Chapter 10: The Ghost Abyss Sect, Recruiting Cheng the Hungry Ghost [Fourth Update]
A quarter of an hour later, Yang Dai drew out the scholar’s soul and resumed his journey.
He summoned the scholar, who was initially bewildered but had no choice but to accept his new identity.
Yang Dai instructed him to introduce himself.
The scholar’s name was Ying Ji, Ninth Prince of the Great Xia Dynasty. During an outing he was ambushed, his entourage slaughtered, and only he escaped, hiding everywhere. He had come to Ghost Weeping Ridge upon hearing that various sects were recruiting disciples here; his plan was to find a sect friendly to the royal family, so they could escort him home. But he arrived too late. Deprived of food and drink for too long, he died of starvation.
Stone Dragon shook his head. “You’re courting death. How do you know the ones hunting you aren’t other princes? Why did they stop their pursuit here? Perhaps they’ve already forged ties with the sect you wish to contact.”
Ying Ji fell silent.
Liu Junjie patted his shoulder, laughing. “No worries. Now you’re a ghost servant. Though you’re no longer alive, in a way you don’t fear death anymore. You needn’t fret about being hunted.”
Ying Ji’s eyes lit up. That was true. He truly didn’t want to be hunted again. For a prince of exalted status, what kind of life had he led lately? Less than that of a beast.
He couldn’t help but look at Yang Dai, wondering who this master—whose age seemed close to his—really was.
The group walked through the forest as they chatted.
Yang Dai listened to the ghost servants’ conversation quietly, not feeling the urge to ask anything for now.
He had to admit, this forest was vast. They’d been walking for over half an hour, yet hadn’t reached its end. The terrain was flat—no mountains—yet the woods stretched so wide. He was curious just how large it truly was.
Rustle, rustle, rustle—
Sounds came from ahead, startling the group into stopping.
Here, the mist was denser than before; beyond ten yards, nothing could be seen.
“Tsk, tsk, you really haven’t left Ghost Weeping Ridge. You made me wait quite a while.”
A familiar, mocking voice drifted over. Yang Dai frowned—it was Hungry Ghost Cheng.
Suddenly, he saw clusters of blue ghost flames flickering in every direction through the thick mist. Their color was deeper than the green glow of the ghost servants. He counted twelve clusters.
Under the wary gaze of the group, Hungry Ghost Cheng stepped out from the mist ahead.
In daylight, he looked even more sinister, resembling a true fiend or a vulture spirit.
He fixed his gaze on Ying Ji, grinning. “Perfect. The Ninth Prince is here, too. Today I’ll catch you all in one net.”
Ying Ji was shaken. “You know me? Who sent you?”
---
Hungry Ghost Cheng laughed. “Who sent me? I don’t know. Our Ghost Abyss Sect took the assignment, so we must complete it. All four exits of Ghost Weeping Ridge are ambushed by Ghost Abyss Sect. You’re lucky to run into me—we are acquainted, so I can make your suffering less.”
Liu Junjie and the other seven ghost servants trembled in anger. Less suffering? When Hungry Ghost Cheng killed them, it was nothing like his words.
“Ghost Abyss Sect…” Ying Ji turned pale, his body shaking with fear.
Stone Dragon was also startled, and asked in a deep voice, “Are you alone on this path? If so, you can’t stop us. If there’s a stronger cultivator, let them show themselves—why hide?”
Hungry Ghost Cheng formed mystical seals with his hands. Paper figures flew from his sleeves, and the ghost flames rushed in from all directions, landing on the paper figures. The figures burned, ghost flames surged, and soon transformed into a host of spirits.
Yang Dai noticed the dead he had encountered were among them. No wonder they had no souls; Hungry Ghost Cheng had claimed them.
Hungry Ghost Cheng smiled triumphantly. “Let’s see whose ghost servants are stronger.”
Suddenly, Yang Dai shouted, “Kill him with all your might!”
Hungry Ghost Cheng stared at Stone Dragon, his face full of amusement. He knew only Stone Dragon had cultivation; Ying Ji and Liu Junjie’s seven companions were ordinary people before death, not worth worrying about.
Whoosh—
Hungry Ghost Cheng suddenly heard a noise behind him. He instinctively tried to dodge, but his body felt heavy, unmovable. Before he could react, a sharp pain struck his neck, and the world spun. He saw his own body.
