Translator: Moonlit
Editor: kiki
The disciples of various sects in the competition had just dealt with a wave of fierce ghosts.
These fierce ghosts had a considerable cultivation level; they moved freely within the formation, spinning them around. They had already expended a significant amount of spiritual power due to the various techniques used in the formation earlier, and now, with the fierce ghosts running amok, the situation was even worse.
There was not just one fierce ghost; their lives were being threatened.
“Sect Brother Gong Ming, didn’t they say that the competition was just about passing some levels? Why are there fierce ghosts?” A girl from the Qingyue Sect gasped for breath, her hair disheveled as the fierce ghosts chased her. Her spiritual power was also running low, and her meridians felt as if they had been scorched.
“I don’t know, but is this year’s competition more difficult?” Another disciple was close to exhaustion. He leaned against a tree, his lips turning pale from fatigue.
“I heard from senior brothers who participated in the exchange conference that the competition isn’t supposed to be difficult. Could something have gone wrong?”
Gong Ming, the chief senior disciple, who usually carried himself with great pride and had won the hearts of many Qingyue Sect girls, now had disheveled hair. He didn’t appear as calm as usual. However, compared to other Qingyue Sect disciples and those from different sects, he was in slightly better shape.
“The Qimen Bagua Formation was set up by your sect. Could it be that you were given some inside information in advance?” Wang Zhong, a disciple of the Juxing Sect, said.
The Juxing Sect and the Qingyue Sect had always been at odds, and they would quarrel wherever they went. The roots of this enmity went back generations, but that’s a story for another time.
The Qingyue Sect disciples were outraged at being suspected. One of them angrily retorted, “The Qimen Bagua Formation is something anyone in the Dao can learn. If your skills are lacking, don’t blame our sect leader for it.”
“Who are you saying lacks skills?” The disciples of the Juxing Sect were getting heated, and if they hadn’t exhausted their spiritual power while dealing with the fierce ghosts earlier, they might have started a fight right then.
“Whoever responds is the one I’m talking about,” the Qingyue Sect disciple said, adding a particularly provocative tone to his words.
This childish argument was quite immature, and Gong Ming didn’t want to get involved. “Let’s consider how to deal with the fierce ghosts together, or else none of us will get out of here.”
Wang Zhong wanted to provoke him further, “Is it possible that the fierce ghosts are here for your Qingyue Sect?”
“I think it’s your Juxing Sect. Fierce ghosts seem to love dealing with you guys. Oh, and I heard you have people who raise little ghosts, too?” The Qingyue Sect disciple seemed quite adept at provoking.
“Nonsense, it’s your Qingyue Sect that raises little ghosts.” Other disciples of the Juxing Sect joined in, exchanging verbal blows with their counterparts.
Every cultivator always had some kind of dispute going on.
While the argument continued, Gong Ming noticed Chu Ruochun sitting on a tree.
Chu Ruochun was currently active in entertainment, but Gong Ming didn’t know this celebrity. He asked his junior sister sitting beside him, knowing that she enjoyed browsing entertainment gossip online and might have some information.
“Sister, do you know that celebrity? Which sect is he from?”
Gong Ming’s third junior sister shook her head. “I know him, but I don’t know which sect he belongs to. He’s quite popular online.”
To ordinary internet users, the previous dispute between Chu Ruochun and Jiang Zirong might have seemed like a typical celebrity feud. However, as a disciple of the Qingyue Sect, Lin Can, the third junior sister, knew that things were not that simple. They hadn’t realized what Jiang Zirong was up to at the time, but Chu Ruochun had figured it out. She even consulted her master about it.
Gong Ming asked, “What are his abilities?”
Lin Can had thoughts about Gong Ming that were difficult to put into words, and she said, “My master said he’s somewhat talented. I didn’t see any issues with Jiang Zirong, but Chu Ruochun saw something.”
Gong Ming nodded, indicating his understanding. “He was just watching from the side and didn’t take action.”
He approached Chu Ruochun.
At this moment, Chu Ruochun was brushing off the fallen leaves from his shoulder. When he looked down, he saw Gong Ming standing beneath the tree.
“Hello, I’m Gong Ming, a disciple of the Qingyue Sect. What’s your name?” Gong Ming knew that relying solely on their Qingyue Sect and the Juxing Sect wouldn’t be enough to deal with the fierce ghosts. Moreover, they weren’t on good terms with the Juxing Sect. It would be better to join forces with disciples from smaller sects and schools.
Chu Ruochun, sitting on the tree, looked down at Gong Ming and casually replied, “Chu Ruochun.”
Gong Ming found that name somewhat familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere, but he wasn’t entirely sure, and at the moment, he didn’t have the time to dwell on it.
“Fierce ghosts have appeared in the formation. Shall we cooperate?”
