CHAPTER 366: CHAPTER 366: ENTRANCE TO THE REALM OF THE DEAD, GHOSTS

It didn’t take long for Johnnie to hear Crysic out.

He smiled and praised her, then stayed with her for a while. After Crysic left to take care of other things, Johnnie’s face suddenly turned cold.

He felt it wasn’t that simple. Before, the AureonHuman Emperor and Skye had mentioned the Saint, and Aiden and Cameron had said a few things too.

Johnnie had a hunch that Saint Soul Transference might be tied to artifacts.

Not long ago, he had turned down Douglas, Aiden, and Cameron, and now Crysic had gotten an artifact so easily.

There might be something here that Johnnie didn’t know yet.

"Aiden, Cameron." Johnnie murmured their names.

He was still not sure how those fallen Saints carried out Soul Transference, or what they planned when the invasion came.

But for now, having an artifact was a good thing for Crysic.

With that thought, Johnnie entered the Map of Heaven and Earth again and found the AureonHuman Emperor and Skye.

"What are the Saints really trying to do?" Johnnie asked directly.

The AureonHuman Emperor paused. Instead of answering, he asked."What happened?"

"Crysic went into a secret realm and got an artifact called the Sacred Cloak." Johnnie said, explaining what had just happened.

"The Sacred Cloak? Saint Nuwa’s treasure? Crysic is actually the second Heaven’s chosen?" Shock flashed across the AureonHuman Emperor’s face.

He asked again."Are you sure it’s the Sacred Cloak artifact?"

Johnnie nodded. Crysic had summoned the Sacred Cloak, so there was no doubt.

What were the Saints plotting? Why had the AureonHuman Emperor and Skye said the Heaven’s chosen were sacrificial pawns?

Now that Crysic might be pulled into it, Johnnie had to find out the truth.

Seeing the resolve in Johnnie’s eyes, the AureonHuman Emperor let out a long sigh.

"I didn’t expect Crysic to be a Heaven’s chosen too. Skye and I are sure you’re not one, so we never told you about the Heaven’s chosen."

Skye spoke up. "Yeah, fate plays tricks. Johnnie, you’ve probably guessed it: the so‑called Heaven’s chosen are the people who obtain certain artifacts.

"These artifacts are the medium for the Saints’ Soul Transference. They will instinctively look for someone suitable, accept them as their master, then help the Heaven’s chosen grow fast, pass the heavenly tribulation to become a god, and become Divine powerhouses."

"We didn’t know Crysic was one either."

Hearing this, Johnnie asked."Why are you and the AureonHuman Emperor so sure I’m not one of the Heaven’s chosen? After all, I also have many artifacts."

Skye answered."Void Sword, Seven Sword, Dragon Patterned Sword, Evil-Slaying Thunder Sword... none of these are mediums for Saint Soul Transference."

"And since you have several artifacts, you can’t be a Heaven’s chosen—the ones fated to be sacrificed."

Fated to be sacrificed?

Johnnie would never let Crysic be sacrificed.

Then, as the AureonHuman Emperor and Skye explained, Johnnie slowly learned everything about the Heaven’s chosen.

When the Saints’ first plan failed and they were about to fall, the Star Raider had already started leaving this world.

But to keep it from invading again, before the Saints fell, they created the Heaven’s chosen as pieces for Soul Transference. They split part of their souls into artifacts that serve as the Soul Transference medium.

When the world faces another crisis it can’t withstand, the Saints can revive through the Heaven’s chosen to fight the enemy.

"Saint Primordial Heavenly Lord’s Celestial Mirror and Nuwa’s Sacred Cloak are Soul Transference mediums. So Douglas and Crysic will be taken over by the Saint souls inside those artifacts as soon as they reach Domain." the AureonHuman Emperor said helplessly.

That’s why when he heard Crysic got an artifact, he first checked if it was really the Sacred Cloak.

"Can’t we stop it?" Johnnie frowned.

The AureonHuman Emperor said there might be a way to stop Saint Soul Transference, but he and Skye didn’t know it. Maybe only Lady Terra, who embodies the Six Realms and is closest to the Saints, knows the exact method.

But Lady Terra is in the realm of the dead, and the AureonHuman Emperor and Skye have been trapped too long, so they don’t know how to enter it now.

Johnnie couldn’t help feeling restless. Of all the people the Saints could choose as Heaven’s chosen, why did it have to be Crysic?

"We still have time. As long as Crysic hasn’t reached Domain, the Saint remnant in the artifact won’t start Soul Transference." the AureonHuman Emperor said, noticing Johnnie’s mood.

