The Lord of Void and Real
Chapter 416

Chapter 416: Chapter 412: Zhong Kui's Entrustment Chapter 416: Chapter 412: Zhong Kui's Entrustment Shen Luo stared at the three incenses for a while, watching the milky-white smoke rising straight into the sky, deviating not an inch.

Aside from this, there was nothing unusual.

Just as he was growing bored and was about to look away, the three incenses suddenly changed.

The flames at the tip of the incense suddenly brightened as though someone had blown on it, the color shifting from a deep red to a bright yellow. Then at a speed visible to the naked eye, they started to burn rapidly.

The moment the three points of the incense fire fell simultaneously, a peculiar seal emerged on the round three-legged incense burner, followed by a “whooshing” wind sound that Shen Luo heard.

He saw a hazy vortex rising from the accumulated incense ash within the burner, growing larger and slowly enveloping them.

He subconsciously wanted to retreat, but was held back by someone's grip on his shoulder.

“Trust in Elder Hu, you will be fine.” Lu He's voice came from behind him.

Shen Luo heard this, his body remained tense and unable to relax. But before he could react, the vortex of incense ash had already descended from above, engulfing him.

In a flash, the surroundings seemed draped in a layer of black mist and had turned gloomy. Shen Luo felt as though he had fallen into a bottomless pit, his figure continuously falling down but never reaching the bottom.

After an unknown amount of time, Shen Luo's feet finally touched the ground again. The surrounding cloak of thick black mist seemed to slowly become thin, revealing the environment around him.

A quick glance told him that the surrounding sky was gloomy, and a layer of mist hung in the distance, making it difficult to see clearly. The ground under his feet was barren and devoid of vegetation.

“This place…”

Shen Luo felt a sudden shock in his heart, carefully feeling the air around him and found it familar.

“No need to guess, this place is the Netherworld. Stay close and don't stray on your own,” Hu Yong suddenly said.

“Turns out it is the Netherworld,” Shen Luo thought, his heart stirred.

Although he had once entered the Netherworld through a dream and had even seen the Ghost Gate Pass, the experience was so profound that it was still fresh in his mind.

Hu Yong walked ahead, apparently very familiar with the route. He soon brought the group to a rest pavilion.

Looking into the pavilion, Shen Luo saw a man sitting with his back towards them. He was a broad figure, dressed in a garish red official robe, with a red big sword hanging from his waist. Even his silhouette was intimidating.

“I pay my respects to Lord Zhong Kui,” Hu Yong walked to the steps of the pavilion, saluting with a fist in his palm.

All others also bowed and paid their respects in unison.

Upon hearing Zhong Kui's name, Shen Luo was taken aback, and for a moment, stood rooted to the spot, forgetting to bow.

He was familiar with the name Zhong Kui, a famous ghost-catching Heavenly Master in folk tales, who had left countless legendary tales of catching ghosts and battling demons. Even Soul Hook Horse Face had praised him profusely and admired him greatly.

The man turned around at the sound, looking at everyone revealing a face as ugly as an evil punishing judge's. His chin and lips were covered with a large beard, which made him look like a free-spirited person of the jianghu.

However, he was idly waving a folding fan in his hand, which seemed a bit pretentious.

Shen Luo, however, deeply understood that appearances can be deceiving. Moreover, he had already read in many ancient books that Zhong Kui was once a highly talented scholar of Confucius before becoming a ghost-catching Heavenly Master. His grotesque face was the reason why he was not given any ranked position in society.

“Greetings, Elder.” Shen Luo regained his senses and greeted hurriedly.

“Enough with the pleasantries. Hu Yong, are you here to pick up another task?” Zhong Kui waved his hand dismissively.

Everyone remained seated except for Hu Yong, who stood up and slapped the gourd at his waist saying, “I need to earn some drink money… I didn't expect you, Lord Zhong Kui, to be the one distributing tasks today.”

“The task was originally for Soul Hook Horse Face, but I had some other matters for him to deal with. I also needed to rest for a while. Why are you all still in a bowing position? I said there's no need for formalities.” Zhong Kui frowned at Shen Luo and the others who were still maintaining their bowing posture.

Upon hearing this, Shen Luo and the others finally stood up.

“Enough idle chat. I assume everyone has heard about the task already?” Zhong Kui said.

“We've only heard a bit. We're grateful for any detailed information you can provide, Sir.” Hu Yong responded with a bow.

“There's a place in the Netherworld where it borders the real world. A rich resentment has long been enveloping the area, and the souls there easily become tainted and turn into fierce ghosts. The ghosts have been devouring each other, and now a Ghost General as strong as a late-stage Soul Condensation cultivator has formed. We need you to go there and eliminate it.” Zhong Kui explained.

“Late-stage Soul Condensation…” Lu He frowned, pondering.

Aside from Hu Yong, everyone else's faces changed slightly.

“Its cultivation is not a threat at the moment, but judging from its growth speed, it has the potential to become a Ghost King. Therefore, it must be eliminated before it can escape from there, or it will surely cause havoc.” Zhong Kui remarked.

“Heh heh, it seems this task is a serious one. We'll need to give it our all.” Hu Yong seemed to be leisurely and had no worries at all.

“Before that, let me remind you. Initially, a team of Yama's Troops was sent in after the unusual activities were discovered but they were corrupted by the resentment. They have now become the most powerful ghost soldiers under the Ghost General. While humans aren't as susceptible to corruption as souls, you still need to guard your minds carefully.” The otherwise jovial Zhong Kui suddenly looked solemn, warning them.

“Thank you for the reminder.” Hu Yong responded with a bow.

“Aside from that, two groups of humans have entered to exterminate the ghosts before this but until now none have returned. If you spot any survivors, you could try to rescue them and bring them back for additional rewards.” Zhong Kui continued.

“May I ask the Elder, what's the reward for this task?” Lu He inquired.

“If you successfully exterminate that Ghost General, the leader will get two hundred immortal jade as reward. Those who follow will also get one hundred immortal jade as compensation. Aside from that, there will also be spiritual materials and elixirs such as Yellow Springs Crystal, Yinling Pills, and Jade Bones as a supplement. But the quantity is uncertain, you'll need to negotiate on how to distribute them,” Zhong Kui said as he glanced at him.

Hearing the substantial rewards stirred everyone's spirits. Shen Luo, certain that the Yellow Springs Crystal was part of the reward, was reassured.

“These are the details regarding the task. Before I send you there, I need to remind you that while killing enemies and exterminating ghosts is important, you must prioritize staying alive. If you die there, the Underworld can't reclaim your souls, and you'll end up as wandering ghosts, ultimately being corrupted by resentment and transformed into mindless evil spirits,” Zhong Kui added.