Their eyes had already spotted the cave entrance not far away, yet they both sensed something was wrong almost immediately.

The path they had walked before still allowed some light through, but here, it was like the heavens had been blotted out. The forest was dark as night.

It felt cold and damp. The air smelled rotten. Chill drafts brushed against them, making their backs prickle.

“A Yin Haunt!” Yun Li froze, a bad feeling flooding him. Something bad was coming.

As his voice faded, a few sinister, chilling laughs suddenly echoed from deep within the dark woods ahead.

“Ee hee hee hee…”

“Hee hee hee…”

Hearing these strange, eerie laughs, Yun Li couldn’t help but frown.

A Yin Haunt gathered lost souls and Yin ghosts. If they were in the mortal world, such things would be no big worry. But this was Qingyuan, crawling with cultivators. If any cultivators who died here were trapped and turned into Ghost Cultivators… that wasn’t something Yun Li could handle.

“This Evil Spirit sure knows how to pick a spot,” Chen Changsheng remarked.

Indeed, a place shrouded in such thick Yin Energy, untouched by daylight, was incredibly helpful for the spirit’s recovery.

Chen Changsheng flicked his wrist.

A black pagoda flew out, landing softly in his palm.

His fingers moved rapidly, forming seals. A low commandment issued from his lips.

“Suppress!”

As the single word fell, several beams of golden light surged out.

They lifted the Black Pagoda into the air, suspending it high over this part of the forest.

“Boom!”

Suddenly, the entire mountain forest trembled violently.

Trees swayed wildly before them, and light pierced through the canopy.

“How dare you!”

“You dare destroy our sanctuary! Give us your life!”

Hoarse roars erupted from the woods. Instantly, a violent Yin wind howled towards them.

Chen Changsheng stepped into the heart of the Yin Haunt.

What met his gaze: nearly a hundred Wandering Spirits, turning into streams of black smoke, attacking him.

Chen Changsheng raised his index and middle fingers, uttering another word.

“Bow down!”

The Black Pagoda abruptly radiated a crushing pressure, bearing down like a mountain.

Screams exploded from within the woods, sharp and piercing, almost deafening.

“You won’t die a peaceful death!”

“Give us your life!”

These spirits seemed utterly mad, driven beyond reason, throwing themselves recklessly at Chen Changsheng.

Chen Changsheng raised an eyebrow, sensing trouble.

A Yin Haunt could indeed harbor Wandering Spirits, but becoming a spirit didn’t mean they lost their wits. If they knew they couldn’t win, they’d retreat. Yet not a single one of these spirits backed down. Instead, they grew increasingly frantic, their bodies radiating billowing black smoke.

Yun Li stepped inside too, his expression gravely serious. “These spirits… they’re probably being influenced by that Evil Hand!”

“Shriek!”

A sharp, grating scream scraped across Yun Li’s ears.

He grimaced, his hand tightening on his sword’s hilt.

Yun Li formed seals with his fingers and drew a talisman from his sleeve. It ignited instantly in his hand.

He closed his eyes, chanting mantra words under his breath.

“Cloud Mountain Immortal Arts! Righteous Energy, enter the sword! Sever these Yin ghosts!”

“Come!”

Yun Li charged forward, sword leading the way, engaging the Wraiths immediately.

Their clash was fierce, surprisingly, Yun Li held his ground, not falling behind.

“Mr. Chen!” Yun Li yelled as he moved, “Please go finish off that Evil Hand! Don’t let it escape!”

Chen Changsheng took a determined step and plunged into the cave.

Yun Li swept his sword wide, forcing back the spirits pressing him.

He spared a glance towards the cave entrance, a mocking grin spreading across his face as he locked eyes with the near-hundred spirits surrounding him. “You lot! Meeting me today is your stroke of luck! I’ll guide you properly to the next life!”

“Taste my steel!”

Alone, with just his sword, Yun Li danced amidst a storm of near a hundred spirits.

He met their furious assaults head-on, his sword flashing like lightning, matching them blow for blow, firmly maintaining his stand.

Chen Changsheng stepped into the cave, and darkness swallowed him instantly.

His fingertips traced a swift motion, shimmering with a golden light.

He swept his hand out, releasing the glow.

“Weird spirits, cunning specters! There’s nowhere left to hide!”