Johnnie took a deep breath and nodded, trying to stay calm.

Douglas has never reached Domain, probably because of this.

The most urgent problem now is finding a way into the realm of the dead. Both the Heaven’s chosen matter and the issue with Skye’s head are tied to Lady Terra.

Johnnie thought for a moment, then asked the AureonHuman Emperor and Skye."Before you were sealed, how did you enter the realm of the dead?"

The AureonHuman Emperor shook his head right away and said."The Way of Heaven keeps changing. The old method might not work now. It’s been so long that we have no information about the realm of the dead anymore."

"But we can go to Eastern Mount in the real world and see if we can find some useful clues."

Eastern Mount?

Johnnie recalled Earth’s legends. In ancient times in the East, Eastern Mount was a place where many dynasties held rites. There are even folk tales that the entrance to the realm of the dead is at Eastern Mount.

Without hesitation, Johnnie left The Map of Heaven and Earth and returned to the real world.

His longsword turned into a streak of light in the sky. Standing on the Void Sword, Johnnie flew quickly toward Eastern Mount.

It didn’t take long for him to reach the area around Eastern Mount.

He focused and sensed that the mountain was indeed filled with an unknown energy.

"Johnnie, Skye and I can’t leave The Map of Heaven and Earth, so we can’t sense the outside. You need to find the place with the strongest yin energy first." the AureonHuman Emperor’s voice sounded.

Johnnie guided the Void Sword to circle Eastern Mount. Soon, he found a deep ravine at the foot of the mountain that was giving off a very cold, gloomy energy. It should be the yin energy the AureonHuman Emperor meant.

He brought the Void Sword down and walked toward the strongest source of yin energy.

After less than three hundred meters, a smooth cliff face appeared before him.

He examined it closely. The rock face looked very ordinary, with no hidden entrance.

Did he get the place wrong?

Johnnie told the AureonHuman Emperor what he had found. The AureonHuman Emperor said."The realm of the dead is the world where souls go after people die. You can only sense it with your soul."

Johnnie took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and did as the AureonHuman Emperor said, using his soul to feel the wall in front of him.

He had always been a bit weak in soul matters, but ever since the Dragon Soul accepted him as its master and attached itself to his soul, he no longer worried about soul attacks.

Now he had to use Soul Power to sense the entrance between the realm of the dead and the real world, and he felt a little uneasy.

After a while, with his eyes still closed, Johnnie faintly saw a huge bronze gate appear before him.

The bronze gate was covered in rust and gave off a chilling, gloomy aura. Countless iron chains were wrapped around it in a strange way, and it looked like it couldn’t be opened at all.

When the AureonHuman Emperor heard this, he sighed. "It seems something happened. This entrance has been sealed."

Johnnie frowned. Was all this for nothing?

Just then, sharp, piercing wails rose from behind the bronze gate, mixed with the sound of nails scraping on a wall. It sounded like something was desperately trying to get out.

"This is bad, Johnnie. You’re a living being. To the ghosts in the realm of the dead, you’re as bright as the sun. Even through the bronze gate, they can sense your presence." the AureonHuman Emperor warned.

Johnnie’s eyes lit up. "If I keep drawing them in, is there a chance they’ll open the bronze gate?"

The AureonHuman Emperor hesitated, then said."It’s possible. But if we let those ghosts out, it could cause a disaster."

At that moment, the Dragon Soul, who hadn’t spoken for a long time, suddenly said.

"They’re just some ghosts. If they dare come out, I’ll swallow them."

The Dragon Soul sounded dismissive. It was attached to Johnnie’s soul and couldn’t really show its power in normal fights, but in this situation, it was very confident.

Soon, Johnnie, the AureonHuman Emperor, the Dragon King, and Skye discussed it carefully and decided to give it a try.

Anyway, with the Dragon Soul by our side, even if something went wrong, it wouldn’t be too bad.

Then, Johnnie just pressed his body against the rock wall and slowly closed his eyes.

Right away, the sounds behind the bronze door became louder and more wild. The black iron chains started to move violently.

After about ten minutes, the once-closed bronze door slowly opened a small crack.

A bunch of black eyes quickly filled that tiny gap.

Countless rotting claws grabbed the crack, trying desperately to pull themselves out.

A cold, invisible energy filled the air, and the temperature dropped below zero. The once-green plants around them began to die and wither quickly.

"Roar!"

A dragon’s roar echoed, and the Dragon Soul suddenly appeared.

In an instant, everything went silent. The ghosts that hadn’t fully come out ran away in panic, as if they had met their worst enemy.