Chapter 1815 911: Reentering the Yin Ruins (Part 3)

If Crown Prince Xiao Jingheng can continue his life and ascend the throne, both for the nation and personally, it is the result he desires to see.

Therefore, he is willing to provide strength in this matter, staying within the rules.

Lv San secretly heaved a sigh of relief, not daring to delay, and hurriedly found a relatively flat spot surrounded by soldiers and cultivators vaguely guarding it, where he forcefully planted the heavy Soul Summoning Banner into the ground.

The banner pole went nearly a foot into the soil, standing firmly.

Wu Ba, meanwhile, said nothing, standing like a Door God three steps from the Soul Summoning Banner, his muscles tense, eyes vigilantly scanning the surroundings.

This banner is the "road sign" and vital reliance for Li Yan's Yin God's return. Though aware Li Yan has physical protection arranged at the Five Dao General Temple, they must ensure this retreat route is foolproof.

From the Yin God's perspective, high above Yongding Gate.

Li Yan's perception differed greatly from what living eyes see.

In his "vision," the majestic Yongding Gate gatehouse became illusorily transparent, and about ten feet above it in the void, a vortex of dense as ink Yin Qi constantly swirling was gradually forming.

The vortex was about ten feet in diameter, its edges flickering with ghastly green phosphorus fire, its inside bottomless, emitting a strong attracting force and chaotic, mixed resentful evil atmosphere.

On ordinary days, the Capital's imperial Qi fortune and great array suppress such a scale of Yin Qi convergence that any sign would be dispelled invisibly.

At this moment, thanks entirely to the grand ritual held by the Heavenly Altar with State Preceptor's power, this temporary stable "gate" to the Nine Gates Yin Ruins was guided out.

Li Yan's Yin God was refined, faintly protected by a lightning radiance, felt the vortex's drawing power, did not resist, and with a thought, attached himself to the invisible guide from the Soul Summoning Banner, entering the vortex.

Instantly, the heavens and earth swirled, time and space became blurred and chaotic.

It was as though traversing a long, cold passage filled with echoing sobs.

In the next moment, perception "landed."

The scene before him suddenly changed, no longer the human world.

The first sight was an unimaginably enormous, decayed and dilapidated imperial city projection.

Familiar palaces and pavilions all collapsed, red walls peeling, gold tiles shattered, Han white jade railings broken into several pieces, buried under seemingly eternal gray-black mist and lush wild grass.

This was a twisted reflection of the real Capital in the Yin Ruins, full of eternal death and decay.

And at the "main gate" location of this ruinous imperial city projection, hovered a far more immense, more sinister gate shadow. The gate was pitch black, neither gold nor wood, its surface covered with twisted, agonized human face reliefs, from the seams oozed dark red blood-like light.

This was the true entrance to the internal space of the "Nine Gates Yin Ruins."

Without hesitation, Li Yan's Yin God transformed into a faint light, entering that blood-red seam.

Once again, the scene drastically transformed.

The anticipated cycle of the Ancient Battlefield did not appear.

A street endless stretched before him.

The street was wide, its stone slabs partly missing, from its gaps grew grey-white, fungus-like things. On both sides of the street were densely-packed, low crooked alleys filled with all kinds of tents, hovels, even makeshift shelters of torn mats and cloth.

Countless dots of ghostly green fire drifted and flickered among these tents and hovels, barely illuminating the area.

Amid shadows, many blurry twisted figures could be seen slowly moving inside, some squatting, some sitting, some silently loitering. Most were raggedly dressed, their appearances vague, exuding numbness, coldness, and a trace of elusive greed.

Yin wind swirled, bringing the smell of burned paper money ash, and the scent of old decaying wood.

This was the "Yin Ruins Ghost Market," an echo and projection of former unseen Black Markets and refugee gathering places in the Capital in the Mortal World.

Those who loiter here are mostly wandering ghosts lost here or unable to enter normal reincarnation due to unresolved obsessions, muddling through their days.

Just as Li Yan's Yin God was observing this lifeless ghost market, a low, hoarse voice rang out:

"Pay no heed. They are merely wandering souls lost from their minds, only instincts remaining, posing no threat and holding no interest."

It was the Five Dao General.

According to the agreement, he had split a thread of Incense Fire Divine Power, transforming into an extremely faint shadow, accompanying Li Yan's Yin God, enough to provide guidance and safeguard retreat at critical moments.

Li Yan was slightly relieved at these words.

He no longer regarded those ghostly figures, with a thought, reached into his bosom and took out an item.

It was the Daluo Magical Artifact — Five Directions Luo Feng Flag.

In the Mortal World, limited by worldly rules, this flag's power was difficult to fully manifest, mostly used as a core in formation or assisting in cultivation.

But here, the Nine Gates Yin Ruins were precisely a warped fissure formed by the squeezing and tearing of the Daluo Law Realm and the human world, with chaotic rules favoring the Netherworld.

This Order Flag, originating from Yin Si Fengdu and containing parts of Daluo laws, slightly trembled upon appearing, its flag moved autonomously without wind, emitting an invisible wave of authority.

Those Mystical Sect experts guarding the Heavenly Altar and outside Yongding Gate, including Heavenly Master Zhang, Chen Yuanlu, and even Huo Yin, likely never imagined that in his hand was such a "Divine Artifact" dependency in this place.

Five Dao General's hoarse voice sounded once more:

"Let's go. The true 'troops' are deeper inside."