What was a ghost?
In traditional belief, one explanation held that "a ghost is a return"—the soul that remained after a person died.
That seemed like one way to explain it, but judging by everything that had happened at the Tianhai Hotel, this interpretation was still far too narrow. At the very least, not everyone qualified to become a ghost after death.
Ghosts were more like a category of beings that defied description or explanation, usually associated with mystery, oppression, bloodlust, and terror.
Why they existed, where they came from... all of it was unknown. But one thing was beyond doubt—every single one was immensely powerful in human eyes.
Across the many missions and incidents he had experienced, Ji Li had encountered a vast number of ghosts with all manner of abilities.
If he had to rank all the ghosts he had encountered by strength...
First came Heavenly Sea, naturally in a class of its own. No ghost could stand on equal footing with it. Its terrifying power bordered on the divine, and there was not even a place to begin investigating its true nature; next came the Skin Peeling Ghost and the ghost of Tiannan Academy. These two were second only to Heavenly Sea, either attempting to contend with it or joining forces with it. They represented the ceiling of ghostly power and were likewise indescribable beings; below them were the strongest ghosts found in routine missions, ordinary incidents, and conventional circumstances. These were still few in number, but several could be considered equals.
Examples included the White Robe Worshipped Ghost, Ruru and Ruru's Mother, and the Root Cause Ghost of Orange Lake Paradise. Perhaps that ghost that had "become an immortal" belonged among them as well.
Ghosts at this level could be called "top-tier ghosts." They were the