The most terrifying female ghost had departed.
The elderly mastermind behind the entire scheme had also vanished.
Now, only the low-level spirits remained in the area.
At last, Yun Ling and the others caught a glimpse of hope.
With that formidable ghost no longer present to restrain them, their deaths were no longer inevitable.
"Everyone, break through with all your might!" Yun Ling shouted, her voice resolute as she rallied those around her.
Led by Yun Ling, everyone fought desperately, unleashing all their strength against the remaining ghosts.
Before long, they carved a bloody path through the horde.
One by one, the survivors began to retreat along that narrow corridor of escape.
Lin Xi, however, stood still, her eyes fixed on the direction Mo Lin had taken, concern etched deep in her gaze.
"I think Mo Lin went after that ghost..." she murmured, pointing toward his path.
"Forget him—we need to go now!" Tang Fang grabbed Lin Xi's arm, trying to drag her away.
Lin Xi hesitated for a moment, then pulled free from Tang Fang's grasp and dashed in Mo Lin's direction.
"Are you insane?" Tang Fang shouted after her.
But Lin Xi did not respond.
Mo Lin had just saved her life. Now, she simply wanted to repay the favor—however little she could offer.
Unable to stop her, Tang Fang could only give up and continue the retreat with Yun Ling and the others.
At that moment, Mo Lin was in pursuit of the female ghost.
No matter how she twisted or turned, she could not evade him.
"Why are you chasing me?" she shrieked, her voice sharp and ragged.
"Why are you running?" Mo Lin shot back coolly.
"If you hadn't chased me, I wouldn't be running!"
"If you hadn't run, I wouldn't be chasing."
The exchange was absurd, almost comical—Mo Lin chasing the ghost like a love-struck fool pursuing a beautiful woman.
There was greed in his eyes, as though he had stumbled upon a rare and priceless treasure.
The intensity of his gaze unsettled the ghost.
She sensed a terrifying aura emanating from Mo Lin. From the moment she laid eyes on him, every fiber of her being screamed danger.
Ghosts trust their instincts above all.
"Chen Xi," Mo Lin called.
A ghostly silhouette emerged, materializing in front of the fleeing spirit.
She blocked the ghost's path.
The female ghost lashed out with razor-sharp claws, engaging Chen Xi in a flurry of strikes.
Within moments, she managed to break free and slip past her opponent.
Yet the more she demonstrated her extraordinary abilities, the more Mo Lin coveted her.
Name: Bing YuGrade: NightmareAbility: Infinite PotentialNote: This ghostly skill possesses no offensive capabilities, but grants its wielder limitless potential for growth.
It was this very trait—infinite potential—that had driven Mo Lin to such obsession.
Most ghosts had a ceiling.
Take Chen Xi, for example. As a Nightmare-grade ghost, her upper limit was the Deadly tier.
Ascending beyond that was near impossible without extraordinary luck, regardless of how many ghost coins one invested.
Ghosts, like people, had their limits.
But this one—this female ghost—was different.
She had no limit to her growth.
She could become Deadly. Cataclysmic. Even ascend to the rank of a Ghost King.
So long as she was provided enough resources, her power could climb endlessly.
Such a treasure could never be allowed to slip through Mo Lin's fingers.
No matter the cost, he would capture her.
The ghost soared through the air with astonishing speed.
Mo Lin chased her closely, keeping a distance of just five meters. Then, with a swift flick of his wrist, he hurled a golden hairpin toward her.
The arc of gold streaked through the air and struck her square in the chest.
"Ahhh—!"
A blood-curdling scream erupted as the piercing shriek echoed through the sky.
In that instant, she lost the ability to resist.
The golden hairpin was no ordinary trinket—it was a Yin artifact, imbued with ghost-subduing power.
It pierced cleanly through her chest, nailing her to a tree and rendering her powerless.
Mo Lin stepped forward, preparing for the final capture—but then, a voice thundered from afar.
"Stop! What do you think you're doing?"
The voice belonged to the black-robed elder. His eyes burned with rage as he beheld the ghost he had so painstakingly nurtured now grievously wounded by a mere mortal.
Fury surged like a tide.
"Hunting a ghost," Mo Lin said coldly, as if nothing were amiss.
"Release her," the elder growled. "Or bear the consequences."
But Mo Lin would never release her.
Not just because he wanted her power.
If she escaped, countless innocents would surely perish at her hands.
From every perspective—moral, strategic, or personal—he could not let her go.
"I'm sorry. I cannot," Mo Lin replied, his tone like ice.
"Insolent wretch!"
The elder roared in fury, producing a blue talisman from within his robes.
He lunged forward, talisman raised.
Chen Xi moved swiftly, intercepting him with a ghostly palm strike. They clashed.
The moment their powers met, a flash of lightning exploded in the air.
The elder's blue talisman discharged a bolt of electricity that struck Chen Xi squarely.
She staggered back under the force.
Seeing her vulnerability, the elder struck again.
Another bolt of lightning slammed into her.
Her form dimmed, her strength waning.
Though she was Nightmare-grade, she couldn't hold her own against this man.
There is always someone stronger. Mo Lin understood this well.
The elder's talismans were no ordinary charms.
His strikes resembled a cultivated technique—much like Mo Lin's own Soul-Scattering Ghost-Hunting Art.
But with every use, the elder visibly aged—his wrinkles deepening, his movements growing sluggish.
There was a price to pay for this power.
He soon reached Mo Lin, talisman gripped tightly between his fingers.
"Get lost if you want to live!" the elder snarled, breathless but still dangerous.
Mo Lin stood firm.
He drew a blue longsword and pointed it directly at the man.
Seeing Mo Lin's defiance, the elder's patience snapped.
"Then die!"
He activated the talisman.
A bolt of lightning, thick as a man's arm, tore through the sky toward Mo Lin.
Mo Lin invoked his ghost-hunting art and raised his sword to intercept.
The instant the lightning struck the blade, his entire arm went numb.
The pain was sharp and searing.
This elder was the most powerful foe Mo Lin had faced to date.
To unleash such a technique with just his body—this was no small feat.
But Mo Lin felt no fear.
The elder's vitality was clearly dwindling.
Every talisman cost him a piece of his life.
At this rate, even if Mo Lin did nothing, the man would soon be dead.
The elder's face twisted into a broken smile.
"Yin artifacts... Soul-Scattering techniques..."
He had recognized Mo Lin's methods.
"You lucky bastard," the elder muttered. "To think a mere human could wield the powers of the underworld…"
He had realized his end was near.
He had pushed his body too far. His life was slipping away.
"It's fate... It's fate... I've committed too many sins... Is this Heaven's punishment?"
The elder murmured in despair.
Mo Lin, standing before him, was thoroughly baffled.
He had no idea what the old man was rambling about.
One moment the elder was trying to kill him. The next, he was falling apart.
Raving like a lunatic.