"Have you heard? There's a Fierce Ghost locked up in Seven Star!"
"I know. I heard that Fierce Ghost sneaked into the city and killed quite a few people. The Demon Slayer Envoys sent to capture it suffered heavy casualties!"
"Hey! I heard that Fierce Ghost is locked in Seven Star Number Nine Dungeon. I wonder who'll be unlucky enough to draw it."
Listening to the Demon Slayer Envoys gossiping among themselves, Fang Mu left with a quiet mutter.
Fang Mu took out a token tucked inside the demon-catching bag, and the corner of his mouth twitched despite himself.
"Damn it, that wretched Sun Hou really isn't a good bird. He actually assigned me a Fierce Ghost."
Against ordinary demons, Fang Mu was confident he could kill them, but he had never encountered a bizarre monster like a Fierce Ghost before, so he was genuinely a little worried.
Looking at the demon-catching bag in his hand, Fang Mu had already dealt with every demon inside.
Now, only the Demon Slayer Envoy token remained. It marked Seven Star Number Nine Dungeon—the dungeon where that Fierce Ghost was imprisoned.
Fang Mu had not obtained anything good from the demons he had slain this time. They were still the same Essence Blood Pills and Essence Pills.
Following the chain bridge, Fang Mu finally arrived outside Seven Star Number Nine Dungeon.
"Forget it! Fortune comes through danger. With no way back, I can only press forward."
Fang Mu secretly encouraged himself, then inserted the Demon Slayer Envoy token into the prison door's keyhole and slowly turned it, opening the dungeon.
After entering the inner door of the dungeon, he warily watched the black shadow bound to the execution frame by countless strands of light.
The black shadow looked like a woman, with blood-red eyes and a greenish face with fangs. It looked very much like the Fierce Ghosts from folk legends.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
A string of sounds tore through the air as Fang Mu fired many arrows from the execution frame, piercing the Fierce Ghost's body.
"Roar!"
The Fierce Ghost suddenly began to howl madly, struggling desperately against the strands of light binding it.
Looking at the Fierce Ghost, which had fallen into a demonic frenzy and possessed not the slightest trace of reason, Fang Mu could not help feeling secretly alarmed.
The arrows had failed to injure the Fierce Ghost. One after another, they passed straight through its body.
"Not good—bang!"
Fang Mu cried out as his entire body was sent flying and slammed into the refined-iron prison door.
The Fierce Ghost shattered the strands of light binding it and escaped. After sending Fang Mu flying, it pounced at him again.
The Fierce Ghost was astonishingly fast, transforming into a fleeting shadow and arriving before Fang Mu in the blink of an eye.
He had no time to dodge and could only engage the Fierce Ghost in a head-on battle.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
A string of dull, booming impacts rang out. Fang Mu fought the Fierce Ghost, yet he was completely unable to injure it.
The Fierce Ghost was far too sinister. It could actually shift freely between the real and the unreal.
Fang Mu's attacks could not hit it at all. Instead, it clawed him.
Just as the situation grew increasingly dire and anxiety welled up inside him, a vine suddenly wrapped around the Fierce Ghost.
The Fierce Ghost solidified from its incorporeal state and was bound in place, unable to move.
With no time to think, Fang Mu swung his long sword. After more than a dozen slashes, the Fierce Ghost shrieked and transformed into a heap of broken corpses.
Once golden light enveloped the fragments, the Fierce Ghost directly turned into wisps of green smoke, without even leaving behind any blood.
Fang Mu felt a little expectant about what he might obtain from refining the Fierce Ghost.
Within the Fierce Ghost's fragmented memories...
A rather beautiful woman had arranged to leave the city with her companions for experience and amusement.
Yet while passing through a town where they planned to rest, she was defiled by several men who had secretly followed them.
Her companions were killed, and the woman was locked in a cellar, living a life worse than death. In the end, she bit through her tongue and killed herself.
Her corpse was thrown into a wilderness outside the town. The woman, who had died harboring intense resentment, transformed into a Fierce Ghost beneath the shroud of darkness.
The woman had lost all reason and killed everyone she saw. Somehow, she arrived in Qingzhu City, where she slaughtered many people before finally being captured.
Sensing the resentment and indignation filling those memories, Fang Mu furrowed his brows tightly.
He had never expected that Fierce Ghosts were originally transformed from humans, born from resentment.
And the darkness outside the city seemed to have created her.
Everyone said the darkness outside the city was terrifying, and it seemed that was no baseless rumor. It could actually transform even resentment into a Fierce Ghost.
