Chapter Forty-Four: A Fierce Battle with the Azure Minister Ghost King

The Ghost King Qingchen was equally astonished that his attack had missed. He sneered, “Kid, you’ve got guts, actually managing to withstand one of my blows. No wonder you’re Tan Boqing’s disciple.”

I walked straight toward the Ghost King, retrieving the Yangming Jade without uttering a word. Qingchen let out a cold snort and signaled the ghost soldiers to charge at me. Frowning as I faced tens of thousands of remaining ghost soldiers, I held my spear horizontally before my chest, deflecting every assault. Again, I was forced back a dozen steps before I could steady myself. Suddenly, a ghost soldier launched an attack from behind. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end as danger surged. With a sweep of my spear, crackling with electric arcs, I annihilated every ghost soldier behind me.

Qingchen’s voice was icy, “Didn’t you say you’d make me pay the price? Yet you can’t even cross this little distance? Utterly foolish!”

I glared at Qingchen behind the ghost soldiers, gritted my teeth, and charged straight into their midst. The black and white twin fishes spun around me for protection as I moved through the ghostly horde with spear in hand. Soon, the numbers began to dwindle. All those present watched in disbelief. My master whispered, “How did that brat suddenly become so strong?”

Gripping the Sky Chant Breaker, I swept it forward with all my might. With a thunderous roar, a chain of lightning leapt from ghost soldier to ghost soldier. The agonized screams ringing out around me were deafening. Suddenly, I felt something warm trickling past my ear. I wiped it with my hand—it was blood!

I shook my head, surrounded by endless ghost soldiers. My master shouted anxiously, “No, this boy can’t hold them back much longer; we have to help him!”

He stood, gritting his teeth, but was held back by Elder Yao Shengtian. My master paused, turning to look at him.

“Don’t rush, Old Tan. Look carefully,” Yao Shengtian said, gesturing toward me.

Master redirected his gaze. Although I was encircled by the ghost army, aside from the blood at my ear, I bore no other injuries. As my master watched, I suddenly hurled the Yangming Jade into the sky. A vast Bagua diagram blossomed overhead, lines of the formation descending and enveloping all the ghost soldiers. Instantly, every ghost soldier froze, clutching their faces and howling in agony on the ground.

Qingchen was caught as well, but his power was incomparable to the ghost soldiers. He waved a sleeve, shrouding himself in ghostly energy. “Shangqing array pattern? How does a mere boy wield such strength? Hmph, useless rabble! You can’t even handle a single human child. Must I do everything myself? What use are you to me?”

With a furious roar, a torrent of ghostly energy surged skyward, splitting the Bagua diagram above him in two. Cloaked in ghostly power, Qingchen charged at me. Focused on maintaining the formation, I didn’t notice his approach until my master and the others shouted, “Boy, dodge! What are you standing there for?!”

Startled, I turned, but their warning came too late. Qingchen’s palm struck me, sending me flying. Blood filled my throat and spattered from my lips. He closed in, raising his claw to finish me. I rolled aside, sprang to my feet, and lunged with the Sky Chant Breaker. His ghost energy blocked my strike, forcing me back a dozen steps. I braced the Sky Chant Breaker behind me, preventing another fall.

By now, my head was spinning, blood trickling from the corner of my mouth as I stared at Qingchen, forcing myself upright. He laughed, “In the end, you’re just a human brat. Still, you’re sturdy enough to have taken this many blows and still stand. A pity!”

Breathing heavily, I shook my head, trying to banish the dizziness but failing. The spinning in my skull grew worse, but I refused to collapse, glaring at Qingchen. Weakly, I rasped, “Qingchen…Ghost King, you deserve death!”

With that, I hurled myself at him in a frenzy, the Sky Chant Breaker flicking upward. Qingchen dodged, but silver arcs of electricity leapt from the spear, striking him. Caught off guard, his face darkened as he spread his ghost energy to disperse the arcs.

“Your strength is mediocre, but your weapon is fine. Shame you’re such a useless master,” he mocked from within his ghostly shroud.

