Chapter 89: Conversation Among Team Members

Just as Yuan Yan was about to step out the door, a young girl entered. Upon seeing Yuan Yan, she sneered coldly. “Well, if it isn’t my dear cousin. What brings you here?”

Noticing the situation, Lü Shang quickly whispered into Liu Zong’s ear, “The newcomer is Yuan Ying, water affinity, power level Lv0 (10 stars). It’s still unclear which path she’ll take.”

Liu Zong nodded in understanding, then stepped forward to address the girl. “You must be Yuan Ying. Could you pass a message to Mr. Yuan Kuan for me? Tell him that your family is in need of some strict discipline.”

Yuan Yan’s expression changed at these words and she was about to speak, but Yuan Ying interrupted her, turning to Liu Zong. “Mr. Liu Zong, I am aware of the matter already. This was the Yuan family’s fault, and I apologize to you here and now. Please, grant us your forgiveness, and don’t escalate this to my grandfather.”

This was precisely the response Liu Zong had hoped for. He had no intention of troubling a Lv3 player over a minor issue, nor could he simply let Yuan Yan leave unchecked. By making everything clear to Yuan Ying, he now held a small handle over Yuan Yan—if she tried anything in the future, it would not be so easy.

After Yuan Yan left, fuming, Liu Zong took the opportunity to converse with Yuan Ying and introduced her to the other two companions.

Yuan Ying, having been warned by her grandfather, was well aware of Liu Zong’s identity and the gravity of the situation. She behaved with due courtesy. Meanwhile, Reina, whose intelligence far outstripped her emotional insight (though she herself was oblivious to this), always spoke and acted precisely as described in books, leaving Liu Zong and the others at a loss for words.

The four waited for another ten minutes or so before the classroom door opened once more.

A blond man dressed in white robes strode in, his bearing reminiscent of a sun god descending from the clouds.

The four were momentarily stunned, but Liu Zong was the first to recover, stepping forward to greet him.

Despite his imposing entrance, the man was not as domineering as his presence suggested. He pressed his hands together and bowed to the group before introducing himself. “Xu Ying of the Sha family, novice disciple of the Ghost King Sect, shadow affinity, power level Lv0 (12 stars).”

Liu Zong nodded and invited Xu Ying to join them. Lü Shang took the opportunity to explain, “The Ghost King Sect is unique to Yang City. Apart from the city’s five main high schools, there is a dedicated sect hall located in the southwest part of town.

“It’s said that the Ghost King Sect follows the path of Eastern monks, though theirs is the way of the ghostly Buddha. Lv0 marks initiation, Lv1 is Vajra, Lv2 is Arhat, Lv3 is Bodhisattva, and Lv4 is Buddha. Only the sect’s founder ever reached that final level; currently, the highest in the sect is at Lv3.”

Xu Ying showed no displeasure at Lü Shang’s candid summary. Instead, he calmly elaborated, “Our sect’s ancestor originally followed the esoteric tradition, later opening a path through the ghostly way. Anyone with initial affinity for shadow-aligned power may enter our sect and become one of the Eight Legions.

“Once the transformation is complete, one gains the Vajra Bone, which can be shaped into a White Bone Battle Armor or allow one to become a White Bone Vajra—a path unique to our sect.

“The next challenge is to render the Vajra Bone incorporeal. Once fully so, one attains the Arhat’s Phantom Body, also called the Arhat’s Ghost Form, at which point a player fights with the tenacity of a specter, growing stronger with each battle.

“Most disciples only reach this stage, as the next step is extremely demanding: it requires infusing the phantom with bloodline power compatible with the previous two phases.

“If only the first two steps are compatible, that is acceptable—once the proper match is found and the transformation completed, one becomes a Blood Bodhisattva, known within the sect as Bodhisattva’s Blood.

“But this is usually the limit. Without fusing all three steps and glimpsing the way forward, one cannot reach the level of our founder. Unable to transform from blood to radiance, unable to kindle the Evil Buddha’s Light and become a Radiant Ghost Buddha, most of our senior brothers and uncles choose to cap their strength at the Arhat’s Ghost Form, choosing not to take that final step unless fate compels them.”

Reactions to Xu Ying’s explanation varied. Lü Shang, perhaps not having heard such a detailed account before, began to take notes. Yuan Ying, unfamiliar with these intricacies, only knew Xu Ying was someone with the potential to reach Lv4. Even if it was unclear how long he might remain at Lv2, he still had hope, and she had no wish to offend him.

As for Reina, she seemed to recall something as Xu Ying spoke, flipping through her book and finally studying it intently.

Liu Zong and Xu Ying both noticed the others’ reactions. Liu Zong realized that Xu Ying’s detailed explanation was surely leading up to something.

And indeed, after describing the Ghost King Sect, Xu Ying suddenly asked, “What’s your opinion?”

Liu Zong was not foolish enough to answer directly. He stared at Xu Ying for a long moment before saying, “Are you hoping to recruit me into the Ghost King Sect?”

“My master considered it, but in the end, dismissed the idea. You are already on your own path; there is no way to start over,” Xu Ying replied with a shake of his head.

At this, Liu Zong closed his eyes, recalling Xu Ying’s every movement since entering. Finally, he said, “You remind me of a lion—no, a lion king.”

Xu Ying’s eyes lit up at this, and the others turned their heads to look at Liu Zong.

Seeing Xu Ying’s reaction, Liu Zong’s mind began to race. “Do the Eight Legions of your sect correspond to beasts?”

“Yes, the Eight Legions are: Devas, Dragons, Yakshas, Gandharvas, Asuras, Garudas, Kinnaras, and Mahoragas. They correspond, respectively, to elephants, dragons, wolves, rhinoceroses, lions, eagles, tigers, and deer.

“By visualizing the appropriate beast, one can summon a shadowy specter akin to a ghost or spirit. Once these shadows are transformed into white bones, one reaches Lv1.”

Liu Zong then asked, “When you transform the white bones into the ghost form, are there other choices?”

“Yes, there are many methods for rendering the Vajra Bone incorporeal, and likewise, multiple ways to utilize it. Each method will influence the transformation into Bodhisattva’s Blood.” Xu Ying answered every question in detail.

After listening, Liu Zong pondered deeply. He began to understand Xu Ying’s intentions. These were the sect’s fundamentals, but they had lost their adaptability, unable to reach Lv4. Xu Ying was sharing all this, hoping Liu Zong might spot something they had missed.

As for why Xu Ying would trust him, it was because Liu Zong now had his own in-game name and was clearly destined to reach Lv4. Whether by luck or insight, any suggestion he offered could bring hope.

Yet Liu Zong knew his own limitations best. Though he possessed mysterious fragments of soul, his path diverged greatly from Xu Ying’s. Much of his own journey was obscure even to him, so how could he possibly offer help?