A Fierce Battle

"Shangqing Dongxuan, protect my true form. Illuminate yin and yang. By the command of the law, open!"

As Uncle Nine formed the hand seal, wind and clouds stirred out of nowhere. A long, narrow path suddenly appeared before Qiusheng and Wencai.

"Wencai, Qiusheng, go! Now!"

At Uncle Nine's words, Wencai immediately sprinted forward. Qiusheng, however, frowned and flashed behind Uncle Nine. He struck out with Palm Thunder, his palm colliding head-on with a White-Robed Ghost's claw.

"Crackle!"

A burst of thunder rang out, and Qiusheng's body shuddered. He felt a thread of icy, sinister energy rush along his palm and surge into his body.

Fortunately, Palm Thunder was a staunchly yang technique. The moment that yin energy entered his body, the power of lightning shattered it, and he escaped without injury.

But although the White-Robed Ghost hadn't hurt Qiusheng, their clash had cost him his chance to flee.

"Qiusheng, are you all right?"

Seeing Qiusheng clash with the White-Robed Ghost and stagger backward, Uncle Nine immediately pressed his back against Qiusheng's to halt his retreat, then asked him the question.

"Master, I'm fine. These two are no pushovers. They met my Palm Thunder head-on without flinching!"

"These two are century-old ghosts. When I first left the mountain, I came across them wreaking havoc. I gathered your Uncle Four Eyes and Uncle Qianhe, and the three of us attacked them together."

"I managed to badly weaken them, but in the end, they still escaped."

Hearing Uncle Nine's words, Qiusheng couldn't help drawing a sharp breath.

He'd never imagined that these two figures in white robes could be so terrifyingly powerful.

After all, Maoshan cultivators only went down the mountain to gain experience once they had reached the Human Master level.

Back then, Uncle Nine had been a Human Master, and both of his junior brothers had been at least peak Occult Masters. Even the three of them together hadn't managed to finish off these vicious ghosts.

"Then what do we do now, Master? We can't just sit here and wait to die."

Qiusheng asked Uncle Nine in a low voice whether he had a plan.

"The White-Robed Twin Ghosts were brothers in life. Even as spirits, they work together with perfect coordination."

"In a situation like this, our best bet is to stay still until they move, then strike after them."

Uncle Nine spoke quietly to Qiusheng while scanning their surroundings. This counted as a lesson in practical combat, too.

Qiusheng's heart stirred at his words. Without making it obvious, he slipped a yellow talisman beneath himself, where it came to rest at his feet.

The moment he finished, a gale of sinister wind swept over the two of them.

Amid the howling wind, two ghostly claws reached for Uncle Nine and Qiusheng's throats.

Faced with the White-Robed Ghosts' sudden attack, Uncle Nine and Qiusheng each seized one claw and yanked downward, dragging one of them out of the swirling wind.

Just then, the ground beneath Uncle Nine and Qiusheng exploded. The other White-Robed Ghost burst out and grabbed them both by the ankles.

"Shangqing Dongxuan, the heavenly way shines bright. Divine thunder descends. By the command of the law!"

Qiusheng muttered the incantation and stamped down hard with the foot caught in the ghost's grasp. A flash of lightning burst forth, jolting the claw off his ankle.

Uncle Nine dealt with his attacker even more simply—and forcefully.

His terrifying Earth Master power surged forth, and with one foot he pinned down the ghostly claw gripping his ankle.

"Lightning Bolt Fist!"

Seeing Uncle Nine unleash his full power, and having shaken off the claw that had caught his own ankle, Qiusheng clenched his fists and unleashed a flurry of blows on the White-Robed Ghost he had seized.

He poured all his power into Lightning Bolt Fist and Palm Thunder, as if his magic were free, intent on pounding the vicious ghost before him to pieces.

Seeing his disciple attack, Uncle Nine wasted no time either. He reached down and dragged out the remaining White-Robed Ghost. With a sweep of his hand, he drew talismans in the air, and Evil-Warding Talismans exploded against the ghost's body, making its yin energy churn wildly.

Then, from who knew where, Uncle Nine produced a Copper Coin Sword. He bit his index finger and infused the sword with his pure yang blood before charging the White-Robed Ghost with the force of a thunderbolt.

The master and disciple weren't especially well coordinated, but each had their own techniques. For a time, they managed to drive the two White-Robed Ghosts back.

Qiusheng seemed to have the upper hand, but only he knew the trouble he was in.

There was no doubt that both Lightning Bolt Fist and Palm Thunder were top-tier techniques for driving out ghosts and vanquishing evil. Used together, they gave him an explosive burst of power that, for a short while, was no less than Uncle Nine's.

The problem was that Qiusheng had only just reached the Occult Master level. His magic had increased considerably, but he couldn't sustain such a high rate of expenditure.

In other words, he might look fierce, but he was only good for five seconds.

As the fierce battle wore on, Qiusheng's frown deepened. The magic in his body was almost depleted. If he couldn't take down the White-Robed Ghost before him soon, he was as good as finished.

With that thought in mind, Qiusheng stopped bombarding the vicious ghost as relentlessly as before.

Instead, he deliberately left an opening for the White-Robed Ghost facing him, letting it slam a claw into his chest.

The moment the ghost pressed its claw against his chest, Qiusheng spread his arms and hugged it tightly.

Then magic surged through his body, and lightning exploded from him, enveloping both him and the White-Robed Ghost.

The result was devastating. Both the ghost and Qiusheng were badly battered by the lightning.

The White-Robed Ghost was especially shocked. It had never expected Qiusheng to use such a one-for-one tactic, as if they were both going to die together.

In an instant, the staunchly yang lightning surged through its body, damaging its very foundation and making its form grow much fainter.

As for Qiusheng, he had prepared himself in advance, and the lightning was powered by his own magic. Even so, he was left dazed and reeling, his legs weak.