Chapter 310: Almost Erased

Ji Yuan naturally loathed the commotion around him. Although he understood that he couldn't instantly eradicate so many ghosts and demons, especially while deep within Wuyacheng, their stronghold overflowing with dark energy...

...this did not mean he was afraid. In fact, he knew very well that not a single being present, including Xin Wuya, the lord of Wuyacheng, could withstand a strike from the Green Vine Sword when it unleashed its full power.

If he couldn't control the entire situation with a simple gesture, he would make an example – of a ghost to warn the demons, so to speak. Ji Yuan had reason to believe that most of them were a disorganized rabble, and the few powerful ghosts and demons were the type to look out for themselves. At least, he didn't expect many to fight to the death for Xin Wuya.

If he could swiftly and decisively slay Xin Wuya with a single sword strike, ninety-nine percent of these boisterous creatures wouldn't dare cause any major disturbance. And for the defiant few, he possessed "thunderous means."

Yet, Ji Yuan narrowed his eyes, scanning his surroundings. He noted the ghostly aura pervading the city, realizing that if Xin Wuya, the ghost city's lord, no longer restrained them, countless ancient ghosts within the city would likely not remain confined.

"Hahahahaha… Gao Tianming, though you are the malicious Flood Dragon of Tianshui Lake, this is still Wuyacheng, and only Lord Xin has the final say!"

"Hehehehehe… A guest follows the host’s lead. Even if the city lord now changes the banquet, Lord Gao wouldn't object, would he?"

The snickering and taunting from all sides were relentless. Gao Tianming's silence at that moment was perceived as a sign of weakness, emboldening all the malevolent ghosts and demons even further.

Under these circumstances, some of the more powerful ghosts and demons in attendance started to take the situation somewhat seriously.

Eventually, a few of the more dignified ghost deities could no longer tolerate it. They snorted coldly, sweeping their gaze across the gathering, which prompted some of the weaker ghost-demons to show a modicum of restraint.

As the focal point of the brewing conflict, Ji Yuan and Gao Tianming's group naturally drew the most attention. Even Xin Wuya, the ghost city lord who had remained silent thus far, was observing them closely.

Xin Wuya suddenly noticed that, apart from the four rescued mortals huddling together in apprehension, Gao Tianming, Niu Batian, and the others were simply observing their surroundings with a detached gaze, completely devoid of anger. In fact, their expressions conveyed a hint of mocking scorn.

Ji Yuan, meanwhile, paid no attention to anyone else, simply staring at Xin Wuya, the city lord. His pale eyes showed no ripple of emotion; indeed, they seemed capable of absorbing any spirit or sentiment within them.

For some reason, seeing those eyes, Xin Wuya felt an inexplicable chill. They were far too calm, conveying neither threat nor fear. Such an expression couldn't even be feigned as bluster.

Ji Yuan watched Xin Wuya for a moment, then flicked his sleeve and slowly rose to his feet.

"Lord Xin, I, Ji, came uninvited, so I cannot truly be called a guest. However, I must ask: Is this kind of foul atmosphere truly what the City Lord desires?"

Ji Yuan's words, like an unspoken decree, were delivered in a calm, quiet Daoist voice, yet they clearly reached the ears of every ghost and demon present.

His voice was not loud, yet it astonishingly managed to overpower all the laughter and mockery in the hall, rendering the entire venue eerily silent.

This caused everyone's gaze to fixate on Ji Yuan and the city lord.

Seeing Xin Wuya narrow his eyes and prepare to speak, Ji Yuan raised a hand to stop him. He then opened his eyes a little wider and spoke again, his voice still calm.

"I hope the City Lord speaks with caution. Do not be provoked by anger, nor utter words in spite. I, Ji, will take them seriously."

As Ji Yuan spoke these words, the faint ringing in the ears of Niu Batian, Gao Tianming, and his wife had receded, but it had brought with it an even deeper chill to their bodies.

Old Niu and Gao Tianming exchanged glances, as if they could each discern something significant in the other's eyes.

Meanwhile, high above, the Green Vine Sword continued its ascent into the clouds. A luminous talisman, shimmering with faint bolts of lightning, detached from the sword and soared into the dark overcast sky.

"Sizzle… sizzle…"

The entire expanse of dark clouds, stretching for dozens of miles and originally formed by the proliferation of Yin energy, now pulsed with subtle streaks of lightning arcing continuously through the high sky. A golden incantation, woven from light, flickered in and out of visibility within the cloud layer.

If anyone were to fly above the clouds at that moment and could pierce through them to see the talisman, they would discern the four large characters formed by the golden light: "Exorcise Evil, Bind Demons."

Ji Yuan's lightning magic was quite poor, arguably the weakest of all his spells. Yet, paradoxically, Ji Yuan's lightning magic was also very powerful.

