Chapter 683: Heavenly Shadow Realm, Pleasant Village

Qin Mu looked ahead, seeing only mountains and rivers in shades of grey. The land itself was grey, and not far off, shadowy figures flitted about, appearing and disappearing like dark smoke, elusive and hard to grasp. These were likely demonic creatures.

Some of these creatures circled behind dark grey trees, secretly observing him.

Qin Mu heard a rustling sound again. As the demonic creatures approached, the flowing darkness around them created a similar rustling.

He walked forward. Although there were living creatures like these demonic monsters, the place exuded desolation, possibly due to its grey palette. Yet, there were still trees, flowers, and unknown monsters. If only there were more colors, it might present a completely different scene.

Although the creatures were secretly approaching him, they kept their distance, merely observing. Qin Mu found it difficult to discern their true forms; the surroundings were simply too dim.

Suddenly, an idea struck him. He took a piece of beef from his gluttonous pouch.

*Swoosh!* The beef in his hand vanished instantly, as if something had directly gnawed it away. Qin Mu was startled; he barely saw a blur of a shadow pounce on the meat, unable to make out what it was.

"These strange creatures are everywhere, and incredibly fast. What exactly *are* the demonic creatures of the Heavenly Yin World?"

This explained why one couldn't easily venture into the darkness of the Great Ruins, for stepping into it would cause these omnipresent monsters to swarm and devour flesh and blood.

Chewing sounds drifted from afar. Qin Mu followed the sound and vaguely saw a demonic creature hiding behind a rock, eating something.

He approached, but the creature scurried away, still preventing him from getting a clear look.

The sky remained dim and indistinct. Qin Mu looked back, confirming his direction of origin to avoid getting lost before continuing his journey.

Whispering sounds emanated from the dimness. Some demonic creatures huddled together, seemingly discussing something, but as he drew near, they scattered like black sand caught in a gust of wind.

"Is the Heavenly Yin World entirely this grey and dim? Is there nothing else? Does the darkness truly originate here?"

Qin Mu searched for a while but found no useful information. Finally, losing patience, he took out the Book of Life and Death and shone it upon one of the creatures.

The creature suddenly let out a horrific shriek. Black smoke surged from its body, and it shriveled rapidly, collapsing to the ground.

"This is..." Qin Mu's expression changed dramatically. He rushed forward and saw that the shriveled creature had turned into a human skin!

Just like the divine being he had seen before the Heavenly Yin World Monument, only a husk of skin remained!

Qin Mu was bewildered and murmured, "Are these demonic creatures all just empty skins? Does that mean there are no *real* demonic creatures?"

His mind was in turmoil; he couldn't comprehend such an inconceivable situation. After a moment's thought, he walked a safe distance away and observed from afar.

After a short while, he saw darkness, like flowing sand, rustling as it seeped into the skin. Soon, the creature stood up again, appearing and disappearing like a ghost, leaving no trace.

Qin Mu composed himself, then suddenly turned back along his original path. He reached the monument, bowed to the divine being's skin, and said, "Senior, I apologize for disturbing you."

He carefully picked up the skin with both hands and re-entered the Heavenly Yin World.

Once inside, the human skin he was holding suddenly took off running, disappearing in an instant!

"Just as I thought!" Qin Mu's heart pounded. These demonic creatures were indeed not true monsters, but empty skins!

These skins contained no flesh or blood; they were occupied by dark matter. Their speed was astonishingly fast, but when illuminated by the Book of Life and Death, the dark matter would drain away, leaving behind an empty husk.

"Why do they consume flesh and blood?" Qin Mu felt a little closer to the truth, yet fully uncovering it seemed a distant prospect. "To unravel the truth behind the darkness, I must explore the secrets of the Heavenly Yin World."

He continued walking when suddenly, a rustling sound reached him. A demonic creature was approaching. Qin Mu paused, a strange sense of familiarity washing over him.

"It's the divine being from the Kaihuang era who carried the lantern!"

The monster, once the divine being, stopped a short distance ahead of him. As Qin Mu approached, it immediately darted forward, but only went a short way before stopping again and looking back.

"Its speed is like light, far surpassing mine. Its repeated stops and starts were meant to make me follow it!"

Qin Mu's heart stirred. He immediately sped up, chasing after the creature.

One man and one monster raced across the dim continent. Qin Mu ran for an unknown duration until he was breathless, yet the monster was considerate. Whenever he couldn't keep up, it would slow down, occasionally even stopping. They maintained a distance of only a hundred zhang, silently waiting for Qin Mu to recover.

After an indeterminate distance, Qin Mu suddenly saw other colors, his eyes lighting up.

There, mountains were green, waters clear, birds sang, flowers bloomed, and lakes were a vibrant blue. Even the air seemed fresher.

There was also a town with buildings, pavilions, long bridges spanning waterways, and elevated walkways. From a distance, bustling figures brought the place to life with vibrant colors and sounds. He truly hadn't expected such a place to exist within the Heavenly Yin World.

The demonic creature walked into the valley, and the grey dimness on its body seemed to recede instantly, transforming it into a vibrant, spirited divine being.

Qin Mu hurried after it, but didn't immediately step in. Instead, he observed the surroundings for a full circle. Only after sensing no danger did he enter the valley.

The streets were filled with divine beings, laughing, scolding, and singing loudly, presenting a vivid street scene.

"Young friend, you've come a long way! Please forgive us for not welcoming you sooner!"

