They were not unwilling to go, they were simply a little shocked by Liu Buli's composure.
Lu Wuming was surprised by his intention to not linger his gaze on the kitten. If Liu Buli's previous calmness could be understood as the kitten not having opened its eyes yet, appearing no different from an inanimate object, then now that the kitten had opened its eyes, looking undeniably cute and beautiful like a dragon's finishing touch, Liu Buli's complete lack of infatuation was utterly unexpected.
Unlike Lu Wuming's thoughts, You Siqi and Shen Muzhi were simply astonished by Liu Buli's speed. How long had they just arrived here, and Liu Buli had already found an opportunity to enter the Ghost City. If this efficiency were applied to managing a sect, Dan Sect would likely have become the most powerful sect in the cultivation world long ago.
Looking at Liu Buli's retreating back with complicated emotions, the group fell silent for a moment, but ultimately, no one said anything. They merely followed his footsteps as quickly as possible, fearing that their slowness would hold him back and displease Liu Buli, which would be truly unfortunate.
The process of infiltrating the Ghost Realm was much smoother than they had imagined. Just as Liu Buli had said, ever since receiving the information from the courtesan, the Ghost Realm had descended into chaos. The Ghost King dispatched many ghosts to intercept and pursue, attempting to win through sheer numbers, searching for Liu Buli and Lu Wuming, who were described by the courtesan as having "fled while injured."
This news came from a ghost who had already surrendered to their side and had come to greet them after Liu Buli had instructed Lu Wuming to make contact.
According to him, upon learning that Lu Wuming had nearly been captured, the Ghost King himself was so excited that he wanted to personally come out and pursue them.
However, he could not leave the Ghost Realm.
Therefore, he was anxious and eager, wishing for all the ghosts to be mobilized. He didn't care what the cultivators of the cultivation world might think of such actions. The Ghost King's sole thought was to capture Liu Buli and the others. Everything else was unimportant in his eyes.
As for the reason the Ghost King was so frantically searching for Lu Wuming, Liu Buli had posed the question to the ghost, but in reality, even if he had asked, it would have been largely in vain.
The ghost didn't understand what was going on with their King, or rather, besides their King himself, no one would likely understand what he was thinking.
"However, I can confirm that the King wants you simply because he wants to eat you," the ghost replied to Liu Buli. He continued, "Because every time he gives an order, the King says that the young master must be kept alive, while your life or death doesn't matter. Just don't tear him apart too much, and don't make him look too unsightly. At least don't make his corpse unappetizing, other than that, anything goes."
Hearing this, Liu Buli couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth. In the eyes of the ghosts, he was a top-grade ingredient. He was already well aware of this fact. Yet, every time he heard them repeat similar topics, Liu Buli still felt a complex mix of emotions.
Perhaps in the Ghost King's eyes, he was just a dish.
A dish that refused to accept its fate, still restless even when lying on the chopping board.
Without answering the ghost's explanation, Liu Buli changed the subject and asked, "Are there not many ghosts left in the Ghost City now?"
"Yes, even those remaining are mostly unable to participate in combat. So it doesn't matter if they are discovered, as long as the messenger is killed before our King arrives, there will be no problem."
The ghost nodded, answering Liu Buli's question. After a moment's thought, he added, "But I don't think you will encounter many people, because the place you intend to go, even the King would not go. That area is considered a death trap even by the ghosts themselves. I can only escort you to the vicinity; I dare not go any further."
This was something they had agreed upon beforehand, and Liu Buli did not force him.
The entrance to the Ghost Realm was much easier to find than they had expected. Although externally, it merely appeared as a gate inexplicably standing at the end of a road. However, according to the ghost's account, this was indeed the entrance to the Ghost Realm.
Furthermore, since the exit and entrance were not on the same side, they didn't have to worry about the ghosts who had just emerged into the cultivation world detecting their intention to enter.
Lu Wuming was a ghost himself, so he didn't need any accompanying items. Liu Buli's blood flowed with his, so his situation was similar. Thus, he handed the token he had previously obtained to You Siqi, telling him to hold the kitten and the token. Then, the three of them chanted the incantation with the ghost and walked towards the gate.
Before they crossed the gate, all they saw was an inexplicably appearing doorframe. Therefore, the scene behind the door had no division, clearly appearing as it should in the cultivation world.
But when they chanted the incantation and crossed the gate, even without seeing their surroundings, the suddenly fierce wind was enough to prove to them that they had indeed arrived in a place completely different from before.
Moreover, the night sky, previously illuminated by fierce flames, was separated by the gate into another world. And when they looked up, they saw only a clean and pure darkness before them.
As if sensing their unstable aura, the ghost kindly explained, "Don't be so nervous. You can think of this as our local specialty. The Ghost City has no sun, and therefore no light. I thought everyone in the cultivation world knew this, so I didn't tell you in advance to prepare yourselves. My apologies for not doing so."
Hearing this, the group immediately reacted to their shock. Liu Buli smiled somewhat sheepishly and said, "Actually, we did know in advance and had prepared ourselves mentally. But preparing mentally and actually experiencing it, the gap in our feelings is quite significant."
If the ground beneath their feet hadn't been real, the moment they entered the Ghost City, Liu Buli would have felt as if he had suddenly fallen into the deep sea.
A sense of powerless fear enveloped him. Not only that, but the Heavenly Dao's prophecy of "your latter half of life will forever be in darkness" suddenly appeared in his mind, making it difficult for him to even breathe.
Fortunately, Lu Wuming held his hand at the first moment, and the warmth transmitted from his palm offered him some comfort. His previously wildly beating heart finally calmed down obediently.
Taking two deep breaths, Liu Buli turned to look around.
As expected, vision was meaningless here. All he saw was darkness, with nothing else.
Perhaps because whether he could see or not had little impact on his own value, You Siqi was the most composed person among them.
Even in the face of such a situation, he calmly suggested to the others, "You can use your spiritual power to sense your surroundings, like opening your heavenly eyes. That method doesn't require light, and you can still clearly feel what's going on around you."
When it came to theoretical discussions, You Siqi was undoubtedly the eternal king. Hearing his words, Liu Buli and Lu Wuming immediately tried it. The effect was indeed as You Siqi had said; the assistance of spiritual power allowed them to quickly sense their surroundings.
A sense of relief grew within him. Liu Buli could even proactively inquire about You Siqi's condition. He said, "And you..."
"Such a high-difficulty task, if you can accomplish it, then of course I can't. I have at least this much self-awareness," You Siqi guessed Liu Buli's thought before he could even finish asking. He replied directly, "But you don't need to worry about me. Muzhi can sense our surroundings, and I can just listen to his directions."