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Elsewhere.

The moon that had hung all night had yet to sink, and the icy air, mixed with morning mist, drilled into their nostrils, making them thoroughly uncomfortable.

Clad in a black cloak that fluttered in the wind, he gazed coldly ahead, his eyes brimming with boundless killing intent.

He looked at the ghosts before him as true qi began to circulate.

In an instant, sword qi slashed out like starlight. Accompanied by a soft sound of flesh being pierced, before the ghosts could react, three of them slowly fell, their eyes filled with unwillingness.

The swordsman sheathed his sword as well.

"Seriously, why have there been more and more ghosts lately? I can't kill them all," complained a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old youth beside him.

The swordsman did not respond. He merely walked to the side and waited for someone's arrival.

Very soon, a figure descended from the sky.

"You brat, are you yapping again? Looking to get beaten up again?" The figure came up behind the youth and slapped the back of his head.

"Ah! Sis, can't you go a little easier? You're going to beat me stupid!" The youth clutched his head and complained in pain.

"Who told you to talk so much? Why can't you be more like Li Zhi? Look at him—he barely says anything." The captain pointed at the swordsman, Li Zhi, beside them.

"That mute doesn't say a single word all day. If I went a day without talking, I'd suffocate, Sis. Boohoohoo."

"Enough, stop fooling around." At that moment, a tall, upright figure emerged from the shadows, interrupting their antics.

"News came from Zhong Li Dao. He said they encountered an ultra-large Ghost Nest and called for everyone nearby to go support them," the newcomer quickly said.

"Ultra-large? Did they say how many there were, Captain?" the woman called Sis asked.

"They did not give an exact number. They only said there were at least several hundred. The Baleful Intent pouring from the cave entrance is nearly overflowing the entire valley. Judging by that, there may be more than five hundred, and there may even be a Fifth tier Ghost Spirit." The newcomer was the captain of this Heavenly Dragon Guard unit.

"A Ghost Spirit? Oh, my mother! That's not something Human level Heavenly Dragon Guards like us can handle, is it?" the youth said fearfully.

"I'll take Li Zhi and Ji Ni to provide support first. Long Mei, go to Qingshi County and find Elder Yang." Without waiting for the woman's reply, he vanished as he rushed off in one direction. Li Zhi immediately followed.

"Hey, Captain! Brother Li, wait for me!" Seeing the captain and the others leave without another word, the youth hopped and skipped after them, shouting.

Seeing this, the woman said helplessly, "Still the same as ever."

After saying that, the woman did not dare delay and sprinted toward Qingshi County.

"Lin Ye, do you think Zhong Li Dao and the others can hold on until the elder and we arrive?" Li Zhi, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly spoke.

Lin Ye thought for a moment before saying, "I'm not too sure either. I only hope the Ghost Nest erupts a little later and holds out until Elder Yang arrives. Otherwise, even if we go, we'll only be throwing our lives away. A Ghost Spirit isn't something we can deal with."

With that, the two sped up. There was still one person following behind them.

"Good heavens, why are you so fast? I'm exhausted."

Elsewhere.

Qingshi County.

A woman dressed in fiery red arrived before a shop.

"Elder Yang is really strange. Why would he open a shop in a tiny county like this? I just don't get it." After saying that, the woman jumped in through the window.

The moment the woman entered the room, a voice sounded.

"Wang Ni Zi, what brings you here to visit this old man?"

The woman swiftly looked behind her. A hunched figure slowly emerged from the darkness.

Upon seeing the man's face, the woman confirmed his identity and smiled. "Hehe, it's been such a long time since I saw you, Elder. I came especially to visit you."

That was right—this was Boss Yang, the man who had sold the Black Baleful Hammer to Ling Kang.

"Hehe, do you really think I'd believe a girl like you would be so kind-hearted? You came here on a mission and ran into something you couldn't handle, didn't you?" Elder Yang said.

"But I'm very curious. What could even you not resolve, that you had to come find this old man?" With that, he sat in a chair and looked at the woman.

"Reporting to Elder Yang, we came here after receiving a mission about a Ghost Nest. Headquarters sent us to eliminate it. We had already dealt with several Ghost Nests before they erupted, but we just received a plea for help from another squad. They said there was a strange nest where both the number and scale of the ghosts were enormous, and there might be a Ghost Spirit. So the captain sent me to ask you to intervene," the woman reported truthfully.

"A Ghost Spirit? I didn't expect those people to make their move so soon."

"The squad you mentioned is still there now, right? Knowing there are tigers in the mountains, yet marching straight toward Tiger Mountain—young people these days truly have guts. They are far stronger than old fellows like us."

"Come on, little girl. Lead the way. Let this old fellow with one foot in the grave see what these demons and monsters are really trying to do," Elder Yang muttered.

"That's right! That squad is still guarding the Ghost Nest. They need your help, or both they and the living beings nearby will be devastated," the woman pleaded.

"Fine. I had already retired, but since I've encountered this, I can't simply stand by. This old man will make the trip with you. Lead the way."

"Yes, Elder!" The two swiftly vanished from where they stood.

At the same time.

Within a valley.

"What do we do? These Heavenly Dragon Guards seem fairly strong. They've already blocked several waves of attacks. Will that affect the master's descent?" said a person completely shrouded in black mist.

Another shadow emerged from the black mist. "Don't worry. It's already too late. The master is about to descend, and they cannot stop it. We only need to wait for the master's descent! When that time comes, we will truly possess ghostly bodies as well. Hehehehe."

"But I seem to have received word that there is another Heavenly Dragon Guard in Qingshi County. They are heading toward the master."

"Then kill them all! Sixth, Seventh, you two go kill every Heavenly Dragon Guard coming to provide support. You two Core Formation cultivators are more than enough to deal with them!"

"Yes, Boss! We'll go at once!" With that, two figures present vanished from the spot.

"Big Brother, should I go with them too? That would make it more certain," another person spoke up.

"No need! If they cannot even handle a single Core Formation cultivator, then there is no point in keeping them alive." The leader muttered coldly.