Chapter 107: Revealing His True Form

Cloud Mountain Village was shrouded in thick, black fog. The ruins of the village appeared even more eerie than before, with strange noises echoing from all directions, though a closer look revealed nothing there.

"Something's wrong!" Old Monster Huo whispered.

Cui Yue nodded silently, his small peach-wood sword already drawn and ready in his hand.

A shrill, melodic sound drifted over again. Holding his breath, Cui Yue listened intently, his heart heavy as he focused on the path beneath his feet.

"I gaze up at the vast heavens, asking why the world is filled with such heartbreak. A wandering soul with nowhere to turn, as the stars and moon grow dim and the wind turns cold... I hear sounds of sorrow within the garden, the lonely lamp casting light upon the silken window..."

The high-pitched, melancholic melody drifted in with the sinister wind, sharp as a blade against the throat, stifling and suffocating. It felt like needles pricking his back, leaving his mind dazed and adrift.

"It’s her! That’s right, it’s her!"

Hearing the familiar Qin opera melody, a chill ran down Cui Yue’s spine. It was true! The woman in green was indeed here!

Old Monster Huo tugged at Cui Yue, signaling him to remain silent and watch for his hand gestures.

"Hehehe... Hahahaha..."

The hideous laughter drifted unpredictably, like demonic whispers drilling directly into their ears.

At this moment, a gale swept across the graveyard, sending sand and stones flying. It was impossible to see, and they could no longer distinguish their surroundings.

Cui Yue felt dizzy and lightheaded, his body nearly collapsing. *Not good,* he thought. *How could I have forgotten her tricks? I must have fallen into a trap again.*

He steadied himself, centered his mind, and began to recite the Cleansing Heart Mantra at the top of his lungs.

"When did this kid learn the Cleansing Heart Mantra of the Taibai Immortal Sect?" Old Monster Huo wondered aloud.

Though Cui Yue fought hard against the demonic sounds, the woman in green’s cultivation was formidable, and he was on the verge of succumbing.

Suddenly, Cui Yue felt a wave of relief; the pressure around him had lifted!

"What is this?"

Curious, Cui Yue opened his eyes to see a golden arc of light encircling him and Old Monster Huo.

The demonic sounds struck the golden arc like blades, attempting to shatter the barrier, but they dissolved into nothingness against the power of the mantra before they could break through.

*It seems this Old Monster Huo really has some tricks up his sleeve—he’s on par with the geek!* Had Cui Yue been an expert, he would have realized that the power of the mantra cast by Old Monster Huo was at least two levels above that of the geeky freak.

The woman in green seemed to realize that this Old Monster Huo was not to be trifled with. The Qin opera melody grew even more intense and bitter. The surrounding pressure surged, and the incessant screeching pierced Cui Yue’s eardrums so painfully that he had to cover his ears.

Old Monster Huo let out a cold snort. He raised his right hand to his chest, curled three fingers back, extended his middle finger, and spat out a single word from the corner of his mouth:

"Break!"

"Hummm..."

A sound of high-speed friction filled the air.

The golden arc of light suddenly expanded to three times its original size, resembling a rapidly rotating sphere of light before it abruptly exploded, transforming into ten thousand streaks of radiance.

The Qin opera melody ceased instantly, and everything fell into silence.

Old Monster Huo gasped for breath, muttering to himself that his old bones were getting too stiff, and that a single "Appease Demon Mantra" had drained so much of his energy. Of course, in front of Cui Yue, he kept up his facade of being wise, powerful, and invincible.

Watching this, Cui Yue’s eyes lit up. *Look at that—now that is a true expert! No wonder Old Monster Huo is so insufferable; he has the capital to be!*

As the dust settled, a white figure landed on a tombstone in the distance.

Clad in white with red shoes, her black hair veiling a faceless head, she sat upon the tombstone, letting out a "chi-chi" ghostly laugh. It was undoubtedly the woman in green!

The more Cui Yue looked, the more terrified he became, a chill creeping down his spine. He signaled to Old Monster Huo: *Old Huo, use that move again—take her down!*

Old Monster Huo coughed dryly, looking somewhat embarrassed, and cursed under his breath: *You brat, do you think it’s as easy as passing wind?*

The graveyard was filled with relentless, sinister winds mixed with the wailing of ghosts, designed to unsettle the heart.

"To think that after all these years, someone would actually find this place. You are very impressive!"

Cui Yue hadn't expected the faceless creature to speak, though he couldn't tell where the voice originated.

Old Monster Huo dusted himself off and said with an air of indifference, "Finding you was hardly difficult! I advise you to dissipate your resentment and enter the cycle of reincarnation early, lest you end up with your soul scattered into nothingness!"

"Hahahaha!"

The woman in green laughed as if she had heard the most ridiculous joke of her life, clutching her flowing sleeves as if she were about to choke on her laughter. "You want me to surrender? Aren't you overestimating yourself?"

Cui Yue glared at Old Monster Huo, cursing internally: *Why are you wasting your breath? Just finish it! Why bother with all this talk of surrender?*

*Even the ghost is mocking you now!*

The woman in green finished laughing, raised her hollow, featureless face toward them, and said, word by word, "Do you honestly think I still have the chance to reincarnate?"

As she spoke, black energy surged from her, forming a barrier over thirty feet high behind her. Her resentment rose to the heavens!

"This... what is this?" Cui Yue watched in horror. The woman in green before him was likely the true entity; the lingering soul he had encountered earlier hadn't even been one-tenth of her true power.

Old Monster Huo was also taken aback. He hadn't expected the woman in green to have such advanced cultivation—she was only a step away from the realm of a Ghost King!

The woman in green stared at Old Monster Huo and mocked, "Well? Still trying to guide me to reincarnation?"

Old Monster Huo quickly regained his composure and feigned ease. "Indeed, why not? They say it's never too late to turn back. How would we know if we don't try?"

The woman in green let out a sharp, ghostly laugh. "Very well. It has been a long time since I tasted fresh flesh and blood. Today, I shall feast on the two of you."

With a flick of her sleeves, the long, flowing fabric lashed out toward them.

Cui Yue’s heart hammered against his chest. He cursed the faceless creature for being blind—if she wanted to fight Old Monster Huo, why drag him into it?

Seeing the sleeves lashing out, Old Monster Huo raised his hand, and two Five-Emperor coins flew out, wreathed in golden light.

*Snap! Snap!*

The sleeves, wrapped in ghostly energy, were pierced by the coins, leaving two large holes.

The woman in green recoiled in pain and hissed angrily, "Hmph! You think you can subdue me with a few pieces of scrap metal?"

"You can try!" Old Monster Huo sneered, raising his hand to send three more copper coins flying through the air.

"Hahahaha..."

The woman in green laughed, her figure twisting and turning into a blur of shadows.

*Swish! Swish! Swish!*

The Five-Emperor coins passed straight through, striking nothing but empty air!

Old Monster Huo didn't stop, waving his large sleeves to send another barrage of icy, star-like projectiles flying.

The woman in green shifted her position constantly, transforming into thousands of illusions in the blink of an eye.

Cui Yue grew anxious. He pointed his wooden sword at the shifting shadows and blurted out, "Over here! Over there! There!"

Unfortunately, not a single coin came close to the woman in green.

Old Monster Huo hadn't initially paid much mind to the woman, fearing only the entity behind her, but it was now clear that he had severely underestimated the situation.