"Yes, Your Majesty!!"
Upon hearing the commotion, the surrounding maidservants immediately rushed over. Hearing the order, someone promptly answered and turned to deliver the message. Their expressions became extremely serious—just from the command, it was clear that intruders had secretly entered the Ghost Cavern.
What was the Ghost Cavern? It was a forbidden zone within the Ancient City of Jingjue.
Even the forbidden zone had been breached—this was an act of utter provocation.
"Inform the Serpent Demon Guard. If they cannot eliminate those who've invaded the Ghost Cavern, I will offer them all as sacrifices to the Ghost Deity."
The Queen of Jingjue spoke again coldly.
"Yes, Your Majesty!!"
A maidservant answered swiftly and turned to leave.
This time, everyone knew—the Queen was truly furious. If word got out that even the sacred Ghost Cavern had been breached, the reputation of the Ghost Eye Tribe and the Jingjue Kingdom would be completely tarnished—beyond repair.
"Damn it. I want to see just who has the audacity to touch what's mine—even daring to trespass upon a forbidden ground. I hope it's not some petty thieves. Otherwise, that would truly disappoint me."
A chilling gleam flashed in the Queen's eyes, her gaze deep and cold.
With a snort, she strode in the direction of the Ghost Cavern.
…
Inside the Ghost Cavern, beneath the collapsed platform—although it was only the highest tier that had crumbled—the noise it made was massive. Unless the Ghost Eye Tribe was deaf and blind, there was no way they wouldn't notice.
Staying inside would be suicide—like fish trapped in a barrel.
After all, this was the forbidden zone of the Ghost Eye Tribe, and Yi Tianxing had already claimed the Kunlun Divine Wood, a sacred treasure he could no longer return. If caught now, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"This is bad. The noise will definitely alert the Queen of Jingjue. They say she's extremely ruthless, and the Ghost Eye Tribe is full of powerful individuals who revere the Ghost Deity and wield ghostly divine powers. They're not to be trifled with."
Song Yuting's face turned pale with fear as she sprinted forward.
It was impossible to avoid attracting attention now. The only thing left to consider was how to escape—without being cornered in the cavern.
"The Queen of Jingjue is no easy opponent. Nor is the Ghost Eye Tribe."
Jiang Ni took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "It is said that the Ghost Eye Tribe hails from an underground realm of darkness. They worship a mysterious eye-shaped totem, and the Ghost Cavern is their sacred ground. The deity they revere is known as the Ghost Eye God—the founder of the Ancient Kingdom of Jingjue. According to legend, the Queen of Jingjue is the emissary of the Ghost Eye God, walking the mortal world on its behalf."
Clearly, Jiang Ni had significant knowledge about the Ghost Eye Tribe and the Queen—his intel far surpassed the average person's.
"There's another tale—some say the Queen of Jingjue is the reincarnation of a witch. At the beginning of her reign, to gain power, she forged a contract with the Ghost Eye God, offering up her own eyes in exchange for immense power. She even gained the allegiance of a mysterious being known as Lei Zun. Regardless of her power, she remains subject to the cycles of life and death. Due to her overuse of the Ghost Eye God's divine power, her strength is tremendous."
"She's cruel and venomous in temperament. Though powerful, the smaller nations ruled by the Ghost Eye Tribe could not endure her tyranny and rose in rebellion, vowing to destroy the tribe. Countless brutal battles ensued. The Ghost Eye Tribe, being few in number, struggled to resist the relentless rebel forces. To defend her people, the Queen fervently prayed to the Ghost Eye God for aid."
"Then, as the rebel army closed in on the royal capital, the earth suddenly split open, and from the abyss of the Ghost Cavern soared a massive Black Pupil. Anyone who made eye contact with it was instantly petrified. The Black Pupil summoned divine lightning, burning through the entire Jingjue domain. After a devastating war, the rebels were forced to retreat. The Black Pupil then granted the Queen even greater power—her eyes transformed. Now, it's said her gaze can make people vanish, sending them into an unknown imaginary space, offered as sacrifice to the Ghost Deity."
A forbidden tale flowed quickly from Jiang Ni's lips.
