When Earth Awakened, I Became a Sword Saintess

Chapter 188 : The Li Su, The Prison Abyss

188: The Li Su, The Prison Abyss

This was the Li Su’s Realm Gate!

At that moment, Yuyin was deeply shaken.

There was no doubt. This wasn’t a case of some northern Realm Gate being captured by the Li Su. The completely different design of the gate, the alien scripts carved upon it, and the fact that Yuyin had never seen any Li Su sects or cities in her six months wandering the Prison Abyss all pointed to one conclusion. The movements of the Li Su cultivators and the army below made it clear: yhey were not gathering here from all corners of the Prison Abyss but were being dispatched from the other side of the gate, a massive army and a great number of powerful beings.

In that instant, Yuyin realized this was a monumental discovery, one that would overturn humanity’s understanding of the Prison Abyss and even the entire strategic situation!

Humanity had always believed that all their enemies came from the Prison Abyss. The alien tribes, the Ghost Clan, the alien beasts, and the demon spirits were all considered mortal enemies of humankind.

But who could have imagined that the Li Su were also coming from deep within the Prison Abyss, through another kind of Realm Gate? In other words, they too were from another, unknown world.

Earth, the Prison Abyss, and the unknown world of the Li Su. Three separate, distinct worlds.

Who, then, was the real enemy?

"This is the Li Su’s Realm Gate," Yuyin said, her voice a low, intense whisper.

"Of course. This gate is said to have appeared a few years ago. The Li Su use it to invade this region, slaughtering our people, hunting alien beasts, gathering resources, seizing treasures, and cultivating here without a care in the world!" A silent hatred flashed in the Ghost Princess’s golden eyes.

"Xia Yuyin, although you, woman, can be irritating at times, I must admit, on this point, this Princess admires you."

"Hm?"

"You are trapped deep in the Prison Abyss, lost, yet you don’t think of returning. Instead, you are willing to take risks to gather intelligence for your Xia people. It is that courage that makes me willing to help you. Otherwise, for saving my people, I would have simply given you a treasure and been done with it. Why would I risk bringing you here? You have the intelligence you wanted now, haven’t you?"

The Ghost Princess looked at Yuyin, her eyes holding a genuine flicker of admiration. To still be thinking of gathering intelligence in such a crisis was a testament to her character.

Yuyin’s feelings were complicated. So the Ghost Clan truly was honorable. Knowing this was the very exit of their mortal enemy’s stronghold, they didn’t hesitate to accompany her here, not even offering a warning. Were they afraid she would think they were trying to shirk their responsibility?

"Ah… yes, that’s right," Yuyin said, her gaze calm as she nodded. But in her heart, she was thinking, what now?

"Why are the Li Su gathering such a large army and so many powerful beings here, at this particular time?" the Ghost Princess’s gaze was heavy. She motioned for the Ghosts behind them to stay hidden while speaking to Yuyin. "Although we have an oath to attack the Li Su together, Xia Yuyin, you’re not thinking of attacking this place, are you? That would be unwise."

"Look, the troops coming out continuously already number over a thousand, and more are still arriving. These Li Su soldiers may be weak, but there are too many of them. Plus, each military formation has a Commander, at least at the Early-Stage of Void Truth Realm. See those few standing on high ground, giving commands? Those are the Li Su army’s Battalion Commanders and Adjutants, all at the Mid- or Late-Stage of Void Truth Realm. And with a formation of this scale, there must be a General leading them, and that is not an existence we can handle. Not to mention the many other powerful cultivators from various sects," the Ghost Princess explained to Yuyin, her eyes on the powerful Li Su beings and their army that continued to emerge and gather from the Realm Gate.

So the Li Su had an army? It wasn’t just sects… Yuyin committed all this to memory.

"Your Highness the Ghost Princess, of course I’m not foolish enough to attack such a massive Li Su army," Yuyin said.

"This Li Su army and these sects… could it be… for the same reason we are? For that great event!" the Ghost Princess realized.

"Huh? What event?"

The Ghost Princess grabbed Yuyin’s hand. "This isn’t the place to talk. Yuyin, let’s leave here first. There are too many of them. It would be disastrous if we were discovered."

Yuyin had no objection. This place was not the way back to Earth; staying here was pointless.

The Ghost Princess led Yuyin and the Ghosts, suppressing their auras as they put distance between themselves and the gate. They didn’t stop until they had crossed two mountains.

"Xia Yuyin, we are heading north to carry out the important task Her Majesty has given this Princess. What are your plans? Will you stay here to gather more intelligence, or…?" The Ghost Princess stood on a bed of fallen leaves by a mountain spring, looking up at Yuyin. The many powerful ghosts were scattered around, standing guard.

"I…"

"Your Highness the Ghost Princess, if I want to return to the world of humans, the Xia people, which way should I go? I mean, where is the nearest Xia Realm Gate from here?" Yuyin asked, but seeing the look in the Ghost Princess’s eyes, her heart sank by half.

"The Xia’s Realm Gate? Heh… Xia Yuyin, are you joking with me? I can’t help you with that. Although we Ghosts always repay our debts of gratitude, this is beyond my abilities. Besides, I have my own important mission," the Ghost Princess said, spreading her hands as if Yuyin’s question was somewhat absurd.

"I know. I just need you to tell me which way to go," Yuyin said.

The Ghost Princess shook her head. "Even if I told you, you wouldn’t make it. The nearest Xia Realm Gate is five or six thousand li away from here. The direction is roughly southeast. But… you would have to cross one of the most dangerous great mountain ranges in the Prison Abyss, a chain that stretches for ten thousand li. Xia Yuyin, with your strength, the chance of you making it through alive is next to nothing. And it’s very easy to get lost. Even I, with this detachment of Ghosts, do not have the ability to cross it."

"So… it’s like that…" Yuyin had expected this, but she had asked anyway, holding on to a sliver of hope. After all, the fact that no human had ever been active in this region, that not even a Grandmaster had reached this place, was proof enough.

"I’m rather curious. How did you get here?" the Ghost Princess asked, tilting her head and looking at Yuyin’s high, full chest.

"Well… that’s a long story. I’ll tell you another time," Yuyin said, feeling a mix of laughter and tears as she silently thanked King Zheng. If it weren’t for King Zheng, who could leap a thousand zhang in a single bound, and who had carried her in a desperate, all-night flight, she would never have made it here.

For a moment, Yuyin fell silent. What should she do? Return to the Ghost Clan Fortress and fight alongside those lecherous but honorable Ghost brothers?

Seeing the hesitation in Yuyin’s eyes, the Ghost Princess actually showed a trace of concern.

She patted Yuyin on the waist. "Yuyin, why don’t you come with this Princess?"

"Huh?"

"I said before, this Princess is going to do something big. Are you willing to join forces with me? If we get the treasure, we’ll split it!"

"Treasure?" Yuyin’s eyes, which had been somewhat lost, lit up at the mention of treasure.

"Tsk. You woman, you act so prim and proper in other ways, but the moment treasure is mentioned, you lose all composure. Look at you, the answer is written all over your face. Just how unsatisfied are your desires for treasure?" the Ghost Princess asked, shaking her head with a helpless smile.

"Then… Your Highness the Ghost Princess, what is this specific treasure?" Yuyin suppressed her desire for the treasure, trying to ask as seriously as she could.

"It is… the inheritance of Rain Concubine," a ghostly light glinted in the Ghost Princess’s eyes.