The Western Nether Continent stretched across boundless, desolate mountains and rivers, shrouded in a suffocating, eerie mist. The entire world appeared unusually dim and depressed; the scorching sunlight could never penetrate the heavy miasma to reach this land throughout the year. This ghostly fog posed no hindrance to Ghost Cultivators, but it was considerably disadvantageous for Immortal Cultivators.

Once an Immortal Cultivator entered the Western Nether Continent, this ubiquitous fog would immediately begin to erode their protective Gang Qi, constantly draining the cultivator's spiritual power. A cultivator at the Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment stage might find their power depleted and their physical body corrupted and destroyed by the mist after staying for just one or two days.

Consequently, very few Immortal Cultivators ever ventured to this continent.

Of course, cultivators at the Spirit Transformation stage, with their formidable spiritual power, would not concern themselves with such minor erosion. They could remain here for a considerable time. In the Western Nether lands, ghost fires were visible everywhere, and countless low-tier specters and wraiths wandered aimlessly.

Most of them were extremely timid and lacked any aggressive intent. The slightest disturbance would send them fleeing in panic to hide, only to resurface and drift about once everything calmed down.

However, among thousands upon thousands of weak specters and ghosts, occasionally a few exceptionally ferocious malignant spirits or malevolent specters would emerge. They actively devoured the spiritual power of other ghosts, slowly strengthening themselves and gradually developing rudimentary intelligence, establishing dominion over a certain area.

Once these fierce specters and malicious ghosts grew powerful, they would gradually coalesce, recovering their original forms: perhaps the soul of a vicious demonic wolf, a venomous scorpion spirit, or an icy, venomous snake spirit.

Besides these ghostly entities, the Western Nether Continent also harbored tenacious living things: decaying flowers and grasses, along with numerous putrefied beasts.

Amidst the chaotic rocks of a mountain range, a low-tier Golden Core level Ghost Wolf was foraging, pawing at moss-covered rocks and decaying vegetation, searching for low-value ghosts to consume. Within this radius of several hundred li, its strength ranked it as a minor local overlord. Suddenly, the Ghost Wolf raised its head, its eyes burning with ghostly fire, and peered alertly towards a mountain range in the east.

"Hss!"

It sniffed, seeming to catch an unfamiliar scent, and immediately bolted up the ridge.

The Ghost Wolf saw a Nascent Soul level Corroded Bone Crocodile Skeleton Demon gnawing on several bones.

The Ghost Wolf froze instantly, realizing it had stumbled upon a fearsome entity it absolutely shouldn't provoke. Its four paws trembled with fright.

The Corroded Bone Crocodile raised its head, glanced coldly at the Ghost Wolf, and swiped a massive palm toward it!

"Wooo—!"

The Ghost Wolf was batted hundreds of zhang away, let out a mournful howl, tumbled, spun around, and vanished in a streak of dark light. The Corroded Bone Crocodile Skeleton Demon couldn't be bothered to pursue; it still had plenty of spiritual roots and bones to absorb. This Ghost Wolf was too weak; killing it wouldn't yield much Yin essence power.

Not far from the Skeleton Demon, a young cultivator, a peerlessly beautiful woman, and a strikingly gorgeous but haughty woman were taking a brief rest on the mountain ridge.

They were Ye Qin, Huangfu Bing'er, and Qingqiu Li—a trio of Spirit Transformation stage cultivators.

During the long journey across the Western Sea, Huangfu Bing'er and Qingqiu Li had successively broken through to the Spirit Transformation realm after consuming spirit elixirs. With Ye Qin's timely assistance, they had managed to overcome the heavenly tribulation of Spirit Transformation using a large number of looted supreme divine artifacts. Once they broke through, subsequent progress in cultivation became much smoother. Ye Qin's Ya Qi Yu technique easily propelled both of them to the late Spirit Transformation stage.

The trio had only been on the Western Nether Continent for a short time, and the ghosts they encountered in the outermost regions were relatively low-level.

When low-tier ghosts encountered the three, they hurriedly gave way.

"Ancient Immortal Scriptures mention that in the Nether Continent across the Western Sea, there flows a vast, winding Nether River stretching for untold trillions of li, upon which countless souls drift! The Nether River can preserve souls, keeping them from death or destruction. If one could reach the Reincarnation Pool at the river's end, reincarnation would even be possible," Ye Qin remarked with a smile.

