Containing the Pupil Ghost

Yang He's somewhat abrupt action left everyone stunned.

"Daoist Yang!!"

Song Kuo was too late to stop him and could only watch as Yang He burrowed into the pile of corpses.

The scene before the coffin was utterly bizarre.

Because the soldiers became connected to the lid after death, their corpses all remained in the same posture, as if a crowd were kowtowing toward the coffin.

"My lord, he dares recklessly disturb Third Young Master..."

The deputy general drew the saber at his waist, but Li Feng raised a hand to stop him.

"Wait." Li Feng's expression was grim. His index finger tapped against his chest as bluish-purple veins bulged across his body and his heart pounded like a drum.

He took out a milky-white candle and lit its flame with yang qi.

Most of the coffin's yin qi dissipated, yet the knocking inside only grew more frequent.

Yang He belatedly turned back for a glance and muttered to himself, "What kind of yin artifact can suppress Nezha? And the thing inside definitely isn't a Hungry Ghost..."

He pushed aside the hideous corpses of the soldiers one by one and arrived before the lid.

The strangulation marks on Yang He's neck began to sting. He could no longer breathe through his nose or mouth, his organs were beginning to fail, and he could only barely maintain his remaining consciousness through the Pupil Ghost.

"Daoist Yang, with me, Li Feng, here, go ahead without worry."

Li Feng struck his chest again, his entire body trembling with each heartbeat.

The candle burned down at a visible rate.

Yang He was instantly invigorated, as though he had taken some miraculous elixir, and strength surged through his body.

"How ruthless. Li Feng will probably lose over a decade of his lifespan. Ruthless to me, ruthless to himself, and even more ruthless to the soldiers beneath him."

Yang He knew he did not have long to live. His Three Fires were on the verge of going out, and his excited state was clearly the boost granted by the candle Li Feng had lit.

"Up!"

Yang He's eyes turned white as the Pupil Ghost continuously shed bloody tears.

The old lid was completely lifted from the coffin. Flesh and blood clung to the gaps, and the resentful cries of an infant came from within.

The Pupil Ghost let out a piercing shriek, on the verge of collapsing.

Yang He swept his gaze across the coffin. Although even Spiritual Vision could see only pitch-black darkness, he could sense a gaze spying on him.

Soft rustling sounds came without end, as though fingernails were scraping across the lid.

Yang He staggered half a meter away.

"Third Young Master!"

Li Feng opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of Yang Fire. His hair turned gray, and wrinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes.

The soldiers lifted the lid and slammed it heavily onto the coffin.

At that moment, dense fog enveloped Cailian Town.

More than four thousand three hundred people in town heard an infant crying at the same time.

In an instant, their heads split with pain as red silk ribbons appeared from nowhere, tightening around their necks and hoisting all four thousand three hundred of them into the air.

Bang.

Before dying, the soldiers returned the lid to its place, their corpses forcibly pinning down the coffin.

Only then did the red ribbons vanish. Coughing rose and fell throughout Cailian Town as the townspeople escaped in time, largely unharmed. It seemed the calamity brought by the coffin had been resolved...

Meanwhile, Yang He's body had withered away, his yang qi utterly exhausted.

He stared at the coffin as if he had foreseen it all, a bitter smile on his lips.

"That is the reincarnation of the Spirit Pearl. How could a rotten piece of hundred-year-old locust wood possibly settle this?"

Crack.

A new change occurred in the lid that had just been closed, fine cracks spreading across it.

Mortal objects simply could not seal Nezha. Once Nezha emerged again, he would inevitably become even more terrifying and would not spare anyone in Cailian Town.

"This is only my Second Round in a Lore World. Isn't the difficulty escalating way too fast?"

Yang He's breathing was weak as Song Kuo hurried over to check on him.

He used his last bit of strength to push Song Kuo away, listening to the conversation between Li Feng and the deputy general before he died.

"How much longer until the Daoists from Qianyuan Mountain reach Cailian Town?"

"At most ten days."

"It should hold for ten days. I only hope they can hurry over and send Third Young Master on his way."

Yang He's world spun as he returned to the Main World.

Your character, 'wandering Daoist,' has died. The Lore World roleplay has ended.

