These mountain-like figures were tens of times larger than the old granny's.
His eyes glowed brightly in the midst of the roiling sea of fog, and they were like stars in the night sky as they stared intently at Qin Ye.
However, not a single one dared to approach them.
They simply watched silently as the two of them walked along the path of bones.
Furthermore, with every step the old granny took, the huge eyes took a step back.
It was as though the stars in the sky were beginning to sway.
"This is called Yin Crossing.
If you're strong enough, you'll be able to find the soul you're looking for within seven days here.
You might even be able to allow the other party to temporarily regain their senses and converse with you.
The so-called soul summoning by the mages back in the mortal realm is to temporarily summon the soul of a ghost from here when it's still on its last breath of Yang energy. "
"In fact, if you're lucky enough to be promoted to a position above that of a Netherworld Operative, you won't even need to Yin Crossing. You'll be able to make your move on this path of the netherworld.
Alright, lower your head. We're here. You can speak now. "
Qin Ye immediately reined in his thoughts and lowered his head.
The path of bones had already come to an end, and there was a large ship anchored there.
It was an ancient-looking ferry that was a thousand meters long. It floated quietly in the void. However, there was a golden skeleton standing on the ferry that was supposed to be the ferryman's seat!
Green bamboo hat, green raincoat, and pure gold bones. The skeleton was still holding onto the handle, slightly hunched over and burying its head in a posture of exertion.
It was hard to imagine that such a skeleton the size of an ordinary human was the ferryman of this thousand-meter long ferry.
Countless Yin spirits on the other side of the bone bridge were already holding onto the notes of hell in their hands, staring intently at the skeleton.
"He's … dead?" Qin Ye murmured.
The old granny's gaze was incomparably complex, "Not dead … but left …"
"For thousands of years, I've never known his name.
He never spoke a single word, and he would always quietly send people to where I am, before silently leaving.
We thought that we'd look after each other in silence for all eternity, but who knew … "
She shook her head and didn't continue speaking.
Qin Ye retracted his gaze thoughtfully. Just then, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he stared at the ferryman with disbelief. He couldn't help but take a step forward.
As soon as he took a step forward, he felt his feet leave the ground, and his body lost its balance.
Then, a strong force came from his arm and pulled him back.
"Do you want to die?!" Grandma said angrily, "Look at your feet!"
Qin Ye's forehead was drenched in cold sweat as he looked down. There was a bottomless abyss right beneath his feet!
The ferry stopped in the void, giving the illusion that it could be crossed on flat ground, but that was not the case at all.
The bottomless abyss wasn't frightening. What was even more frightening was that … this abyss could only be seen after stepping out of the bridge.
Moreover … at the same time that he fell, he vaguely heard the soft chuckle of a woman from below. Countless black waves erupted from the bottom of the abyss, spreading wildly along the mountain walls.
That was not the Blacktide.
Instead … it was his hair!
In this endless abyss, there was something terrifying hidden, like a hunting spider, quietly waiting for a soul to step into her domain.
Grandma said solemnly, "Don't let your guard down just because this is the first section of the Yellow Springs Road. There are too many existences on this road that you can't even imagine. This is a forbidden zone for the living. One wrong step and you'll die."
Qin Ye gently patted his grandmother's hand away, and the two of them locked gazes, "I've got a question.
I don't know if I should ask. "
"Since you shouldn't ask, then don't ask."
Almost as though she knew what he wanted to ask, the old granny responded softly, "You've lived for far too long, and your senses are far sharper than most people.
It's best to keep some questions to yourself. "
Qin Ye's gaze grew increasingly somber, "What … happened to Hell?"
Without waiting for the old granny to respond, he continued, "I've just discovered … that the ferryman's death wasn't a natural one."
"His posture was that of a ferryman, and even his hands were vigorously propping himself up.
It was a sudden death.
Not even someone of the ferryman's status would have expected such a sudden and unexpected death.
Furthermore, it was an instantaneous death.
In fact, the ferryman was still maintaining this posture even after his death. "
He looked straight into the old granny's eyes and enunciated each word clearly, "Who can instantly annihilate the ferryman?"
The old granny's lips parted slightly. Qin Ye shook his head and continued, "Also, I've thought about it before. The number of Yin spirits during the Hungry Ghost Festival … is abnormally high.
And now, these Yin spirits have arrived at the entrance of Hell, yet they're unable to enter.
Yet, not a single Emissary of Hell has appeared. This is even more abnormal. "
The old granny finally spoke up, "What are you trying to say?"
Qin Ye drew a deep breath. An absurd idea suddenly surfaced in his mind, and he took a step forward with a trembling voice, "Hell … has come to a standstill?"
"Oh?"
"The ferryman's death coincided with a series of supernatural incidents in the mortal realm.
Can I conclude that the upheaval in Hell is the root cause of the upheaval in the mortal realm? "
Even Qin Ye couldn't help but tremble as he spoke these words. This conjecture was so frightening that even he couldn't believe it.
How many people would die in a single day?
As soon as Hell comes to a standstill … where would the billions of Yin spirits go?
