Translator: Moonlit
Editor: kiki
From the tone of Chu Ruochun’s voice, Feng Qi could tell that he was reminiscing about that place.
He wanted to ask Chu Ruochun if he had been there, but just the name “Ghost Abyss” didn’t sound like a good place.
He changed the subject and asked Yang Wenxin, “Mom, have you been to the Ghost Abyss?”
Yang Wenxin’s attention wasn’t entirely on Feng Qi either; she was also listening to a few young people nearby talking.
“I haven’t been there. I heard that the place is infested with malevolent ghosts. People without any cultivation dare not go near it. Ten years ago, the metaphysical world imposed a ban on that place, and no one is allowed to go there.”
“Malevolent ghosts infesting? Didn’t malevolent ghosts need to devour spirits to grow stronger? How can they become malevolent without any sustenance?”
“The Ghost Abyss didn’t come into existence overnight,” Yang Wenxin thought they didn’t understand and continued to explain, “Many years ago, there was a severe internal conflict within the metaphysical community. Many masters perished, and after that, there was a rift in the abilities of cultivators. The number of high-level masters dwindled, and with the country promoting scientific development, the younger generation became less interested in learning the metaphysic arts. This led to many malevolent ghosts wreaking havoc in the mortal realm. Later on, a few major events occurred, with support from the government, and the various sects gradually began to recover. However, the shortage of talent remains, and it’s been difficult to produce a genius in the past ten years.”
“The Ghost Abyss is a soul-devouring formation left behind by a master a thousand years ago. Cultivators can only capture malevolent ghosts with over a hundred years of cultivation, but they can’t completely purify them. So, they imprisoned all the malevolent ghosts in one place. As long as you throw a malevolent ghost in, there won’t be a chance for them to cause trouble again. But who knew that even the formation has a time limit? The malevolent ghosts thrown in were weakened, but there were exceptions, some became stronger. Ten years ago, the soul-devouring formation loosened once, and at that time, all the experts in the metaphysical community gathered to strengthen the seal.”
Yang Wenxin narrated everything she knew.
Feng Qi asked, “Did you and my dad go there?” He speculated for a moment. Ten years ago, Chu Ruochun was only ten years old, so he shouldn’t have gone to such a place and likely wouldn’t know about it.
Yang Wenxin chuckled at this and said, “We didn’t make it there. At that time, he was sneaking around to visit you at your university. He hid in the bushes but was chased by a dog from your school and ended up breaking his leg.”
Feng Qi recalled the incident. Indeed, his dad had broken his leg ten years ago. At the time, he had found it strange and had argued with Feng Jiu, accusing him of indulging in superstitious beliefs. Little did he know there was more to the story. His dad was too concerned about his image; couldn’t he have just been straightforward about it? That’s typical of him.
He laughed and remarked, “He never says things directly.”
Yang Wenxin replied, “You know your dad’s personality.”
Feng Qi turned to Chu Ruochun and asked, “Did your master go back then?”
Chu Ruochun shook his head, “No, he had already passed away.”
With the conversation reaching this point, Feng Qi didn’t want to inquire further. Chu Ruochun had lost both his parents, and now he only had a younger brother, which was a bit pitiable.
However, Xu Mengying had a different perspective. Chu Ruochun’s earlier statement wasn’t just a casual remark. The experiences of the masters inside the formation weren’t simply a result of his whims; perhaps there had been a premeditated plan.
Chu Ruochun had been to the Ghost Abyss, and something significant had likely occurred there.
Xu Mengying’s probing gaze had just landed on Chu Ruochun, and he turned his head to give her a “shh” gesture.
Could he read her thoughts? Her back inexplicably straightened, much like when her master started scolding her.
While the group was chatting casually, the battle inside the formation escalated, which Chu Ruochun found satisfying to watch.
“My talisman is gone!”
“Who can cover this position for me? My spiritual energy is running out.”
“This formation not only has malevolent ghosts but also drains our spiritual energy twice as fast as normal. Be cautious when using your spiritual energy!” Gong Liujie quickly grasped the rules of the formation.
