As long as you have the courage, fierce ghosts go on maternity leave.

"Abandoned Emperor Stone? Abandoned Emperor..." Alexander was suddenly taken aback.

Items capable of dealing with the Ghost Emperor, and those three people had such things—and they even hid them secretly.

In the entire dark hell, there was only one empress at present, Alice, who was Louis’s mother.

The trio had hidden the Abandoned Emperor Stone specifically designed to deal with the Ghost Emperor. Who else could it be intended for?

"Indeed," Alice slightly nodded, "The Abandoned Emperor Stone is said to have been crafted by the Hell King Caesar a hundred years ago. There are nine in total! Eighty-one Broken Wall Rings were used up to make them, targeted specifically at beings of Emperor-level or higher."

At this very moment, Alexander really wanted to ask what existed above the Emperor level. But due to his status, he didn’t dare.

After all, he was disguised as a ghost king and seemed to be one of Alice’s confidants. It was unclear whether she had ever been asked this question before. To ask it again would certainly expose his identity.

"Do you want to know what exists above the Emperor level?" Alice slightly tilted her head, her exquisite face looking at Alexander while revealing a subtle, breathtaking smile.

Alexander was quite surprised. Could she really read minds? Had he been discovered?

Impossible. If he had been, who would allow a strange man, a chosen one no less, to give her a shoulder massage here? Maybe, Louis’s mother was just incredibly perceptive.

His thoughts were racing, but he maintained a smile and nodded, "You are wise, my Lord."

"You," Alice shook her head slightly and said, "Actually, this has long been a part of the ancient, hidden history of the Horrific World. There’s no harm in telling you about it today. The creation of the Horrific World is lost to time. Legend has it that in the ancient past, Emperor-level strength was merely middle-tier in the Horrific World."

"Above the Emperor level, there are Ghost Honors, Ghost Saints, and the most powerful—those who can overshadow the sun and the moon with a wave of their hand, holding stars within their grasp—Ghost Gods. Even beyond that, there is the one who created the entire world, the true God!"

"It’s said that this divine being, named Sinking Star, couldn’t bear to watch the souls of the damned wander the earth aimlessly. He created this Horrific World and appointed a hundred Ghost Gods to manage it. That era was called the Ancient Ghost God era.

Countless ghosts from various dimensions were captured by an unparalleled force and descended into this world. After the completion of the world, in order to maintain its stability, Sinking Star transformed into the Hell Guardian, supporting the universe."

"As time passed, endless wars broke out in the Horrific World for the quest for divinity. The hundred Ghost Gods died one after another. Only the last one, the Ghost God Hades, used the Underworld Sword to sever the sky, thereby cutting off the path to becoming a Ghost God."

Wait a moment...

Alice’s words prompted Alexander to suddenly raise an eyebrow. Unconsciously, his gaze shifted to his inventory.

The Underworld Sword—could it really cut through the heavens? He was eager to see how formidable this sword would become as it matured. Of course, he couldn’t let this curiosity show.

Alexander then inquired, "My Lord, does this mean that the strongest force in the Thrilling World is the Ghost Saint?"

"Don’t rush, I haven’t finished my story yet!" Alice shook her head.

"Hades severed the path to godhood with his sword, intending to end the chaos and the fight for the divine throne. However, this act inadvertently opened rifts in the heavens and earth, ushering in something far more terrifying—the Mist Instances."

"Mist Instances?" Alexander couldn’t help but exclaim.

"Yes! The Mist Instances are the endless white mist and the worlds within them. They contain endless cycles of death and rebirth. Countless evil ghosts are drawn into them, swallowed whole.

Hades, the last Ghost God, led the Ghost Saints— the only beings capable of harming the inhabitants of these instances— into the white mist and never returned. Since then, the Thrilling World has entered an era of decline."

"As time passed, the absorption by the white mist intensified. Hell Warriors from the mist began to emerge, capturing evil ghosts and plundering their energy. The Thrilling World plunged into chaos. That was when Ghost Emperor Maddy appeared.

Somehow, he gained favor from a purple-cloaked guardian within the mist and stole a Ring of Wall Breaking. With it, many acquired forbidden powers, and a resistance against the mist began."

