Ghost Spirit Incense

When Su Hao stepped into the North Gate once more, the disciples who saw him immediately moved aside, staring at him with deep apprehension. Of course, there were also some highly skilled and bold individuals who hurled cold words at him.

"You killed a North Gate disciple, yet you still dare come here? Are you not afraid of death?"

"Elder Liu Dao has already given the order—you must die to pay for his disciple's life. Coming here is simply delivering yourself to death."

Su Hao paid them no heed and strode forward. Though those people shouted and jeered, not one dared step up to fight him. They all kept a safe distance, while some disciples hurried off to spread the news.

Su Hao went deep inside, finally stopping before a palace. The palace was bronze in color, its whole shape resembling a pill furnace. On the plaque above its entrance were three vigorous, forceful characters: Danyang Hall!

"Bold! You still dare come here!" Just as Su Hao arrived, a cold shout rang out. A whirlwind rose behind him and swiftly appeared before him.

A man in black emerged. His features were ordinary—it was Feng Chuan from yesterday.

Yesterday, Feng Chuan had suffered a setback at Su Hao's hands and been frightened away by his threats. He had felt utterly humiliated. Today, before the surrounding disciples, he intended to win back his face.

"It seems you truly have a death wish?" Su Hao remained as domineering as ever. He would not show the slightest courtesy to those who targeted him. Whoever acted arrogantly toward him, he would return it with even greater arrogance.

"Hmph. Yesterday, I considered you young and chose not to lower myself to your level. Yet today, you actually dare cause trouble in my North Gate. I, Feng Chuan, will not spare you." Feng Chuan shouted coldly, his expression composed, as though victory were already in his grasp.

More and more disciples gathered around. Su Hao's name had already spread far and wide, and many wanted to see what kind of person he truly was. Most of them, in fact, hoped to see him suffer miserably.

The three gates of the Spirit Creek Sect were constantly at odds with one another, fighting over resources. The East Gate was already a fallen place, and countless people were eager to kick it while it was down. They did not wish to see the slightest reversal in that gate's fortunes.

Feng Chuan strode forward. When he was ten meters from Su Hao, he flicked his sleeve, and an object appeared in his hand. It was green, resembling an incense stick, no thicker than a chopstick.

Moreover, it was only a broken remnant. What remained was merely the length of a little finger.

Yet the moment it appeared before the crowd, many people's expressions changed at once. Some even immediately backed away, clearly deeply wary of it.

"Do you know what this is?" Feng Chuan sneered. With this incense in hand, he felt even more at ease, convinced that Su Hao was completely within his grasp and that nothing could go wrong.

Su Hao looked at him and smiled disdainfully. "Whatever it is, if you do not get lost, I will beat you today!"

"Impudence!"

"You do not know what is good for you!"

"That is Ghost Spirit Incense! Once lit, it devours souls and seizes spirits. It can even transform into a ghostly face to kill its enemies—it is extraordinarily powerful."

"That is far from all. To be precise, this incense is a magic treasure, a high-grade spirit artifact!"

Before Feng Chuan could speak, the disciples who recognized the object immediately named it. They sneered, and some even cursed Su Hao as a country bumpkin. Showing off before such an object was nothing more than courting death.

Su Hao narrowed his eyes. The path of artifact refinement was also vast and profound, with countless varieties of magic treasures. Incense-based treasures were a special category among them, but when brought to their fullest potential, they could indeed unleash power beyond that of ordinary magic treasures.

But devouring souls and seizing spirits?

Su Hao merely remained calm.

"Scared now, are you? Kneel and beg me at once, and I may still spare your life!" Feng Chuan sneered. Seeing Su Hao's expression change, he mistook it for fear.

"When disciples fight to the death, a life-and-death agreement is needed as proof. If you kill me like this, are you not afraid of the sect's laws?" Su Hao asked calmly.

"Hmph. You came to the North Gate to commit evil; killing you would be justified. Why should I fear the sect's laws? Besides, you killed disciples of my North Gate. As their senior brother, I should naturally avenge them." As he spoke, Feng Chuan revealed a cold smile. He took another step forward, waved the incense in his hand, and said, "Kneel for me at once!"

"You want to kill me, so I will naturally resist. If I happen to kill you, would that count as self-defense as well?" Su Hao asked again.

"Hmph, dream on! You think you can kill me? If you can, then count it as me losing our wager. I will willingly pay with my life, and no one will blame you."

Feng Chuan's smile grew increasingly sinister. With a tap of his finger, a spark appeared. The finger-length incense immediately began to burn, green smoke curling upward as a dense, peculiar fragrance spread through the air.

As the incense was lit, the surrounding disciples retreated in unison once more. Looking at Su Hao, who remained still and calm, their eyes were filled with disdain. This brat truly had no idea how terrifying this thing was.

"Good. Then prepare to die!"

Su Hao shouted coldly and strode forward. The fragrance drifted over and entered his nostrils, capable of making one dizzy and disoriented before trapping them in an illusion. But Su Hao possessed the Innate Dao Lotus, immune to all poisons. His divine soul sealed itself shut, directly blocking everything out.

This incense was useless against him.

That was also the confidence that let him remain so brazen.

"Unexpected." Feng Chuan narrowed his eyes. He had thought Su Hao would immediately fall into an illusion, kneel before him in worship, or even take his own life. Yet Su Hao was unaffected.

However, after his brief surprise, he sneered again. Devouring souls and seizing spirits was merely one effect of this incense. It possessed an even greater function beyond that.

"Condense!"

Feng Chuan sneered and bit his finger, using blood to draw through the swirling smoke. Within that hazy mist, something gradually turned sinister—a blood-red ghostly face emerged.

The ghostly face was savage and hideous, radiating an evil glow. At Feng Chuan's pointing finger, it immediately let out a shriek and rushed toward Su Hao to devour him.

Whoosh!

A vast yin wind surged as the ghostly face charged forth.

Su Hao's gaze hardened at once. His magic power circulated, and Innate Dao Fire condensed and roared forward. The ghostly face collided with the flames and immediately scattered apart—but it did not vanish into smoke. Instead, it was reborn from the fire, transforming from a ghostly face into a blood-red skeleton.

The skeleton seemed real. Its bloody teeth opened and closed with cracking sounds, sharp as cold knives and keen blades. One bite was enough to sever a neck.

Su Hao's expression changed. He stepped back while flicking his sleeve forward. A green longsword appeared, its sword soul within it rippling with terrifying Sword Qi.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The Sword Qi slashed out and collided with the blood-red skeleton, yet not the slightest commotion arose. When the Sword Qi met the skeleton, it was like clay oxen vanishing into the sea, seemingly absorbed.

The skeleton changed again within the Sword Qi, becoming a blood-red human head. The head had three eyes and a single horn, incomparably hideous, like the head of a demon king. At that moment, an aura as terrifying as the seventh level of Qi Condensation surged forth.

"Hahaha! This thing absorbs attacks and steadily grows stronger. You are undoubtedly dead now!" Only at this point did Feng Chuan let out a cold laugh. Su Hao had stepped straight into his trap.

That was the nature of Ghost Spirit Incense. Once attacked, it could absorb the opponent's spiritual energy and strengthen itself. At its greatest power, it was comparable to the seventh level of Qi Condensation.