Wielding the Thunders Across Two Worlds-Chapter 48: Testing One’s Skills

"Are you sure this is a harmful ghost? It would be awkward if we got the wrong one," Gu Zhao asked.

"Definitely harms people!" Bai Ke guaranteed, thumping his chest.

Gu Zhao was curious. "Then why doesn’t he go into the city, instead hiding in this deserted village?"

"Because he’s part Corpse Ghost. Half of his remnant soul is trapped inside his corpse, unable to break free, so he can’t leave the village." Bai Ke, draped over the Silk Embroideress’s shoulder, huffed, "It’s like having a chain tied to his neck. He can’t run far."

At this, Bai Ke added, "Of course, that has its advantages. You can’t kill him unless you completely destroy his corpse."

"Then where is his corpse?" Gu Zhao asked.

"I don’t know." Bai Ke shook his head. "But I saw him kill two lost travelers with my own eyes. He devoured their lifeblood completely. He’s definitely not a good person... or a good ghost."

Taoist Yan Song’s eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.

Gu Zhao asked, "He’s a Ghost. Don’t they normally just consume Vitality? Why would he feast on lifeblood?"

"Generally speaking, Ghosts consume Divine Soul Essence Qi while Fairies devour Essence Qi Blood, but there are exceptions." Bai Ke swished his tail. "Some Fairies also consume Divine Souls, like the Painting Demon you encountered in Xiuyue County. And some Fierce Ghosts also feed on lifeblood, like..."

"A Corpse Ghost?" Gu Zhao mused. "His corpse needs the lifeblood of the living?"

"His remnant soul is bound to his corpse. The corpse is stiff and immobile, which is why he can’t leave this place," Taoist Yan Song explained. "He devours lifeblood in order to refine the corpse. If he can succeed in animating it, he’ll be able to walk around freely."

Bai Ke nodded. "That’s about the gist of it."

As they spoke, the three of them and the fox found themselves standing outside a deserted village.

As far as the eye could see, they were surrounded by a forest of strangely-grown trees. The path they had followed was long since covered by weeds; if it weren’t a little lower than the surrounding shrubs, they might not have been able to find it at all.

It was high noon, but mist was rising through the woods. Sunlight filtered through the dense fog, casting a faint glow that lit up the area but failed to bring even a hint of warmth.

"You can tell something is obviously wrong with this Deserted Village. How could those lost people have dared to go in?" Even Gu Zhao could feel the ominous air wafting from it.

Bai Ke said grimly, "They took a wrong turn, and it was pouring rain. What could they do besides take shelter in the abandoned houses here?"

Gu Zhao glanced at Bai Ke. "You tried to stop them?"

Bai Ke didn’t deny it. "But that just made them run faster."

The three of them were left speechless. A desolate mountain wilderness, no sign of the sun, a flickering white shadow, the whimpering of a fox... of course any normal person would be scared.

"You’re sure this Ghost isn’t too powerful?" Gu Zhao asked again, just to be sure.

’This is the first time I’ve ever actively sought trouble with another being. Honestly, it feels a bit strange. It would be even more humiliating if I couldn’t win.’

"Relax. Even if I wanted to send you to your death, I wouldn’t lead the Silk Embroideress into danger." Bai Ke used his tail to brush a strand of hair from the Silk Embroideress’s ear. "I’ve crossed paths with him twice. As long as we leave the village, he can’t chase us."

"Then let’s go!" Gu Zhao waved his hand.

And so, the three of them and the fox walked into the village.

An earthen wall had once encircled the village, but it had long since crumbled. In contrast, the wooden gate at the entrance, which bore a plaque, was relatively intact. On the plaque, the three large, jet-black words "Liu Family Village" flickered in and out of sight within the mist, looking both menacing and eerie.

Inside the village, all was silent.

The light mist didn’t affect their vision much. Although the village was deserted, its houses were still well-preserved. Only the half-open doors, torn paper on the windows, overgrown weeds, and the faint waves of Telekinesis drifting in the air told the true story of the Deserted Village.

"Their flesh and blood were drained dry and their Divine Souls devoured. Because this place never sees sunlight, only a remnant of their resentment lingers," Bai Ke said grimly.

The Silk Embroideress flinched. "Such deep resentment... How many people has he killed?"

Bai Ke glanced around. The group fell silent.

"The fog is getting thicker," Taoist Yan Song said suddenly.

As they ventured deeper into the Deserted Village, the fog grew thicker. Despite there being fewer trees, the sunlight from above didn’t increase in the slightest. It was blocked by a layer of mist, as if the sun’s rays could never reach the village.

