Chapter Nineteen: The Shadow Spirit's Mother

“Such audacity!”

Zhao Huaisheng shouted angrily, waving the Ghost-Tending Banner in his hand. Two streams of ghostly energy surged forth from the banner, each transforming into a fearsome specter that materialized before him.

The wraiths Zhao Huaisheng commanded were far more formidable than those of Su Ming; both possessed the strength of cultivators at the late stage of Qi Refinement. The moment they emerged from the banner, sinister ghostly energy roiled around them. United, the two spirits conjured a chilling ghostly seal, attempting to block the assault of the Thunderfire Talisman and the Shadow Sigil Talisman.

Yet they gravely underestimated the power of these talismans. With a thunderous roar, the cold ghostly seal they had forged together was pierced through by the thunderfire spear conjured from the talisman.

Instantly, the thunderfire spear dissolved into a raging tempest of thunder and fire, surging toward the two ghosts. The power of thunder and fire was the bane of specters; the instant their forms were touched by it, they shrieked in agony, gray-white mist billowing from their bodies.

Meanwhile, under Su Ye’s command, the ashen-blue light released by the Shadow Sigil Talisman continued its assault upon Zhao Huaisheng.

Having witnessed the terrifying power contained within Su Ye’s talismans, Zhao Huaisheng’s expression grew grave as he faced the ashen-blue light. He drew from his bosom a grayish talisman. Upon activating it, a stony light surged forth, enveloping his body and coalescing instantly into a suit of stone armor.

This was the Stone Armor Talisman, a defensive charm. Yet the power it granted was far inferior to that of the Shadow Sigil Talisman. The stone armor clinging to Zhao Huaisheng’s body shattered instantly under the onslaught of the ashen-blue radiance, which, being overwhelmingly potent, pierced through the armor the moment its defense failed and stabbed into Zhao Huaisheng’s flesh.

Zhao Huaisheng roared again, brandishing the Ghost-Tending Banner. A thick wave of ghostly energy billowed forth, and as it dissipated, a red-haired female ghost appeared before Su Ye.

“The Ghost Mother Yin!” Su Ye’s face darkened at the sight of the crimson-haired specter.

This Ghost Mother Yin was astoundingly powerful—her might rivaled that of a first-realm cultivator, and the two child ghosts with her were no weaker than those of the second realm.

No sooner had the Ghost Mother Yin emerged than she attacked Su Ye. The two child ghosts, directed by the red-haired mother, worked in concert with her, their combined strength even more terrifying.

Though Su Ye possessed myriad techniques, he was forced onto the defensive by the coordinated assault of the three ghosts. If not for unleashing another Shadow Sigil Talisman at a critical moment, he would have been gravely wounded.

“Jiao Niang! Ming’er! Yue’er!”

As Su Ye battled the Ghost Mother Yin, Zhao Qi’s voice suddenly rang out from afar, calling names that unmistakably belonged to the Ghost Mother Yin and the two child ghosts—Zhao Huaisheng’s own wife and children, transformed into phantoms.

“So the Ghost Mother Yin is actually Zhao Huaisheng’s wife and children!” A faint smile appeared on Su Ye’s lips as he watched Zhao Qi running toward them.

Zhao Qi had been the closest to them in life, and those two child ghosts were his own offspring. If Su Ye could use Zhao Qi’s blood to forge a Blood Summons Talisman, there was a great chance he could awaken the Ghost Mother Yin’s consciousness.

The instant Zhao Huaisheng saw Zhao Qi, killing intent surged across his face. After forcing back the cat demon with a spell, he charged directly at Zhao Qi.

“There are signs the Ghost Mother Yin’s consciousness is awakening!” Joy flickered across Su Ye’s face, for he saw that as Zhao Huaisheng lunged at Zhao Qi, the red-haired ghost suddenly blocked his attack.

With a flash, Su Ye appeared before Zhao Qi. With his fingers shaped like a blade, he sliced Zhao Qi’s palm, drawing a stream of bright blood.

“Little Li, protect Zhao Qi!” Su Ye commanded swiftly. With his brush, he swept across Zhao Qi’s bleeding palm, gathering a bead of blood at the tip.

At this point, Zhao Huaisheng had no attention to spare for Su Ye. When the Ghost Mother Yin attacked him, he pulled a short flute from his sleeve.

The piercing note of the flute rang out. The moment the Ghost Mother Yin heard it, a bloody gleam appeared in her eyes, followed by an anguished howl.

After a few moments of this, what little consciousness the ghost mother had regained was suppressed once more.

The flute was Zhao Huaisheng’s method of controlling the Ghost Mother Yin. There had been no flaw in his creation of her, but this time, she had turned out too well. Her power had grown rapidly—though he was but a first-realm cultivator, the ghost mother’s strength was on the verge of surpassing him.

Since then, she had shown increasing signs of breaking free from his control, which was why he normally kept her sealed within the Ghost-Tending Banner.

Had Su Ye’s strength not exceeded his expectations, and had there not been a late-stage first-rank cat demon interfering, he never would have released the Ghost Mother Yin to fight.

What he had not anticipated was encountering someone from the Ghost Mother Yin’s past here.

Suppressing his fury, Zhao Huaisheng, after forcing the ghost mother’s mind back under his control, immediately directed her to attack Zhao Qi.

The ghost mother’s power was overwhelming. Though the cat demon struggled to resist, it was sent flying in an instant.

The ghost mother reached out, her five black, razor-sharp claws slashing for Zhao Qi’s throat.

“Jiao Niang, at last... I see you and the children again,” Zhao Qi murmured, extending his hand slowly, his eyes clear and fearless as he gazed at the ghostly woman. Even a faint smile touched his lips.

Tears welled in Zhao Qi’s eyes. With trembling fingers, he tried to caress the cold, spectral face before him. In his heart, Xie Jiaoniang was not a ghostly fiend, but still his beloved wife.

When Zhao Huaisheng saw the ghost mother hesitate and fail to kill Zhao Qi, his expression grew thunderous. He raised the short flute to his lips once more.

At the very instant the flute’s note soared, hesitation vanished from the ghost mother’s crimson eyes, replaced by a frenzy. Her claws dug into Zhao Qi’s neck.

In that same moment, the talisman brush in Su Ye’s hand shimmered with a dark red light. With a flick, he sent that blood-hued light flashing toward the ghost mother’s brow.

The Blood Summons Talisman carried no offensive power; its purpose was to use the blood of a loved one to awaken the spirit’s mind.

Thus, when the blood-red light struck the ghost mother’s brow, nothing seemed to happen—so little, in fact, that Zhao Huaisheng paid it no mind. But moments later, the ghost mother abruptly flung Zhao Qi aside and let out a wild howl, clawing at her own head.

Suddenly, the flute’s note was cut short—the instrument shattered in Zhao Huaisheng’s hands.