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

"Isn’t Alexander just a soldier-level Chosen One? Isn’t this a bit too exaggerated?"

The Ghost Imperial from Yan City was genuinely perplexed as he cautiously asked, "Is it really that exaggerated? I’ve heard that your Dark Hell is shrouded in mystique. You have not just a female Emperor named Alice, but also the Blood Queen and Louis—these three are legendary figures, are they not?"

Dark Hell is an anomaly, even within the Third Ghost Realm, and indeed, the entire terrifying world. Its uniqueness doesn’t solely lie in its geographical location or power but in the ghosts that have been birthed there.

According to legend, this city was built a thousand years ago by Ares for the one he deeply cherished. His beloved was known as Black Clothes, one of the Guardians, whose reputed status is only surpassed by White Clothes!

And precisely because Dark Hell was established by Ares, it serves as the genesis of all horror instances, making it the only area currently to have Chosen Ones.

But it doesn’t end there; Dark Hell enjoys significant fame throughout the entire world of horrors. After Ares departed a thousand years ago, many sought to claim the city, given its divine origins.

In the midst of the unyielding battles waged by countless ghosts for control of Dark Hell, Alice emerged. Her origins unknown, her identity an enigma.

Although at the time, Ghost Emperors were not uncommon, and Alice didn’t initially display overwhelming power, she was accompanied by a fearsome figure—a terrifying ghost known as the Blizzard Ghost Emperor.

She was the only non-inheritance Ghost Emperor, and while she didn’t exhibit any forbidden powers, she displayed a terrifying strength that far surpassed any inheritance Ghost Emperor. Her enigmatic curses were responsible for slaying at least a hundred Ghost Emperors, establishing her dread-inducing reputation as the Blizzard Ghost Emperor.

What truly catapulted her to fame was not the number of lives she claimed, but the final technique she employed when cornered by numerous Ghost Emperors.

She summoned a silver bell using her arcane curses. Yes, the very same silver bell possessed by Alexander.

Initially, although some recognized the bell, no one paid it much mind—until hell warriors emerged from the mist. Sourced from several Ghost Realms, 1,103 Ghost Emperors were slain outright by these hell warriors.

This explains why Kevin was so terrified of that silver bell; it genuinely had the power to summon hell warriors.

Following this battle, with Blizzard’s assistance, Alice ascended as the female Emperor of Dark Hell. A hundred years later, Blizzard left Dark Hell for the City of Sin.

However, decades afterward, the City of Sin was obliterated due to the arrival of the hell warriors, and Blizzard vanished without a trace.

Some say she perished in the disaster brought about by the hell warriors. Yet, a more widely circulated rumor suggests that the entire downfall of the City of Sin was due to Blizzard’s inexplicable use of the silver bell, thereby summoning the hell warriors.

Following Blizzard, another equally enthralling, though perhaps not as legendary, figure emerged: Kui.

From a tender age, Kui and her younger brother Heath depended on each other for survival. Fate led them both to the horror world’s Red Light District after a freak accident.

At the time, Rose Apartments was known as a women’s dormitory, and the entire street was referred to as the Red Light District—a playground for lecherous ghosts.

One can only imagine the trajectory their lives would take in such an environment. Luckily, both siblings were gifted: Kui had a knack for seeding willing hearts with Devil Babies, while Heath was purely a combat prodigy.

With these innate talents, the compassionate duo aimed to empower the haunted women of the dormitory, emboldening them to stand against abuse.

But these female ghosts were long accustomed to subjugation and humiliation. Instead of inspiring them, the siblings’ actions incurred the wrath of the lascivious powers that ruled the district.

In the end, Heath was brutally slain in front of all the women, an act that finally woke them from their submissive slumber and set them on the path of resistance.

Propelled by her gifts and the unyielding support of the district’s women ghosts, Kui, who had always relied on her brother for protection, underwent a staggering metamorphosis.

Within a day, she became a Ghost General; three days later, a Ghost Prince. On the fifteenth day, Kui vanquished the head of the perverted forces that controlled the Red Light District in just three rounds.

She then renamed the street Rose Street and the women’s dormitory became Rose Apartments. This act resounded like a thunderclap throughout this world.

However, whether due to her diluted power or her unconventional talent, Kui could never quite break through to the level of a Ghost Emperor. Yet, she was a force to be reckoned with under the forbidden tier—utterly invincible and unkillable.

She was the only one, not a Ghost Emperor, to carry the weighty title of an Imperial: Emperor Kui!

Dark Hell had another legendary figure: the Chosen One, James. (I must apologize for an error; in Chapter 216, "The Hidden History of Dark Hell," I mistakenly wrote James as Charles.)

James’ story was even more legendary than Kui’s. In just five years, he ascended from a frail Chosen One to a Ghost Emperor, even daring to explore the forbidden.

What’s even more commendable is that James ventured alone into the Mist World, not only returning with the Blood Queen but also claiming to possess a method of granting forbidden powers to ordinary ghosts—a method allegedly more convenient than Maddy’s.

Unfortunately, his forays into alchemy attracted divine wrath, resulting in his death. However, this indirectly attested to the viability, if not the success, of James’ ideas.

Otherwise, the Mist World wouldn’t have dispatched even the White Clothes Guardian—rumored to have been wounded by Ares at the time. Moreover, the intervention of the White Clothes Guardian brought forth another awe-inspiring individual: Louis!

And this forbidden quality in Louis was distinctly different from that in James or others empowered with the forbidden; it even equated him with the White Clothes Guardian.

Following Louis, there came Dolly, another Chosen One possessing forbidden power—a truly mind-boggling occurrence.

