FCRCG Chapter 60

Lin Jiu captured the resentful spirit and placed it into a clay pot, then fed it to the rabbit head.

The rabbit head devoured it voraciously, quickly emptying the jar as if its stomach were a bottomless pit.

During this period, it was probably the happiest one, not having to work hard and getting plenty of food every day.

The rabbit head licked its lips and turned to look at Lian Yi.

It hadn’t eaten a paper doll in a long time. Compared to resentful spirits, the paper dolls infused with spiritual arts by Lian Yi were much more delicious.

The rabbit head figured its relationship with Lian Yi had been pretty good lately, so it hopped over and moved closer to him.

Lin Jiu put away the clay pot and saw Lian Yi with the rabbit head, while Nan Deng was alone, wiping the shrunken bamboo umbrella.

He hesitated, unsure whether to remind Nan Deng.

The Ghost Festival was approaching. If they still couldn’t stop Xie Yun, Lian Yi would be like a ticking time bomb. If the two combined, the disaster would be more than double.

But even if he reminded them, what could be done…

The Inner Court’s abilities were limited and had been deceived by Xie Yun for so long. Now, only one elder remained, and since the Mountain God disappeared, no highly talented apprentices had emerged.

Even with Nan Deng and the rabbit head, there was no guarantee they could handle two ghost kings.

The influence Xie Yun had was like a snowball, gradually growing and nearing the point of explosion.

And they seemed helpless, still here capturing wandering resentful spirits.

Lin Jiu sighed silently and glanced at the recent communications with Weng Ping Ran, feeling a vague sense of despair rising in his heart.

In the best-case scenario, Xie Yun and Lian Yi wouldn’t die simultaneously and could be dealt with one by one. But in the worst-case scenario…

Lin Jiu pondered for a long time before quietly sending a message to Nan Deng.

However, he didn’t speak directly but instead asked Nan Deng to pay more attention to Lian Yi’s condition. After all, he was the one closest to Lian Yi, and if there were any abnormalities, he would notice them first.

Later, when Nan Deng saw the message, he silently put away the communicator.

In fact, he had sensed something amiss. Weng Ping Ran’s responses about the antidote for the restriction always had a perfunctory tone, but Lian Yi himself did not object.

Moreover, with so many recent events, he had somewhat neglected Lian Yi.

What if… there was no antidote at all?

Nan Deng was startled by this thought and quickly closed his eyes to clear it from his mind.

He had never considered the possibility of Lian Yi dying or becoming a ghost.

It seemed that even if Lian Yi did turn into a ghost, Nan Deng wasn’t afraid he would harm him.

This feeling, Nan Deng couldn’t explain why. Perhaps because when he first met Lian Yi, he was still a ghost and Lian Yi had never hurt him.

Before going to sleep, Nan Deng was preoccupied and hadn’t felt sleepy for a long time.

Lian Yi stayed with him, softly comforting, “Don’t worry too much. It’s just a ghost king.”

Nan Deng hugged him tightly, “You’ll be okay too, right?”

Lian Yi didn’t answer, but slowly kissed the tip of his ear.

No matter what, being by Lian Yi’s side always made Nan Deng feel the most at ease.

It was as if Lian Yi had a natural, magical power that would relax him whenever he was comforted by him.

Others said he was born with an evil energy and dared not approach him. But it was entirely different with Nan Deng.

The warm palm gently stroked his back, and Nan Deng gradually fell asleep.

In the following two days, the celestial masters were highly tense everywhere.

The Ghost Festival came once a year. The evil energy would enhance the power of resentful spirits, making them even more frenzied.

Nan Deng rushed back to the Inner Court the day before the Ghost Festival. Weng Ping Ran wanted to assign extra personnel to protect him, but he refused.

He knew Weng Ping Ran worried that Xie Yun’s target might be him, but there was probably no precedent for a mountain god needing protection from celestial masters.

On the contrary, he and the rabbit head should be protecting others from being harmed by resentful spirits.

Two days later, on the third night.

Just past midnight, there were clear signs of an increase in evil energy.

This increase would last the whole day, peaking at the end of the Ghost Festival.

Until noon, everything went as usual.

