Chapter 163: Ghost Carrying Coffin
The heavy steel fortress had vanished. Its crude, armored camper look was completely gone.
The main body of the carriage was forged from Refined Fine Gold and Void-Gazing Stone. Its sleek, flowing lines gave off a soft metallic gleam and subtle spatial ripples. Because Sister Hanba’s crimson flames had tempered the metal during the upgrade, elegant fire patterns now ran along the dark flanks of the chassis.
The old Yang energy shield, which used to be just a faint golden dome, had transformed into a runic armor system reinforced by inlaid Black Tortoise Shells. Covered in crimson warding symbols, this new barrier absorbed physical impacts and formed an energy field that doubled its defensive power.
From the outside, the vehicle had not grown much bigger. Yet its interior space had expanded more than tenfold thanks to the Void-Gazing Stone, truly capturing the concept of fitting an entire mountain inside a mustard seed.
The pale hearse sign on the roof had evolved into a suspended jade plaque floating above the hood. Inscribed upon it were two archaic Daoist characters: Floating Nether. The plaque radiated a clear, pure glow that steadied the mind, shattered illusions, and dissolved low-level mists on contact.
The wheels remained, but they were now symbolic tools meant only for conventional flat roads.
At this stage, the vehicle had taken on the form of an immortal carriage. Levitation arrays were etched across the chassis, allowing it to glide about fifty centimeters off the ground. This let it ignore almost any broken terrain, though running the array consumed a heavy supply of Yang energy crystals.
Its physical arsenal of guns and turrets had also undergone a mystical upgrade, turning into an integrated physical and magical weapon platform.
Alongside the machine gun ports, automated Demon-Breaking Crossbow mounts had been installed. As long as Lin Huai loaded them with Yang energy crystals, the mechanisms could condense and fire endless spirit bolts without reloading physical ammunition.
The heavy golden cannons at the front and rear were now reinforced with Solar Flare Arrays. When fired, they unleashed waves of concentrated Yang fire over a massive radius. Boosted by Sister Hanba’s lingering divine flame, the blast was terrifying enough to deter high-tier monsters.
As for the open-air deck on the roof, it had rarely been used before because the coffin had occupied the space. Now, the coffin hovered independently around the vehicle, leaving the platform open. Framed by clean, carved railings, it completed the vehicle’s look as an ancient flying carriage.
Yet what Lin Huai cared about most was the coffin itself.
The vessel now hovered silently beside the carriage, perfectly still. Lin Huai had no idea what had become of the evil spirits trapped inside, or whether they had survived the upgrade at all.
Even at a glance, the Blood Jade Coffin had undergone a complete transformation.
It was no longer made of simple blood jade. Its material had fused with extraterrestrial star-iron and ten-thousand-year-old cold jade marrow. The surface was a deep, midnight blue, dotted with natural crystal nodes that looked like scattered stars glowing softly in the dark. It possessed the passive ability to draw down starlight to nourish souls and keep them from fading away.
Most importantly, the coffin was no longer tethered to the vehicle’s roof. It could now fly and fight on its own, seamlessly balancing offense and defense.
With Sister Hanba standing beside her, Lin Huai stepped forward and lifted the heavy lid to check on the trapped spirits.
Under the heat of the crimson flames and the purifying power of the upgraded coffin, the terrifying ghouls from the Blood Pool had shrunk into six grotesque, stunted children.
Fear filled their twisted faces. Unaware that Sister Hanba had been the one to suppress them, they assumed the sheer power of the coffin had crushed their strength, leaving them terrified of the vessel itself.
At that moment, a system prompt chimed in Lin Huai’s vision: the newly evolved Star Soul-Calming Coffin required the ritual method of Ghosts Carrying the Coffin. The player had to summon or contract supernatural entities to bear the weight.
Lin Huai frowned slightly. Where was she supposed to find suitable spirits on such short notice?
Then her eyes fell on the six ugly, trembling child-spirits huddled inside the box, and an idea clicked.
Because the coffin had stripped away most of their malice, the spirits had lost the strength to maintain their towering, monstrous shapes. Yet Lin Huai knew that if they stepped onto open ground, they would quickly drink in the surrounding Yin energy and regain their strength.
Lin Huai cleared her throat, letting an icy edge enter her voice. “Can you understand human speech?”
The stunted spirits nodded frantically, letting out thin hissing sounds to show they understood.
Lin Huai tapped her knuckles against the dark jade rim. “Good. You have seen what this coffin can do. Disobey me, and I will scatter your souls into dust.”
“However, if you work for me faithfully, I will use this coffin to cleanse your negative karma, boost your cultivation, and raise your power.”
The spirits hesitated. Pride made them reluctant to bend the knee to a living human.
Right then, Sister Hanba stepped forward, her voice carrying ancient authority. “The Star Soul-Calming Coffin draws on starlight to repair and nourish souls. Once your blood-soaked karma is completely cleansed, you will be permanently free from the judgment of the Blood Pool Hell.”
“If you flee this coffin, the moment you regain your strength, the wardens of the Blood Pool will track your scent and drag you straight back into the boiling lake. Even if you manage to escape again, do you really think you can outrun the Underworld Messengers forever?”
She pointed toward Lin Huai. “Work for her as the bearers of this star coffin, and the Underworld will drop your charges. You will be registered under the official system as part of her household, and someone will speak on your behalf.”
Sister Hanba understood the rules far better than Lin Huai. Her words hit the spirits right where it mattered.
If they could earn a legal pardon from the Underworld, they would gladly carry a coffin—they would even wash Lin Huai’s feet!
The six spirits nodded violently, hissing with eager agreement.
Lin Huai did not understand their dialect, but their enthusiasm was obvious. She pulled out several blank yellow talismans and drew up a simple employment contract.
She promised that as long as they served faithfully, she would secure their legal freedom, supply them with regular wages, and help them refine their cultivation.
With such generous terms, the spirits had no reason to refuse. Lin Huai released the restriction and allowed them to step out onto the snow.
The moment their feet touched the cold ground, they absorbed the heavy Yin energy of the night air. Their small frames swelled, growing tall, muscular, and terrifying once more.
Yet they showed no hostility. Standing respectfully beside the carriage with lowered heads, they waited quietly for orders.
However, bearing the coffin only required four carriers, and there were six of them standing in the yard.
Realizing this, the six spirits exchanged dark looks. Murderous glares flashed between them as they prepared to eliminate the competition.
Lin Huai caught the shift instantly and snapped, “Hold it! Stop right there!”
“Only four are needed at a time, but there is no need to tear each other apart,” she said firmly. “The extra two will serve as relief. My carriage runs day and night without stopping, except when we enter special trials. The six of you will take turns on rotating shifts.”
Hearing that their positions were secure, the murderous tension evaporated, and the spirits bowed low in obedience.
