I breathed steadily, my eyes fixed on Master Jasper Jade's disciple fifty meters away. He was forming seals with his hands, and all around, thunderous rumbling echoed in waves. Golden light surged up from the earth.
My ghostly soul already felt a searing pain. The power of this spell was so great that even as a ghost, I felt fear.
"You bastard..."
Master Jasper Jade shouted, apparently sensing something was wrong—especially with the sniper rifle in my hands. Ignoring the dust whisk he swung as he charged at me, I aimed at a Taoist in the middle and pulled the trigger with a bang, targeting his thigh.
The pitch-black bullet grazed the Taoist's thigh. With a scream, the Taoist—still forming seals—let out a wail as a surge of black baleful energy exploded from him. He spun through the air and was thrown aside.
With a successful hit, I immediately stood up, my cloak billowing behind me. With a crack, a bolt of purple lightning exploded before my eyes. Holding the sniper rifle, I ignored Master Jasper Jade's attack and instead took aim at another Taoist's leg.
Bang! The gun fired again. The Taoist was sent flying, flesh and blood splattering, as he screamed and spun before crashing to the ground.
"Wretched creature, taste my sword..."
Master Jasper Jade immediately raised his right hand. With a whoosh, the sword I had just knocked away flew back into his grip. Grasping it, he lunged at me.
I still didn't meet his attack head-on, dodging instead. There was a power in that sword that ghosts feared. My cloak whipped rapidly as Master Jasper Jade's sword sliced past me. After dodging, I kept the sniper rifle trained on another of his disciples.
"How dare you..."
Bang! Another young Taoist was sent flying. I always aimed for their legs; after being hit, they would temporarily lose the ability to move. Around us, the golden light spilling out was growing more unstable.
Master Jasper Jade shouted, then suddenly flipped through the air and landed before me. He discarded his dust whisk and sword, raised both hands, and strode forward as golden light blazed from his body. An immensely powerful force began to emanate from him.
A smile crept onto my face. Now that I was a ghost, I had perhaps already mastered the ways of the dead.
"Disciples, form the array..."
Suddenly, with a thunderous boom, layers of golden barriers appeared around me, one inside another. I stared in shock as beams of golden light began to condense within the cage, enclosing me.
Gradually, the light coalesced into a golden humanoid figure, clad in armor, bearded and holding a sword. Suddenly, a powerful force surged toward me.
I immediately raised Hell's Sentinel. With a thunderous crash, the spectral sword in my right hand flew out, and my entire right arm vanished into the golden light.
To my surprise, the three Taoists I had knocked down earlier were getting back up. Ignoring the wounds on their thighs, they began to help Master Jasper Jade form the array again.
I had only grazed their thighs with the sniper rifle. If I had hit them directly, their entire legs would have been blown off.
Bang! I crashed to the ground as a golden chain descended from above—the situation was dire.
"Ethan, this Great Luo Golden Immortal Array is extremely powerful. Step back five paces, then move three to the right."
I nodded and quickly stood up, baleful energy seeping out. My right hand recovered. I absolutely couldn't meet this force head-on; for ghosts, its power was absolute suppression.
Following Zhang Jizheng's instructions, I stepped back five paces and moved three to the right. The golden chains released by the humanoid figure clattered down but failed to bind me.
Master Jasper Jade looked utterly astonished, his eyes wide.
"How do you know our Daoist footwork?"
I said nothing, but then Zhang Jizheng spoke up.
"Ethan, now use your power. Aim at the Star Gate and block the circulation of the spell."
I let out a sound of surprise. The Star Gate—I had never heard of it before.
"Look closely. This array is a killing move, designed for ghosts. That's why it uses the number thirty-seven combined with ten."
I had no idea what Zhang Jizheng was talking about. The golden figure, sword in hand, charged at me. I withdrew Hell's Sentinel and then conjured a Desert Eagle, firing several shots at the golden humanoid.
My bullets struck its surface, instantly seeming to evaporate, trailing wisps of black smoke.
