The Great Venerable, Lingering Like a Dog-Pasted Plaster

"But... I didn't feel any magical power fluctuations from Fellow Daoist Fan just now?" Shen Jiyue's expression was full of shock as she whispered, "He... he just used his physical strength to crush the head of an evil ghost with his bare hands?"

"He relied on the Bloodline Power carried by his tough physique, and his yang energy, which was as vigorous as a furnace, to completely obliterate that evil ghost?!"

Shen Jiyue hadn't heard about Fan Wu's feats from Xie Jiuyi.

But hearing about it from others versus seeing it herself...

It was a completely different experience!

This was the first time she had seen someone crush a ghost into soul-scattered dust with their bare hands!

Wasn't this a bit too exaggerated?

How immense was the Blood Essence on Fellow Daoist Fan? How scorching was his yang energy?

He was practically a humanoid magical artifact!

Hiss!

Facing the gazes of the two people and the group of ghosts, Fan Wu showed no fear whatsoever.

He looked up at the pitch-black night sky.

Then, he expressionlessly turned his gaze towards the group of evil ghosts.

The attribute information for each and every evil ghost was displayed before his eyes.

At a glance, he saw through all the evil ghosts.

Fan Wu basically ignored the common evil ghosts, which were like mere pawns, because their attributes were too low.

They were too weak.

They weren't worth Fan Wu's excessive attention.

However, the ghost groom by the eight-bearer sedan chair, and the ghost bride in the grand red sedan chair... the attribute information for these two was worth Fan Wu's slight glance.

[Centennial Ghost Groom -- HP: 658 -- STR: 11.9 -- Skills: Dual Soul Embodiment, Ghost Possession, Black Curtain Barrier, Yin Energy Corrosion...]

[Centennial Ghost Bride -- HP: 610 -- STR: 10.2 -- Skills: Dual Soul Embodiment, Black Curtain Barrier, Soul Descent Technique, Female Ghost Charm...]

Both the ghost groom and ghost bride had very high attributes, at least much higher than those common evil ghosts.

At the same time...

They were also slightly higher than Shen Jiyue and Xie Jiuyi, the two from the Imperial Astronomy Bureau.

This was precisely why the two of them were facing a great enemy.

They even pessimistically felt that even if they had to die here, they couldn't let the Heavenly Mechanism Coffin fall into the hands of the anomalous entities.

The ghost groom and ghost bride were indeed quite powerful.

If possible... Fan Wu was too lazy to get entangled with these evil ghosts, but who would have thought that the few evil ghosts that barged into the inn had treated him as an accomplice of the Imperial Astronomy Bureau.

And instead of snatching the Heavenly Mechanism Coffin first, they intended to deal with Fan Wu in the inn first!

Then...

They paid a very heavy price for their suicidal actions.

At the same time.

It also dragged Fan Wu into the fray.

Which made Fan Wu's mood very unpleasant.

When his mood soured, the violent killing intent within him spread out without reservation at this moment.

The atmosphere suddenly turned cold and sharp!

That aura, which was several times more terrifying than the evil ghosts, made Shen Jiyue feel a sense of palpitations!

It made Shen Jiyue gasp in amazement!

"How... how many anomalous entities has he killed? Or... how many living people has he killed? To cultivate such an extremely violent killing intent?" Shen Jiyue felt her mouth go dry.

She hadn't understood before why Xie Jiuyi treated Fan Wu with such politeness, almost to the point of subservience.

Now, she understood.

Facing a man like a ferocious beast...

It was indeed appropriate to adopt a humble attitude.

Otherwise...

It would be even more desperate than facing an evil ghost!

Shen Jiyue knew she shouldn't speculate about a person like this.

But the terrifying aura that enveloped Fan Wu truly made people unable to help but overthink!

As for Xie Jiuyi, having already witnessed Fan Wu in action, he appeared a little calmer compared to Shen Jiyue.

However, Xie Jiuyi couldn't help but swallow his saliva, gasping in amazement, "Fellow Daoist Fan seems even more terrifying than a few days ago."

Perhaps it was just an illusion.

He felt that Fan Wu had become even more powerful than he was a few days ago!

This…

Xie Jiuyi was startled by his own guess.

This shouldn't be possible, right?

Only a few days had passed, how could Fellow Daoist Fan become stronger so quickly?

This might just be his imagination.

Yes.

Imagination!

Shen Jiyue and Xie Jiuyi seized this opportunity to quickly regroup. Judging by their heights, Shen Jiyue was a full head taller than Xie Jiuyi, the height difference being particularly noticeable.

"Something's not quite right." Shen Jiyue forced herself to look away from Fan Wu, her gaze sweeping over the evil ghosts in the willow alley, especially the ghost groom whose form had already appeared.

Shen Jiyue took a deep breath and whispered, "Just now, these evil ghosts were practically dying to tear us apart, but when Fellow Daoist Fan appeared, they stopped? Were they intimidated? That might be part of it, but I still feel like something is off..."

"That ghost groom, its current state seems very wrong!"

"Ghost groom?" Xie Jiuyi turned his head and also noticed the strange situation.

The ghost groom was no longer staring at the two of them.

Instead, with hollow eyes filled with endless resentment, it was staring intently at Fan Wu, who had just walked out of the inn!

That gaze wasn't like one directed at an ordinary enemy.

It was as if it were staring at a mortal enemy of ten lifetimes, or a father's killer!

Those chilling eyes were bone-chilling!

It reminded Xie Jiuyi of something, and he said with a hint of recollection, "I remember when we encountered that strange shadow anomalous entity last time, it seemed... we encountered a similar situation."

"Hm?" Shen Jiyue didn't understand.

Xie Jiuyi couldn't quite explain it himself. He just felt that when these anomalous entities faced Fan Wu...

It was as if they had encountered an enemy.

It made him feel very strange.

One end of the willow alley.

The ghost groom's gaze was now fixed firmly on Fan Wu.

Its lifeless eyes, brimming with resentment, made ordinary people afraid to meet its gaze!

If someone without cultivation were to meet its eyes...

They would surely fall gravely ill upon returning!

Its upper and lower lips were curled back, and its teeth gnashed together, emitting a clear and grating sound of grinding.

"Click, click..."

"Click, click..."

On its pale and terrifying face, black veins bulged and emerged, making its ghostly visage appear exceptionally sinister and frightening!

It seemed to be enraged.

It seemed to be angry!

The festive official robes worn by the ghost groom fluttered in the gusts of cold wind.

The Yin energy in the willow alley had become exceptionally dense.

The entire alley was shrouded in thick white mist.

"Great Venerable... has ordered... to see... this person..."

"Kill!"

"No!"

"Pardon!"

Like a jammed music box, a strange sound emanated from the ghost groom's throat, low and guttural.

Xie Jiuyi and Shen Jiyue couldn't hear this low, faint sound clearly.

But Fan Wu heard it perfectly!

Sensing a chilling murderous intent enveloping him, Fan Wu felt no dread whatsoever.

He merely looked up at the sky speechlessly.

Then he let out a soft sigh.

As expected.

Previously, when he learned that another anomalous entity was coming for that Heavenly Mechanism Coffin, he had a bad feeling about it.

Because, before coming to Baihe County, the strange shadow he encountered seemed to also be trying to snatch this Heavenly Mechanism Coffin. And the strange shadow seemed to have a subtle relationship with the Great Venerable.

Now, a group has appeared with the same objective as the strange shadow... Fan Wu immediately thought of the Great Venerable.

He initially held onto a sliver of hope.

But now...

That sliver of hope was gone.

His premonition was right again.

Damn it!!