Chapter 361 - 345: Ghost Cultivator (Part 2)
Chapter 361: Chapter 345: Ghost Cultivator (Part 2)
Wei Shi’s eyes were shut tight, his face a ghastly dark green. He was clearly poisoned, but he still had a heartbeat, and his breathing was relatively stable.
This wasn’t because the Ghost Cultivator had shown mercy. Ghost Cultivators use Corpse Qi and souls as the foundation for their cultivation; keeping their victims alive made it easier to refine and absorb them.
Zhao Lin had initially wanted to demand an antidote from the Ghost Cultivator, but on second thought, he realized that when dealing with such a person, a single moment of carelessness could lead to disaster.
Wei Shi wasn’t in immediate mortal danger, so Zhao Lin decided against asking the Ghost Cultivator. He took a Three Yang Pill and a Recovery Pill from his storage pouch and fed them to Wei Shi.
Then, he pressed on Wei Shi’s chest and infused Spiritual Qi to ensure his Qi and Blood flowed smoothly.
The Three Yang Pill dispelled yin qi, and the Recovery Pill treated internal injuries. Even if the pills weren’t the perfect antidote, they would still have some effect.
Besides, as a Body Cultivator, Wei Shi’s physical body was tough and already had a certain resistance to poison.
Sure enough, after a short while, Wei Shi slowly regained consciousness.
"Younger Brother Wei, how are you feeling?"
Zhao Lin asked with concern.
"What is this..."
Wei Shi struggled to open his eyes, rubbing his head as he spoke.
When he opened his eyes and saw Zhao Lin, his expression suddenly changed. His face filled with rage, and he roared as he threw a punch. "You treacherous backstabber!"
Zhao Lin waved his hand to block the blow and leaped back lightly.
Wei Shi’s punch was fueled by anger, and its power was astounding. If Zhao Lin hadn’t been prepared, he might not have been able to take it.
Zhao Lin knew Wei Shi had been deluded by the Illusion Array, so he wasn’t angry. He spoke patiently, "Brother Wei, everything you just saw and heard was a product of the Illusion Array. It wasn’t me. Think about it carefully."
He then briefly recounted what he had experienced within the Array.
Wei Shi froze for a moment, then slowly came to his senses. He tasted medicine in his mouth and realized that not only had Zhao Lin not harmed him, he had actually saved his life.
A look of shame crossed his face, and he said apologetically, "Brother Zhao, I’m sorry, I..."
Zhao Lin waved his hand, cutting him off. "Did you see me in the Array just now?"
"Yes!"
Wei Shi nodded. "You were being bitten by a Demon Beast. I saved you, but then you struck me with your palm..."
After speaking, he realized he had misspoken again and quickly corrected himself. "No! It was the illusion that struck me."
Zhao Lin grabbed the Ghost Cultivator and said to Wei Shi, "This is the person behind the Array. Younger Brother Wei, can you tell which path he cultivates?"
Wei Shi composed himself and studied the man carefully. After a moment, he said in surprise, "A Ghost Cultivator?"
"Exactly. But let’s not talk about that now. We need to find Li Zhe."
Holding the Ghost Cultivator, Zhao Lin passed between several large boulders. Just as they were about to reach the spot the Ghost Cultivator had pointed out, he suddenly heard a CRUNCH CRUNCH sound.
"Not good!"
Zhao Lin had a bad feeling. He dashed past a large rock and saw the Soul Devourer they had encountered when entering the cave. It was holding Li Zhe and stuffing the Yin Soul’s tentacles into its mouth.
More than half of the Yin Soul’s hundreds of tentacles had already been eaten.
"Die!"
Previously, Zhao Lin had been somewhat suspicious of Li Zhe, wondering if it was in league with the Ghost Cultivator and had lured him into the cave.
Seeing this scene, all his doubts vanished. With a wave of his hand, an ice blade shot forward.
The Soul Devourer was a gate-guarding Demon Beast raised by the Ghost Cultivator. Seeing Zhao Lin holding its master, it knew things were bad and prepared to escape with a spring of its legs.
A cold light flashed as the ice blade slashed into one of the Soul Devourer’s thighs.
The Soul Devourer let out a wretched scream, rolled on the ground, and scrambled back to its feet, trying to flee with a limp.
Zhao Lin caught up in a few steps. His iron ruler came down, and the Soul Devourer’s skull was instantly shattered.
"Li Zhe, are you all right?"
Seeing Zhao Lin speak to a Yin Soul, the Ghost Cultivator’s jaw dropped in astonishment.
Li Zhe was too weak to speak. It raised a tentacle and pointed at the Soul Devourer’s corpse nearby.
Zhao Lin thought for a moment and understood its intention. He placed Li Zhe on the Soul Devourer’s corpse.
The Soul Devourer was the natural enemy of a Yin Soul, but it was also a great tonic for one.
Li Zhe extended its tentacles, coiling them around the Soul Devourer’s head. Yin qi flowed, and its wounds healed at a visible rate as its body gradually returned to a pale blue color.
