The sky was overcast and a fine rain fell continuously.
In a secluded mountain valley sat an ancient and elegant small courtyard.
The supreme female ruler of the Ghost Realm was hidden within.
Lately, the female supreme ruler had felt something was very wrong, her mind restless and uneasy.
Moreover, she could sense herself slowly growing weaker.
But she couldn't find the specific reason.
Originally, she had intended to settle accounts with Ji Mo, but due to her physical discomfort, she had been delayed.
The Iron-Eating Beast was also not faring well, living a life of hardship. Its originally chubby little body had shrunk by a whole size.
The female supreme ruler enjoyed beating it whenever she was idle, its little backside was almost beaten into four pieces.
What it found most unbearable, naturally, was the food.
It could only eat ore and plants because the female supreme ruler disliked the smell of blood, so it couldn't even touch meat.
At this moment, it was filled with regret.
Why had it ever run away from home? It was asking for trouble. If it could return to Ji Mo's side, it swore it would never leave again.
"Your master indeed has some skill. But the Four Titans are not to be trifled with, especially that ball of ghost fire and that insidious phantom, neither of them are easy adversaries."
The female supreme ruler had also heard about Ji Mo's glorious victories, but she didn't take them seriously.
Vampires and Golden Skeletons were nothing, mere brutes. The ghost fire and the phantom were the truly difficult ones to deal with.
The ghost fire was actually a mysterious primordial fire, almost immortal and indestructible, capable of burning all things, making it very difficult to handle.
As for that phantom, the female supreme ruler couldn't see through its depths.
Although it seemed to pose no threat on the surface, her instincts told her the phantom was absolutely not simple and was deeply hidden.
"If that's the case, your heart is very likely in the hands of one of these two. Why don't you cooperate with Ji Mo? He will surely have a way to help you snatch back your heart and regain your freedom."
The Iron-Eating Beast urged, having learned of the female supreme ruler's situation through their interactions – her original heart was lost, and she was under someone's control.
As long as the female supreme ruler was willing to follow Ji Mo, then everything would be a non-issue.
Upon hearing this, the female supreme ruler's expression turned cold.
That bastard surnamed Ji had ill intentions, was shameless and lewd, and even wanted to have children with her. How could she cooperate?
Moreover, the female supreme ruler didn't trust Ji Mo from the bottom of her heart. If her heart fell into Ji Mo's hands, and this scoundrel forced her to have children with him, that would be a disaster.
"I will find a way to snatch back my own heart myself."
The female supreme ruler snorted coldly, scooped the Iron-Eating Beast into her arms, raised her fair palm, and began to beat it soundly.
The pitiable little creature wailed in pain, "I'm still a child, how can you be so cruel? I heard humans have a saying, 'Beating children on rainy days, might as well do it when you have nothing else to do.' If you're so capable, go have a baby with Ji Mo and beat your own child, why are you beating me? Ah… gently, my backside is about to split in two!"
However, after these words were spoken, they were met with even fiercer beatings.
The female supreme ruler's pretty face turned red with anger, wishing she could skin the Iron-Eating Beast.
Suddenly.
She stopped, her delicate brows furrowed, revealing surprise. She sensed someone had intruded upon her territory.
In the falling fine rain, Ji Mo was drenched like a drowned chicken.
He had discovered the courtyard in the mountain valley and had come to seek shelter from the rain.
It turned out that after defeating the skeleton army led by the Golden Skeleton, Ji Mo had further plans.
He intended to first gather the strong individuals from the Southern Region and then devise a decapitation strike to kill the Four Titans of the Ghost race, thereby ending the war completely.
Thus, he had dispatched Black Rose, Xuan Yang, and others to search for A Li and the others, and to gather all their forces.
As for himself, he planned to gather some herbs and refine more potent elixirs to prepare for the upcoming battle.
Of course, the most important thing was that he wanted to find some precious medicinal ingredients to make himself some special aphrodisiac pills to strengthen his body.
Ji Hanhan, who came to collect herbs, never expected to stumble into the female supreme ruler's territory like this.
He arrived outside the courtyard and took shelter from the rain under the eaves, not daring to knock and disturb the owner of this place.
The courtyard was deep, the rain misty, and the mountain valley was filled with blooming flowers. Various green plants swayed in the rain, the scenery incredibly pleasant.