And now, there’s Alexander. Could he be another legendary figure?

"Does Alexander also possess forbidden power?" Zane inquired, his voice tinged with curiosity.

"Well, not exactly, but his story is certainly legendary," the Ghost King reminisced.

"Alexander first appeared a little over two months ago during a trial instance. In just a short span of two months, he reached the level of a soldier-class power. Even Kevin, the Emperor of the Endless Abyss, is rumored to have lost an arm to him."

The Ghost King then lowered his voice and adopted a mysterious tone: "This auction is his doing! He’s not just known as Tommy DeVito; he has another name that resonates far and wide—Blackbeard of Dark Hell!

Do you see the floor, these skeletal chairs, and all the luxurious additions in this auction? At least 70% of it was plundered directly from the instances of a thousand ghost lords! The phrase ’making the earth sink three feet wherever he goes’ could very well describe him."

"This is outrageous! How has he survived this long? You have so many powerful figures in Dark Hell, and you’ve allowed a mere Chosen One to wreak havoc? Should we go and kill him?" Zane likewise lowered his voice, subtly signaling to Abigail and Benjamin in front of him.

"Powerful figures in Dark Hell?" Benjamin let out a cryptic smile, shaking his head: "The people you just mentioned—Louis is his sworn older brother, the female Emperor is his aunt, and both the Blood Queen and Emperor Kui are quite friendly with him.

In addition, Seraphina and Kassadin also know him and their relationship seems good.

I’m not sure about this Abigail Imperial though; I just heard that she had an altercation with him outside and suffered a bit. It appears she’s conceded defeat."

"So, you’re saying that the powerful figures in Dark Hell are all his friends? Is he truly a Chosen One?"

Zane couldn’t comprehend how a Chosen One could achieve so much in a mere three months.

"Alright, enough with the pleasantries, let’s get down to the actual auction!" Just as the two were engrossed in conversation, Alexander’s voice emanated from the stage. "Up next is our first auction item! To warm up this event, we have Screaming Nachos!"

As Alexander spoke, a serving of Screaming Nachos materialized in his palm. As he opened the packaging, the rich aroma of Ghost Food instantly permeated the air.

"Nachos! I can’t believe the first item up for bidding is the legendary Screaming Nachos! And here I thought Alexander would use something else to kick things off," the Ghost King sitting beside Zane exclaimed with a look of surprised yearning.

"Screaming Nachos?"

The Fierce Ghost Association had sold Ghost Food before, and Alexander had categorized Ghost Food into different levels for easier selling. Screaming Nachos were soldier-level Ghost Food.

Zane wasn’t aware of the distinctions between different Ghost Foods, but he was filled with curiosity at the wafting scent.

"You don’t know? You’ve come to Dark Hell and you don’t even know about Screaming Nachos? You’re really not up to the mark!" The adjacent Ghost King, whether to ingratiate himself with one of the ghost city merchants or simply to flaunt his knowledge, began to explain:

"These are said to be crafted by our Honorary Chairman Alexander himself. Aside from a slightly slower absorption rate, they are no different from abyss crystals of the same level."

"Comparable to abyss crystals?" Zane couldn’t believe it.

These weren’t some naturally grown fruits or grains; they were obviously man-made.

Could they be researched if he were to acquire them? Zane had already made up his mind; he had to get his hands on this item.

As one of the ghost city merchants—a role he had not held for long, but one that bestowed considerable privileges—his status was even higher than that of an ghost Imperial.

"Such a treasure is bound to fetch a sky-high price at auction, wouldn’t you agree?" Zane asked the Ghost King beside him.

"You’re not thinking of buying it to study, even if it takes up your entire budget, are you? If so, you’re thinking too big," the Ghost King chuckled, shaking his head. "One million ghost coins at most. That’s what it’s worth."

One million ghost coins equaled the value of five soldier-level weapons. Even if the auction were for soldier-level ghost crystals, a million would already be a reasonable price.

The Screaming Nachos, requiring some time for absorption, would be valued a bit lower.

However, this was a man-made item comparable to ghost crystals; its research potential alone made it incredibly valuable. Never mind a million; he’d pay a hundred million for it if he had to.

However, the Ghost King simply smiled calmly and confidently, saying, "You don’t even know about Ghost Food, so your ignorance isn’t surprising.

This magical food has been around for a while, and plenty of Ghost Kings or Ghost Imperials with your line of thinking have been researching it for some time. That’s why the price of this level of Ghost Food won’t go too high. Trust me, no one knows auctions better than I do. My guess is that the bidding will max out at one million."

The Ghost King’s self-assured smile filled Zane with excitement; he felt incredibly fortunate. It was good that he had run into such a knowledgeable and helpful ghost; otherwise, he would have been tempted to start his bidding at ten million, and that would have been a significant loss.

"Thank you so much; I’m lucky to have met you! Otherwise, I would have escalated the bid well above one million," Zane hurriedly expressed his gratitude.

"One million!" No sooner had Zane’s words settled than a Ghost King sitting in front of him raised his hand to bid.

"Three million!" Another bid came in.

"Five million!"

.....

Wait, why are there still more bids? Zane was getting confused. Wasn’t it said that many had already bought this item and failed to find anything valuable through research?

"Six million!"

"Seven million!"

And so it went. The bidding in front of him surged like a torrent, leaving Zane completely dumbstruck when the price escalated to over a hundred million ghost coins.

So much for not valuable? So much for no high bids? Is this jerk trying to sabotage me?

Zane’s gaze turned icy as he looked at the Ghost King beside him.