“But I’ve already exhausted all my spiritual power while dealing with the fierce ghosts earlier. I might not be able to help much.”
“What skills do you have?”
“I can do a bit of divination, but I can’t draw talismans.”
“Can you use talismans?”
“I can use them a little, but I don’t have any spiritual power left to use them.”
“What about formations?”
“Average at best.”
After some communication, Gong Ming understood that Chu Ruochun didn’t possess any significant skills and was rather weak overall. His words and demeanor indicated his lack of strength.
However, with the uncertainty of when the fierce ghosts might reappear, they needed all the help they could get. Every additional person meant more strength.
“Then you should rest and recover your spiritual power for now. I hope that when we deal with the fierce ghosts later, we can cooperate.”
“Just don’t expect too much from me,” Chu Ruochun replied.
Gong Ming was currently adopting a “any help is better than none” attitude. If someone could be of use, especially during critical moments, they could provide some assistance.
As everyone regained their strength, more disciples gathered around them, making their group larger.
Gong Ming felt more confident about facing the fierce ghosts the next time.
He began communicating with the sect’s disciples, waiting for a plan on how to deal with the fierce ghosts.
As they were talking, a black shadow cast a vast, ominous darkness, and they could only see the shadow slowly engulfing their surroundings, accompanied by gusts of chilly wind.
Modern cultivators usually accompanied their masters to deal with elusive, shadowy spirits. Such a grandiose scene was a rarity for them.
“What is this?”
“Isn’t this competition too difficult? Can I opt out? I want to give up and leave early!”
“Competition is about honing ourselves; let’s all do our best!” Chu Ruochun encouraged the group with these words while they were in a state of panic.
However, in their state of confusion, the others couldn’t comprehend what was happening.
This wave of darkness was even more formidable than the fierce ghosts from earlier, sending shivers down their spines.
Why was the malevolent aura so intense?
Was this still the Qimen Bagua Formation, or had it turned into some kind of Ghost Convergence Formation?
As he observed the terrified expressions on his peers’ faces, Chu Ruochun was in a rather good mood. He didn’t regret spending so much time in that gloomy place. He felt it was only fair to repay those who had pushed him down back then.
He had broken through the Qimen Bagua Formation set by the Qingyue Sect and then activated a new formation, trapping all the practicing disciples within. He waited.
As for these fierce ghosts, he didn’t need to capture them personally. Once he used his summoning formation, they would appear. That’s why he had instructed Xu Mengying not to look back, as he had summoned countless powerful and lesser fierce ghosts into this new formation.
Chu Ruochun hoped that these disciples of various sects could experience a bit of what he had gone through in the ghost den all those years ago. Their sects were reluctant, but he wasn’t.
Seeing these people in tears, exhausted, still bickering, uncooperative, and preoccupied with the disputes between their sects even when their lives were threatened, it was quite amusing. They were just like their elders, carrying on the traditions.
“Help, my neck is being strangled! Someone, please save me…”
“Gong Ming senior brother, sob, my spiritual power is depleted, what should I do?”
“Sister, don’t be afraid, I’ll assist you.”
“Wang Zhong senior brother, I can’t move my legs, it’s so cold!”
“I’m even colder than you!”
“Why can’t we kill these fierce ghosts?”
“Should we set up a formation?”
“Then who’s going to be the center of the formation?”
“I won’t do it; being the center means you have to die, right? Fierce ghosts don’t have mercy!”
“Ahh, I think I’m going to die! Master, help!”
“I want to get out, I quit!”
“Who the hell pushed me! When I find out which son of a gun did it…”
Continuing the competition like this would lead to disaster.
Meanwhile, Chu Ruochun, sitting on an old locust tree, merely smiled gently. There was a camera by his side, faithfully recording the reactions of everyone present.
Indeed, the camera was a product of human technology, recording the human performance quite clearly.
Meanwhile, the senior members of the various sects in the hall were growing increasingly anxious. Their disciples were currently enduring inhumane torment.
These senior members couldn’t handle more than a few fierce ghosts at a time and capturing even one would greatly weaken them. Now, most of their disciples were not proficient in their skills. How could they possibly deal with so many fierce ghosts? And these fierce ghosts seemed to be continuously converging on the disciples!
Finally, someone approached Master Huai Ci and proposed to halt the ongoing competition.
Master Huai Ci looked at Gong Liujie, who had not spoken and whose face showed some concern, and said, “Amitabha, it may not be possible to halt the competition. Master Gong, what is your opinion?”
Master Gong Liujie believed that it wasn’t just him who knew that the formation had been broken; people from several major sects were also aware.
Master Gong Liujie responded, “The formation in which our disciples are currently located is no longer the same as the original one.”
“What do you mean? Are you saying that this formation is like toilet paper, easily torn apart once it’s revealed?” The analogy was a bit crude, but oddly appropriate.