Weng Ping Ran and his men guarded outside the dungeon, keeping a close watch on Xie Yun.

He still couldn’t move, even his fingers were restrained, his eyes blindfolded, and his five senses sealed with spells.

These measures had been in place for several days. Even the daily care had been deliberately adjusted to make Xie Yun lose track of the passage of time.

In the afternoon, the sun began to set.

At 7 PM, the evil energy started to increase significantly. Weng Ping Ran, guarding outside the dungeon, sensed something amiss.

The compass needle in his hand quivered slightly. Weng Ping Ran’s face darkened, “We still couldn’t prevent it…”

He waved a signal, and the many celestial masters behind him prepared for battle.

Nan Deng stood on a high spot at the back, the opened bamboo umbrella slowly rising.

Rainwater fell in a small area, covering the location of the dungeon and providing a beneficial nourishment to the celestial masters around.

Outside the dungeon, wisps of black energy began to spread. Though the rainwater washed away some of the evil energy, it kept emerging continuously.

Inside the cell, a smile appeared on Xie Yun’s face.

He couldn’t see or make a sound, but as his soul dissipated, the smile on his lips grew wider.

A large amount of mist gathered from the ground, trying to return to its body.

Dense arrays of symbols surrounded the cell, but the mist was so thick that even with the weakening effect of the rainwater, it couldn’t be stopped.

With a “crack”, the symbol array shattered.

Xie Yun’s head drooped powerlessly, and he died completely.

The rising mist condensed in mid-air, forming a solid shape that resisted the rainwater.

There was another layer of symbol array on the outer perimeter to prevent Xie Yun’s soul from escaping, with the Bagua ring suspended at the top, temporarily undamaged.

Seeing this, the rabbit head’s eyes turned red, eager to join the fight.

As the mist appeared, Weng Ping Ran ordered an attack. Spiritual arts penetrated the symbol array, striking Xie Yun’s soul.

However, it seemed to have no effect on him. His soul body suddenly rammed into the symbol array, creating a crack.

The crack was quickly repaired. Lian Yi stood beside Nan Deng, his profile indifferent.

Weng Ping Ran checked the compass to confirm the level of Xie Yun’s soul body.

“It’s a ghost king,” he said in a deep voice.

This result was not unexpected, and they were prepared for it. The symbol array contained the evil energy, preventing resentful spirits from being drawn in and adding to the chaos.

The mist struck a second time, creating more cracks in the symbol array.

At this moment, the surroundings subtly changed.

Weng Ping Ran was momentarily stunned, then delighted. “The Underworld!”

The appearance of the underworld was also a form of assistance. If they could take this opportunity to feed Xie Yun to the underworld, it would be the best outcome.

An ancient, worn gate slowly appeared within the array, with a noticeable small pit on the left side, caused by Nan Deng last time.

The mist paused for two seconds, unaffected by the underworld’s pull, and retreated to the other side.

At this moment, the rabbit head couldn’t hold back any longer. It leaped from the high stone steps, transforming rapidly in mid-air.

It grew limbs and rushed into the symbol array, reverting to its original form at the last moment.

The giant beast’s foot crushed the building above the dungeon, its sharp claws slashing at the mist.

The rain continued to fall, and Nan Deng’s divine power kept flowing.

His combat abilities were limited, and his magical artifact was of a gentler type, making this arrangement the most suitable.

Recently, the rabbit head had consumed many resentful spirits and even asked Lian Yi for some paper dolls, making it exceptionally fierce at this moment. It tore through the thick mist, throwing the soul body towards the underworld.

The gate opened, absorbing only a small amount of the mist. But the symbol array remained intact.

The sharp claws struck again, and Xie Yun dodged.

He had completely transformed into a ghost, with his long-suppressed resentment and hatred reaching their peak.

“I will definitely kill you…” he murmured, “cut off your head, and let ten thousand ghosts feast on it.”

The giant beast ignored him, its tail flexibly whipping Xie Yun toward the feet of the underworld gate.

If it could devour him, the underworld’s power would significantly increase, no longer appearing so decrepit.

The rain fell more urgently, the celestial masters outside kept attacking, and within the symbol array were the gods; the underworld and the rabbit head.

