Chapter 110: Lure

I was filled with an intense, overwhelming dread. It had been a long time since I had felt such fear, but the terror I just experienced went straight to the marrow of my bones. If my companion ghost hadn't intervened, Liu Changxi’s fate would surely have been ours as well. It was a suppression so absolute that I couldn't even draw a talisman; standing before her, I didn't even have the chance to risk my life to manifest a God-Shocking Talisman.

I crawled to Liu Changxi’s side, gasping for breath. His lips had already turned pitch black. "It seems that what guards the mountain's core isn't just the dragon in the water that Liu Changxi mentioned, but this ghost as well." Cold sweat beaded on my forehead. Li Yue’s eyes remained filled with undiminished panic. "The boat has stopped retreating. She will definitely return. It won't be easy for us to reach Changyuan Village..."

I gathered all the Fusion Talismans I had. I had also managed to accumulate over thirty Shock Talismans during our journey. "Connect these Shock Talismans and stick them all around the bow. She seems to fear the companion ghost; if we can force her to manifest, we should be able to drive her back."

Li Yue’s hands trembled, yet she moved quickly, using red thread to bind the talismans to the boat. "The talismans are barely effective, but wherever it gets wet, that’s where she is," I rasped.

At that moment, the companion ghost leaped from the bow onto my shoulder. Within its fist-sized skull, two pale flames flickered. The previous Battle Talisman had been soaked through and proved useless, but the Fusion Talisman was different. It utilized my own soul; the talismans I drew with my soul were manifested from thin air, requiring neither paper nor blood.

Soon, Li Yue finished her task. I ground blood-ink, ready to replenish the Fusion Talismans at any moment. Though I could only draw three at a time, I could immediately replace them as they were consumed. Regardless, we had to cross this underground river. Once we reached Changyuan Village and met Zhang Chang, we would find another way out. I even intended to find a way to enlist Zhang Chang’s help; perhaps I could even bring him with us.

Time crawled by, and in the darkness, this slowness felt agonizingly long. Suddenly, a Shock Talisman on the right side of the boat slowly grew damp. After a brief pause, our boat continued to drift backward. Li Yue did not use the Spirit-Capturing Mirror again. Using it drained her—it seemed to deplete the mana she had cultivated through her Daoist arts—and there was a limit to how often she could employ it.

The two flames within the companion ghost’s skull suddenly flared, and it vanished from my shoulder. In the next instant, it appeared outside the boat! It was standing on thin air—or rather, on the shoulders of the female ghost!

The ghost’s form suddenly flickered into view. Her hair grew rapidly, lashing out to coil around the companion ghost. With a sharp, piercing shriek, the companion ghost lunged and bit down hard on the female ghost’s neck! A sound like tearing flesh echoed through the cavern. The companion ghost ripped a chunk of flesh from her neck, exposing bone in a gruesome wound.

The female ghost let out a pained scream and vanished once more. The sight made my heart race. The companion ghost was tearing the flesh directly off her. It wasn't just the living who had flesh; ghosts who cultivated for long periods developed "ghost flesh." When these spirits died, they carried a piece of their original physical form with them. Once their yin energy became sufficiently powerful, that flesh would grow rapidly, covering their spectral form. This ghost flesh was saturated with yin energy and could be used as medicine in specific rituals.

After the female ghost vanished, the companion ghost returned to my shoulder. I noticed its aura had shifted—it was slightly stronger than before. Ghosts consuming other ghosts strengthened the soul, especially since the female ghost was quite powerful—certainly stronger in aura than my companion ghost. I wondered why she hadn't fought back, acting only on the defensive.

"Level suppression..." Li Yue whispered. "The companion ghost is a unique entity. It likely existed within you since birth. Now that your soul hasn't been fully released, it must be heavily suppressed as well. Before, when only your human soul was unsealed, the companion ghost was invisible. It only appeared after your earth soul was unlocked. It seems its primary form must be tethered to your heavenly soul."

I understood what she meant. As the companion ghost grew stronger, I felt a strange, corresponding strengthening of my own soul, as if we were connected in parallel. Are we interdependent?

Our boat continued to drift downstream. Ten minutes passed without any interference. I let out a sigh of relief, and Li Yue’s expression softened slightly. "That chunk of ghost flesh... she must have been severely wounded. Cultivation is difficult; it’s the same for mountain spirits and demons, but even more so for ghosts. After all, spirits have their essence if they die, but for a ghost, death means the total dissipation of the soul. She won't dare come back."

