Chapter 419: Ghost Mother? Ghost Mother!

The black-robed Daoists of the Three Yin Sect exuded a chilling ghostly aura. Even as Er Gou and his men rushed them with drawn blades, they remained entirely unruffled.

"The higher the expectation, the greater the disappointment. You lot are far from qualified to escape a Ghost Cultivator!"

"Jiang Detao has no real skill as far as I can tell. He can't even handle a few street thugs."

"Watch your words. Jiang Detao's reach is immense; it's not our place to discuss him."

"They're merely ordinary mortals. We can wipe them out with a wave of a hand."

The Daoists didn't react until Er Gou, sprinting at the front, closed to within three meters of them. Eerie smiles surfaced on their faces as each pulled seven black talismans from their robes, casting them in a specific sequence into the air before them.

All thirty-five talismans radiated black mist, churning the yin energy across the entirety of Xinhu High School.

"A complete set of talismans? Is this a formation?" Shocked, I tried to call Er Gou back, but it was already too late.

"Gao Jian, Lord Snake met you once. He even divined your fortune, saying your destiny was bound by Nine Locks, and that once they were all opened, you would definitely be Riding the Wind and Transforming into a Dragon." Lord Snake's high appraisal left She Qian somewhat resentful. With a cold expression, he continued, "To ensure no accidents occur, his venerable self specifically gave me this Six Paths Reincarnation Grand Formation. Its power rivals an Upper Vehicle ghost dao talisman, and if used within a Yin Fiend Ghost Den, its strength increases by another thirty percent!"

"Six Paths Reincarnation Grand Formation?" Mr. Gu and I exchanged a glance. Neither of us had ever heard of this array. But the sheer display of power was clear—before the formation even fully unfurled, Er Gou was frozen in place with the Deer Cutting Saber in hand. The lawless Desire Ghost was pinned to the ground, roaring in fury. As for the Filthy Ghost, it had long since fled to the side and dropped to its knees, refusing to even obey the commands of the Yin-Yang Ghost Art.

"The Yama Kings of the Ten Courts control the six paths of reincarnation. Within this formation, there is no distinction between yin and yang. It can forcefully enslave both the living and ghosts. Everyone who enters is meat on the chopping block. To die under this formation, Gao Jian, you can smile in the netherworld." She Qian brought out the Soul-Guiding Drum and the Soul-Driving Whip, chanting a ballad to summon the Yama King. In just seconds, twisted ghostly silhouettes emerged from the various buildings of Xinhu High School. When Xinhu High School turned into a hazard node five years ago, it attracted a massive number of wandering spirits and wild ghosts. Now, whether acting on instinct or forced by the formation's might, they all stepped out from their hidden corners.

One figure, two, ten, a hundred...

Faced with ghosts of every shape and size, even Lu Jin inside the Laboratory Building went pale with fright and quietly retreated behind his senior brother.

"Jian... Jian Ge, what do we do now?" Er Gou's men all looked to me. Their legs were trembling; they had never witnessed such a nightmarish scene.

My mouth went dry. Even if I risked exposing the Profound Truth Mental Method to unleash the Great Divine Mantra of the Big Dipper right now, it would be futile. There were simply too many ghosts.

She Qian clearly hadn't expected Xinhu High School to harbor this many ghosts either. He uttered the word 'excellent' three times in a row. "When Lord Snake had the Jiang family build Xinhu High School, I didn't understand his deeper intentions. But looking at it now, this place is a heaven-blessed breeding ground for ghosts! The yin energy forms a vortex—every ghost in Jiangcheng will probably be drawn here! Gao Jian, hand over your Secret Manual of Ghost Arts immediately, and I might spare your life. Otherwise, I will make you taste the agony of being torn apart by a hundred ghosts!"

Ghostly figures blanketed the campus. I had been to this place many times, but only today did I truly witness its horror. 'It really is a miracle that I made it out alive the first time I came to Xinhu High School to stream.'

I offered a bitter smile. This situation had completely surpassed my expectations. Who could have guessed that Lord Snake would bring out a formation on par with an Upper Vehicle Talisman—one even more precious and rare—just to deal with me? In a smaller Daoist temple, this would be their ultimate treasure. 'When he remains still, nothing happens, but when he moves, he shocks the world. Lord Snake is a deeply calculating man striking with the force of a thunderbolt. What can I even use to break this?'

While I was deep in thought, She Qian's sinister laughter echoed from within the grand formation. "Hand over the Secret Manual of Ghost Arts and enter the formation. I might consider letting your companions go."

"Jian Ge, don't listen to his bullshit!"

"Gao Jian, this formation is a one-way trip. You absolutely must not fall for it."

Er Gou's brothers and Mr. Gu were both trying to persuade me, but the more they did, the guiltier I felt. 'You came to help me. How could I doom you in return?'

