Chapter 112: Refining the Remnant Soul

“Old Huo, where the hell have you gone? Have you run away out of fear? I’m about to be devoured alive by this shameless creature.”

Cui Yue hadn’t expected karma to strike so quickly. First, he had unknowingly swallowed its lingering soul, and now he was about to be devoured by its true form. What on earth was going on?

*Shush shush!*

Suddenly, the suction intensified. Cui Yue’s strength waned, the wooden sword in his hand began to tremble, and just as he was about to give out, the ghostly woman in green pulled him in.

Without warning, the familiar stabbing pain returned to his chest and abdomen. Strangely, amid the pain, there was now a tugging force, and the suction around him lessened significantly.

Yet the agony was unbearable. Cui Yue collapsed to his knees, drenched in sweat, struggling to hold on.

After a moment, the wind ceased, and the night grew still.

The ghost in green suddenly withdrew her power. The void filled with black mist reverted to its original form, her expression wary and uncertain.

“Who… who exactly are you?”

The moment she stopped, the pressure around Cui Yue eased, and the sharp pain in his chest vanished without a trace. He felt utterly drained, as if he’d been gravely ill.

“Who am I? I’m your grandfather!” the ghost said hoarsely, pointing at Cui Yue.

“What is your origin? How could you refine my lingering soul, absorb my essence?” Cui Yue couldn’t make sense of the shameless creature’s ramblings. Too many impurities absorbed, tough to digest?

The ghost sighed suddenly.

“I understand now. Only now do I see why that person left you to deal with me—because your true form far exceeded my expectations!”

Cui Yue found it even stranger. Could it be that Old Huo knew something and deliberately sent him to face this green-clad ghost? But he still couldn’t defeat her!

“Playing the fool to hide your true power!” Cui Yue thought, but then reconsidered. He still hadn’t figured out what skills he actually possessed. Apart from the useless “spiritual eye” that made him bump into ghosts daily, he seemed to have no other talents.

Now, even if it meant putting on a bluff, he couldn’t just foolishly rush in. “Come on, buddy, tell me what powers I really have. How do I defeat you?”

“Right. I’ve never feared you! If you’ve got the guts, try me!” Cui Yue shouted defiantly, hoping to bluff the ghost into hesitating.

The ghost heard his challenge but said nothing. With a flick of her wide sleeves, she darted toward him like a shadow.

Cui Yue never expected she wouldn’t fall for the trick and intended to fight head-on.

But at that moment, his body was drained of strength; even standing was a struggle, let alone facing the enemy.

---

“Oh no! I’ve messed up this time. Fate’s cruel and beyond control!”

The empty mask was inches from his face, a pair of flowing sleeves brushing his nose as Cui Yue squeezed his eyes shut.

*Bang!*

A heavy bone club suddenly struck the hollow visage.

The ghost screamed as if struck forcefully. Her entire form was flung backward, tumbling wildly into a ravine a hundred feet away.

“What’s this?”

It was him—Old Huo!

Old Huo stood shoulder to shoulder with a massive bone club resting on his shoulder, shielding Cui Yue like a descending god.

“You brat, you alright?” he asked.

“If you’d arrived any later, I’d be searching for you inside that ghost’s belly,” Cui Yue snapped irritably.

Old Huo laughed heartily.

“You’re as tough as a cockroach, impossible to kill! And here you are, still kicking.”

Cui Yue didn’t want to argue, cursing silently that even the most invincible cockroach wouldn’t survive being dragged around by Old Huo’s antics. “Hero, best we part ways soon—I want a few more peaceful years.”

“Old Huo, what was that shameless thing talking about refining my lingering soul and that I was sent by you to deal with it? What’s going on?” Cui Yue asked, staring intently.

“We’ll talk about that later. For now, save your strength and focus on this fight!” Old Huo replied without looking back.

“By the way, what happened to that big-footed monster earlier?”

Old Huo, sporting a scruffy beard but with a proud expression, casually pointed to the giant bone club in his hand and the scattered bone fragments behind him.

Cui Yue gave a thumbs-up, impressed.

Old Huo definitely had some tricks up his sleeve.

The ghost in green, now on the brink of madness, had never suffered such a defeat since becoming a spirit.

Today, it was either her death or theirs.

Even if it meant shattering her soul and spirit, she would fight to the last breath.

---

Dark clouds gathered, and a chilling wind howled.

The entire burial ground seemed about to split open as countless black mists surged forth from the cracks, bitter resentment rising skyward, accompanied by endless wails and howls.

The natural order inverted, and a hundred ghosts roamed free.

The two men sensed the change; such ominous signs heralded the rise of demonic spirits.

Old Huo’s usual playful demeanor vanished, replaced by a grave expression.

“This ghost has sacrificed her essence to barely reach the Ghost King realm. Today, we’re in for a tough fight…”

Though Cui Yue didn’t fully grasp Old Huo’s words, he understood the dire situation: the ghost was desperate.

Before they could react, the ground trembled beneath their feet, nearly toppling them.

The ghost in green waved her sleeve, multiplying into countless forms.

The burial ground instantly filled with myriad ghostly figures, the sky blotting out all moonlight, thick with malevolent energy.

Ghostly shapes swarmed from all directions, encircling the two.

Old Huo had been waiting for this moment. Raising a hand calmly, his face composed, he formed a seal with his left hand and placed his right palm horizontally across his chest, concentrating his energy in his dantian.

“Supreme Lord Taishang, with Imperial coins as shield, the seven stars entwined to bind evil and dispel demons—strike!”

The Seven Stars Binding Formation!

Old Huo formed the hand seals and released the spell.

The five Emperor coins he had laid earlier emitted golden light from seven directions. A golden thread slowly connected the seven coins, radiating from the center, splitting into multiple golden lines. The seven coins reassembled into a complex pattern, glowing brilliantly.

*Swish swish swish!*

Golden light erupted throughout the formation, imprisoning the countless ghosts. The moment the ghosts’ malevolent energy touched the golden light, they were shocked as if electrified, then dissolved into azure smoke.

Where moments ago the sky was dark with black clouds, it now cleared, the ghosts completely wiped away.

Cui Yue watched in amazement. The formation Old Huo had set earlier was now proving its worth—and its power was formidable.

“Old Huo, how can these rusty old coins be so powerful?” Cui Yue asked.

Old Huo rolled his eyes, annoyed.

“They’re called the Five Emperor Coins. This is the authentic Seven Stars Binding Formation, specially designed to break ghostly evil!”