“Why is it like this? I’ve never heard of such a formation. Can Master Gong find a solution to this problem?” Master Huai Ci asked when he had a moment to spare. He was using his Buddhist beads to combat the malevolent ghosts.
Gong Liujie couldn’t come up with a solution in a short time. After all, he wasn’t a junior disciple.
With the addition of the masters, the two malevolent ghosts were quickly eliminated. However, their joy was short-lived as there were still five malevolent ghosts inside the formation, and their spiritual energy was depleted by more than half.
The disciples trapped in the formation were happy about the arrival of their masters and the other experts, but their spiritual energy had already been drained. Harsh as it might sound, they were currently useless.
After Master Huai Ci dealt with the current malevolent ghost, he withdrew to the back to discuss with several grandmasters.
“If none of you mind, why don’t we split into groups? Currently, we have two left here, and Old Monk Guan still has three. Let’s divide into three teams: Monk, Master Dai, and Master Gong. Each of us takes a group. What do you think?” Master Dai and Master Gong agreed, and they each led a group to deal with the malevolent ghosts in batches.
Chu Ruochun, Feng Qi, and the others had already started their lunch, eating while keeping an eye on the current screen. They also learned the importance of conserving talismans.
They wondered how far they could go with this.
Feng Qi was actually quite engrossed in the live broadcast. He poured a cup of tea and asked Chu Ruochun, “How long do you think they’ll take?”
Chu Ruochun replied, “If it’s fast, it will take two hours; if it’s slow, a whole day.”
Yang Wenxin remarked, “That’s relatively quick.”
Chu Ruochun shook his head, “This is only dealing with the malevolent ghosts; they still need to break the formation.”
Is the focus on the malevolent ghosts? Not really.
The real challenge is how to escape from that formation. They were curious about how they would manage to get out of it.
The masters and their disciples were all trapped within the formation. Outside, there were only those responsible for miscellaneous tasks. The most relaxed individuals were Chu Ruochun and the others. They continued to eat and drink, enjoying the movie jointly produced by the masters of the different sects.
Gong Liujie had even used his life-saving talisman to eliminate the malevolent ghosts assigned to their small group.
Master Dai had been injured, with half of his arm corroded by the Yin energy. It looked as if he were paralyzed, and it would take at least ten days to a month for him to recover.
Although Gong Liujie wasn’t injured, using his life-saving artifact during the battle with the malevolent ghosts had made his spirit a bit sluggish.
Others had various degrees of injuries as well.
Everyone had assumed that once they eliminated the five malevolent ghosts inside the formation, they could exit. However, what awaited them was another grim revelation.
They couldn’t get out.
“Master Gong, aren’t you renowned as the best in formations? Can’t you break this one?” Master Dai asked.
“I wouldn’t dare boast. I’ve never seen this formation before,” Gong Liujie replied, his complexion not as confident as usual, devoid of the usual airs of a Daoist master.
“Regardless, we need to find a pattern. Let’s all search for the formation’s core together,” Master Huai Ci suggested.
“Yes, let’s work together to find the formation’s core. Once we find it, we might be able to get out,” others agreed.
Feng Jiu had a different perspective. “But I think this formation has its subtleties, maybe it’s different from ordinary formations.”
Master Dai patted Feng Jiu on the shoulder. “Old Feng, your observation is keen, unlike some people who are all talk and no substance.”
Feng Jiu hadn’t expected that his comment would lead to a jab at Gong Liujie.
The Feng family had a decent status within the metaphysics community, but after certain incidents, they became more low-key and gradually faded from the public eye. Nonetheless, their family still had its strengths.
Behind Gong Liujie, his disciples were somewhat indignant. Gong Liujie raised his hand, hoping they wouldn’t cause a scene. He chose to keep the peace. As long as he didn’t respond, Master Dai could say whatever he wanted. After all, he had been listening for decades.
“Master Huai Ci, I think Elder Feng is right. Perhaps we should strategize first,” Gong Liujie suggested.
Master Huai Ci naturally hoped for peaceful cooperation. “I have no objections. Shall we continue to split into three groups to search for a breakthrough?”
