Running A Cemetery in North America-Chapter 385 - 261: Ghost Gate

"What do we do next? Do we continue searching for the Ghost Gate?" Li Bo asked aloud.

"Search. The reward for this mission will enhance the Guardian Divine Statue Quality. You should know how rare that is." Zhou Mangmang said earnestly.

No Tomb Guardian present objected to her decision; instead, they all nodded in agreement.

Clearly, this was what they wanted as well.

The quality of the Tomb Guardian Divine Statue determines power; each enhancement is extremely important to Tomb Guardians.

Even for someone as fortunate as Sun Yan, although he enhanced the True Monarch’s Divine Statue Quality to Immortal Grade, there were still two other Tomb Guardians to nurture.

This rare chance to directly obtain a Holy Relic shouldn’t be missed.

Moreover, each member of their team had a powerful Tomb Guardian, with formidable strength.

Failing to complete the Five Stars mission this time would be a great pity.

"Daoist Hong Ming, how many of your fellow disciples are scattered and missing?" Sun Yan asked.

"Two. But now I’m not sure where they are. I’ve tried to find them after being separated, but to no avail."

Hong Ming sighed helplessly, his face showing worry.

"No need to worry, Daoist Hong Ming. We’ll accompany you in the search. This place is not safe; let’s leave first." Zhou Mangmang urged.

"Wait a moment, I’ve saved a few children earlier. Seeing their plight, I couldn’t leave them behind. Can we take them with us?" Hong Ming said apologetically.

He clearly knew how dangerous this Land of the Profane was; taking along extra baggage adds uncertainty.

Not to mention, he wanted to bring along several children.

"There are living children in this place?" Sun Yan showed a hint of doubt.

Even the Tomb Guardians felt the danger here—how could children survive in such a place? It was incredible.

"Children? Where?" Zhou Mangmang asked, puzzled.

Rushing here earlier, apart from Hong Ming, they saw no other figures.

"Wait here; I’ll call them over."

Hong Ming quickly turned and ran off, returning shortly with several children. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"These are the ones." Hong Ming introduced them.

The expressions of Sun Yan and the others became extremely strange, Zhou Mangmang even slowly raised the Female and Male Flood Dragon Golden Whip, poised to strike at any moment.

"This..." Li Bo and Li Lang exchanged complicated glances.

To everyone, the children Hong Ming brought back were clearly rotten corpses.

"Daoist Hong Ming, you’ve... been ghost-blinded." Sun Yan explained helplessly.

Behind Hong Ming, several Little Ghosts clung, continuously draining his Yang Energy, to which Hong Ming was completely unaware.

If these Little Ghosts continued to drain Hong Ming’s Yang Energy, he would never know how he died.

"What? Ghost-blinded?" Hong Ming turned incredulously to look at the children he protected.

The children still appeared pitiful with no sign of being deceased.

"Big brother, you’ll take us, right? I really want to go home."

The children hugged Hong Ming’s legs and pleaded pitiably.

"The Evil Spirit in this Land of the Profane can cloud the hearts of cultivators; it’s terrifying. Better to destroy them. Keeping them is a sin."

Sun Yan sent a hint of the Eight-Nine Mysterious Skill into Hong Ming’s mind, instantly making Hong Ming feel as though a veil had been lifted from his eyes.

The whole world suddenly became clear.

To his eyes, the children’s faces began to decay, becoming neither fully human nor ghostly.

"Big brother..." the child snarled.

Hong Ming closed his eyes in pain: "I didn’t realize I was bewitched by demons. No wonder powerful demons appeared near our hiding place. It must have been your deliberate attraction."

"Big brother, what are you saying? We don’t understand." The children said pitiably.

The next second, Hong Ming traced his finger, turning it into a golden light that eliminated the Evil Spirit on the spot.

As a disciple of the Kongtong Sect, exorcising demons is his duty; from his first day, he was taught to cleanse the world of demons. Mercy was never an option.

Sun Yan and the others nodded in satisfaction at Hong Ming’s decisiveness.

In such a place as the Land of the Profane, one must not show even a hint of carelessness or compassion, lest it leads to one’s demise.

"Let’s go."

Zhou Mangmang was the first to head to the street’s end, seeking not only the missing fellow disciples but also the existence of the Ghost Gate.

...

Somewhere in the city.

Two Kongtong Sect disciples appeared battered, their robes torn and worn out, walking wearily over the rubble-strewn ruin.

All around was impenetrable black mist, suffocating the atmosphere.

Despite this, their strides did not falter, continuing ever forward.

"Ancestor, Ancestor!"

Their eyes crazed, muttering as trembling hands reached out.

On their bodies, numerous black threads drifted, as if extending from void, piercing into them.

Less than a hundred meters ahead, amidst the ruins of the city’s tall buildings, stood a massive crimson gate tower.

Inside the gate tower was an ancient door, closed and sealed tightly.

On the plaque above, the words ’Ghost Gate’ were boldly written.

"It’s here!"

The two disciples approached the door, frantically trying to open it.

Through their combined effort, the sealed door slowly opened a crack.

Suddenly, a gust of eerie wind swept out, accompanied by mysterious, profound, ancient sounds.

The two sect disciples trembled with wide-eyed excitement and longing.

"Ancestor, Ancestor, I hear your call, please respond to me."

From beyond the Ghost Gate, they seemed to see something highly exhilarating, following which, they walked boldly inside.

Black ribbons scattered over them, guiding them deeper within the Ghost Gate.

Subtle Buddhist Sect hymns echoed, hovering around the Ghost Gate.

...

"This place is too vast; finding the Ghost Gate feels like searching the sea for a needle." Walking down the street, Li Lang said impatiently.

They’d covered over ten streets but found nothing apart from some Evil Ghosts wandering the city.

Such time-wasting behavior severely tested their patience.

Sun Yan understood; Li Lang, second of the Li brothers, was indeed impatient, easily irritable.

"We can’t rush. If Five Stars missions were easy, there wouldn’t be only a few examples of Guardians receiving rewards throughout the Grand Sacrificial Society’s history. Stay calm." Zhou Mangmang turned back to soothe.

At that moment, an eerie, strange hymn suddenly sounded from afar, instantly capturing everyone’s attention.