Disaster Strikes, Gray Fog Malevolent Spirits

"Ah!!!"

Splat!

"Help! Help me!!"

Splat! Splat!

"Save me!!"

"..."

Piercing screams erupted.

The horrific event had unfolded.

These refugees and disaster victims were clearly not normal. After shakily standing up, they opened their blood-soaked mouths like walking corpses and began to tear into the normal people beside them.

Among these refugees and disaster victims, two-thirds had undergone this strange transformation, while the remaining third were normal people who had not changed.

And now.

These transformed refugees and disaster victims were lunging at the normal ones.

So.

Xu Qing and the others watched with their own eyes as the refugees and disaster victims were pounced upon by these monstrous, corpse-like figures, then torn apart and killed alive.

It could be said.

Such a scene, such a sight, was truly impactful, like a scene from a biological apocalypse, with these refugees and disaster victims transforming into something akin to zombies.

"Careful."

"These people are not normal."

"!!!"

Everyone's pupils contracted.

Roar!!!

At this moment.

Ghastly Corpses lunged from all directions. At some point, Xu Qing and his group had been surrounded by these Ghastly Corpses.

"We've been... been surrounded."

"Don't be afraid. Although these people have turned into walking corpses, they were originally refugees and disaster victims, gaunt and weak. If we work together, we can definitely break through the encirclement."

"..."

Liu Xiao and Su Changhe shouted loudly.

"Kill!"

"Charge!!"

"Don't show any mercy!"

"They are monsters! They are no longer human! We don't need to have any psychological burden!"

"..."

Splat! Splat! Splat!!!

The battle erupted.

At this very moment.

Xu Qing and his group were trapped in the encirclement. They joined forces, drew their weapons, and began hacking down the Ghastly Corpses one by one, trying to break out.

Blood splattered, and the stench was pungent.

Clang!

Xu Qing drew the Fine Iron Sword in his hand. He didn't draw the LV10 Iron Sword on his back, lest someone recognize it.

"Kill!"

Splat! Splat!

Xu Qing attacked, his sword techniques exquisite. The Ghastly Corpses around him didn't even have time to get close before their heads were severed by Xu Qing, turning them into true corpses.

"Ah!!!"

Suddenly.

Xu Qing heard a scream.

It could be seen.

The number of refugees and disaster victims was too great. Even if only two-thirds had undergone the strange transformation and become Ghastly Corpses, their numbers were still dozens or even a hundred times greater than Xu Qing's group.

Therefore.

Once Xu Qing and his group were surrounded, they were already in a perilous situation. A member of the patrol team had already been pounced upon by over a dozen Ghastly Corpses and was ultimately bitten to death alive.

The piercing screams continued to assault their nerves.

Roar! Roar! Roar!!!

Most importantly.

This wasn't just an incident in the area Xu Qing was patrolling; it was a catastrophe that had befallen all the disaster victims and refugees outside the entire city, all at this very moment.

Looking out.

At least over forty thousand people had turned into Ghastly Corpses, and less than twenty thousand disaster victims and refugees remained unchanged. However, they were immediately devoured by those Ghastly Corpses.

Furthermore.

After consuming enough flesh and blood, these Ghastly Corpses had actually evolved, undergoing brand new changes, becoming stronger.

Hum! Hum!

And.

If one observed from a distance, they would notice that the surroundings were filled with dense yin qi, baleful qi, and death qi, subtly forming what seemed like a formation.

"Not good!"

"Something's happened!"

"..."

On the city wall.

Immediately.

The patrolling guards noticed the commotion outside the city. They immediately sounded the alarm, the piercing bell hum echoing in all directions.

The experts of Qingbei Town's outer city were all alerted.

"The alarm has been sounded."

"This is..."

"This must mean something has happened outside the city."

"Let's go!"

"..."

Without hesitation.

The strong individuals and experts of Qingbei Town's outer city quickly headed out.

Among them.

Naturally, Du Cangying was included.

The two School Masters from the Crushing Stone Martial Arts School and the Crimson Eagle Martial Arts School also went.

At this time.

Outside the city.

"Something's not right."

Xu Qing frowned. He scanned his surroundings, sensing an extremely unsettling aura. Without any hesitation, he quickly found an opportunity, evaded the crowd, and then put on the evil ghost mask.

Hum!

The mask's ability activated.

The next moment.

Xu Qing transformed into a burly middle-aged man with a square-jawed face.

Clang!

A sword hum sounded.

Swish!

Xu Qing drew the LV10 Iron Sword from his back. Under the moonlight, the sword swung out, unleashing a brilliant sword light, obliterating ten Ghastly Corpses with a single strike.

"Go."

Xu Qing took a deep breath. He glanced at Liu Xiao, Su Changhe, and the others. He didn't move to save them but turned and quickly left.

Puff! Puff! Puff!!!

It could be seen.

Xu Qing unleashed his full power, his Pill Force erupting, coupled with his Exquisite Sword Techniques. All the Ghastly Corpses that surrounded him were annihilated.

It could be said.

These Ghastly Corpses couldn't hinder Xu Qing's progress at all.

Hum! Hum!

Suddenly.

Xu Qing's footsteps halted. Gray mist swirled around him, carrying a chilling and eerie atmosphere. The mist spread, engulfing Xu Qing entirely.

"Come out."

Xu Qing's expression was calm, "Stop playing these ghostly tricks."

The gray mist churned.

Immediately after.

