Die, Replay, Repeat

Following Fang Xiu's gaze, the group turned to see a figure slowly rowing a small boat toward them.

Clad in a straw raincoat and wide-brimmed bamboo hat, the figure's movements were eerily steady and deliberate.

"That's the Ferryman. We'll be taking his boat to leave this place," Fang Xiu explained casually.

No one questioned how he knew this or why they should trust him. Fang Xiu's predictions had proven true time and again.

"Oh, so it's just the boatman? Not bad, pretty considerate of him to come pick us up," Yang Ming joked, though the nervous edge in his voice betrayed his unease.

Reassured by Fang Xiu's calm demeanor, the group relaxed slightly. Even as the Ferryman's approach intensified the oppressive Specter energy in the air, they managed to suppress their anxiety.

Just as they moved closer to the shore, Fang Xiu spoke again.

"Before we board the boat, there's something that needs to be done. Yang Ming."

Yang Ming blinked, startled to hear his name. "Huh? What is it, Xiu?"

Fang Xiu pointed to the dark, ominous waters of the lake. "Jump in."

Yang Ming's face instantly went pale. "Jump… jump in?! Xiu, you're kidding, right?"

Fang Xiu's expression didn't waver. "I never joke."

Panic set in as Yang Ming's voice rose, desperate. "Dude, whoa, if I offended you somehow, I'm sorry, I—"

Before he could finish, Fang Xiu raised a foot and delivered a solid kick to his back.

SPLASH!

Yang Ming flew forward, landing in the freezing water with a loud crash.

The moment he hit the water, an icy chill pierced his entire body. His vibrant Spiritual Energy was instantly suppressed, leaving him feeling like a helpless mortal.

"Help! Someone save me!" Yang Ming screamed, flailing wildly.

The rest of the group stood motionless. Though none of them understood Fang Xiu's actions, they trusted him too much to interfere.

From the shore, Fang Xiu's calm voice rang out. "There's an opportunity for you in the lake. Don't waste it."

Yang Ming, too panicked to process Fang Xiu's words, frantically searched his pockets until he found a soaking-wet pack of cigarettes.

"Quick! Someone take this! Don't let it get lost!" he shouted, throwing the soggy pack toward the shore.

As the group watched him struggle, the lake began to change.

From its dark, still waters, pale, lifeless corpses started surfacing.

One after another, they floated to the top, their blank, dead eyes staring into nothingness. Dozens became hundreds, forming a dense, horrifying mass that covered the lake.

"Holy sh—!" Yang Ming froze in terror as the corpses surrounded him. His scalp tingled, and every instinct screamed at him to flee.

But before he could retreat, Fang Xiu bent down, picked up the wet pack of cigarettes, and tossed it into the densest cluster of corpses.

"No!!" Yang Ming screamed, his voice raw with despair. Gritting his teeth, he turned and swam toward the pile of corpses.

Seconds later, Yang Ming disappeared beneath the surface.

The water bubbled and churned violently, as though the lake itself were alive and consuming him.

The group watched anxiously from the shore, their unease growing. While they trusted Fang Xiu, the suffocating Specter energy radiating from the lake left them on edge.

"Xiu, are you sure he'll be okay?" Li Xiaoru asked, her voice trembling with worry.

Fang Xiu's tone was steady. "Not only will he be fine—he'll break through to the fourth tier."

"What?!" The group was stunned.

Li Xiaoru's eyes lit up with sudden enthusiasm. "Xiu, if that's the case, why don't I jump in too? A swim in the lake for a breakthrough sounds like a fair deal."

Fang Xiu turned a cold gaze on her and said flatly, "If Yang Ming jumps in, he'll break through to the fourth tier. If you jump in, you'll lose all your limbs before being torn apart."

Li Xiaoru felt an immediate phantom pain and backed away from the lake, her face pale. "Understood. Staying right here. Not tempting fate."

Moments later, a powerful surge of Spiritual Energy erupted from the depths of the Corpse Lake.

BOOM!

The surface of the lake exploded, sending water spraying in all directions.

A glowing figure shot out from the water, landing gracefully on the shore.

It was Yang Ming.

His entire body radiated golden light, his Spiritual Energy surging with newfound power. The energy around him was unmistakable—he had broken through to the fourth tier.

Fang Xiu's eyes flickered with a subtle gleam as he observed the scene before him. There was a faint, undeniable sense that fate itself was orchestrating the events unfolding around them.

