Chapter 347

Chapter 347: The Cunning Ghost Cultivator

With the Cloud-Brush Dragon Claw Technique, Yuan Xiao Zhuo exhibited the might of the Fire Phoenix’s Embrace Body. Dazzling flames surged forth as the firebird flapped its wings and rushed through, slaughtering the group of cultivators, causing those who had been let in to flee in panic.

The twenty-three people turned to mere ashes. Yan Jinglun jumped forward, a golden halo appearing behind his head, as he softly recited prayers, the chanting growing louder until a sudden scream pierced the air.

Several black shadows appeared in the sky, and Xia Tianguan threw a punch from several zhang away.

These shadowy forms, though seemingly formless, made a sound like "bang bang" as if each punch landed heavily upon them, causing them to explode.

Screams seemed to fade away. Huang Shiqin acted suddenly, her delicate silver threads flashing, and soon the shadows had vanished, completely purified.

Jing Tian Tong turned his gaze, saying, "The ghost mist has locked down this area; this is just a test. Everyone must be especially cautious."

Half a stick of incense later, driven by the ghost mist, more refugees arrived. Nian Ganchan had to expand the camp to take them in, while He Liu Ying pulled out a simple Formation Disk to strengthen their defenses.

The ghost mist drew closer, suddenly producing a muffled sound as yet another group of twenty-three people rushed in seeking help.

"Great! There are cultivators here! The nearby estate has been completely destroyed; we barely managed to escape."

“Another twenty-three?” Panic spread among the crowd as they vividly recalled the strange events before. They quickly turned to Li Hui, knowing this group of cultivators was led by the handsome young man.

"This time it’s fine! Let them in," Li Hui said, flicking his hand to send forth dozens of talisman flags, which stuck in the ground around the camp, igniting a blazing wave.

Moments later, the ground trembled as a rush of dark energy surged forth.

“Boom!” With a single impact, the outer wooden wall rotted away into splinters, but fortunately, the talisman flags erupted in bright flames, dispelling the terrifying gloom.

In less than thirty breaths, the second wave of dark energy arrived, crashing against the talisman flags, which crackled and popped. He Liu Ying’s formation created a barrier to defend against it.

“Caw, caw, caw…” a voice like a night owl exclaimed in excitement, "Wonderful! You are Li Yingjun, the Haotu Sect disciple that the Ghost Fox Sect is seeking. I’ve caught you red-handed."

Li Hui did not even furrow his brow; it was to be expected that the Ghost Fox Sect would be meddling! Though it was a bit early for exposure, he also wished to stir up trouble with the Ghost Fox Sect.

Countless ghostly figures emerged, rushing toward the camp in waves.

Panic spread through the camp; even the cultivators who had escaped from the nearby estate were pale, feeling hopeless about survival.

Suddenly, Jing Tian Tong looked up, and Li Hui did the same, just as golden light surged forth, a treasure banner descending, accompanied by the resounding sound of Buddhist chants. A high-level demon cultivator declared, "Endless Life Buddha, evil ghostly creatures dare to disrupt. As a poor monk, I cannot stand by and watch."

“Boom, boom, boom…”

"Shaven head, you are overstepping your bounds," the blinding golden light clashed with the ghost mist, causing a cyclone to form as both sides among the cultivators fought, quickly dispersing the ghost mist.

"Ah! Great monk, so compassionate!" Many commoners knelt, bowing in reverence toward the golden light.

Li Hui suddenly asked Jing Tian Tong, “What do you think, Brother Jing?”

“Do not treat me as an elder; it’s hard to tell the true from the false. The Buddhist light is genuine, but its origins are suspicious; the approach seems improper and may have ulterior motives!”

Soon, outside the camp, the ghostly figures vanished, completely retreating. A thin monk landed softly on the ground, his palms clasped together as he approached, saying, "All is well! You need not worry; I have transcended the ghostly beings. The world is vast and cannot permit evil to act unruly!"