"But this prosperity was short-lived. Soon, all six guardians emerged from the mist, leaving the purple-cloaked one severely injured. Maddy sacrificed himself to save them. The assembled resistance stood no chance against the guardians; their higher forces were annihilated in a short time. Thus, the Thrilling World entered a dark age of captivity."

"A thousand years ago, the mighty Ghost Emperor Hades emerged. He collected ninety-one Rings of Wall Breaking and forged nine Killing Stones. With unparalleled deadly force, he reopened the rifts in heaven and earth.

Utilizing the immense power within the rifts, he replicated the Mist Instances, creating the Net of Heaven, which linked them and drew power. And so, the modern Thrilling Instances were born and unleashed upon several sentient planes, including Earth."

"Thrilling Instances came from that?" Alexander was profoundly shocked.

Was the Thrilling World actually artificially—or should I say ghostly—created? If not for Hades, would Earth have been spared all this tragedy? Although he felt the matter couldn’t be so straightforward, he couldn’t help but ponder.

Alice seemed unaware of his wandering thoughts and continued, "No one could have expected that the connection between the Net of Heaven and the Mist Instances would produce such a fascinating transformation.

The Thrilling World’s rules started to align with those of the Mist Instances, giving birth to the concept of Ghost Beads. All property recognized by the Thrilling World became safeguarded by the Net of Heaven, free from the harassment of terrifying Hell Warriors."

"While the mist continued its absorption, unhindered by these new rules, it nonetheless provided all evil ghosts a buffer. The true era of Instances had arrived. However, from then on, ghosts in the Thrilling World became limited by the Net of Heaven, never again able to attain the Emperor level."

"As the Thrilling World continued to draw energy, one sentient plane after another was nearing annihilation. A dozen years ago, the Thrilling Instance descended upon the last sentient plane, which is the dimension where Earth resides."

"You’re all too weak; the number of Chosen Ones is too few. Based on past experiences, humanity in your dimension would have been drained dry by the Thrilling World in just a few years. However, no one expected that someone from your Earth would enter the Thrilling Plane ahead of time."

"James? The former landlord of the Ghost Apartments? What did he do?" Alexander couldn’t help but exclaim.

Yet, the next moment, he was dumbfounded. At present, he was in the guise of the captain of the guard!

Instinctively, Alexander started to retreat sharply. Just then, a hand gently rested on the back of his hand, which was draped over Alice’s right shoulder.

The touch was light, soft.

However, no matter how much Alexander struggled, that seemingly powerless hand firmly pressed his own against her shoulder.

He’d been discovered! No, more accurately, he had never fooled her from the start.

"My lord, I... I must say this is a misunderstanding..." Sweat beads densely formed on Alexander’s forehead.

Of course, he firmly believed that he had not been discovered because Alice had bizarrely asked him to massage her shoulders in a place like this. More importantly, the ’affection points’ above Alice’s head had always stayed at 69.

Yet now, even though the affection points had not changed, his forehead was drenched in cold sweat. After all, this was his first time impersonating someone, and he was uncertain whether those affection points were directed towards the guard or himself.

"What is it? When you need me, you call me Auntie, but now you call me my lord?" A mischievous smile graced Alice’s face.

Alexander became even more awkward. Good heavens, she knew all the shenanigans he’d been up to under her name!

Glancing at the stable affection points and noting that Alice made no move to attack, Alexander finally relaxed and quickly pondered the situation.

Since she had not immediately attacked him and had even allowed him to continue the massage, it meant she wasn’t terribly angry and had no intention to blame him. After all, although the pool was filled with rose petals, he couldn’t actually see any of her private areas.

Realizing this, he loosened up. Not only did he not retreat, but he also put his hand back on Alice’s fragrant shoulder, massaging gently as he spoke, "Auntie, shall we continue your story?"

"Indeed, you never disappoint," Alice’s face revealed a smile filled with hidden meaning.

She continued, "That James was a man of many friends, gallant in demeanor. Though a chosen one among humans, he gained the respect of many and rapidly ascended to the rank of Ghost Emperor, becoming the master of the Ghost Apartments.