"True reincarnation and re-cultivation? Where would we be born after reincarnation, and would we remember our previous life?" Huangfu Bing'er blinked her eyes curiously.

"That is unknown. The Immortal Scriptures state that reincarnation severs the connection to past memories—all memory is wiped clean. Where one is born after reincarnation is unknowable. However, the Sacred Emperor said that the Purple Spirit Returning Sun Grass can preserve a sliver of memory, so there must be some basis for that, otherwise, he wouldn't take this risk," Ye Qin shook his head. Then he turned to Qingqiu Li and said, "You also possess Purple Spirit Returning Sun Grass, is that prepared for your reincarnation?"

"Yes. I saw related records in the Demon Realm's Demon Codex, which mentioned that this item can preserve a small amount of memory," Qingqiu Li nodded. "After reincarnation, the aptitude of one's spiritual roots also changes. Generally speaking, the higher the cultivation level before reincarnation, the greater the chance of possessing superior spiritual root aptitude afterward. The aptitude gained by a Spirit Transformation cultivator reincarnating is entirely different from that of a Nascent Soul cultivator reincarnating. If a cultivator loses their physical body and chooses not to reincarnate, as long as their lifespan has not ended, they can continue cultivating in their ghost form and eventually become a Ghost Immortal. However, the tribulation for a Ghost Cultivator is excessively difficult; reincarnation is the better path."

The three rested for a short while.

The Corroded Bone Skeleton Demon suddenly looked up at the sky, ferocious ghost flames blazing in its eyes, and roared. Ye Qin felt a sudden alarm and gazed into the distance, knitting his brows. "They chased us from the Southern Demon Continent all the way to the Western Nether. It seems unless they seize the spiritual treasure, they won't give up!"

Through the Corroded Bone Crocodile Skeleton Demon, he sensed dozens of powerful auras belonging to mid-to-late Spirit Transformation cultivators rapidly closing in.

On the Western Nether Continent, the spiritual sense of cultivators was intensely suppressed, making it less effective than the broader sense enjoyed by Ghost Cultivators.

This group of Spirit Transformation cultivators put Ye Qin in a difficult position.

Among these cultivators, one, the Er Yu Divine Monarch, along with that mysterious Er Yu Immortal Sword, was already extremely difficult to handle. Furthermore, there was Elder Xu and a group of late Spirit Transformation cultivators whose magical arts and divine abilities were astonishing. If besieged by them, certain death was almost guaranteed. Throughout this desperate flight, they had nearly been cornered and robbed several times.

If he hadn't timely used his Great Incarnation Dharma to disperse their encirclement, he probably wouldn't even have reached the Western Nether Continent.

Coming to this continent was also a last resort. Whether it was the Southern Demon Continent, the Northern Abyss Continent, the Eastern Sea Cultivation World, the Central Land, or the Demon Realm—Spirit Transformation cultivators and Demon Sages hunting him for treasure were everywhere. Ye Qin's strength was insufficient to deal with such a massive number of Spirit Transformation experts.

"Go!" Ye Qin recalled the Corroded Bone Crocodile and commanded softly.

Three beams of light shot up, flashed once, and sped away.

Soon after, a large contingent of Spirit Transformation cultivators appeared on their magical artifacts above the mountain ridge where Ye Qin and the others had stopped. They paused, letting their spiritual sense sweep the area.

"That's Divine Lord Ye's aura!"

"Besides him, there are the auras of two other Spirit Transformation cultivators!"

"Brother Xu, we are gradually entering the hinterlands of the Western Nether Continent. It will probably be very dangerous ahead. Should we continue the pursuit?"

"Pursue! For that spiritual treasure, any price is worth paying." Elder Xu gazed grimly into the depths of the Western Nether Continent.

This continent, steeped in ghost mist, had never been the domain of Immortal Cultivators. The deeper they went, the more perilous the ghosts they would encounter. Those Nether Lords who had lurked here for thousands upon thousands of years were the true masters of this Western Nether land.

From the dark, heavy ghost mist came a sound like a baby weeping.

"This Nether Leech Snake won't stop pestering us; it's been chasing us for nearly half an hour! Kill it!"

Three figures—two male and one female cultivator—flew in mid-air, surrounding a Nether Leech Snake and attacking it fiercely. This massive snake, stretching five thousand zhang long, was covered in black scales. Its head possessed nine mouths, which it opened ferociously, revealing monstrous fangs, trying to tear at the three cultivators suspended in the air.

