Book 08 Chapter 043: Hungry Ghost, Hungry Ghost!
Long Wanyu’s face changed dramatically. “The hungry ghost path of reincarnation?”
“It should be!” the Unborn Man responded gravely.
Shocked, Long Wanyu asked, “Can you lifespan cultivators freely enter and leave the hungry ghost path of reincarnation?”
The Unborn Man shook his head. “Bing Ji might have had Cangjie’s help. I’m not that capable.”
Concerned, Long Wanyu said, “Then Brother-in-Law’s true body is in danger!”
“The hungry ghost path of reincarnation? What is it like in there?” the skeleton Gu Hai asked.
“As the name suggests, it’s a world of hungry ghosts!” Long Wanyu explained hastily.
“Evil ghosts? As in malevolent?”
“No. It is hungry as in starving. A hungry ghost is different from a ghost that died of hunger, although they are both hungry,” Long Wanyu said.
[TL note: In Chinese, the word for evil has the same p.r.o.nunciation as the word for hungry. Gu Hai clarified by using a compound word meaning malevolent/ferocious using the character for evil. Long Wanyu clarified using another compound word meaning starving using the character for hungry.]
“How are they different?” the skeletal Gu Hai asked anxiously.
“Those who died from hunger are spiritual souls turned into ghosts, while hungry ghosts are physical souls turned into ghosts. More accurately, the hungry ghost path of reincarnation is a world of physical souls. If a living person enters, their three spiritual souls will be suppressed, leaving only the physical souls prominent,” Long Wanyu replied.
“Physical souls? After a person dies and their spiritual souls scatter, don’t the physical souls disperse? Can they reincarnate?” Gu Hai asked in confusion.
“The three spiritual souls are the foundation, and the seven physical souls are secondary. One has memories only because of these three spiritual souls and seven physical souls. The birth of the seven physical souls is a kind of weak soul, which is subordinate to the three spiritual souls. As long as the three spiritual souls are present, they can nourish the physical body and rebirth the seven physical souls. The seven physical souls are like the hair and nails of a person, a part of a person but not indispensable. However, since the seven physical souls are weak souls, they have intelligence. After a person dies, the spiritual souls scatter and the physical souls disperse. This actually means that the physical souls lose all memories of being a person, but the physical souls themselves are not gone. It is just like how, after one cuts one’s hair and then leaves, the hair is still there. This is the same for the physical souls. They entered the hungry ghost path of reincarnation,” Long Wanyu explained.
“Physical souls? The hungry ghost path of reincarnation is a world of physical souls?” Gu Hai said, frowning.
“Yes, the hungry ghost path of reincarnation helps the physical souls reconstruct a physical body according to the physical souls’ needs. However, the physical souls are incomplete, so they instinctively want to complete themselves. As a result, they go around eating other physical souls as though ravenous. They look like monsters and are termed hungry ghosts. They can even merge with other hungry ghosts if they are compatible,” Long Wanyu explained.
“If a person enters the world of the hungry ghosts, the three spiritual souls will be suppressed?” Gu Hai said, still frowning.
Gu Hai had two bodies, which were connected by the three spiritual souls’ consciousness. No wonder he could not sense the consciousness of the true body. If not for the blessings cloud sea above them, the skeleton Gu Hai might have even thought his true body was dead.
“Yes. When mortals go in, the physical souls take over the physical body and receive the changes from the world. The laws suppress the spiritual souls in the body, casting them to sleep. They will be freed from the hungry ghost path of reincarnation only if another hungry ghost eats their physical souls; the spiritual souls will then turn into evil ghosts. However, escaping the hungry ghost path of reincarnation is a kind of release, as that world is too cruel and too b.l.o.o.d.y,” Long Wanyu said with an unsightly expression.
“What should we do?” Long Wanqing asked anxiously.
“We must rescue his true body quickly!” Chen Xianer’s face sank.
“That’s right!” the skeleton Gu Hai said sullenly.
“How excellent of Ji Dihong! How excellent of Cangjie! To think they came up with such an insidious plan!” Mo Yike’s face sank.
