Chapter 133 – A Fierce Confrontation

Logically speaking, Wei Yang had been using his spiritual vision for quite some time now. He had encountered everything from ordinary ghosts to malevolent spirits and even yin soldiers, so he shouldn’t have been startled by mere ghostly apparitions. However, what appeared before him was no ordinary ghost.

The woman in the nightgown held her arms half-folded, her head hanging low, but her exposed wrists and neck were a vivid cherry red, as if she had been smeared with rouge all over her body. The grinning man had half of his skull missing, and red and white fluids dripped down his nose, almost falling into his mouth. The fierce-looking, plump woman had a long, bloody gash across her neck, and her clothes were soaked with dark blood. A pale, sickly child stumbled along, his belly swollen as if he were ten months pregnant. And then there was a skinny, shriveled old man with bulging eyes and a long tongue hanging from his lips.

These malevolent spirits, whose causes of death were immediately apparent, had faces that were eerily lifelike. Some looked happy, others angry or sorrowful, as if they were acting out a tableau of human life. In the quiet, deep forest, enveloped by the pale mist, they looked both sinister and grotesque.

Noticing Wei Yang’s expression, Zhang Xiuqi immediately asked, “What kind of apparitions? What did you see?”

Although he also possessed the ability to see spirits, Zhang Xiuqi only saw clumps of yin and malevolent energy, dense and murky, without being able to discern their original forms. This was a natural difference between Taoist arts and the bloodline of witches, something that couldn’t be bridged by human effort.

“Men, women, old, and young—five in total. Each died in a different way, and they’re all wearing expressions… as if they’re still alive!” Wei Yang tried his best to keep his voice steady, but the ghostly figures were flickering, covering hundreds of meters in an instant, much like the jerky apparitions in horror movies.

Zhang Xiuqi’s expression darkened as well, and a talisman flew from his hand. “The Five Mourning Formation!”

The Taoist tradition had spanned two thousand years, and countless legacies had been altered over time, giving rise to numerous forbidden formations. Yet, even among these, the Five Mourning Formation ranked among the top ten in terms of sheer cruelty. Its forbidden nature wasn’t just due to its destructive power but also because of the unique materials required to create it.

A woman who had just given birth, a man who had just achieved success, a child who had just lost their parents, an elderly person who had just lost their children, and a person who had struggled through half their life with a cursed fate—these were the innocent souls used as the foundation of the formation. Their spirits were trapped in carvings made from five types of wood brimming with yin energy: poplar, mulberry, willow, locust, and osmanthus, forming the Five Mourning Formation.

The most terrifying aspect of malevolent spirits was the depth of their “obsession,” or resentment. These individuals were at pivotal moments in their lives, their emotions—whether joy, anger, or sorrow—reaching their peak, only to be abruptly cut short by death. The things they had just gained or lost would catalyze into the opposite emotions, giving rise to an “excessive obsession,” turning them into extremely vicious and resentful mourning ghosts. However, finding such innocent souls was no easy task, and the Jiangtou master who set up such a formation would most likely have personally committed the murders. Thus, the Five Mourning Formation was shrouded in an aura of extreme taboo.

Moreover, it was clear that other formations had been layered over this forest. The pale mist surrounding the shadowy figures was undoubtedly yin and malevolent energy condensed into a fog. A single Five Mourning Formation was already horrifying enough, let alone one combined with other formations!

Zhang Xiuqi reacted swiftly. Once he understood the nature of the formation, he immediately threw out the Dragon Summoning and Evil Dispelling Talisman. However, the power of the formation couldn’t be countered by a mere set of talismans. With a crack, the three yellow talismans shattered, and the woman with her head lowered suddenly raised it, her pale eyes glowing with two streaks of blood.

Wei Yang’s hands were no longer trembling. He ran his finger along the edge of his military dagger, and blood immediately gushed out, splattering onto the talisman paper in front of him. Even if he didn’t fully understand the Five Mourning Formation, he knew it was far more dangerous than the Soul Dolls and evil spirits he had encountered before. As the talisman ignited into flames, the Bone Formation in his hand began to emit a faint silver light.

As if angered by the light, the five ghostly figures flickered and appeared around the two of them in an instant. Black hair, sharp claws, slimy tongues, and bared fangs all lunged at them, only to be repelled with a buzz. The yin energy surged violently, and a blinding silver light cut through the air.

The ghostly wails suddenly rose several octaves, reaching a pitch that could shatter glass. Blood immediately spurted from Wei Yang’s nose, but his grip on the Bone Formation didn’t loosen in the slightest. Zhang Xiuqi swung the Suihou Sword even more urgently, using talismans to try and disperse the mourning ghosts, taking them down one by one. However, after just a moment of fighting, he realized something was wrong—it seemed as if someone was controlling the Five Mourning Formation!

