The cultivation world is divided into four realms.
The Immortal Realm is divided into nine provinces, governed by three sects and six clans.
The Beast Realm has only one Xingque Palace, and all power is held in the hands of the Beast King, Su Xuan.
The Demon Realm is divided into thirteen domains, with half of the power controlled by the Demon Lord Ji Cang and the other half split among various Demon Monarchs.
The Netherworld, however, is different. It is divided into two cities. Ghost City is where the Nether Lord resides, but the Nether Lord is not truly the one in power.
The real authority lies in the other city.
Bairen Alley.
The ruler of Bairen Alley, Fu You, possesses a Heaven-grade spiritual root, achieved the Nascent Soul Stage at the age of two hundred, and his origins in childhood are unknown. He rose to fame by killing the previous Nether Lord. However, Fu You did not take the position of Nether Lord nor reside in Ghost City. Instead, he chose a small city to live in and named it Bairen Alley.
The current Nether Lord was personally selected by him from among the ghost cultivators of the Netherworld. In truth, he is merely a puppet ruler, with all real power remaining in Fu You’s hands.
Bairen Alley is not as desolate as Sang Dai imagined. She thought ghost cultivators feared sunlight, and that the Netherworld, shrouded in perpetual darkness, must be gloomy and terrifying.
But in reality, although the Netherworld is indeed eternally dark, the entire city is wrapped in a barrier that blocks out sunlight. Yet, the whole city is adorned with countless lamps.
Sang Dai stood outside the city with Su Xuan. The streets were not particularly wide, paved with blue bricks and red tiles, with tall buildings and overhanging eaves, looking no different from the cities of the Immortal Realm.
The difference lay in the countless lamps.
Every shop’s doorway was adorned with bright lamps. Ropes were strung across the market streets, spaced just right, with lamps still hanging from them.
From a distance, the thousand glowing lamps scattered brilliance like waves, a sea of light shimmering with beauty. This did not resemble the Netherworld; instead, it felt more like the ethereal paradise of a celestial palace.
Standing at the city gates, Sang Dai watched as ghost cultivators passed by, alongside human cultivators, and demon cultivators.
“Do you like the lamps?”
Sang Dai’s thoughts were interrupted. She turned her head to see that Su Xuan had somehow appeared beside her.
Su Xuan asked again, “Do you like them?”
Sang Dai hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “They’re very beautiful.”
The corners of Su Xuan’s lips curved slightly. He leaned closer to her and spoke softly, “Does Miss Sang know what these lamps represent?”
Sang Dai hesitated and asked, “Aren’t they just lamps? For lighting.”
Su Xuan lazily straightened his posture, his gaze lingering for a moment on the brilliantly lit Bairen Alley. His tone was unhurried and drawling as he said, “These are not lamps for lighting, Miss Sang. Do you know how these lamps shine?”
Sang Dai replied, “Lamp oil?”
“Souls.”
“…What?”
Su Xuan explained, “Ghost cultivators are not born as ghosts. Humans, nature spirits, and demons who die enter reincarnation. Those who do not enter reincarnation become ghosts and come to the Netherworld to cultivate. Ordinary ghost cultivators are one thing, but this is Bairen Alley. The ghost cultivators here are different from those in Ghost City.”
“By Fu You’s decree, any ghost cultivator who comes to Bairen Alley to cultivate must carry a bright lamp, using their own soul as the wick to light it. If the lamp goes out, the ghost cultivator will be branded with a ‘Food Seal’ by Fu You.”
Sang Dai frowned. “What does that mean?”
“‘Food Seal’—’food’ as in eating. Literally, it means that this ghost is no longer under Fu You’s protection, allowing other ghost cultivators to divide and devour it, consuming its cultivation.”
Sang Dai’s heart tightened. “If it’s so cruel, why would anyone enter Bairen Alley?”
Su Xuan, however, started walking toward the city, giving Sang Dai a slight beckoning gesture to follow.
Sang Dai walked alongside him.
As soon as the two entered the gates of Bairen Alley, Sang Dai felt a warm sensation spreading through her meridians.
Su Xuan turned to glance at her, his gaze meaningful, saying more than words ever could.
Sang Dai understood.
Bairen Alley… had such an abundance of spiritual veins!
This small city had spiritual veins more abundant than all the Nine Provinces of the Immortal Realm combined.
“To cultivate in Bairen Alley, you must pay the price—such as indulging Fu You’s twisted whims.”