Now, everyone finally understood the purpose of the Huang Heavenly Dynasty envoys. A show of might? No, this was a trap for Gu Hai.
“Is there any way to enter the hungry ghost path of reincarnation?” the skeleton Gu Hai asked.
“I have no way. The hungry ghost path of reincarnation was firmly sealed back then. Oh, right! Lifespan cultivators! Unborn Man, you are also a lifespan cultivator. Tell us. How do we get in?” Long Wanyu immediately turned to the Unborn Man.
When the Unborn Man saw Long Wanyu’s att.i.tude towards him, he showed a bitter smile but did not blame her.
“A lifespan cultivator does indeed have a method, but I’m not capable of it now. Unless…” The Unborn Man paused.
“Unless what?” Long Wanqing prompted anxiously.
“There were eight lines of lifespan cultivation inheritance—four of life and four of death. I thought those were all the lifespan cultivators. However, it now looks like there are things about lifespan cultivation I’m not aware of. However, if I can grasp the four life inheritances or the four death inheritances, I can open an entrance to the hungry ghost path of reincarnation,” the Unborn Man said.
“Quick, tell us what should we do!” Long Wanyu said anxiously.
“I am Lifespan Qiufeng and also Lifespan Ximen. We’ve captured Lifespan Dongfang and Lifespan Chunshen, so we already have two life inheritances and two death inheritances. We just need either two more life inheritances or two more death inheritances. The locations of the two death inheritances are unknown, but we know the two life inheritances. Lifespan Nangong is in Xuanyuan City, and Lifespan Beiming is in the Heavenly Demon Holy Land. Capture them for me. I can take their lifespan physical souls and open the hungry ghost path of reincarnation,” the Unborn Man said gravely.
“So, all we have to do is capture Lifespan Nangong and Lifespan Beiming? What was the point of saying so much nonsense?” Long Wanyu said in a pique.
The Unborn Man: “…”
“Alright. I’ll have to trouble you for this, then,” the skeleton Gu Hai said gravely.
“As long as Your Reverence captures those two, it will not be difficult for me,” the Unborn Man explained.
------
The emperor’s study, Xuanyuan City:
Cangjie looked at a glowing energy ring before him. A red dot within it vanished.
“It worked! Your Holy Eminence, Bing Ji dragged Gu Hai into the hungry ghost path of reincarnation!” Cangjie said happily.
“Mister Cangjie, this plan is simply a masterstroke! You have helped us get rid of a great danger!” Ji Dihong smiled.
“Your Holy Eminence is generous with your praise. However, that Gu Hai has survived four paths of reincarnation already. This would be his fifth. Each time he entered one, he escaped safely. We cannot be careless this time; we need to destroy him early,” Cangjie said gravely.
“That’s right. However, haven’t you already placed Bing Ji there? Wait at Boundless Mountain with us for Bing Ji to capture Gu Hai. I wonder what kind of monster Gu Hai has turned into now?” Ji Dihong smiled.
Cangjie nodded.
------
The hungry ghost path of reincarnation:
Gu Hai had stuffed the Lifespan Spiritual Soul Pill into Bing Ji’s mouth just before she dragged him into the hungry ghost path of reincarnation.
Buzz!
Bing Ji’s body trembled, s.h.i.+ning with white light.
Gu Hai was already in the hungry ghost path of reincarnation. At this moment, he felt an immense pressure on his mind.
Gu Hai had experienced this before in the animal path of reincarnation, the asura path of reincarnation, and even the human path of reincarnation. In the asura path of reincarnation, he had even turned into an asura. In the animal path of reincarnation, his earthly soul had manifested physically.
This was the same feeling today. His mind suddenly buzzed, as though stunned, and he fell into a deep sleep.
However, when he fell asleep, he strangely remained conscious.
“The three spiritual souls are in a deep sleep, and my seven physical souls are controlling my body?” Gu Hai said in shock.
The seven physical souls had Gu Hai’s memories, unlike the dead, whose physical souls no longer had their memories.
More accurately, it was Gu Hai’s six physical souls that had the memories; he still had one physical soul yet to fully form.
Rumble…!
