Chapter Fifty-Two: The World's Response

Fan Tianxing and Jiao Rumeng walked through Qianyou Town, becoming more and more alarmed with each step. In such a short time, the entire town had become a playground for sinister entities, forming a grotesque ecosystem of the uncanny.

It was a terrifying cycle—a vicious loop of death and dread. The sinister beings roamed unrestrained, terrorizing humans and generating immeasurable amounts of fear. This fear, in turn, fueled the entities, making them rapidly more powerful, but also driving them to act on their instincts, escalating their torment of people.

Those who died, consumed by terror, transformed into new uncanny entities themselves. And these freshly born creatures, empowered by overwhelming fear, swiftly grew stronger and began to hunt humans in turn…

So the cycle continued, like an ever-growing snowball, the uncanny entities in Qianyou Town multiplying and growing in strength.

He took out his phone. After connecting the call, he gave his order directly: “Seal off the entire Qianyou Town. Not a single uncanny entity is to escape!”

With that, he surveyed the devastated landscape. “Now, let’s begin the slow work of cleansing this place.”

Meanwhile, Xiao Zi had already arrived at Tianjing City. Sensing the dense human presence—far greater than in Qianyou Town—a smile unlike any before appeared on his face. Here, he would forge an even more terrifying legend!

…

What Xiao Zi did not know was that, although Maoguo was but a small country, it was under the surveillance of the world’s top powers. This night of terror had shocked the entire globe.

Already, numerous Ghostmasters had been dispatched from all over Maoguo. Upon seeing the remains of Li Juetian, they all stood at attention and removed their hats—an act of greatest respect among Ghostmasters.

At the same time, news was spreading, bit by bit, through the ranks of the world’s most powerful organizations.

Within Wushang, the Demon Lord stared at the intelligence report his subordinate had handed over, hardly believing his eyes. He never would have imagined that someone would dare to stage such a grand affair right under the noses of Daxia, tantamount to courting death. Had the perpetrator not escaped in time, he was sure that no being could withstand the wrath of Daxia’s Spirit Refiner.

“How fascinating. Truly fascinating!”

In Daxia, within the Spirit Refining Pavilion, an elderly man with a head of white hair frowned. “Very well, I understand. Do not forget your true mission in Maoguo—finding the Ghost Domain takes precedence over all else.” He hung up, his white beard trembling as though stirred by a windless storm, and an unprecedented fury darkened his face.

“Frightening an entire town—tens of thousands of people? I’ve truly lived to see it all.” After muttering to himself, the table before him shattered with a bang. His eyes narrowed. “Once the Ghost Domain is dealt with, I’ll settle accounts with you!”

In the royal family of the Land of the Setting Sun, a man reclined on a lounge chair on his balcony, wearing a woman’s swimsuit and swirling a glass of wine. After a long moment, he gazed into the distance. “Maoguo, is it? The uncanny entities are getting bolder by the day.” He broke into a grotesque grin, revealing rows of razor-sharp fangs—hardly human.

In the Land of the White Flag, countless figures in black cloaks, each wielding a dagger, simultaneously stabbed an old man. The old man fell, face twisted with unwillingness and pain, blood pouring from myriad wounds. One figure lowered his hood, his gaze icy. “Under my leadership, this world will be ours, sooner or later.” He wiped the blood from his blade. “It’s the perfect chance to use Maoguo’s chaos to observe Daxia’s response.” A smile curled his lips, as if eagerly anticipating what was to come.

In the Land of the Cherry Blossom, a man armed to the teeth laughed uproariously. “At last, Daxia’s made a fool of itself before the whole world!” He glanced at the kneeling figure before him. “Well? Have you finished negotiations with Lord Tengu? Our nation’s fate is staked on aiding him.” “Lord Tengu said that once his strength returns to its peak, he’ll help us become the world’s most powerful nation!”

In North Maoguo, a man built entirely of muscle was locked in brutal combat with a monstrous bear-shaped uncanny entity. Moments later, steam rose from his body as the beast lay dead at his feet. “I’ve heard about Maoguo’s situation. For now, it’s only circulating among the upper echelons of the five great nations—it’s best the common folk remain unaware.” He turned toward Maoguo. “According to previous intelligence, the Demon Lord’s next target should be there. How interesting. Top forces from around the globe are fixated on this tiny country, and yet, uncanny entities are running wild here too. I wonder how much longer he’ll survive.”

In a Tower Country office, two rows of men in black suits sat at a conference table, nervously watching a standing figure. This man, also in a suit and wearing glasses, bore on his back a massive container—inside were what appeared to be the vital essences of several uncanny entities. Tubes wound around his body, seemingly connected to every artery.

“I’ve heard about the incident. That uncanny entity intrigues me, but the Ghost Domain interests me more. If I could use the Ghost Domain as my driving core, then—ha ha ha…” The man’s laughter sent chills down the spines of everyone present. They looked at him with dread—not as one would look at a man, but as one would regard a monster.

All the while, Xiao Zi remained oblivious to the machinations of the world’s most powerful forces—he was still manipulating Ruan Qing to advance his plan.

Ever since her last encounter, Ruan Qing had grown sensitive and deeply curious about ghosts and such phenomena. She had the distinct impression that the spirit from before was still close by, silently watching her every move.

In truth, Xiao Zi was indeed monitoring her actions through the Nightmare Mark. Because of this, she became obsessed with stories of ghosts, delving into all manner of accounts and gradually realizing that the world was far more complex than she had ever imagined.

Life might have continued uneventfully, had she not overheard one of her father’s phone conversations the day before. The word “Ghost Domain” drifted through the call—those two syllables seared themselves into her memory, impossible to shake.

At last, after her father left the house, a restless urge overtook her. Unable to resist, she slipped into his room, searching for something—though even she was not fully conscious of her actions, as if guided by some mysterious force.

This force compelled her every movement.

She entered her father’s room, found nothing out of the ordinary, and was about to leave when her body seized up, turning her gaze toward a bookshelf in the corner.

As if possessed, she approached the shelf, removed all the books, and uncovered a safe. Embedded in the safe was a gemstone, pulsing with a red light that reflected her face.

Without hesitation, she reached for the gem. As it flashed crimson, the safe’s lock began to move on its own, eventually clicking open a narrow gap.

She slowly opened the safe, revealing a stack of documents: “Study of the Habits and Weaknesses of Uncanny Entities,” “Activity Range and Containment Methods for Uncanny Entities in Tianjing City,” “Weaknesses and Solutions for Forbidden Zones,” “Speculation on the Location of the Ghost Domain”…

Seeing these documents, Ruan Qing’s heart began to race uncontrollably. Clutching the files, she walked out of the house.

Her destination seemed to be the endless darkness ahead…