Master Gong Liujie didn’t respond, but if he hadn’t restrained himself, he might have struck the person for making such a remark.
Someone else said, “Master Huai Ci, regardless of what happens today, we need a reasonable explanation. Everyone knows the strength of our disciples. We can’t handle so many fierce ghosts; how could they manage it?”
“The real issue is finding out who broke the formation, isn’t it? Who in our field has the ability to break Master Gong’s formation in such a short time?”
Master Gong Liujie was left speechless by the question. Could it be that the person who broke his formation was his now-deceased junior brother?
He had thought that he might have seen that person just now, but the camera didn’t move, and Chu Ruochun had been sitting on that locust tree the whole time, nearly impossible to miss.
It couldn’t possibly be the same person; it was impossible. He must have been mistaken.
As time passed by, all the disciples within the formation were enduring experiences they had never faced before. They grew increasingly desperate, their spiritual power depleted, and the fierce ghosts were eagerly anticipating this feast. The vitality of cultivators was much richer than that of ordinary humans, and consuming just one cultivator’s essence could add ten years to their lives. The stronger the cultivator, the more nourishing their essence.
As disciples fell one by one, the people in the hall couldn’t sit still any longer.
These were genuine fierce ghosts, devoid of empathy. They didn’t care which sect’s disciple you were; as long as you had essence, they wanted to consume it.
With each fallen disciple, a fierce ghost absorbed their essence. The scene was terrifying.
Master Huai Ci closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them again, saying, “Follow me to break the formation. Let’s see who’s causing this disturbance.”
From Gong Liujie’s expression, it was apparent that the person behind this likely had ties to the Qingyue Sect.
Everything is karma.
The Feng family of three, along with the various sect leaders, arrived at the entrance of the previous formation.
Feng Jiu pushed Feng Qi behind him. “What are you doing here? Go back; it’s not safe here.”
Feng Qi replied, “With you here, Dad, I’m not afraid.”
Feng Jiu’s face turned serious. “Inside, there are only fierce ghosts. If one of them gets on you, you’re done for. Don’t waste all the years I’ve spent raising you.”
Feng Qi responded, “No way, I can’t die. You always said I have great luck, or else I wouldn’t have made it this far.”
In truth, Feng Qi didn’t have much confidence in his dad either. It was Chu Ruochun who gave him confidence. While everyone else was struggling, Chu Ruochun remained calm and composed, and his confident gaze touched something soft inside Feng Qi’s heart.
Chu Ruochun usually spoke gently, but today he displayed a completely different side of him from usual. Every aspect of him was attractive, which was quite surprising. It turned out that the metaphysical world wasn’t as narrow as his dad had portrayed it.
Master Huai Ci said, “Everyone, make use of your strengths, and follow me to break this formation.”
Suddenly, Gong Liujie spoke up, “Wait a minute. What if we break the formation, and the fierce ghosts inside escape?”
The people who were about to act stopped once again.
The head of the Juxing Sect said, “You’re not suggesting that we also enter the formation, defeat the fierce ghosts, and then come out, are you?”
Master Huai Ci responded, “Master Gong’s concern isn’t entirely unfounded. The person who broke Master Gong’s formation must have cultivation above his.”
Gong Liujie, who had always been proud of his high cultivation: “…”
Faced with this statement, Dai Zongzhu, the head of the Juxing Sect, was willing to listen to Master Huai Ci’s arrangement. What he disliked the most was Gong Liujie’s pretentious demeanor.
Dai Zongzhu said, “Then let’s go! With so many people here, can’t we handle the little ghosts behind the scenes?”
Gong Liujie had nothing more to say. He was anxious to see his junior brother who had been behind the camera just moments ago. He wanted to know whether he was a human or a ghost.
The first to charge into the formation was Gong Liujie, showing his support for Master Huai Ci’s proposal.
One by one, the leaders of the sects followed suit and entered the formation.
Xu Mengying, the first to come out, was quickly ignored by others. Only her master asked her about Chu Ruochun, who he didn’t know.
She replied in three words: “Don’t know.”
Xu Ruofeng gave her a disapproving look.
Then she added, “He’s a good person.”
Xu Ruofeng: “…” What’s the use of that information?
As the leaders of the sects entered the formation, Feng Jiu also went in, but Yang Wenxin didn’t. Instead, she pulled Feng Qi back to the main hall.
Feng Qi returned to his seat, but on the screen, there was no longer any trace of Chu Ruochun. He checked other screens but couldn’t find Chu Ruochun.
Where did he go?
Yang Wenxin thought her son was concerned about the situation’s progress, so she didn’t inquire further. Her current concern was her husband.
While they were all waiting for news, an unexpected person appeared behind Feng Qi.
“Feng ge, what are you looking at?”
The voice was so gentle that only one person could have spoken.