With a slash, Zhang Xiuqi cleaved through the skull of the child ghost and, as he pulled back, quickly glanced toward the forest. Through the hazy white mist, a figure slowly emerged. It was an elderly man dressed in a black Tang suit. His hair was completely white, but his face bore few wrinkles, and he looked full of vitality. However, his eyes carried a disgusting air, a mix of disdain and greed. The old man didn’t look at Zhang Xiuqi but instead locked his gaze onto Wei Yang.

“The Bone Formation. It really is the Bone Formation.” His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried far, as if he were speaking directly into their ears. “You didn’t use the Soul Attaching Spell, yet you can still activate the power of the Witch Bones…”

With a shhk, Zhang Xiuqi tore off the bandage he had just wrapped around his left wrist, and his blood splashed onto the clumps of black mist. The mourning ghosts let out piercing screams, as if they had been set on fire. He couldn’t tolerate someone staring at Wei Yang like that, with such a covetous gaze!

Wei Yang, however, pulled out a yellow talisman from his pocket, smeared it with blood, and a bolt of silver lightning shot toward the old man. The Five Thunder Righteous Heart Talisman couldn’t directly attack humans, but the area around him was so thick with yin energy that it was like a pot of soup—a perfect target.

Yet the man simply flicked out a piece of Dead Jade, and the lightning bolt that had been aimed straight at him suddenly changed direction, crackling as it reduced the jade to powder. A ghostly wail erupted from the “pink woman,” and she lunged at Wei Yang with claws bared.

“Mother and Child Evil!” Zhang Xiuqi shouted, throwing out a Yin Ghost Talisman! This unique talisman, crafted with powder from the Three Corpses, could instantly separate yin and yang, dispelling obsession. It was most effective against resentful spirits like this. He had originally planned to save it for a surprise attack, but who could have guessed that the man hadn’t even spared this woman’s child, turning him into a ghostly curse as well? When the child was struck by the thunder technique, the woman naturally wouldn’t let go of Wei Yang, who had cast the spell.

This talisman, however, proved to be quite effective. Seeing the woman ghost repelled in an instant, Luo Jin finally turned his attention to Zhang Xiuqi, smiling with a hint of condescension. “So you’re from Longhu Mountain. It seems my junior brother Sun met his end at your hands. Your skills are indeed impressive, but you shouldn’t have come into these mountains. Especially not with someone who possesses the blood of a witch.”

His eyes were sharp. After just this brief observation, he had already figured out how Wei Yang was activating the Witch Bones and even noticed that one of the bones in his hand was the one that had been lost by Sun Nian’en—the treasure that his master had never let out of his sight. The Bone Formation was always a complete set, and as long as he could obtain this set, wouldn’t his master reward him? Perhaps even grant him another twenty years of life.

Now, he no longer lacked wealth or power, but his lifespan was an insurmountable chasm. The more he used these powers, the less control he had over his life. The only one who could extend his life was his master…

Luo Jin moved, no longer maintaining his calm and composed demeanor. He pulled out a blood talisman from his inner robe, bit his finger, and carefully drew a dot of blood to activate it. This talisman was the core of the Outer Mountain’s Chain Formation. Once activated, all the small formations within a mile radius would be triggered, allowing the Five Mourning Formation to unleash its full power and annihilate these two brats in one fell swoop.

And that boy with the witch’s blood—his soul would become his for the taking. Luo Jin’s aged face twisted into a sinister smile as he flipped the talisman into the air.

As if pulling on invisible strings, the entire forest trembled. Malevolent energy surged out like a whirlpool, churning and roiling, and even the pale mist around them began to boil. The five mourning ghosts went berserk, attacking with red blood flying everywhere. Luo Jin watched the scene with satisfaction, eagerly awaiting the moment when the two would be torn apart by ghostly claws, their screams echoing through the mountains.

Dealing with these youngsters was too easy.

Too easy…

At that moment, a shadow flickered in the corner of his eye. Before he could even process what it was, the situation before him suddenly changed. The “beautiful” woman ghost suddenly turned her head, her pale, lifeless eyes locking onto him. Luo Jin’s heart skipped a beat, but before he could react, the woman ghost smiled, revealing a row of sharp teeth.

What was going on? Before he could figure it out, something scurried up to his feet. It was a child-sized ghost, with a large head and a small body, completely black. The little ghost silently climbed onto his knee, its sharp claws digging into his kneecap.

Luo Jin let out a scream, swatting the little ghost away. How was this possible? Hadn’t it been destroyed by the Five Thunder Technique? How could it still be alive! But it was already too late. The woman ghost let out a piercing shriek and lunged at him, her crimson hands bringing with them a foul, stinking wind. Luo Jin didn’t dare hesitate, quickly chanting an incantation to try and regain control of the Five Mourning Formation. But the five mourning ghosts seemed to have broken free of his control, no longer obeying his commands! Cold sweat dripped from Luo Jin’s forehead as he grabbed the floating Chain Formation talisman, flipping it over and hastily drawing another blood mark. As he did so, the power of the formation seemed to shift direction, aiming to tear the five malevolent ghosts to pieces. However, just as the talisman’s power began to activate, Luo Jin suddenly froze, looking down at his knee. Shouldn’t it have been gouged out by the little ghost? Why was there no blood…

