Chapter Ninety-Nine: A Reverse Escape and Coordinated Inside-Out Strategy

Although he could escape by sword flight, with no one able to catch up, today he had finally encountered two vengeful spirits. If he failed to slay even one, would not the past month of effort be wasted?

Yet both the dragon and the refined ghost cultivator were top-tier experts. It would be nearly impossible for him alone to defeat them, let alone kill them.

Behind him, four pursuers saw the golden-cloaked stout man ahead running as fast as all four combined. Suddenly, he split into two identical figures, one running left, the other right.

“Damn it! Ghost Spirit, you take the right!” the dragon shouted angrily, chasing left with General Luo.

The two behind pursued Han Chong on the right.

Excellent! Han Chong smiled faintly. After fleeing several dozen miles, he split again into two!

One clone lured the long-haired man in another direction, while the original went after the gray dog, who had just been chasing the old Taoist.

The refined ghost cultivator frowned, thinking this young man must be crazy. Although that direction might lead to the fleeing Taoist, the evil spirit was also there. How was this different from the current situation?

...

But to their shock, after chasing for a hundred miles, they saw the gray dog leisurely lying in a mountain hollow, feasting heartily!

“Evil spirit, what are you doing? Where’s that old Taoist? Stop that golden-cloaked fat man!” the refined ghost cultivator angrily demanded.

The gray dog was stunned, never imagining that in his brief respite, the two would catch him so unexpectedly.

However, he had also received Han Chong’s telepathic message. With a howl, he blocked the way fiercely.

“Hmph, boy, see where you can run now. Hand over the ledger, and I might spare your miserable life!”

Seeing Han Chong no longer used his cloning technique, the refined ghost cultivator guessed it must have a cost, and this young man was probably out of tricks. He produced a folding fan and fanned it lightly, a look of cunning on his face.

...

“Gray dog, is this fellow one of the vengeful spirits?”

“Probably...”

“‘Probably’? He knows you; how can you not know him?”

“Master, perhaps he joined the vengeful spirits earlier, so he knows me, but I don’t know him. Before the dragon appeared, this ghost secretly contacted me, ordering me to aid the dragon in seizing the ledger.”

...

“Who exactly are you? What use do you have for this ledger?”

Han Chong feigned fear and moved toward a mountain wall between the two, while the gray dog approached him slowly.

“Heh, you human are interesting—speedy in flight, likely a high-level Qi refiner, yet dressed like a wealthy merchant.

My Dao name is Ghost Spirit. If you serve me, I can transform you into a ghost cultivator; otherwise, you face certain death.”

“Oh? I’m not done living yet and don’t want to become a ghost. If you want the ledger, are you brave enough to fight me one-on-one? Relying on numbers is no skill.”

“Hahaha, interesting. Then let me show you my immortal arts!”

He exhaled ghostly breath onto his folding fan. The fan’s surface darkened like an ink painting, depicting shadowy hellish demons silently roaring and battling.

With a gentle wave of the fan, black ghost mist surged forth, and countless horned, clawed bone-winged demons flew out, growing to two or three dozen feet long, fanning out to encircle Han Chong.

The wailing of ghosts filled the area as they rushed forward relentlessly.

“Hmph, just relying on numbers?” Han Chong snorted coldly, wielding the Clear Light Sword, unleashing endless sword energy that cut down the charging ghosts.

Their laughter turned to screams. The nearest demons reached within a yard, but could advance no further. Instead, their limbs and bodies were severed by sword energy, dissipating into ghostly mist. Despite Ghost Spirit’s urging, they faltered and retreated.

“Good boy! You dare harm my ghost soldiers!” Suddenly, hundreds of demons vanished simultaneously, their ghostly energies converging. Within three breaths, they formed a towering seven-story Yaksha giant demon, more terrifying than the fused Ten-Aspect Heavenly Ghost!

Han Chong held the Clear Light Sword in his left hand and drew the Heavenly Sword with his right. One heavy and powerful, the other sweeping with sword energy. Fearlessly, he leapt up to strike the giant demon’s head.

The refined ghost cultivator had not expected such ferocity from a human. He manipulated the folding fan to control the giant demon, his face no longer relaxed.

Just then, a massive silver-gray luminous net suddenly descended from above the ghost’s head, nearly impossible to evade, about to close in!

“Evil spirit, what are you doing? Are you betraying the vengeful spirits? The master will surely cast you into the Luo Fu Ghost Cave to suffer the torment of myriad ghosts!”

Ghost Spirit panicked, ghost energy bursting through his body like a tidal wave, fiercely pushing against the gray net. The net twisted like a black-gray tumor, fluctuating in size as eerie light and ghostly energy clashed intensely.

The uncontrolled Yaksha giant demon shattered, dissolving into ghost energy that the Vengeful Soul Refining Net enveloped, aiming to trap it simultaneously inside and out!

“Master, help me quickly! I can’t hold this guy any longer!”

The gray dog’s face was filled with horror, thinking this ghost spirit’s power truly formidable.

Moreover, if the Refining Net hadn’t been pierced by Han Chong last time and had some flaws, it wouldn’t be so close to collapse now!

“Hold on!” Seizing this rare opportunity, Han Chong dashed rapidly into the ghost mist.

Instantly, the power of merit within him surged spontaneously, golden light dazzling, releasing myriad beams that pierced the ghost fog to shreds!

He then raised the Heavenly Sword and slammed its hilt down onto the Refining Net with a thunderous crash.

“No!” Ghost Spirit was horrified beyond belief. Never had he imagined his lifetime of roaming could end here!

The weight of the Heavenly Sword flattened the spherical Refining Net, scattering the ghost energy inside. Though Ghost Spirit reformed, he could no longer resist the Vengeful Soul’s refining power!

“Open the Vengeful Net, let me in!”

“What? Master, are you joking?” The gray dog gasped in disbelief.

“Enough nonsense.”

Han Chong slipped into the silver net’s opened corner and engaged in close combat with the disheveled Ghost Spirit. After a fierce battle lasting the time of a teacup, he incinerated him with spiritual fire.

[Notification: Congratulations, host! You have slain a Ghost Commander-level spirit and entered the late stage of Qi Refinement to Divine Transformation, first layer. Current essence points: 20,971,520!

Congratulations on breaking through a minor realm; extra reward: one Heavenly Thunder Seed.

Under the Godslayer Pursuit Curse, your lifespan is reduced to 60%!

Notification: Congratulations, host! You have gained two skill points. You may choose new skills or upgrade existing ones!]

Heavenly Thunder Seed!

Han Chong now held a blue-black egg-sized object—this Heavenly Thunder Seed condensed from celestial lightning.

Once thrown, it delivers immense destructive power and serves as a trump card. It should not be used lightly and was stored in his spatial pouch.

“You and I go our separate ways. Let’s pretend we never met.”

Han Chong exited the silver net and vanished into invisibility.

Only the gray dog remained, giving a bitter smile. With the Ghost Spirit dead, this was a major event; the master would surely investigate thoroughly.

Fortunately, with no witnesses, if he insisted on ignorance, he might muddle through.

Seeing no one nearby, he too ran off into the distance.