However, eight of its nine heads had already been severed, rolling on the ground. Only the final head remained, issuing a mournful cry. As it cried, deep thunder rumbled in the sky.

Ye Qin engaged it head-on.

Huangfu Bing'er executed an air-splitting flash, appearing behind the snake. She let out a sharp cry as twin blasts of ice and fire shot out, instantly shearing off the snake's last head. The weeping finally ceased. The enormous body of the Nether Leech Snake crashed heavily onto the ground.

Soon, some weaker specters and Ghost Wolves peeked out cautiously, gathering around the massive snake to feast. A banquet had begun.

It took the combined effort of Ye Qin's trio to finally dispatch it. "This Nine-Headed Nether Leech Snake, merely a late Spirit Transformation level Nether Beast, was already extremely difficult to deal with. I wonder what other ghosts we will encounter ahead!" Ye Qin showed a trace of worry on his face.

This Nether Leech Snake had been unintentionally disturbed by him while passing through this area and had persistently followed them. They had no choice but to stop and kill it.

After dispatching the snake, the trio continued flying at a low altitude.

After flying for an unknown duration, the three finally sighted a long river.

A dark, shadowy river snaked across the vast mountains and rivers, stretching endlessly toward the distance.

Innumerable specks of light shimmered within the river. As they approached, they realized these were countless ghost fires drifting above the water—more numerous than the stars in the sky. On both banks of the river, countless Nether entities were active.

The Nether Beasts active near the edge of the Nether River were already of a considerably high rank.

"This is the legendary Nether River! The river of the Netherworld, said to be tens of millions of li long. The water of this river is ultimate Yin water; it can keep everything afloat, including disembodied souls. This water is best at nourishing and preserving Yin essence, preventing weak souls from scattering completely," Huangfu Bing'er exclaimed in awe.

"With so many Nether ghosts in this Nether River, I wonder where they all come from!" Ye Qin chuckled.

"Chirp!"

A clear, crisp cry echoed from the sky.

Ye Qin startled and looked up, vaguely spotting a giant bird resembling a Phoenix descending. But strangely, its feathers were entirely black.

"Is that a Celestial Beast Phoenix?" Ye Qin swallowed hard, his facial muscles feeling stiff.

"It's a Nether Phoenix! Appearing in this Nether land, entirely black—it can only be a Nether Phoenix! A true Phoenix would never come to a place saturated with ghostly energy!" Qingqiu Li cried out.

Ye Qin, Huangfu Bing'er, and Qingqiu Li exchanged glances, all filled with shock.

The Nether Phoenix, spanning ten thousand zhang in length, slowly descended from the sky, landing by the bank of the Nether River. Wherever the Nether Phoenix landed, for thousands of li around the riverbank, all Nether Beasts, large and small, prostrated themselves on the ground as if facing their Nether Lord, too terrified to move.

Even a Nether Beast, the Nether Phoenix possessed its own arrogance. Its gaze swept over the multitude of weaker Nether Beasts. With a flap of its black wings, it struck down a top-ranking specimen—a fifteenth-tier Nether Beast—and began pecking at its heart, liver, and nascent spirit.

The Nether Beast was utterly broken, lying belly-up on the ground, motionless, allowing the Nether Phoenix to feed.

After satisfying its hunger, the Nether Phoenix walked slowly to the river's edge and lowered its head to drink. In one long draught, it swallowed tens of li of Nether water, consuming countless souls floating in the river. Having eaten and drunk its fill, it finally let out a soft cry, spread its wings, and flew away, vanishing silently into the horizon.

It was unknown where it came from, and unknown where it was going.

Only after the Nether Phoenix disappeared into the sky did the Nether Beasts along the riverbank begin to stir again, their clamor resuming.

The shock of this scene could not easily dissipate from the minds of Ye Qin, Huangfu Bing'er, and the others.

"I never expected to see a Nether Phoenix by the Nether River. The strength of this Nether Phoenix is probably no different from a Celestial Beast Phoenix! The low-tier Nether Beasts had absolutely no power to resist," Ye Qin sighed softly. Since breaking through to the Spirit Transformation realm, this was the first time he felt so profoundly insignificant. Even though he was at the ninth layer of the Spirit Transformation stage, he was utterly insignificant before that Nether Phoenix.