The confluence where the Three Crossings River flowed into the Sea of Blood had undergone a drastic change in appearance.
The turbid, blood-yellow river water met the boundless, viscous, crimson seawater of the Sea of Blood here, forming an area with bizarre colors and even more surging waves. The air was thick with an intense, unresolvable stench of blood and a Grievance Aura that penetrated the bone marrow. Ordinary ghosts lingering here for too long would have their intellect eroded, turning them into maddened fiends only knowing slaughter.
God Burial Bay was located deep within this confluence zone. It resembled a massive bay torn apart by an invisible force. Countless pale skeletons, as large as mountains, belonging to unknown Gods and Demons floated on the sea surface, some still retaining faint divine light or demonic flames. The Space was extremely unstable, with distorted light and subtle Spatial Fissures flashing past frequently, causing the local magnetic field to be chaotic and directions difficult to discern.
The three Stealth Boats slid silently into this sea region saturated with Death and ancient aura, like venomous snakes in the dark night. The Concealment Runes on the boats operated at full capacity, perfectly hiding the aura and bodies of everyone within the waves and the pervasive Blood Fiend Qi.
According to the plan, the Stealth Boat led by Zhong Kui, like an arrow loosed from a bow, stealthily proceeded toward the left side of the bay, aiming for the three "Netherworld Ghost Ships" belonging to the Northern Territory, which looked like black hills anchored beside a colossal Demon God skull. Their mission was to create chaos and draw fire.
Meanwhile, the Investigation Department scouts led by Lu Zhidao piloted another Stealth Boat, gliding like a Ghostly Phantom close to the sea surface, using the floating skeletons for cover, maneuvering toward the rear of the Ghost Ships, toward a Bone Mountain cave that appeared to have been artificially excavated—likely the enemy's temporary stronghold or a trading location.
The third boat, carrying Fairy Lingbo and Judge Lu, cautiously hovered in a relatively outer area, serving both as support and attempting to sense any Ruins that might possess fluctuations related to the "Primordial Code."
Judge Lu stood at the bow of the boat, feeling the suffocating, oppressive environment around him. The Sea of Blood water seemed alive, constantly trying to erode the Stealth Boat's shield, emitting a sizzling sound. His Divine Sense was greatly suppressed here, barely able to probe a range of a hundred zhang around him.
"Can you sense anything?" Fairy Lingbo closed her eyes in concentration, forming hand seals as if performing some secret art to perceive abnormal fluctuations in the void.
Judge Lu shook his head; his injuries had not yet healed, significantly reducing his perceptive ability. "I can only feel the chaotic Space power and the dense Blood Fiend Grievance Aura. I haven't detected the special fluctuations mentioned in the Workshop data."
Just then—
"BOOM!!!"
A world-shaking, tremendous roar came from the distance to the left! Accompanied by a massive explosion and firelight, and a violent Energy shockwave, it even caused huge waves to rise on the sea surface here!
Zhong Kui and the others had made their move!
Near that colossal Demon God skull, a shocking crimson sword aura shot into the sky, as if splitting the heavens and earth, fiercely slashing toward one of the Netherworld Ghost Ships! Zhong Kui's bold roar was clearly audible even from this distance: "You brats from the Northern Territory! Grandpa Zhong Kui is here, come out and meet your Death!"
Simultaneously, countless Department of Punishing Evil Ghost Generals and Iron Encirclement Mountain Yin Soldiers burst out from the Stealth Boats. All manner of Magical Artifacts and Arrows poured down on the Ghost Ships like a torrential rain! The battle instantly entered a white-hot phase!
The Northern Territory Ghost Ships were clearly unprepared for such a fierce surprise attack here. After a brief moment of confusion, they immediately launched a ferocious counterattack! Ship cannons roared, and countless heavily armored Northern Border Ghost Soldiers surged out like a tide, engaging Zhong Kui's elites in a fierce melee. Furthermore, a powerful Ghost Marshal aura, carrying a dense scent of blood, erupted from the main ship, rushing toward Zhong Kui—it was the Blood Shark Ghost Marshal!
The fierce battle erupted like water thrown into boiling oil, instantly igniting the entire periphery of God Burial Bay!
"An opportunity!" Fairy Lingbo suddenly opened her eyes. "The main force and attention of the Northern Territory have been drawn by Celestial Master Zhong! Judge Lu and Lu Zhidao should be making their move now! We approach the Bone Mountain area and look for a chance to provide support!"
She maneuvered the Stealth Boat like a nimble fish, avoiding the Energy Turbulence churning from the fighting zone and the residual spell lights flying everywhere, quietly closing in toward the Bone Mountain direction where Lu Zhidao and the others had infiltrated.
The closer they got to the Bone Mountain, the more obvious the signs of artificial excavation became. Huge bones had been neatly cut and stacked by some power, forming a passage leading into the mountain's interior. At the entrance to the passage, two squads of Northern Border Ghost Soldiers stood guard, but their attention was mostly drawn to the distant fierce battle, making them appear somewhat restless.
