Chapter 33

In the silent night,

A cluster of willow branches, as if struck by a whip, faintly glowed with a blood-red luster.

Bang!

In the air, a blurry figure staggered backward, emitting a pained cry.

This figure floated like an illusion, enveloped in a thick aura of yin energy, clearly a ghost!

"Just one strike, and you cry out in pain. Truly, you are not up to the task."

Su Yi had already risen to his full height. Seeing this, he couldn't help but shake his head, the anticipation in his eyes fading.

Rustle~ Rustle~

The old locust tree in the courtyard shook violently, its countless branches dancing wildly, stirring up a yin wind that howled like ghosts and wolves. The wind swept up the fallen leaves and the ghost, charging at Su Yi once again.

Su Yi, holding the willow branch like a divine whip, advanced instead of retreating, striking forward.

Crack!

The sound was like thunder, and bloodlight suddenly appeared.

A cluster of willow branches blossomed, like thousands of whip tips shooting out.

The ghost didn't have time to dodge, and was struck, its yin energy hissing and emitting black smoke. The figure staggered back in pain, screaming.

A hint of disappointment appeared in Su Yi's eyes.

The willow branch he held was merely soaked in some rooster blood.

Although it had some effect in restraining ghosts, its power was not great.

But who would have thought that this ghost would be so weak...

Crack!

While Su Yi was thinking, he struck again.

This time, the ghost seemed unable to withstand it. The yin energy surrounding it exploded, and only a small figure fell from the air.

It was a female ghost!

Dressed in a blood-red robe, she looked like a young girl, with skin as white and translucent as snow. She curled up on the ground, her small body trembling violently, her large eyes filled with pain.

"Master, spare my life! I have never harmed anyone!"

The red-robed female ghost pleaded in pain, panting on the ground.

She was very beautiful, with delicate features, a slight dimple, and a bit of baby fat on her cheeks, a first-class beauty.

However, her figure was ethereal, not a solid form, adding a mysterious aura.

Su Yi, holding the willow branch, looked down at her and sighed, "So, you are just a low-level yin soul..."

In the world, ghosts can be simply divided into four types: yin souls, ghosts, demons, and spirits.

Among them, yin souls are the weakest and most common.

Many ghost stories in the secular world are related to the mischief of yin souls.

In Su Yi's eyes, the residual souls, vengeful spirits, and fierce ghosts that exist in the secular world can all be categorized as "yin souls."

After all, how much can ghosts that only dare to linger in the secular world achieve?

Truly powerful ghosts dare to dominate in the cultivation world!

"These past years, have you been attached to this old locust tree?"

Su Yi asked. He could see at a glance that the yin soul of the red-robed girl had no fierce or bloody aura, but was rather pure.

This meant that she had not harmed anyone.

"Master, that is correct," the red-robed female ghost answered timidly, her pale, beautiful face showing obedience and fear, curled up on the ground, trembling, giving off a pitiful impression.

"Wrong, you are lying."

Su Yi frowned.

Nine years ago, who killed that physician and the two medicine apprentices?

Before the red-robed female ghost could answer, a sudden change occurred—

Whoosh!

A black light, like a sharp cold beam, carrying a fierce and evil aura, shot toward Su Yi.

"Indeed, there is a problem."

A cold smile appeared on Su Yi's lips as he casually turned his hand.

A cluster of willow branches stabbed out, straight as a sword.

Bang!

With one strike, he accurately hit the black light.

The black light trembled violently, fell to the ground, struggled for a moment, and then stopped moving.

Upon closer inspection, it was a black insect the size of a baby's fist, with six segmented legs and a mouth full of sharp, dense teeth, looking fierce and emitting a putrid, choking odor.

"Ghost corpse insect, so it's this little thing."

Su Yi, realizing something, looked at the red-robed female ghost, "Who refined and controlled these ghost corpse insects?"

Ghost corpse insects are a type of poisonous insect refined from the bodies of ghosts, filled with corpse poison and yin energy.

If an ordinary person is bitten, they will die within moments. Even a Blood Circulation Realm martial artist can't last more than an hour.

To Su Yi, ghost corpse insects were not to be feared; what truly mattered was who refined and controlled them!

"This..."

The red-robed female ghost hesitated, her face filled with fear and hesitation, seemingly afraid to speak.

At this moment—

The rusty chains on the ancient well cover next to the old locust tree shook violently, the well cover moved, revealing a gap.

Immediately, a group of black lights shot out, like a dark cloud, sweeping toward Su Yi.

They were a group of ghost corpse insects!

There were over a hundred, their fierce and sharp mouthparts emitting shrill, piercing cries, like a hundred ghosts wailing, the yin energy sweeping through the entire courtyard.

The sight made the red-robed female ghost terrified and despairing, burying her head in the ground, too afraid to look.

After all, with over a hundred ghost corpse insects attacking together, even a Blood Circulation Realm martial artist would be frightened and filled with despair.

Su Yi merely frowned, his expression as calm as ever.

He took a deep breath, gathered his energy, and raised the willow branch like a sword.

His sleeves billowed, and he stepped forward, using the willow branch as a sword, suddenly turning in the air.

In an instant, the willow branch swept like a river of stars, with the momentum to overturn the sky and cleanse the world.

