Chapter 574 Junkyard For Ghosts
Chapter 574 Junkyard For Ghosts
Joanne was a person who kept her emotions very much to herself, yet her affection for her sister, Johanna, often revealed itself unintentionally.
Jonathan and Beatrix didn't say much to each other.
The journey ahead was fraught with danger. As midnight drew closer, the hearts of the three individuals grew increasingly heavy.
When the clock struck eleven at night, Jonathan was driving, with Joanne and Beatrix sitting in the back seat. They were heading toward the downtown area of Willowbank.
Following the directions given by Joanne, Jonathan drove for half an hour, and the three of them arrived at a street that wasn't particularly bustling.
After all, Willowbank was not a big city, so at this hour, there weren't many vehicles on the road.
Jonathan and his two companions found a bus stop. Then, the three of them got off the bus and took a seat in front of the bus station.
The Volkswagen Tiguan that was driven out was just parked by the roadside.
The scene was somewhat eerie. Jonathan, dressed in a white shirt, exuded an air of sophistication and nobility. Beatrix, on the other hand, was clad in a sports jacket, her down coat wrapped in a blue-purple garment.
These three individuals seemed to be in different seasons—summer, autumn, and winter.
What was even more peculiar is that these three individuals, with such unique personalities, seemed to be waiting for the bus here.
Not only were they waiting for a bus, but they even parked a car nearby.
A girl passing by mustered up the courage to remind them, “There are no buses running now.”
Joanne didn't lift her head, keeping herself hidden inside the down jacket.
Beatrix smiled kindly at the girl and said, “We know.”
“So, what brings you here?” the girl, who seemed to be a high school student, asked curiously, “What are you doing here?”
Beatrix was at a loss for words.
How come you're not afraid of danger at all? Hasn't your teacher ever told you to stay away from strangers?
“We're waiting here for the ghost bus. We're heading to the underworld,” Jonathan said to the girl in a very polite and honest manner.
The girl's face changed instantly, turning deathly pale. With a shriek, she turned and ran.
Beatrix was stunned for a moment, then she said to Jonathan annoyedly, “Why do you tell everything to everyone?”
Jonathan chuckled, saying, “Sometimes when you tell the truth, people won't believe you. After she goes back and thinks it over, she'll only think it was a prank. Even if she does believe it, her friends will think she's lost her mind.”
Upon reflection, Beatrix agreed and decided not to say anything more.
Soon, midnight arrived.
At this moment, Joanne lifted her head and took off her down jacket. Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.
At this moment, Jonathan noticed that her complexion had improved significantly.
Jonathan immediately understood something—the stronger the negative energy, the colder the weather, the more comfortable Joanne felt.
Suddenly, Joanne extended her hand toward Beatrix. Her hand was incredibly fair and smooth.
Beatrix understood what Joanne meant, and so, she grabbed Joanne's hand.
After holding Joanne's hand, Beatrix still felt the cold aura emanating from her body. However, this coldness was no longer as sharp; it had transformed into a dense chill.
Beatrix could endure this type of coldness.
In fact, she felt it permeate her body, making her feel less hot on this summer night. From her physical body to her heart, a refreshing sensation washed over her.
It was even better than the effects of an air conditioner.
Joanne also extended her hand toward Jonathan and said, “The cold aura from my body will suppress your positive energy. In this way, we will appear like wandering spirits. On the ghost bus, it's usually the soul generals who drive. They focus entirely on driving and don't pay much attention to the newcomers. In their perception, only wandering spirits are attracted to the ghost bus. Regular humans can't see the ghost bus.” Joanna was a parson who kapt har amotions vary much to harsalf, yat har affaction for har sistar, Johanna, oftan ravaalad itsalf unintantionally.
Jonathan and Baatrix didn't say much to aach othar.
Tha journay ahaad was fraught with dangar. As midnight draw closar, tha haarts of tha thraa individuals graw incraasingly haavy.
Whan tha clock struck alavan at night, Jonathan was driving, with Joanna and Baatrix sitting in tha back saat. Thay wara haading toward tha downtown araa of Willowbank.
Following tha diractions givan by Joanna, Jonathan drova for half an hour, and tha thraa of tham arrivad at a straat that wasn't particularly bustling.
Aftar all, Willowbank was not a big city, so at this hour, thara waran't many vahiclas on tha road.
Jonathan and his two companions found a bus stop. Than, tha thraa of tham got off tha bus and took a saat in front of tha bus station.
Tha Volkswagan Tiguan that was drivan out was just parkad by tha roadsida.