Judge Lu and Fairy Lingbo hid the Stealth Boat behind a massive Rib Bone and observed quietly.
Suddenly, several extremely brief, hurried screams and muffled sounds of spell collisions came from inside the Bone Mountain passage! Immediately afterward, a subtle signal was transmitted from within the passage—Lu Zhidao and his team had succeeded, but they had also been exposed!
"Go! Support them!" Fairy Lingbo did not hesitate. She and Judge Lu leaped out of the Stealth Boat simultaneously, like two Ghost Shadows, rushing straight toward the passage entrance!
"Enemy attack!" The guarding Ghost Soldiers finally reacted, but Fairy Lingbo's Profound Ice Sword Qi was already upon them! A flash of icy sword light passed, and several Ghost Soldiers were instantly frozen into ice sculptures before shattering! Judge Lu's Judge's Brush tapped precisely, and with a flash of golden light, he accurately sealed the soul apertures of the remaining Ghost Soldiers!
The two of them acted like sharp knives, instantly tearing open the entrance defenses and charging into the passage!
The passage interior was quite spacious but a mess, clearly having just undergone a brief but intense battle. Several Northern Border Ghost Soldiers and two cultivators wearing distinctive Workshop attire, who had already been subdued, lay on the ground. Lu Zhidao was leading two scouts, rapidly searching a room resembling a laboratory, where some blueprints and experimental apparatus were scattered on a table.
"We got it! Found some correspondence and experimental Records!" Lu Zhidao said quickly upon seeing Fairy Lingbo and Judge Lu, stuffing several Jade Slips and a roll of Beast Hide into his robes. "But we alerted the guards inside, let's go quickly!"
As soon as the words fell, dense footsteps and furious roars echoed from the depths of the passage! More Northern Border Ghost Soldiers and several Workshop Guards, whose auras were strange and who had metal constructs inlaid with Gear Marks on their bodies, rushed out!
"Stop them!" The leading Workshop Guard chief, wearing a half-metal mask, his eyes flashing with a crazed light, raised an artifact resembling a compass and activated it violently!
"Buzz!"
An invisible Force Field instantly spread out! Judge Lu felt his Soul Body sink, as if stuck in a swamp, his movements becoming Slowness! This Force Field could actually interfere with the operation of Soul Power!
"It's the Workshop's 'Prohibition Domain'!" Fairy Lingbo's expression shifted slightly. The Profound Ice Sword Qi she unleashed was noticeably slower than usual!
"Charge out!" Lu Zhidao made a decisive call. The Ledger of Good and Evil in his hand shone with golden light, and golden 'Break' characters flew out, barely tearing open a gap in the Prohibition Domain!
Everyone fought their way back out the way they came! The Workshop Guards and Northern Border Ghost Soldiers pursued relentlessly, various strange artifact lights and sinister spells attacking them from behind!
Just as they were about to rush out of the passage and return to the relatively open bay, a feeling of extreme danger suddenly enveloped Judge Lu! He spun around violently and saw that deep within the passage, one of the two Workshop Masters who had been subdued was struggling to climb up, a maniacal smile on his face, holding a metal sphere that pulsed with an ominous red light, covered entirely in Moon-Erosion Demonic Patterns!
"Harmonious Unity... Long Live!" he roared, hurling the metal sphere toward the group!
The metal sphere rapidly deformed in the air, transforming into a massive, tooth-filled maw made of dark red Energy, carrying an aura of devouring everything, and lunged at Judge Lu and a trailing Investigation Department scout!
Moon Erosion Devourer Bomb! A forbidden weapon of the Workshop!
Judge Lu's pupils contracted sharply. He could feel that if he were struck by that thing, he would instantly be decomposed and devoured by the Moon Erosion Power contained within it!
No escape!
He violently shoved the stunned scout beside him away, concentrating all his remaining Soul Power. The Judge's Brush erupted with its final golden light, pointing straight at the Core of the devouring maw!
"Judge Lu!" Fairy Lingbo cried out, turning back to try and rescue him, but she was fiercely entangled by several Workshop Guards!
At this critical juncture—
Another change occurred!
The Bone Mountain beneath everyone's feet suddenly shook violently! An ancient, vast, terrifying aura, as if it had slept for eons, erupted from the deepest part of the Bone Mountain like a volcanic explosion, awakening with a roar!
"Humm—!!!"
A formless, grand power, far surpassing the Workshop's Prohibition Domain, instantly swept across the entire God Burial Bay! Whether it was the Moon Erosion Devourer Bomb, the fighting factions, or even the distant battle between Zhong Kui and the Blood Shark Ghost Marshal, everything was forcibly frozen at this moment by this sudden, irresistible force!
Time seemed to stand still at this moment.
Only the ancient fluctuation, pulsing like a heartbeat and containing infinite profound mystery and Destruction, emanating from the depths of the Bone Mountain, silently declared—
Some Existence far exceeding everyone's expectations had been awakened.