Chapter 49: One More Casualty (1/2)
“The Ghost sect…”
Nie Tian quietly observed An Ying and Zheng Rui’s faces, his brow furrowed and his heart clouded with suspicions.
This was the first time that he had ever been out of Black Cloud City for so long.
All his life, he had practiced cultivation in the Nie clan in Black Cloud City, and most of the fascinating stories he had heard were about the Cloudsoaring sect.
To him, the Ghost sect was a new, unheard-of name.
He knew nothing about the Ghost sect, and didn’t understand why the three disciples of the Spiritual Treasure sect became so scared and anxious after learning that they had entered the Green Illusion dimension.
Just like him, most of the teenagers from the seven major cities also knew nothing of the Ghost sect, and puzzled expressions could be seen on their faces. Only two of them seemed to have heard about the Ghost sect from their respective clan elders.
As for those two, the moment they heard that Ghost sect disciples had also come to the Green Illusion dimension, their faces immediately turned pale, and their eyes filled with terror.
Apparently, the two of them were more scared of the Ghost sect than An Ying, Zheng Rui, and Pan Tao!
Pan Tao looked over at Nie Tian with a very serious look in his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he said, “Many of you have probably never heard of the Ghost sect, so I should probably give you a brief introduction. Our sect, together with the Cloudsoaring sect, the Grayvale sect, and the Mystic Mist sect, belong to the same Qi warriors’ alliance. The Ghost sect, the Blood sect, and the Hell sect, on the other hand, belong to the enemy alliance.
“The power of the Ghost sect, the Blood sect as well as the Hell sect isn’t inferior to ours, not even in the slightest.
“For several hundred years, our four sects have fought them countless times over the rights to mysterious dimensions and spiritual material mines, both overtly and covertly.
“Over such a long time, we have never truly defeated them. Both sides are pretty much equally strong.”
After pausing to let the information sink in, Pan Tao continued, “Although our sects secretly fight with each other from time to time, those fights are under control. Normally, there won’t be mass casualties. However, every time our sects go to war with them, there are always tremendous casualties! Not only low stage disciples like us, even powerful sect elders from the four sects may be killed in those battles!
“The two sides are now as incompatible as fire and water. Upon encountering each other, both sides will fight to the last man!
“Since people from the Ghost sect have shown up in the Green Illusion dimension, I guess their goal is to kill us all!
“Only when we’re killed off will they retreat from the Green Illusion dimension!”
Upon hearing these words, every trial taker, including Nie Tian, became silent.
Everyone’s face grew grimmer than ever. Due to the appearance of the Ghost sect disciples, the Green Illusion dimension seemed to have suddenly turned into a bloody battlefield.
Jiang Miao suggested in a timid voice, “Elder sister An Ying, how about… we return to the Secret Dimension Gate and inform your elder sister that people from the Ghost sect have entered the Green Illusion dimension?”
All the teenagers were trembling with fear upon the news of the Ghost sect’s arrival, and hurried to nod in agreement with Jiang Miao’s proposal.
“It won’t work for us go back.” An Ying shook her head, and killed their hope with one sentence. “After everyone entered, the Secret Dimension Gate was temporarily sealed, to prevent people from cheating by sneaking into the Green Illusion dimension to provide assistance.
“Only when the trial is over and the allotted half year is up will the Secret Dimension Gate be reopened.
“In the meantime, we’re completely sealed off from the outside world. We can’t get out, and they can’t get in.
“Whatever happens in the Green Illusion dimension, we’ll have to survive these six months.”
“Then, we’re screwed, aren’t we?” Guo Qi said in desperation. “No one knows how many of them came here and what cultivation stage they’re at. If they’re all Lesser Heaven and Heaven stage experts, they can definitely kill us all in half a year. If that’s the case, none of us will be able to get out of here alive. Instead, we’ll all be tortured and murdered by those people from the Ghost sect.”
Although An Ying secretly despised his cowardliness, she had to comfort the crowd. “You’re worrying too much. People from the Ghost sect, the Blood sect and the Hell sect are blood-thirsty, brutal, and merciless, but they’re also extremely arrogant. They know that the trial takers our sects send to the Green Illusion dimension are in the Qi Refining stage.
“Since they always have a high opinion of themselves, those they’ve sent to the Green Illusion dimension should also be juniors, probably in the same stage as us.
“Perhaps they have more battle experience than we do, and have been baptized by blood. However, as for strength… we should be equally strong.
“As long as we are not outnumbered, we might not necessarily end up being killed!”
Guo Qi was stunned. “Do you mean that the guys the Ghost sect has sent here are also in the Qi Refining sage?”
An Ying nodded. “I believe so.”
Guo Qi heaved a sigh of relief, and even built up a bit of courage. Snorting, he said, “If we’re in the same cultivation stage, why do we fear them? Elder Sister An Ying, I saw your expression just now, and figured powerful experts of the Lesser Heaven and Heaven stage had come for us. Hahaha, it’s the three of you that have frightened us.” He pretended to be worry-free.
Hearing Guo Qi’s comments, everyone else seemed to loosen up.
Even Nie Tian, who had initially been nervous, soon calmed down and thought to himself, “If they are all in the Qi Refining stage, then those from the Ghost sect may not be so deadly.”
Only An Ying, Pan Tao, and Zheng Rui didn’t relax in the slightest. They exchanged a glance, and understood the bitterness in each other’s eyes.
They were the only ones who truly understood how terrifying the Ghost sect, the Blood sect, and the Hell sect actually were.
Killing and bloodbath had accompanied the growth of every disciple of those three sects. They all viewed slaughtering people as common as everyday affairs like eating and sleeping.
Even though An Ying, Zheng Rui, and Pan Tao had been cultivating in the Spiritual Treasure sect, they were far from adequate in the aspect of real combat, and only could make it up with their powerful spiritual tools.
As for those from the subordinate clans, like Guo Qi, once they engaged in battle with the Ghost sect’s disciples, they would most likely be scared so badly by their enemies’ bloody and ruthless means that they would have a mental breakdown.
These trial takers had grown up like flowers in the greenhouse. Not one of them had ever passed through the storm of real combat.
The reason the four sects organized the Green Illusion dimension’s trial was to hammer them like steel, to ready them for possible bloody battles in the future.
Who would have guessed that before the Green Illusion dimension trial even ended, they would have to face the blood-thirsty disciples from the Ghost sect.
This was indeed overly cruel for them.
An Ying didn’t go on and tell the others more about the dreadfulness of the Ghost sect, for fear of frightening everyone else so much they would lose the will to battle.