Chapter 211: The Final Test

The Ghost King had already eliminated two people in a row. Inside the ruined temple, only Tang Chen was still struggling to hold on. The talismans on his body had long been used up. He could only rely on the talisman sword in his hand—blocking the pervasive evil energy while constantly shifting his position to dodge attacks. At first, he managed, but as time went on, his spiritual energy was nearly depleted, and his body was reaching its limit.

Seeing that he still couldn’t injure Tang Chen, the Ghost King let out an enraged roar. A thick, ink-like wave of dark energy burst out from his entire body, flooding the broken temple and its surrounding walls. The chilling air spread like shards of ice, surging toward Tang Chen. He had no choice but to raise his sword again to block it. Yet this time, the yin energy was too powerful—he had just infused his spiritual energy into the sword when a crisp ding rang out by his ear.

The only talisman sword in his hand shattered instantly, and the yin energy struck him directly. Tang Chen was blown back several meters, blood gushing from his mouth.

“Chen’er!” Tang Yi was so panicked that he leapt to his feet, wanting to rush in and save his son, but he forced himself to stay put, his father’s heart breaking to pieces. His son’s pride was both his strength and his flaw—he would never surrender until the very end.

The Ghost King, infuriated, released even more violent yin energy. The overwhelming darkness gathered like a vast net, descending to engulf Tang Chen. Just as it was about to devour him, Tang Chen’s body suddenly flickered and vanished—the spot where he’d been lying and bleeding was now empty. The endless wave of yin energy struck nothing.

Not only Tang Yi, but even the sect leaders in the hall were all startled.

“Where did he go?”

“It’s a formation!” said Yun Jiao, who had been calm the whole time.

Everyone froze.

“What formation?” They hadn’t seen any sign of one activating—had Tang Chen used a talisman to teleport away?

Before anyone could think further, Tang Chen’s voice suddenly echoed from within the water mirror:

“Heaven and earth, five elements, subdue demons and slay evil—Formation, arise!”

The mirror shimmered, and the image fixed on Tang Chen’s current location. Somehow, he had slipped to the center of the ruined temple, right beside the Ghost King’s enormous form. His hands moved rapidly, weaving seals as he chanted long incantations.

In the next instant, five beams of colored light shot skyward, pinning themselves at the five corners of the temple, sealing the Ghost King within them. In the middle of those beams, a massive formation appeared, descending with purifying divine power.

“The Five Elements Demon-Subduing Formation!” Elder Jiao, the class supervisor, was the first to recognize it.

Only then did everyone understand what Yun Jiao had meant earlier. Tang Chen hadn’t been retreating merely to dodge the Ghost King’s attacks—he’d been setting up the formation the whole time.

The Five Elements Demon-Subduing Formation was an Earth-grade array—the very same one Yun Jiao had drawn during her entry examination. Even for the sect leaders, setting it up was extremely difficult. For Tang Chen to form it alone under such conditions was truly a testament to his talent.

This formation could subdue demons and slay monsters—even beings with a thousand years of cultivation couldn’t withstand it. Naturally, neither could the Ghost King.

Within moments, the Ghost King’s spreading yin energy was mostly dissolved by the radiance of the array. It struggled violently to break free, but the beams of light cut through its darkness—each strike stripping away huge portions of its energy, making it scream in pain.

The formation began shrinking, becoming like a five-colored cage, locking the Ghost King inside tighter and tighter.

Now, true panic filled the Ghost King. It crashed against the barrier again and again, but not only could it not escape—it was being wounded further. The beams of light sliced through its very soul, making it howl in agony.

Terrified, its ghostly form began trembling uncontrollably. It gathered its yin energy tightly, curling itself into a ball, shivering pitifully. As the array continued to shrink, threatening to slice it to pieces, the Ghost King screamed in fear:

“Lord Yama—!”

Save me! They’re killing a ghost!

(;Д')

The Ghost Judge who had been hiding nearby could no longer stand it and revealed himself. In an instant, icy wind howled all around, and a streak of dark energy shot from the right, striking the formation.

The nearly complete array shattered with a loud clang! Though immensely powerful, the Five Elements Demon-Subduing Formation was easier to break from the outside than from within—and since Tang Chen was already injured, it collapsed quickly.

Startled, Tang Chen raised his head and saw a colossal spectral figure appear before him. The figure wore a black official robe; the yin energy around him was ten times denser and purer than that of the Ghost King. Yet, unlike a malevolent spirit, his presence carried an aura of solemn authority. His voice echoed ethereally:

“Please, young one, stay your hand!”

“You are… a spirit messenger?” Tang Chen asked, eyes widening.

“I am a Ghost Judge of the Underworld,” the figure admitted, though his hand behind his back quickly formed a secret seal to send a message to Bai Yu: Lord Yama, we’ve been exposed!

“Ghost Judge!” Tang Chen exclaimed. He had guessed the stranger might be from the Netherworld but hadn’t expected him to be a Ghost Judge. His mind raced, and he turned toward the wounded Ghost King, fury in his eyes.

“Since you are a Ghost Judge, why stop me? Do you intend to let this Ghost King remain in the mortal world and bring disaster upon mankind?!”

The Ghost King, trembling, immediately darted behind the Ghost Judge’s spectral form, shaking in terror.

The mortal world is terrifying—I want to go back to hell!

“You misunderstand, young friend,” the Ghost Judge said awkwardly with a forced smile. “This Ghost King did not escape to the human realm on its own. I… was entrusted by a friend to bring it here—to serve as a sparring opponent for the Celestial Sect’s grand examination. It was never meant to truly harm anyone. Please, show mercy. I’ll take it back to the underworld at once.”

In truth, this Ghost King had merely been set up as the final test—one that couldn’t even be triggered unless someone approached within a meter. Who would have thought the disciples of the Celestial Sect would be so strong, not only reaching the deepest level but nearly beating the Ghost King to death!

A complete blunder—an utter failure of duty!

“Sparring partner?!” Tang Chen was utterly dumbfounded. He glanced at the pitiful Ghost King huddled behind the Judge and realized that, indeed, the Ghost King hadn’t seemed intent on killing them earlier. Even his two fellow disciples had only been teleported away—not slain. What he’d thought was luck now seemed deliberate mercy.

The sect masters in the hall were equally shocked by the sudden appearance of a Ghost Judge. In recent years, ghost disturbances had grown rare. Though they had occasionally dealt with underworld envoys, this was the first time anyone had seen a Ghost Judge—an existence second only to Yama himself.

At once, everyone recalled Yun Jiao’s earlier words and turned to her in unison.

“Master Yun, when you said Daoist Bai had acquaintances below… you didn’t mean a Ghost Judge, did you?!”

If that were true, it would explain everything—even summoning the Ghost King.

“Mm… something like that,” Yun Jiao replied.

Everyone: “……”

What do you mean, something like that?

So—is it true or not?!

(End of Chapter)