Yang Ming seemed perfectly attuned to the Corpse Lake, as though his Specter Gadgets had been specifically designed for this place.

The Corpse Bead counteracted the corpses, while the Corpse Water Jar neutralized the deadly lake water. If it was a coincidence, it was far too precise to be random.

Perhaps this was the work of God's Plan, carefully arranging an opportunity for Yang Ming at this very moment.

Given the mysterious force of God's Plan, it seemed inevitable that Yang Ming would rise to prominence.

Eventually, he would attract the attention of the headquarters, enroll in their training program, and naturally find himself on the train to reach it. That was where he would encounter the Specter Train and, ultimately, the Land Between.

Looking back, Fang Xiu wondered if his own encounter with the Specter Train had been tied to Yang Ming's trajectory.

After their team was wiped out at the Grave Yard, Yang Ming had been buried in grave soil. It was entirely possible he had never actually died. If it weren't for Fang Xiu's death reset ability, Yang Ming might have entered the Land Between long before the rest of them.

Fang Xiu couldn't help but marvel at the grandeur of God's Plan. It was no wonder that in the previous era, the Chosen One, Zhou Qingfeng, had managed to dominate his entire generation.

Situations that would spell certain death for ordinary people became stepping stones for the Chosen Ones. Their luck defied all logic.

"Yang Ming, did you really break through to the fourth tier?" Li Xiaoru asked, her tone filled with disbelief.

The rest of the group was equally stunned, their gazes darting between Fang Xiu and Yang Ming.

Breaking through to the fourth tier was no small feat. Even at headquarters, captains often had to endure near-death experiences to achieve such a breakthrough. Yet Yang Ming had merely jumped into a lake, taken what amounted to a "bath," and emerged as a fourth-tier psychic.

No one felt jealous of Yang Ming. Instead, they were filled with regret—if only they'd met Fang Xiu earlier, perhaps they could have shared similar opportunities.

Despite his newfound strength, Yang Ming looked far from happy. The golden glow around him gradually faded as he stared down at a soggy pack of cigarettes in his hand, his expression one of utter despair.

"This… this was my last pack," he muttered mournfully.

"Come on, kid! Just dry them out and smoke them later," Li Xiaoru teased. "Now, tell us—what Domain did you awaken?"

"Dry them out? They've been soaking in corpse water! Who'd dare smoke these after that?" Yang Ming snapped, glancing bitterly at Fang Xiu. Still, he kept his complaints to himself, his sulky demeanor more like that of a scorned spouse than an actual victim.

Li Xiaoru, however, pressed on. "You drink from your Corpse Water Jar every day! Smoking corpse-soaked cigarettes shouldn't bother you. Now stop stalling! What's your Domain? Spill it!"

Her curiosity was palpable, like a restless kitten scratching at her insides. Naturally impatient, she could barely contain herself.

Yang Ming sighed theatrically, throwing his hands up in mock exasperation. "I don't have a Domain."

"What?!" Li Xiaoru's jaw dropped. "That's impossible! Everyone who reaches the fourth tier awakens a Domain. How can you not have one? Are you even a real fourth tier?"

"I'm serious! I don't have a Domain!" Yang Ming insisted. Then, as if flipping a switch, he puffed out his chest, placed his hands on his hips, and grinned smugly. "Because my fourth-tier ability is… I Am Domain!"

"Let's go. It's time to board the boat," Fang Xiu interrupted, his calm voice cutting through Yang Ming's theatrics. Without sparing him another glance, Fang Xiu turned and led the group toward the Ferryman's boat.

Yang Ming remained frozen in place, still striking his ridiculous pose.

"Hey, wait! Aren't you at least curious about what I meant by that?" he called after them.

"Nope," Xiao Chuxia replied flatly, not even pausing.

"Not interested," Xiong Tianguang added without a trace of emotion.

Luo Qingxin didn't bother speaking. She simply walked past Yang Ming, her expression unreadable.

Li Xiaoru, however, paused just long enough to deliver a final blow. "I hate riddles. I asked you twice, and you didn't give me a straight answer. I'm done listening to you."

"Hey, come on! Don't be like that! Wait for me!" Yang Ming wailed, scrambling to catch up with the group.

In the end, the group successfully boarded the Ferryman's boat after paying a total of six thousand Spirit Money bills.

Notes

Translator's note: I guess as Yang Ming's Spiritual Energy Grows, the whole world will be his domain—a gift handed to him by God.