Mortal: Supreme Being of the Ghost Path

Within the cauldron lies the world, within the pool of Yin.

The pitch-black pool water churned slowly, emanating a chilling aura.

Above the pool, a layer of black will-o'-the-wisps flickered, enveloping the entire Yin-gathering Pool in an eerie, ghostly light.

Qin Han detached from his physical body and sat at the bottom of the pool in his soul form, surrounded by dense yin energy.

His eyes were closed, but his breathing was extremely steady. His whole being was like a piece of black jade soaked in ink, blending into the pool water.

After an unknown amount of time, Qin Han slowly opened his eyes.

Those pale red eyes appeared especially cold under the reflection of the black will-o'-the-wisp.

Suddenly, he raised one hand, and a ball of pitch-black flame immediately appeared in his palm. The flame flickered and emitted an eerie, chilling aura.

This is the Mysterious Soul Yin Fire!

Looking at the ball of flame in his palm, Qin Han's lips curled up slightly, and he felt extremely pleased.

At this point, about a year had passed since he had successfully refined the Yin Gathering Pool.

For more than a year, he hardly left the Gathering Yin Pool.

One day outside is equivalent to dozens of days inside the cauldron. Coupled with the amplifying effect of the Yin Gathering Pool, his cultivation speed reached an unbelievable level.

He is a completely different person now.

The magical power within his body had been purified into extremely pure Yin energy, without any impurities.

The demonic magic power that the original owner had left behind, and the mixed yin energy he had obtained by devouring the three-headed tiger demon, had long been completely refined by the power of the Yin Gathering Pool, and all of them were transformed into extremely pure ghost magic power.

At this moment, he activated his cultivation technique, and a faint layer of black ghost mist surrounded his body. Although the mist was faint, it was condensed and did not dissipate, exuding a terrifying pressure that made people's hearts tremble.

It's so much better than it was a year ago!

The remnant soul of the Xuan Bone, hovering above the Yin Gathering Pool, witnessed all of this and couldn't help but be secretly surprised.

"The Yin Gathering Pool... the amplification this item provides to the cultivation speed of ghost cultivators is terrifyingly powerful!"

He sighed inwardly.

In just over a year, he has purified the evil star's magic power to such an unbelievable degree, and has also cultivated the Profound Soul Yin Fire to such a high level!

Xuan Gu recalled the hardships he had endured when he cultivated the Xuanhun Yin Fire.

"It took me decades to cultivate the Profound Soul Yin Fire to its peak. This kid only took less than two years..."

Thinking of this, he felt a mix of emotions, but dared not show it on his face. He simply hovered respectfully to the side, remaining silent.

Qin Han had no time to pay attention to Xuan Gu's thoughts.

He let out a long sigh and raised his hand in a gesture.

Three beams of light flew out from the depths of the cauldron's world and hovered in front of him; they were magical treasures such as the Soul-Locking Tower, the Flower-Splitting Crimson Bone Ring, and the Gilded Demon Gourd.

The original owner's mark on these magical treasures, which were seized from the young master of the Ghost King Sect, had already been forcibly erased by him using the power of the rules of the world within the cauldron.

Over the past year, he has been cultivating and refining these three treasures at the same time, and now he has completely refined them and can use them as easily as his own limbs.

"If we activate it again, its power will be far more terrifying than before."

Qin Han was secretly pleased.

He retrieved the three magical treasures and took out a yellowed ancient scroll made of animal hide, which was the "Demon-Slaying Technique" he had obtained from the young master of the Ghost King Sect.

Although this technique is incomplete, the several offensive spells recorded within it are quite powerful, making it suitable for his current practice.

"Mysterious Yin Ghost Qi... Netherfire Miasma... Ghostly Nails..." Qin Han memorized the cultivation methods of these spells from beginning to end, then closed his eyes and began to circulate his magic power according to the guidance of the techniques.

In an instant, the water in the Gathering Yin Pool surged.

The black ghostly mist surrounding Qin Han grew increasingly dense, completely enveloping his figure.

Within the mist, a sinister aura, even more chilling than ordinary ghostly energy, could be faintly seen slowly gathering and surging...

……

Above a turbulent sea, two rainbows of different colors streaked across the sky.

One streak of blue, the other of black, moved with incredible speed, leaving two long streaks of light in the sky above the sea.

The light dissipated, revealing the figures of two cultivators.

The leader was dressed in a green robe, with a square face, three long wisps of beard under his chin, and a calm and steady aura, clearly indicating that he was a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator.

The other person was dressed in a black robe, thin, with a sinister face, and his triangular eyes kept scanning the sea below. He was also at the mid-stage of the Core Formation realm.

"Brother Sun, is this the ancient cultivator's cave you mentioned?" The black-robed cultivator frowned as he looked at the empty sea below, his tone tinged with doubt.

The green-robed cultivator did not answer immediately, but instead took out a yellowed map from his robes.

The map was made of a special material, neither paper nor silk, and a faint spiritual light flowed around it when touched, clearly indicating that it was no ordinary object.

He spread out the map, his gaze falling on a shimmering pale golden dot on it. After a moment of contemplation, he nodded.

"Yes, right here."

The black-robed cultivator leaned closer to examine the map, then looked at the empty sea below, his brows furrowing even more deeply: "But there's nothing there. Could it be hidden by some kind of restriction?"

"Most likely."

The green-robed cultivator put away the map, his gaze sweeping across the sea below. He said calmly, "This person was able to leave marks on the map and set up such a hidden restriction; his cultivation is probably no less than ours. However—"

He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence.

In the distance, three more streaks of light shot through the air at incredible speed, arriving in the blink of an eye.

When the light faded, three cultivators—two men and one woman—were revealed, all at the early stage of Core Formation.

The leader was a burly man with a rugged face. As soon as he landed, he clasped his hands in a fist and said with a smile, "Brother Sun, Brother Wang, we are late. Please forgive us."

The green-robed cultivator waved his hand dismissively, "It's alright, as long as everyone's here."

The black-robed cultivator's gaze swept over the three early-stage Core Formation cultivators, his brows furrowing slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

He turned to look at the green-robed cultivator, his lips moved slightly, and a telepathic message was sent.

"Brother Sun, what do you mean by this? Three early-stage Core Formation cultivators, brought here to try and get a share of the profits?"

The green-robed cultivator remained expressionless and replied via telepathy, his tone reassuring: "Brother Wang, we've known each other for so many years, I would never let these juniors in the early stages of Core Formation share the treasure."

The black-robed cultivator's eyes flashed, but he didn't reply.

The green-robed cultivator continued to transmit his voice, lowering it even further: "If you and I join forces, these three are nothing to worry about. Now you understand what I mean, right?"

Upon hearing this, the black-robed cultivator immediately understood, a knowing smile appearing on his lips.

He glanced at the green-robed cultivator and said in a slightly teasing tone, "Brother Sun is as shrewd as ever..."

The green-robed cultivator smiled, said nothing more, then turned to face the three early-stage Core Formation cultivators and cleared his throat.

"Fellow Daoists."

The three of them looked at him at the same time, their expressions varied, but all of them held a hint of expectation.