An elderly divine being, wearing a wide sash and a tall crown, walked over from a distance, laughing heartily as he approached Qin Mu. "Few outsiders visit our humble place," he said with a smile, "I'm afraid we've been rude to such a distinguished guest. Please, come in."

Although he appeared old, he was full of vigor, his face glowing with health, showing no signs of frailty.

Qin Mu remained composed, smiling faintly. "Elder, you're too kind. Elder, what is this place? The Heavenly Yin World is completely grey and dim, yet only this spot is vibrant and alive. There must be something extraordinary about it."

"This is the 'Land of Joy' within the Heavenly Yin World, a place where immortals live happily," the elder replied.

The elderly divine being's voice boomed like a great bell as he chuckled, "Here, divine maidens abound, beautiful and charming. They can soothe your worries or comfort your tired body. That's why people linger, becoming enchanted with this place. It's truly fitting to call it the Land of Joy."

As he spoke, numerous divine maidens appeared from an unknown direction, singing and dancing, a kaleidoscope of colors. Some were delicate, others alluring, sweet, sour, passionate, or aloof—they swarmed forward, laughing. "Distinguished guest from afar," they chorused, "having come to the Land of Joy, you must, of course, be joyful!"

Qin Mu burst out laughing, embracing the maidens on both sides. "Since the Heavenly Yin World has such a delightful and elegant place, I naturally want to be joyful! But I only have two arms, how can I embrace you all? Ha ha ha!"

The other divine maidens also laughed. The elderly divine being chuckled, "It's simple if you wish to embrace them all, honored guest. Wouldn't it be good to stay here and become like us? After a long time, you could naturally embrace every single one, and not just embrace them, but sleep with them too."

Qin Mu smiled. "Like you? Then wouldn't I also become a 'shriveled corpse'?"

"A shriveled corpse?" The elderly divine being's face changed drastically. The divine maidens surrounding Qin Mu also blanched, their expressions turning menacing. "What shriveled corpse? What do you know?"

"Aren't ghosts of the starved just 'shriveled corpses'?" Qin Mu replied, smiling.

His arms were immediately seized by the divine maidens beside him, rendering him immobile. The elderly divine being sneered, "So you know? Well, it's too late now! We are so hungry—"

The other maidens let out a chilling laugh. "We ate all the flesh off our own bodies, we are so hungry—"

"So, young honored guest, we'll just have to eat you!"

"Take him away—"

Qin Mu was lifted by the divine maidens and carried towards the town center. Numerous divine beings from the town swarmed in, gleefully awaiting their meal.

Upon reaching the town center, Qin Mu was set down. The elderly divine being sat on a throne before a grand hall, while two beautiful divine maidens held Qin Mu's arms. Below them, tens of thousands of divine beings looked on with ravenous expressions.

The elderly divine being chuckled. "We've been trapped here for countless millennia, so hungry we had to eat ourselves, even gnawing away our bones until only our skins remained. Now, at last, a living one has come! We can finally feast on some flesh."

Below, tens of thousands of divine beings cheered excitedly, clamoring for the meal to begin.

The elderly divine being smiled at Qin Mu. "Honored guest, you needn't worry. After we've eaten you, you'll also become like us. But from now on, you'll only know hunger."

Qin Mu laughed. "Is this your Land of Joy? What kind of hospitality is this? No wonder you've never prospered."

"Oh? The honored guest isn't panicked at all, even joking and laughing. Do you perhaps have something to rely on?"

The elderly divine being chuckled, "However, in the Heavenly Yin World, even if you had the Heavenly Duke protecting you, it would be useless. The Heavenly Yin World is not like the outside world; the Heavenly Duke cannot govern here, and the Earth Overlord cannot reach this place! Here, you can only surrender to death!"

Qin Mu asked, "Then what's the deal with the darkness in the Heavenly Yin World? Why is it leaking outwards? As a dying man, I'm extremely curious. Senior, could you satisfy my dying curiosity?"

The elderly divine being laughed. "Only the Heavenly Yin Empress can answer such questions. But you'll see her very soon, the Heavenly Yin Empress, heh heh heh..."

"Since you shriveled ghosts refuse to answer..."

Four more arms suddenly extended from Qin Mu's armpits, each holding a Book of Life and Death. With a *swoosh*, they unfurled, radiating light in all directions. He stated calmly, "Then I suppose I'll have to meet the Heavenly Yin Empress myself."

"Ahhh! Ahhh!"

Horrific screams pierced the sky. Countless divine beings covered their faces with their hands as black smoke furiously streamed from their eyes, ears, mouths, and noses. One by one, these seemingly powerful divine beings shriveled rapidly, collapsing to the ground as mere human skins!

The two divine maidens who had seized Qin Mu's arms also shriveled rapidly, becoming two empty skins.

Qin Mu turned and looked at the elderly divine being on the throne. He walked towards him, as the elder's body trembled. The elder hastily rose from his throne, staring at the Book of Life and Death in Qin Mu's hand, his body shaking.

"The Book of Life and Death from the Underworld... This is the Book of Life and Death from the Underworld!"

He kept backing away, muttering, "You're using divine abilities from the Crimson Bright era... You have six arms..."

Qin Mu stepped forward and sat on the throne, smiling faintly. "That's right. You have good eyesight. It seems that even after becoming a shriveled ghost, you still retain some memories from your past life. So, can you tell me now why the Heavenly Yin World has become like this? And what about the Heavenly Yin Empress? Is this Heavenly Yin World connected to the Underworld in any way?"