Reverse flow of the Yellow Springs

Inside the magnificent manor, lights shone brightly and music filled the air.

Countless figures moved about, seemingly attending a grand banquet.

This seemingly endless space is both magnificent and eerie.

When all those who ventured into this eerie space, having exhausted their fuel and wandered in vain for so long, were unable to escape the repetitive cage, and when despair enveloped them like a cold night...
It has appeared!
Its appearance was so abrupt and bizarre, its extreme noise and prosperity mocking the cold, deathly silence outside the window and the helplessness of those trapped.

This is an obvious trap, a gilded bear trap that exudes an alluring sweet scent.

The brilliant lights, the magnificent music, and the bustling "guests" all emitted a silent shriek.

Enter the manor and join the banquet!

Accepting the invitation is the only option!

'Step into our midst!'

One can imagine the despair of those caravans and scavengers who were 'chosen' and found themselves trapped in an inescapable, unchanging space when they saw this manor.

That was a despair from which there was no escape, no way to avoid it.
What will their fate be?
Participants in the banquet? To become one of 'them'?
The food from the banquet was brought to the dining table?
Or perhaps, they become mere entertainment at the banquet? All the struggles and resistance become mere amusement for 'them'?

But in any case, those trapped in this space can no longer escape.

This is a banquet for the Returnees, a banquet hosted by a powerful Duke of the Returnees.

Unlike the Lord Luoshan whom Li Yelai had encountered at the Corpse-Raising Ground, the Lord Luoshan at that time was still recovering from the defeat in the struggle.

And this was a Duke of the Returned One at his peak. A mutated entity formed from the most intense and twisted obsessions erupting from countless living beings at the moment of death.

It is itself a living monument constructed of eternal discontent, endless longing, and icy despair. It, or rather "they," are the true masters of this endlessly repeating, barren wasteland.

Whenever the banquet begins, 'they' will select some intelligent beings to enter their demon realm.

In that endlessly repeating space, they struggled in despair.

It adds a touch of fun to the banquet and brings joy to those returning home.

This time was no different; 'they' selected a sizable group and hoped that they would use all their strength to try to escape, only to be forced to stop helplessly in this dangerous wilderness due to running out of fuel.

Watching them race futilely before their fuel runs out, struggling, fearful, hopeful, and desperate amidst the endless, eerie cycle of withered trees outside the window, that futile struggle, that faint glimmer of life gradually swallowed by darkness, is the most cherished aperitif for the returning travelers.

Now, the train has stopped. Fuel exhausted, engine cold. The metal sheet that once shielded it from the outside world has now become a cage imprisoning hope.

The second act of the "feast" slowly unfolds as supplies dwindle.

In 'their' expectations.

Inside the carriage, the suppressed fear of the people, catalyzed by despair, began to twist and ferment.

People will look at each other, and at the dwindling resources left for survival.

A bottle of murky water, a dry biscuit, or even a small bite of moldy breadcrumbs—these seemingly insignificant things can become the starting point of conflict and strife, quickly turning into sparks that ignite violence!
Whispers of suspicion turned into sharp accusations, shoving escalated into fists and kicks, and fear transformed into hysterical screams.

Former companions would fight tooth and nail for a single sip of water.

For the sake of a small piece of food, the trust between them crumbled instantly.

And whenever a living being dies in struggle, betrayal, or pure despair, at the moment the flame of life is extinguished, all the resentment, anger, pain, love, and regret accumulated deep within its soul—those strongest and purest obsessions—will explode in an instant!
Perhaps they can take root and sprout in this special realm, distort and transform, and eventually evolve into new, lower-level returnees. Joining this rare feast, becoming new guests and spectators.

Even if one cannot become a returnee, those intense and complex obsessions are the most cherished gifts of those who return, nourishing those who participate in the banquet.

The entire process of a living being's suffering, struggle, depravity, and eventual destruction is merely an inevitable process, designed to extract the most potent brew of despair at the very last moment.

For those returning home, this is a rare and excellent tonic.

Those who return to the psychic realm are different from ordinary psychics and cannot advance normally.

But if people dare to get off the bus and enter the eerie manor...

Those who return will have more choices. They will not actively attack living beings, and they also have their own rules and limitations.

