By decree!
Command the yin souls!
A profound hand seal sank into the glabella of the ghostly yin soul.
Immediately afterward, an inscrutable spiritual link formed between Fang Heng and the ghost.
"Mas...ter..."
"Greetings, Master!"
The ghost's voice entered Fang Heng's mind.
Fang Heng gave a snort through his nose, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.
A third-realm ghost!
He had taken it in as a dog!
With a thought, he summoned the ghost.
A stream of black qi emerged from the Ghost Control Bag.
The entire room became filled with gusts of eerie wind.
The burly ghost knelt on one knee, bowing before Fang Heng.
White Ghost Fire still rose from its nearly ten-foot-tall, muscular body.
The Ghost Fire was chillingly cold, yet possessed considerable power.
It seemed as though even the moisture in the air would freeze into ice crystals.
"What is your name?" Fang Heng asked.
"This lowly one has no name. I beg Master to bestow one upon me," the ghost said in a muffled voice.
Fang Heng rubbed his chin, looking at the ghost's burly frame as he spoke calmly.
"From this day onward, you shall be called Fire Barbarian."
"Fire Barbarian thanks Master for bestowing this name."
A trace of joy appeared on Fire Barbarian's face.
"I heard you are skilled at controlling fire. Let me see it."
At Fang Heng's command, Fire Barbarian nodded, and the white flames on his body suddenly surged upward.
They transformed into a fire dragon in midair, weaving through all directions.
Fang Heng watched the fire dragon overhead and nodded slightly.
The fire dragon's power was not bad!
Though it could not compare to his own Wood-Thunder Divine Lightning, it was still an impressive technique in the third realm.
No wonder those ghost catchers had singled Fire Barbarian out to sell.
Afterward, Fang Heng experimented with the various mysteries of the Soul Reaper Envoy fate.
Its greatest benefit was that when feeding Fire Barbarian, he did not need to use essence blood. He could feed it with his own magical power.
The greatest flaw—or rather, defect—of the Ghost Control Technique was that Ghost Controllers needed to use their own essence blood to nourish ghosts.
This method was extremely dangerous and often resulted in ghosts turning on their masters.
But when the Soul Reaper Envoy fate commanded ghosts, such a situation would not arise.
He did not need to worry about a ghost's backlash and could directly feed it with his own magical power.
Fang Heng's eyes lit up. If he had switched to cultivating the demonic path, he would undoubtedly have been a peerless prodigy.
After ordering Fire Barbarian around for a while, Fang Heng stored him in the Ghost Control Bag, a hint of fatigue appearing on his face.
This was the exhaustion brought by commanding a ghost.
After commanding Fire Barbarian, Fang Heng could clearly feel an additional burden resting upon his soul.
"By my estimate, commanding at most three third-realm ghosts, or one fourth-realm ghost, will be my limit."
"However, that is my limit, not the limit of the Soul Reaper Envoy!"
Fang Heng rubbed his chin and murmured.
With his second-realm strength, he could command a fourth-realm ghost without worrying about backlash.
If other Ghost Controllers learned of this, their eyes would likely turn red with envy.
Moreover, as Fang Heng's cultivation improved,
the quantity and quality of ghosts he could command would also improve.
Of course, the quickest method was to upgrade the Soul Reaper Envoy fate.
The Soul Reaper Envoy was a red fate. If it were upgraded to purple, or even gold...
For a moment, Fang Heng's mind was filled with wild imaginings.
Once he completed the transaction with Rabbit Face, he would have enough fortune to upgrade his fate.
Afterward, Fang Heng took out the Heavenly Thunder Token, a strange artifact, and examined it.
The purple token gave off a deep metallic sheen.
It was impossible to tell what material it had been refined from.
Thunderbolt patterns were engraved upon its reverse side, stirring the soul with awe.
Fang Heng squeezed out a drop of essence blood and began refining it.
As the essence blood merged into the Heavenly Thunder Token, booming thunder suddenly rang out beside his ears.