The earlier strategy of splitting into three groups had worked well, with the malevolent ghosts eliminated. Now, they could rest and discuss how to break the formation.
However, Gong Liujie had a different opinion. “I find this formation mysterious. It might be better if we don’t split up.”
Just as they were discussing this, a sudden downpour caught them off guard.
No one had expected it to come so abruptly.
“Ah!”
“Ugh!”
“What’s going on? Why didn’t anyone give us time to react?”
“This isn’t a formation for disciples to practice; do they need to shout ‘prepare to run’ to you?”
The group was drenched and shivering. The mountain’s temperature wasn’t low, and the cold wind pierced through them, making the situation even more uncomfortable than before.
As the rain arrived, would the wind be far behind?
In the next moment, a gust of wind almost lifted everyone into the sky. Those who were slightly heavier managed to stabilize themselves, but the thinner individuals were blown around, unable to control their movements. They either clung to the people next to them, clung to trees, or firmly grasped their swords, thrusting them into the ground.
No matter how powerful they were, it seemed as if the wind was deliberately opposing them, disorienting them, making their heads spin, and filling their mouths with dirt.
There was no need for them to discuss how to group themselves; the wind had already scattered them, leaving them eight zhang1about 26.64 meters or 80 feet apart!
This time, they couldn’t even stick together.
Thud, splat, crack!
Everyone landed in various awkward positions. Some had their internal organs shaken up, while others simply fainted.
Within this formation, it felt as if invisible hands were controlling their movements, and the fear of having their lives manipulated by others surged within them. Their spines grew colder than ever, thoroughly chilled.
And the real show was yet to come.
“Oh, my old back! It’s going to break!”
“Where is this place? Am I still inside Jingkong Si?”
“Could this formation be some kind of teleportation array?”
“It’s so strange. This place feels so familiar, just like my home.”
“Wife, I’m back. Wait, something’s not right. My wife passed away a long time ago, but she’s standing right in front of me now?”
This series of strange incidents left not only the people inside the formation bewildered but also those watching the “live broadcast” from outside.
“What’s going on with them? What are these people doing?”
“It’s disgusting. Why are they taking off their clothes?”
“Are these masters perverts?”
“They’re even using swords to attack each other! Someone might get seriously hurt!”
“Why haven’t they come out of the formation yet?”
Chu Ruochun propped his chin up, watching with keen interest as these people made a spectacle of themselves. It was even more entertaining than dealing with malevolent ghosts or searching for a way out of the formation. After all, it wasn’t every day you saw people acting so strangely.
Feng Jiu was still inside the formation, and Feng Qi and Yang Wenxin didn’t dare to leave.
“I hope my dad didn’t fall victim to this illusion, too,” Feng Qi worried, concerned that his father might embarrass himself like the others.
Currently, some had stripped down to their underwear, while others were hugging trees and making awkward movements, resembling animals in heat – truly unsightly.
Yang Wenxin wasn’t the least bit worried about Feng Jiu.
“I’m actually curious about what he’ll see in this illusion,” she said.
Then, they saw Feng Jiu suddenly kneel on the ground and shout, “Wife, I was wrong! I hid my private money in my pair of unworn cotton shoes. There’s 500,000 in the card inside!”
“Don’t be angry; I won’t do it again!”
“I really won’t dare anymore. I’ll give you all the money.”
Then Feng Jiu began to run around a large rock, occasionally dodging to the left and right, as if someone were chasing him.
Yang Wenxin: “…”
Feng Qi chuckled, “My dad had quite a stash of private money.”
However, he quickly snapped out of the illusion.
It seemed that Feng Jiu had simpler thoughts.
As for the others, the stronger their desires, the longer they stayed in the illusion, and the more complicated their thoughts, the longer they remained.
One hour, two hours, three hours…
In the end, only a few members of the sect remained inside, and they were trapped in it beyond their control.
Yang Wenxin suddenly spoke up, “Does this illusion have a greater effect on people with higher cultivation?”
Chu Ruochun explained, “The more complex one’s mind, the harder it is to escape. This illusion is called ‘Breaking the Cocoon.'”
He had been studying it for ten years.
