Netherworld’s Spirit Envoy - -

My heart skipped a beat when this mysterious little girl entered my consciousness. What benefit would that bring to me? Now all my actions are controlled by her. If she doesn’t come out, won’t I lose myself?

Thinking of this made cold sweat break out on my forehead.

“Stop overthinking and quickly deal with the Ghost King. Once he’s defeated, I’ll naturally leave,” the little girl’s words made me even more anxious. Initially, she was evenly matched with the Ghost King, but later, she was clearly outmatched. Now that she’s in control of my body, I’m the one who will get hurt!

That heavy blow just now didn’t hurt me at all. Normally, such an impact would leave me at least coughing up blood, if not worse. Have I lost my sense of pain?

There’s no time for further contemplation. The Ghost King charged at me again, his movements swift, kicking up a cloud of dust. Then, behind him, a whirlwind formed, filled with debris and growing larger. By the time it reached me, it was over a meter wide.

“Enter that whirlwind!”

The little girl ordered me again, as if it were that easy. To enter it, I’d first have to get past the Ghost King. How can someone like me, a mere mortal, defeat the Ghost King?

Without any effort on my part, the little girl was already guiding my actions. Crossing my hands, one moved over my head while the other swept below. By the time they reached my chest, they formed a perfectly circular shadow. This formation looked impressive; was the little girl preparing for a major move?

The Ghost King charged at me, but I was ready. Our opposing forces created a powerful aura, accompanied by explosive sounds around us.

The Ghost King retreated, flying backward. My feet stayed grounded, but even so, I was forced back a dozen meters, nearly falling off the high platform.

We stood facing each other in a standoff. The Ghost King looked at me with a puzzled expression, as if questioning the situation. “How is it that the two of you combined are so powerful?”

His face showed obvious surprise. I hadn’t anticipated such strength either. Is it because of the little girl inside me? If that’s the case, she might as well stay there forever. I felt my powers increase by several levels, reaching an invincible alertness that even Lin Zhe and Li Bai couldn’t match.

The Ghost King took a few steps back and then waved his hand. “All of you, attack!”

The ghosts that had been observing from below the platform rushed up with the Ghost King’s command. They started pummeling towards me without any hesitation. Initially, I was able to fend off a few, but more and more ghosts kept coming at me with increasing intensity. Even as I hurled them aside, it was impossible to stop the onslaught.

Eventually, I was completely engulfed by the ghosts, and a suffocating sensation overwhelmed me, making it hard to breathe. It felt as if something was being forcibly pulled from my body, causing excruciating pain.

“Thud, thud, thud.” It seemed as though something enormous was being slammed onto the pile of ghosts above me, hitting heavily each time. With every blow, I felt as if my insides were about to be crushed out.

“What do we do? Think of something, I can’t take it anymore.” In desperation, I pleaded with the little girl. She hadn’t spoken a word all this time-was she too scared?

The entity confined within my body seemed deeply entrenched. Despite the violent blows, it didn’t budge an inch. The pressure from above was relentless, and the entity stubbornly refused to leave, leaving me to suffer in between.

My organs felt as though they were about to be squashed into mush. Being trapped and unable to move while enduring such torment was unbearable. After struggling to catch my breath a few times, I mustered all my strength, shouted aloud, and an intense warmth surged from deep within me. With my shout, the ghosts suffocating me exploded away, scattering in all directions and disappearing instantly.

The fierce wind howled continuously, cutting across my face like knives, mixed with dust that blinded me.

Squinting my eyes, I looked around. The platform was gone, the ghosts were gone, and even the Ghost King and Lin Shishi had vanished. Where was I now?

I wanted to move forward, but my feet were as if nailed to the spot, immobile. The wind grew stronger, carrying more sand, which quickly buried my feet. Then it rose to my legs, my waist, and before I knew it, my head was submerged…

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in a grand hall. The Ghost King sat on a high platform, glaring fiercely but motionless. I could feel the intimidating power of his gaze, making my body instantly freeze in place.

After a moment, the Ghost King remained still, his eyes unblinking, not even a flicker of his eyelids. I felt puzzled and cautiously moved a bit; the Ghost King was as unresponsive as a statue.

I tried moving again, this time more boldly, and he still didn’t react. I finally relaxed and even started to gesture boldly, “It really is a statue of the Ghost King!”

Once my nerves calmed completely, the Ghost King’s large hand suddenly reached out, gripping my neck and lifting me into the air, bringing me face-to-face with him.

“You audacious boy, not only have you invaded my Ghost Domain, but you also seek to take my people and now conspire with my enemies. Who exactly are you? Without backing, you wouldn’t dare so much. Speak!”

His grip tightened, and my situation looked grim. My feet dangled as he held me by the neck, and a suffocating sensation overwhelmed me, making my mind buzz and my senses blur.

What was there to say? If I had someone backing me, I wouldn’t be here with my neck in his grip. But now I couldn’t utter a word. The Ghost King’s strength was indeed overwhelming; all I could manage was to leave faint marks on his arm with my desperate scratching.

“Let me go!” I spat out through gritted teeth. Immediately, I felt relief around my neck as the Ghost King chuckled, his gaze sending chills down my spine.

“Let you go? Sure.” The Ghost King flung me with force, sending me crashing into a large stone pillar. I coughed up blood with a cry, hitting the ground heavily and unable to move.

A pair of massive feet landed in front of me, and before I could lift my head, I was kicked in the stomach, soaring once more.

Where was that little girl? Where had she gone? Wasn’t she supposed to have merged with me, making me immune to pain? How did I end up in the clutches of the Ghost King? Wasn’t she supposed to be powerful?

When I found myself once again at the feet of the Ghost King, he wordlessly kicked me again, repeating the cycle. Each time I was launched into the air, the sensation I felt was no longer of excruciating pain but rather as if my entire skeleton was about to be jolted out of my body.

With every kick that sent me airborne, it felt like only my outer shell was flying, while everything inside was transforming into a single, cohesive force. This force didn’t resist the pressure exerted by the Ghost King; instead, it flowed with it, floating effortlessly with each of his powerful kicks.

That sensation was not one of pain but rather an indescribable bliss, and I suddenly understood something profound.

The Ghost King’s power was something I couldn’t possibly resist. The pain I experienced was due to my body’s attempt to protect itself by fighting back, an action that was futile against such overwhelming strength. Each attempt at resistance only ended in failure and caused greater harm to my body.

With that newfound power rising within me, I tried to minimize resistance. Each time the Ghost King kicked me, I imagined myself as a feather, light and airy, blown away by the slightest breeze. So when he kicked me again, that indescribable bliss washed over me, and I felt much more at ease.

Moreover, my back began to burn intensely, as if wings were about to sprout from it. This feeling was both comforting and painful.

This time, the Ghost King didn’t strike me again, yet I no longer had the strength to rise. Lying on the ground, I felt as if my body had been mercilessly churned in a blender, left with nothing recognizable-yet it also felt like a rebirth.

Amidst that chaotic sensation, something was sprouting, desperately trying to give rise to hope.

I focused intently on the mix of pain and hope, allowing myself to be fully immersed in it, even forgetting the physical pain.

With my eyes closed, all awareness faded away, and I could see my body gradually transforming.

It felt as though I had fallen into a deep sleep. When I finally awoke, my body had changed so much that even I didn’t recognize it.

There was no discomfort; on the contrary, it felt as though I had truly been reborn, filled with boundless energy and an indescribable sense of comfort.