Chapter 156: Fierce Ghosts Are Fortunes—Seizing Them One by One

“The seal… is it breaking!?”

“What do we do?”

“Only this one pillar is acting up… Maybe it’s unrelated to the cauldron.”

“Don’t panic. Let’s observe.”

The six others looked unsettled, but after some quick discussion, they managed to calm their nerves.

After all, only one of the thirteen pillars showed signs of abnormality. There was no need to flee in panic just yet.

Yu Xian, however, frowned slightly. The twisting seal on the stone pillar gave him an increasingly ominous feeling.

Whatever was sealed inside… was definitely not a good thing.

“Screeeee!!”

Just as everyone was regaining composure, and barely three breaths after the anomaly began…

A sharp shriek tore out from the pillar, and a black shadow burst through the writhing seal!

As it appeared, the surrounding Yin-cold energy instantly thickened.

Everyone’s faces changed, and they instinctively stepped back, activating their protective treasures.

However, the black shadow didn’t immediately attack. Instead, it shrieked again and landed in a corner, revealing its form.

Yu Xian narrowed his eyes.

It was a fierce ghost.

Its face was greenish and twisted, body emaciated and unnatural. It was a being formed from extreme resentment and hatred, enveloped by Yin energy—neither human, demon, nor beast.

It was what the common folk simply called: a ghost.

This was Yu Xian’s first time seeing a ghost with his own eyes.

Normally, when people die, the natural forces of heaven and earth pull their souls into reincarnation—into the mysterious cycle of the Yellow Springs and the Six Realms of Rebirth.

Only under exceptional circumstances—like deliberate interference or overwhelming hatred—could a soul resist this force and become a ghost.

“Definitely a ghost,” Qi Xuan muttered, eyes gleaming. “But only a third-tier ghost—great! If we capture it, it could be refined into Yin Pills or used to enhance magical tools! This isn’t danger—this is opportunity!”

The others recovered and their eyes lit up.

The ghost crouched in the corner, hissing and contorting. Though a fierce ghost, it clearly feared the spiritual pressure of the seven Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Suddenly, it let out another shriek and turned into a shadow, darting toward the hall’s only exit.

“It’s trying to escape!”

“Catch it!”

“Fellow Daoists, let’s all act. Whoever catches it keeps it—before it escapes!”

“Go!”

Seeing the ghost bolt, the cultivators moved in unison, casting spells and deploying magical tools in an attempt to intercept it.

Yu Xian’s eyes flickered, and he subtly repositioned himself among the movement.

In the mortal realm, a third-tier ghost could wipe out an entire village—or even a town.

But to a Foundation Establishment cultivator, even Yu Xian at the early stage, it was only a minor threat.

The others restrained their powers to avoid damaging the remaining sealed pillars—otherwise, any of them could have caught the ghost with ease.

Jiang Xiaolong conjured spiritual threads, chasing after the ghost.

Su Mofeng unleashed gust nets, trying to trap it with preemptive strikes—only for the ghost to slip through each time.

Ge Xiyu activated a parasol-like magical artifact to capture it, but the overlapping interference and his restrained power resulted in failure.

Qi Xuan, Tong Xue, and Kang Xinping all joined the pursuit with various techniques.

Despite the ghost’s desperate attempts to flee, it was surrounded. In three more breaths, someone would catch it.

Yu Xian, still calm, watched silently—until suddenly, his eyes narrowed.

Crack!

A green vine shot out from behind him like lightning, precisely intercepting the ghost ten zhang from his side, instantly entangling it!

“Screee!!”

The ghost shrieked and struggled furiously.

Yu Xian frowned. The resistance from the vine was intense—not overwhelming, but notable.

One vine wasn’t enough. But what about two? Three?

He didn’t hesitate—two more vines lashed out, binding the ghost’s limbs and torso, squeezing until it was compressed into a walnut-sized black orb.

The others halted their spells and techniques, eyes turning to Yu Xian—some surprised, some jealous, some begrudging, some quietly impressed.

“Well done, Junior Brother Yu!”

Jiang Xiaolong laughed. “Since you caught this third-tier fierce ghost, it’s yours! You can refine it into Yin Pills—they’re excellent for calming the mind and nourishing the soul.”