For example, the "lamp-blowing ghost," or "echoing ghost," mimics various sounds and calls out to its victim from behind. As soon as the victim turns around, it blows a "lamp" that drains their life force. Even psychics capable of fighting the Returners can suffer greatly from this first encounter; a young man in his twenties was once blown into the shape of an old man.

But as long as the victim doesn't turn around, even if it screams until its voice is hoarse, it can't do anything to it. Some people have gotten rid of the "Blowing Lamp Ghost" because they had difficulty turning their heads due to neck problems.

For example, within a certain area, rules dictate that people should perform or avoid certain behaviors. Otherwise, these are the rules that trigger them. Once these rules are violated, they will incur a price, ultimately consuming life.

The pleasure of the returnees lies in guiding, manipulating, and watching intelligent beings, knowing the rules, still being driven by fear, curiosity, greed, or despair, step by step into the ending predetermined by the returnees.

Like the most skilled hunters, they are patient, elegant, and even possess a cruel fairness. They offer a choice: remain on the train and die from lack of supplies and infighting.

Or perhaps stepping into the manor and falling into their trap offers a chance of survival.

Inside the manor, nobles from different regions were discussing recent events.

In which region of the battlefield between humanity and the forbidden zone has a surge of obsession? In which area is it easier to make deals with humanity and collect costs? Or, to put it another way, which faction is eager to cooperate with the returnees?

"Disaster Fog. What a pity, even we can't easily enter the disaster fog. Otherwise, what a great gift such a massive number of deaths would bring."

"There's nothing to regret. Those swallowed by the River Styx couldn't even release their obsessions. Besides, are you planning to go and see the champion?"

"Humans reproduce too slowly; we need to make them reproduce faster."

"Only battlefields and natural disasters can stably create extreme obsessions; such opportunities are too rare."

"And we can't be tainted by the faith of Chaos, damn Chaos! The last transaction went well, but the other party was inexplicably blessed by Chaos and dismantled one of my Yin Soldiers!"

"Igniting the blue flames is truly terrifying. That damned Fifth God, stuffing nails into our mouths."

The emergence of the Returnees is closely related to humans.

The vast majority of them are the result of the lingering obsessions that erupted when a large number of people died.

From this perspective, those who return do not wish for the extinction of humanity.

Other intelligent beings, including creatures from forbidden zones and humans from forbidden zones, can also acquire obsessions. However, the order of the forbidden zones restricts them, making them less desirable compared to humans.

Therefore, they hope that humanity can prosper and develop, that its strength will not increase, and that its fertility will be pushed to its limit.

"Speaking of which, why the sudden decision to hold a banquet?"

These banquets are held periodically and serve as a channel for those returning from different places to connect with each other.

But the other dukes had just finished their banquets not long ago, and they wondered why Duke Yu Huo had suddenly started a banquet.

Shouldn't the next banquet be at least a month from now?

Despite their confusion, they temporarily turned their attention to the banquet as their 'prey' arrived.

Well, since the banquet has begun, let's see if any companions can be formed.

For the lower-ranking returnees, this was a rare feast. Sensing the train finally stop, based on their experience, some who foresaw an impending struggle for supplies would quickly disembark.

Or they might step into the manor and become playthings to be manipulated by the returning inhabitants.

They may continue their escape, but they will eventually return here.

"Eat food, and become food. As for not eating..."

"That triggers my rule!"

"Looking into the mirror, I was dragged into it."

"And my statue is right in front of your mirror. If you don't look at the statue, you are offending me!"

"I want to designate an area where people can't leave without having sex, so that humans can reproduce as much as they want!"

"Then it would be best to break up couples; the resulting emotional outbursts would be even more intense."

"There seem to be quite a few people. I think I can sense the fluctuations of psionicists."

"That would be even more fun. One-sided slaughter is too boring. Some resistance would be a good change of pace."

"The person who made the selection this time was quite thoughtful. The caravan guards last time added a lot of fun for us."

The returning members laughed and joked; they each had their own rules, which were indeed their limitations. But when they cooperated, it became an inescapable trap and nightmare. Escaping one returning member's rules meant crossing another's red line. Therefore, no one could escape the banquet alive!

However, some of the returning passengers frowned: "Trains... Has humanity recovered to the point where it can build trains? Before, weren't we just fleets of cars?"

"The border city has indeed started building trains, seemingly to create a forbidden passage connecting their respective megacities. But there aren't many trains."