Later, to combat the mist, he sought to mass-produce a force of taboo power. Although his realm was that of the Ghost Emperor, his strength became increasingly horrifying."

"One day, James returned, excitedly bringing with him a girl in a blood-red dress, claiming to have discovered the essence of taboo power. A year later, the Blood Moon Town massacre occurred.

Then, James concocted something on the top floor of the Ghost Apartments, triggering the descent of the white mist, followed by the arrival of the Guardian in White."

"You mean to say, the woman rumored to be the incarnation of heavenly punishment is the leader of the mist’s Guardians, the White Guardian?" Alexander’s eyes widened in astonishment.

"But how did Louis originally fend off the White Guardian? She’s the leader of the Guardians! According to what you’re saying, even Maddy, who also possessed taboo power at the time, was no match for her!"

"Go ask him yourself! Now is not the time to discuss this!" Alice seemed unwilling to dwell on the subject. With a slight wave of her hand, she continued:

"Originally, the nine Abandoned Emperor Stones crafted by Hades were scattered throughout the Thrilling World. Unfortunately, as time has passed, the energy within them is nearly depleted."

"Although the energy of the Abandoned Emperor Stone is almost gone, does it still have a restraining effect on the Ghost Emperor?" Alexander hurriedly inquired.

"Absolutely!" Alice shook her head, her eyes filled with caution as she spoke:

"The Abandoned Emperor Stone contains the true core power of that white mist realm, which can be considered the purest forbidden energy. Even if only a trace of its energy remains, it has a terrifyingly corrupting effect on ghostly energies. Moreover, the purer and more immense the ghostly energy is, the more potent its corrupting power.

If one were to crush it nearby, its forbidden energy would seek out the most powerful being and instantly contaminate their entire ghostly energy, even destroying their consciousness. In the Thrilling World, the highest level of ghosts is at the Emperor level, hence it’s called the Abandoned Emperor Stone."

"Should this Abandoned Emperor Stone be in the hands of one of the three of them? Whose possession is it in?" Alexander hurriedly asked.

"I don’t know. I received this information from a trusted source that the three of them accidentally acquired the Abandoned Emperor Stone. The purpose of initiating this realm and bringing you here is for you to locate and either take or destroy it!

As long as you can accomplish this, regardless of whether the missions from the three factions are completed, your mission in this instance will end. The reward is a Soldier-level Ghost Crystal provided by my City Lord’s Mansion. This should be something you desperately need," Alice said, her gaze firmly fixed on Alexander.

As her words fell, a prompt emerged in Alexander’s mind:

"Respected participant Alexander, you’ve triggered the hidden mission of the Abandoned Emperor Stone. The fourth faction is now open. If you join the faction, find, take away and destroy the Abandoned Emperor Stone, the hidden faction will be deemed victorious. Would you like to accept the mission?"

"Participant’s Note: Completing the mission will yield rich rewards, but the difficulty is extremely high. Choose carefully."

Indeed, the fourth faction had been activated.

Without a doubt, Alexander was going to accept. The difficulty also indicated the richness of the rewards.

Moreover, this was the Abandoned Emperor Stone that even an Empress held in dread! If he could acquire it, all the Emperor-level beings in the Dark Hell would fear him.

Just as Alexander was about to accept the mission, a strange thought suddenly emerged in his mind. He silently contacted the Thrilling Instance:"Instance, can I now choose to join the fifth faction? Like the one that Louis belongs to?"

Although Louis was not here and had withdrawn from the battle for succession, it wasn’t an issue. If the three heirs were to die, the succession would naturally fall onto Louis.

Initially, he might have had reservations, but now, having learned about the existence of the Abandoned Emperor Stone and its potential discovery, what was there to fear?

Of course, all of this would be predicated on the existence of this fifth faction. Otherwise, even if he killed the three heirs, the succession might not immediately fall upon his older brother Louis.

Alexander asked this subconsciously in his mind. Unexpectedly, an prompt emerged:

"Respected participant, you possess both the identity of the chosen one and a resident of Ghost Street, and you are sworn brothers with Louis, who has a right to succession. This meets the hidden conditions. The hidden fifth faction is now open. Since faction leader Louis is not in the realm, you automatically possess all the rights of the faction leader..."