Chapter 131: Breaking the Barrier

"It seems like it’s just the two of us here," Abe Haruya observed, surveying the environment of Heavenly Host Elementary School. He reached a sudden conclusion: "I can’t find anyone else—not the others, not a soul. Could it be they aren’t in this place at all?"

Fang You shook his head. "It looks like something has separated us within this barrier space. We are all still inside this realm of resentment, but the space itself may have been fractured into several independent dimensions. The others are simply in different segments of the school."

"Do you have any good ideas?" Abe Haruya asked as he reached out toward a wooden door. It would not budge, as if it were fixed in place, with another space entirely hidden behind it.

"Although this is a barrier of vengeful spirits, we must find a way to disrupt the resentment here. If the entire barrier is thrown into turmoil, we might just break the partitions separating everyone. Only then can we all meet in the same space!" As Fang You spoke, he took out a talisman, but the moment it left his hand, it was consumed and incinerated by the surrounding resentment. There was no time to chant or activate it.

"Actually, when it comes to the powers of heaven and earth, using a talisman is only one method," Abe Haruya noted, a spark of inspiration crossing his mind.

Fang You pondered for a moment, and then, as if a veil had been lifted, he understood.

"If the incantation is in the heart and the form is in the spirit, then everything can serve as a talisman! If that’s the case, then…!" Fang You bit his middle finger and, using the floorboards beneath his feet as the medium, began to trace a spell.

Abe Haruya nodded instantly. "Exactly. A talisman is merely the simplest way to borrow the power of heaven and earth. But once one's Taoist power and state of mind reach a certain level, even a wooden plank can serve as a conduit for the power of sorcery."

Fang You was drawing a massive spell on the floor. "I am using my own blood to draw the Divine-Ghost Heaven and Earth Spell Array founded by the Taoist patriarchs."

"Once this array is cast, ghosts and gods will retreat, but it requires a long time of intense concentration to channel the power. I must rely on you to guard me while I finish," Fang You said, continuing to trace the formation.

"No problem!" Abe Haruya replied decisively. Just then, a thumping sound echoed from the distance.

Unable to use his own talismans, Abe Haruya gripped the peach-wood sword Fang You had lent him and stared ahead.

A massive figure emerged. A hulking monster with a rugged build, clutching a giant cleaver and wearing a burlap sack over its head, appeared before them.

"As expected, while I am drawing the array, it has drawn in other things from this space," Fang You remarked without stopping his work.

"It certainly is huge," Abe Haruya said, showing no fear. The crimson peach-wood sword in his hand began to glow with a faint red light as it sensed the malevolent entity.

The next second, the giant monster lunged forward, swinging its long blade. Abe Haruya bit his tongue, spraying his blood onto the peach-wood sword to amplify its yang-repelling energy.

"Come on then!"

The monster swung the blade down with a heavy thud. Abe Haruya dodged, then lunged forward to pierce the creature's left leg.

Upon being struck, the leg instantly dissolved into a mist of resentment. The monster let out a bone-chilling howl.

"It appears to be nothing more than a soul that has absorbed too much resentment and become a creature of malice," Fang You said, having finished the array at his feet.

Abe Haruya had realized the same. "If it’s just a mass of resentment, then it’s easy to deal with!"

He traced a pattern on the peach-wood sword with his finger. "Spell of Purging and Cleansing! Prajna of Ten Thousand Manifestations, purify all resentment and obsession! With the gods at my side, let all malice disperse! Decree!"

As the monster attacked again, Abe Haruya thrust his sword directly into its heart.

Instantly, a surge of purifying power flooded the monster's body. The resentment within it dissipated rapidly, like a balloon bursting.

In the wake of the dissipation, the soul of a man was revealed.

The man still had a burlap sack over his head, and he muttered, "I can't see anything!"

"Who are you?" Sensing that this soul was not so simple, Abe Haruya used the tip of his sword to flick the sack off the man's head.

The man appeared to be in his forties or fifties.

"Alas, all of this is truly a sin!" the man’s soul lamented after the sack was removed.

"You must know something, right?" Fang You, having prepared the array, rested for a moment. Soon, he would activate it to shatter the barriers and bring everyone together.

The middle-aged soul sighed, as if lost in memory:

"Twenty years ago, Heavenly Host Elementary was a reputable school with many lovely students attending classes here."

"As the school guard, I watched the students come and go every day. I felt gratified. Using my strength to protect these children gave me a sense of responsibility."

"There was a student named Sachiko—a very cute little girl. Her mother was also very beautiful."

"Yes, but in this world, beautiful things are always coveted, and they often invite unforeseen dangers."

"On that day, the principal of Heavenly Host Elementary ran into Sachiko’s mother in a secluded corridor. I don't know if it was an accident or a premeditated act."

"She was a beautiful woman. Actually, the principal had been watching her for a long time, just waiting for an opportunity."

"Finally, on that day, he extended his sinful hands toward her. From her legs to her waist, his tone became increasingly threatening, even using Sachiko’s academic future as leverage."

"In the next moment, at the corner, the principal charged at her, ignoring all sense of decorum. It terrified her! As she turned to flee, she accidentally fell down the stairs."

"I was right there, watching it all! But he was the principal! A man who could cost me my livelihood in an instant. This job was hard-won, and I loved it."

"The panicked principal promised to give me a raise, and together, we moved her body, intending to dispose of it."

"Unfortunately, Sachiko caught us in the act. In terror and despair, she screamed and ran away. The principal was horrified; he was terrified that Sachiko would tell others, that the truth would be exposed, and that his reputation would be utterly destroyed."

"Once the seed of evil is sown, it grows until it becomes uncontrollable."