His connections must reach the goddamn heavens!
"Prepare the car! I’m going to see my brother-in-law!"
The entire guard headquarters was thrown into chaos again, but this time no one dared to be careless.
That night, in a secluded residential area in East City, far from the bustling main streets, the alleys were narrow and deep, flanked by densely packed, low-lying houses.
Among the many unremarkable courtyards with high, gray-blue walls, one was particularly quiet. Its gate was shut tight and its walls were towering, showing no signs of anything unusual from the outside.
But the courtyard held a world of its own. Inside the main hall, candlelight flickered, illuminating more than a dozen figures prostrating on the ground.
These people, old and young, men and women, were dressed in various short coats. At this moment, they all knelt devoutly, their gazes filled with adoration as they looked forward.
Before them was an altar, upon which were arranged various Magical Artifacts—a Copper Coin Sword, a Soul-Calling Banner, Talismans, and an incense burner.
The most conspicuous object was in the very center of the altar: a black slab of meat the size of a prayer mat.
Behind the altar stood an old man in a black robe. When he turned around, he revealed a face so hideous it made one’s scalp crawl.
Poisonous boils of all sizes covered his face so densely that even his eyes were almost obscured, leaving only two narrow slits.
He paid no mind to the stares, but threw his head back and laughed. "HAHAHA! The Spiritual Qi is reviving again! And with this piece of Immortal Flesh!"
"Our Ghost-Catching Sect can finally return to the world!"
The Ghost-Catching Sect, a heretical sect that had vanished for several hundred years, specialized in capturing ghosts and commanding vengeful spirits.
It was said that their golden age was during the Zulong Dynasty. Back then, the sect had countless experts, each capable of commanding a hundred ghosts and running rampant. Then, for reasons unknown, they vanished overnight.
The black-robed old man looked down at the prayer-mat-sized piece of Immortal Flesh on the altar, his eyes filled with greed.
He and his dozen or so disciples behind him had already consumed a portion of this Immortal Flesh, yet so much still remained.
The next moment, the black-robed old man touched his waist, where a black gourd was hanging.
Then, his lips moved as he began to chant an incantation.
The gourd’s lid opened on its own, and a black shadow reeking of a deathly chill drifted out.
It was a vile, short, and ferocious-looking yin spirit, wreathed in dense black energy.
It floated in mid-air, its hollow eyes staring intently at the Immortal Flesh on the altar.
Seeing this, the black-robed old man cackled sinisterly. "This vengeful ghost has already devoured forty-four people. If it consumes half of the remaining Immortal Flesh, I won’t even fear a Grandmaster of Divine Intent!"
With that, he reached out, grabbed the Immortal Flesh, forcefully tore off half of it, and tossed it to the yin spirit in the air.
The yin spirit opened its mouth and swallowed it in one gulp. Instantly, the dark energy around it grew even denser, and the temperature in the main hall dropped by several degrees.
Witnessing this scene, the kneeling disciples trembled with excitement.
Just then, the black-robed old man suddenly turned his head and looked toward a corner of the room.
A strange smile touched his lips as he murmured, "Hmm? The founder was right. You fiends have come after all."
Hearing this, the dozen or so disciples behind him were utterly bewildered.
’What’s wrong with Master? Why is he suddenly talking to that corner? There’s clearly nothing there.’
In a spot they couldn’t see, a shadow wreathed in black water stood silently.
It looked at the black-robed old man and spoke slowly, "Oh? You don’t seem afraid?"
The black-robed old man looked at it, his smile growing even more bizarre. "Why should this humble Daoist be afraid? You should be worrying about yourself!"
The black shadow fell silent for a moment, then it moved, lunging at the black-robed old man with its shroud of black water!
When the black water touched the old man’s body, his flesh instantly corroded away, revealing stark white bone!
The black-robed old man didn’t dodge. He just stood there, letting the black water corrode his entire body until the black shadow had completely fused with him.
The main hall fell deathly silent. The dozen or so disciples stared wide-eyed at the sudden turn of events, not daring to even breathe.
’What’s happening to Master?’ But the next second, the yin spirit that had just eaten the Immortal Flesh suddenly stirred.
It floated in mid-air, looking coldly at the black-robed old man, its hollow eyes filled with venomous hatred.
The black-robed old man looked up at it and smiled grimly. "This vengeful ghost and I, this humble Daoist, have long since become one!"
The moment his words fell, two wills clashed violently within his mind!
On one side was the black shadow from just now, wielding an apocalyptic torrent of black water, trying to devour everything!
On the other was the vengeful ghost, its unimaginable resentment breaking through the black water.
"AHHHHHH!!!" After the black-robed old man let out a long howl to the sky, the aura around him began to climb frantically!
The physical body, more than half of which had been corroded by the black water, began to heal at a visible rate. Even the poisonous boils on his face fell away one by one!
A few breaths later, the black-robed old man was as good as new. His face had become well-defined, and he even had the air of an immortal sage.
Meanwhile, the yin spirit in the air also experienced a massive surge in power. The black energy around it expanded wildly, even blasting right through the roof!
As the roof shattered and tiles flew, a pillar of black energy shot into the sky!
The dozen or so disciples were now so excited they prostrated themselves on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly. "Congratulations, Sect Leader! Congratulations, Sect Leader!"
Feeling the unprecedented power coursing through his body, the black-robed old man couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
"HAHAHAHA, just as I thought! After defeating these fiends, you gain their power."
Just as everyone from the Ghost-Catching Sect was overcome with excitement, a figure in a black Zhongshan suit, leaning on a cane, walked over from the open ground outside the main hall.
The black-robed old man’s laughter came to an abrupt halt. He stared intently at the figure.
"It’s you... Lu Yun! How did you find this place?"
The disciples also turned around one by one, then rose to their feet as if facing a great enemy.
That face, known to everyone in the Daxia New Country—who else could it be but Lu Yun?
"So this is where you were."
Lu Yun looked at him, then glanced at the pillar of black energy that had burst through the roof, a slight arc forming at the corners of his mouth.
"The yin energy here is soaring to the heavens. It would have been difficult for this old man *not* to find you."
Next, his gaze swept over the yin spirit floating in mid-air with black energy roiling around it, then to the half-prayer-mat-sized piece of Immortal Flesh remaining on the altar.
’Very good. A yin spirit with soaring yin energy. And such a large piece of Immortal Flesh.’
’It seems tonight will be another fruitful night.’
’It’s just a pity I was a step too late. Luo Ying’s brother is clearly already dead.’
The black-robed old man stared at Lu Yun, his eyes full of apprehension. But then he glanced at the powered-up yin spirit in the air and felt the new strength within his own body.
’A Grandmaster of Divine Intent? Hmph, let this humble Daoist see what these damn Martial Artists are capable of!’
The black-robed old man sneered. "Lu Yun, you’ve come at the perfect time. This humble Daoist has just achieved a breakthrough and needs someone to make an example of!"
With that, he waved his hand. "Vengeful ghost, attack for me!"
The yin spirit in mid-air moved, opening its mouth as it lunged toward Lu Yun!
At the same time, the dense black energy around it instantly transformed into countless black tentacles, swarming toward Lu Yun from all directions!

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