However, the companion ghost became restless, pacing on the deck as if craving another encounter. With the danger momentarily averted, I actually found myself wanting the companion ghost to confront her. If it grew stronger, I would too. Furthermore, if this nuisance had found us, she would remain a constant threat. If she were to awaken the thing in the water...

"Li Yue, keep moving forward. I'm going to get off the boat," I said, my voice raspy. I reached out and grabbed the skull of the companion ghost. It turned its head, the twin flames in its eye sockets flickering strangely. It seemed to understand my intent and remained motionless, offering no resistance.

I pressed the companion ghost against the back of my hand! The skull pattern manifested instantly, and I quickly drew a talisman to seal it inside. Its aura vanished completely.

"Are you insane?" Li Yue’s expression turned to one of shock and anger. "No! It’s too dangerous! Liu Changxi died just from being touched. If she gets close to you, you won't last any longer than he did!"

I narrowed my eyes and shook my head, my voice raspy. "This is an opportunity. As the companion ghost grows stronger, my soul strengthens too. The seal on my heavenly soul isn't easily broken, and if she draws more trouble toward us, the danger will only mount. We are heading straight for Changyuan Village; if the ancestors in the mountain's core are awakened, the crisis will be unimaginable."

"Even if the thing in the water wakes up, that alone will be enough to finish us," Li Yue said, biting her lip.

"Then I will watch you from the bow," she insisted.

"No, you must stay alert. I'm giving you all the Fusion Talismans. If you see a Shock Talisman get wet, use them immediately. I will return at once."

Li Yue’s eyes welled up. "Can we not? What if we're almost there?"

I didn't answer. I pressed all the Fusion Talismans into her hand and slipped off the boat at the exact spot where the female ghost had appeared. The water of the underground river was freezing, chilling me to the bone, and my body began to stiffen. I shivered uncontrollably.

Suddenly, I felt a cold, malevolent gaze fixed upon me. It was a sixth sense—no matter if you could see it with your eyes, when something was watching you, you could feel it. I fought to keep my breathing steady, keeping the hand that sealed the companion ghost pressed against the side of the boat, using my other hand to hold onto the edge. My feet couldn't touch the bottom as I drifted slowly along with the boat.

The feeling of being watched never left. I was certain she hadn't left. At least this way, she wouldn't wake the thing in the water. She seemed to be waiting, hesitant. My hand stayed pressed against the boat; if there was any change, I only needed to dip the back of my hand in the water to wash away the talisman and release the companion ghost. It would be a surprise attack.

I couldn't tell if I was covered in cold sweat or river water. My body was becoming numb, unresponsive. Then, the current seemed to quicken, and the boat began to rock more violently.

Li Yue crouched on the deck, her face a mask of panic and anxiety. "Xie Yuan... come back up! She isn't coming back. She was badly hurt; she’s not stupid, why would she come back to throw her life away?"

"The current is getting faster. I’m afraid of an accident. If the boat speeds up and you fall off, I won't be able to save you..." Li Yue was on the verge of tears.

My lips were turning purple, and I had lost almost all sensation in my body. I felt a deep sense of frustration, but I knew I couldn't hold on much longer. I gasped and began to climb back onto the boat. Li Yue’s face brightened, and she reached out to grab me. My lower body was nearly paralyzed, and as the current surged, I pushed upward with all my remaining strength.

"Hold on, I'm pulling you up now," Li Yue said breathlessly.

Suddenly, I realized the gaze fixed on me had vanished. She... she had left?

"Xie Yuan, pull harder, I've got you!" Li Yue cried, her voice strained as she pulled with all her might.

A strange, mounting unease filled my heart. At that very moment, our boat suddenly ground to a halt. The current was fierce, buffeting my legs, yet the boat had stopped—unnaturally, impossibly.

She was here.

My skin crawled. I let out a terrified roar. "Li Yue! Let go of me! She's here! Use the talismans!"

As I shouted, I used every ounce of my strength to tear my hand away from Li Yue’s grasp! The bone-chilling cold instantly permeated my entire body. The first thing I did as I submerged was to wipe the talisman off my hand.