"Why hasn’t he shown up yet?" Gu Zhao asked.

None of them had released the aura of their Divine Sense, precisely to lure the Ghost into revealing itself. According to Bai Ke, the Ghost killed anyone who entered the village.

Bai Ke said, bored, "Who knows? Maybe he knows no one enters the village during the day, so he just sleeps?"

The Silk Embroideress couldn’t help but ask, "Do Ghosts sleep?"

"Humans and Fairies have to sleep, so of course Ghosts have to sleep!" Bai Ke said matter-of-factly. "Ghosts are nocturnal. Doesn’t that prove they sleep during the day?"

Gu Zhao and Taoist Yan Song exchanged a look.

Although it sounded a bit strange, there were no ghosts on modern-day Blue Star. Neither of them was an expert like Bai Ke, so they truly didn’t know whether Ghosts needed to sleep.

’There’s just too much I need to learn!’

"RUSTLE—"

A sinister wind sent the dead branches of the old trees clattering. Suddenly, a wave of ghastly Ghost Qi washed over them from a short distance away. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Over there?"

"Why isn’t he coming over? Did he not notice us?"

"That location... it’s a village’s central point. It’s either a meeting place or the ancestral hall."

"Let’s go take a look."

The three humans and one fox quieted their steps and moved together in that direction. As they drew closer, the light mist was no longer enough to obscure their vision. Beneath an old pagoda tree stood a large, obviously dilapidated building with carved corners and engraved pillars—it was a large ancestral hall.

The main doors of the ancestral hall were shut tight. Not a single blade of grass grew on the ground before it.

"That wave of Ghost Qi just now came from inside the ancestral hall," Bai Ke said.

"He’s in the ancestral hall?" the Silk Embroideress asked, a little afraid.

"Could he be in the middle of his Cultivation and hasn’t noticed us?" Taoist Yan Song asked.

"Who cares? Let’s do this!" Gu Zhao rubbed his hands together, stepped forward, and pushed open the doors to the ancestral hall.

"CREAK—"

The doors were pushed open in an instant. Four pairs of eyes looked inside the ancestral hall, but they were met by two other pairs.

A young man in a white robe with a scholarly face stood on the left. His complexion, however, was ashen, and his eyes were sinister.

An old man in brocade robes, who looked like a wealthy squire, stood on the right, seemingly in a standoff with the youth.

Six pairs of eyes stared at one another in stunned silence.

Gu Zhao turned back to ask Bai Ke, "Didn’t you say there was only one ghost in this village?"

The brocade-robed elder also narrowed his eyes, glancing warily at the white-robed man. "Who are they?"

The white-robed man stood there in a daze, a faint blush actually creeping across his already ashen face.

The next moment, the white-robed man’s eyes turned sharp. He reached out with his right hand and clenched the air. The surrounding mist seemed to transform into an iron cage, pressing down on Gu Zhao and his companions.

Feeling the Five Thunders Order thrum within his Sea of Consciousness, Gu Zhao couldn’t help but silently approve. ’Not a single word of nonsense.’

’In that case...’

"Now!" Gu Zhao yelled.

The Silk Embroideress was the first to attack. With a flick of her hand, the Celestial Fox Nail shot forth, darting back and forth through the mist. However, aside from its inherent Magical Power punching small holes in the fog, it could hardly resist the encroaching mist.

The white-robed man snorted, putting more force into his gesture. The group felt that in addition to the pressure, the mist now had a faint suction to it, as if trying to suck the very blood from their bodies.

"Young Master!" The Silk Embroideress cried out, unable to do more.

"Let this old Daoist give it a try." Taoist Yan Song chuckled, took two steps forward, and swept a sleeve in front of his face.

The next moment, Taoist Yan Song had a different face. This new one had a blue base, black lines, gold trim, and white highlights. It looked both majestic and solemn, yet also bizarre and terrifying.

The sudden transformation startled even the white-robed man, who was a Ghost himself. "What is this...?"

"When a Daoist from Qingcheng Mountain gets into a fight, of course he has to change his face first. Haven’t you seen *Swordsman*?"

Taoist Yan Song shook his head from side to side, formed the Supreme Lord Seal in front of his chest, and took a deep breath. He then pursed his lips and let out a gentle puff of air.

"WHOOSH—"

A sharp whistling suddenly echoed as a gale blasted from Taoist Yan Song’s mouth. He simply shook his head, and the fierce wind blew away all the surrounding mist.