Chapter 5: The Trial Ends

Yang Dai turned around, his gaze fixed on the swiftly approaching dark figure. Terrified, he immediately summoned the seven Yin followers he had just absorbed.

The buzz-cut man, the twin-tailed girl, and the others emerged rapidly from the center of his brow, landing around him. Like Shi Long, their bodies appeared as shadowy phantoms, radiating a faint greenish spectral glow, unmistakably ghost-like.

Shi Long stood with his saber across his chest, his cold eyes locked forward, and spoke in a chilling voice, “I wondered who could be so ruthless—so it’s you, Hungry Ghost Cheng. Weren’t you seeking to join a righteous sect? Why commit such savage acts?”

The one called Hungry Ghost Cheng halted, drawing near enough for Yang Dai to make out his features in the moonlight: an elderly man, sparse-haired, gaunt, with a pronounced aquiline nose, resembling a vulture that had taken human form.

Hungry Ghost Cheng looked at Shi Long, surprised. “You’re…Shi Long, right? I saw you before in Immortal-Seeking Town. How did you die?”

Shi Long’s expression grew grim. He snorted, “Though I am dead, death no longer frightens me. I advise you to leave, or I’ll make sure you die as well!”

After becoming a Yin follower, Shi Long sensed that Yang Dai controlled his fate; if Yang Dai died, he too would perish utterly. Thus, he had to protect Yang Dai with all his strength.

Hungry Ghost Cheng’s murderous intent was palpable, making Shi Long tense inside.

Faced with Shi Long’s threat, Hungry Ghost Cheng fell silent.

Yang Dai noticed the seven Yin followers around him trembling, terror etched on every face.

He said in a deep voice, “You seven are already dead, only souls remain. What is there to fear? Is there anything in this world more frightening than you?”

His words jolted the seven Yin followers, awakening them to a sudden realization.

The buzz-cut man glared at Hungry Ghost Cheng and roared, “You dog! You killed us, so prepare to die! Brothers, although we failed together before, now we might succeed. A man lives for pride, not bread—dead or alive, it’s the same!”

Yang Dai was speechless. Why did this guy always get so worked up?

“You bastard, for the pain you’ve caused me, I’ll repay you tenfold!”

“Right! He must die too!”

“We’re already dead, so what’s left to fear? Let’s join forces and take him down!”

“Never thought there’d really be souls after death—great! Old man, you’re finished!”

The other six Yin followers joined in with curses, making Hungry Ghost Cheng frown.

Hungry Ghost Cheng’s gaze shifted to Yang Dai. If he could subdue this boy, the eight ghosts would surely dissipate; but the boy was surrounded, making it hard to act.

Yang Dai suddenly ordered, “Shi Long, you go first—kill him! The rest, wait for my command!”

As soon as he finished, Shi Long charged at Hungry Ghost Cheng, while the other seven Yin followers stood ready.

The buzz-cut man glanced at Yang Dai, secretly puzzled. “He dresses like an Earthling, so how can he absorb our souls? Could he be an old player?”

Some trial participants liked to call others “players” because the Deep Domain felt so much like a game—albeit a terrifyingly real one.

Though he harbored doubts, the buzz-cut man instinctively obeyed Yang Dai, unable to question him due to the overwhelming control of the Lord of All Realms.

Shi Long and Hungry Ghost Cheng grappled fiercely—one soul, one man, both agile. Hungry Ghost Cheng wielded two short blades, trading blows with Shi Long so rapidly that neither Yang Dai nor the seven Yin followers dared blink or breathe.

So vicious, so swift, so fierce!

Their battle surpassed any fight scene Yang Dai had seen in movies; their skills exceeded his understanding of human capabilities.

It was like martial artists from a wuxia novel combined with the raw force of mixed martial arts.

Hungry Ghost Cheng was faster, but his attacks on Shi Long had no effect.

Yin followers could solidify when attacking, but they felt no pain; even if dismembered, they would revive as long as Yang Dai lived.

