The End

There was no time to use the Yin Gathering Technique!

Zheng Que did not hesitate for a second. He immediately stopped the hand seals he was casting, quickly sliced open his palm, and smeared his spiritual blood onto both hands.

The yang energy contained within a cultivator's blood was like a faint spark of starlight in this darkness, immediately causing a disturbance in the yin energy.

The next moment, a cold wind lashed his face, the chill piercing his bones. Old Lady Zhao's figure moved like lightning, already rushing before him. Her mouth gaped wide, the corners of her lips splitting rapidly to an incredible degree, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth like some kind of giant beast as she lunged to bite down hard on Zheng Que's head.

Zheng Que immediately raised his hand and smashed a fist into her face.

Thud!

With a dull sound, Zheng Que felt as if his fist had struck a block of tempered steel, the impact sending a sharp pain through his hand.

At the same time, Old Lady Zhao, having taken the heavy blow, finally halted her momentum. However, she was incredibly swift; her snake-like arms traced a circle in mid-air, and she grabbed at Zheng Que from a tricky angle.

Just then, the hemp rope around Old Lady Zhao's neck tightened instantly, sinking deep into her flesh as if trying to hang her once more.

However, Old Lady Zhao's strength was unnaturally great at this moment. Regardless of how much the tension on the rope increased, her body remained firmly planted on the ground, showing no sign of being lifted upward.

Taking advantage of the stalemate between Qing Li and Old Lady Zhao, Zheng Que immediately sidestepped to dodge her arm, simultaneously throwing another punch at Old Lady Zhao's temple.

Bang!

Amidst the dull thud, Zheng Que felt as though his fist was about to shatter. Yet, despite taking such a heavy blow, Old Lady Zhao only tilted her head slightly to the side before steadying herself, appearing to have suffered no substantial damage at all.

Seeing that his punch couldn't even break through her defense, Zheng Que's expression sank. This thing was not something he could deal with right now; he had to find an opportunity to retreat!

At this moment, Old Lady Zhao's expression had become extremely twisted. Her eyeballs protruded, her facial muscles twitched unnaturally, and pitch-black blood slowly flowed from her seven orifices. The yin energy on her body surged violently, like a blazing torch, with black smoke churning wildly and continuing to rise.

The entire Zhao courtyard felt as if it had fallen into an ice cellar. Frost piled up in layers on the ground, and the surrounding temperature plummeted again and again. The exposed skin felt the cold wind like knife blades, the chill piercing his heart.

"Die! Die!!"

"All of you must die!"

Old Lady Zhao roared with a crazed expression. As she opened her mouth, her sharp teeth were ghastly. Her two arms stretched out once more, crossing in a bizarre fashion in mid-air, and like a pair of open shears, they viciously twisted toward Zheng Que from left and right.

"Mother! No! Stop!"

Just then, Zhao the Second's voice, filled with urgency, suddenly rang out from behind Old Lady Zhao.

Hearing her son's words, Old Lady Zhao's movements stiffened. She turned her head to look at her son, and seemingly seeing the terror deep within his pupils, she immediately spoke to comfort him: "The Second, don't be anxious!"

"Wait a few days... cough, cough, cough... Mother will find you another wife."

Upon hearing this, Zhao the Second, who had already been frozen in fear, saw his expression turn to one of absolute horror!

He hadn't said a single word just now!

It was something else, mimicking his voice!

Swish!

The next moment, Old Lady Zhao was hoisted high into the air.

She immediately tried to struggle, but the rope constricting her neck suddenly exerted a terrifying, immense force.

Crack, crack, crack...

Old Lady Zhao only managed to twitch her limbs slightly before her neck was forcibly snapped by the rope, the sound of her cervical vertebrae shattering ringing out crisply.

In the silent courtyard, the sound of bones cracking echoed repeatedly. The hemp rope hanging her showed no sign of loosening; instead, it continued to tighten.

The rope was almost completely embedded into Old Lady Zhao's neck. Her neck had taken on a strange, hourglass shape, and the thinnest part continued to constrict, as if it intended to decapitate her entirely.

Perhaps sensing the mortal danger, Old Lady Zhao could no longer afford to attack Zheng Que. Her elongated arms immediately retracted, reaching for the rope around her neck and tearing at it with all her might.

The sound of the rope clashing violently against her flesh was like a dull saw grating against wood—low, raspy, and bone-chilling.

Seeing a turning point, Zheng Que took a deep breath and immediately slashed his wrist. The moment his blood flowed out, he swung his arm, splashing the spiritual blood toward Old Lady Zhao.

The spiritual blood within Zheng Que's body was exceptionally rich in yang energy. The moment it appeared, wisps of scorching heat rose from it. As it touched Old Lady Zhao, it immediately hissed as if burning her.

"Ahhh!!!"

Old Lady Zhao let out a shrill, miserable scream. The yin energy throughout her body surged violently, and the black smoke permeating the courtyard churned like a stormy sea, as if struck by a massive impact.

At the very moment the yin energy on Old Lady Zhao weakened, the force of the rope around her neck surged abruptly.

Pfft!

The next instant, Old Lady Zhao's entire neck was severed. Pitch-black blood gushed out like a fountain, splattering the ground. Her head rolled onto the floor, black blood staining her graying hair and pale, cyan face. Her scarlet eyes remained wide open, eyeballs bulging, staring fixedly at the sky above.

The headless corpse collapsed to the ground immediately after. It no longer possessed its previous weight; the shell lay there limp and lifeless, devoid of any aura.

The yin energy shrouding the entire Zhao residence lost its foundation and began to dissipate rapidly.

Daylight filtered in bit by bit. In the distance, the lingering sunset was faint, like thinly applied powder; the brightness was fading, and night was approaching.

The layer of frost on the ground was also melting quickly, and the temperature gradually rose. Everything in the small courtyard returned to normal. The falling leaves, which had been coming down like a sudden rain, stopped abruptly. Looking to the side, the two large trees had lost all their leaves at some point, leaving only bare branches swaying silently in the wind.

Won!

Zheng Que slumped to the ground, gasping for air. Sweat rolled down his forehead, quickly soaking his clothes.

This battle had nearly exhausted all the spiritual power in his body!

Fortunately, Qing Li, this Ghost Servant, had been unexpectedly effective.

Besides, the technique the opponent used just now seemed to be that of the Call-Sound Ghost...

At this moment, the figure of Qing Li slowly emerged beside Zheng Que. Her yin energy was much thinner, and her white robes were exceptionally clear, lacking the aura of black smoke that had previously shrouded her body and churned wantonly.

It was evident that this Ghost Servant had also expended a great deal during this battle.

While lost in thought, Zheng Que glanced at the sky. Knowing that night was about to fall and he could not remain here any longer, he immediately stood up and walked toward Zhao the Second.

Zhao the Second was kneeling on the ground, utterly dejected, staring blankly at the corpse of Old Lady Zhao not far away. His expression was vacant, and he seemed like a hollow shell, as if only his physical body remained.

Zheng Que walked to his side and looked at Zhao the Second. After a moment of contemplation, and because he truly did not know how to comfort people, he stepped forward, patted Zhao the Second on the shoulder, and said bluntly, "Brother Zhao, your wife was not a ghost, but a corpse that had long since died."

"The real ghost was actually your mother."

"Please accept my condolences."

However, it would have been better if Zheng Que had said nothing. As soon as he spoke, Zhao the Second's emotions instantly collapsed. He clutched his head with both hands and began to wail hysterically, "Mother! Mother..."