“Master, living Buddha!”

“We wish to take refuge with you, Master!” Many commoners rushed forward, ignoring Li Hui and the others’ warnings. Some of the cultivators among them also welcomed him, their faces filled with joy.

“Everyone, do not go out carelessly; ghosts are notoriously cunning,” Yan Jinglun warned with earnest concern.

"Hmph, the master has already eliminated the ghosts. We are safe! You cultivators only think of yourselves; where is your compassion for the world? Young ones, learn from this! We are willing to take refuge!" Assured that all was well outside, many people forgot the previous acts of sheltering them, feeling ecstatic at the arrival of another monk.

The monk said, “Please follow me, everyone; the ghost mist is boundless and may still harbor fierce ghosts. If we reach the nearby Fahua Temple by noon tomorrow, we shall be unscathed!”

“Great, fantastic! We are willing to follow the Master.” Except for Li Hui and his group, everyone else moved, including those twenty-three cultivators.

Yan Jinglun shouted, “You are not a great monk! You lack the Zen and virtues a monk should possess. I suspected as much earlier, and now it’s confirmed—you are a ghost cultivator."

Gasps arose from the crowd as they cursed at the camp: “What madness is this? Do you think shaving your head means understanding the great virtue of a monk? You don’t even have a single scar of precepts on your head while true Masters bear nine. Can that be faked?”

Li Hui nodded and said, “Junior Brother Yan is right. He doesn’t look like a monk at all; what exactly is he? It will reveal itself soon enough.”

Before Li Hui and the others could act, the “monk” let out a strange laugh, “Ha ha ha, too bad you little brats aren’t falling for it. Fine, luring out this blood meal is enough; watch me swallow the heavens!”

“Ah!” The screams erupted in waves; by then, it was too late for regrets.

“Outrageous thing!” Yan Jinglun tried to surge forward, but Huang Tongliang held him back.

At that moment, hundreds of zhang-long shapes emerged at the camp’s periphery, a dragon made of various corpses stitched together, gulping down the crowd with a single bite.

“Wow, that’s enormous!” Yan Jinglun was terrified; if he charged out alone, it would be like a meat bun hitting a dog—there would be no return.

Li Hui’s expression turned serious as he took out stacks of spirit talismans, his fingers moving swiftly. The corpse dragon began to shake, intending to crush the camp. Suddenly, thunderous sounds echoed from all directions, forcing it to retreat with the power of the treasure talismans.

“Everyone be careful; this corpse dragon is at least mid-Condense Essence level,” Huang Shiqin sighed. “It has swallowed so many people; its power has increased several fold. The defenses set up around might not hold it back. We need to work together and unleash our full abilities to blast it away.”

“I’ll take care of it!” Yan Jinglun stretched his hand from a distance of more than a hundred zhang, and suddenly, several hundred thick stone spikes erupted from the ground.

Everyone chimed in, most using spells. As Yuan Xiao Zhuo launched an attack, a ten-zhang-long fire phoenix surged forward.

Li Hui observed carefully, realizing the corpse dragon was merely a distraction to draw fire on the attacking spells; Jing Tian Tong was attentively searching.

Suddenly, Jing Tian Tong struck at the shadow cast by Huang Shiqin on the ground.

The camp had several Sheng Dou talismans laid out, so it was not lacking in light, yet the ghost had already infiltrated, hiding within the shadows.

Li Hui and Jing Tian Tong’s attack directions differed. He employed the Cloud-Brush Dragon Claw Technique to strike into the air; with booming sounds, faint ripples appeared.

“The main body is here!” Li Changtian shouted, locking onto the dragon claw phantom’s position.

Everyone quickly reacted, launching their attacks into the air, roaring in unison, “Roar, do you little ones think you can stop me? A foolish dream.”

“Not good; Bosa stage?” Huang Shiqin and the others were shocked, suddenly sensing an unusual aura. The sound of clucking echoed around as the morning light surged.