Seeing Xu Qing about to make a move, he unhesitatingly flicked his sleeve, and seven candles instantly flew from behind him, all floating before Xu Qing. Then he retreated a few steps, a fawning expression on his face.

Xu Qing frowned, collected the candles, took the six small bottles, and turned to leave, continuing on the ghost street, moving through groups of strange entities. He remained vigilant, also paying attention to the changing sky.

According to the information he obtained, once inside this Ghost Market, one cannot leave prematurely; one must wait until dawn and blow the Ghost Flute to depart. Now, dawn was not far off, and Xu Qing walked the street, silently waiting.

Soon, the sky in the distance began to faintly brighten. Xu Qing immediately noticed that all the ghosts and the city itself were rapidly becoming transparent, as if about to disappear.

But just then, in the center of the ghost city, suspended in mid-air, the gigantic monk's head, bound by countless arm-transformed chains, slowly opened its eyes. Its eyes were blood-red, as if containing a purgatory, with countless tortured spirits struggling within, their expressions miserable, emitting silent screams. The overall impression was one of immense chaos, making the monk's head's expression somewhat deranged.

At this moment, the head seemed to be glitching, moving jerkily, its chaotic gaze sweeping across the entire ghost city as usual, just before dawn. Within this ghost city, at various locations, over a dozen figures were not transparent; they were cultivators who had come to trade and were waiting for dawn.

The monk's eyes, with the jerky movements of its head, scanned each of these people one by one until, upon looking at Xu Qing, it suddenly trembled, twitched its nose, sniffed, and then its eyes glowed brightly.

Xu Qing also sensed something, and his expression changed. At the same time, the monk's head suddenly let out a voice as vast as thunder from the heavens. "Golden Crow! Golden Crow refines my race! All Golden Crows must die!!" The moment this voice appeared, dawn broke, and the entire ghost city instantly froze. This was the only sound Xu Qing heard that night.

This sound possessed unpredictable power. Upon entering Xu Qing's ears, his entire body trembled, and his soul became unstable, threatening to collapse. Fortunately, the life lamp and the large black umbrella manifested within his body, protecting his soul, which allowed Xu Qing to recover.

Without hesitation, he quickly took out the Ghost Flute, put it to his lips, and blew fiercely. A piercing sound instantly spread in all directions, echoing. Everything around Xu Qing rapidly disappeared. In just one breath, Xu Qing's figure reappeared in the jungle, at the location where he had arranged the three trees earlier.

The ghost city was nowhere to be seen. In the distance, the sky was ablaze with a fiery red glow, the crimson sun rising, its light radiating in all directions.

At the same time, also within this restricted area, far from Xu Qing's location, there was another city. However, this city was completely different from the ghost city; it was a tangible structure, long since reduced to ruins countless years ago, its remains persisting to this day.

Night shrouded it, vaguely revealing broken walls and endless dust. To the east of this ruined city, as the sun's light arrived, the night was lifted like a curtain by a celestial force, revealing a temple hidden within the darkness.

Outside the temple, dozens of cultivators sat cross-legged, dressed in various attire, each deeply wary of the others, clearly from different places. Now, as dawn broke, their gazes, filled with apprehension and reverence, fell upon the temple. Inside the temple stood a statue of a god holding a sword.

Beneath the statue, only one person sat cross-legged within the entire temple. This person wore a golden robe, a jade-inlaid crown, possessed an exceptionally beautiful appearance, yet their expression was utterly cold, topped with a magnificent canopy, and their entire aura was astonishing.

It was none other than Sheng Yunzi!