The shrieking grew very close.

Just a moment later, Fang Zhen saw seven or eight strange spirit bodies floating out from the depths of the Path of the Dead.

"Wraiths!" Avera cried out, her voice turning sharp and clearly filled with fear.

Fang Zhen also got a clear look at the approaching spirit bodies.

They were translucent, human-shaped souls with a hazy, gray appearance. For the most part, their bodies were intact and almost indistinguishable from humans. They even wore clothes, though the styles were so varied they seemed to come from different countries, or even different eras.

But the wraiths' faces were all numb and apathetic, seemingly expressionless, which gave off an eerie feeling.

They had legs, but they floated as they flew, some even tumbling through the air.

The wraiths were just over ten meters from Fang Zhen.

He could clearly feel the air around him turn cold.

Fang Zhen took a deep breath and tightened his grip on his spear.

As the wraiths flew rapidly toward him, closing to just three or four meters away, Fang Zhen suddenly shook his spear, covering it with his Spiritual Power.

"BOOM!"

A torrent of brilliant, multicolored flames erupted, forming a fiery tornado that swept up the incoming wraiths.

Instantly, miserable shrieks filled the air.

Though they should have been incorporeal, the wraiths ignited as soon as the Magic Flame touched them. Their intangible Spirit Bodies burst into flames, resembling a string of burning lanterns floating in the air.

The Magic Flame was especially effective against Spirit Bodies. Fang Zhen could see with his own eyes how the wraiths' Spirit Bodies rapidly faded, their power consumed as quickly as fuel.

"Huh?" Avera gasped, completely surprised.

"It's working!" A gleam flashed in Fang Zhen's eyes.

He waved his hand again, and another vortex of fire swept up the next seven or eight wraiths that flew in.

…

「Over ten minutes later.」

Fang Zhen and Avera had reached the end of the Path of the Dead.

Along the way, numerous wraiths had flown in to attack, but Fang Zhen burned them all to death with the Magic Flame on his spear.

Or rather, sent them on to the afterlife.

This constant burning accelerated the consumption of the Magic Grease, leaving only about a third of it.

'It's not much, but it'll be enough. The Path of the Dead is almost at its end.'

There were still several hundred wraiths in the passage, but they were afraid of the Magic Flame on Fang Zhen's spear. They kept backing away, as if Fang Zhen alone were forcing back hundreds of the undead.

Fang Zhen's confidence surged.

"How much further until the end of the passage?" Fang Zhen asked.

"We're close. Sixty or seventy more steps at most," Avera said.

The way she looked at Fang Zhen had changed.

At first, she had been somewhat skeptical of Fang Zhen's abilities.

But as they went deeper and she saw Fang Zhen annihilate the wraiths with such ease, Avera was not only shocked but also began to feel a hint of self-doubt.

'Could all those documents and books I read have been wrong?'

Fang Zhen didn't have the time to worry about what Avera was thinking and continued forward.

The wraiths possessed basic intelligence. Seeing how ferocious Fang Zhen was, these normally aggressive spirits of the Path of the Dead didn't dare to approach, even huddling together in retreat.

"Heh, just like in the ghost stories. Whether they're ghosts or spirits, they all bully the weak and fear the strong," Fang Zhen chuckled.

"We're here!" Avera suddenly called out.

Ahead was an arched stone gate, seemingly made of Obsidian. Beyond the gate, a gloomy space was visible.

Fang Zhen raised his spear and quickly entered the stone gate.

After passing through the stone gate, Fang Zhen was suddenly struck by a strange mental sensation.

His state of mind, which had been energized by the recent battle, instantly became somewhat tranquil and calm.

He even felt a slight urge to put down his spear, lie down, and sleep soundly, as if enjoying the peace of being in the womb.

But in the next moment, a sharp glint flashed in Fang Zhen's eyes.

He had triggered a passive skill: Interrupt!

The Interrupt skill could break mental hypnosis and attacks.

And now, the skill had interrupted the suggestion the environment was imposing on him.

Avera also stepped through the stone gate, her expression immediately growing drowsy. But just then, her Crystal Bone Crow flew in from the Path of the Dead and let out an irritating, noisy caw.

As grating as it was, the effect was excellent. Avera was instantly jolted awake.

"It's the Restful Quiet Chamber," Avera said, her expression returning to normal. "It's an intermediate space that separates the Path of the Dead from the Forbidden Land Netherworld. If you're not careful, you could fall asleep here for several years until you waste away."

Fang Zhen shot Avera a glance and said, "Next time, if you know something like this, say so sooner."

"I just remembered," Avera said.

Fang Zhen scoffed inwardly.

'Once is a coincidence. Twice is definitely not an accident.'

He once again put more psychological distance between himself and Avera.

He was even prepared to turn on Avera at a moment's notice.

He saw that the stone chamber was about one hundred square meters. Ahead, there was another black Obsidian archway.

"Beyond that gate ahead is the Forbidden Land Netherworld."

"We will definitely encounter the Forbidden Realm's Gatekeeper there."

"In the legends, the Gatekeeper is a subordinate of the Nether God, responsible for guarding the mortal world and the Netherworld. They also occasionally guide the souls of the powerful into the Netherworld. They're figures of legend, even myth."

"I never thought I'd one day come into contact with such a being," Avera said, her expression and tone a little tense.

Fang Zhen understood as soon as he heard this.

'This Gatekeeper is probably equivalent to the Oxhead and Horseface of Xia Country legends.'

'In mythology, these kinds of figures are minor, insignificant characters, but that's only in comparison to masters like Gods and Buddhas or Great Saints.'

'To an ordinary person, Oxhead and Horseface are powerful figures you couldn't afford to offend in several lifetimes.'