Chapter Forty-Three: Arriving Just in Time

Witnessing the imminent demise of Elder Yao Shengtian at the hands of the ghostly soldiers, my master let out a furious roar. The Gate of the Underworld reappeared, dragging the Ghoul General into its depths. My master intended to eradicate Xie Fan as well, but at the very moment he moved, a ghostly aura more terrifying than any present swept in with a howl, striking my master violently. He was sent flying, collapsing behind us; both Chu Feng and the Ghost Deity Qiyuan were also wounded, and simultaneously turned their gaze toward the source of this sinister force.

"Qingchen, so it is you!" the Ghost Deity Qiyuan exclaimed upon recognizing the newcomer.

Elder Chu Feng, too, saw him, frowning in silence. My master rose from the ground, glaring at Qingchen with wrath. "Qingchen, you have a death wish!"

"Tan Boqing, it’s been a long time. You haven’t changed a bit, still quick to anger. Tsk tsk tsk, look at that tiger demon—soon to be dead. Want to save him? Then let me see what you’re capable of now," said the Ghost King Qingchen.

My master gritted his teeth and glanced toward Elder Yao Shengtian, then looked at the Ghost King Qingchen and shouted, "Old monster, hold on! I’m coming right away!"

With that, my master summoned his golden sword and charged at the Ghost King Qingchen, the sword’s tip aimed straight at his brow. But Qingchen, cunning as ever, vanished from his place and appeared behind my master.

My master swept backward; the golden sword was caught easily by Qingchen, and with a resounding crack, it was broken clean in two. My master’s brow furrowed as he clenched his fists, his entire being engulfed in golden radiance, his eyes shining with light. In a moment, a fierce wind swept across the battlefield, raising clouds of dust. Qingchen sneered, "Dao Eye! Not bad. Let’s see how potent your Dao Eye truly is now!"

My master remained silent, rising slowly into the sky within the shroud of golden light. Moments later, a massive golden eye materialized in the heavens, glaring fiercely at Qingchen. The Ghost King’s expression grew grave as he prepared for battle, gazing at the Dao Eye above. My master’s eyes blazed with gold as he intoned, "The divine head flees the darkness, transcending the spirit—Dao Eye’s radiant light, manifest!"

With those words, a blinding golden beam shot from the Dao Eye. Qingchen summoned ghostly energy to resist, but the Dao Eye drilled through it like a diamond, shattering the aura with a thunderous crash. The Ghost King was hurled backward, but recovered, laughing maniacally: "Ha! The Dao Eye is indeed powerful—exhilarating! Come, show me more!"

Meanwhile, Elder Chu Feng and the Ghost Deity Qiyuan, having slain the Ghoul General Xie Fan, rushed to assist my master, but he pointed them toward Elder Yao Shengtian. They immediately understood and dashed to the rescue.

Floating in the air, my master looked down upon Qingchen. In a low voice, he commanded, "Dao Eye, descend!"

He pointed at Qingchen, his voice echoing all around. The immense Dao Eye crashed toward the Ghost King, who did not shy from battle. His gaze wild, Qingchen gathered ghost energy into a black eye identical in size to the Dao Eye and met its descent head-on. With a thunderous collision, the two eyes clashed. My master coughed blood, and Qingchen staggered back several steps, spitting out black mist. Clearly, my master had the upper hand in this exchange.

Wiping the blood from his lips, my master spat out another thread of blood. Qingchen, equally wounded and panting, sneered, "Tan Boqing, you’re still this strong. They say your power’s been sealed—truth or rumor?"

My master gave a bitter chuckle. "True or not, it matters little. Today, I wish only to take your life." He coughed.

"Haha! Come then, surprise me if you can," Qingchen taunted, clutching his chest and beckoning my master forward.

Thus began their duel from afar—golden light clashing against black ghostly energy. The two forces intertwined, explosions resounding outward, neither side gaining the upper hand. After half an hour, Elder Yao Shengtian had been rescued from the battlefield by Sikong Fan, while Chu Feng and the Ghost Deity Qiyuan struggled to fend off the remaining ghost soldiers, their wounds multiplying, exhaustion setting in. Truly, as the saying goes: two fists cannot fend off four hands. The phrase fit the moment perfectly.

Soon, the struggle between my master and Qingchen began to tilt. My master, drained from the first two trials and the Wailing Soul Cave, and delayed by the Ghost General Xingqing, was no match for the freshly unleashed Qingchen. Seizing his chance, Qingchen lunged, black claws clamping around my master’s throat and slamming him down.