With a soft sigh, I relaxed my clenched fists. "She Qian, we are surrounded by a hundred ghosts. Let my friends leave first, and then I will enter the formation and recite the Secret Manual of Ghost Arts to you. That is my bottom line. If you refuse, I would rather kill myself than breathe a single word of it!"

She Qian conferred with the Daoists around him, occasionally letting out a sinister chuckle, before finally reaching a decision. "Surrounded by these ghosts, I doubt you'd dare try any tricks."

He cracked his black whip, striking Er Gou and knocking him out of the formation.

I hurried over to help Er Gou up, intending to check his injuries. But to my complete surprise, Er Gou's shadow suddenly twisted. A dark silhouette with an aura no weaker than the Desire Ghost lunged out, snatched up Wang Yu, and leaped back into the formation.

The shadow brought Wang Yu before She Qian. Looking closely, I realized the ghost looked exactly like him. "Brother, you did well."

She Qian pinched Wang Yu's small face, admiring the child's pained expression before turning back to me. "Gao Jian, oh Gao Jian. I refined my own flesh-and-blood brother into a ghost, yet you actually believed my words? You're stupid beyond belief!"

His grating laughter filled Er Gou with intense self-blame. Raising his blade, he prepared to charge right back in. "Let me chop this bastard to pieces!"

"Come back!" I grabbed Er Gou's arm. "Take the men and leave first. I still have one way to break this."

"Jian Ge..."

"Did you forget what I told you when we came here? Hurry up and leave!" My face showed neither joy nor sorrow as I had Peng Dong and Peng Qiu drag Er Gou away. "Until you return to downtown Jiangcheng, you must listen to everything Mr. Gu says. Do not act rashly."

Only after forcing them far enough away did I let out a breath of relief. I wasn't the kind of person who liked owing anyone. Free from that worry, I shifted my gaze to Wang Yu in the formation. "Let the child go, and I'll tell you the full text of the ghost art."

"Do you take me for a three-year-old? If you want to take this kid, come in here and beg me yourself!" She Qian's withered hand pressed down on Wang Yu's shoulder, digging into his flesh like an iron claw.

Black blood flowed from the plum blossom-shaped wound and dripped down his fingers. I clenched my fists, my palms growing warm. "Fine!"

Step by step, I walked into the grand formation. Countless phantom images of ghosts appeared before my eyes, and I couldn't tell whether they were real or merely illusions spawned by the array.

But none of that mattered anymore. Ten streams had forged my mind to be as hard as steel. Ordinary demons and wicked spirits couldn't even incite my fear.

Seeing me enter the formation without changing my expression, She Qian's eyes flickered, but he quickly dismissed it with disdain. "Tough bones, huh? I love torturing tough bones!"

He squeezed harder, trying to make Wang Yu cry out in pain to distract me.

Yet reality disappointed him once again. No matter how much he tortured him, Wang Yu neither cried nor screamed. It was as if the boy had cried so many times that his tear ducts had simply failed.

"What a pair of tough bones. But I have plenty of time tonight to pry both your mouths open!"

I walked up to the five black-robed Daoists. The density of yin energy inside the formation was a hundred times that of the outside. It felt as though I were carrying a massive mountain on my back, making every single step incredibly difficult.

"Let Wang Yu go. He's just an innocent child."

"Innocent or not, you don't get to decide." She Qian looked me up and down. "Recite the general outline of the ghost art you practice. Let me hear it."

"Release him, or we have nothing to talk about." My attitude was resolute. Even though the pressure these five Daoists exerted on me inside the Six Paths Reincarnation Grand Formation felt like facing the Yama Kings of the underworld, my expression didn't change. I knew I couldn't afford to retreat, because I was already backed into a corner.

"Arrogant! You dare act so insolent after entering the Wheel Turning Grand Formation? It seems you want to experience the torments of the Eighteen Levels of Hell!" She Qian swung his black whip, lashing it against my body. "Kneel!"

The whip marks on my body multiplied. Seeing that I refused to yield, She Qian grabbed Wang Yu by the neck and hoisted him into the air. "Do you have the heart to watch him die right in front of you?"

The boy's tender face turned purplish-black, and his eyes rolled back until almost nothing but the whites showed. The bones in my fists popped, and I nearly shattered my teeth from gritting them so hard. "Stop, I'll..."

Before I could finish speaking, the surroundings suddenly fell silent. It was as if everyone had been grabbed by the throat, unable to make a single sound.

Black clouds obscured the sky and the moon. From the distant Clock Tower, twelve chimes rang out. As midnight arrived, the yin energy across the entire school began to boil like rolling water.

Sensing something, everyone looked toward the roof of the teaching building where the Paulownia Mulberry Talisman had once been hidden. A woman completely engulfed in black hair stood there. Her eyes were locked dead on Wang Yu in She Qian's grasp. The black hair wrapped around her body slowly parted, and venomous Infant Spirits crawled out from beneath her feet one by one.

The terrifying aura made everyone present shudder violently. She gently raised her hand, looking as though she were preparing to tear down the very sky above her!