HONG!

The colossal monolith that dominated the landscape pulsed with an unnatural rhythm.

Black light seeped out from its ancient carvings, each pulse stronger than the last, until the stone itself seemed to liquefy into a writhing pillar of darkness. The very air thickened, and the ground beneath their feet started to decay, turning the already tainted marsh into a blackened wasteland.

And then came the first ghostly wisp.

SHUA

A pale, translucent black orb drifted out of the obelisk's tip.

Then another.

And another.

Within seconds, dozens floated up into the air, and within a minute, there were thousands.

Each one twisted and warped, gaining form. Faces stretched, mouths opened, and hollow eyes blazed with hatred. They merged, multiplied, and spread until the sky was filled with a sea of specters.

It was as if the heavens themselves had become a graveyard.

"Abbot," Lin Mu said, his tone calm but urgent.

The Abbot of the Silent Lotus Temple closed his eyes, his serene expression unfazed by the storm of darkness. He brought his palms together in prayer, a golden lotus sigil on his brow appearing.

His voice rose above the chaos, chanting a scripture that seemed to echo across dimensions.

"The Mercy of Buddha is endless, and his light guides all those that are lost.Ghost or man, beast or beauty, all shall be guided..."

HUAAAA

A surge of golden brilliance erupted from him, expanding outward in waves. The light spread through the ranks and washed over the specters above. Wherever it touched, the ghosts screamed and ignited, burning like paper in fire. Hundreds vanished in seconds, their souls finally freed from torment. But the obelisk did not relent.

It poured out more and more, until it seemed inexhaustible. The sky filled once more, darker than before, the ghosts now blending with tendrils of black mist that wrapped around them like chains.

Lin Mu narrowed his eyes, sensing something familiar about the specters. "These are the same as before," he murmured. "The shades I saw within the Ephemera Sect's depths... but stronger. Twisted further by the baleful energies of the Marshes. These are not man-made anymore. They are natural-born abominations."

Before he could give another command, a cold, mocking laugh rippled across the battlefield.

"АНАНАНАНА~"

From the massive entrance beneath the obelisk, a figure slowly rose.

He was draped in dark, embroidered robes that clung to his withered frame. His skin was grayish, stretched tight across his bones, and his eyes burned with a sickly green hue. In one hand, he held a long black staff decorated with skulls of various sizes, each one etched with runes that pulsed with corrupted Qi.

"The Ancestor of the Ephemera Sect..." Lin Mu said quietly.

He had seen the man's face before, within the extracted memories of the right elder he had slain. There was no mistaking it.

Lin Mu raised his voice, informing the other Transcendents. "That is the one who started it all. The progenitor of their corruption."

The air vibrated as the Transcendents turned their attention to the figure. The Patriarch of the Xian Sword Sect was the first to move.

SHING

His hand rose into a blade gesture, and with a flick of his fingers, a surge of sword intent condensed into a radiant arc of power. The slash cut through the air, splitting the mist and shattering the sound barrier, heading straight for the Ancestor.

SHALA

The ground cracked under the sheer force of it.

But the old man did not flinch. He simply lifted his staff and pointed.

RUMBLE

The towers surrounding the obelisk responded instantly.

They pulsed with grey light, connecting to one another through chains of baleful energy they drew from the air. The corrupted Qi condensed, forming a barrier of shimmering black fog in front of the Ancestor. The sword light struck it... and dispersed like water against a cliff.

The Patriarch frowned, his brows furrowing. "So that is how it will be."

The Ancestor's voice rose, dry and cracked yet echoing with power. "You ruined everything! The path to revival, the hope of our return, the promise of our mother's awakening... all shattered by your meddling!"

His words carried across the battlefield, laced with resentment and fanaticism.

He lifted his staff higher, and the skulls hanging from it began to glow. "Then so be it! You will all serve her now. Your blood will be her offering, your souls her nourishment! This place shall be your tomb, and from it, our mother shall rise!"

BAM!

The staff struck the ground with a heavy thud.

"Begin the ritual! Release the Hollows! Release the Shades!"

The world itself seemed to scream in answer.

CRACK CRACK CRACK

The ground began to rupture, forming cracks that spread outward like spiderwebs.

From every direction, ancient buildings trembled, their doors bursting open as figures poured out. Thousands of Ephemera Sect disciples, all garbed in black, emerged. Their eyes glowed with madness and devotion, their mouths chanting in strange, guttural tones.

"Ki Ke Do, Yam Be Oe, Sham Be Si, Dam Ro De!"

Their synchronized voices echoed through the air, forming a horrific chorus that resonated with the obelisk.

And then the earth broke open.

TREMBLE

From the countless fissures, things crawled out.

The first were the Shades, those same shadowy figures that Lin Mu had fought before-souls stripped of identity, weapons of pure hatred. Then came the Hollows, abominations shaped like men but made entirely of fragments of memories and souls, their bodies half-formed, half-melting, eyes like pits of despair.

They rose in countless numbers, filling the ground, the sky, and the air itself.

"So this is why..." Lin Mu's heart sank slightly.

Now he understood why the journey through the marshes had been so quiet. There had been no resistance, no ambushes, no lurking beasts. The Ephemera Sect had been gathering every ounce of their remaining strength here, within the Ninefold Crypt, waiting for this exact moment. They had planned to drown them all in a single overwhelming strike.

Lin Mu tightened his grip on his sword. His eyes gleamed faintly as he took a deep breath. The Death Obscuring Chandeliers above flickered, the barrier trembling under the growing pressure of the released entities.

"Everyone," Lin Mu said quietly, his voice steady despite the madness unfolding before them. "Prepare yourselves. The real battle begins now." And as the sea of ghosts and hollows surged forward, the Transcendents unleashed their power, the golden light of the monks clashing against the black tide, and the Ninefold Crypt fully awakened... its ancient curse finally roaring to life.