Xu Qing saw several familiar faces, the old man from before, the delicate-looking young girl, and other refugees.

And.

Xu Qing saw the three people who had gone missing.

"Young master."

The old man extended his trembling hands, "Please, please be kind and let us eat you. We haven't eaten for many days."

"Young master, please be kind..."

"Be kind..."

"!!!"

The next moment.

All these figures changed, their faces contorting into ferocious masks. In the blink of an eye, they all transformed into ghostly shadows, lunging at Xu Qing from all directions.

"Thirteenth Sword! Sky-Covering Sword Shadows!"

Clang!

Xu Qing let out a soft cry. He flicked his right hand, and the Pill Force within him erupted. He unleashed the thirteenth sword, 'Sky-Covering Sword Shadows,' from the Thirteen Sword Strikes of Life-Taking.

In an instant.

As Xu Qing thrust his sword, countless sword shadows appeared, blooming like a sky full of flowers. These sword shadows descended, shattering all the ghostly shadows.

These ghostly shadows disintegrated, turning into a sky full of gray mist.

"Overestimating yourselves."

Xu Qing snorted coldly.

However.

Xu Qing found that the surrounding gray mist did not dissipate.

Hum! Hum!

The next moment.

The surrounding gray mist surged again.

After a short while.

The old man and the others actually walked out of the gray mist again, extending their trembling hands towards Xu Qing once more, revealing ferocious smiles, "Please, please be kind and let us eat you. We haven't eaten for many days!"

"!!!"

You must know.

Xu Qing had just unleashed his thirteenth sword, coupled with his Pill Force. He had clearly shattered all the ghostly shadows.

But.

They were not dead.

They had reappeared.

Clearly.

These things were not right.

Very not right.

"Sky-Covering Sword Shadows!"

Clang!

Xu Qing let out a soft cry. He attacked again, thrusting his LV10 Iron Sword, unleashing a sky full of sword shadows, once again obliterating the old man and the others, causing them to collapse into a sky full of gray mist.

Hum! Hum!

Immediately after.

The gray mist surged again.

"Young master..."

The old man and the others appeared once more.

"Cannot be killed?!"

Xu Qing frowned, his expression growing slightly solemn. He tightened his grip on the Iron Sword. This was beyond his expectations. These ghostly things were actually unkillable?

"Malevolent Spirit? Ghostly Oddity?"

Xu Qing mused, falling into deep thought.

In fact.

Xu Qing was also aware of this.

Within the 'Ghostly Path'.

Besides the more common ghosts and ghost cultivators, there were also less common 'Malevolent Spirits' and 'Ghostly Oddities'. Each 'Malevolent Spirit' and 'Ghostly Oddity' possessed very special methods and unique abilities.

Just like now.

Xu Qing encountered these ghostly things, along with dense gray fog. It was highly possible they were 'Malevolent Spirits' or 'Ghostly Oddities', possessing the uncanny ability to revive.

Trouble.

Extremely troublesome.

"Can they really not be killed?"

Xu Qing asked in a deep voice.

Clang!

The sword hum sounded again.

This was Xu Qing's third strike, his third use of Sky-Covering Sword Shadows, which had dispersed all the ghostly shadows. As the gray fog spread, those ghostly shadows reappeared.

"Summon."

Buzz!

With a thought.

Xu Qing touched the evil ghost mask with his left hand. Gray-black mist surged, and the Shaman Evil Ghost was once again summoned by Xu Qing.

"Shaman."

Xu Qing asked in a deep voice, "Do you have any solutions?"

"Master."

The Shaman Evil Ghost manifested. She observed her surroundings and said, "You are currently trapped within the 'field' of a 'Malevolent Spirit'. The level of this Malevolent Spirit you've encountered isn't actually very high."

"I don't need your explanation."

Xu Qing's expression darkened, and he berated, "I need to know how to deal with them."

"Master."

The Shaman Evil Ghost revealed a sinister, almost joyful grin and said, "Allow your servant to handle this for you. Although your strength is great, when it comes to dealing with Malevolent Spirits, your servant is more skilled."

"Hehehehe..."

As soon as she finished speaking.

The Shaman Evil Ghost opened her monstrously wide mouth, transforming into a terrifying monster. Streams of ghostly shadows rushed out from her gaping maw.

There were a total of eighteen ghostly shadows.

Upon closer inspection.

These eighteen ghostly shadows were the eighteen vengeful spirits refined into the evil ghost mask. They had now become ferocious ghosts, pouncing towards the old man and the others.

The battle erupted.

Xu Qing watched from the side. He noticed something: the Shaman Evil Ghost and her group pounced on the old man's ghostly shadows, tearing and biting at them. Each piece they tore off was directly swallowed.

These ghostly shadows were devouring each other.

Roar! Roar!

The Shaman Evil Ghost was locked in a fierce struggle, biting and tearing at the delicate little girl. However, the little girl was no longer delicate; she had transformed into a ferocious ghostly being.

Finally.

All the ghostly shadows were devoured by the Shaman Evil Ghost. She even let out a satisfied burp, her ghostly energy growing denser. The Shaman Evil Ghost looked at Xu Qing with an unusual glint in her eyes.

"Return."

Xu Qing's expression was calm.

"As you command, Master."

The Shaman Evil Ghost lowered her head.

Buzz!

The next moment.

She transformed into a stream of light and merged back into the evil ghost mask.

At this time.

The surrounding gray fog also began to dissipate.