I gave no reply, lunging again as the black and white twin fishes soared overhead, enlarging and hovering above Qingchen. The black fish dove, absorbing his ghostly energy, while the white fish swooped with mouth agape to devour him. Qingchen didn’t evade; instead, he lashed out, tearing the white fish in half. My heart jolted. The black fish, maddened by its partner’s destruction, flung itself at Qingchen but met the same fate.

Seizing an opening, I darted forward, leaping as I thrust the Sky Chant Breaker at Qingchen, sending him flying. He glared at me, eyes wide with rage. “Despicable! You dare ambush me, lowly human? All of you will die!”

With a roar, he spread his arms. A black thunderbolt crashed down from the netherworld sky, a gale whipping around us. Shielding my eyes, I struggled to see. Qingchen was engulfed in wild ghost energy. All around, floating skulls and ghostly faces appeared. My master muttered, “Damn, Qingchen’s summoning the soul power of the underworld. Soon, it won’t just be ghost soldiers—we’ll have every vengeful spirit in the area drawn here.”

“What do we do, Chief? This boy can’t best Qingchen Ghost King,” Elder Chu Feng said.

Everyone looked to my master, who decided instantly, “We fight. We can’t just let a boy protect us.”

They all nodded in agreement. Standing amid the howling wind and the wails of vengeful spirits, I prepared to charge, but my master grabbed my arm, shouting against the gale, “Don’t be reckless! We’ll stop Qingchen—you stay here and cover us.”

Without waiting for an answer, my master and the others flew toward Qingchen. Stunned, I watched their lights flicker through the black wind. Not wanting to be left behind, I rushed forward with the Sky Chant Breaker. Before I reached Qingchen, I saw several figures thrown back—they were my master and the others.

They fell, coughing blood. Gritting my teeth, I stared at Qingchen. Stopping him was vital; otherwise, we would all die here. Once again, I summoned the Bagua diagram above Qingchen’s head, but the black wind was too strong, shrouding everything in ghostly mist. The golden light of the Bagua could not pierce through. I steeled myself and charged toward Qingchen.

Standing beneath him, the black and white twin fishes clung weakly to my arms, and the Yangming Jade could no longer pierce his ghostly shroud. All I had left was the Sky Chant Breaker in my hands. Glancing around, I could sense more and more vengeful spirits closing in. With resignation, I hurled the Sky Chant Breaker at Qingchen.

Crackling with cold, gleaming arcs, the spear finally provoked a reaction. Qingchen swooped down and seized me before I could dodge, pinning me to the ground as I spat up even more blood. Surveying the surroundings, he laughed maniacally, “Come, all of you! The soul power of the underworld is mine to command. Pledge yourselves to me!”

As his words faded, the black wind died away, but the air teemed with drifting, spectral figures—vengeful spirits and ghosts. The sight made one’s blood run cold. Lying on the ground with Qingchen’s claws around my neck, I gestured with a finger. With a whistling sound, the Sky Chant Breaker flew from behind, aiming for Qingchen’s back. Without turning, he snorted, sending a jet of ghost energy to knock the spear from my grasp. Seizing the moment, I grabbed the spear’s shaft, and it pulled me free from his grip, though not without cost—bloody gashes marred my chest.

Freed, I clutched my chest, dropping heavily to my knees as blood soaked my shirt. Collapsing, I gasped for breath, eyelids drooping as if sleep would claim me any moment. My master rushed to my side, cradling me and crying, “Xuan, Xuan…what’s wrong? Speak to me!”

He was genuinely panicked, shaking me desperately as the others crowded around. Looking weakly at my master, I whispered, “Master, to fight by your side—even if I die, I have no regrets…”

With those words, I finally succumbed and fainted. My master sobbed, gazing at me. “You little fool, causing all this trouble. If only you’d stayed home, would it have come to this?”

Then he looked at the others and the Ghost King. “Look after the boy for me. I’ll deal with Qingchen myself.”

“But—!” Elder Sikong Fan protested.

“No buts. This battle was always mine to fight. Don’t get involved, just take care of him for me.”

Exhausted, my master walked toward the Ghost King without looking back. Qingchen burst into laughter, “Tan Boqing, you really are a man of honor. Let’s see who can save you this time.”