Inner Elixir Art of Containing the Second Ghost

Yang He shivered, immediately realizing the terrifying methods of the Beast Tamer.

He had previously thought Song Zhi had escaped Jialiang Water Town, but now it seemed Song Zhi's fate was sealed the moment he advanced to the Hungry Ghost stage.

In the plans of the two cultivators at the Hungry Ghost stage, Song Zhi was certain to die.

The candlelight flickered, and the surroundings were deathly quiet.

Even though there were no spirits and monsters in the yamen, Yang He felt a chill. "Humans are indeed more terrifying than ghosts."

"They are currently concerned about Head Constable Sun, so they won't be completely unrestrained, but that won't last long, perhaps only two or three months."

Yang He calmed his mind and picked up his brush to write again.

'Head Constable Sun, what are the benefits of a Hungry Ghost's revival?'

Song Zhi had revived because he couldn't satisfy the Appetite of the Hungry Ghost within him, but the coachman clearly knew the pros and cons, suggesting it was a deliberate act.

'With the lack of yin qi, the path to becoming an immortal is severed. Only by becoming a ghost can one sense the yin qi in the boundless hell and continue cultivating.'

Yang He gasped. Head Constable Sun also described that grotesque real world as the boundless hell, which was telling.

He belatedly realized that the Main World didn't have an age of Dharma decline at all; instead, the yin qi required for cultivation was concentrated in the boundless hell.

"The first layer of hell is filled with spirits and monsters, the second layer of hell has ghost corpses hanging in the air for a thousand miles. Ninety-nine percent of the yin qi is blocked between humans and ghosts by a mere windowpane, so the only way to cultivate is through revival."

When the coachman's Hungry Ghost right arm fell into the first layer of hell, it was equivalent to breaking the windowpane, allowing him to absorb the yin qi from the first layer.

Upon advancing to the Fierce Ghost stage, a second revival would be necessary.

Otherwise, cultivation would be hopeless.

Yang He shivered, feeling a sense of confusion in his heart.

He continued writing, 'Head Constable Sun, what are the conditions for a second revival?'

'Abandon more of your body.'

With each successive abandonment of the body, cultivators would inevitably become incomplete. Of course, the more incomplete they were, the more terrifying their strength became.

Yang He's breathing grew heavy, and he couldn't help but ask himself.

Do I... need to revive?

If I don't revive, it seems I can only rely on the Lore World.

Yang He didn't want to become neither human nor ghost, but he wasn't sure if he would compromise in the future. Fortunately, he didn't have to make that decision too early.

"With my Spiritual Vision, I can see the truth that can only be glimpsed through revival, and I can travel back and forth to the Lore World. I don't need to rush for now."

Sizzling～～

While Yang He was lost in thought, the temperature in the room suddenly plummeted.

The yin qi emanating from the tiger ghost skin was boiling, and some flesh and blood could be seen regenerating. The wooden dummies outside also began to stir.

The Black Cat bared its teeth, also reminding Yang He to leave quickly.

Yang He suppressed his stray thoughts.

'Head Constable Sun, do you know the method for containing a second ghost?'

'I am Sun Qi, who are you?'

'Head Constable Sun, do you know the method for refining yin artifacts?'

'I am Sun Qi, who are you?'

Yang He asked several questions in a row, but the responses were all abnormally stiff. The facts proved that Head Constable Sun's condition was indeed not optimistic.

He tried all the book titles he could imagine, until he reached the Inner Elixir Art.

'Head Constable Sun, do you know the contents of the Inner Elixir Art?'

The response was met with a brief hesitation, followed by large chunks of text appearing.

'The elixir is the ghost path, only by containing two ghosts is the path. The path has no equal, hence the name elixir. Heaven obtains one and becomes clear, Earth obtains one...'

Yang He's eyes widened. It was indeed the method for containing a second ghost.

The Inner Elixir Art was not long, and it seemed to be incomplete. He relied entirely on his experience from two lifetimes to forcibly memorize it.

By now, the tiger ghost skin weighed twenty to thirty pounds, and bones were beginning to grow inside.

Yang He did not exchange the tiger ghost skin for Spiritual Vision. This item was likely Head Constable Sun's last lifeline. There was no need to be greedy for Spiritual Vision and cause Peibai City to lose the protection of the yamen prematurely.

After repeatedly confirming that he had memorized the Inner Elixir Art correctly, he quickly let go of the hot potato, grabbed the Black Cat, and bolted.

Just as he was about to leave the study, Yang He glanced back.

He saw a headless figure sitting at a table in the study, flipping through books, clearly a residual consciousness repeating its usual habits.

Yang He didn't feel any malice, so he slowed his pace.

He still chose to return the way he came through the main entrance, pretending to be one of the deluded citizens, and staggered out of the yamen.

Yang He committed to the act, stumbling all the way home.

Cock-a-doodle-doo～～

Before he knew it, the morning sun had risen on the horizon.

Most of the tiger stripes on Yang He's body had faded, and he felt a bit tired, but the acquisition of the Inner Elixir Art had his spirit incredibly exhilarated.

As soon as he entered his room, he immediately copied the Inner Elixir Art onto paper.

According to the Inner Elixir Art's records, it was relatively simple for a living person to accommodate the first ghost, with no risk of backlash. However, the second ghost was different, inevitably leading to a fierce struggle between them.

Furthermore, the cultivator had to adapt to the effects of having two ghosts within them.

The Inner Elixir Art involved refining the second ghost within the body into a pill, storing it in the heart, and gradually refining it throughout the body with the circulation of blood.

"It's a shame, the Inner Elixir Art seems to be partially incomplete."

"But then again, since Head Constable Sun was so fixated on the Inner Elixir Art, could it be that his near-death experience was due to practicing it?"

Yang He pinched the bridge of his nose thoughtfully. Practicing it rashly would be a dead end.

"Refining the pill internally is very complicated. If there's the slightest mistake, yin qi will erode yang qi, and the Inner Elixir Art is incomplete, unless..."

Yang He narrowed his eyes, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. "Unless an immortal guides you, how could anyone get started with the Inner Elixir Art."

It didn't matter if his alias went berserk. Trying it in the Lore World was the best course of action.

Coincidentally, the Daoist Initiate had two ghosts within him.

Yang He carefully put away the Inner Elixir Art and lay on the bed, unable to fall asleep. He decided to guide the sparse yin qi through a cycle.

Before he knew it, he was half-asleep, his consciousness seemingly detached.

When Yang He woke up, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the doors and windows onto the wall, accompanied by an unbearable stench.

He stretched and casually opened the room door.

"Strange, why would there be rain in the bright spring month?"

The sun was high in the sky, yet it was drizzling outside. Water vapor surged from the ground, and he could see over a dozen human-faced, bird-bodied Hungry Ghosts within the mist.

Yang He noticed the clothes Old Man Yang had hung out in the courtyard and quickly got up.

"Old Man, please don't blame me. Who could have predicted this sudden rain? Honestly, Jialiang Water Town might not even get this much rain in a whole year..."

As soon as Yang He left his room, his muttering abruptly stopped.

His pupils dilated in shock as he tried to catch the rain with his palm.

As a result, the rainwater passed straight through his palm.

Yang He's expression was filled with disbelief. He realized that even the puddles on the ground were untouchable. He couldn't help but open his pupil ghost to observe the situation closely.

He soon realized that the rain was not in the present world, but in a layer of hell.

That's right... it was raining in hell!

In the following days, as the century-old Treasure Fish was continuously dissected, the rain grew heavier, and the Hungry Ghosts in the city became more active.