Ji Mo gazed at the beautiful scenery before him, moved, and softly sang, "The sky is azure waiting for the misty rain, and I am waiting for you. Wisps of smoke rise, a thousand miles across the river. In the bottom of the bottle, I write in Han script, imitating the elegance of the previous dynasty, consider it my foreshadowing for meeting you..."
The female supreme ruler, hidden, quietly emerged from the courtyard, intending to eliminate this intruder.
But she was suddenly struck by a voice as clear as nature's call, piercing her soul.
The singing was like a nightingale's, clear, moist, and sweet. Especially the delicate emotions expressed in the lyrics, conveying a warm longing that could nourish the soul.
The female supreme ruler's delicate body trembled, her heart touched, evoking a difficult-to-forget past memory. Her killing intent dissipated.
Her figure revealed itself, and she stood quietly beside Ji Mo, listening attentively.
The female supreme ruler couldn't help but examine Ji Mo. He was very handsome, exuding a clean aura, especially his eyes, which were as clear as crystal, seemingly unpolluted by the mundane world.
This was the first time the female supreme ruler had scrutinized a man so closely. She was somewhat surprised. Having seen countless people, this was the first time she had encountered such a clean young man.
Most importantly, he was exceptionally talented.
Such a man, blessed with both talent and looks, was rare in the world, even said to be a once-in-ten-thousand-years encounter.
"Wow... so beautiful, like a fairy!"
The singing stopped abruptly, and Ji Mo exclaimed, finally noticing the female supreme ruler.
He blinked desperately and kept rubbing his eyes, thinking it was an illusion.
The female supreme ruler, clad in a red dress and holding an oil-paper umbrella, stood amidst the misty rain, ethereal and dreamlike, too beautiful to be human.
Seeing Ji Mo's flustered state, the female supreme ruler was astonished, then couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh.
This was probably the first time she had smiled in many years.
This smile made Ji Mo's pupils instantly widen, his heart skipping a beat.
But then, his throat moved, and he couldn't help but swallow, his expression becoming somewhat stiff.
Because he realized the female supreme ruler was floating, her feet not touching the ground.
This meant she was a ghost, no wonder she was so beautiful.
Ji Mo suddenly became nervous.
It was raining at the moment, and the ground was covered in mud. The cleanliness-loving female supreme ruler naturally didn't want to dirty herself, so her feet didn't touch the ground. She didn't expect Ji Mo to mistake her for a ghost and be terrified.
The female supreme ruler didn't notice the change in Ji Mo's expression. Her face was slightly flushed because it was the first time someone had praised her beauty, calling her a fairy.
If it were anyone else, she would naturally have disdained them.
But it was Ji Mo who spoke, especially Ji Mo's naive, awestruck expression just now, which deeply touched the female supreme ruler's heart.
"Am I really that beautiful?"
The female supreme ruler actually revealed a maiden's shyness and couldn't help but ask.
At this moment, Ji Mo was incredibly flustered. He nodded then quickly shook his head, afraid of giving the wrong answer and being harmed by the ghost.
"I'm not beautiful?"
The female supreme ruler's tone turned cold.
Ji Mo was also quick-witted. A flash of inspiration struck him, and he replied, "The most beautiful thing is the eaves under which we shelter from the rain together."
"What?"
The female supreme ruler's mind went blank.
Was this a cheesy pickup line?
Why did it sound so pleasant, and evoke no sense of annoyance at all?
"Miss, it's raining, and I still have clothes drying outside that need to be collected. Goodbye."
Seeing this, Ji Mo turned to leave.
"Stop."
The female supreme ruler called him to a halt, making Ji Mo's heart lurch. Cold sweat was about to break out.
However, the female supreme ruler did not make things difficult for Ji Mo.
"Take this umbrella."
The female supreme ruler, as if possessed, thrust the oil-paper umbrella into Ji Mo's hand, worried he might catch a cold from the rain.
Ji Mo was initially somewhat touched, but when his hand accidentally brushed against the female supreme ruler's soft, boneless hand, he immediately recognized it was not flesh and blood, and was terrified.
A ghost, she really was a ghost!
His scalp tingled. Holding the oil-paper umbrella, he hurried away, not wanting to stay a moment longer.
Watching Ji Mo's disappearing back, the female supreme ruler felt a sense of loss, regretting handing her most precious protective treasure to a stranger.
She didn't even know his name.
However, that oil-paper umbrella had been refined by her, so she wasn't afraid of losing it. Perhaps she could find this man through it later and meet him again.
Suddenly.
The female supreme ruler felt as if struck by lightning. Her body staggered, and she suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, her face changing drastically.