Wo-woong!

'Hmm, so my main body has become a Grand Cultivator.'

I'm currently sitting next to the entrance of Black Ghost Valley, in a place called the Grand Ghost Cave, meditating and receiving signals from my main body.

It's strange to even say "main body."

Since my main body and I are currently sharing all senses, thoughts, and emotions, there really is no distinction between us.

'No, the name is different.'

Seo Li, what a terribly dreadful name I've come up with spontaneously. No matter how many times I think about it, it's a name that brings a sense of dread and self-loathing.

"Should I just wait here?"

"Yes. Just wait a bit in the Grand Ghost Cave."

"Understood!"

The White Skeleton Nascent Soul stage cultivator guarding the entrance, Baek Jin, leads another man into the Grand Ghost Cave, who looks around and sits next to me.

The energy he emits is at the early Nascent Soul stage.

"Ah, senior. Are you also here to enter Black Ghost Valley?"

I had heard from Baek Jin that typically, if someone at the Heavenly Being stage is an ascender, they are given the position of Elder of the Black Ghost Valley after they swear loyalty.

Trust built at the Elder position leads to becoming a Grand Elder.

However, 'Seo Li' is still at the mid Nascent Soul stage, so he can't be directly given the elder position. So instead, they offered to let him take a test to become a disciple of the Black Ghost Valley's Yin Soul ().

The hierarchy in Black Ghost Valley is divided into five stages.

Qi Refining disciples are called Gate Spirits ().

Qi Building disciples are called Corpse Spirits ().

Those showing talent in Qi Building are called Corpse Souls ().

Core Formation disciples are called Ghost Souls ().

Nascent Soul disciples are called Yin Souls ().

This is the disciple hierarchy of Black Ghost Valley.

And the Nascent Soul disciples who are likely to reach the Heavenly Being stage and who demonstrate high potential are called Law Protectors ().

Heavenly Being cultivators are called Elders ().

Those in the Heavenly Being stage who show high trust or loyalty, or have made significant contributions to the sect.

And those likely to reach the Four-Axis stage are given the position of Grand Elder ().

From the Middle Boundary upwards, the hierarchy is determined by color.

Four-Axis stage are called Black Grand Elders ().

Integration stage are called Blue Grand Elders ().

Star Shattering stage are called Azure Grand Elders ().

According to what I heard, Azure Grand Elders do not exist in the Bright Cold Realm, but rather in the Nether Ghost Realm, where the main sect of Black Ghost Valley is located.

And if what Jang Ik said in my past life is true, there should currently be no Azure Grand Elders even in the Nether Ghost Realm.

They must have been dispatched on an expedition to find Yang Su-jin's Decaying Corpse Realm.

'Black Ghost Valley also has a deep history and foundation.'

In sects like Azure Heaven Creation Sect or Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, the hierarchy only goes up to the Four-Axis stage at best, but Black Ghost Valley has a hierarchy up to the Star Shattering stage.

And, currently, I was told that if I pass the entrance test of Black Ghost Valley, I would be directly accepted as a Yin Soul disciple.

Normally, outsiders, even if they are at the Grand Perfection Nascent Soul stage, must prove their abilities by taking the Ghost Soul disciple test to enter, unless proven otherwise.

However, since I had ascended at the mid Nascent Soul stage, they are allowing me to take the test appropriate for the Yin Soul level.

However, there is one annoying aspect of this examination.

"Haha, Cultivator Seo. So, when this Heo Nam-kwon was fighting that monster..."

To take the Yin Soul test, at least five participants are required, and so far, aside from the talkative Heo Nam-kwon and me, no one else is ready to take the test.

Thanks to this, while my main body was thriving and receiving the title of Grand Cultivator, I had to keep waiting in this damp and rotten-smelling Grand Ghost Cave, listening to Heo Nam-kwon's nonsense.

'He's said to be a descendant of the Black Grand Elder Heo Ryeong's side branch.'

It was said that, similar to the Head Realm's Cheongmun Clan, the main family pays no attention to this side branch.

However, this side branch family member somehow stood out and successfully reached the early Nascent Soul stage, being specially admitted to take the Yin Soul test.

"Haha, in fact, I was really debating whether to join Black Ghost Valley or the Yin Soul Ghost Sect among the Six Great Sects."

I glance at Heo Nam-kwon, who is chattering annoyingly , and sigh inwardly.

His intent is a light pink color.

'What does this guy think my gender is?'

It seems like he's trying something because of Yuan Yu's beauty.

"Even though one of our distant ancestors was a Ghost Devil, they were from over thirty generations ago.... In fact, recently, the Yin Soul Ghost Sect has been beating Black Ghost Valley in the competition.

"I wasn't even considering Black Ghost Valley, but, haha, suddenly Black Ghost Valley overwhelmed and merged with the Yin Soul Ghost Sect, turning the Six Great Sects into the Five Great Sects."

'Five Great Sects of the Human Race, huh...'

Indeed.

Around the time we were facing the Heavenly Tribulation on Thunder Spirit Island, Black Ghost Valley used the Nether Crossing Ship brought up from the Lower Realm to successfully merge the Yin Soul Ghost Sect into Black Ghost Valley.

I had only known them as the Six Great Human Sects, but in reality, they had become the Five Great Human Sects.

'Well, I heard that the Yin Soul Ghost Sect was originally a devilish sect lineage that split from Black Ghost Valley...'

Since they were originally one, there wasn't a big problem with merging.

"Hem hem. Anyway, Miss..?"

I get annoyed by Heo Nam-kwon's advances and glare at him as I speak

"We're not even close, what 'Miss'? And I never said I was a woman."

"Ah, no...!"

Heo Nam-kwon seems greatly shocked by my response and staggers backward from me.