Feng Qi abruptly turned around. “You’ve come out? Are you okay?”
He knew Chu Ruochun had abilities, and he had hidden well just now. The ghosts hadn’t targeted him, and he hadn’t witnessed Chu Ruochun’s full power. However, he had seen his calm composure.
“They say there are many ghosts inside the formation,” Xu Mengying added as she moved closer. She had been keeping a low profile since coming out, and fortunately, nobody had noticed her.
She had a faint suspicion: Did he break the Eight Trigram Formation?
“Ruochun, what’s the situation inside?” Xu Mengying inquired.
“Just what you all saw,” Chu Ruochun replied.
His formation was easy to enter but difficult to exit. The major sects wouldn’t just watch their disciples die inside. With the belief that the ghosts would be eliminated, they would rush in. Chu Ruochun was waiting for this moment. When someone entered, he could leave, and he had modified Gong Liujie’s formation to its current state.
As they entered, he naturally came out. If the formation was broken, it wouldn’t affect him much. He wasn’t the one sustaining the formation; it was the ghosts.
The ghosts knew that once they broke the formation, they could go out and enjoy themselves. They would first deal with the cultivators inside the formation, and then they would deal with the formation’s owner.
Chu Ruochun’s plan was to let the masters sitting here, watching, experience being chased by ghosts.
What was the point of just watching others? It was better to experience it firsthand.
Yang Wenxin also saw Chu Ruochun. “Child, how did you get out? What about the others?”
Chu Ruochun concealed the truth, saying, “I managed to get out by myself. I can only protect myself. They might have lower cultivation levels and be mentally confused, unable to come out.”
It was indeed the case. The temper of the sect disciples had worsened, with insults flying, and all their ugly sides were vividly displayed on the screens. If not for this, why would the masters of the various sects be willing to enter? Of course, they didn’t want to see their disciples further tarnishing the reputation of their sects.
Yang Wenxin was just relieved that the child had come out safely, not thinking too deeply. “You’re much better off than them. You’re out, and those inside are dealing with incredibly powerful ghosts that you couldn’t handle.”
Only Xu Mengying, sitting behind them, was pondering. Didn’t either of you notice that something was off about Chu Ruochun?
Only he came out unscathed… But how did he do it? How powerful must someone be to alter a formation?
Chu Ruochun and Xu Mengying stared at the screen, watching Master Huai Ci command his disciples to form the Vajra Formation to deal with the ghosts. Seated next to him, Feng Qi asked, “Do you feel like we’re watching a private screening of a horror movie?”
Chu Ruochun thought, ‘Yeah, it does feel like it, a horror movie.’
Xu Mengying, not wanting to think too deeply, chimed in from the back, “Should we order some popcorn and soda then?”
Yang Wenxin pointed to one of the screens and said, “Look at this!”
The three of them simultaneously looked in the direction she was pointing.
Yang Wenxin chuckled, “Feng Qi, your dad is performing some earth-shattering moves. So charismatic.”
Feng Qi could only see his father, Feng Jiu, waving a peach wood sword at a cloud of dark energy on the screen. His robe was wide, and his footwork appeared chaotic yet precise, but no matter how he looked at it, it resembled a ritualistic dance.
As they all admired Feng Jiu’s dance moves, Chu Ruochun was observing the performance of the other masters. They were different from the undisciplined disciples; while forming their formations, they remained relatively orderly, though it was quite challenging.
The number of ghosts exceeded their expectations.
One, two, three…
After dealing with one of the ghosts, both Master Huai Ci and Gong Liujie sensed that the person who had organized the formation was not inside it.
Master Dai wiped the sweat from his forehead and cursed, “Damn it, where did these ghosts come from? Did they come from hell?”
Master Huai Ci sighed, “Currently, there is only one place where there are still so many ghosts.”
Master Dai: “…”
Feng Jiu dispatched one of the lingering minor ghosts and straightforwardly remarked, “The Ghost Abyss.”
Master Dai asked, “Wasn’t the Ghost Abyss sealed ten years ago?”
The Master of the Yingfeng Men said, “We witnessed the sealing of the Ghost Abyss back then, and we also set up a massive array and barrier on the outside. How could anyone still summon these ghosts from there?”
Master Huai Ci sighed and began to recall the events of ten years ago, “Indeed, ten years ago, someone had the ability to do it.”
Xu Ruofeng, who had been mostly silent, mentioned, “I remember it was a young disciple from the Qingyue Sect. Master Gong, do you recall him?”
At that moment, Gong Liujie felt a chill rising from his feet. Ten years ago, his little junior had entered the Ghost Abyss and never returned. Everyone assumed he was dead.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Feng Qi asked, “What is the Ghost Abyss?”
Chu Ruochun replied casually, “A place where one can undergo a bloody rebirth.”
