This Place Is Haunted

Gu Chen turned his head to look.

An elderly man was seen walking towards them, leaning on a cane.

In fact, he noticed the other person as he approached.

But to my surprise, the other person took the initiative to strike up a conversation.

I checked it three times using the system.

The old man before them indeed possessed no strength whatsoever and was not a cultivator.

"Yes."

Gu Chen spoke up, gesturing to the sign, and asked:

"Excuse me, sir, why is there this sign here?"

The old man seemed tired from walking. He sat down to the side, caught his breath, and waved his hand, saying:

"I put this sign up."

"There's great danger ahead. I know you're still young, you absolutely mustn't go there."

Gu Chen's expression shifted slightly, and he asked:

"Sir, could you please explain in more detail?"

The old man coughed a few times, and then told Gu Chen the details of the situation.

Lu Changzhi listened Jingjing from a distance.

It turns out that the sign was pointing in the direction of a notorious place.

According to locals, the area is haunted.

As for what exactly is causing the trouble, no one knows.

All that is known is that those who went inside never came out again.

Another rumor is that this place holds a great treasure, and whoever obtains it will become a noble cultivator.

Danger and opportunity always hold a great attraction for people.

The old man's grandson believed the latter.

After leaving, he never returned.

Driven by their love for their son, the parents disregarded the danger and went inside, but they never heard from him again.

The old man had initially intended to go in, but ultimately changed his mind.

Having already suffered so much, dying now would be a pointless death.

It would be better to stay and offer some reminders, persuading as many as we can.

After listening to the old man's words, Gu Chen's expression was rather complicated.

"Thank you for reminding me, sir. I have some things here..."

Gu Chen spoke up, intending to give something to the old man.

The old man, however, waved his hand in refusal first.

"I'm already this old, I don't need anything anymore."

"You're still young, go somewhere else. Don't take the same risks as my grandson, sigh."

With that, the old man got up and walked toward the thatched hut not far away.

Gu Chen's expression was slightly complicated.

He looked in the direction of the sign for a moment.

Finally, he set off in another direction.

Although they are heading in the same direction, they may not be in the same place.

After walking for a while, Gu Chen's expression suddenly froze.

"No, something's wrong."

After walking for so long, we haven't seen a single demonic beast!

Focus your mind and use the information on the treasure map, along with the surrounding scenery, to make judgments.

Soon, his brows furrowed slightly.

Although we changed direction, it seems we're still on that path.

At that moment, a long spear appeared in Gu Chen's right hand.

At the same time, his other hand was grasping several talismans.

Taking a deep breath, Gu Chen continued walking forward.

A short while later, another similar sign came into view.

"Could this really be the place indicated by the treasure map?"

Gu Chen did not rush in, but instead set up an array and began to ponder.

Although danger and opportunity coexist.

But this is on the premise that you know enough.

The treasure map does not specify what treasures are found in this place.

The specific details of the danger can only be inferred from what the old man said.

But for ordinary people, the concept of ghosts is inherently vague and unclear.

I'm all alone right now.

If a truly formidable danger exists, and I am trapped within it, I fear...

After careful consideration, Gu Chen made up his mind.

Let's try a different approach and confirm things further.

Above, Lu Changzhi looked at Gu Chen, who had turned around, and nodded in satisfaction.

This approach is relatively safe.

In fact, at this moment, he was also somewhat curious.

I thought it would just be a simple treasure hunt.

Unexpectedly, upon arriving, I discovered that there was a possibility that my area overlapped with a dangerous zone.

At that moment, Lu Changzhi focused his mind and explored the distant area.

"Um?"

Soon, his expression shifted slightly.

In the area ahead, he sensed some rather unique fluctuations of power.

However, it's not on the ground, but underground.

"System, detect the current range, filter criteria: live people."

The sound faded, and then the system sprang into action.

Soon, information about Gu Chen and the old man appeared before Lu Changzhi's eyes.

"Is nobody here?"

Lu Changzhi pondered for a moment, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"Could it really be a ghost?"

A practitioner who has cultivated to a certain level can enable their soul to separate from their physical body and exist independently in the world.

The fluctuations in this area before Lu Changzhi gave him this feeling.

With a thought, the Heaven and Earth Pagoda appeared in his hand, and Lu Changzhi continued to focus on Gu Chen.

"It seems this is indeed the area ahead."

After walking for a while, Gu Chen stopped.

The area ahead, to the naked eye, doesn't appear to have anything particularly special about it.

However, if one uses divine sense to investigate, one can sense some rather strange fluctuations.

Brush.

With a flash of light, Gu Chen retrieved the flying boat again.

Since the path on the ground is impassable, let's observe from above.

And just then...

A sudden ripple appeared in the area ahead.

In an instant, it seemed as if countless shrill cries rose into the sky, extremely piercing, filled with intense resentment, striking straight to the mind.

At the same time, the surrounding branches and leaves suddenly began to sway without any wind, creating an extremely eerie scene.

To the naked eye, that's all there is to it.

If one were to probe with divine sense, one would discover that countless gray lights were shooting out from beneath the ground, rushing towards Gu Chen.

"Soul?"

Gu Chen's gaze sharpened.

No wonder I couldn't get anything by using the system to investigate earlier.

Without hesitation, Gu Chen decisively activated the flying boat to ascend.

At the same time.

Swish, swish, swish.

Several talismans flew out.

In an instant, the talisman unfolded, and spiritual power gathered wildly, condensing into a powerful talisman attack.

Wherever the attack took place, the charging souls were all affected.

Upon seeing this, Gu Chen's gaze sharpened.

The next moment, he stood on the flying boat, holding a long spear, sweeping across all directions.

Boom!

An astonishing burst of Spear Intent erupted, carrying with it spiritual power, and blasted towards the numerous charging soul entities.

Bang bang bang!

Wherever it swept through, souls and bodies exploded.

"It seems that my understanding also needs to be updated from time to time."

On the Void Shuttle, Lu Changzhi murmured softly.

In my previous life, ghosts only existed in stories; their abilities were beyond the control of ordinary people.

Things are different now than they used to be.

These beings that have just emerged, though they are spirits, are not actually that strong.

With his current strength, he could annihilate it with just a thought.

"However, logically speaking, a soul of this level shouldn't be able to exist independently."

"Unless..."

Lu Changzhi murmured to himself, his gaze shifting from Gu Chen to the area in front of him, a hint of interest in his eyes:

Something around here has changed the situation.