Sun Mang stood where he was, at a complete loss.
He watched helplessly as countless evil spirits swarmed into the Soul-Collecting Talisman.
A moment later, the talisman began to shake violently, and black miasma even started to slowly seep out.
His heart was filled with terror; he couldn't even begin to imagine what would happen next.
Tian Wei was frantically using her power of purification, but it was like trying to put out a burning cart of firewood with a single cup of water.
Neither Du Jinsong nor Zhang Ximing could stop it.
They couldn't understand how these evil spirits could still possess intelligence!
A trace of blood trickled from the corner of Tian Wei's mouth. "No, it's no use... retreat, quickly!"
Soon, the entire county would become a purgatory.
Du Jinsong looked up at the evil spirits blotting out the sky, and a thought of pure dread welled up within him.
"There are definitely more than a thousand evil spirits here." Zhang Ximing had also lost his usual cold composure, his low voice tinged with shock.
That such a plain, unremarkable little county could attract so many evil spirits was absolutely terrifying.
Tian Wei only wanted to flee this place immediately, right now.
"It's too late," Du Jinsong whispered, looking utterly dejected.
"Brother Du..."
"Tian Wei, it really is too late. We can't escape anymore."
For the first time, Tian Wei saw resignation on Du Jinsong's face.
He had abandoned hope; he had abandoned the will to live.
She was unwilling to accept this; she didn't want to die!
Bang!
The Soul-Collecting Talisman could no longer withstand the swarming spirits and shattered into pieces.
One after another.
The surrounding air became thick enough to be suffocating.
Having regained their freedom, the evil spirits' malice surged, becoming even more terrifying than before.
Du Jinsong, Zhang Ximing, Tian Wei, and Sun Mang became their most delicious "food."
"Fight to the death!"
Zhang Ximing roared.
Sun Mang gripped his branch, but he didn't even have the chance to strike.
His limbs were restrained by the evil spirits, and his entire body was enveloped in a bone-chilling cold.
He was going to die.
In this moment, he thought of his grandmother, he thought of Su Yan. Did he have any regrets?
No regrets!
"My Lady, the west side of the city—it's out of control!"
The ghost shadow shouted anxiously above Su Yan.
Even he could feel the horror of this place.
Before his voice had even faded, the ground began to shake violently.
Crack!
A bottomless fissure split open; the gates of hell had officially opened.
"It's here!"
Su Yan’s voice was icy cold as she stood up.
She didn't act immediately, instead staring intently into the depths of the fissure.
"Ah~" A sigh came from deep underground.
It sounded excited, yet twisted.
Even the ghost shadow felt a sense of profound fear.
Having been a ghost for over a hundred years, this was the first time he had seen something so terrifying.
He suddenly began to worry whether Su Yan could actually win.
The entire space began to distort, and the gloomy miasma grew so thick it was becoming tangible.
One meter, two meters, five meters, ten meters...
At this moment, the miasma pouring from the ground seemed endless.
Su Yan stood motionless, her gaze firm and resolute.
"Ah, finally out."
The miasma, several zhang high, formed a terrifying shadow, looking down at Su Yan as if she were an ant.
"Are you the one who has been blocking this seat?"
The hoarse voice was damp and sticky.
Even looking up, Su Yan couldn't see its full form.
For an evil spirit to cultivate to this level, it must have been dead for at least hundreds or thousands of years, right?
This nauseating aura was unbearable to her.
"It's because you didn't have the ability to get out yourself."
"Little girl, I'm in a good mood today, so I can spare your life. But if you insist on provoking me, don't blame me for devouring you!"
Su Yan let out a cold snort. "That depends on whether you have the ability to do so!"
She gripped her Demon-Subduing Staff and leaped into the air.
"You seek death!"
An arm made of miasma swiped directly down at Su Yan.
The light of the Demon-Subduing Staff pierced through the arm and struck directly at the evil spirit's heart.
But to Su Yan's surprise, although the staff left a wound in its miasma, it recovered in the blink of an eye.
So strong!
Su Yan muttered to herself.
She never underestimated her enemies. She immediately began chanting, and the flying staff headed toward the evil spirit's massive head once more.
She had to find its fatal weakness.
But with a body several zhang tall, that was clearly not easy.
The staff was swatted away, but it automatically returned to Su Yan's hand the next instant.
Su Yan cast out a series of talismans.
She had to pin it down first!
The light of the talismans was quickly swallowed by the black miasma.
But Su Yan didn't care. If one didn't work, she'd use ten; if ten didn't work, she'd use a hundred, a thousand!
"I don't believe your talismans are endless!"
The evil spirit let out a wild roar, its malice expanding several times over.
"Then just try and see!" Su Yan's speed was so fast that she left afterimages.
The light of the talismans wove together into a fine, dense net of light that descended.
The miasma touched by the light net was instantly suppressed, and the behemoth before her began to shrink at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"This is impossible!" The evil spirit let out a heaven-shaking roar.
Blobs of black energy attacked Su Yan.
It was fast, but Su Yan was faster.
After a round of exchanges, it was Su Yan who held the upper hand!
In just a few breaths, the miasma was suppressed to a height of a dozen meters. Although its true form was still not revealed, it was enough for Su Yan.
The Demon-Subduing Staff flew from her hand again, attacking every part of the evil spirit under her control.
If this were its true body, it would already be riddled with holes.
"I want you dead!"
It suddenly spread its arms, and a gale rose. The evil spirits floating above the entire county seemed to have received a summons, all of them rushing toward it.
West of the city.
Sun Mang's consciousness was on the verge of fading.
The jade pendant around his neck, which had long since lost its energy, emitted a faint light once more, preventing the evil spirits from invading his body and protecting his last shred of sanity.
Zhang Ximing had become a bloody mess, yet he still hadn't let go of the dagger in his hand.
Du Jinsong was similarly drenched in blood, relying entirely on his last breath to hold on.
Tian Wei had collapsed to the ground, dead or alive, no one knew.
The surroundings were filled with wailing ghosts and the scent of death.
And the four of them were destined to die here!
Just a second before Du Jinsong completely lost the ability to move, the vengeful spirits that were about to tear them apart suddenly showed expressions of terror. Immediately after, they turned into wisps of yin energy and shot into the sky.
Blood was streaming down Zhang Ximing's right hand; his eyes were bloodshot from the slaughter.
Only when all the evil spirits around them inexplicably vanished without a trace did he force himself to stop.
The moment he stopped, he collapsed to the ground with a thud.
"Ximing..."
Du Jinsong called his name.
"I, I'm fine." Zhang Ximing struggled to respond. "Why did they all disappear?"
"What is that?"
For the first time, Zhang Ximing heard Du Jinsong's voice trembling with fear, and he instinctively followed his gaze.
Thousands upon thousands of evil spirits were all flying in one direction... Xinghua High School!
And right where they had appeared before, a black fog, terrifying enough to be suffocating, was rapidly expanding.