Chapter 107: The Battle Begins

The sun gradually vanished beyond the horizon, and an inexplicable mist began to disperse slowly under the moonlight. "Do you feel the temperature dropping unusually fast? Strange, this isn't a desert…" Bai Lang said, but no one answered him for a while. Finally, Ma Rulong spoke, "The yin qi is rising from underground; at last it's here!"

No one moved rashly; even a moment's delay was fine. Bai Lang gripped his spiked steel spear and stood at the front. "This thing doesn't seem to be entirely iron‑made…" He even had time to think about it; the heavy spiked steel spear, bathed in moonlight, occasionally showed a dark‑red glow wandering over it, probably the effect of Murong Jiuxiu's talisman. "Actually I'm more used to fist and foot techniques; there doesn't seem to be any exquisite moves with this spiked steel spear, does there?"

He considered the spear techniques he used when he was a Shaobao—just thrusts and cleaves. The long blade could indeed slash, but it wasn't as slick as a Pu Dao. Looking at the three‑pointed tip of the spiked steel spear in his hand, Bai Lang realized it was meant for stabbing; a single thrust could be fatal even to an immortal. He wasn't sure how it would fare against a ghost creature that doesn't bleed, but against a beast or a toad it should work well.

While Bai Lang let his mind relax, thin strands of black aura became visible seeping from the distant ground; even Bai Lang felt the yin sha qi rushing at him. He suppressed his instinct to unleash white‑tiger sha for a counterattack and simply watched the black vapors thicken and rise slowly. The once‑faint black wall ahead seemed to tremble just now.

"The Ghost Realm has already opened; this time we won't be split up, we're all together," Murong Jiuxiu said calmly, "But that yin creature probably hasn't noticed us yet..."

The ground trembled slightly, and a thunder‑like "croak" made Bai Lang feel a twinge of annoyance. Trees on one side were toppled outright, and a gigantic toad appeared nearby. "Just as I thought, they've come together!" Bai Lang muttered. Faint, half‑floating humanoid shapes rose from the earth again, but this time the giant toad flicked its tongue and swallowed about ten of them whole.

Soon the humanoids were spat out. "Terribly tough!" the giant toad rumbled, "Where are the tasty ones?" Its eyes, the size of water jars, scanned around, passing over Bai Lang's group several times without seeing them. The few of them used the time to regulate their breath and ready themselves mentally. "Looks like by the third watch this formation will no longer be concealed."

Because the yin creature had fully manifested, it was a person smeared with blood, about six feet tall, gender indiscernible, hair covering the face. "Doesn't look like much… but this yin qi is stronger than the one I faced before!" Bai Lang said. The toad crawled everywhere, apparently searching for people, yet it kept missing Bai Lang's group. The gender‑ambiguous ghost creature floated as well, drawing ever closer to the formation.

When it was closest, Bai Lang was only about three feet away, yet he still couldn't tell its gender. A surge of blood‑stained aura slammed into his mind. "Probably a powerful fierce ghost?" Bai Lang focused, but could not discern whether the thing was solid or illusory. The toad was definitely solid, because its "presence" was so strong that the foul smell reached Bai Lang even from a distance.

Qin Lianer kept stirring something in a medicine bowl and tiny furnace she had taken from the jade pendant, while Murong Jiuxiu was similarly drawing talismans. The three grown men had nothing to do, watching the two demons whispering. "If we're discovered later, I'll hold the toad first. Brother Ma, what will you handle? Brother Mu, what will you handle?" Bai Lang asked. Ma Rulong and Mu Ronghua both shook their heads, "Adapt on the fly!"

In any case, however we adapt, Bai Lang is always the one stationed at the most dangerous spot.

The night grew deeper and the moonlight grew colder; Bai Lang's breath already formed a thick white mist. All present were accomplished martial artists, so the chill wouldn't affect them for a while. Right now it's just the yin cold inside the Ghost Realm; in a moment it will become the yin qi's yin cold.

Cinnabar and incense ash were stirred by an invisible force and even began to glow. "It's about to break! Everyone, pay attention—I'll trigger the formation and unleash a single burst against those two before it collapses! Follow me immediately!" Murong Jiuxiu said, then began her incantation. She placed one hand at the center of the formation, muttering, and red light erupted along the formation's lines— the two monsters instantly seemed struck by lightning, turning and lunging at top speed.

The formation's burst of light made even Bai Lang close his eyes. When he opened them again, two clusters of red light shot up, hammering the two demons heavily. The ghost creature seemed unchanged, but the toad erupted a huge hole, its mournful croak shaking the air. "Strike while it's weak, take its life!" Bai Lang shouted, raised his spiked steel spear and charged at the toad.

The creature took a few strides then leapt into the air; the long spear flipped, now held reverse‑handed, its tip redirected downward instead of out of the tiger‑mouth grip. Bai Lang used the momentum to drive the spear deep into the toad's wound. He succeeded: the seven‑foot‑two‑inch spear, under Bai Lang's force, now showed less than a foot of its tail above ground, the rest fully embedded.

"Urgent as a command!" Murong Jiuxiu shouted, the talisman paper in her hand burning away, a bolt of lightning materializing and striking the spear shaft, then violet‑blue lightning wrapped the toad. Murong Jiuxiu's aura instantly waned, indicating the strike had drained much of her true qi. At that moment Bai Lang met the ghost creature; when his fist slammed into its chest, he realized the thing was indeed solid.

"Much denser than that gorilla! This must be the true body!" Bai Lang's force couldn't penetrate; his fist felt like striking raw iron. The ghost creature stretched both arms and slammed them straight at Bai Lang. He ignored it, activating the Golden Bell Shield technique to harden his defense. "Dong" the bell rang, the force rebounded, cracking the illusionary bronze bell, and the rebound also hurled the creature's arms high, tearing away the sleeves of its yin‑qi‑woven garment.