I have a sword that can draw the stars,

Overturning the sky and cleansing the world!

Boom!

The black insect shadows in the sky exploded in one strike.

The dense explosions sounded as if they happened at the same time, like a sudden thunderclap, followed by the settling of dust!

This was the first time Su Yi had truly wielded a sword since his rebirth.

Although he was only at the Blood Circulation Realm, when this sword was unleashed, it was like a celestial being dancing, the sword's momentum silencing all around.

The over a hundred ghost corpse insects were all reduced to powder, swept away!

Looking at Su Yi, standing in the courtyard, his slender and tall figure was like a sharp sword out of its sheath, piercing through the night, different from his usual calm and transcendent demeanor.

When still, he concealed his sharpness; when moving, he revealed his full might.

Bang!

In Su Yi's hand, the willow branch shattered into pieces, turning into wood chips that scattered and disappeared.

After all, it was just an ordinary willow branch, unable to withstand the force of Su Yi's sword.

The red-robed female yin soul, curled up on the ground, only dared to raise her head at this moment. Seeing this, she became even more terrified and uneasy.

To her, the ability to destroy over a hundred ghost corpse insects with one strike was too terrifying!

At this time, the old locust tree in the courtyard stopped moving, and the ancient well was silent.

The night, like water, enveloped the quiet courtyard, everything seeming to return to normal.

Su Yi returned to the bamboo chair in front of the stone steps, placing the peach wood sword in front of him, his aura becoming calm and peaceful.

He looked at the red-robed female yin soul curled up on the ground and said,

"I'll give you a chance. Tell me your origins and everything you know. If I am satisfied, I will show you a way to live."

His words were casual, but they made the red-robed female shiver.

In her eyes, Su Yi was undoubtedly too terrifying.

She steadied her heart, her voice soft and weak, and said timidly, "Master, I... I only remember my name is Qing Wan. When I regained consciousness, I was captured by a Taoist named Wu Ruoqiu. He used secret techniques to confine me in the locust tree in this courtyard, saying that if I obeyed, he would let me go in the future."

Su Yi asked, "Wu Ruoqiu? Why did he confine you, a useless yin soul, here?"

Qing Wan lowered her head, her voice bitter, "He made me scare people. He said that whenever a living person appeared in this abandoned courtyard, I should scare them. Then, the ghost corpse insects he raised would rush out from the well and devour the living person's essence and blood."

At this point, Su Yi finally understood.

This courtyard was the "insect breeding pool" set up by the itinerant Taoist "Wu Ruoqiu"!

Feeding on the essence and blood of living people to nourish the ghost corpse insects, making them evolve.

And the female ghost Qing Wan was responsible for scaring the living people...

From this, it seemed that Wu Ruoqiu also knew that a female ghost like Qing Wan was not very useful.

"Over the past nine years, this place has been abandoned, with no one living here. Was Wu Ruoqiu not worried that the ghost corpse insects would starve to death?"

Su Yi asked.

Qing Wan shook her head, "No, he comes every three days. Each time, he brings several living people and throws them into the well to feed the ghost corpse insects."

Su Yi pondered, "When was the last time he came?"

"Two days ago."

Qing Wan, as if suddenly realizing something, seemed extremely afraid and stammered, "Master, the Taoist Wu will come tonight at the hour of the ox!"

"It's the third hour of the night now. If we calculate the time, he is indeed coming soon."

Su Yi lightly stroked the peach wood sword in front of him and said, "Do you know his cultivation level?"

Qing Wan said, "I remember he once said he is at the 'Qi Channeling' level of the Qi Gathering Realm, and within a year, he will try to 'open the meridians.'"

The four realms of martial arts are Blood Circulation, Qi Gathering, Furnace Cultivation, and Leakage Prevention.

The Qi Gathering Realm is the second realm of martial arts, divided into the Qi Channeling, Meridian Opening, and Essence Transformation stages, corresponding to the early, middle, and late stages of the Qi Gathering Realm.

In Guangling City, having the cultivation of the Qi Gathering Realm is already a top-tier existence.

People like the city lord Fu Shan, the patriarchs of the three major clans in Guangling, the commander of the city lord's guards Nie Beihu, and some of the older and respected figures in the city, are all at this level.

"Only at the Qi Channeling stage of the Qi Gathering Realm, he should be easy to deal with."

Su Yi became even more calm and composed.

After some thought, he instructed, "Go back to the locust tree and act as if you know nothing. I will decide your fate after I deal with Wu Ruoqiu."

"Thank you, Master, for sparing my life!"

Qing Wan, moved, bowed in gratitude, then mustered the courage to stand up. With her blood-red robe fluttering, she floated toward the old locust tree and disappeared in an instant.

Su Yi fell into deep thought.

With his cultivation at the second level of the Blood Circulation Realm, the 'Skin Refinement' stage, he would normally need to use all his strength to defeat a Qi Gathering Realm martial artist.

But this time was different. His opponent was an evil cultivator, skilled in some vicious ghost techniques.

To be on the safe side, it was better to be cautious.

"It seems I will have to reveal a bit of my true strength this time..."

Reclining in the bamboo chair, Su Yi waited quietly.

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ps: Ding, the female ghost Qing Wan is online.

Thank you, "Bandit Brother" and other good friends, for your support and votes~ Here's the extra chapter!