Gao Si said fearfully, "Although the Heavenly Tribulation is dangerous, they have an Evil Secret Method that allows them to safely pass through many of them and possess a long lifespan. This secret method is simple. It involves finding a supreme genius youth and using the secret technique to control him. When their own tribulation comes, they hide inside the young genius's body, letting him undergo the tribulation for them. If the youth is talented enough and has potential, he might get them through three or more tribulations. This continues until the young genius is turned to ash, at which point they start looking for another. It's a cycle of stealing destiny and living freely in the world."

HISS... Zhang Bin drew in a sharp, cold breath, his face etched with terror.

I can figure this out with my eyes closed. Netherworld must be an organization of Living Ghosts, likely with many terrifying members. They've taken an interest in me. They want to control me so that when their Heavenly Tribulation arrives, they can hide inside my body and have me face it for them. This will continue until I can't take it anymore and am turned to ash.

I'm the Sacrificial Ghost they've chosen!

So the reason Lin Youlan wanted to be my woman wasn't that she liked me, but because she was helping the Netherworld Organization find another Sacrificial Ghost. How vicious is she?

At this thought, Zhang Bin nearly crushed his teeth, his face turning livid.

A strong sense of lingering fear welled up in his heart. He remembered how he had managed to resist that woman's seduction back at Lanting Villa, delaying the crisis by a year. Otherwise, I'd already be under their control, wouldn't I? I might have already become a Sacrificial Ghost, annihilated by the Heavenly Tribulation.

"Master, your thinking isn't necessarily correct. Lin Youlan might not know the Netherworld Organization's greatest secret. She might not be aware that the geniuses she finds for them are meant to be used as Sacrificial Ghosts," Tutu said in Zhang Bin's mind.

"You're right. I must investigate thoroughly before drawing any conclusions," Zhang Bin nodded. Even so, any favorable impression he'd had of Lin Youlan had almost completely dissipated. After all, how could I feel anything good for a woman who tried to lure me to my death, no matter how beautiful she is?

"Gao Si, by what means do they control the Sacrificial Ghosts?" Zhang Bin asked gravely.

"Living Ghosts have existed for many years, so their methods are as numerous as they are sinister. There are various ways to control Sacrificial Ghosts. For instance, they might control you indirectly with a beautiful woman, making you fall so deeply in love that you can't escape. If a Living Ghost is that woman's elder, you can't just stand by and watch them die, can you? Helping them through a Heavenly Tribulation becomes a matter of course. Alternatively, they might control you through gratitude. They'll teach you Secret Techniques for cultivation and nurture you intensively, trapping you in a Heavenly Net of gratitude, making you *want* to undergo the Heavenly Tribulation for them.

"And those are just the simple methods. There are even more nefarious means, like using your own Special Ability to control you, leaving you completely powerless to resist and forcing you to meekly become a Sacrificial Ghost. They can also use drugs to control and threaten you. There are even more shameless methods... Well, I only know the basics. Their true tactics are countless, and I don't know the details. They would never make such evil methods public," Gao Si said.

So, they planned to control me with a beautiful woman first. If that didn't work, they would have resorted to other evil methods, Zhang Bin thought before asking aloud, "Does your Xuanwu Star really allow such evil Living Ghosts to exist?"

"Living Ghosts are illegal on Xuanwu Star. They're like rats scurrying across the street—everyone wants them dead," Gao Si explained. "Because they hunt for Sacrificial Ghosts, they've caused the deaths of too many geniuses, incurring the wrath of both heaven and the people. However, Living Ghosts are too powerful and secretive. Locating and killing them is extremely difficult, so it's impossible to eradicate them completely. Besides, even if we eliminate the current ones, new Living Ghosts will always appear. They are formed when the bodies of individuals with strong spiritual power die. There's no way to stop this at the source. That's why you can never get rid of them all."

An inexplicable sorrow surged in Zhang Bin's heart. As hateful as Living Ghosts were, they were still formed from humans. They only did such heaven-enraging, man-hating things because they were unwilling to accept death.

"Brother, don't sympathize with Living Ghosts." Gao Si seemed to guess Zhang Bin's thoughts. "They are too despicable. Every last one of them deserves to die."

"But what if one day, we become Living Ghosts too?" Zhang Bin asked seriously.

"Brother, that's a good question," Gao Si said. "If we become Living Ghosts one day, we must continue to diligently cultivate the Pure Heart Mystique and bravely face the Heavenly Tribulation on our own. For a soul, each tribulation is a trial of tempering and refinement. If you dare to endure the terrifying pain and face death head-on, you will grow stronger with each one. After passing through many tribulations, you can become what's known as a Strong Ghost, powerful enough to achieve Ascension to the Immortal Realm. At that point, you could be considered a Ghost Immortal. Of course, you could also be annihilated by the Heavenly Tribulation at any time.

"That's why souls who rely on themselves to face the tribulations aren't called Living Ghosts. They are called Strong Ghosts, a name that signifies their unyielding fortitude. They don't harm humans. Living Ghosts, on the other hand, are a bunch of cowards who are afraid of death. They cling to the mortal world and dare not face their end, so they do everything possible to find Sacrificial Ghosts, specifically targeting supreme geniuses to kill in their place."

"Strong Ghosts? Ghost Immortals?" Zhang Bin's eyes lit up, and his heart began to pound. It was only now that he truly understood the miraculous nature of the Pure Heart Mystique. So a soul can really cultivate with it? All the way to becoming a Ghost Immortal? It makes sense. That Cultivation Technique is special. It has nothing to do with meridians and doesn't require channeling True Qi. It only requires visualization, which is perfect for a soul's cultivation.

But, I also understand that if a soul cultivates the Pure Heart Mystique and faces tribulation after tribulation, the most likely outcome is complete annihilation. The chances of becoming a Strong Ghost who has survived a hundred tribulations are slim to none. That must be why there are still so many Living Ghosts on Xuanwu Star. They choose to find Sacrificial Ghosts, just to eke out a pitiful existence.

"You're thinking along the right lines." Gao Si seemed to guess Zhang Bin's thoughts again. He said gravely, "Even when a soul cultivates a miraculous technique like the Pure Heart Mystique, surviving one Heavenly Tribulation after another is still incredibly difficult. It requires extraordinary talent for cultivation. However, becoming a Strong Ghost offers a glimmer of hope. For a Living Ghost, there is no hope at all. Once they use a Sacrificial Ghost, they are on a path of no return. Each Heavenly Tribulation is stronger than the last, and without being tempered by them, the Living Ghost's soul never grows stronger. If they ever face a tribulation alone again, they are doomed, with zero chance of survival. What's more, using a Sacrificial Ghost isn't foolproof. It's very possible for a tribulation to kill the Sacrificial Ghost and then destroy the Living Ghost as well. That's why Living Ghosts *must* find those geniuses that appear only once in a century. Only then do they have a chance to survive. If they fail to find such a genius, it means their final doom has arrived."

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