The Soul-Reaving Ghost Sound

“Soul-Reaving Ghost Sound.”

The name surfaced in Fairy Zi Ling’s mind like ice water dumped down her spine.

This was a high-grade ghost’s innate art. Once cast, any opponent whose cultivation was far below the caster’s would feel their blood reverse its flow, their body dancing uncontrollably—an utterly sinister and vicious ghost-path technique.

She had been careless. She had mistaken the first sound for an ordinary ghost howl, and the regret hit her hard.

Her body was already beginning to move on its own, step by step, drawn forward by the ghostly wail. Fairy Zi Ling was terrified.

Then a man’s sharp shout rang in her ear. The sound was not loud, but it struck her heart-soul like a thunderclap. Her legs gave way, and she dropped to the ground.

The next moment, she discovered with joy that she had regained control of her body. Relief flooded through her, and she could not help casting a grateful glance forward.

She had heard it clearly. That shout had come from Han Li.

“Fellow Daoist Zi Ling. With your cultivation, if you simply guard your heart-mind, this ghost sound cannot invade. You were merely caught off guard.” Han Li’s steady voice sounded again beside her ear.

Fairy Zi Ling’s cheeks flushed slightly. She murmured an acknowledgment, then rose from the ground with some embarrassment, steadied her mind, and walked toward Han Li.

When she reached his side, she noticed with surprise that Han Li was standing perfectly still, staring intently straight ahead.

She followed his gaze—and what she saw made her heart tighten.

Not far away, in the ghost mist, thick black fog churned violently. Bursts of green and red light flared, and low rumbling mixed with the ghostly sound that had so nearly undone her.

A black-robed demon cultivator was directing a strange crimson hammer that sprayed streams of blue flame, locked in battle with a blurry black shadow.

The shadow’s body was wreathed in mist. It had sacrificed a thumb-sized green pearl that released pitch-black Xuan Yin cold energy, trapping the black-robed man inside a cage of frigid darkness. The shadow had the upper hand.

As for the Crying Soul Beast, the creature that was said to be able to “suck souls and devour ghosts,” it was being kept at a distance by two humanoid monsters covered in green fur.

These two creatures resembled ordinary green-haired zombies in every respect except for their pointed heads and the short white bone forks, each several feet long, that they held. At this moment, they were sputtering green ghost-fire from their bone forks, attacking the Crying Soul Beast relentlessly.

The Crying Soul Beast fired yellow light from its nose. No matter how fierce the ghost-fire, once the yellow light swept over it, the flames were sucked into the beast’s belly without a trace.

At a glance, the Crying Soul Beast seemed to have the upper hand.

The two green-haired monsters dared not approach within three feet of the beast, seeming deeply wary of that yellow light. But by keeping their distance and attacking with ghost-fire, they successfully tied the beast down, preventing it from aiding the black-robed man.

“Ghost Yaksha!”

The moment she saw the green-haired monsters, Fairy Zi Ling gasped and blurted out the name.

“You recognize them, Fellow Daoist Zi?” Han Li asked without turning his head.

“I believe so. This is the first time I’ve seen them, but they match the descriptions in the texts exactly. They are a very rare variety of zombie—one of the few ghostly creatures that can move about in broad daylight and roam freely through heaven and earth. No wonder they are not afraid of the Crying Soul Beast’s pressure and dare to approach it. Because they have physical bodies, as long as they are not caught in the beast’s soul-sucking light at close range, they can keep it occupied. The Crying Soul Beast clearly has shallow cultivation—apart from this soul-sucking light, it has no other abilities.” Fairy Zi Ling stepped up to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Han Li, her breath fragrant as she explained.

Han Li’s face showed no reaction, but inwardly he sighed.

This woman’s cultivation was not high, but her knowledge was far beyond what a rogue cultivator like himself could match.

He had read many texts when he was at Yellow Maple Valley, but in those days his cultivation was still low. He had not been qualified to access the truly valuable secret records.

Later, after arriving at the Chaotic Star Sea, he had bought many books, but they had not been systematically organized by a sect. They were either repetitive or missing many pieces.

On ordinary days, this gap was invisible. But at moments like this, his lack of knowledge became painfully obvious.