Hungry Ghost Cheng’s head hit the ground, his body collapsed, and the twelve ghost servants vanished, leaving only ashes drifting away.
Beside his corpse, Tian Bu Zhong shook his hand with a cold expression. Zhang Xian, Zhou Liang, and Bai Wei rose, having held Hungry Ghost Cheng’s legs and waist, immobilizing him.
Stone Dragon, Liu Junjie, Ying Ji, and the other ghost servants were stunned.
Yang Dai’s eyes sparkled. Tian Bu Zhong had used his palm like a blade, severing Hungry Ghost Cheng’s head.
“Is he dead for sure?” Yang Dai asked.
Cultivators had many tricks; he couldn’t afford to be careless.
Tian Bu Zhong replied curtly, “He’s dead.”
Yang Dai stepped forward. “Stone Dragon, search the body. Everyone else, stay alert.”
He knelt by Hungry Ghost Cheng’s head and began to draw out his soul.
His brain throbbed, but Yang Dai was accustomed to it—it was still within tolerable limits. Soon, he extracted Hungry Ghost Cheng’s soul, enduring the dizziness. He summoned him and ordered, “Leave this place immediately. Hungry Ghost Cheng, you’ll lead the way and avoid Ghost Abyss Sect’s ambushes.”
“As you command!”
Hungry Ghost Cheng replied, his expression complicated.
---
He was utterly bewildered.
How had he died so suddenly? How had he become Yang Dai’s ghost servant so abruptly?
Though confused, he obediently led the way. Ghost servants could not resist the will of the Lord of Ten Thousand Realms.
Ying Ji grew even more respectful of Yang Dai. A figure as terrifying as Hungry Ghost Cheng had died so swiftly before Yang Dai—just how powerful was he?
…
A few hours later, dusk descended.
Yang Dai and his ten ghost servants paused by a small stream. Tian Bu Zhong and his four trump cards remained concealed beneath the earth, while Hungry Ghost Cheng, Stone Dragon, Ying Ji, Liu Junjie, and the other ghost servants guarded him.
Yang Dai cupped his hands, drank several times, then sat down contentedly, sighing, “That’s refreshing!”
He turned to Hungry Ghost Cheng and asked, “Why didn’t you seize their souls before?”
Hungry Ghost Cheng replied, somewhat aggrieved, “Because I saw you tailing them, so I wanted to lure you out. But I didn’t expect your soul absorption to be so fast—far beyond my comprehension.”
He needed time to create ghost servants, while Yang Dai took less than a minute to craft seven. It had terrified him as he watched from the shadows.
He attacked because he feared Liu Junjie and the others might grow stronger, but Stone Dragon resisted with the special abilities of ghost servants, forcing him to retreat.
Hungry Ghost Cheng’s ghost servants all dissipated with his death, leaving no leftovers for Yang Dai to claim.
“What’s the highest cultivation among those sent by Ghost Abyss Sect? What’s your purpose?” Yang Dai continued.
Hungry Ghost Cheng answered honestly, “The strongest is only at the third layer of Qi Gathering. We are all outer sect disciples, here to collect the souls of rogue cultivators and refine them into ghost servants. Our cultivation is low—we risk elimination in the outer sect trials, so we’re taking a chance, seeking low-level rogue cultivators. Ying Ji’s task was not assigned to us; I only saw the bounty for hunting him, but didn’t come specifically for him.”
Yang Dai sighed in relief. Qi Gathering third layer posed no threat to him.
Thinking it over, it made sense, since righteous sects surrounded Ghost Weeping Ridge; Ghost Abyss Sect wouldn’t dare send strong forces. As for Hungry Ghost Cheng and his companions, their low cultivation allowed them to masquerade as rogue cultivators.
On only the fourth day in the Deep Domain, Yang Dai now possessed fourteen ghost servants, six of whom had already embarked on the path of cultivation—a formidable start!
With high spirits, Yang Dai asked, “Does anyone know a place rich in spiritual energy, undisturbed by others?”
Other trial participants were surely busy joining sects, currying favor with natives, and completing various tasks. He had no need for that—his aim was to steer clear of danger, cultivate diligently, and expand his roster of ghost servants!