Xie Yun was firmly suppressed, having only broken the symbol array outside the dungeon, with some of his soul being absorbed.

He seemed to be at a disadvantage. But as he fell once more at the feet of the underworld gate, his laughter grew increasingly maniacal.

“Do you think your preparations are thorough?” Xie Yun’s soul body rose into the air, “It’s a pity you should have imprisoned the other person too.”

Weng Ping Ran, at the forefront, understood what he meant and his face changed drastically.

He had considered imprisoning Lian Yi as well, but Lian Yi was not like Xie Yun’s broken body. Moreover, they needed Lian Yi’s help and could only hope nothing went wrong.

Xie Yun’s reaction suggested that their worst fears might still come true.

Lin Jiu stood beside Nan Deng, not to protect him but to keep a close watch on Lian Yi.

Seeing Lian Yi frown slightly, the Bagua ring above the symbol array trembled, and the spiritual arts became unstable.

Lin Jiu reacted swiftly, flinging a compass that rapidly enlarged and emitted a faint light, enveloping Lian Yi.

At the same time, he shouted, “Get back!”

The sudden turn of events caught everyone off guard. Nan Deng was protected and pulled back by several celestial masters, looking at Lian Yi in confusion.

Lian Yi bowed his head, his body slightly hunched, his right hand supporting himself on the railing in front of him.

His forehead was darkening, and thick evil energy began to gather.

Nan Deng’s breath trembled as he wanted to go forward to check on him.

The celestial masters beside him stopped him, urgently saying, “Lord Mountain God, he’s very dangerous right now!”

The restriction was acting up again, and on this day of the Ghost Festival, at this exact moment.

The compass temporarily suppressed Lian Yi’s evil energy, but it was uncertain if it could delay his demise.

However, the Bagua ring lost its supply of spiritual energy and started to waver.

Xie Yun seized the opportunity, enduring an attack from the rabbit head, and charged at the symbol array.

Among the celestial masters present, Lian Yi was far superior to everyone else. Without his assistance, the overall durability of the symbol array greatly decreased.

“Bang—bang—bang—”

The symbol array shattered.

A surge of evil energy exploded out, doubling Xie Yun’s soul body in an instant, knocking down the celestial masters in the front row.

The situation on Nan Deng’s side also distracted the rabbit head, who wanted to go back to protect him.

The successive changes allowed Xie Yun to successfully escape. He turned to face the Underworld, stepping up to the ancient gate.

“Do you deserve to be one of the Three Gods?” Xie Yun sneered.

His figure grew larger again, and he grabbed both sides of the ancient gate, tearing it apart with brute force.

The shattered wooden gate fell, and Xie Yun stepped on the plaque.

The words “Underworld” flickered and eventually turned into a pile of wood chips.

Weng Ping Ran, seeing this, clutched the wound on his arm. “It’s over…”

At the same time, the evil energy on Lian Yi’s body was also rising.

The rabbit head glanced at the broken Underworld and chose to return to Nan Deng’s side.

Lin Jiu’s hands were trembling, and the compass was also shaking slightly.

Nan Deng could feel Lian Yi’s living soul fading away; he was about to die.

His nose tingled, and he clenched his palms to calm himself, expanding the range of the rainwater.

Xie Yun was also paying attention to this side. He casually deflected a piece of spiritual art and grabbed several celestial masters, absorbing their souls.

“How does it feel to abandon your body?” he said, tossing the corpses aside. “Isn’t it wonderful? You can feel it too, right?”

These words were directed at Lian Yi, as Xie Yun had calculated the timing of the last activation of the restriction.

He was taking a risk, knowing that if Lian Yi also turned into a ghost king, he might compete with him for territory.

But a ghost is ultimately a ghost; even if they fight among themselves, they would not choose to side with the celestial masters.

Therefore, Lian Yi’s death was advantageous to him.

As for what happens next, he would deal with the Mountain God, the rabbit head, and these celestial masters later.

Lian Yi remained motionless, his body like a standing statue.

His eyes were downcast, and his breathing grew weaker.

