Undead Mage from a Cell

”Sir, could you come over and talk?”

Gu Xi, sitting on the Evil Coffin, waved at the Black Specter.

The Black Specter cautiously raised his head, and the next moment, he felt as if he had seen the Ghost King.

Even if this person before him wasn’t the Ghost King, he had the same kind of presence.

He sat on a flashy coffin, accompanied by a powerful giant Undead, that enormous Skeleton made of who-knows-what, holding Lightning in its hand.

Looking further away, an iron city gate towered over the scene.

Beneath this city gate, a massive White Bone dragon coiled about.

Remembering the eyes of thirty to fifty thousand White Impermanence staring from the sky earlier, these Black Specters dared not move even an inch.

Upon reaching Gu Xi, they prostrated themselves on the ground.

”Wandering Patrol Li Liangquan, greets my lord.”

”A Patrol?”

Gu Xi asked curiously.

”Oh, we’re temporary workers.”

Noticing the change in Gu Xi’s expression, Li Liangquan quickly explained.

Gu Xi, instead, laughed upon hearing this. This one was quite astute, fearing he might anger Gu Xi or disgrace the Yellow Springs Soldiers, so he explained specially.

”You’re quite interesting. Stand up, don’t be afraid. I was just passing by here by accident and discovered this Ghost Village occupied by this huge tree. All the Ghost Spirits have been made into the Puppets of this tree, so I took action.

What did you just say?”

”The big tree? What kind of tree is it?”

Li Liangquan didn’t answer Gu Xi’s question but instead asked his own.

”I don’t know. It seems to be called the Ghost Clapper.”

Gu Xi seriously recalled and realized he wasn’t sure what kind of tree the big tree was before.

This is quite illogical. In Undead Knowledge, something related to burials discusses the most suitable tree species to plant in graveyards and cemeteries.

The Ghost Clapper, an obviously problematic tree species, should at least be a term Gu Xi has heard before, even if it’s a nickname.

But he realized he didn’t know what kind of tree this was.

”It seems to be so indeed.”

Seeing Li Liangquan understanding, Gu Xi couldn’t help but become curious.

”What happened?”

”This matter shouldn’t be spoken of, but since my lord holds a Ghost King’s status and position, you should know.

About five hundred years ago, some scattered passages into the Yellow Springs were sealed. At first, the Patrol would handle it, but as these incidents intensified, the Patrol couldn’t keep up.

Over two hundred years ago, the wandering soul passages scattered in Ghost Villages, deserted graves, and the Yin Valley were all abandoned. Now, only the passages through the Mountain God or City God lead to the Yellow Springs.

They open once every fifteenth of the month to send Undead to the Yellow Springs.

When my lord’s passage suddenly opened, naturally, we had to come and see.

A Ghost Clapper, my lord refers to, is actually a poplar tree...”

”Wait, what did you say the Ghost Clapper is?”

Gu Xi interrupted Li Liangquan’s words.

”A poplar tree.”

Li Liangquan looked puzzled, not understanding why Gu Xi interrupted him there.

At this moment, Gu Xi slightly closed his eyes.

”Mulberry, willow, poplar, pagoda, and chinaberry, these fundamental five ghost tree species, and I actually forgot one. It seems there’s definitely a problem behind this.”

After opening his eyes, Gu Xi ignored Li Liangquan and checked the information that popped up when he cleared the Ghost Clapper.

[Ding! You have accidentally opened a sealed Yellow Springs Road and discovered some secrets regarding it. At this moment, you can activate a temporary task.]

[Temporary Task: Blocked Path Evil Spirit]

[Task Description: Investigate the intelligence and information about the blockage of Yellow Springs Road!]

[Task Requirements: Investigate the corresponding information about the blockage of Yellow Springs Road (0/3), and communicate it to the relevant personnel (0/1)]

[Task Rewards: Soul Gathering Land reputation and resources (corresponding to the information found).]

[Note 1: Be aware that the blockage of Yellow Springs Road is not limited to the Ghost Village at hand.]

[Note 2: While investigating the situation, you will encounter some foes, and upon entering the Soul Gathering Land, you have already become the mortal enemy of certain forces.]

[Note 3: Mysteries abound on the Yellow Springs Road; best not to wander there unnecessarily.]

Having read through the temporary task, Gu Xi then looked back at Li Liangquan.

”What did you just say?”

”The Ghost Clapper is a poplar tree.” Li Liangquan looked at Gu Xi, somewhat puzzled.

”I meant the previous sentence.”

”When my lord’s passage opened quietly without warning, we naturally had to come see what happened here, not expecting to encounter my lord’s trailblazing here.

In truth, with my lord’s current power, there’s no need to do such things. Just inform the nearby Mountain God or City God, and they would open the Yellow Springs Road for my lord to come and go freely.”

”I was only here to check on this Ghost Village’s situation and didn’t expect to encounter an attack here. They attacked me first. By the way, what you mentioned earlier about abandoning passages scattered in Ghost Villages, deserted graves, and the Yin Valley.

Is that what I think it means?”

”Yes, all wild passages have been abandoned, and all those entering the Yellow Springs Road through these wild passages are no longer accepted.”

Li Liangquan affirmed but then shifted his tone, ”Of course, an existence like my lord, no matter where you enter the Yellow Springs Road from, is reasonable.

But my lord mustn’t directly assault the Ghost Gate. To enter the Underworld, my lord must first wait at the Soul Gathering Land.”

”What is this Soul Gathering Land?”

Due to the temporary task concerning the task and resources at the Soul Gathering Land, Gu Xi naturally needed to ask for more details.

If everything there was unrelated to him, Gu Xi wouldn’t bother making the trip.

”Ah, the Soul Gathering Land is like this: originally, it was a place where Ghost Souls entering from non-legitimate paths gathered. But over the centuries, the number of Ghost Souls entering through those methods has diminished greatly, and it has turned into a place for Underworld trade and smuggling now.”

Non-legitimate paths?

Gu Xi’s response was swift, ”The non-legitimate paths you mentioned: besides the Wandering Soul Passages, are there other routes?”

”Yes, the Royal Family has special passages to and from the Underworld, as do the three Upper Sects within Immortal Sects and family tombs among Noble Families, which are non-regular passages.

All Ghost Souls from non-legitimate paths wanting to enter the Underworld must wait at the Soul Gathering Land for the Ghost Gate’s three-day rotation.

Some simply stay at the Soul Gathering Land and run businesses between the Underworld and our world.

With my lord’s power, entering the Underworld would be a simple matter, but I must ask my lord, when you descend, please do not impact the Ghost Gate and disturb the Underworld’s order.”