Hunting Ghosts 1 (Third Update Today, Please Bookmark)

Hunting Ghosts 1 (Third Update Today, Please Bookmark)

Among the many ghost-breeding grounds of Die Luan Peak, Lone Soul Ridge was considered relatively high in elevation.

Generally speaking, ghosts favored damp, cold, and shady places. The lower the terrain, the more suitable it was for breeding ghosts. Even in the Soul-Breaking Mountain Range, where yin energy was dense and lingered year-round, this remained true.

However, although Lone Soul Ridge stood at a higher elevation, it was a natural gathering place for yin energy. The natural formations of several small hills within Lone Soul Ridge faintly formed a small yin-gathering formation, which was why it became a place suitable for raising yin souls and ghosts.

Every registered ghost-breeding ground of the Yin Soul Sect had a small outpost.

The outpost's main duties were to monitor the number of ghosts within the breeding ground and mediate conflicts between disciples there, among other things.

Upon reaching the outskirts of Lone Soul Ridge, Hu Donghan dismounted from his horse and entered the outpost first.

Lone Soul Ridge was mainly suited for late Qi Refining cultivators to hunt ghosts. However, because Die Luan Peak had previously issued a mission, many ghosts had been purged. Now, the number of disciples hunting ghosts here had sharply decreased. There were only a dozen or so people in the entire Lone Soul Ridge outpost. Of those dozen, five or six were vendors selling things—mostly pills, tools, and other items useful for ghost hunting.

Since it was Hu Donghan's first visit to Lone Soul Ridge, he naturally had to pay respects to the cultivators guarding the outpost.

After asking a Yin Soul Sect disciple nearby for directions, Hu Donghan quickly arrived at the location of the outpost's guards.

Lone Soul Ridge was not small, and three Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators guarded its outpost. Standing before them, Hu Donghan respectfully bowed to the three Foundation Establishment cultivators within the outpost. "Outer disciple Hu Donghan of Die Luan Peak greets the three Martial Uncles."

One of the three Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators opened his eyes. His gaze swept over Hu Donghan, and he gave a surprised "Eh?" "Only at the first level of Qi Refining, and you dared come to Lone Soul Ridge? You've got quite the nerve!"

After speaking, the Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator seemed to recall something and nodded. "That's right. Lonely Soul Ridge was just cleansed a few days ago, and all the Yin Souls and ghosts with any real strength were cleared out. What remains now are only a handful of kittens and puppies. The newly released ghosts have yet to mature. Come to think of it, this really is suitable for you to gain some experience. Am I right?"

Hu Donghan's expression remained respectful as he repeatedly nodded. "Martial Uncle speaks truly. That is indeed this disciple's intention. I have only recently reached the Qi Refining First Layer, and I came this time to complete the introductory trial mission."

"An introductory trial mission? This place is indeed rather suitable now. Since that is the case, go complete your mission quickly! But with your current strength, you must still be careful. Remember to wander only around Lonely Soul Ridge's outer areas and do not venture deep inside. If you encounter a lone Yin Soul, pay attention to the strength of its Soul Body before deciding whether to hunt it. If you encounter a group of Yin Souls, avoid them if possible; even if you cannot avoid them, do not provoke them, lest you be surrounded and killed by Yin Souls. Lonely Soul Ridge is currently in the season when Yin Souls and ghosts breed. In roughly half a month, both their numbers and strength will soar. Complete your mission within half a month and withdraw from Lonely Soul Ridge."

The Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator gave Hu Donghan some routine warnings, then tossed him a jade talisman. "This jade talisman is a rescue talisman. Should you encounter any danger, you may crush it, and one of the three of us will go rescue you. But remember, rescue is not free. Each time we act, it costs five hundred Spirit Stones. If you have no Spirit Stones, you must repay it with your future monthly stipend. Understand?"

Such jade talisman rescues were naturally not rules of the Yin Soul Sect. They were merely these Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators earning a little extra on the side.

However, the Yin Soul Sect did not prohibit this—it was entirely up to the disciples whether to crush the jade talisman. Five hundred Spirit Stones for one life was a willing deal between both parties. If you were unwilling, you could simply throw the jade talisman away.

"I understand. This junior thanks Martial Uncle." Hu Donghan also knew that, to a certain extent, this jade talisman was life-saving, and he carefully tucked it into his robes.

Whether Spirit Stones or one's life was more important was clearer than ever to Hu Donghan, who had already died once.

If he truly encountered danger, paying five hundred Spirit Stones to survive would be nothing.

After bidding farewell to the three Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, Hu Donghan mounted his bone horse again. Holding a map of Lone Soul Ridge, he slowly headed deeper into the ridge.

As the bone horse walked slowly, Hu Donghan studied the map of Lone Soul Ridge. He examined it carefully for a quarter of an hour, only putting it away after the number of wandering souls around him increased.

"The number of wandering souls around me has increased. I must have entered Lone Soul Ridge's outer region. The outer region of Lone Soul Ridge contains large numbers of wandering souls and a small number of weak yin souls."

"Yin Souls are formed when Wandering Souls absorb sufficient yin energy and evolve. The difference between Wandering Souls and Yin Souls is like the difference between mortals and cultivators. These Wandering Souls posed no threat at all to cultivators."

"The yin souls of Lone Soul Ridge are distributed such that only a small number of solitary yin souls exist in the outer region. Their numbers are scarce, and they are the weakest. Even at the first level of Qi Refining, I can resist them. The inner region, inner perimeter, and core of Lone Soul Ridge lie farther within; the closer one gets to the center, the stronger the yin souls and ghosts become. As long as I stay active in the outer region, there should be no danger..."

With these thoughts in mind, Hu Donghan urged his bone horse onward for another stretch.

As he gradually ventured deeper, the number of Wandering Souls around him increased as well. Within a hundred-meter radius, there were already more than a dozen Wandering Souls! And within Hu Donghan's field of vision, a Yin Soul finally appeared!

The difference between a Yin Soul and a Wandering Soul lay in whether it possessed sufficient yin energy!

A Wandering Soul was merely formed from a soul and a wisp of yin energy, without any definite shape. Because its yin energy was too faint, mortals could not see it at all. A Yin Soul's yin energy, however, had become visible to mortals and had gradually begun to take on a certain form—depending on the main body of the soul, some Yin Souls took human shapes, some animal forms, while others were simply bizarre and grotesque, impossible to tell what they resembled.

Right now, there was a Yin Soul within three hundred meters in front of Hu Donghan.

At a glance, this Yin Soul clearly belonged to the kind that had only recently absorbed enough yin energy and had just formed.

The yin energy within it was merely gathered together in a chaotic mass, as though it would disperse at the slightest carelessness. Its concentration of yin energy was only a little stronger than that of a Wandering Soul.

(End of Chapter)