Blood spurted from my master’s mouth. He stared fiercely at Qingchen, who mocked him coldly, "Didn’t you want my life? Is this all you have, Tan Boqing? You disappoint me. Let me put you out of your misery!"

Qingchen’s laughter was chilling. After a moment, he tightened his grip, while my master, powerless to break free, continued feebly to launch Daoist attacks.

Qingchen was unimpressed. Raising his other hand, he drew in the surrounding ghost energy, which condensed into a ghostly blade. Chu Feng and the Ghost Deity Qiyuan, under assault from the ghostly tide, attempted to rush to my master’s aid, but without even turning his head, Qingchen unleashed a burst of dark energy, sending them flying into the distance. My master cried out, looking toward them, but Qingchen sneered, "Don’t worry—they’ll soon join you on the road to death. You’ll have company soon enough!"

With that, Qingchen grasped the ghost blade in his hand. My master, staring at the blade poised above his heart, showed no trace of fear; instead, a smile broke across his face. He muttered to himself, "Is this how I lose? Or was I wrong from the start? My friends, I’m sorry—I dragged you all into this. Xiaoxuan, I failed. I won’t get to see you grow. I’m unworthy to be your master. I’ll repay you all in the next life."

With those words, my master closed his eyes. The man who had always stood firm now believed he had erred, made the wrong decisions, and led everyone into peril. He felt he had failed them. In this moment, this tireless fighter in the world of the supernatural finally abandoned his struggle, choosing instead to start anew. Life is full of choices—some bring regret, some warmth and solace. My master chose to relinquish himself and depart this world. Perhaps he was simply too weary.

From afar, seeing my master cease his resistance, everyone panicked. They shouted in unison, "Boss! Boss! Dodge! Get out of the way!"

But these cries, reaching my master’s ears, sounded more like pleas. He said nothing, lying on the ground. Qingchen glanced at the bystanders and said darkly, "Don’t worry—you’ll be joining him soon enough."

Turning back to my master, Qingchen continued, "Farewell, Tan Boqing."

He brought the ghost blade down toward my master’s heart. But at that critical instant, the blade struck something as hard as metal, ringing out with a clang. Qingchen, who had begun to turn away, spun back in confusion—and was stunned by the sight before him. He roared, "Who’s there?!"

My master, lying on the ground, felt no pain. Instead, a golden light stabbed at his eyes. He slowly opened them and saw a Bagua diagram floating above his heart. In disbelief, he murmured, "Bagua… This is… the Yangming Jade?"

As he spoke, he looked into the distance and saw a youth walking calmly toward him. Focusing, he saw it was me. I had just tossed the Yangming Jade before my master. Facing Qingchen without fear, I said angrily, "Malicious spirit! Dare to harm my master and my elders? I will make you pay the price!"

Floating above, Qingchen stared in surprise at the youth’s sudden appearance, then burst into laughter. "You? Oh, Tan Boqing, so this is your disciple? Quite bold, daring to challenge me. Your master couldn’t defeat me—what can you do, boy?"

He laughed even harder, but I smiled as well. Qingchen paused, "What are you laughing at?"

I didn’t answer. Instead, I heard my master shout, "You brat! Why are you here? Didn’t I tell Yun’er to keep you away? Leave at once! You’re no match for Qingchen—don’t throw your life away! Go!"

Still, I ignored him, keeping my gaze fixed on Qingchen, who was starting to feel uneasy under my stare. Annoyed, he snapped, "Brat, since you’re so eager to die, I’ll oblige you!"

With that, Qingchen gathered a mass of ghostly energy and hurled it at me. I neither dodged nor flinched. Looking at my elders behind me, I declared, "You old hands, rest now. I’ll fight the rest of this battle."

Without looking back, I strode forward, ignoring the shouts of my elders. As the ghostly energy closed in, I remained unhurried. With a flick of my right hand, a silver spear wreathed in arcs of lightning materialized. The ghostly energy crashed toward me; I raised the spear and blocked it. With a hiss, the energy dissipated instantly, though the shockwave still forced me back several steps.

My heel sank into the soil of the underworld, leaving a shallow pit. I stamped my foot and advanced. At this, Elder Sikong Fan stared at the spear in disbelief. "Tianyinpo has accepted its master?"

Everyone was stunned, speechless as they stared at my back. Even my master muttered, "This boy—how did his power increase so quickly? He actually withstood a blow from the Ghost King Qingchen."

Naturally, I couldn’t hear these words—they were too far away. My heart was empty save for one purpose: to slay the Ghost King Qingchen for my master and elders.