With a start, Luo Jin drew a short knife and stabbed it into his thigh. The sharp pain brought him back to reality, and his vision returned to normal. The formation talisman was still in his hand, and the formation hadn’t been activated. Instead, a flash of green light disappeared into a Black Tortoise shell on the ground. What was this? How had it made him see such a realistic illusion…

Before Luo Jin could figure it out, Zhang Xiuqi stepped forward and drove the final nail into the formation. With a thunderous boom, the Heaven-Breaking Sound echoed through the forest, and the five mourning ghosts were scattered by the force of the formation, completely disoriented. Luo Jin’s reaction was swift. Realizing he had been tricked, he didn’t waste time trying to understand what had happened. He reached down, smeared blood on his leg, and prepared to activate the formation. But at that moment, Wei Yang shouted, “Do it now!”

Luo Jin was startled. Did they have a third person with them? Impossible, this must be a delaying tactic! Not daring to hesitate any longer, he quickly drew a blood mark and threw the talisman into the air. But just then, another Heaven-Breaking Sound rang out in the distance, and the core of the Five Mourning Formation was destroyed by something!

The talisman slipped from his hand, and the Chain Formation was fully activated, but the Five Mourning Formation’s core had been shattered. In an instant, the yin wind reversed, and the five ghostly figures, each with their own distinct appearance, rushed at Luo Jin with gleeful laughter. Caught off guard, he was immediately knocked to the ground by the middle-aged woman, and her long tongue pierced his eardrum.

“Ahhh!!!”

It was a genuine scream of agony. As a forbidden formation, the backlash of the Five Mourning Formation was unlike any other. The master of the formation wouldn’t just suffer from the formation’s power but would also be devoured by the mourning ghosts. These ghosts had all died at his hands, and once freed from their restraints, their ferocity and cruelty were unimaginable.

Wei Yang’s face paled as he watched the scene, but Zhang Xiuqi didn’t hesitate for a moment. The final piece of the Dragon Summoning and Evil Dispelling Formation was complete, and nine talismans simultaneously radiated light!

A thunderous Heaven-Breaking Sound rang out, and the uncontrolled mourning ghosts were all shattered by the formation’s power, unable to maintain their physical forms. A gust of mountain wind swept through, and the pale mist and dark ghostly energy all dissipated.

Wei Yang’s legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground. He had taken a risk earlier. When he cut his arm, his target wasn’t just the talisman in his hand but also the Mirage Artifact on the ground. Although he didn’t know how the ancient witches had used this treasure, judging by Zhang Xiuqi’s reaction, it wasn’t hard to imagine its similarity to the Soul Snatching Grass. With just this attempt, the Mirage Artifact had activated, instantly trapping the old man in a mirage.

With the master trapped, the mourning ghosts naturally hesitated for a moment. But that wasn’t the most critical part. The most critical part was that they weren’t just two people.

In the distance, a round figure crawled back. Lao Ye, holding a half-shattered wooden carving in its mouth, swaggered toward them. It wasn’t clear how the turtle had destroyed the formation’s core, but when Wei Yang saw it crawling into the woods earlier, he had guessed something like this would happen. Fortunately, Lao Ye hadn’t run away but had actually put in some effort.

Still unable to stand, Wei Yang sat on the ground and patted the turtle’s raised head, smiling bitterly. “We owe you big time this time, Lao Ye. Who knows what kind of mess we’d be in without you.”

Lao Ye grunted and spat out the wooden carving on the ground, then nudged Wei Yang’s hand with its head. It was only then that Wei Yang noticed something was wrong—the turtle’s mouth seemed to be bleeding, sticky and wet.

“Damn it!” Wei Yang immediately pulled the turtle closer, carefully examining it. “Lao Ye, you used… your true saliva? No way, damn it. Good thing it’s not too serious. Hmph, once we finish dealing with these bastards, we’ll go home and have a feast!”

Perhaps those words pleased the turtle, as it stopped nudging Wei Yang’s hand and instead retracted its limbs into its shell, as if about to fall asleep. At that moment, Zhang Xiuqi also walked over, grabbed Wei Yang’s hand, and pulled him up, immediately enveloping him in a tight embrace.

This was the first time the Little Celestial Master had been so openly affectionate since regaining his Heavenly Soul. Wei Yang was both surprised and touched, but the arm around his waist held him tightly, as if trying to merge him into his body.

Was this worry or fear? Wei Yang couldn’t tell, but his heart was a mix of sweetness and sourness, all tangled up. With his free hand, he patted Zhang Xiuqi’s back. “Brother Qi, don’t worry. Look, I’m still fine. Once we take care of those bastards, we’ll be completely safe.”

Zhang Xiuqi took a deep breath, as if finally regaining his composure, and also patted Wei Yang’s shoulder. He then picked up the walkie-talkie that had fallen to the ground. “Once we get out of this yin mist, we should be able to use this. We need to contact Uncle as soon as possible.”