Chapter 197: This Is Your Last Chance

The Ghost Realm.

It was finally about to appear truly before us.

The Spirit Boat flickered with a faint light, using its power to resist the spatial cutting forces that could appear at any moment within the high-speed passage.

Was it possible for a physical body to directly cross the void and forcibly reach the next world?

That was nearly impossible.

Like a small leaf in a vast ocean, any stray wave could completely overturn the lonely boat. Countless spatial cracks, like pitch-black abysses, often appeared without the slightest warning.

After flickering for a fleeting moment, they would vanish silently, waiting for the next lucky traveler to collide with them. Only a supreme-grade artifact like this Spirit Boat could pass safely through these void fissures.

All things have their strengths and weaknesses.

The patterns engraved on the hull of the Spirit Boat continuously emitted a dim light. Whenever a void fissure appeared, ripples like water would splash out, and a light blue glow would reflect across every part of the Spirit Boat, annihilating the spatial cutting forces into nothingness.

I stood on the deck, my arms resting on the edge of the railing, looking up at the magnificent colors in the sky.

Putting aside the danger, the scenery within the sea of stars was indeed breathtaking. It was beautiful and well worth admiring.

“Mother.”

Xi Zhiruo pulled at the corner of my clothes, calling my name with sleepy eyes.

“Why didn’t you sleep a little longer?” I picked up my half-awake daughter.

She rubbed her large eyes, one of them still closed, and let out a yawn like a little kitten. She could not understand what was so special about the scenery she saw every day.

“I didn’t want to sleep,” Xi Zhiruo said with a pout.

Without her mother by her side, she did not want to sleep alone in a cold bed.

“We will reach the Ghost Realm in one week.”

Xi Zhiruo’s gaze seemed to pierce through the void. She suddenly stared in one direction, her pure black pupils narrowing slightly.

Countless spatial turbulences appeared ahead, leaving only a small, safe path that could accommodate the Spirit Boat, like a corridor welcoming the arrival of an emperor.

The void itself bowed before her.

After finishing this, she curled up her small body, found a more comfortable position, and completely closed her eyes.

She loved sleeping while leaning on her mother the most. It was soft and very comfortable. It smelled better than sleeping with a pillow.

I watched the scenery for a while longer until my arms suddenly felt a bit sore. This girl was gaining weight too quickly. If this continued for another year or two, I might not be able to carry her at all.

I walked to the edge of a wooden bench and slowly sat down. With my arms finally supported, I felt a bit more at ease. The little girl still had not opened her eyes, her shallow breathing rhythmic like a kitten’s purring. I could not help but reach out with my fingertip to poke her chubby little cheek, causing the stray lock of hair on her head to wobble in protest.

One week passed in the blink of an eye.

The Spirit Boat was like a bolt of lightning cutting through the darkness, appearing outside the barrier of the Ghost Realm without any warning.

Countless ghost cultivators stood ready in a serious formation, as if facing a great enemy.

A Spirit Boat capable of traversing the sea of stars was a top-tier artifact; even the entire Ghost Realm possessed very few of them. The identity of the master behind this suddenly appearing Spirit Boat was bound to be extraordinary.

While the Ghost Realm did not face many large-scale attacks from evil cultivators, there were still scattered groups constantly probing the borders. Thus, some speculated whether these evil cultivators were secretly brewing some kind of conspiracy.

Furthermore, evil cultivators often traversed the void using a very special secret technique. Seeing such a massive object so abruptly, how could anyone not be on high alert?

Some were even wondering if a formidable figure among the evil cultivators had arrived, intending to lead a massive army to invade and launch a general offensive against the entire Ghost Realm.

“Alert!”

“Quickly, stay alert!”

Ghost cultivators shouted continuously, already notifying the powerhouses among their ranks.

Some stared tensely at the boundary stone, issuing a sharp warning, “Please stop the Spirit Boat immediately!”

“Does your Excellency wish to witness the defensive power of our Ghost Realm?”

Who could have known?

The Spirit Boat acted as if it had heard nothing. There was no response at all, and it continued to move forward slowly at a steady speed.

“Damn it!”

The Ghost Cultivator Great General spat fiercely. “Insolent brat! How dare they! They treat us as if we are nothing!!!”

This attitude of looking down on all living beings had already enraged everyone.

As the distance of the Spirit Boat closed, the figures standing on it gradually became visible. A young girl in a white dress stood gracefully, leaning against the railing, quietly watching the crowd that was staring back at her with wariness.