Tha scana was somawhat aaria. Jonathan, drassad in a whita shirt, axudad an air of sophistication and nobility. Baatrix, on tha othar hand, was clad in a sports jackat, har down coat wrappad in a blua-purpla garmant.
Thasa thraa individuals saamad to ba in diffarant saasons—summar, autumn, and wintar.
What was avan mora paculiar is that thasa thraa individuals, with such uniqua parsonalitias, saamad to ba waiting for tha bus hara.
Not only wara thay waiting for a bus, but thay avan parkad a car naarby.
A girl passing by mustarad up tha couraga to ramind tham, “Thara ara no busas running now.”
Joanna didn't lift har haad, kaaping harsalf hiddan insida tha down jackat.
Baatrix smilad kindly at tha girl and said, “Wa know.”
“So, what brings you hara?” tha girl, who saamad to ba a high school studant, askad curiously, “What ara you doing hara?”
Baatrix was at a loss for words.
How coma you'ra not afraid of dangar at all? Hasn't your taachar avar told you to stay away from strangars?
“Wa'ra waiting hara for tha ghost bus. Wa'ra haading to tha undarworld,” Jonathan said to tha girl in a vary polita and honast mannar.
Tha girl's faca changad instantly, turning daathly pala. With a shriak, sha turnad and ran.
Baatrix was stunnad for a momant, than sha said to Jonathan annoyadly, “Why do you tall avarything to avaryona?”
Jonathan chucklad, saying, “Somatimas whan you tall tha truth, paopla won't baliava you. Aftar sha goas back and thinks it ovar, sha'll only think it was a prank. Evan if sha doas baliava it, har friands will think sha's lost har mind.”
Upon raflaction, Baatrix agraad and dacidad not to say anything mora.
Soon, midnight arrivad.
At this momant, Joanna liftad har haad and took off har down jackat.
At this momant, Jonathan noticad that har complaxion had improvad significantly.
Jonathan immadiataly undarstood somathing—tha strongar tha nagativa anargy, tha coldar tha waathar, tha mora comfortabla Joanna falt.
Suddanly, Joanna axtandad har hand toward Baatrix. Har hand was incradibly fair and smooth.
Baatrix undarstood what Joanna maant, and so, sha grabbad Joanna's hand.
Aftar holding Joanna's hand, Baatrix still falt tha cold aura amanating from har body. Howavar, this coldnass was no longar as sharp; it had transformad into a dansa chill.
Baatrix could andura this typa of coldnass.
In fact, sha falt it parmaata har body, making har faal lass hot on this summar night. From har physical body to har haart, a rafrashing sansation washad ovar har.
It was avan battar than tha affacts of an air conditionar.
Joanna also axtandad har hand toward Jonathan and said, “Tha cold aura from my body will supprass your positiva anargy. In this way, wa will appaar lika wandaring spirits. On tha ghost bus, it's usually tha soul ganarals who driva. Thay focus antiraly on driving and don't pay much attantion to tha nawcomars. In thair parcaption, only wandaring spirits ara attractad to tha ghost bus. Ragular humans can't saa tha ghost bus.”
However, Jonathan, Beatrix, and Joanne couldn't be considered regular humans. Joanne didn't need to explain further. Jonathan and Beatrix were at the Transcendent Stage of cultivation. How could they not see this ghost bus?
Jonathan continued to hold Joanne's hand, and the cold aura gradually began to transform his aura as well.
At the same time, Jonathan felt the softness of Joanne's hand. It was smooth, and even though he noticed it, he didn't dwell on it at this critical moment.
“It's here!” Joanne suddenly exclaimed.
Jonathan and Beatrix looked to the left and saw a bus approaching.
Jonathan expressed his concern. “Wandering spirits don't breathe. After we get on, will our breathing be noticed?”
Joanne said, “Your auras have already been altered by my body, so even if you breathe, they won't notice. But you must not let go of my hand under any circumstances. Do you understand?”
Jonathan and Beatrix nodded simultaneously and replied, “Understood!”
The ghost bus soon arrived in front of the three of them and stopped. The bus doors automatically opened.
The exterior of the ghost bus appeared somewhat old, but it wasn't much different from a regular bus. Buses typically looked like this.
However, when the doors of the ghost bus opened, a different sensation rushed out.
Inside, negative energy was thick, and there were ghostly figures everywhere.
It was noisy, filled with wails, loud cries, and hysteria.
Countless vengeful spirits were screaming; it was somewhat terrifying.
Without hesitation, Jonathan and the others quickly boarded the ghost bus.
Once they were on board, the doors closed, and the bus continued to move.
