Chapter 29: Battle with the Demon

At this late hour, when the moon shone at its brightest, ghostly arts could unleash power far beyond their usual limits. Lin Dayan sat cross-legged on the ground, his eyes closed, head tilted back with his mouth agape. A shaft of moonlight poured straight into his mouth, circulating through his body before gathering at his heart.

With his Yin-Yang Eyes, Zhou Bai could clearly see Lin Dayan’s heart beating faster and faster. Even those arms, whose bones had been shattered in several places, were rapidly healing under the influence of the ghostly energy.

“Though we don’t know what trouble Lord Wang has encountered, it falls to us to resolve this matter now,” Wen Meng said, pressing his palms together with the compass clasped within them. A dense mist of ghostly energy poured forth, forming a faint shroud that enveloped the entire array.

The formation, previously destabilized by the statue’s assault, regained its solidity at once as this fresh power surged into it. Originally, the array set by Daoist Hou was designed primarily to trap spirits, but with Wen Meng’s ghostly arts added, it now gained a hint of lethal force. A frost spread across the statue’s skin, clearly slowing its movements.

“My ghostly art is called ‘Ghostly Wind.’ It’s not particularly mysterious, but influenced by my life-bound ghostly artifact, I can form a spirit array. Let me augment your Daoqing Locking Array with my abilities,” said Wen Meng.

Daoist Hou shot him a look, thinking to himself: these charlatans! I spent dozens of taels on materials and days setting this up, and yet your so-called art can raise a formation with spiritual power alone? Outrageous.

Seeing Wen Meng employ an external object as a life-bound ghostly artifact, Zhou Bai couldn’t help but examine the compass more closely. It did give an impression of life-or-death connection, though the flow of ghostly energy within seemed somewhat stilted.

At that moment, Lin Dayan slowly opened his eyes. The ghostly energy whirling around him reached its peak, and with a series of cracking sounds, his arms visibly mended before their eyes.

Noticing Zhou Bai’s look of surprise, Lin Dayan explained, “It’s barely enough for me to fight without hindrance, but since I forced the recovery through ghostly energy, there will be some consequences.”

Zhou Bai nodded in understanding. He knew the cost Lin Dayan spoke of—the ghostly energy’s corrosive effect on the body, likely hastening the irreversible process of ghostification.

“Dayan, it’s all up to you now,” Wen Meng said, clapping him on the shoulder.

Lin Dayan threw back his head with a grin as ghostly energy surged around him, then was absorbed into his body. As the influx became ever more intense, he began to grow taller and more muscular.

He stopped growing once he stood a little over three meters tall. By then, his skin had turned a deep purplish-red, and a single horn had sprouted from his forehead, giving him an uncanny and monstrous appearance.

“This is Dayan’s true form—'Ghostly Bewitchment’s Bodyguard Spirit',” Wen Meng explained.

Hardly had he finished speaking when Lin Dayan, unable to restrain himself, sprang into action. With a short run-up, he squatted low, causing the flagstones beneath his feet to sink. In a blink, despite his towering bulk, he appeared before the statue.

The evil spirit within the statue was startled by Lin Dayan’s sudden appearance; it could sense an unparalleled threat from this new adversary. Driven by instinct, the statue swung a fist at Lin Dayan, the force of the blow making his clothes snap and crackle in the wind.

Their fists collided with a thunderous crash, leaving both combatants with varying degrees of injury to their arms. Yet the statue, being a ghostly entity, healed in an instant. Though Lin Dayan’s regenerative power in his ghostly form was also impressive, it still required moments of respite.

The two figures blurred together in a fierce exchange, leaving craters in the ground and collapsing walls on either side of the alley. Even the roofs began to crack under the strain.

Though Zhou Bai, trapped inside the array, couldn’t see what was happening outside, he could hear the panicked shouts of the residents. Fortunately, the constables arrived in time, quickly bringing the situation under control.

Zhou Bai knew that for now, everything hinged on Lin Dayan, but he was not one to sit idly by. Citing the need to tend his wounds, he excused himself to Wen Meng and Daoist Hou.

Wen Meng, intrigued by Zhou Bai after their earlier fight, couldn’t help but wonder. This young man showed no trace of ghostly arts, yet the sudden explosion of power he’d witnessed was astonishing.

“What was that miraculous sword technique? Was it a supernatural power? Or could it be his second divine ability...?”

Zhou Bai opened his familiar system panel. The points column clearly displayed: “8”.

He’d earned these by killing the black beetle earlier. But with each subsequent extermination of the same type of ghost, the rate of point acquisition slowed. Otherwise, given the thousands of insects he’d slain, he would have dozens more points by now.

He spent two points to raise his Sword Forging Technique mastery to 100%. Once he fully absorbed the new memories, Zhou Bai’s attention returned to the panel.

“Spend four points to break through to the next realm?”

Without hesitation, he chose yes. Zhou Bai sucked in a breath. This time, there was no pain—only a tingling, numbing sensation spreading through his body. To avoid alarming his companions, he steadied himself on the ground, silently reciting the Rebirth Mantra to distract himself.

Meanwhile, the battle outside grew fiercer still. Daoist Hou stroked his bristly beard, marveling at Lin Dayan’s transformed state.

“The Department of Dark Rites truly lives up to its name. Remarkable skills—to fight an evil spirit head-on.”

Wen Meng tore his gaze from Zhou Bai and shook his head. “Lin Dayan is strong, but still falls short against an evil spirit—especially this one...”

He left the thought unfinished, but the true nature of the so-called Anu Spirit was enough to make a veteran like him wary.

Just as Wen Meng predicted, the tide turned swiftly. The statue, as if losing patience, blocked Lin Dayan’s attacks while its mouth split nearly to its ears, revealing rows of jagged teeth. It threw back its head and let out a piercing howl.

A chill ran through Lin Dayan’s heart as he redoubled his assault, each blow leaving deep impressions on the statue. But for a being with no sense of pain, such damage meant little. The creature’s howl spread outward in a wave.

All of Hangdu trembled with fear. The sound was animalistic, yet no one could say what beast had uttered it.

The waters of the Clear River began to boil. The ghostly shadows lurking among the river weeds thrashed more violently than ever, struggling to the surface. Crawling on all fours, their speed accelerating, they made for the direction of the statue.