Chapter 97: Exorcist Youth, the Ghosts and Gods Have Arrived

Inside the Pot Heaven.

Su Ping sat upright in the Fuhua Rumen Temple and began to draw cards.

This time, he did not do a ten-pull, choosing instead to seek a miracle in a single draw.

A trash can! A trash cabinet! A fox doll! A raccoon piggy bank...

As usual, the single draw only revealed a purple glow after nine ordinary pulls.

"Huh? It's a new Partner Card!"

Seeing the figure emerging beneath the purple light, Su Ping sat up straight, his eyes showing interest:

【Apprentice Exorcist, Partner, Quality: Rare, exclusive to Pot Heaven, upgradable】

"Exorcist Mage?"

After reading the description, Su Ping immediately and curiously summoned this partner.

In the blink of an eye, the temperature of the surrounding air dropped slightly.

A handsome young man with white hair and white eyes, sporting a clean short haircut and wearing a light cyan Dharma Robe printed with cloud patterns, appeared before Su Ping.

After landing, the white-haired youth looked around curiously before turning his gaze to Su Ping, bowing slightly with a shy Daoist salute:

"Greetings, Cave Master."

"I am Yunkong, an Apprentice Exorcist of the Exorcist Clan!"

"I possess an Ice-Type Spirit Body and know Ice-Type Talent Spells; I should be quite adept at dealing with all kinds of demons and ghosts."

As he spoke of his expertise, the white-haired youth Yunkong touched his head with a lack of confidence.

"Finally, a partner who can fight, and just like White Crane Boy, he is at the Qi Refining Late Stage upon being drawn."

"If he consumes Experience Books, reaching Great Perfection shouldn't be hard, right? I wonder if there are upgrade requirements to break through to the Second Tier, which is the Foundation Establishment cultivation level?"

Su Ping swept his Divine Sense over this exorcist youth, gaining a rough assessment of his cultivation.

Afterward, Su Ping had the exorcist youth demonstrate his abilities before him.

Thus, inside the Fuhua Rumen Temple, the white-haired youth formed hand seals and gave a soft shout.

A burst of icy cold energy erupted from his body, instantly turning the surrounding ten-plus meters into a frozen land.

The ten-meter distance wasn't because the cold couldn't spread further, but to concentrate the cold energy and strengthen the lethality within that ten-meter range.

And this eruption of icy energy was merely an appetizer; the very next moment.

Above the white-haired youth's head, an Ice Crystal Giant Sword at least twenty meters long condensed, looking as if it were about to fall...

"This place can't automatically repair itself!"

Su Ping's eyelids suddenly twitched as he realized the critical point, and he hurriedly moved beneath the Ice Crystal Giant Sword, unleashing a Body Refining Late Stage Big Dipper Greedy Wolf Fist.

White energy shrouded his fist, and the resulting Fist Intent merged instantly with the white energy phantom of the Greedy Wolf, striking the tip of the slowly descending sword!

Immediately, with a bang!

The massive sound resonated deafeningly inside the temple.

The exorcist youth Yunkong also realized something was wrong, hurriedly retreating and stopping his spell.

This caused the shattered ice blocks of the giant sword to melt and vanish rapidly in mid-air.

Embarrassing as it was, no worse outcome occurred.

Through that punch, Su Ping, aided by his Divine Sense, had basically determined his partner's combat power.

"Was that Ice Crystal Giant Sword just now his Talent Spell? In the Cultivation World, that would already count as some kind of minor divine ability, right?"

"Otherwise, a big move condensed from the Dharma Power of an ordinary Qi Refining Late Stage cultivator wouldn't just lack such power; it would be impossible to cast instantly!"

"Although I can't use it now, it's just an extra Memory Illusion."

"Once he upgrades in the future, it should still be of great use!"

Su Ping took the exorcist youth Yunkong back to the Zhaoyue Tingfeng Pavilion, which he didn't fear being damaged.

After arranging a room for him, he began trying to farm favorability.

Unlike the Shrine Maiden who could be appeased with snacks and novels.

This exorcist youth Yunkong preferred slaying demons and eliminating devils.

It was just that... this Pot Heaven had none for him to slay, and Su Ping still had use for the ghosts in the Burial Ground.

Fortunately, by providing a room along with fine food, wine, and good tea, the youth's favorability was still slowly rising.

After finishing all this, Su Ping calculated that the time was about right, and as his Avatar, Shu Daoren, he returned to Jiade City.

…………

Night fell.

At the gate of the temple in Nierbojiade City where the Dharma Assembly was being held.

Over a thousand people were cheering and holding torches, performing a grand prayer ceremony.

Hundreds of international-brand cars and trucks were parked on the roadside, honking from time to time to add to the atmosphere.

Several trucks even had generators and sound equipment set up, playing the scripture chanting essential for the Dharma Assembly.

It was just that this scripture chanting, which should have been solemn, had been modified by the locals with various tones, and combined with the current scene, it gave the illusion of a chaotic dance of demons.