"Won't disturbing the train in the megacity attract the scouts?"

"So what? The living can't find our ghost realm without our consent. Besides, this is the ghost realm of Lord Yu Huo."

"Be careful, humans will call their friends and family, and who knows, they might just summon a human champion or supreme being."

"Stop talking nonsense, let's set up a betting pool and see how many people will become our companions this time."

"Keep your rules for dealing with humans, you gambler."

The one who returned smiled: "Leave those psionicists to me, let me win their organs and companions time and time again, and finally, enjoy their regret and despair!"

"Ignite the blue flames, and then you'll cry."

The returning travelers discussed and laughed.

Meanwhile, the host of the banquet, Grand Duke Yu Huo, was discussing important matters with several marquises and earls on the high platform.

As the king begins to expand his territory, these noble families may also become involved in the struggle.

They must be careful which side they choose; the Duke of Los Angeles was a prime example of the consequences of choosing the wrong side.

Even among those who return, there is struggle.

Lower-ranking followers offer their obsessions to higher-ranking followers, higher-ranking followers offer tributes to nobles, and nobles offer tributes to the king.
In this situation, struggle is inevitable.

Grand Duke Yu Huo initiated this banquet because he unexpectedly intercepted some intelligence and wanted to discuss it with the other returnees.

He casually instructed his subordinates to select humans to enter the Ghost Realm, without paying any attention to the prey's movements.

As great nobles, they do not need banquets to enhance their status.

The rest of the returning group began to look forward to the arrival of their prey.

Unaware of their excitement, their senses were veiled by a thin mist, causing the psionic fluctuations they should have detected long ago, as well as the rustling of certain cloaks, to vanish without a trace.

However, at a certain moment.

The train doors opened, and figures rushed out. Black cloaks billowed in the night, like a flock of crows. Without hesitation, they charged towards the manor, bursting through the gates, into the courtyard, and onto the lawn.

This surprised the returning travelers; there were quite a few of them.

Interesting, but entering the gate so rudely will come at a price. Without any bowing or etiquette, you've directly triggered some of the rules for those returning home.

However, some of those who returned suddenly retreated, their faces filled with fear and disbelief.

They seemed to recognize something, but some of the returning travelers did not notice anything unusual; their senses still failed to detect any danger.

So they went straight for the two leaders!
Li Yelai, Yang Chen, and the others got out of the car and went into the manor, sensing the vague ghostly aura.

Li Yelai couldn't help but ask, "Captain, wouldn't it be better if we just let the train crash into it?"

Yang Chen shook his head and said, "It'll take time to fix if it breaks. Forget it, I'll just punch it; it'll be more effective."

"Are machines more important than the human body? Captain, your logic is flawed," Li Yelai retorted.

"The main thing is, most equipment isn't as tough as mine." Yang Chen shrugged. "Equipment can be repaired if it breaks, but my fists won't break."

“I understand, this is unique to the True Martial Path, where the weapon is superior to the person,” Li Yelai said with a smile.

The two chatted casually and walked briskly toward the gate of the manor building.

But in the next second, he suddenly heard a call from behind.

"Teammate, watch out."

"Ah Chen."

Those were the voices of Little Mad King and Captain Pale, respectively.

The two turned around at the same time and saw two extremely thin old men.

At the same time, the two old men blew air into the two of them.

They are, the Lamp-Blowing Ghosts!
Once the target turns back, they have no more scruples and can extinguish the flame of life in the other party.

However, the mist enveloping all humans only dissipated when they attacked Li Yelai and Yang Chen. The rustling of the champion's cloak echoed throughout the entire ghost realm!
The returnees behind Yang Chen were the first to feel the volcanic energy, a flame that they could never extinguish.

That violent blood and energy even ignited it!
The returning ones behind Li Yelai saw their natural enemy.
The enormous azure Qilin was looking down at it with its eyes lowered.
The next moment, its head was smashed into its chest cavity.

"Do you know you have bad breath?"

At that moment, all the returning travelers felt fear and astonishment. Two violent streams of bloodthirsty energy soared into the sky.

At that moment, the expressions of the nobles who had returned to the manor deep within the estate changed drastically.

At that moment, Duke Yu Huo's incredulous voice rang out.

"What the hell did you put in here?" (End of Chapter)