“But… how long can a soul burn?”
“Who said you have to use your own soul? Within Bairen Alley, ghost cultivators are forbidden from killing each other, but outside Bairen Alley, Fu You doesn’t care.”
Ghost cultivators could kill humans, spirit creatures, demons, or even other ghost cultivators outside Bairen Alley, extract their souls, and bring them back to fuel their lamps.
In this way, the lamps could shine long and bright.
In this way, they could continue to survive in Bairen Alley.
Sang Dai had never heard of such rules in Bairen Alley before. She rarely ventured outside the Immortal Realm.
Suddenly, her wrist was grabbed, and she was pulled closer until her shoulder nearly touched Su Xuan’s.
Su Xuan said, “Miss Sang, take a look. Coming to Bairen Alley, you’ve become the most sought-after delicacy.”
He spoke so casually, yet he held onto Sang Dai’s wrist without letting go. His oppressive aura was fully unleashed, avoiding Sang Dai while directly confronting those nearby. The ghost cultivators closest to them instantly burst into flames and dissipated into nothingness, reduced to faint wisps of smoke.
The ghost cultivators farther away hesitated, too frightened to approach, but they lingered in the shadows, their dark red eyes fixed on Sang Dai.
“Heaven-grade spiritual root, Nascent Soul stage cultivator—your living soul is so powerful that no ghost cultivator can resist it, Sang Dai. Do you realize how easily a vengeful ghost could possess your body, or even extract your living soul?”
Sang Dai nodded. “Mm, I’m aware.”
Even so, not a single ghost cultivator dared to act.
A demon cultivator at the Grand Ascension Stage—though Su Xuan rarely revealed himself to the world, and many ghost cultivators didn’t know his identity—the sheer unfathomable depth of his cultivation was enough to prove he was a formidable figure.
A mere flicker of his aura was enough to send any approaching ghost cultivator scattering, their souls obliterated. Moreover, the female cultivator beside him carried a Heaven-grade spiritual weapon. Though her spiritual power fluctuations were imperceptible, anyone protected by both a Heaven-grade weapon and a powerful demon cultivator was clearly not someone to provoke.
The ghost cultivators retreated into the shadows.
Su Xuan sneered coldly. “Miss Sang, these ghost cultivators are cowards, but there will always be those who are reckless. Your body, from the inside out, is an immense tonic. We’ve just entered Bairen Alley, and already some dim-witted ghost cultivator tried to approach. You haven’t even encountered a true vengeful ghost yet.”
Though his tone was mocking, the strength of his grip on Sang Dai’s wrist and the steadily intensifying pressure of his aura made it clear—he was bluffing.
Su Xuan was worried about her.
Sang Dai allowed him to hold her wrist, matching his steps as she stayed close by his side.
“Su Xuan, don’t worry.”
Her voice was as gentle as ever. Su Xuan felt a surge of irritation and wanted to incinerate all these ghost cultivators in one go.
He let out a light scoff and replied coldly, “I’m not worried about you.”
Sang Dai held back her laughter and nodded. “Alright, it’s just my wishful thinking then.”
Su Xuan held her hand as they continued forward. Along the way, many ghost cultivators coveted Sang Dai, but none dared act due to Su Xuan’s presence and the deterrence of Changmang. Occasionally, when Su Xuan was particularly annoyed, he would take action and burn a few ghost cultivators.
They walked until they reached a certain point. Suddenly, as if sensing something, Sang Dai turned to look back.
Su Xuan asked, “What are you looking at?”
Sang Dai squinted slightly, then shook her head. “It’s nothing. Let’s go and find a place to rest.”
She withdrew her gaze and continued walking.
Su Xuan glanced briefly in the direction she had looked, then indifferently retracted his gaze and walked alongside Sang Dai.
In a tall building by the street, a window was wide open. A man leaned against the window, holding a sword. His side profile was serene and handsome, his jawline sharp and smooth, his brows clear and piercing. His ponytail was tied high with a jade crown.
“Senior Brother Shen, what are you looking at?”
Shi Yao approached and was about to peek outside when Shen Ciyu had already stood up.
“Nothing, just catching the breeze.”
His broad figure conveniently blocked her view, though it wasn’t clear if it was intentional. Shi Yao’s line of sight was completely obstructed, and she couldn’t see anything happening outside the window.
“Catching the breeze?”
“Yes. Let’s go downstairs and eat.”