Seeing the golden sword swinging toward me, I quickly gripped Hell's Sentinel with both hands, blocking the attack. With a thunderous crash, the ground caved in and sizzled; my body was being scorched, black mist rising from me.
"Ethan, look closely. The thirty-seven combined with ten refers to these ten barriers, and the Star Gate is the one in the center of the outermost layer."
Gritting my teeth, I raised Hell's Sentinel. The golden light kept searing my ghostly soul, pressing me deep into the muddy ground as my whole body creaked.
With a snap, I turned into mist. Then, with a swish, a sword slashed across my chest. I rolled out of the mist, stifling the intense pain and sprang up. Just as Zhang Jizheng described, within the barriers surrounding me, I saw three outermost barriers: one slanting upward, two slanting downward.
"When you reach the edge of the inner array, step three to the right, two steps back to the left, then step forward once."
I nodded, ignoring the golden figure chasing me, and approached the golden barriers. Following Zhang Jizheng's instructions exactly, I was astonished to find myself outside.
"Ethan, break the Star Gate."
I roared, baleful energy swirling wildly around Hell's Sentinel. I flew onto the slanted barrier, raised Hell's Sentinel, and slashed down at it.
With a thunderous crash, a surge of overwhelming baleful energy tore the golden barrier apart. The violent force instantly devastated the surrounding grassland, leaving craters in the ground.
"Kid, how is that possible?"
Master Jasper Jade shouted, but I knew this Taoist wouldn't give up easily. In a flash, I moved beside Qiu Lin, not far from the young Taoists, pressing a hand to his body as baleful energy swirled around him.
"Wretched creature, what do you want?"
Master Jasper Jade shouted again, immediately bracing himself and flying toward me.
"Don't move, or this kid will be pulp in an instant."
I said coldly. Master Jasper Jade stopped, and the other seven young Taoists turned their swords on me. I grinned wickedly, then whispered in Qiu Lin's ear.
"Listen, Mr. Qiu, I had business and needed a host. I chose you by accident. I've already given you 100,000 yuan—sorry. Your girlfriend wants to go abroad, right? You've been arguing about it. If 100,000 isn't enough, I'll send you another 200,000 in a few days. How about it? You really care about her, don't you? It's been days since you last spoke."
Qiu Lin turned to me, startled, but I saw a hint of surprise and joy in his eyes.
"Then later, I'll give you another account. That money was confiscated by my grandmaster and donated to charity."
"Grandmaster, save me!"
Qiu Lin cried out, his voice trembling. At this moment, Master Jasper Jade's expression was deeply conflicted, his face twisted in grief and rage. He slowly lowered his sword, then raised it again.
"Xiao Lin, listen well. Meeting this wretch today, he'll surely harm the living in the future. I can't save you, but your death will be remembered by all who walk the righteous path. Prepare the array—use the Grand Star Supreme Formation."
I stared at Master Jasper Jade in shock, and Qiu Lin was equally stunned, glancing at me.
"Damn, you filthy Taoist, don't push me too far. Don't think I'm afraid of you!"
I roared, and Qiu Lin was equally upset.
"Grandmaster, why can't we just talk? Why do we have to fight? Didn't you come down for the Nine Gates Gathering? I don't want to die—I'm still young, I want to get married!"
Qiu Lin shouted, and Master Jasper Jade looked over in surprise.
"You're Ethan Zhang?"
I nodded, and suddenly, golden light surged from Master Jasper Jade's body.
"Daoist Qiu, long time no see. Why the anger?"
At that moment, a gentle yet masculine voice drifted over. I looked over in surprise—a man in a white Taoist robe, holding a folding fan, his hair loose, looking about forty, calm and handsome, walked over.
He radiated kindness, smiling as he waved his fan. The scent of alcohol drifted from him. His face flushed, he seemed drunk, stumbling as he walked before plopping down on the ground.
"Samuel Young, you arrived just in time. Let's join forces..."
"Brother Qiu, the night is long, the grass is quiet—why trouble yourself? We Nine Gates came down the mountain for this gathering to negotiate with the Seven Ghost Sovereigns. Why fight before we've even started talking?"