Gu Hai’s body felt like it was being ripped apart.
When Gu Hai looked up, the entire sky was dark red. The laws were helping him reconstruct his physical body. However, he suppressed the change.
Then he turned his head to Bing Ji beside him.
After the Lifespan Spiritual Soul Pill entered her body, Bing Ji trembled as her mortal soul’s memories spread to her seven physical souls. However, her mortal soul immediately became suppressed.
When the seven physical souls received the memories, they jolted awake and looked at Gu Hai.
“Your Reverence, this official deserves ten thousand deaths for bringing Your Reverence into such a desperate situation!” Bing Ji cried sorrowfully as she knelt.
Bing Ji also trembled as though resisting the laws’ changes to her body.
“Bing Ji, don’t be upset. Quickly tell us, where are your heavenly soul and earthly soul? We will uphold justice for you,” Gu Hai said, supporting Bing Ji.
Bing Ji’s tears flowed unceasingly. “Your Reverence, don’t worry about my heavenly soul and earthly soul. Just pretend I am dead. Ah! I can sense Cangjie’s energy suppressing my energy again. Your Reverence, just kill me. Hurry! Otherwise, I will have to obey Cangjie and harm you. Hurry!”
Bing Ji’s body trembled, but Gu Hai gripped her hands.
“Hurry. Tell me. Where are your heavenly soul and earthly soul?” Gu Hai exhorted anxiously.
“Your Reverence, quickly kill me!” Bing Ji begged.
Gu Hai moved forward and hugged Bing Ji. Their lips met, shocking her into calming down.
“You won’t remain lucid for long; don’t waste your time on emotions. Where are your heavenly soul and earthly soul? Hurry! This is an order!” Gu Hai said worriedly.
“Their location? This is the hungry ghost path of reincarnation. Cangjie sealed my two spiritual souls in the bodies of two hungry ghost kings as a precaution against you,” Bing Ji said while trembling.
“The hungry ghost kings here?” Gu Hai felt startled.
“How do we retrieve them?” Gu Hai asked further.
“Eat them or kill them, and my two spiritual souls can escape.” One of Bing Ji’s eyes flashed blue. It looked like Cangjie’s seal would soon regain effect.
“Eat? Eat a hungry ghost king? Would that hurt your spiritual souls?” Gu Hai said anxiously.
“It is because of the laws here. When a hungry ghost dies, the spiritual souls will leave the body. The hungry ghosts cannot touch a spiritual soul. These are the laws here,” Bing Ji explained.
“So, I won’t harm the spiritual souls? Who are the two hungry ghost kings?” Gu Hai asked anxiously.
Buzz!
Bing Ji’s other eye immediately turned golden. When the change happened, her body shuddered. Her memories were sealed again.
“Hah!” Bing Ji roared. She suddenly stopped resisting the changes to her body, turning into a ten-kilometer-tall three-legged white crow.
Rumble…!
Countless mountains exploded.
The berserk aura even blew Gu Hai away.
“What?” Gu Hai’s expression changed in midair.
He could sense his three spiritual souls being sealed, and he lost most of his cultivation. Now, he was about as strong as a Lower Heavenly Palace Realm cultivator, at best.
Caw! “Gu Hai, Master commands me to bring you to Boundless Mountain!” the three-legged white crow cried out as it chased Gu Hai.
Gu Hai’s expression changed as he rushed into a forest.
Rumble…!
The three-legged white crow destroyed a large swath of the forest. Many colossal monsters fled the forest. These monsters looked extremely strange.
Some were humanoid but had a horn on their head, one eye, and two mouths. Some had a horse’s head and a snake’s body. Some had a cow’s shape, twenty eyes, and two pairs of wings on their back.
In any case, they were extremely strange monsters.
Gu Hai hid under the belly of a ten-meter-tall, many-eyed, four-winged cow, fleeing with the group of monsters.
This place differed from the outside. Here, the three-legged white crow could only search with its eyes. How could it find Gu Hai?
Caw!
The three-legged white crow roared furiously. It flapped its wings, and overwhelming flames raged on one side while ice sealed the land for five thousand kilometers on the other side.