Shen Ciyu’s tone was cold. He tossed out the words without waiting for Shi Yao, then carried his sword and headed downstairs.
Shi Yao walked to the window, gazing indifferently down the street. All she saw were countless bright lamps and the bustling figures of humans, demons, spirits, and ghost cultivators.
This was the place Shen Ciyu had been looking at moments ago.
Shi Yao stood there for a while before withdrawing her gaze, closing the window, and heading downstairs.
—
The night was deep, and the dew heavy, yet Bairen Alley remained brightly lit.
In the forest, a tall figure dressed in white stood quietly.
Bairen Alley had no moonlight, only an infinite number of lamps. Even a simple bamboo grove was adorned with them, each representing the fate of a ghost cultivator.
The moment footsteps approached, the white-clad swordsman turned to look.
When his eyes fell on the familiar figure, his heart stopped for an instant.
Her face was unfamiliar. The one who had placed a concealing spell on her was clearly of high cultivation—so much so that even Shen Ciyu couldn’t detect any signs of disguise.
But her figure… He could recognize her at a glance, even from across the street, among a crowd of thousands.
She stood beside Su Xuan, holding his hand. The only person who could get this close to Su Xuan was her.
“Sang Dai…”
Sang Dai nodded. “Senior Brother Shen.”
She had changed into blue attire, no longer the plain and unadorned look she wore in the Sword Sect. Now, the swordswoman was dressed in a flowing blue gown, intricate and exquisite in its patterns. The simple wooden hairpin she once wore had been replaced by ornate silver hairpieces, radiating elegance.
She seemed to be living a life far better than what she had in the Sword Sect.
Shen Ciyu felt as if something was choking him. His lips trembled slightly, and his grip on his sword was unsteady.
“Sang Dai… you, you… are you doing well?”
Sang Dai replied, “Very well.”
Shen Ciyu turned his head away, suppressing the ache in his nose, and quickly adjusted his emotions.
“What happened to your Golden Core?”
“Shattered.”
“…Can it be restored?”
“It can.”
“Are you doing well in the Beast Realm?”
“Very well.”
“Is Su Xuan treating you well?”
“…Yes.”
“Will you return to the Sword Sect?”
At this point, he paused, his dark eyes fixed on Sang Dai without blinking, his entire body tense, and his breath halting in that moment.
But Sang Dai didn’t hesitate. She had already given her answer the moment he asked.
“No.”
Shen Ciyu lowered his eyes and fell silent for a long time.
The night wind swept through the forest, rustling the leaves like the roars of vengeful ghosts.
The two stood in silence. After what felt like an eternity, a hoarse voice finally broke the stillness.
“Not returning… might be for the best.”
Facing the man in front of her, Sang Dai felt an unfamiliarity.
The senior brother she had grown up with was actually the male lead of this story, while she, a mere disposable character, existed solely to pave the way for the romance between the male and female leads.
Sang Dai found it ironic.
She spoke bluntly, “Senior Brother Shen, I didn’t come here to reminisce. I’m here to retrieve what’s mine.”
Shen Ciyu knew exactly what she wanted.
He met Sang Dai’s gaze indifferently, but all he could see in her eyes was coldness and distance.
He had known all along what Sang Dai would choose, but hearing it with his own ears still brought an acute, piercing pain to his heart.
“Sang Dai, the Tianyu Stone is not with me.”
Sang Dai’s Zhiyu Sword was forged from the Tianyu Stone. Ten thousand years ago, the Sword Sect’s patriarch used the Tianyu Stone to craft the Zhiyu Sword, leaving a small fragment of the stone behind. That fragment remained within the Sword Sect and was the only Tianyu Stone in the cultivation world, formed from the essence of heaven and earth, containing pure and refined Guixu spiritual power.
With the Tianyu Stone, there might be a chance to repair the shattered Zhiyu Sword.
It was the only hope of saving the sword.
Sang Dai frowned. “The Sect Master established a rule that the Tianyu Stone and the Zhiyu Sword belong to the master of Zhiyu. That half of the Tianyu Stone is still in the Sword Sect, and yet I can sense its aura on you—Shi Yao?”
She finally understood.
Shen Ciyu had been spending time with Shi Yao. If Shi Yao had the Tianyu Stone on her, it was only natural that Shen Ciyu would carry traces of its aura.
Sword Sect disciples bore spiritual seals on their right wrists, which allowed them to detect one another’s location when nearby and provide assistance promptly.