This was clearly a buried history of the Ghost Eye Tribe.
Even in a new world, history could not be erased. Whether it was truth or myth didn't matter.
What mattered was this: the Queen of Jingjue is terrifying. Her eyes are terrifying.
Pfft!!
Suddenly, a layer of protective true qi emerged naturally around Song Yuting, enveloping her body. Without warning, a pitch-black, serpentine sword appeared behind her, viciously stabbing toward her heart. If not for the instinctive activation of her protective qi, she would've died without even knowing how.
A figure in black leather armor appeared—a cold-eyed assassin.
His triangular eyes glinted ominously, and he exuded no signs of life, like a cold-blooded creature. Hidden in the darkness, he only revealed himself upon striking.
The assassination technique was terrifyingly efficient.
Even so, the protective qi was visibly penetrated, and the serpent sword continued speeding toward her heart.
"Jade Spirit—Celestial Garment!!"
Song Yuting cried out softly.
A layer of white jade radiance enveloped her as a celestial robe formed around her body. The serpent sword struck it and was repelled by a ripple of jade light, producing a crisp, metallic chime as it bounced off.
This assassin was clearly elite.
When his strike was blocked, he twisted his wrist and slashed at Song Yuting's exposed neck—the one place not protected by the garment. His intent was clear: a single lethal blow.
Sudden and precise—his actions were born purely for killing.
Swish!!
Before the serpent sword could land, Song Yuting spat out a beam of jade light—it flashed through the air and struck the assassin's head, which flew high into the air in a burst of blood.
Fast—
So fast that it couldn't be followed by the naked eye.
When it stopped hovering near Song Yuting, it was clearly a three-inch-long jade flying sword, brimming with spiritual energy. It hovered protectively, darting up and down, sword light glinting coldly in all directions.
"A flying sword—Sword Control Art!!"
Jiang Ni's eyes narrowed as he spoke.
This was clearly a flying sword technique, lightning-quick and lethal.
Legends say that sword control could kill from thousands of miles away—the art of the Sword Immortals.
"She's a Sword Immortal, not a Sword Cultivator!!"
Yi Tianxing noted silently, quickly distinguishing between the two.
There are two paths of sword cultivation: the Way of the Sword Immortal, and the Way of the Ancient Sword.
The Sword Immortal Path is rooted in the art of sword control. Practitioners refine a life-bound flying sword, infusing it with their essence and mystic apertures. It becomes a medium for spells, attacks, and soul resonance. The stronger their bond and skill, the deadlier the sword.
The Ancient Sword Path, by contrast, stems from martial arts. Cultivators forge a battle sword from their own sword intent, melding rare materials and divine abilities into a life-bound weapon. Their techniques harness sword intent to shatter all techniques, with unrivaled battle prowess.
Those on the latter path are top-tier battle cultivators, even deadlier than Sword Immortals.
Song Yuting clearly followed the Sword Immortal path—easier to learn, with lower entry barriers. So long as one possesses a flying sword, stepping into the realm of Sword Immortals is feasible.
And its power? Evident in that one strike.
The assassin didn't even have time to react before his head was sliced clean off.
"That was the Serpent Demon Guard—a terrifying army under the Queen of Jingjue. Each is cold-blooded and vicious, natural-born assassins. Their attacks are venomous and silent—once they set their sights on someone, they're impossible to shake. Clearly, the Queen is now aware of the incident in the Ghost Cavern. The entrance is surely heavily guarded. Forcing our way through would be unwise."
Jiang Ni spoke urgently.
"Hmph. So what? No matter how many soldiers she sends, they'll all fall before me."
Wushuang Ghost raised an eyebrow and said boldly.
"The Ghost Cavern is vast and labyrinthine—without a map or guide, we'll get lost. It'll be hard to find a way out. Staying here is a grave disadvantage."
Yi Tianxing nodded in agreement.
The cavern was like a maze. Without knowing the route, escape was almost impossible.
As much as he wanted to see the Queen of Jingjue for himself, clearly now was not the time—not in the Ghost Cavern.
"Enter the dimensional gate—leave the Ghost Cavern immediately."