Ghost Hunting 2 (Fourth Update Today, Please Bookmark)

Chapter 8: Ghost Hunting 2 (Fourth Update Today, Please Bookmark)

Although he had discovered the first yin soul, and it was clearly an extremely weak one, Hu Donghan still did not rush to attack. He continued observing it.

After all, Hu Donghan was only at the first level of Qi Refining. Compared to powerful yin souls, a first-level Qi Refining cultivator was nothing more than a weakling! Hu Donghan had no desire to die without even knowing why.

Having already died once, he was naturally more cautious, more suspicious, and more prudent.

After watching that yin soul for five or six minutes and confirming that there seemed to be nothing unusual nearby, Hu Donghan finally made his move.

Riding his bone horse, he dismounted when he was roughly fifty meters from the yin soul. He first cast the Spirit Shield Technique, causing a spirit force shield to float around him. Then he dashed forward. When he was about ten meters from the yin soul, within optimal range, he formed hand seals. A Spirit Force Bolt appeared before him and shot fiercely toward the yin soul!

That yin soul was merely a newly born yin soul, and its range for sensing danger was only about five meters. By the time the Spirit Force Bolt appeared, it did not even have time to dodge before it was struck head-on! With that single blow, the yin energy it had painstakingly gathered was completely scattered. Once a yin soul's yin energy dispersed, it naturally vanished as well, leaving behind only a faint trace of soul breath.

Immediately afterward, Hu Donghan took out the jade talisman he had received from the Outer Affairs Hall. With another series of hand seals, he drew the soul breath into it.

The introductory trial mission required him to kill ten yin souls. Just like that, one-tenth of it was easily complete.

After killing the first yin soul, Hu Donghan did not hurry to seek out the next one. Instead, he closed his eyes and replayed the previous battle in his mind.

A moment later, Hu Donghan opened his eyes and thought, That yin soul's strength was simply too weak. One Spirit Bolt Technique killed it outright. It seems the introductory trial mission's difficulty truly could not be any lower. Still, though the first yin soul was easy to kill, I cannot let down my guard. There are powerful beings among yin souls, after all. Once a yin soul's body stabilizes, some special yin souls can even cast spells. If I am not careful, I may very well suffer a loss.

After dispersing the wandering souls around him, Hu Donghan sat cross-legged to meditate for a while. Only after his spirit force had recovered did he rise and begin searching for yin souls again.

In the blink of an eye, four hours had passed.

During that time, Hu Donghan killed another four yin souls, completing half the trial mission. But by then, night had completely fallen.

Night descended.

All yin souls and ghost creatures weakened during the day, but their strength doubled at night! Moreover, at night, yin souls roamed over a wider area. Even along the outskirts of Lonely Soul Ridge, he might encounter comparatively powerful yin souls!

Hu Donghan only knew two spells: the Spirit Bolt Technique and the Spirit Shield Technique, both of them the weakest spells. In this darkness, if he encountered a yin soul equivalent to the middle stage of Qi Refining, he might very well leave his life here.

Hunting ghosts at night is far too risky. Although the chance of encountering yin souls is higher, if anything goes wrong, the losses will outweigh the gains. I should leave Lonely Soul Ridge for now and return after daybreak tomorrow. At my current speed, if luck favors me, I should still be able to complete the trial mission tomorrow. After that, I can try the methods recorded in the True Exposition of the Ghost Path. As Hu Donghan thought this, he moved and mounted the bone horse, preparing to leave.

The bone horse had barely traveled a short distance outward when Hu Donghan suddenly heard the fierce rustling of wind in the air.

Without a second thought, Hu Donghan cast the Spirit Shield Technique around himself. He condensed a Spirit Force Bolt in his hand and hurled it behind him without hesitation.

Then Hu Donghan leaped from the horse, spun around, and guarded himself warily.

With a crack, the Spirit Force Bolt struck something unknown in the empty air and exploded, dissipating. At the same time, a voice came from above. "Junior Brother, please hold your hand. I am Wang Linshu, a disciple of Overlapping Peaks. I mean no harm."

As the voice fell, a mass of yin energy that had gathered in the air slowly drew back, revealing a cultivator standing atop a strangely shaped banner.

This cultivator was also dressed in the outer disciple robes of Overlapping Peaks. Yin energy leaked from the banner beneath his feet, and now and then several bizarre, gaping mouths opened across its surface.

Flying on a magical artifact! A Hundred Ghost Banner!

Almost at once, Hu Donghan determined the identity of the cultivator before him. His strength was certainly not low.

Flying on a magical artifact required at least late-stage Qi Refining cultivation. As for the Hundred Ghost Banner, it was one of the magical artifacts most coveted by all cultivators who wielded ghosts! However, within the Yin Soul Sect, anyone who wanted resources or magical artifacts had to fight for them with their own strength, unless they received a reward from some high-level cultivator. In the eyes of Qi Refining cultivators, possessing a Hundred Ghost Banner was practically a symbol of status.

Though the Hundred Ghost Banner was a magical artifact, it too came in different grades.

A low-grade Hundred Ghost Banner could hold only around twenty yin souls; a mid-grade Hundred Ghost Banner could hold around eighty. Only a high-grade Hundred Ghost Banner could hold more than a hundred yin souls, truly living up to its name.

Above high-grade banners were supreme-grade Hundred Ghost Banners. The theoretical capacity of a supreme-grade Hundred Ghost Banner was nine hundred and ninety-nine yin souls. In terms of power alone, it was not much weaker than a mid-grade spirit artifact.

Judging by its appearance alone, Wang Linshu's Hundred Ghost Banner was certainly not of a low grade.

Hu Donghan's thoughts raced as he considered whether there was any grudge between himself and Wang Linshu. In the end, he decided that since he did not even possess a low-grade magical artifact, there was likely nothing Wang Linshu could covet. Besides, Hu Donghan did not believe Wang Linshu would dare make any unusual move within Lonely Soul Ridge.

The Yin Soul Sect's ironclad laws of enforcement were no joke.

Hu Donghan withdrew the Spirit Shield Technique. Wearing a respectful smile, he gave a slight salute and said, "So it is Senior Brother Wang Linshu. Earlier, I thought some yin soul or ghost creature was launching a sneak attack, so I rashly struck out. If I have offended you in any way, I hope Senior Brother will forgive me."

"Hahaha! Junior Brother Hu, why say such things? This place is filled with ghost creatures. I came without announcing myself, so your attack cannot be considered an offense. Rather, it was my fault for failing to speak up first."

Wang Linshu wore an exceedingly courteous expression, making those who saw him feel as though they were bathing in a spring breeze, unable to harbor any dislike toward him.

(End of Chapter)