Fortunately, there were no High Monks nearby, and those rural mages all felt that as long as things were lively, there was nothing wrong with it.

Furthermore, they did not allow these ignorant people to enter the temple outside of the sacrifices.

This managed to protect the tranquility inside the temple.

In the side hall.

A middle-aged mage frowned slightly and put down his phone.

"These guys have no idea what they are facing."

"Heh! They actually think Master Tapu is crazy for worshipping Shanawati?"

"Ghost God, I also want to obtain the opportunity to offer sacrifices!"

This mage whispered in his heart, then immediately blacklisted a certain middleman who had just called to persuade him to provide dirt on the temple.

These guys who didn't believe in the mysterious at all actually wanted to find evidence of some scam to use as leverage to control this "dragon crossing the river."

If you want to court death, please don't drag me down with you!

The mage couldn't help but think of the missing gang members and shivered.

He felt in his heart that those people must have been eaten whole by the Ghost God!

Otherwise, how could there be no traces found at the scene?

Shanawati was arranged to stay in a room that had been renovated and never yet occupied.

Outside, Mage Tapu and more than a dozen disciples stood guard personally, sitting on meditation cushions and praying.

Shanawati sat on the bed, feeling somewhat worried.

She had never attended school, having taken lessons from teachers hired by her clan.

She knew the world through her family and restricted internet access.

To her, what her parents, and especially her grandfather, said was the truth and must be correct!

Shanawati kept recalling Grandfather Tapu's admonitions in her mind.

She pursed her lips, wanting to keep herself sitting upright on the bed.

But because it was time to sleep, Shanawati began to sway, overcome by drowsiness.

Suddenly, the light in the room dimmed.

Squeak, squeak, squeak!

Mage Tapu and Shanawati both heard the sound of mice at the same time.

They couldn't help but shiver, their sleepiness vanishing completely!

Shanawati widened her eyes and saw the door open automatically.

Yet, apart from the squeaking sounds, she could see no one.

"The Ghost God has come!"

Mage Tapu and the others felt a stir in their hearts and scrambled to lie on the ground, heads bowed, not daring to look at what might happen in the room.

Su Ping arrived in the room using an Invisibility Spell, looking at Shanawati, whose eyes held fear.

This girl wore a ponytail, had quite distinct features, and was dressed in a long dress resembling those worn to serve gods, with gold and silver jewelry hanging all over it.

She was a beauty in the making, no less than a big star.

But that was not important; in Su Ping's eyes, her Spirit Body was the main point!

Blood Talisman Spirit Body!

A type of special Spirit Body that would be specially cared for in the eyes of every major Immortal Sect.

A Cultivator possessing this Spirit Body would be a genius in the art of Talismans with one hundred percent certainty.

At the same time, talisman paper stained with the blood of this Spirit Body could possess a mysterious effect that increased the success rate of drawing talismans.

For certain talismans with particularly low success rates, this point was extremely important!

Above this Blood Talisman Spirit Body, the Bloodline Slate also recorded a Blood Talisman Sacred Body; the blood of that Sacred Body could even forcibly raise the grade of a talisman.

One could create Foundation Establishment grade talismans while still in the Qi Refining stage!

It was just that such things were rare and hard to find; even in the Cultivation World, such a Sacred Body only existed in historical records.

"Do not be afraid."

Su Ping slowly leaned down, pinched Shanawati's chin, and spoke to soothe her.

Afterwards, a pendant manifested from the Invitation Letter appeared before Shanawati's eyes.

It made her, unable to see the invisible Su Ping, watch in terror as the pendant flew through mid-air toward her neck and pressed intimately against her skin.

Just as she was confused by the lack of any tactile sensation, a gentle inquiry reached her ears.

Shanawati was certain she had never heard this language before, but she understood the meaning within it.

Remembering her grandfather's teachings, Shanawati closed her eyes and chose to agree!

Thus, Shanawati vanished from the room.

The squeaking sounds and the cold wind also vanished without a trace at this moment.

Mage Tapu and the others felt there was no movement, then tremblingly raised their heads to see the empty room.

"The Ghost God! It is the Ghost God who has come to take Shanawati away!"

"Shanawati will become the Ghost God's witch! We will also receive the Ghost God's protection!"

Mage Tapu was also someone who knew how to use the tiger's skin as his own banner; realizing his granddaughter had truly been chosen and had mysteriously vanished,

he immediately opened his mouth and shouted.

Then this news spread quickly, allowing other mages to hear the embellished process of her being taken away, one by one.

Making their mouths even more sour...

Inside the Pot Heaven.

Accompanied by a moment of dizziness, Shanawati found herself suddenly sitting on the grass.

After opening her eyes uncontrollably, this beautiful young girl discovered she had arrived in a place deep with yin energy, filled everywhere with white mist and black shadows.

