Ghost Catching System

Chu Hao took out his phone. After hesitating for a moment, he still decided to call Bai Ling. Only the Heavenly Bone Woman could deal with the Ghost Mother.

Bai Ling, adapting to local customs, had of course bought a mobile phone, and the first number she saved was Chu Hao’s.

”The number you have dialed is switched off.”

Damn it! Not at this crucial moment, Chu Hao thought.

He felt helpless. The three of them were locked in a fierce battle with dozens of Fierce Ghosts, and with the terrifying Ghost Mother, they simply couldn’t win.

Suddenly, Chu Hao had a flash of insight—he thought of Emperor Bai Jiang. If Emperor Bai Jiang can go to the Underworld, so can I! Whether the Ghost Mother would dare to follow me there is another issue.

Chu Hao said excitedly, ”I have a plan.”

Just hide for seven days, right? If Brother Hao hides in the Underworld, who could find him? BWAHAHA! I’m such a genius!

Chu Hao said, ”System, I want to go to the Underworld. What items do you recommend?”

The System replied, ”Recommended for the Host: Purchase an Underworld Altar, which requires 7,000 Pretentiousness Points.”

Just to go to the Underworld, huh? That’s really damn expensive, Chu Hao mused. He felt a pang of regret spending his Pretentiousness Points. He had thirty thousand not long ago, and now only ten thousand remained. If I pay out another seven thousand, what’s the point of playing anymore?

BOOM!

A figure flew through the air and slammed hard onto the ground. It was Wang Junshu, who had been flung by the Ghost Mother and was bleeding continuously from his stomach.

Chu Hao was startled. While he was still in shock, the Ghost Mother went berserk. The three of them stood no chance against her!

Without any further hesitation, Chu Hao shouted, ”System, purchase the Underworld Altar.”

DING...

”The Host has purchased the Underworld Altar, consuming 7,000 Pretentiousness Points. Remaining Pretentiousness Points: 6,000.”

Item: Underworld Altar

Rarity: ★★★

Ability: A teleportation altar that can transport the physical body into the Underworld. The destination is random. One-time use item.

Such a high price in Pretentiousness Points, yet it’s only a one-time use item! Unlike the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, who can go to the Underworld whenever he pleases. I’m definitely not the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Chu Hao thought.

He released the Underworld Altar, which was constructed from black crystal rocks and emitted a gloomy aura.

Without a second thought, Chu Hao jumped onto the altar and disappeared!

When the others saw Chu Hao flee, they couldn’t help but exclaim. Wang Junshu, who was closest to him, jumped onto the altar despite his injuries and also vanished.

Yan Furong’s face turned ugly. The Ghost Mother was targeting them now. Despite their agreement to fight together, Chu Hao had actually fled first.

”We should leave too,” Yan Furong said.

Next, Yan Furong’s Blazing Heavenly Pupil caused a fierce fire to spread before them, which the Ghost Mother didn’t dare to charge through for a moment. Seizing the opportunity, they both jumped onto the Underworld Altar and vanished.

The Ghost Mother roared. As the wall of fire extinguished, she watched the living beings who had killed her child disappear. She completely lost her sanity and pursued them.

Just as the altar was about to disappear, the Ghost Mother was also teleported.

「Yin Cao Netherworld.」

The realm of the dead. Chu Hao opened his eyes, immensely vigilant. Although he had left the Ghost Mother behind, the Underworld Altar’s description had stated that it teleported randomly. Heaven knows if I’ll end up in one of the Eighteen Layers of Hell, he wondered. However, finding that apart from scattered rocks, the area was empty with nothing else around, he breathed a sigh of relief.

”Haha! I’ll just stay here for seven days and then return. Mission reward, here I come!” Chu Hao was quite pleased.

Suddenly, a figure landed on the ground—it was Wang Junshu, clutching his stomach. He was sweating profusely and looked around cautiously.

Chu Hao was taken aback. This guy actually followed me! He hurriedly asked the System, ”System, how could someone have come with me?”

The System responded, ”The Underworld Altar purchased by the Host is not limited to a specific number of people.”

