Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

Ultimately, he died and his soul was destroyed; his physical body was ruined and his spirit was almost completely erased.

Fortunately, he was the peak master of Lanyue Peak.

Each spiritual peak in the sect possesses a secret treasure, the Azure Lotus, which allows one to be reborn and regenerate their body.

This is the sect's last line of defense against peak master-level cultivators.

As long as the soul is not completely annihilated, even if only a wisp of the soul remains, it can be reborn in the green lotus.

Lin Zhao nodded.

He was also aware of this—his Azure Lotus clone was born from that Azure Lotus on Tianxing Peak.

Han Wujiu then explained.

Unfortunately, the level of power in that perilous situation was too high, and even the regeneration of the body left behind aftereffects.

An extremely cold and deathly aura seeped into his soul, impossible to remove or dissipate.

Left with no other choice, he had to become a ghost cultivator.

However, he didn't follow the path of ordinary ghost cultivators—relying on a sect's secret techniques, his physical body wasn't abandoned.

Instead, he cultivates both his ghost cultivation body and his demon cultivation body in parallel, cultivating both paths simultaneously.

It retains the body of a living person, while also possessing the advantages of a ghost cultivator's soul and lifespan.

If one can advance to the fourth-tier Ghost King in the future, one can use the Ghost King's body to nourish the physical body, reshape the body, and eliminate hidden dangers.

However, advancing to the Ghost King level is much more difficult than advancing to the Nascent Soul level.

Even though he was a prodigy of his sect, retained his physical body, and cultivated both Daos simultaneously, he was still trapped at the peak of Core Formation for over a hundred years.

He later faded into obscurity within the sect, simply taking a nominal position in the Enforcement Hall, accepting long-term missions in the Nether Bone Domain, and leaving the sect.

After listening, Lin Zhao roughly understood.

Han Wujiu is indeed a ghost cultivator, but thanks to the sect's resources, the drawbacks of ordinary ghost cultivators are almost non-existent in him.

The Netherworld Bone Domain is rich in Yin energy, making it a natural training ground for ghost cultivators and helping them find opportunities for breakthroughs while cultivating both paths simultaneously.

It was also a form of self-exile—he didn't want to remain in the sect in this half-human, half-ghost state before breaking through.

As for what he had experienced before and why he chose to come here instead of elsewhere, he didn't go into too much detail, but he probably had his own hidden reasons.

Lin Zhao didn't press the matter further; he had that much insight.

Han Wujiu put down his teacup and turned to ask Lin Zhao why he had come to the Nether Bone Domain.

Lin Zhao remained silent for a while.

Although he was in the Netherworld Bone Domain, he wasn't completely isolated from the outside world over the past year.

The Azure Mist Immortal City is stalling for time—neither refusing nor responding, just dragging things out.

His letters seemed to disappear without a trace, and the occasional messages that came through the Shen family were mostly just empty pleasantries.

However, Qinglan Immortal City is, after all, someone else's territory. With four Nascent Soul True Monarchs stationed there, it's unrealistic to force the issue; we can only try to find a solution.

Han Wujiu has been based in the Nether Bone Domain for many years and should know a lot about the nearby Azure Mist Immortal City.

Lin Zhao recounted his journey to Qinglan Immortal City to request a fourth-tier spiritual item.

Han Wujiu's expression changed several times after hearing this.

First, his eyes widened, then his lips twitched slightly, and finally his expression settled on a complex mix of admiration and sympathy.

"You dare to ask four Nascent Soul True Monarchs from Qinglan Immortal City for a fourth-tier spiritual item based on a verbal promise from thousands of years ago?"

"Seven thousand years have passed. The one who borrowed the spirit wood has long since passed away. You, a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator, dare to block the door of four Nascent Soul cultivators?"

Lin Zhao smiled wryly and said, "It's Qingyuan Zhenjun's mission, there's nothing I can do about it."

Han Wujiu suddenly realized: "It's True Lord Qingyuan! Then it's alright. If he wants it, who would dare not give it to him?"

Then his eyes showed a hint of undisguised envy: "It's good to be a secret disciple, you can contact True Monarch Qingyuan at will."

When I got into trouble back then, I was no longer a true disciple. If I had received a word or two of guidance from True Monarch Qingyuan, I might not have needed to walk the path of ghost cultivation, and I might have already reached the Nascent Soul stage.

Lin Zhao could only laugh it off. This was a topic he really couldn't handle.

He changed the subject and asked about the situation in Qinglan Immortal City.

Han Wujiu thought for a moment and said, "I don't know much about it either. Although the Nether Bone Domain is near Qinglan Immortal City, I don't usually pay attention to things there."

However, I have a decent relationship with an elder in the sect; she lives in the Netherbone Domain, so perhaps I can ask her some questions.

Lin Zhao immediately realized that the sect elders in the Nether Bone Domain were naturally fourth-order ghost kings transformed from sect cultivators.

"Won't this be too much trouble?" Lin Zhao asked.

Asking a fourth-tier ghost king to help gather information is a considerable favor.

Han Wujiu waved his hand, his tone relaxed: "It's no trouble at all. It's an honor for many to carry out missions for True Lord Qingyuan."

This isn't flattery—that's just how much Qingyuan Zhenjun is respected within the Yunhai Cangming Sect.

Lin Zhao nodded. This was why he did his best to complete the task even though he knew it was difficult.

Although True Lord Qingyuan did not mention any reward, he was always generous, and even a small slip of the tongue could be a tremendous opportunity for a Core Formation cultivator.

Even if he received nothing in return, given the help Qingyuan Zhenjun had given him before—from the protection of the Luo Tian Secret Realm to his status as a secret disciple—Lin Zhao would be willing to do this task.

After chatting for a few more minutes, Lin Zhao got up to say goodbye.

Although the underground palace was spacious, a beautiful female ghost would occasionally drift by.

It's really not suitable for him to live here.

Han Wujiu did not insist on keeping him, allowing him to build a temporary cave dwelling not far from the underground palace.

Lin Zhao spent half a day setting up the cave dwelling and setting up several basic restrictions before continuing his seclusion to comprehend the Azure Profound Returning Heaven Technique.

Han Wujiu then left the underground palace and went deeper into the Nether Bone Domain.

Half a month later, he passed through several layers of Yin Sha barriers and found his elder deep inside a silent palace built of white bones and black crystals.

Han Wujiu stood in the hall, bowing slightly, restraining his usual unrestrained and unruly demeanor.

A figure leaned against the high seat at the head of the hall. Her face was not clearly visible, but the outline of a woman could be discerned. Countless yin energies swirled around her, swallowing up both light and divine sense.

Her voice descended from above, unhurried and slow, carrying a hint of the indifference typical of someone long accustomed to positions of power.

"Wu Jiu, you rarely come to my door, but when you do, there must be something you need. Speak."

Han Wujiu recounted Lin Zhao's story in detail, including Qingyuan Zhenjun's mission, the delays in Qinglan Immortal City, and the matter of Qinglan Wood.

He didn't embellish the story; he simply stated it objectively.

There was a moment of silence on the high seat.

"True Lord Qingyuan..."

A rare hint of emotion flickered in that voice.

A slight surge of death energy appeared as a figure rose from a high seat and slowly descended the steps.

She was a graceful and elegant woman, dressed in a dark purple palace gown, with her hair styled in a high bun and a dignified face.

There was almost no trace of Yin energy on his body, except for a faint, eerie green hue deep in his pupils—these were some remaining traces after he advanced to the fourth-tier Ghost King, returning from extreme Yin to Yang and reshaping his body.

Luo Ying, the Ghost King.