This thunderous incantation had been nurtured long ago, imbued with the essence of Xuanhuang Qi, and had absorbed nearly all the lightning vital energy dispersed by the Ink Dragon just before its death. After being used briefly to dispel the evil magic from the Ink Dragon's body, Ji Yuan had continuously nurtured it.

Given a moment, once the thunder incantation assimilated the entire dark cloud, if it were to instantly dissipate into pure lightning magic, it would unleash a force of ten thousand thunders.

As a flood dragon, Gao Tianming was extremely sensitive to both aqueous and lightning energies. At this moment, beyond the chilling sharpness he had previously felt, he realized his hair was subtly stirring, and a tingling sensation began to rise within his spiritual perception.

He abruptly looked up at the sky. Although it remained entirely overcast and brimming with Yin energy, it seemed that above the clouds, extreme Yin was transforming into Yang, and powerful thunder was surging.

'Who is wielding lightning magic? This terrifying yet subtle pressure… Mr. Ji!'

Gao Tianming's breath caught, and he swallowed hard. He happened to see his wife looking at him with a subtle, questioning expression. He nodded slightly, then mouthed silently to Xia Qiu.

"It's the moment of life-or-death decision for Old Ghost Wuya!"

Xin Wuya had indeed intended to utter a sarcastic remark, but Ji Yuan's subsequent words inexplicably triggered a subtle alarm within him. He looked at Gao Tianming and Niu Batian, suddenly realizing their peculiar states. Gao Tianming, who had been so aggressive just moments ago, now seemed to bear an expression of fright and astonishment, though he quickly regained his composure. Yet, this ancient flood dragon surely wasn't afraid of the surrounding ghosts and demons.

As for Niu Batian, the seemingly guileless fellow, his gaze swept across the surroundings, everywhere revealing a hint of mockery and schadenfreude.

This subtle expression was one of someone eager to watch a good show. But this group was currently at the center of the storm; surely they weren't enjoying *their own* predicament?

Too many peculiarities unsettled Xin Wuya. He reined in some of the ghostly energy around him and, without directly answering Ji Yuan, instead addressed the crowd of ghosts and demons.

"My Wuyacheng has never engaged in what is called live sacrifice. Furthermore, many esteemed ghost deities among the guests have honored me, Xin Wuya, with their presence. If you find the dishes here unappetizing and lack desire to eat, you are free to depart and help yourselves once outside the city."

Having said this, Xin Wuya suddenly turned his gaze back to Ji Yuan, his eyes flickering with an ominous, dark glow. A chilling burst of ghostly energy erupted from him, shrouding half the sky above the inner manor plaza.

"Wooo… wooo…"

The frigid Yin energy swept through, causing the soup and dishes on some of the nearby tables to frost over and freeze solid.

Xin Wuya's voice now echoed with a chilling, ghostly resonance.

"However, were the immortal master's recent words meant as a threat to me, Xin? This banquet hosts ghosts, demons, gods, and even devils. And from your Daoist vocal technique just now, you are the sole cultivator present. I'm curious to ask: if I, Xin, truly lacked propriety or simply wished to harm the immortal master, what heaven-shaking methods would the immortal master employ?"

All Ji Yuan had wanted was that prior statement. Hearing Xin Wuya's words, he felt a slight relief. It seemed a conflict could be averted, and he could spare the thunder incantation.

"It's no wonder Lord Xin can invite so many ghost deities to congratulate him. Wuyacheng truly has its unique way of conducting itself. If my words just now caused any offense, I hope the City Lord will be magnanimous!"

Ji Yuan completely avoided addressing whether his words were a threat, and showed no intention of answering Xin Wuya's follow-up question. After bowing and offering that smiling remark, he reseated himself, simultaneously giving Niu Batian and Gao Tianming a subtly warning glance, to prevent them from stirring up further trouble.

Old Niu and Gao Tianming immediately felt a chill in their hearts. Gao Tianming, still somewhat frightened, recalled his earlier demeanor: a smug, gloating look, as if he eagerly awaited the other party to provoke Mr. Ji. Such unrestrained schadenfreude was clearly not favored by the esteemed Mr. Ji.

Facing Ji Yuan's attitude, Xin Wuya clearly felt as if he was punching into empty air. Nearby, a ghostly general with a grim gaze leaned closer, muttering to him.

Gao Tianming observed Mr. Ji's demeanor, and with a sudden thought, he quickly maintained a deferential posture while secretly transmitting a message to Xin Wuya.

"Old Ghost Wuya, know when to quit!"

Xin Wuya, who was listening to the ghostly general speaking beside him, was momentarily startled by Gao Tianming's voice suddenly appearing in his ear. He glanced at Gao Tianming, only to find him still seated at his table, looking down, not facing him.