Illuminated by the shimmering golden light, Chen Changsheng scanned the cave again.

He caught a sliver of dark, corrupt energy slipping past him, racing towards the cave mouth!

“Where do you think you’re going!”

Chen Changsheng pursued it, darting out of the cave.

He leaped high into the air.

Beneath the restored daylight, he saw the mass of black vapor clearly.

Within the black smoke, an unnatural greyish-white hand throbbed sickeningly.

Its fingers tapered to points stained blood-black, as if the tips had been dipped in dried blood clots.

The Evil Hand shot like an arrow towards the Black Pagoda suspended in the sky.

It clearly aimed to seize the magic treasure!

Chen Changsheng swept the Rain-Listening Sword horizontally through the air.

“Sever!”

The arm hidden within the swirling mass of Evil Qi felt intense danger. It recoiled violently, desperately shrinking back.

“Soul Spirit!”

Chen Changsheng sheathed his sword. He raised both palms before his chest, fingertips intertwined in a complex seal.

His eyes snapped open sharply.

“Manifest!”

Instantly, a colossal, blurred giant materialized behind Chen Changsheng, towering like a mountain peak.

The presence it exuded was vast and immeasurable.

The Evil Hand sensed its terrifying pressure and visibly jolted.

“Boom…”

Its body seemed to convulse. The dense Evil Qi cloaking it splashed apart as if struck, visibly weakening and thinning.

Observing this, Chen Changsheng declared, “So you really do possess a Soul Soul!”

The Evil Hand… might not be an ordinary corpse monster at all!

Corpse monsters were born from the accumulated grievances and miasma that festered between Heaven and Earth! They lacked true Soul and Soul Spirit!

They shouldn’t fear attacks directed at the Soul!

Yet under the pressure from the towering Soul Spirit just now, the Evil Hand had clearly recoiled and weakened. This proved what he suspected!

Realizing its secret was uncovered, the Evil Hand seemed to enter its death throes.

It burst into motion faster than ever, transforming into a streak of black lightning.

It charged with unambiguous suicidal ferocity towards the Black Pagoda floating above!

Seizing it might provide a slim chance to survive!

Chen Changsheng made no move to stop it. He simply watched calmly.

The Evil Hand closed the distance, its corrupt aura boiling as it stretched desperately…

It grasped the Black Pagoda!

Victory seemed within its grasp!

But in the instant its greyish-white fingers clutched it…

The Black Pagoda shattered silently into countless sparkling fragments.

They dissipated like mist in the sun.

The Evil Hand froze mid-motion, stunned.

It finally comprehended – this had been a deception the entire time!

The Black Pagoda suspended in the air wasn’t real at all!

Bad! Horror flashed through its consciousness.

Its swirling smoke form spun wildly back towards the mouth of the cave.

But it saw nothing beyond the cave opening. Only the colossal Soul Spirit projection seemed to fill its entire vision, blocking all escape.

Suddenly, the Evil Hand trembled violently.

Copious sickly black vapor erupted from its surface like ink in water, rapidly thickening into an ink-like cloud, fiercely engulfing it completely!

At its final moment, it still sought a way to flee!

Chen Changsheng merely thought it.

The colossal Soul Spirit phantom raised one titanic hand, stretching out towards the thick black mist.

It enveloped the entire mass.

Crush!

“Argh!!”

A shrill, inhuman shriek erupted!

Within that enormous Soul Spirit hand, the mist coalesced, struggling into a distinct blurred form.

It had forcibly extracted something! Like a core Soul Spirit!

Where the ink-like cloud had been, only a severed human arm remained.

It tumbled sadly towards the mountain forest below.

Seeing this, Chen Changsheng’s eyes sharpened. He dove downwards instantly.

He landed lightly on the forest floor, already scanning the surrounding foliage.

His gaze paused suddenly. He froze.

The severed grey-white arm had landed nearby.

But he saw… the five fingers of that Evil Hand were suddenly flexing!

Its tendons stretching beneath the skin!

It clawed at the ground, a disgusting sound accompanying each scrape.

It actually moved… like a spider, crawling rapidly deeper into the woods!

“Huh?” Chen Changsheng felt pure shock ripple through him.