Lin Jiu couldn’t hold on any longer; the compass shattered into several pieces.

A surge of evil energy stronger than Xie Yun’s burst forth, sending the nearest celestial masters flying.

The rabbit head arrived just in time, gently lifting Nan Deng with its tail and placing him on its head.

As dusk approached, the light shield at the outermost part of the Inner Court, which was used to block the evil energy, was on the verge of collapsing. The escaping energy from the edges had already been detected by several keen resentful spirits.

The Ghost King descends…

Seeing this situation, Xie Yun burst into laughter. “Quick, kill them!”

His gaze then shifted and fell upon Nan Deng, whose soul rapidly approached him atop the head of Hui Shou.

Sensing danger, the bamboo umbrella returned to Nan Deng’s hand.

With the rabbit head still nearby, Weng Ping Ran weighed his options and ordered most of the remaining celestial masters to first contain Lian Yi.

However, compared to Xie Yun, Lian Yi remained much quieter. Despite being clearly deceased, his soul still lurked within his body.

Xie Yun brushed aside the celestial masters protecting Nan Deng, dodged the rabbit head’s claws, and the drifting mist closed in on Nan Deng.

“What a pity,” Xie Yun lamented, “among all the Mountain Gods, you will have the shortest tenure.”

Nan Deng wielded the bamboo umbrella as a weapon, slicing through several mist formations as the giant beast retreated with him.

He was still concerned about Lian Yi, unable to fully concentrate.

“If you recognize the situation and honor me as the new god,” Xie Yun continued, “I might spare you some torment.”

He flashed behind the rabbit head, aiming to grab Nan Deng directly.

The condensed mist grew like endless vines, with a huge hand at its end.

But just before Xie Yun could touch Nan Deng, his movement abruptly halted.

A strange quiet fell over the surroundings. Lin Jiu, looking from afar, showed a slight surprise, followed by a glimmer of hope.

The array of symbols set around Lian Yi was even more extensive than before, yet his soul effortlessly broke through it.

But instead of attacking the surrounding celestial masters, he suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind Xie Yun the next moment.

Xie Yun felt a strong suppression and a sense of impending danger.

“What are you planning?” he exclaimed in anger.

Would two Ghost Kings appearing simultaneously lead to them fighting each other?

Xie Yun couldn’t break free; his swollen soul was forced to shrink back to its normal size.

Lian Yi’s originally damaged left eye, still vacant, reacted sluggishly as he sized up Xie Yun before him.

“I pose no threat to you,” gritted Xie Yun through his teeth, “no, I will serve you! Just help me capture the Mountain God and his pet…”

Before he could finish, Lian Yi moved.

He grabbed Xie Yun’s soul closer to himself and tore off his arms.

Xie Yun screamed in agony, struggling.

Facing each other, the two Ghost Kings made eye contact. The rabbit head, having just been injured, hesitated to intervene and backed off to the side.

Nan Deng wanted to approach Lian Yi. Just as he flipped and leaped down from the giant beast’s head, he was ensnared by its tail and lifted back up.

“Oooh…” The giant beast softly whimpered, refusing to let Nan Deng pass.

The celestial masters dared not approach either. With Xie Yun injured by Lian Yi, it wouldn’t be wise to provoke a shift in Lian Yi’s focus.

Xie Yun continued to scream in horror, realizing he was utterly defenseless against Lian Yi.

His torn-off arms vanished as if devoured.

Until Xie Yun’s head was twisted off, the mist slowly dissipated in the rain.

The dense evil energy diminished by half, marking Xie Yun’s complete death.

Lian Yi stood in place, lifting his gaze, exuding an overwhelming sense of oppression.

The celestial masters who had faced Xie Yun before now trembled uncontrollably, struggling to suppress their deep-seated fear.

Weng Ping Ran was on high alert, holding his breath and waiting.

But in the blink of an eye, Lian Yi’s soul disappeared.

Along with it, the evil energy vanished, leaving only faint remnants.

Lin Jiu’s heart raced, gripping the wooden sword tightly. “Did he escape?” he muttered.

Nan Deng was still bound by the tail, anxiously scanning his surroundings, wiping the rain off his face with his sleeve.

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