Chapter Twenty: The Art of Ghostly Cultivation

Wang Zhen nodded slightly at his composure and added, “Our Nether Ritual Bureau’s techniques were developed to prevent divine abilities from spiraling out of control, refined through generations of exploration.”

“Why are the people on Nether Street like that, then?”

Wang Zhen answered simply, “Not everyone has the talent and patience. Some are forced to become monsters and ghosts, others choose it willingly. Regardless, as long as they retain their human reason, our Bureau still considers them kin.”

Zhou Bai withheld comment; it was no wonder Lin Danian called him an outlier. After awakening a divine power, over time, he might also turn into a monster or ghost—an unsettling thought.

“Does the Bureau have anyone like me, who possesses multiple divine abilities?”

Wang Zhen nodded and replied, “There aren’t many now. I don’t know the exact number, but in the past ten years, not a single person with multiple abilities has joined the Bureau.”

Seeing her calm expression and indifferent tone, Zhou Bai didn’t think himself especially gifted.

But in truth, so long as he could control his aura and keep it from affecting his body, having more divine abilities meant his power would only become more formidable.

He picked up his cup and sipped his tea. Wang Zhen quietly asked, “Don’t place too much hope on the Bureau’s techniques. Their main purpose is to reduce the influence of foreign auras on oneself. They don’t greatly amplify the divine abilities; true strength comes naturally with time.”

The foreign aura produced by divine abilities—such as yin energy, demonic energy, and monster energy—grows stronger over time.

Zhou Bai generally understood her point: awakening a divine ability was like pressing a car’s accelerator to the floor, while practicing these techniques added a manual gear, preventing one from losing control due to excessive speed.

“In any case, your other ability, the Human Path, is quite advantageous. Compared to others, the Human Path has no foreign aura, so its drawbacks are minimal. In the future, use it as a supplement and focus on your Yin-Yang Eyes.”

“Do divine abilities ever conflict?” Zhou Bai, finally meeting someone knowledgeable, wanted to clear up all his questions.

“They do, so controlling and restraining your aura is vital.”

Wang Zhen’s palm flicked, and a bound book appeared out of thin air. She tossed it to Zhou Bai.

“Take a careful look. Even after four hundred years, the Bureau is still exploring the path of mastering divine abilities.”

Zhou Bai opened the book and began reading meticulously. It was filled with introductions to techniques for Ghost Path divine abilities.

These techniques focused mainly on controlling aura. Most were eccentric and varied, as if devised by madmen.

For instance, Ghost Path techniques included several types: condensing yin pearls like ghosts to restrain yin energy, forging one’s main life artifact, and even partially transforming limbs into ghostly forms to resist the corrosive effects of yin energy.

“Newcomers to the Bureau can only choose one technique. Pick carefully. If you have any concerns, ask me.”

“Do you have any advice?” Zhou Bai was cautious, not choosing blindly. He had much to consider; for all he knew, he might possess hundreds or thousands of divine abilities in the future.

Seeing his steady composure, Wang Zhen was quite satisfied. “Yin-Yang Eyes, a Ghost Path ability affecting only one sense, has the least impact on the body. No need for aggressive techniques.”

“Page twenty-five details techniques for forging parts of the body into ghost artifacts. Page forty-nine describes forging external objects into ghost artifacts. Page fifty discusses condensing yin energy into a single bundle. Page fifty-four presents methods for sealing ghost energy within the body.”

Zhou Bai quickly flipped through the suggested pages. These categories did seem most suitable for his current situation.

The first technique was to forge the affected body part into a ghost artifact, thereby preventing yin energy from affecting the rest of the body. He immediately dismissed it.

He was certain he wouldn’t stop at just the Yin-Yang Eyes; if every new awakening turned a limb into a ghost artifact, soon he’d be a construct, with nothing left of his original body.

Sealing yin energy in a single body part was equally problematic. While keeping the foreign aura confined to the eyes could limit its corrosive effects, once Zhou Bai had more Ghost Path abilities, he’d be at a loss.

Condensing yin energy into a bundle didn’t seem reliable either. The ghosts born in the Eighteen Hells all differed, each representing a unique divine ability, and their yin energies varied greatly. To force them together would be dangerously risky.

After weighing the options, forging a main life ghost artifact seemed best. Zhou Bai pointed to page forty-nine. “Let’s go with this one.”

Wang Zhen looked at him in surprise. “Won’t you reconsider? A main life ghost artifact is external, and its potential is less than the other techniques. Once forged, your life becomes tied to it—if it’s damaged, you’ll suffer greatly.”

“No need to reconsider,” Zhou Bai shook his head. With dozens or hundreds of Ghost Path abilities in the future, he could infuse all their yin energy into his main life artifact. Who could then claim it lacked potential?

“Pick a type of ghost artifact. But let me warn you: even after forging it, it will only be an ordinary weapon at first.”

Wang Zhen didn’t dwell on the matter; the path was his to choose—her role was merely to advise.

“Alright, let me think. Any weapon is acceptable?”

“Of course. But forging a ghost artifact takes time.”

In Zhou Bai’s mind, his main life artifact needed to be able to grow, to accommodate more Ghost Path abilities. A standard weapon probably wouldn’t suffice.

“Are there any special requirements for the materials?”

“Definitely. For example, Black Yin Cold Iron forms only in extremely yin environments, or the heartwood of millennia-old Yin Trees. Most ghost artifact materials are rare treasures imbued with yin attributes.”

“So, the material itself can be used directly as a ghost artifact?” Zhou Bai’s heart stirred with inspiration.

Seeing Wang Zhen nod, he picked up a sheet of white paper, dipped a brush in water, and began writing energetically.

Wang Zhen watched him with curiosity. She’d thought his choice of a main life ghost artifact was impulsive, but now it seemed thoroughly considered.

After a long while, Zhou Bai finally stopped writing, repeatedly revising his plan to better describe the properties of the material he envisioned.

“Done. Lord Wang, please take a look—do you think this is feasible?”

Wang Zhen looked at the paper he handed her. “It shouldn’t be a problem. However, there’s no such spiritual material in Hangdu. If we need to procure it from elsewhere in the Nine Provinces, it will take some time.”