"Don't look, it's me, Gao. Old Ghost Wuya, I'm giving you a warning: you've already narrowly escaped death. Don't be ungrateful. I'm not threatening you; I simply got a bit carried away earlier, and Mr. Ji wasn't pleased. That's why I'm specifically telling you now: this Mr. Ji is not someone you can afford to provoke. The clouds above are still churning with thunderous power, and Wuyacheng could be overthrown in an instant. I've said all I have to say. Believe it or not, that's up to you!"

Gao Tianming transmitted this message without even turning his head, yet it had a profound impact on Xin Wuya's judgment.

After narrowing his eyes and glancing at that table, he subtly cast a sidelong glance towards the sky. He couldn't discern what was truly happening within the clouds, but with great cunning, he transformed his ghostly energy into a thin thread, rapidly extending it upwards from his head.

Just a few breaths later.

"Sizzle…"

Xin Wuya felt a subtle jolt through his body, and his heart was filled with an even greater sense of dread. He turned to glare at the ghostly general who had been incessantly spouting venomous words about Ji Yuan and his group.

"Are you finished speaking?"

"City Lord, our Tianshui Lake is so far from here, and that cultivator…"

"Get out!"

Xin Wuya's furious expression flared, and the ghostly general immediately dared not utter another word, retreating to the side.

"Truly a remarkable immortal cultivator with extraordinary bearing. Since Mr. Ji, an immortal cultivator, has graced our celebration with his presence, I, Xin, am not an ungracious ghost. Let us consider what happened earlier a mere misunderstanding!"

After uttering this, Xin Wuya returned to his normal demeanor, glossed over the preceding events, and invited the guests to resume their feasting and drinking.

With no one left to disturb the host and guests, the suona and zithers in the hall began playing once more. After a brief period of tension, the entire grand celebration swiftly reverted to a bustling, lively scene.

More than a mere celebration, it was an announcement from Wuyacheng, following its lord's significant advancement in cultivation, to assert Wuyacheng's influence among the ghosts, demons, and deities across the vast surrounding region.

During this time, an interesting dynamic emerged: most ghosts ignored Gao Tianming's table entirely. As for the demons, aside from a few who had good relations with Tianshui Lake and paid a brief visit, the rest at least feigned disassociation. However, many ghost deities came to offer toasts to Gao Tianming's group. The banquet's fervor gradually cooled only after the Yin hour had passed, and Ji Yuan, along with his group, bid their farewells and departed.

The Tianshui Lake carriage procession did not stay the night. Immediately after the banquet, they drove through the bustling streets of Wuyacheng and exited the city gates.

Once outside, the clamor of Wuyacheng faded from faint audibility to distant, then completely vanished. The five mortals in the procession, including Yan Fei, visibly exhaled a deep sigh of relief. Although the night wind carried a chill, it was clearly far more comforting than the atmosphere within the city.

At this point, Niu Batian could no longer hold his tongue.

"Mr. Ji, are we just going to leave this ghost city as is?"

"Oh? How would you propose we handle it?"

"With your magical powers, I refuse to believe you couldn't wipe out this ghost city!"

Niu Batian hesitated for a moment before speaking. Gao Tianming and his wife listened nearby. Ji Yuan merely smiled and shook his head. He did indeed possess the ability, but it would pain him for some time, and avoiding such an action was naturally preferable.

Upon hearing this, Gao Tianming thought to himself:

'He might have almost wiped it out…'

Before Ji Yuan could answer, Madam Gao, Xia Qiu, spoke thoughtfully.

"Uncle Niu doesn't grasp Mr. Ji's profound intentions. Destroying Wuyacheng might not be difficult for him, but there are countless vengeful ghosts and malevolent spirits within the city—they might not all be eradicated. Once Wuyacheng is destroyed, there will be one less place to contain and restrain these evil spirits. The land of Zuyue and the northern territories are already rife with chaos, naturally breeding malevolent entities. In the future, the mortal realm will suffer from wars and turmoil, while the Yin realm will be overrun by wandering evil spirits. Furthermore, corrupt officials and rampant bandits flourish, and the divine path is weak. How desolate humanity would become!"

"Madam speaks very truly. I, Gao, also had a sudden realization during the banquet. Brother Niu, do you understand now?"

Gao Tianming cast an approving glance at Xia Qiu, while patting Niu Batian's shoulder with a seemingly earnest expression.

Ji Yuan looked at Xia Qiu, then nodded.

"Madam Gao is indeed perceptive. Moreover, that Lord Xin is truly a resourceful and strategic individual among ghost cultivators."

As Ji Yuan spoke, he looked ahead at the road, where ghostly figures were emerging. Xin Wuya was clearly among them, and beside him stood a ghost deity in a blue robe and a tall crown.

Seeing the procession approach, the ghost deity was the first to bow in greeting.

"The City God of Quecheng in Yuejing Dao, greets Mr. Ji!"

(End of Chapter)