He was certain that just moments ago, with his Soul Spirit avatar, he had clearly captured the core Soul Spirit residing within that arm!

So how was the physical Hand still moving autonomously?!

Unable to reconcile the contradiction, he immediately gave chase.

He could not let that damn Thing escape again!

He pursued it deep into the forest canopy.

His speed, using movement techniques, was naturally faster than a crawling severed hand.

He easily cornered it beyond a tall cliff, trapping it against a large boulder.

No escape!

Chen Changsheng approached slowly, coldly eyeing the squirming, twitching greyish-white limb before the rock face.

His Rain-Listening Sword hovered steadily beside him, poised and vibrating faintly.

A chilling Sword Intent silently condensed upon the blade’s tip. Imminent killing energy locked onto its target.

“Tell me… whose arm are you?”

His voice held no warmth, erupting like muffled thunder within the desolate gorge.

The Evil Hand seemed utterly panicked. Its speeding energy mass writhed chaotically before the boulder. It tried to scale the sheer rock face…

But above was the cliff face blocking its path. Behind stood Chen Changsheng. Escaping was impossible.

As if finally accepting its fate, the violent, swirling smoke clinging to its surface slowly began to dissipate. Its frantic thrashing gradually calmed until…

It finally lay perfectly still. Utterly still.

Seeing it utterly subdued, Chen Changsheng snorted coldly.

“At least you have some sense.”

He plucked a small, ordinary wildflower blooming nearby.

His fingers moved rapidly, weaving intricate sealing patterns directly onto the air.

The flower in his hand pulsed gently with light.

He pointed it towards the inert grey-white hand on the forest floor.

“Store!”

A faint halo appeared around the hand. It shrank rapidly, vanishing into the flower’s center.

With a thought, the blossom vanished back into his storage space.

Only then did Chen Changsheng finally exhale slightly. He immediately turned and dashed back towards the clearing before the cave entrance.

Earlier, when he used his Soul Spirit power to drag out the hand’s core Soul Spirit, he’d activated his Soul Spirit projection. After that shocking scene, his sole instinct was to pursue the escaping physical Hand. He hadn’t bothered checking the condition of the captured Soul Spirit within the projection. He had no idea whether it shattered immediately upon capture.

He needed to get back immediately!

As Chen Changsheng broke through the treeline and appeared back before the cave, a shockingly pure golden light suddenly erupted from the center of the charnel clearing!

Fierce chanting echoed simultaneously:

“Vanish!!!”

BOOM!

The instant that golden light touched the ground, it seemed to ignite the very forest itself! Flames scorched not trees, but ethereal figures!

Ghastly wails tore through the clearing once more.

Chaos erupted.

A figure swiftly backflipped out of the blazing inferno, landing firmly near the forest edge.

Yun Li. He was breathing hard, traces of exhaustion and a few minor scorch marks on his robe visible, but otherwise unharmed.

Seeing Chen Changsheng return, Yun Li quickly approached.

“Mr. Chen!”

Yun Li asked anxiously, “Did you destroy the Evil Hand?”

“Yes,” he nodded.

He took two steps forward, casually extending his palm towards the fading Soul Spirit projection still lingering over the clearing.

He beckoned gently.

The titanic, illusory palm trembled slightly before dissolving into countless wisps of mist. It scattered away like morning fog under the sunlight.

Just before it fully vanished, a thick clump of darker mist coalesced, writhing weakly within what remained of the giant hand’s shadow.

Chen Changsheng swept his hand towards it.

That writhing mist instantly flew towards him! He grabbed it firmly.

He brought the pulsing mass close to his eyes, scrutinizing the vaguely struggling silhouette trapped within the faint golden glow.

His brows suddenly lifted. An anomaly?

This captured Soul Spirit…

Its fluctuations… appeared fundamentally different from the monstrous essence he sensed within the pit earlier. Its base composition seemed different…

How did… the flow trapped within his grasp feel familiar somehow?

He suddenly realized.

“This you captured… is actually a human Soul Spirit?”

A perfect translation resonance!

That would explain the ease! Why he could extract it with just Soul Spirit projection pressure!

He clicked his tongue softly.

“That spirit… was indeed bold.”

To dare host its core consciousness within such a thing… A human Soul Spirit occupying an Evil Hand.

Truly a presumptuous gambler.