It was as though he had been cast into a sea of lightning in an instant.
Fang Heng focused his mind and steadied his spirit, firmly guarding his spiritual platform.
Ignoring the thunder's interference, he refined it with all his strength.
It took roughly a quarter of an hour.
A connection formed between Fang Heng and the Heavenly Thunder Token, as though they were linked by flesh and blood.
"It's done!"
Fang Heng exhaled a breath of turbid air and slowly opened his eyes.
Two brilliant rays of light burst from his pitch-black pupils, as though they would tear apart the dark night.
There had been no mishaps in refining the Heavenly Thunder Token. Everything had gone extremely smoothly.
He had even sensed the aura of Wood-Thunder Divine Lightning within the Heavenly Thunder Token.
This corresponded with the insights on the Yimu Thunder Method left behind by Evergreen Temple's founding patriarch, giving Fang Heng an even deeper understanding of the Yimu Thunder Method.
"Perhaps... comprehending the Yimu Thunder Method is not entirely impossible."
Fang Heng fell into thought, a restless gleam flickering in his eyes.
Refining the Heavenly Thunder Token was merely the first step.
Afterward, Fang Heng infused the Heavenly Thunder Token with Wood-Thunder Divine Lightning.
One bolt!
Two bolts!
Three bolts!
After pouring in five bolts in one go,
Fang Heng was somewhat exhausted and panted lightly.
The magical power in his dantian was nearly depleted.
"Whew—"
"My cultivation is still holding me back!"
Fang Heng laughed at himself and decided that after returning, he would cultivate even harder and reach the third realm as soon as possible.
He took out a Rejuvenation Pill from his Sumeru Ring and swallowed it.
As the Rejuvenation Pill entered his stomach, it transformed into pure medicinal power that surged through Fang Heng's limbs and bones.
His depleted dantian began recovering at a rate visible to the naked eye.
After waiting roughly a quarter of an hour,
his magical power had recovered seventy or eighty percent.
With a buzz!
The communication talisman stirred.
It was a message from Shen Qiushui.
"Your Highness, the trade fair has ended."
"My business is finished as well. Let us meet at the city gate."
"Alright!"
This trip to the City of Life and Death had truly yielded a bountiful harvest.
The gains far exceeded Fang Heng's expectations.
Not only had he obtained quite a bit of fortune, he had also "picked up for free" a strange artifact.
He rose, checked out, and left the inn.
When Fang Heng arrived at the city gate,
he spotted a "White Impermanence" from afar.
Her shoulders seemed carved from jade, her body as delicate as a willow bending in the wind.
Who else could possess such frail, scholarly grace, so unique to a refined young lady, if not Shen Qiushui?
Just as Fang Heng was about to step forward and join her,
Fire Barbarian's voice rang out in his mind.
"Master, something is wrong!"
"What is it?"
"That young lady carries the scent of Dark God Incense."
"Dark God Incense is a method ghost catchers use to track ghosts."
"Once tainted by it, it is very difficult to shake off."
Fire Barbarian's warning brought Fang Heng to a halt, his pupils contracting slightly.
"You mean Qiushui has been targeted?"
"Most likely, Master!"
Fang Heng's gaze sharpened.
Shen Qiushui being targeted was something he had never expected.
How had she been targeted?
Who had targeted Shen Qiushui?
Fang Heng guessed that it was most likely those so-called "friends" from the trade fair Shen Qiushui had attended.
The human heart was truly treacherous!
Shen Qiushui was simply too kind.
Fang Heng sighed inwardly and began making his calculations.
Naturally, he would not stand by and ignore Shen Qiushui's safety.
If he revealed himself now and traveled alongside Shen Qiushui,
he would fall completely into the other party's trap.
So...
A dark glimmer flickered in Fang Heng's eyes.
You mantis stalk the cicada!
I, the oriole, wait behind!
Let us see whose methods are more brilliant!
Before you continue