Battle of the Hungry Ghosts

The pitch-black ghost claw came hurtling at him on a foul wind. Drool dripping from between its fingers condensed into gray-black droplets in midair, corroding the ground into sizzling green smoke before they even landed.

Hua Qiang's pupils contracted slightly. When he saw the blue-faced, fanged figures rising and sinking in the ghost claw's palm, a smile gradually curled across his lips.

"What a coincidence."

At a thought, a bone-piercing wind suddenly swept up behind him.

A pitch-black vortex several yards across appeared out of thin air. Countless tiny sounds of teeth grinding and shrieks came from within, as though an army of thousands was about to break free of its shackles.

With a wave of his hand, the vortex abruptly expanded, and hundreds of Hungry Ghosts in all manner of shapes surged out in a mad scramble.

Some had bellies swollen like drums, their withered fingers clawing desperately at their own stomachs as gurgling swallowing sounds came from their throats.

Some were blue-faced and fanged, dark-green slime streaming from the corners of their mouths while ghostly blue flames burned in their eyes.

Others were hunched over, yet several pairs of membranous wings grew from their backs. Every flap produced a teeth-aching buzz.

The ghost claw in the air suddenly paused. Black mist churned in its palm, and hundreds of Hungry Ghosts poured out as well.

Unlike the Hungry Ghosts Hua Qiang had released, they were black as charcoal from head to toe, their forms flickering and uncertain. Dense deathly aura coiled around them, and their howls carried a venomous hatred that made hearts tremble.

Roar—

When the two hordes of Hungry Ghosts met, they unleashed earth-shaking howls at the same time.

Among Hua Qiang's Hungry Ghosts, the one with the drum-like belly struck first. It inhaled sharply, its shriveled