I am grinding experience in another world

On the hillside covered in red flowers, Chen Mu stood beside the White Jade Ghost Gate.

Those Netherworld Worms with human heads and white smoky snake tails were currently lining up to crawl into the Ghost Gate.

The expressions of joy or anger on their faces had disappeared, replaced by a dull and indifferent look.

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The once lifelike human heads also began to fade and grow dim, evolving toward a state of white mist.

“The Rebirth Wine not only protects the Netherworld Worms to reincarnate smoothly but also erodes their last obsessions from their previous lives.”

“Going to the Ghost Gate, all past events will completely vanish into smoke and clouds,” Le Dian came to Chen Mu’s side and sighed.

It very much resembled the idea of Meng Po’s soup.

Chen Mu was surprised in his heart.

The River of Oblivion washes away past memories, and the Rebirth Wine disperses the last obsessions, turning the Ghosts into pure, tabula rasa-like Netherworld Worms, which then reincarnate in the Yang Realm through the Ghost Gate.

The folklore rumors from the past were coming full circle right before his eyes.

However…

“How did these Ghosts become the souls of living beings?”

With just a little thought, he would feel an odd sense of unease.

“Forget it, it has nothing to do with me,” Chen Mu shook his head.

All he wanted now was to quickly return to the Yang Realm.

“Those two people are indeed from the Qian Family, and they are cousins,” Le Dian spoke hesitantly, “Qian Ning was promised a large amount of Secret Techniques and resources by Qian Huan, with the hope of fostering a Divine Fetus. That’s why he agreed to be a substitute, helping the other guard the dojo for a hundred years.”

“It seems… they don’t appear to be Qingyang City’s spies.”

“It doesn’t matter now,” Chen Mu’s expression was indifferent as he glanced over at Qian Ning in the distance.

Right now, the latter was shivering as he voluntarily left his Qi on a pact, which was a secret recruitment document for Yin soldiers from Feng’an City,

Being a member of the Qian Family from Baojiang City, neither killing him nor releasing him was appropriate, so Le Dian could only first have him sign a strict pact, forcing him to go to Feng’an City and let Lü Liang decide.

Chen Mu nodded slightly in agreement with Le Dian’s actions, then turned back to look towards the distant banks of the River of Oblivion.

At the head of the Naihe Bridge, the octagonal pavilion was faintly visible, shrouded in the mist.

Behind the curtain of white jade beads, that figure in red seemed to turn her head calmly and stared at him.

Feeling that emotionless gaze, Chen Mu shuddered.

This Netherworld, which usually appeared normal, sometimes became so eerie that it made his heart tremble.

“Let’s go, let’s head to the Yang Realm as soon as possible.” Chen Mu withdrew his gaze and immediately strode towards the Ghost Gate.

Hum!

It was like passing through a thin curtain of water, then darkness enveloped him as if he had fallen into a deep pool, the surrounding light rapidly diminishing and fading.

The rustling sound of the flowers being blown by the wind outside the Ghost Gate instantly became distant, silence engulfing the area in an instant.

He felt a familiar sensation of weightlessness envelop him as everything around him slowed down. Even a simple turn of the head felt like it took a century.

An invisible force of tearing appeared around him.

The cold Divine Power of the Divine Monarch Meng began to take effect, streams of pale white energy flowed around them, blocking the pulling and tearing forces, keeping them safe.

Not far away, a Netherworld Worm that entered with him was also protected by a force of emerald green in its center.

At this moment, the worm’s head had completely turned into a mist, its facial features merging and dissipating, gradually forming a round mass that looked like a giant tadpole made of white mist.

Chen Mu was curiously watching when the Netherworld Worm suddenly swelled to twice its size and then burst with a pop.

The misty body instantly turned into countless black threads covered with emerald green light, and before Chen Mu could take a closer look, they scattered in all directions and disappeared into the darkness.

Chen Mu’s pupils contracted sharply.

Because he recognized those black threads.