Zhao Lin relaxed slightly. He grabbed a handful of Spirit Rice from his storage pouch and chewed on it, then took out the Spirit Stone he hadn’t finished using earlier and sat down cross-legged.
He had been in a hurry to find Wei Shi and Li Zhe, so his Spiritual Qi hadn’t fully recovered. Only now did he have time to replenish it.
Seeing this, Wei Shi did the same.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Zhao Lin opened his eyes and walked straight to the Ghost Cultivator.
"Talk. Where did you come from? How did you become a Ghost Cultivator? Tell me everything."
While meditating, Zhao Lin had suddenly recalled something: a note in the mission details mentioned that two cultivators had gone missing in the Yinfeng Realm twenty years ago, their whereabouts still unknown.
’Perhaps this Ghost Cultivator is connected to it.’
The Ghost Cultivator’s eyes darted around. He answered evasively, "What are you going to do with me?"
Zhao Lin replied bluntly, "If you don’t talk, I’ll burn you to ashes. If you’re smart, you’ll confess everything honestly, and I’ll hand you over to the sect for judgment."
Hearing this, the Ghost Cultivator lowered his head and said stubbornly, "Either way, I’m dead. I’d rather not say anything."
Zhao Lin looked at him calmly. "You don’t have any desire to unburden yourself?"
The Ghost Cultivator’s eyes flickered. "Unburden myself of what?"
"How have you spent the last twenty years?"
"These last twenty years..."
The Ghost Cultivator stopped mid-sentence, astonished. "You... how did you..."
Zhao Lin gave him a faint, unreadable smile. "Don’t ask how I know. Are you ready to talk now?"
The Ghost Cultivator still refused to speak, simply turning his head away.
Zhao Lin shrugged nonchalantly. He took out a few Three Yang Pills, grabbed the Ghost Cultivator’s chin, and pretended he was about to shove the pills into his mouth.
"If you won’t talk, then have a taste of what it’s like to have your body burned by yang fire!"
Most Ghost Cultivators were all bark and no bite. Zhao Lin didn’t believe he could withstand it.
"Stop! I’ll talk!"
The Ghost Cultivator shrank back in terror, begging for mercy repeatedly.
Zhao Lin released his grip but kept the Three Yang Pills in his hand, watching him quietly.
The Ghost Cultivator struggled internally for a moment, then sighed and said, "My name is Hu Hongxing..."
When Li Zhe heard this name, it seemed to recall something. Its whole body trembled, and its tentacles gripped the Soul Devourer’s corpse, digging deep into its flesh.
Zhao Lin noticed Li Zhe’s reaction. His heart stirred, but his expression remained impassive.
Hu Hongxing continued his story. As Zhao Lin had expected, it was indeed related to the cultivators who had gone missing twenty years ago.
It turned out that Hu Hongxing was originally a cultivator from the Western Ox Continent. While on a sect mission, he had accidentally discovered the remains of a Ghost Cultivator and its legacy in a cave.
Hu Hongxing knew that Ghost Cultivators were a great taboo in the Cultivation Realm, so he didn’t dare touch the items left behind. However, for reasons he couldn’t speak of to others, he neither destroyed the items nor reported them to his sect.
Decades passed in the blink of an eye. Hu Hongxing was over sixty years old, but his cultivation was still stuck at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, and he was even showing signs of slow regression.
Seeing that he had no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment in this lifetime and would eventually just return to dust, Hu Hongxing was deeply unwilling to accept his fate. After much deliberation, the idea of becoming a Ghost Cultivator took root in his mind, and he returned to that cave.
Even without heaven-defying Mana, he could at least obtain a long lifespan.
Hearing this, Zhao Lin couldn’t help but feel a twinge of emotion. The two Boatman Cultivators who colluded with the rogue cultivators had apparently also done so because their cultivation had stagnated.
The path to longevity was difficult, like a thousand soldiers crossing a single-plank bridge. In the end, only a few could succeed.
Hu Hongxing continued his account. To become a Ghost Cultivator, one had to sever their own life force and first become one of the living dead.
Furthermore, regardless of one’s previous cultivation level, they would regress and have to start over from the beginning.
For this reason, a new Ghost Cultivator lacked the strength to challenge other cultivators and could only seek opportunities to harm mortals.
However, the mortal settlements of the Chenghua Sect were all protected by cultivators, making it extremely difficult for Ghost Cultivators to survive. The slightest carelessness could lead to them being caught.
From the books left by the Ghost Cultivator, Hu Hongxing learned of a certain type of person in the world: those born with a "Profound Yin Body," who were naturally suited for cultivating the Ghost Dao.
A cultivator with a Profound Yin Body who switched to the Ghost Dao could still maintain their original cultivation level. This was extremely beneficial for surviving the initial dangerous period, greatly increasing their chances of survival.
If one did not possess a Profound Yin Body, they could kill someone who did, then devour their Corpse Qi and soul. By doing so, they could inherit that person’s innate talent, and a large part of their own cultivation could be preserved.
"I do not have a Profound Yin Body, so I searched everywhere within the sect. My hard work finally paid off. I found one!"
Hu Hongxing said hauntingly.