Records of Mysterious Things in the Southern Dynasties

Chapter 489 Xiling Hentian Pass

A small boat sailed against the wind and waves, with a fish and a dragon following beside it, loudly introducing the situation of the Ghost Kingdom.

"Actually, Fengdu was a ghost town a long time ago, but at that time, it only occupied the north bank of the Xiling Gorge and was far less powerful than it is today."

"After the founding of this dynasty, because the Ghost King Army had rendered meritorious service in supporting the emperor, the emperor granted the entire area west of Yiling to the Ghost King. The Ghost King then used this as a foundation to establish the Ghost Kingdom. Over the past thirty years, he has continuously expanded his power, and now the surrounding two thousand miles are all his territory. Whether it is the barbarians of Ba County or the Luo Luo people in the Ten Thousand Mountains, they are all his loyal followers."

"Didn't you say that no one can come out of the Ghost Kingdom alive?" Su Xiaoxiao seized on his contradiction and asked.

"I'm talking about people. The Ghost King's followers are no longer considered human," Yu Long said solemnly. "They are nocturnal, prefer death to life, and sleep in coffins. They are a bunch of living dead!"

“Alright.” Chen Lingzhi nodded and asked, “Then how can we see the Ghost King?”

"If it's you, old man, just come to my door. Do you think the Ghost King would turn you away?" Yu Long laughed.

"I've told you so many times, you've mistaken me for someone else. This is my first time here," Chen Lingzhi said helplessly.

“Alright, if this is your first time here, then it will be much more difficult. First, you have to pass three trials before you can reach Fengdu.” Yulong then explained, “Fengdu is the entrance to the Ghost Kingdom. I don’t know what it will be like inside.”

"After all this talk, you still don't know much," Su Xiaoxiao said with a smile.

“I already told you, I was kicked out a long time ago…” Yu Long said weakly, quite dejected. “I’m trying to avoid the people of the Ghost Kingdom.”

"Alright, alright, tell me about the situation at the three checkpoints first," Su Xiaoxiao said in a disappointed tone.

"I know that perfectly well!" Yu Long quickly answered without hesitation, completely unaware that he was being manipulated.

"The Three Passes were established by the Ghost King to protect Fengdu, based on the Three Gorges." He then recounted them with great familiarity:
"What you are about to face is the former Xiling Gorge, now called 'Xiling Hentian Pass,' guarded by the famous King Xiang Yu of Chu."

"The Hegemon of Chu?" Su Xiaoxiao laughed. "Wasn't he a man from the end of the Qin Dynasty?"

“Yes, Xiang Yu has long since become a dead ghost, so only the Ghost King can control him.” Yu Long looked at Su Xiaoxiao and said, “A wandering ghost like you is better off not going to the Ghost Kingdom. If you are registered as a commoner, you will have to serve as a ghost servant and never be free again.”

“Having a government job is pretty good.” Su Xiaoxiao chuckled. “Maybe I can even become a female judge and cross all your names off the Book of Life and Death.”

"We've arrived at Xiling Hentian Pass." Seeing her nonchalant attitude, Yulong shook his head, thinking to himself that she really wasn't afraid of death.

Well, he's already dead, so there's really nothing to be afraid of...

"Good luck to you." Then it submerged into the river and disappeared without a trace.

~~
After traveling several miles, the boat entered the Xiling Gorge. There, one could see towering peaks vying for attention on both banks, reefs standing tall on the river, and the surging, turbulent waters.

The small boat, like a withered leaf, rocked violently on the boiling, swirling water. Suddenly, with a bang, it hit something and came to a sudden stop.

Fortunately, the people on board were not ordinary people; otherwise, they would have all been thrown into the Yangtze River.

Everyone thought they had run aground, but upon closer inspection, they realized they had bumped into a thick iron chain.

Iron chains blocked the river, stretching across both banks and obstructing their path.