Void Transformation Pill—obtained by refining the Fierce Ghost, it granted the ability to transform between the real and the unreal.
Looking at the pill that had appeared in his hand, Fang Mu could not conceal his excitement and hurriedly swallowed the Void Transformation Pill.
He had no time to care that the pill had been formed from a Fierce Ghost. Strengthening himself was the only sound principle.
The pill melted as soon as it entered his mouth, transforming into streams of cool energy that flowed into his limbs and bones.
"Huh? Why does it seem like nothing happened?"
Feeling the pill inside his body apparently being absorbed and refined, Fang Mu stood up, somewhat puzzled.
But soon, his feet began to fade, and his body gradually became indistinct, as if it were merging into the void.
A black shadow like a ghost flashed rapidly through the dungeon.
As the swiftly moving shadow gradually revealed Fang Mu's form, he appeared once more.
"The Void Transformation ability is pretty good. It's as fast as the wind and moves like an illusion. It can even conceal my aura—it's practically the ultimate technique for tracking and escaping with my life."
Fang Mu muttered secretly, unable to hide the delight on his face.
From now on, he could be considered to have gained some ability to protect himself. Even if he could not win a fight, he had a life-preserving escape method.
However, after using Void Transformation, there was one obvious flaw—or rather, a drawback shared by all Fierce Ghosts.
The moment he launched an attack, he would automatically leave the Void Transformation state.
"Ah! You're a pitiful person too. I benefited from you this time. If I get the chance, and those evil people who harmed you are still alive, I'll definitely avenge you."
"Thank you."
Fang Mu had originally been muttering to himself, trying to put his mind at ease.
He had never expected a woman's mental voice to suddenly appear in his mind, thanking him and instantly making his hair stand on end.
After carefully sensing it, he discovered that the thought had already dissipated, and Fang Mu secretly let out a sigh of relief.
Glancing at the watermelon pattern on his hand, Fang Mu voiced his thanks.
If Xixi had not made a move this time, he reckoned he would have been completely finished.
It seemed that when he had time, he needed to study Xixi's abilities. This adorable little fellow's abilities were apparently no simple matter.
Looking at his own filthy, utterly bedraggled body, Fang Mu gave a bitter laugh.
He simply rolled around on the ground a few times, then smeared some of the blood he had collected earlier over himself, covering his entire body with it.
After leaving the dungeon and walking out of the prison, Fang Mu discovered that it was dark again. He had actually spent another whole day busy at work.
Fang Mu walked with a wooden staff, utterly bedraggled and seemingly lacking the strength to stand, looking as though he might collapse at any moment.
"Well, well! Isn't this the great Fang Mu, the Demon Slayer Envoy? How did you end up in such a sorry state?"
That irritating, sarcastic voice rang out. Fang Mu knew it was the loathsome Tu Qing without even looking.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Fang Mu, don't tell me you failed to complete the mission and are trying to run away?"
Sun Hou, who had followed behind Tu Qing, hurriedly blocked Fang Mu's path and questioned him.
Fang Mu was somewhat listless and did not argue with Sun Hou. He took out the opened demon-catching bag and the Seven Star Demon Slayer token and tossed them to Sun Hou.
"You..." Sun Hou flew into a rage. He had not expected Fang Mu to treat him with such an attitude.
Just as Sun Hou was furious and wanted to seize the opportunity to teach Fang Mu a lesson, Tu Qing coughed and walked over, glancing at the demon-catching bag on the ground with some surprise.
"You're quite the cockroach. You slew so many demons, and even that Fierce Ghost didn't kill you? I really underestimated you before!"
"I have you to thank for that."
Ignoring Tu Qing's sarcasm, Fang Mu replied blandly, then leaned on his wooden staff and left.
"Bastard!"
Watching Fang Mu leave, Sun Hou was utterly furious.
"Brother Qing, why did you stop me? I could have beaten him black and blue, beaten him to death, and vented your anger for you."
"Vent your sister's anger! Are you an idiot? If I wanted him dead, would I need you to do it?"
Tu Qing slapped Sun Hou on the forehead and scolded him angrily, exasperated at his lack of sense.
"I'm keeping him alive so I can have some fun with him."
"He's slain so many demons and has long been entangled in Demonic Energy. He's going to die sooner or later. What meaning is there in killing him now?"
"You idiot, stay farther away from him in the future. Be careful not to get contaminated by the Demonic Energy on him."
After Tu Qing gave him a thorough tongue-lashing, Sun Hou did not dare argue and repeatedly flattered him, agreeing with everything he said.
Before you continue