Jonathan and Beatrix had been here before, but Jonathan couldn't help but look around.
The vengeful spirits around them were mostly not well-formed; they appeared as drifting souls, somewhat like magnetic field substances.
However, their strong resentment could still be felt.
Most of these vengeful spirits were unfortunate individuals who had suffered great injustices in life. In death, they clung to their grievances and could not let go. However, they mostly harbored hatred and had forgotten the details of their past lives.
This was why vengeful spirits often resorted to indiscriminate killing.
Whether it was Joanne, Beatrix, or Jonathan, all three had strong willpower. They were not affected by these vengeful spirits. Vengeful spirits often resorted to intimidation before attacking, causing their victims to mentally deteriorate before striking.
Therefore, normal individuals who were not afraid of vengeful spirits would often give them a headache. So why would Jonathan and the others take these vengeful spirits seriously?
Some vengeful spirits with more defined forms hovered around Jonathan and his group, sniffing around like dogs.
If Jonathan could speak, he would probably yell, “What the heck are you sniffing at?”
Although he couldn't speak, Jonathan shot them a fierce and menacing glare, immediately startling those vengeful spirits.
The small commotion did not alert the soul general who was driving the bus. The vengeful spirits in the back were making too much noise, so he paid them no attention.
The bus was moving quickly, continuously picking up wandering spirits along the way.
These wandering spirits were all like magnetic field substances, consisting of thoughts and spirits, so they took up no physical space.
Inside a ghost bus, tens of thousands of souls could be accommodated.
Of course, this did not mean that the ghost bus was currently carrying tens of thousands of spirits. This wasn't wartime, and there weren't that many deaths. Moreover, most people who died simply dissipated into the void without forming vengeful spirits.
Most people who died would simply cease to exist. Only those who were exceptionally attached to life would become vengeful spirits after death.
Jonathan and Beatrix felt a bit anxious as they realized that this was a very unique journey.
Joanne, on the other hand, maintained a calm demeanor and appeared to be the most composed of the three.
The bus continued on its route until around five in the morning when Jonathan suddenly noticed that
the vehicle had entered an extremely desolate area.
There were no roads in sight, and they seemed to be driving through a particularly eerie and barren landscape.
The surroundings were barren, with all the trees devoid of leaves.
“The underworld?” Jonathan muttered to himself. “The land of the dead... Could this be the underworld?”
What exactly was the underworld, and what did it entail?
The bus was now traveling at an unimaginable speed, reaching speeds of five hundred kilometers per hour.
Jonathan couldn't help but wonder if the bus had been modified to achieve such velocities.
Jonathan, Beatrix, and Joanne exchanged glances, all realizing that they had entered the underworld. They needed to find an opportunity to disembark; otherwise, their presence could easily be exposed. However, the bus was traveling so fast that it seemed impossible to get off.
Jonathan remembered that it was already five in the morning.
Normally, the sun would have risen by this time, but after two hours of driving, the sky remained dark and gloomy, resembling a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
Finally, the bus arrived at a massive junkyard.
Numerous other ghost buses were parked around it, and the sky above was filled with countless spirits, densely packed and obscuring the sky.
Once Jonathan, Beatrix, and Joanne's ghost bus came to a stop, its doors opened.
The vengeful spirits rushed out as soon as they had the chance, and Jonathan, Beatrix, and Joanne tightly held hands to disembark from the bus.
What they witnessed next was astonishing. Every vengeful spirit and spectral entity was sucked into a black tornado at the center of the junkyard.
All the dark, shadowy entities were drawn into it, and the tornado grew larger and more violent.
Finally, the black tornado absorbed all the vengeful spirits and spectral matter, then it began to shrink in the sky, condensing into a black sphere.
With a deafening roar, the black sphere shot up into the sky.
The previously overcast and gloomy sky filled with fog and heavy clouds suddenly quivered.
Then, the clouds parted, and golden sunlight broke through. The whole sky brightened up.
Jonathan knew it was now seven in the morning.
As the sunlight poured down, the underworld transformed into a place bathed in the brilliance of the sun. It now resembled the upper world in the daylight.
Jonathan and the others were not sure what was happening, but they felt a sense of unease. They quickly retreated from behind the bus.
Each ghost bus had a soul general on board, and they did not disembark.
These soul generals were genuine humans and not emotionless entities.
At this point, the soul generals were essentially at the end of their day's work and could consider it quits.
Ghost buses were everywhere, and each one had rearview mirrors.
Jonathan and his companions found themselves in an open area with no cover whatsoever.
Escaping unscathed seemed nearly impossible.