Chapter 26: Julie’s Shock

“Were there cultivators from the Abyssal Ghost Sect near Ghost Wail Ridge? Why did they just watch me kill Cheng the Hungry Ghost without intervening?” Yang Dai asked curiously, his gaze fixed on Liang Zixiao as well.

Liang Zixiao shook his head. “There were, indeed. But their mission was to ensure that any outer sect disciple sent to execute Ying Ji who died unexpectedly in Ghost Wail Ridge would not go unavenged. You did their work for them, so they were more than happy to watch. Moreover…” He paused, then went on, “The Abyssal Ghost Sect has been actively recruiting outsiders—people from beyond our realm—which is why they’ve risen so quickly in just ten years. Their numbers have swelled, allowing them to accomplish much. The reason so many outsiders appear in the Great Liang army is due to the sect’s arrangements.”

So that’s how it is, Yang Dai realized, though he felt a strange contradiction. The supposedly deranged Abyssal Ghost Sect was the most welcoming toward the trial-takers, while the seemingly upright imperial court of the Grand Xia Dynasty actually shunned them. The former sought to use the trial-takers; the latter feared their potential threat to the throne.

Liang Zixiao continued, “By the way, my master values me greatly. I left a trace of my soul with him. Should I die, he’ll know at once—and he’s likely already on his way here. By tomorrow evening at the latest, he’ll reach the battlefield of Liangxia.”

Yang Dai shivered in alarm. “What cultivation level is your master?”

“Ninth stage of the Spirit Illumination Realm.”

“Run!” Yang Dai wasted no words. He instantly summoned the wolf army into his soul space, then left under the protection of his strongest ghostly followers.

Liang Zixiao followed quietly.

As they retreated, Yang Dai asked, “Can your master sense your spirit?”

Liang Zixiao’s expression was peculiar. “If I’d been turned into a ghost slave, he could sense me—or even rescue me by restoring my soul in another body. But your ghosts are strange; they completely sever the connection. He shouldn’t be able to track me. Still, it’s safest if we get far from here. He’ll surely sweep the area, searching for my tracks.”

Yang Dai relaxed a little, but kept up his pace. Soon, he withdrew all his ghostly followers into his soul space, leaving only Liang Zixiao. Yang Dai rode horseback with Liang Zixiao seated behind him.

After a short time, Liang Zixiao suggested abandoning the horse; he could use sword-riding techniques. Yang Dai was nearly exasperated—why hadn’t he said so earlier? Previously, Cheng the Hungry Ghost had taken Liang Zixiao’s sword, but Yang Dai now returned it to him.

They both stepped onto the sword blade, Yang Dai holding Liang Zixiao’s waist from behind as they soared ahead. Along the way, Yang Dai asked Liang Zixiao about the Abyssal Ghost Sect.

Within the Grand Xia Dynasty, there were five orthodox cultivation sects: Falling Cold Valley, Tianyi Gate, Starfall Valley, Dao Mountain, and Moonheart Lake, all righteous schools. The Abyssal Ghost Sect lay deep in the mountains between Grand Xia and Great Liang, acting between the two dynasties.

In terms of strength, the Abyssal Ghost Sect was not the equal of the five great sects. The cultivation world had its rules: once a cultivator reached the Heart Rotation Realm, they must not intervene in worldly conflicts. The Grand Xia Dynasty supported the five great sects, providing herbs and materials for artifact forging. In return, the sects would periodically select disciples from the dynasty, and those at the Qi Gathering Realm would assist the imperial power.

So far, the Abyssal Ghost Sect had not broken these rules. Sending Liang Zixiao was a calculated move, given his invincibility within the Qi Gathering Realm. Indeed, in the last two years, he had killed no fewer than twenty thousand Grand Xia soldiers.

Yang Dai felt a tinge of regret. For now, he could no longer scour the battlefield of the Northern Suburbs for bodies. The other battlefields were either too distant or too small in scale. Constant travel would only waste time, especially since a beast tide was looming in reality.

He decided to find a secluded place to focus on cultivation and raise his strength.

With over five hundred ghostly followers cultivating together, his progress would surely multiply.

…

Eight o’clock in the morning.

Yang Dai exited the Deep Domain. By then, he had long left the battlefield and the Northern Suburbs. The sword-riding technique was truly swift—much faster than horseback.

Yang Dai released Liang Zixiao, Cheng the Hungry Ghost, Bai Wei, Tian Buzhong, Canglang, Ying Ji, Liu Junjie, and Shi Long, letting them cultivate on their own.

Returning to reality, Liu Junjie was visibly excited, but he had no choice but to cultivate as Yang Dai instructed. He had wanted to call his parents, but thought better of it—he was already dead, so why give them false hope? The apocalypse was cruel, and death was something everyone was prepared for.

Yang Dai sat at the table, eating the breakfast brought by staff and pondering a serious question: what if a trial-taker was still in combat when their forty-eight hours in the Deep Domain expired?

He searched online and found that in such cases, one could not forcibly exit the Deep Domain. The only options were to end the battle before leaving, or die in combat. This meant some stalling strategies were no longer viable.

After breakfast, Yang Dai returned to bed and slept. When he awoke, it was already dark.

He discovered he’d broken through to the fourth stage of the Qi Gathering Realm, thanks in large part to the amplification from Liang Zixiao, who was at the ninth stage—a boost none of the other ghosts could match. Yang Dai himself had been on the verge of the fourth stage.

After washing up and eating dinner, he took his ghostly followers back into the Deep Domain.

This was a vast valley, mountains on all sides, dense forests above, and a broad interior crossed by a small river. Yang Dai released all his followers, who spread along the riverbanks.

He had Canglang teach the Divine Thunder Heart Sutra to the wolf army. With so many followers, he couldn’t teach each one personally—even Canglang had learned from other ghosts.

Yang Dai also had Tian Buzhong and two others instruct Liang Zixiao in the Heavenly Gang Great Luo Sword Array. Liang Zixiao was deeply impressed by the formation and eager to learn; even Liu Junjie joined in.

Liu Junjie was beside himself with excitement, clenching his fists and boasting, “My sword talent will finally shine. Just watch, I’ll outpace all of you!”

A B-grade talent, indeed, was exceptional!

But no one paid him any heed.

Yang Dai went to the riverbank and sat in meditation. Surrounded by 507 ghostly followers, he felt an unprecedented sense of security.

He now had a firm foothold in the cultivation world, though he was still far from his goal of ten thousand followers.

…

Three days later.

Yang Dai was having supper when Hu Li came to visit.

“Yang, I’m sorry, but the matter of the ghosts might be delayed. The Combat Bureau has plans for the death row trial-takers, so executions are temporarily suspended.” Hu Li sat beside Yang Dai, speaking with resignation.

He glanced at the eight ghosts cultivating by the window and raised his eyebrows in surprise.

There were more than five, after all!

Wait—that one…

Hu Li’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Liang Zixiao. Swallowing nervously, he turned to Yang Dai and asked, “You killed Liang Zixiao?”

Yang Dai replied, “Is that a problem?”

Hu Li took a deep breath, thoroughly unsettled. Suddenly, he found Yang Dai impossible to read.

Could this kid’s talent really be as simple as summoning? Or was there someone among his ghosts who was no less formidable than Liang Zixiao?