No wonder … no wonder the situation in the mortal realm is escalating day by day. No wonder so many supernatural incidents are erupting all of a sudden!
The mortal realm … is transforming into a living hell!
"Interesting."
The old granny didn't respond immediately. After a long time, she chuckled sinisterly, "Kid, you've got a rich imagination.
But … "
She stared straight into Qin Ye's eyes as she continued, "Don't use the human heart to speculate about ghosts … They're ten thousand times more terrifying than you can imagine …"
"Your shallow conjecture has only revealed one ten-thousandth of the great horror that you're about to witness …"
"Come on … get on that ferry and shake it. Prove to me that you're qualified to be the last Emissary of Hell."
"Hang on!" Qin Ye's mind immediately went off in alarm, and he stared at the old granny with distrust, "What do you mean by last Emissary of Hell?
What nonsense are you spouting?
I don't think I've ever agreed to it.
Also, what's with the tone of voice? "
The old granny chuckled coldly, "It's useless. You've lived for too long, and your senses have become sharper and sharper. It doesn't matter how much you pretend to be pure and innocent in front of me. You're just like me - your heart is black.
Besides … do you think that I'm going to allow a century-old brat like you to do as he pleases now that you're in my territory? "
Before she could finish speaking, Qin Ye suddenly felt a powerful force behind him, and he flew straight towards the ferry like a leaf in the wind.
As he flew, his entire body suddenly erupted with copious amounts of Yin energy, and his Hell's Emissary uniform instantly transformed.
What a trap!
Qin Ye landed on the ferry with a loud thud. He couldn't help but curse out loud at the top of his lungs!
He rubbed his waist as he stood up, and the old granny's voice drifted over, "Shake it. The Yin spirits that hear the sound of the ferry will automatically gather around you.
Unfortunately, they won't be able to come over. You've seen for yourself that not just anyone can board this ferry.
Furthermore, there's a terrifying existence hidden in the crevice between the ferry and the road.
So, you can rest assured. "
Qin Ye gritted his teeth, "Then who am I supposed to ferry?
What exactly are you looking for?
Can you at least give me an answer?! "
"What's the hurry?"
The old granny gave him a look that said, "Youngsters are just too clumsy." Then, she continued with a somber expression, "This ferry … isn't something that just anyone can shake. Only those who can ferry it are qualified to be a true Emissary of Hell.
Whether you're able to become an official Emissary of Hell and enter the ranks of Hell's civil servants will all depend on your ability to shake it. "
"Bloody hell … I don't want it anymore, alright?!"
"You can do it, Dogballs." The old granny lit up her opium pipe and muttered placidly, "You've got three more days to live."
Qin Ye's voice immediately lowered an octave, "... No, we're having a pleasant conversation right now. Can we not suddenly switch to something as horrifying as this?"
"You've got a strong desire to live."
The old granny puffed out a puff of smoke, "Those who have consumed the taisui fungus are neither alive nor dead. They won't grow up, and they won't be acknowledged by the realms of the netherworld.
Now that Hell has shut down, your good days are naturally coming to an end.
Those who are slightly better off will end up drifting about aimlessly, while those who are slightly worse off … "
She drew a circle around the skeletal bridge that was filled with Yin spirits, "Which one do you want to choose?"
"... I'll shake it. I'll shake it right away … When it comes to ruthlessness, I'm only convinced by the people below you."
Qin Ye was on the verge of tears as he kowtowed three times to the golden skeletal bridge. Then, he gently moved it away and tightened his grip on the paddle.
Whoosh … As he lifted the paddle, a ripple appeared in the void.
There wasn't a single drop of water on the surface of the water, and yet the sound of the paddle breaking through the surface of the water reverberated through the heavens.
Qin Ye couldn't help but recall a song in his mind - Let us paddle ~ The boat pushes away the waves ~ The reflection of a ferocious ghost on the surface of the water, surrounded by a vicious woman ~
Something's wrong with this scene!
Whoosh … A horn sounded from the ferry. Just then, all of the Yin spirits on the skeletal bridge raised their heads in unison and looked in the direction of the ferry.
Whoosh … A second horn sounded, and the ferry slowly turned around.
As the ferry turned, the Yin spirits on the skeletal bridge finally began to move.
They stared intently at the ferry, each holding a piece of paper in their hands as they took a step forward.
Following that, the entire tide of Yin spirits began to move forward slowly.
It was a spectacular sight.
There was an endless chasm between the ferry and the skeletal bridge. The Yin spirits were unable to reach the ferry at all. As soon as they took a step forward, they would immediately fall into the endless chasm below. At once, the sound of shrill female laughter echoed from the depths of the chasm.
However, this did nothing to stop the tide of Yin spirits. The ferry was like a lighthouse in the middle of a storm. It was incomparably eye-catching.
Hundreds and thousands of Yin spirits fell into the chasm, while the next wave followed closely behind. They fell endlessly into the depths of the chasm, forming a … waterfall of souls!
The Yin spirits that had fallen from the sky were scattered all over the place, like a waterfall that had cascaded down three thousand feet. It was a breathtaking sight.