Obtained 'Three Liang of Silver'

Obtained 'Pupil Ghost'

Obtained 'Yin Copper Coin Sword'

Obtained 'Yin-Qi-Infused Coffin Lid'

Yang He clutched his neck and collapsed into a seated position. Death did not feel good, especially when he had died by courting death so spectacularly.

"Fortunately... fortunately, this trip was a full harvest."

Spiritual Vision: 9.4 points

Yang He could not help feeling lingering fear. He had faced Nezha for only a few short breaths, yet it was hard to imagine how terrifying Nezha's true body would be upon arrival.

"I wonder what Li Jing is thinking. Eight or nine out of ten of the soldiers he sent will probably die."

Yang He recalled Li Feng mentioning Qianyuan Mountain. Although he had read Investiture of the Gods in his previous life, he had no real understanding of Qianyuan Mountain.

Still, he guessed that Qianyuan Mountain was most likely Grandmaster Taiyi's abode.

"I wonder what Grandmaster Taiyi is like in the Lore World."

Exchange 'Three Liang of Silver'?

Yang He stuffed the wandering Daoist's meager belongings into his purse.

Exchange 'Yin Copper Coin Sword'?

His hand sank as the exchanged Yin Copper Coin Sword landed in his palm.

The Copper-Coin Sword had been well preserved and still carried a bone-piercing chill upon contact. Yang He wrapped it several times with strips of cloth before the abnormal sensation became less noticeable.

"And the Pupil Ghost..."

"Ah, both worlds are fraught with danger. Does a mere mortal like me even have a choice?"

Yang He did not hesitate for long. If he wanted to protect himself in the Main World, he could only contain ghosts, and spending Spiritual Vision could offset the Pupil Ghost's drawbacks.

Exchange 'Pupil Ghost'?

"Confirm."

Yang He had already made sufficient preparations, and he had not forgotten the Qi Gazing Technique he had learned not long ago.

He began silently reciting the Qi Gazing Technique. His breathing gradually became rhythmic, indirectly affecting his blood and qi. In his daze, his consciousness sank into boundless darkness.

The Pupil Ghost appeared directly in his mind in the form of an illusion.

Only hollow voids remained in Yang He's eye sockets. Then yin qi spread from between his brows to his limbs, and the Pupil Ghost fused with him.

The flesh on his face wriggled as the Pupil Ghost opened in the center of his forehead.

At first, the Pupil Ghost was as large as a goose egg, directly occupying his entire forehead.

Yang He's Spiritual Vision plummeted by 0.5 points. The Pupil Ghost then calmed down and gradually shrank to the size of an ordinary pupil before silently sinking into his flesh.

Spiritual Vision: 8.9 points

He tried controlling the Pupil Ghost and found it as responsive as an arm or finger, just like in the Lore World.

"According to the records of the Qi Gazing Technique, if I draw yin qi into my body to cultivate, the Pupil Ghost's transformations will become even more unpredictable, and it can continue advancing."

"Unfortunately, the method is incomplete. I will have to make some plans the next time I enter a Lore World."

Yang He summoned the panel again. Besides Spiritual Vision, more words appeared.

Qi Cultivator: Pupil Ghost (Weak Ghost)

"Weak Ghost must be the Pupil Ghost's current level. The Hungry Ghost born from the Treasure Fish's belly was probably a Weak Ghost too."

"I wonder whether I can contain a second ghost?"

Yang He shook his head and turned his gaze to his final reward.

Yin-Qi-Infused Coffin Lid

A yin object formed from thousand-year-old submerged wood soaked in ghost blood. It contained dense yin qi. Though damaged, it could be used to refine the yin artifact, Hundred Soul Banner.

Naturally, Yang He did not dare bring the lid into the Main World. Not only was it too large, but without an artifact-refining method, keeping it would only invite disaster.

Yin-Qi-Infused Coffin Lid can be exchanged for 4.8 Spiritual Vision.

"Exchange."

"Adding the Spiritual Vision from the lid, my Spiritual Vision has finally exceeded..."

The moment the thought arose in Yang He's mind, the information concerning Spiritual Vision abruptly changed. The words became blood-red, and the flickering faint yin qi seemed to be issuing a warning.

Spiritual Vision: 13.7 points

Your Spiritual Vision has reached 10 points. You have glimpsed part of the world's true nature. Remember: do not speak of it, and do not go mad.

Thanks to Yu Jing, Shu Ba, Trolomuse's Noodles, and Gazing Cat's Abyss for the tips.