And it was a great place where Ghost Fire leaped and flickered, emitting strange laughter!

Tears began to well up in Shanawati's eyes; thanks to Mage Tapu's constant teachings, she had been exposed to portraits of these Ghost Gods and demons from a very early age.

Coupled with the realization that everything was real and she had truly been favored by the Ghost God, she finally did not burst into tears.

"Jie jie jie!"

Shu Daoren let out a laugh, coming personally to receive this Shanawati.

Upon seeing Shu Daoren, Shanawati trembled slightly, then used the Eastern common language to greet him.

Su Ping was not surprised by this; in these surrounding regions, it was common for family disciples to be proficient in the Eastern common language.

In fact, many wealthy families rooted there for a thousand years originally came from the East and had never forgotten the inheritance of their written language.

Su Ping nodded slightly, leading Shanawati to the back mountain of the Burial Ground, near the Human-Faced Locust Tree.

With what looked like a wave of his hand, he actually used the administrative permissions of the Pot Heaven.

Right before Shanawati's eyes, he made a tile-roofed house, drawn from a card pull, rise from the ground.

Afterward, he took out his Storage Bag and brought out daily necessities and various tools.

Shu Daoren then gave Shanawati some instructions, telling her to cultivate well here.

At the same time, he promised Shanawati that once she achieved success in her cultivation, she would be allowed to take leave to visit her family.

Shanawati, after a period of being dazed, gradually came back to her senses.

Being someone with a Natural Spirit Body, she was naturally intelligent and possessed a heart for seeking the Dao similar to that of the young Daoist Zhou Xuan, akin to an Upper Scholar.

Previously, she had only suffered from a lack of environment and, even more so, a lack of opportunity.

Now, with a sudden flash of inspiration, she immediately knelt before Su Ping and thanked him for the grace of transmitting the Dharma.

She also swore a blood oath to demonstrate her loyalty.

Out of respect for the Blood Talisman Spirit Body, Su Ping gave Shanawati a little bit of external help, allowing her to successfully bring Qi into her body for Qi Refining.

Afterward, in addition to the same early-stage Qi Refining technique as Zhou Xuan, Su Ping gave her the Talisman Primer and the Qi Refining stage talisman chapter.

Only after leaving behind the relevant practice materials did he drift away.

Meanwhile, in the most high-end hotel suite in Gade City, which had recently received investment from Eastern investors:

Several bosses who had operated the underground market in Gade City for decades gathered together to discuss the recent strange events.

Before long, they all received phone calls, learning that their attempts to win over and probe those mages had failed completely.

Among them were many who had connections to them and were friendly partners who had already taken their money several times before.

This time, they had also ruthlessly refused and blocked them!

This caused these local tyrants to keenly sniff out an abnormal atmosphere.

"I said this business wouldn't be easy to do; never mind whether it's a Ghost God or not, the power to make so many people disappear overnight... anyway, none of us here can do that, right?"

"We might not know about others, but can we not know the background of those mages?"

"Just a bunch of money-grubbing charlatans and ignorant small landlords; for them to suddenly be so united..."

"I would rather believe that there really are Ghost Gods than believe they suddenly decided to join hands to make that temple bigger and stronger."

"I've looked into the Dharma Assembly that temple has been holding recently; they aren't making any money at all!"

A slightly fat man was the first to state that there was a problem here and prepared to withdraw and quit.

The others were silent for a while, until a man with a Mediterranean hairstyle said:

"To tell you the truth, among those who disappeared last time were confidants of General Bahadur."

"The General is very angry and wants us to find out who did it and how they did it!"

Hearing this, the others were slightly stunned and understood in their hearts; no wonder so many people came to Gade City to investigate—it turned out that the people of that arrogant and despotic warlord had also been affected.

However, one should take talk of "confidants" with a grain of salt; when they want to extort someone, even a soldier on the side of the road can be a "trusted relative."

But, judging by the fact that no one had dared to openly go and cause trouble for those Easterners during this time:

Was that General also wary of the Ghost Gods?

Hmm... come to think of it, that makes sense; throughout Nierbo and even all the surrounding small countries, which small faction isn't wary of these tales of Ghost Gods?

This isn't a question of whether the people above believe it or not, but whether the majority of the people supporting them believe it.

If you don't figure it out, even if you successfully extort a large sum of money, you wouldn't be able to sleep soundly, would you?

If the people below mostly believe that the General offended a Ghost God and is going to be punished, that would give those with ulterior motives and factions a chance to take advantage!

While pondering, some in the room wanted to earn this money and take the opportunity to connect with that warlord's network.

Others firmed up their resolve to withdraw, not intending to wade into these muddy waters.

It was also at this time that they received news: Master Tapu's granddaughter had been personally taken away by a Ghost God, and it happened in full view of everyone, in front of many mage disciples... she just disappeared like that!

Wishing everyone a safe and blessed Dragon Boat Festival, full of good fortune! (σ≧▽≦)σ.