Volume One, Chapter 12: The Spiritualist Association of Huaguo

Yang Haiyun asked, unwilling to accept her fate, "Master, can't I stay in the mortal world to be with my sister?"

Chi Xingwan answered decisively, "No, if a soul remains in the world for too long, it will lose its consciousness and fall into a vengeful ghost, bringing disaster to mankind. At that point, you will lose your chance at reincarnation forever."

Yang Haiyun had to give up. "I understand, Master. Please send my mother and me on our way."

Chi Xingwan had served King Yama for two thousand years without pay. Though she had now "resigned," King Yama had not withdrawn the powers he had bestowed upon her.

Therefore, she still possessed the ability to open the Gate of Ghosts.

She extended her finger and pointed into the void. A plume of black smoke rose, and when it dispersed, a black stone gate appeared out of nowhere.

As the Gate of Ghosts opened, the chilling aura of the underworld swept in, accompanied by a bronze soul lantern.

"Follow the soul lantern. It will guide you."

Yang Haiyun glanced out the window, took a final look at the pitch-black sky, and before stepping through the Gate of Ghosts, bowed once more to Chi Xingwan.

The Gate of Ghosts vanished into thin air.

Dai Dai finally fluttered out, flapping his wings, "That was terrifying! Am I going in there too?"

Chi Xingwan laughed, tapping his head. "Don't worry, you still have a long way to go. Come, I'll take you out for some fun."

Dai Dai's mood immediately brightened.

They arrived at Yangguan Alley. Dai Dai looked left and right, finding nothing particularly entertaining.

He was about to ask when he saw Chi Xingwan had already stopped.

She pressed her hand against a large door and gently pushed it open. To Dai Dai, she said, "Welcome to the world of the Occult Sect."

Eternal Night Street was livelier at night than during the day. Dai Dai perched on Chi Xingwan's shoulder, both tense and curious.

"Don't miss out, don't miss out! Top-grade lingzhi from Thousand Springs Temple, big sale, only five thousand each!"

Dai Dai glanced over and saw several lingzhi mushrooms laid out in front of the vendor, looking utterly ordinary.

"So expensive."

He was only eight years old and didn’t know the market price of lingzhi, but he was certain it couldn’t possibly be that costly.

Chi Xingwan looked as well. The few solitary lingzhi mushrooms on the stall were faintly surrounded by spiritual energy, definitely not common fare, but calling them "top-grade" was a stretch.

In her own inner world, she had lingzhi mushrooms far superior to these, by the thousands.

Dai Dai was still complaining about the price. Chi Xingwan tapped his forehead lightly, and he instinctively closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the world before him had changed completely.

He could now see occasional sparks of light in the air, and the people passing by were cloaked in those radiant glows.

"Take another look at those lingzhi mushrooms," Chi Xingwan instructed.

Dai Dai looked again; what had seemed utterly ordinary before now appeared extraordinary.

Chi Xingwan patted his head. "This is the world of the Occult Sect. If you stay by my side, you’ll have to get used to it."

The lingzhi vendor noticed Chi Xingwan lingering nearby, assuming she was a potential customer, and eagerly began to promote his wares.

"Fellow cultivator, these lingzhi are from the Thousand Springs Temple, honest business, suitable for direct consumption or refining pills—top quality."

Chi Xingwan did not move.

The vendor pulled out his phone, opened a page, and held it out for her to see.

"I knew you wouldn't believe me. Look, my sect is indeed Thousand Springs Temple; my Spirit Master ID is clearly marked, can't fake it."

Chi Xingwan walked forward, peering at the screen. "What is a Spirit Master ID?"

This time, it was the vendor's turn to be shocked. "You haven't registered as a Spirit Master?"

Chi Xingwan shook her head.

She had never even heard of such a thing.

Though her soul had lived for ages, she had spent most of that time recovering or working for King Yama. The underworld and the mortal realm rarely interfered with one another, so she knew little of the affairs of mortal Spirit Masters.

She had only learned of Eternal Night Street when she overheard some Spirit Masters talking during a trip to the mortal world.

The vendor asked, "Which sect are you from? Just graduated?"

Chi Xingwan’s gaze grew desolate. "My sect is no longer. All these years, I’ve cultivated alone."

There were not only inherited sects in the world, but also many solitary cultivators. The vendor assumed Chi Xingwan’s master was one such solitary cultivator, already passed away.

"If you register with the Spirit Master Association, you can obtain a Spirit Master ID. With official certification, it’s easier to take on tasks or freelance jobs. Just walk straight ahead, and you’ll see a tall tower—that’s the headquarters of the Spirit Master Association."

Chi Xingwan didn’t understand why the vendor suddenly looked at her with pity, but she appreciated his kindness.

After thanking him, she led Dai Dai forward. Soon, they saw a pitch-black tower, with a sign written in bold, flowing script:

[Spirit Master Association of Hua Nation]

Chi Xingwan looked up. The tower soared into the clouds, its floors impossible to count.

She now realized that this must be the inner world left behind after the fall of some ancient master—a realm without an owner, transformed by the Spirit Master Association into Eternal Night Street.

And this tower was the pillar of Eternal Night Street.

From the outside, the tower seemed to occupy little space, but inside it was vast. The first floor was laid out like a bank, with multiple service counters and an information desk.

Chi Xingwan approached the information desk and asked, "I’d like to register as a Spirit Master. What’s the procedure?"

The receptionist smiled with standard professionalism and handed her a QR code.

"Scan the QR code to download the Spirit Master Association app. Submit your application there, then take the Spirit Master level test."

Surprisingly modern.

Chi Xingwan took out her phone and scanned the code, which led her to an app called "Hua Nation Taoist Research Association." She looked at the receptionist in confusion.

The receptionist explained, "Our Spirit Master Association goes by Taoist Research Association for outsiders—a little disguise. After all, for most people, the occult is just superstition."

Chi Xingwan understood. She downloaded the app, clicked to register, filled in her basic information, and in the sect column, entered "Heavenly Mystery Sect."

After submitting, a queue number was automatically generated.

She waited half an hour before her turn arrived.

The clerk pulled out a device resembling a crystal ball. "Place your hand on the crystal ball and inject spiritual energy. The device will determine your level based on the strength of your spiritual power."

Chi Xingwan did as instructed, but did not channel all her spiritual energy.

She had already assessed the Spirit Masters of this world and found their standards far below those of three thousand years ago. Back then, she was already at the pinnacle of Spirit Masters, and now, she was even stronger.

It was better not to stand out too much.

Thinking this, Chi Xingwan injected less than a tenth of her spiritual energy.

The crystal ball activated, instantly emitting a blinding golden light that illuminated the entire hall.

At the same time, it began to emit a series of loud sounds.

The clerk stared at the crystal ball, then at Chi Xingwan, finally exclaiming, "Ultra-Alpha Grade Spirit Master!"