"That face, you're saying it's not that of a woman...?"

"..."

'I've never really cared about Yuan Yu's face, but this is incredibly uncomfortable.'

I ponder what to do for a moment, then touch my face.

Wo-woong!

The devilish energy of the Blood Demon Suppressing Sea Light covers my face, and a black fog-like mask, similar to the one Yuan Li wore, covers my face.

Damn, now I really feel like I've become Yuan Li.'

In fact, it's no different from when I had switched to Yuan Yu's body during the tenth cycle.

I feel particularly disgusted by that fact.

'I hate using this disgusting Black Devil Mask spell. I should just buy a mask to wear.'

As soon as I put on the black mask, Heo Nam-kwon feels as if there's no chance for conversation with me and shrinks into a corner of the Grand Ghost Cave.

How long have I waited in the Grand Devil Cave?

After three days.

Step, step....

Baek Jin leads three people into the Grand Ghost Cave.

"Now, it seems we have enough people. Shall we proceed with the entrance test with you five, or shall we wait for more to join? Five is the minimum number required, so you can wait, or proceed now. However, if you fail this time, you'll only be able to enter as Ghost Soul disciples, not Yin Soul."

A bald man with tattoos and muscles, a man in black robes resembling a corpse, and a woman in white mourning clothes resembling a ghost maiden.

The bald tattooed man is at the late Nascent Soul stage, and the corpse-like man and the ghostly maiden are at the Grand Perfection Nascent Soul stage.

The bald tattooed man looks back and forth between me and Heo Nam-kwon, then clicks his tongue and says,

"Mid Nascent Soul stage? Look at that, the other is at the early stage. Rather than taking the test with these weak ones, it might be better to wait for two more."

The corpse-like man says nothing, and the ghostly maiden just giggles like a madwoman.

'Fake madness.'

Knowing the madness of the Mad Lord, the weak craziness exhibited by the ghostly maiden seems very clumsy.

"What, what's this? Why is everyone so quiet?"

It's Heo Nam-kwon who responds to the bald man's words.

"Hey, I don't know how great you think you are...."

Kwaang!

And then, the bald man charges at Heo Nam-kwon in an instant and blows his head off.

"...!"

Heo Nam-kwon regenerates his head while writhing in pain, and the bald man laughs while looking at me.

"Can't even endure this much pain. How about you? You also have no objections to waiting for two more, right?"

As he raises his fist towards me, I let out a chuckle.

"Sorry, but I was the first to arrive at the Grand Ghost Cave, and I've waited quite a long time. I don't feel like waiting anymore..."

"I'll help you learn some patience."

Bo-oong!

He kicks off the ground and charges towards me.

'He practiced body refining techniques.'

His physique is visibly robust.

However, I remain calm and extend my arm, effortlessly deflecting his punch using a force-diverting technique.

"Wh-what?"

While he's confused, I use the grasping hand technique and twist his arms behind him to subdue him.

Bududuk!

"Aaaaargh!"

"For someone who complained about not being able to endure the pain of having one's head smashed, you sure are melodramatic. The people I know would have either pulled out their arm or cut it off to escape. Do you not even have the guts?"

Typically, cultivators from the Head Realm would have cut off the trapped part of their body immediately to escape, like a lizard shedding a part of its body, unless they were seized by the testicles.

But it seems he isn't from the Head Realm, as he didn't display such resilience.

"You... bastard...!"

Krrrrk!

A powerful corpse energy erupts from his body, trying to push me away, but I inject the devilish energy of Blood Demon Suppressing Sea Light into his body, blocking his spiritual veins instead.

As the sticky, blood-colored devilish energy clogs his spiritual vein, the bald tattooed man fails to muster his energy and is subdued by me.

"Stay put."

"You...!"

I bend down to meet his eyes.

Behind the Black Devil Mask, my eyes glint menacingly.

He's probably seeing Yuan Yu's eyes flickering red from behind the black mask.

"Before I kill you."

"!"

He freezes up, facing my killing intent, far beyond what a typical cultivator at the Heavenly Being stage could even muster.

I've been through many, many battles.

Though Seo Li is my avatar, the murderous intent displayed just now is far more than what any Nascent Soul stage cultivator can handle.

"."

He sweats coldly, avoiding my gaze, and I turn to look at the other Grand Perfection Nascent Soul cultivators who are watching the scene with interest.

My undisguised killing intent meets the eyes of the corpse-like man, and the woman in mourning clothes.

"Do either of you have any objections to taking the test with the current number of people?"

The corpse-like man awkwardly smiles as he faces my glinting eyes, forcing his corpse-like expression away, and the woman in mourning clothes straightens up and smiles politely, as if cured of her madness.

"No objections."

"Me neither."

I look at Heo Nam-kwon.

He too seems to feel my killing intent, turning as pale as a corpse.

"I, I too am very satisfied."

I collect the unanimous opinions and relay them to Baek Jin.

"It seems everyone is eager to proceed with the test."

Baek Jin nods as he observes us and says,

"Then, let's begin the Black Ghost Valley entrance test. Follow me."

He leads us somewhere with his hands behind his back, and following him through the inner part of the valley, we soon arrive at a place filled with thorny vines.

I recognize the true nature of the thorny vines and my eyes shine with understanding.

Suddenly, Baek Jin, who had been guiding us, disappears from in front of us.

It seems we have entered a formation.

[The test is simple.]

Baek Jin's voice fills the space crowded with brambles.

[The thorny vines in front of you are a specially crafted kind of curse. If the five of you combine your strengths to escape this cursed space, the test will be passed]

Kwaak!

Before Baek Jin can finish speaking, I grab a stem of the vines.

"Curse reversal."