To destroy them, one would need spells Yang Dai hadn’t yet learned, or kill him directly.

Hungry Ghost Cheng’s cultivation wasn’t much higher than Shi Long’s, so the fight stalemated.

Suddenly!

Hungry Ghost Cheng leapt back, producing a talisman in his right hand, aiming it at Shi Long. The talisman flared with strange light, igniting, and a blaze burst forth like a fiery cannon, racing toward Shi Long.

Shi Long was startled, instinctively swinging his blade. The flames exploded, quickly enveloping him.

Shi Long tried to smother the fire but then froze, a twisted smile spreading across his face—he felt no pain from the burning.

His form was indeed being scorched, but the process took time; even a living person wouldn’t turn to ash in a second.

Shi Long launched himself at Hungry Ghost Cheng once more.

Hungry Ghost Cheng panicked and fled.

“You brat! From now on, let’s see who survives Ghost Wailing Ridge—we have three days left. We’ll see who wins!”

He had to admit, the man was fast—both in words and legs.

“Don’t chase a cornered enemy!” Yang Dai shouted quickly.

Shi Long stopped at once.

Yang Dai watched Hungry Ghost Cheng vanish into the distant woods and finally sighed in relief.

He said to Shi Long, “Bury yourself in the earth—the flames will soon go out.”

Shi Long obeyed, burrowing into the ground.

Seconds later, he leapt out, the flames gone, his soul body slowly recovering.

Yang Dai was exhilarated.

The Yin followers were powerful—was this the strength of an SS-rank talent?

The Lord of All Realms’ power wasn’t directly bestowed upon the talent-bearer, but depended on the Yin followers themselves; the talent’s potential was vast, both high and low.

If Yang Dai had met Hungry Ghost Cheng before Shi Long, he would have died for sure.

“Let’s leave this place and find somewhere to recuperate,” Yang Dai said, turning.

The eight Yin followers followed closely, spreading out to guard him.

Yang Dai felt an unprecedented ease, surrounded on all sides and even above by the Yin followers—he felt secure.

Surviving till dawn was no longer a problem!

A quarter of an hour later, the group rested by a small river.

Yang Dai began conversing with the seven Yin followers.

After becoming Yin followers, the seven trial participants’ attitudes changed quickly, obviously influenced by the Lord of All Realms.

All were high school seniors from across the country, strangers before entering the Deep Domain. Except for the buzz-cut man, the others possessed D-rank talents.

The buzz-cut man was named Liu Junjie, his B-rank talent being Swordsmanship Insight—an extraordinary aptitude for sword arts. Sadly, he hadn’t even touched a sword before dying.

“Since you’re dead, if you ever return to reality, you can’t go back to your families. As Yin followers, you can’t possess living bodies; visiting loved ones as souls would only bring sorrow. From now on, stay by my side; if I ever succeed or gain power, I’ll do my best to help your families,” Yang Dai mused aloud.

His words drew grateful looks from the seven Yin followers.

They had accepted their deaths.

And they couldn’t refuse Yang Dai’s decision.

Yang Dai could have skipped the promise, but he made it anyway, offering them comfort.

Shi Long, meanwhile, was curious—what was this reality the others spoke of?

Time slipped by as they chatted.

Dawn approached.

As the first ray of morning sunlight crossed Ghost Wailing Ridge and touched Yang Dai, a line of text appeared before his eyes:

[Deep Domain Trial complete. Do you wish to leave the Deep Domain?]

Yang Dai noticed the Yin followers weren’t harmed by the sunlight; it seemed they weren’t the ghosts he had imagined.

He promptly drew the eight Yin followers back into the Lord of All Realms’ space within his brow, then silently chose to depart.

He had just disappeared when Hungry Ghost Cheng arrived, frowning. “Strange—how did he vanish so suddenly? Could he be an outsider?”

“Hmph, so what if he’s an outsider? As long as you remain in Ghost Wailing Ridge, you’ll all become my ghost slaves!”