In the remote Da Liang Country, those black lines were known as Netherworld Thread. They could weave cages to control Ghosts, coexist with the human body, and strengthen the host’s physique.

“A mature body, and an infantile state? Are the Netherworld Thread and Netherworld Worm actually the same thing?!”

Thoughts of Netherworld Worm, Netherworld Thread, and Ghosts rapidly spun around in his head.

A sudden foreboding surged in Chen Mu’s heart.

He thought back to Jilong Mountain, where he had once used the Five Ghosts Bag to devour a batch of Netherworld Worms, which inexplicably resulted in a group of Ghosts appearing inside the bag. At that time, he had speculated that the Netherworld Worm might transform into Ghosts after death.

Then he remembered the River of Oblivion, where he had seen Ghosts corroded by its waters turn into Netherworld Worms.

At that moment, he had realized that Netherworld Worms and Ghosts were two sides of the same coin, with the Worm transforming back into Ghosts after death, and Ghosts turning into Netherworld Worms once they die, undergoing continuous transformation through death.

Thinking again of how the Netherworld Worm had just turned into the Netherworld Thread and was sent into the Yang Realm through the Ghost Gate, a conjecture suddenly emerged.

“Planting the Netherworld Thread into the bodies of the living creatures in the Yang Realm, and when the host dies, the Netherworld Thread inside triggers the death transformation and becomes Ghosts.”

“And then they are pulled into the Netherworld, where, after being sorted by the River of Oblivion, some turn into Yin Spirits and begin anew, while others have their past washed away and enter the next cycle of reincarnation?”

Hisss!

“Is the Netherworld creating Yin Spirits artificially by using the beings of the Yang Realm to sustain its existence?”

A massive shock suddenly flooded his heart, and his skin instantaneously prickled all over with goosebumps!

“Is that why the Ghosts entering the Netherworld eerily take on human forms, because they were cultivated in symbiosis with humans?”

“Is the City God Dojo responsible for sowing Netherworld Worms and reaping Ghosts as a transit station?”

The moment it all made sense, Chen Mu couldn’t help but tremble all over.

Now that I know this secret, can I… still leave the Ghost Gate?!

Chen Mu looked towards Le Dian, his soul still in turmoil.

But he noticed that Le Dian, who had been standing next to him, had already moved dozens of meters away without him realizing.

With the Divine-Sealing Pact on his body mostly sealed and its ability to guide teleportation directions diminished, staying close to Le Dian was the safest option.

But now…

This son of a bitch wants to harm me?!

Rage and panic surged through Chen Mu.

But he soon noticed that Le Dian was leaning forward as if struggling against someone, straining to walk towards him.

So, it wasn’t that Le Dian intentionally moved away, but that somehow, he was being pulled away from Le Dian’s side without realizing it?

No way?!

The moment I figured out the Netherworld’s big conspiracy, I was immediately detected?

Can the Ghost Gate read minds?

He quickly turned and exerted himself, trying to get closer to Le Dian.

Yet he discovered that seven invisible forces of attraction had already silently surrounded him.

These seven invisible forces felt like supple chains that had unnoticedly changed Chen Mu’s direction, pulling him away from Le Dian.

He hadn’t felt them when he was still, but the moment he tried to change direction, they triggered a backlash. The invisible chains suddenly exerted force, pulling Chen Mu with a whoosh into the boundless darkness, disappearing without a trace.

Chen Mu could only sense the light around him dim, a strong sensation of weightlessness enveloping him, with specks of silvery sparks flashing before his eyes.

Then the light grew increasingly intense, with a whoosh, brightness burst forth; even with his eyes closed, he couldn’t block out the intense light, as if looking directly at the sun.

Chen Mu’s consciousness blurred for a moment, followed by a sudden cool sensation spreading over his entire body.

Then, a series of thunderous shouts like mountains collapsing and waves crashing suddenly rang in his ears.

“Welcome Divine Monarch to Qiluo Mountain!”

Feeling the faint sense of restraint around him, Chen Mu’s heart sank at once.

This is bad!

I’ve become a substitute!