Ayao snorted and launched her Ziwei Sword, intending to sever the iron chains. But with a clang, a giant coiled dragon halberd appeared out of thin air, blocking Ayao's flying sword.

It is none other than the famous Overlord Halberd!

Following the halberd shaft, one could see the imposing figure of Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Chu, clad in tattered armor, covered in blood, with a pair of bright red eyes burning beneath his thick, bushy eyebrows! His black steed, Wuzhui, was exceptionally swift and powerful, but it too was covered in wounds…

This must be the state of Xiang Yu before he committed suicide at Wujiang. Although he was covered in wounds, he was still domineering and looked down on the world!
Compared to the mighty Hegemon himself, Erzhu Rong, who compared himself to Hegemon, was nothing but a junior...

As soon as the Overlord appeared, the sky above Xiling Gorge was stained with blood, and the ancient sounds of battle echoed through the gorge!
In an instant, everyone was transported back to the ancient battlefield of war and conquest.

"Traitor to Han, how dare you invade the territory of my Great Chu!" The Overlord roared, causing rocks to fall from the mountainside on both sides, and the rows of square openings in the cliff face began to stir. A closer look revealed that within each opening, a hanging coffin was trembling…

"Your Majesty, please don't misunderstand! We've come to visit the Ghost King!" Chen Lingzhi hurriedly called out, "I have a keepsake from an old friend of the Ghost King!"

"What ghost king? That has nothing to do with me! If you want to pass this test, defeat my Jiangdong men first!" Xiang Yu didn't even look at them, and roared, "Where are the three armies?!"

Upon hearing the Overlord's summons, the decaying coffins burst open, and the grayish-blue souls of the Chu army surged forth like a tide. They too wore tattered armor, their eyes glowing with eerie blue phosphorescence, yet the weapons in their hands still gleamed coldly.

At the same time, flames shot into the sky from the river, and countless wrecked warships emerged from the depths of the inferno, their tattered 'Chu' battle flags fluttering in the wind.

The spirits of the Chu soldiers descended upon the warships, shouting in unison, "Even if Chu has only three households left, it will surely be Chu that destroys Qin!"

"Kill them!" Xiang Yu pointed his halberd, and the Chu army's warships approached the small boat from all directions.

The Chu soldiers drew their bows and fired in unison, the arrows condensing into a dark blue cloud of fire in mid-air, raining down on the 'one-reed boat'.

As the rain of arrows fell, Su Xiaoxiao opened her red oil-paper umbrella, which quickly expanded to cover the entire flatboat.

The arrows rained down, striking the oil-paper umbrellas and bouncing off onto the river, turning into clusters of will-o'-the-wisps.

Soon, the surrounding area turned into a sea of ​​fire, but the small boat remained unharmed.

Su Xiaoxiao has not wasted these years. With the help of Di Liujiang, she has achieved the realm of Ghost Immortal. Otherwise, she would not have dared to withstand thousands of arrows on her own.

After two volleys of fire failed to harm the enemy in the slightest, Xiang Yu ordered his men to jump onto the rampage and engage in close combat.

Huge warships surrounded the small boat, and Chu soldiers, wielding swords and shields, roared and jumped off the warships, rushing towards the small boat.

A Yao raised an eyebrow, and her flying sword shot out like lightning, causing the souls of the Chu army to crumble at its touch. One person and one sword, she actually managed to stop the surging tide of the Chu army.

Seeing this, Xiang Yu spurred his black steed, Wuzhui, to ride the fire and arrived, once again defeating A Yao.

Although he was only a remnant of the Overlord's soul, his strength was still terrifying. His halberd wind stirred up giant waves of molten lava, each strike capable of splitting the river in two!

Ayao, however, was not afraid but rather delighted. Her Ziwei Sword transformed into a long spear, and she clashed with the Overlord. Their blows were brutal and relentless, each strike a direct clash, creating a devastating battle that shook mountains and rivers!

(End of this chapter)