Chapter 36: Heart-Seizing Spirit

"If you aren't afraid of me, then why would you forcibly awaken my inner demon?"

By now, Li Boyang had basically figured out the old man's situation.

After being slain by him, the strange old man's soul had accidentally fallen into the Black Cloud Marsh and transformed into an evil ghost.

Although this evil ghost was not strong at the beginning.

It might not even have been as strong as the evil spirits recorded in the "Nine Chapters of Divination Secrets."

But it couldn't be helped that there was a fierce god sealed by the Huaijiang Witch in the Black Cloud Marsh—Ruifu.

Perhaps it was simple exploitation, or perhaps some kind of deal was struck...

In any case, the old man, having transformed into an evil ghost, released the fierce god Ruifu, and took the opportunity to evolve from an evil ghost into an evil spirit.

Immediately after, the old man began to "refine spirits" using a cruel method.

Whether it was the previously unformed black spirit...

Or the evil spirit currently fighting Xi Luo and the flying sword...

Those were all spirit-ghosts refined by the old man, who imprisoned the essences of living beings within black mist, using their resentment to make them kill and devour one another.

These spirit-ghosts were born with different supernatural powers, making them more ferocious and troublesome than ordinary ghosts and monsters.

Considering that Xi Luo and the sword pellet were clearly being countered by the spirit-ghosts.

Li Boyang had reason to suspect that the old man had specifically refined those spirit-ghosts to target them.

Perhaps the only thing the old man hadn't expected was for someone like Pan Hu to suddenly intervene.

"Pan Hu's appearance greatly exceeded your expectations; he possessed the means to truly kill those spirit-ghosts."

"So you grew anxious, forcibly awakening my inner demon, attempting to turn it into a spirit-ghost as well..."

"Unfortunately, your base methods have no effect on me."

As the Heavenly Fate Bone Armor spun in his palm, Li Boyang's words successfully caused the old man to lose his composure once again.

"Heh, I didn't forcibly awaken your inner demon..."

"Those are all your true nature, the killing intent and malice you refuse to acknowledge."

"That ferocious appearance with green face and fangs from before was the true form of you, an Outer Realm Heavenly Demon!"

When he reached this point, the old man's voice paused slightly.

"I refined evil spirits using the 'Ghost Region Secret Technique,' and in the end, I even went so far as to merge with those evil spirits, only then barely gaining the power to drive them."

"Look at you, an Outer Realm Heavenly Demon, able to manifest a Shadow Spirit with just a bit of killing intent and evil thoughts!"

"If that Mountain God knew what was happening to you, she would probably kill you the first chance she got!"

The malicious words vented the old man's anger and unwillingness.

Although he had regained his rationality, the old man was, after all, a Ghost King now.

The resentment and unwillingness from his life, coupled with the continuous influence of those evil spirits, made him exceptionally extreme and obsessive.

However, it was precisely because of this extremity that Li Boyang was able to extract more useful information from the other's words.

"Ghost Region Secret Technique?"

"Is this the source of your confidence in turning yourself into this neither-human-nor-ghost appearance?"

With his tone still laced with thick disdain, Li Boyang's words stung the most sensitive part of the old man's heart like a thorn.

"You damned Outer Realm Heavenly Demon, if it weren't for you, how would I have fallen to this state!?"

"I am the dignified High Priest of the Ghost Region Kingdom, born to be worshipped by ten thousand, enjoying all the glory and wealth—how could a lowly human sacrifice like you fathom my existence!?"

As the resentment in his heart intensified, the old man's body became increasingly solid.

"But it doesn't matter, I have already mastered the 'Heart-Seizing Spirit'..."

"As long as I seize your body, I will eventually be able to become the 'Orthodox Witch Priest' once again."

"When that time comes, I will definitely refine your soul into dung-stone and bury it under a latrine forever!"

Before the words had even faded, the old man had already lunged forward.

Although the "Heart-Seizing Spirit" he had transformed into did not possess great combat power, it possessed the ability of "flawless possession."

As long as he could enter Li Boyang's body, the old man was confident he could expel the other's soul and regain control of the Divine Firmament Sword.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

In an instant, the old man's figure merged with Li Boyang's body.

It was also during this process that Li Boyang was able to glimpse the essence of the "Heart-Seizing Spirit"—it was a six-legged long fish.

Li Boyang had seen records of this strange beast in the "Chapter of Auspiciousness" of the "Nine Chapters of Divination Secrets."

This was a special type of fish born in "Ranyi."

Its body was long like a snake but had six legs, and a pair of eyes as long as a horse's ears; it was born with the ability to communicate with spirits.

It was obvious that the old man had refined a Ranyi fish into an evil spirit, which was why he dared to appear and possess Li Boyang's physical body.

[The High Priest of the Ghost Region Kingdom?]

His three eyes narrowed slightly at the same time; Li Boyang could feel his body slipping out of control.

Whoosh!

Looking from afar, one could see surging evil energy pouring out from the acupoints all over his body, rapidly forming a crimson flame.

In order to prevent this flame from spreading to Chen Yun.

Li Boyang had to crawl out of the cradle and jump down, striving not to let the flames touch the surrounding tables and chairs.

It was at this moment that the toughness of Li Boyang's physical body was demonstrated.

Despite being only a few months old, he fell from a cradle over a meter high and remained completely unharmed.

Not only that, his limb balance and jumping ability far exceeded those of a one or two-year-old child, showing no signs of infancy at all.

One must know, this was while the old man was competing with Li Boyang for control of the body.

[Stop struggling!]

[Once I seize your body and eat your soul, I will naturally slaughter this entire village, and then offer all their flesh, blood, and souls to the Five Directional Gods!]

The Five Directional Gods were the five great deities worshipped by the Ghost Region Kingdom, each symbolizing one of the five phenomena of life, death, reincarnation, and natural change.

They were both natural deities and the ancestors of the Ghost Region Kingdom.

Judging from this alone, the Five Directional Gods far exceeded ordinary mountain or river gods in both status and power, and were the unquestionable mainstream faith in this region.

[The Five Directional Gods? Just a bunch of evil gods!]

Not knowing the status of the Five Directional Gods in this land.

Li Boyang simply started from the perspective of his past life, believing that such deities who accepted sacrifices of flesh, blood, and souls could not possibly be righteous gods.

[Arrogant! How dare you despise the Five Directional Gods just by yourself!?]

Provoked by Li Boyang again, the old man attempted to directly control the other's body.

To his shock, Li Boyang, who had been lying on the ground, actually stood up slowly.

This meant that the old man's control over this body was not strengthening over time; instead, it was being assimilated by the evil energy within the other's body.

"Is this your source of confidence?"

With a hint of mockery in his tone, Li Boyang's childish voice sounded so ironic at this moment.

"You can't even control the flow of primordial energy within the body, yet you want to expel my soul from the flesh?"

"Although my soul cannot stop your possession..."

"My internal primordial energy and evil energy don't seem to welcome an outsider like you."

Just as Li Boyang said, he hadn't even tried to stop the old man's possession of him.

The life energy and Earthly Evil energy within his body had instinctively circulated, counter-repelling and plundering the power of the Heart-Seizing Spirit.

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(End of chapter)