A little girl floating in the air was constantly tugging at the young girl’s skirt, her expression looking inexplicably aggrieved for some reason. If her mother ignored her, she would become unhappy and keep pulling at the fabric.

The young girl seemed helpless and could only reach out her palm to slowly hold one of the smaller hands.

“How bold!”

This eerie scene made everyone’s skin crawl.

Were there only two invaders?

And they belonged to the groups one should never provoke among cultivators: the elderly, beautiful female cultivators, and children. Two of those categories were represented here.

How could it not be terrifying?

‘Are there… really only these two?’

The Ghost Cultivator Great General repeatedly scanned with his divine sense, but he could only find those two figures on the Spirit Boat. His arms were already trembling. No words could describe his current state of mind.

Two people.

And they were both ordinary people without a shred of cultivation.

Yet, they were piloting the highest-grade Spirit Boat, having completed a long voyage across the sea of stars to arrive at another world. Something that was basically impossible was happening right before his eyes.

The contradictory and bizarre feeling gave this Benwo Realm ghost cultivator a sense of creeping horror that followed him like a shadow. He even felt the urge to retreat, wanting only to escape to a safe zone immediately.

This was because ordinary people without cultivation could not navigate the void. Even with the help of the finest Spirit Boat, it was completely impossible. Near the Ghost Realm, there was a section of reverse void storms that acted as a natural barrier. One had to forcibly break through that storm to reach the Ghost Realm. Otherwise, it was like sailing against a gale; no matter the cost, one would only remain stuck in place.

“Great General, what should we do?”

The lieutenant beside him had never seen such a bizarre situation either. He asked indecisively, “Should we attack immediately? In a moment, she will be right at the boundary stone.”

The Great General forcibly suppressed the fear in his heart and commanded the group of ghost cultivators behind him. “Attack.”

He could only defend. Even if he could not figure out who these two were, he could not let them approach the Ghost Realm so easily.

Behind him were countless newborn little ghost cultivators, including his relatives, friends, and students. He could not yield a single inch.

I glanced at my daughter.

A terrifying formation composed of tens of thousands of ghost cultivators had already finished condensing before us. Overwhelming attacks could descend at any moment, intending to completely shatter this Spirit Boat within a vortex of energy.

Xi Zhiruo floated in the air with exceptional calm, one small hand still held by the young girl beside her.

After a long while, she suddenly gave a soft response. This was the first time the countless ghost cultivators present heard the invader speak. Her soft voice was unexpectedly cute. “Those who lay down their weapons now, this Empress will forgive your offense.”

Her voice was cute, but the content was incredibly arrogant. It was as if she did not take the formation in front of her seriously at all, nor did she care for the countless ghost cultivators of the Ghost Realm.

The Great General shook with rage. He was being lectured by a wet-behind-the-ears little girl. That was right; she really was wet behind the ears, probably having just been weaned not long ago.

The formation continued to gather energy, becoming even more massive than before.

“I am only giving you one last chance,” Xi Zhiruo laughed softly, slowly raising her small hand.

An invisible domain instantly enveloped the entire world. Invisible rules were continuously squeezing the barrier of the world. The creaking spatial walls seemed as though they would explode in the next second.

One had to realize that she had not even made a move yet. Simply releasing her domain created such a terrifying scene.

Boom — 

Red lightning appeared in every corner of the world. The Ghost Realm barrier, which had never been broken, now seemed like a weak child about to shatter before the eyes of countless people.

*Snap* — 

The formation condensed by the multitude of people was instantly broken. The pressure had become so powerful that it was suffocating.

Countless ghost cultivators lay miserably on the ground, unable to even think about reforming the physical manifestation of their formation.

Wails echoed across the land. The source of all this was merely a little girl raising her small hand. Without any actual physical attack, she had already crushed the most elite army of ghost cultivators. Even the originally unbreakable world barrier was no longer a safe haven where they could hide or overcome a stronger foe.

In this moment, the Great General truly felt that the world barrier would completely shatter in the next second.

‘What realm of power is this?’

The Great General was trembling in fear. Forcing himself against the endless pressure, he barely managed to lift his head. He looked up at the little girl in the pretty princess dress, who did not even reach his waist.

Like the countless low-level ghost cultivators, he could only crawl miserably on the ground, as if he were in the presence of a supreme emperor.

The originally powerful Benwo Realm was no different from an ordinary person before this beautiful little girl.