This is such a rip-off! Don’t tell me the Ghost Mother followed us too?

Wang Junshu tore off a piece of his clothing and wrapped it around his wound. He took a deep breath and asked, ”Where is this place?”

The sky here was murky, and a deathly silence permeated the air. Steep rocks jutted out, dotted with sparse patches of grass. It was practically a barren wasteland.

Chu Hao didn’t know where this was either. He asked, ”System, do you have a map of the Underworld?”

The System replied, ”Recommended for the Host: Purchase the Underworld Mobile Map, requires 2,000 Pretentiousness Points.”

What a rip-off! Now I only have 4,000 Pretentiousness Points left, Chu Hao lamented.

”Purchase.”

Item: Underworld Mobile Map

Rarity: ★★

Ability: Marks the Host’s current location. Other areas of the map need to be unlocked.

In Chu Hao’s mind, the entire map of the Underworld appeared. However, this map only displayed the area within a hundred-mile radius, including its name. The rest was shrouded in gray.

Land of the Vast Ancient.

Chu Hao saw the name on the map and was somewhat surprised. Does the Underworld even have a place like this? This shouldn’t be the Eighteen Layers of Hell. If it were, the map would have indicated it by now.

Chu Hao didn’t know much about the Underworld himself. He asked Wang Junshu, ”Hey! Do you know about the Land of the Vast Ancient?”

Wang Junshu shook his head and asked, ”Does such a place exist on Earth?”

Chu Hao said irritably, ”This isn’t Earth. This is the Yin Cao Netherworld.”

DING...

”The Host’s unperturbed pretentiousness has been successful, awarded 900 Pretentiousness Points.”

”What!” Wang Junshu exclaimed.

Hearing Chu Hao’s reply, Wang Junshu was utterly shocked, his jaw nearly hitting the floor. What methods did Chu Hao use to actually bring us to the Underworld?! And our physical bodies, at that! It’s nothing short of a miracle!

Wang Junshu was still dumbstruck, his expression bewildered.

Seeing that questioning Wang Junshu was futile, Chu Hao examined the map closely. Fortunately, there were boundary lines; their current location was on the edge of the Land of the Vast Ancient.

I’m not in a hurry, Chu Hao thought. As long as I stay here for seven days, my task will be complete. Then, I can return to the Yang Realm and ask Bai Ling to exterminate the Ghost Mother.

Chu Hao took out his phone; as expected, there was no signal.

Wang Junshu had also stood up by this time. He was severely injured and murmured, ”I once read about this in an ancient text. It had this passage:

’Land of the Vast Ancient, home of the sacred old ones. Countless dead spirits, divine generals surging like a tide.’”

This place is too silent, not even a single ghost in sight, Chu Hao mused. Is this really the Underworld? Does the Underworld even have places like this?

Wang Junshu’s face turned pale as he said, ”We need to leave quickly. My grandfather once said that if a non-deity mistakenly enters the Underworld and stays for seven days, they will turn into a departed soul.”

Chu Hao immediately jumped to his feet and exclaimed, ”What did you say!”

Cold sweat dripped down Wang Junshu’s face. ”It’s true. Many books have recorded instances of people who mistakenly entered the Netherworld Road in their physical bodies. They couldn’t last seven days and turned into soulless Corpse Ghosts.”

Chu Hao cursed, ”To think such a thing is real!”

Wang Junshu added, ”Unless one could obtain permission from the Underworld.”

Having just escaped the Ghost Mother, this new wave of cold reality hit Chu Hao, nearly leaving him speechless.

But on second thought, I have nothing to worry about, he reasoned. Worst case, I’ll just stay here for four or five days and then leave. I don’t believe the Ghost Mother will just wait for me in the same spot.

With that thought, Chu Hao’s mood relaxed. He said, ”This place... how come there isn’t even the shadow of a ghost?”

Chu Hao walked ahead, with the badly injured Wang Junshu following behind.

After walking for some distance, a CLACKING sound came from up ahead. It sounded like bones colliding. Chu Hao crouched and cautiously approached the source of the sound.