Yu Xian nodded. “Fellow Daoists, I took advantage of timing—apologies.”

“What are you saying?” Jiang Xiaolong waved it off. “We all agreed—each to their own. Whoever catches it, keeps it. Feel free to keep it.”

Yu Xian gave a small smile. “Then I’ll accept with thanks.”

He placed a seal on the black orb and tucked it into his sleeve.

Such soul-based entities couldn’t be stored in a storage bag—they’d dissipate instantly without proper containment.

A fierce ghost like this, valuable in the right hands, being caught by a junior cultivator like Yu Xian… naturally caused some resentment.

But the earlier agreement stood—no one could argue.

Tong Xue now turned toward the stone pillar, speaking calmly: “The seal was probably worn after many years, which allowed that ghost to escape. One escaped—and we caught it. If ten escape, we can catch those too. Why not shake the pillar slightly and let a few more out?”

The others perked up.

It made sense. No one knew how many ghosts were sealed inside. If released one by one, they’d have their pick.

These ghosts could be used for array crafting, pill refining, or even forging soul-based artifacts—like the infamous Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

As for whether it was “evil”… well, ever since the emergence of the Blood River Sect, the line between righteous and demonic had blurred. Everyone just focused on their own cultivation.

“It’s worth a try,” Qi Xuan narrowed his eyes. “It’s not like they’ll all burst out at once… right?”

“Let’s give it a go, then,” said Jiang Xiaolong, stroking his mustache. “But we need to be careful with the force we apply. If we go too far and release a thousand ghosts at once, none of us will survive.”

“I believe Fellow Daoist Yu has an excellent sense of timing,” Qi Xuan said, turning to Yu Xian with a smile. “Why not let him try again?”

“Yes, I trust him,” Tong Xue added with a grin.

“Agreed,” said Kang Xinping simply.

Su Mofeng and Ge Xiyu didn’t speak, but they didn’t object either.

Yu Xian’s earlier steal had obviously annoyed everyone.

Jiang Xiaolong hesitated—he saw how the others were positioning Yu Xian as the “volunteer” to do the dangerous job.

So he turned to Yu Xian and said, “Junior Brother Yu, are you sure? No need to force yourself. If it’s too risky, I’ll go.”

Approaching the pillar was clearly more dangerous. If too many ghosts broke out at once, those at a distance could escape—but the person at the pillar would be surrounded.

Yu Xian looked at him, nodded calmly. “Don’t worry, Senior Brother. I’ll try.”

He exhaled and stepped toward the pillar.

The others instinctively backed up, putting 40–50 feet between themselves and Yu Xian. They tensed up, ready to flee at a moment’s notice.

Yu Xian stood before the pillar, his expression cold and indifferent.

He raised his hand slowly.

The bloody runes continued to twist like crimson serpents. Icy chill poured from the pillar.

The closer he got, the colder it became.

When his hand was half a foot from the pillar, he stopped. His eyes flashed—and a streak of green spiritual energy shot out like an arc of lightning.

Thud! A muffled boom echoed.

The runes writhed violently.

“Screeeee!!”

A ghostly figure squeezed out, shrieking and thrashing.

The six cultivators lit up. Another one!

They prepared to act—but before they could lift a hand, a vine shot out from behind Yu Xian, instantly wrapping around the ghost and compressing it into a black orb, not even giving it time to scream.

He sealed it, tucked it into his sleeve, and turned to the others with a faint smile.

“Apologies, fellow Daoists. As we agreed—whoever catches it, keeps it. I simply struck first.”

Their expressions twitched.

This guy…

They had distanced themselves to avoid danger—but that also meant they had no chance of intercepting the ghost before Yu Xian.

If the ghosts kept coming out one at a time, Yu Xian could end up catching all of them while they got nothing.

Ignoring their reactions, Yu Xian flicked his wrist again—another arc of green light struck the pillar.

Roar!!

The seal twisted, and another ghost began emerging.

But before it could get halfway out, a vine snapped forward like a whip, caught its neck, yanked it free, and compressed it into a black orb.

Yu Xian silently tucked it into his sleeve.

This time, he didn’t even bother to explain.

He simply raised his hand and struck the pillar again.