If he managed to escape this place alive, he really ought to gain systematic access to the Sublime Sound Sect’s archives. After all, as their nominal Elder, they would hardly refuse him.

As Han Li was thinking this, the situation on the battlefield shifted again.

The blue flame of the crimson flying hammer had finally been completely smothered by the black Yin aura of the ghost shadow’s green pearl. The flames were on the verge of total extinction, and the black-robed man was in dire straits.

He was both shocked and furious.

For this expedition, he had prepared thoroughly. He had believed that, with the power of his Crying Soul Beast, breezing through the first stage—the Ghost Grievance Ground—would be effortless. That was why he had so bluntly rejected Han Li’s offer to join forces.

But he had never expected to encounter a ghost of such profound cultivation, one that understood the tactic of dividing and conquering.

In a moment of carelessness, the ghost had separated him from his beast, plunging him into this deadly crisis.

Unfortunately, aside from raising the Crying Soul Beast and a few strange techniques, his sect’s disciples had no outstanding combat arts. He could only watch helplessly as his life-bound demon flame hammer grew dimmer and weaker by the second.

The thought of falling here turned the black-robed man’s heart to ice. Panic consumed him.

Just then, Han Li arrived nearby.

The black-robed man, discovering this, seized on it like a drowning man grasping a lifeline. Joy surged in his heart.

But what Han Li did next nearly made the proud demon cultivator spit blood from rage.

Because Han Li, seeing him in such mortal danger, showed no intention of helping. Instead, he stood in the distance, watching the battle between the demon cultivator and the ghost with cold indifference.

The black-robed man ground his teeth in hatred.

Then Fairy Zi Ling also arrived.

Watching the black-robed man struggle, she too wondered why Han Li had not yet acted. Was he deliberately letting the man die because of his earlier rude attitude?

She did not think Han Li was that shortsighted, but doubt gnawed at her. And because Han Li had just saved her, she could not voice her suspicion directly. She could only watch silently with complex feelings as the black-robed man fought the ghost shadow.

But the black-robed man could not hold out much longer. Surrounded by the Yin aura of the green pearl, his flying hammer’s demon flame was completely extinguished, and the hammer was trapped motionless in the air.

The black shadow gave a sharp cry, then transformed into a streak of black light, shooting straight toward the black-robed man’s chest.

Although the black-robed man’s robes and hood hid his expression, he stood motionless, as if he had closed his eyes and accepted death.

He knew very well that the protective spells still covering his body were no more than paper against such a fierce ghost. With no magic treasure to block the attack, the ghost would shred his barriers with a single grab, and he would die on the spot.

His flying hammer was trapped. He had no other treasure to sacrifice. He could only wait for death.

In that critical moment, Han Li, who had been watching coldly from the side, acted without warning.

He raised a hand, and four or five thin, azure sword beams shot out, flickering once as they struck at the shadow’s vital points.

If the black shadow ignored the attack and continued its grab, it could certainly kill the black-robed man—but its own crystal core would be shattered by those sword beams.

A ghost would not make such an unprofitable trade. The shadow’s form flickered, returning to its original position as if it had never moved. Then it fixed its gaze on Han Li, green light blazing from its eyes, without a trace of emotion.

Seeing this, a strange light flashed in Han Li’s eyes. His palm turned over, and a small spirit beast pouch appeared in his hand.

But he did not immediately release the pouch. Instead, his other hand’s fingers flicked rapidly, sending a dozen more azure beams straight at the two green-haired Ghost Yakshas.

The two ghostly creatures were quick-witted. Seeing the azure light coming at them, their forms flickered, and they dissolved into green smoke, vanishing without a trace.

A moment later, they reappeared on either side of the black shadow, baring their filthy yellow fangs at Han Li with fierce hostility.

The black-robed man, taking advantage of the ghost shadow’s attention shifting to Han Li, gathered all his remaining mana in a desperate gambit and managed to pull his flying hammer back. Overjoyed, he transformed into a streak of red light and shot toward Han Li.

But at that moment, Han Li’s face hardened, and he shouted:

“Careful! There are more ghosts!”

The black-robed man froze.

A faint, nearly invisible gray humanoid figure had shot out from the mist on the other side. In a flash, it was right in front of him.

He had no time to dodge. The terror in his exposed eyes was written plain as day.