I stood at the main gate with Rachel Lan and Justin Huang, ready to take them with me and fly out the moment the prison doors opened, heading straight for the three locations Hugh Thompson mentioned.
"Once we’re outside, we have to move fast. As soon as I use this method, I’ll immediately know the ghoul’s location, and then we can take it out for good."
Lan Yin spoke, and we nodded. I spread my wings, glanced at Rachel Lan, just about to say something when she reached out and covered my mouth with her hand.
"I’m not a child anymore, Ethan. Before I met you, I’d already been through plenty on my own. I’ll be fine. Just watch yourself."
I nodded and looked over at Justin Huang, who was stretching, his bones cracking loudly.
"Piece of cake, Ethan. Relax. Those meat sacks? One punch each, no problem."
I laughed. It was true—the ghouls were too fragile. Even the fast ones, the flying ones, were weak. One punch was all it took.
"Kid, I’ve told you before—the Phoenix Blade is the crystallization of Vermilion Bird’s power. With your current ability, you can’t unleash its true strength, so use it carefully. Don’t get reckless."
Lan Yin finished speaking, and Rachel Lan turned her head, glaring at him.
"Could you please stop calling me ‘kid’?"
Lan Yin laughed.
"After all, you’re one of the Lan Family. I know our family’s temper well. You and your old man, Martin Lane, both love to stir up trouble."
"Aren’t you the same?"
Rachel Lan shot back, and Lan Yin just laughed, shaking his head helplessly.
Old Eccentric stood off to the side, silently smoking a cigarette, his hand rubbing the door’s control button. He looked anxious.
"It’s all right, Old Eccentric."
I spoke, still watching the door we were about to open. Lan Yin’s plan was simple: with a handful of black glutinous rice, we’d sprinkle it at the three locations Hugh Thompson had mentioned. If there was a strong reaction, it meant the revenant was there. Then Lan Yin would incinerate the entire area in an instant.
Since ancient times, glutinous rice has been closely linked to revenants. Originally just food, over thousands of years it accumulated the power to ward off evil—especially revenants. Lan Yin once said this power, like that of the Vermilion Bird, is rooted in generations of faith.
Once we sprinkled the glutinous rice at the spots Hugh Thompson identified, there would definitely be a reaction. Up against a powerful revenant, the grains would turn to dust. In ancient times, many Taoist priests carried glutinous rice with them. When they sensed corpse energy, the rice would react, letting them know a revenant was nearby—and then they’d go to exorcise it.
This black glutinous rice belonged to Miles Mao—just a small bottle, almost moldy. He said his master told him to always keep it on him.
Right now, the entire Ghost Burial Squad was surrounded by chaotic corpse energy. Lan Yin’s senses couldn’t pinpoint the revenant’s location, and practitioners in the arts didn’t have the special abilities that ghosts do—like the Specter Web.
There wasn’t a single ghost here, so naturally, it was impossible to sense exactly where the revenant was.
"If only I’d studied the Silk Weaving Arts properly back then. Of the Ten Soul Collectors, mine was the weakest—Jason Su’s was the strongest. I tried to learn from him once, but I just wasn’t interested at the time. Regretful."
Lan Yin sighed, and I turned to look at him, dazed.
"You three, remember—if the glutinous rice doesn’t react, pull back immediately. I’ll find a way to cover you. Ethan, your spot is the farthest, and even though you have the Vermilion Mantle, if they attack, you’re not a match. Be extra careful."
"Open the door, Old Eccentric."
I said, and Rachel Lan quickly released two strips of white silk—one wrapped around herself, the other around Justin Huang. The two of them were fixed to my left and right, and suddenly, the weight pulled me down from the air to the ground.
"Your control is terrible, Ethan Zhang. When this is over, I’ll train you for a while. Same for you, kid."
Lan Yin said, and then Justin Huang turned, pointing at himself.
"What about me?"
"You can’t practice the arts anymore. Let it go."
Justin Huang shot Lan Yin a resentful look. At that moment, I noticed Mason Yu leaning against the wall behind Old Eccentric, smiling at me and raising his hand as if wishing us luck. I nodded back.
Behind me, I felt the anxious gazes of many others. I smiled.
"Don’t worry, everyone. We’ll be back soon."
I glanced once more at Old Eccentric. He nodded and pressed the button. The mechanical creak sounded, and the door began to move, opening a small gap. I kept pouring out power, my wings on my back suddenly growing larger. With the two of them, I slowly floated upward.
"Ready, Ethan."
Rachel Lan spoke, handing me the Phoenix Blade. I gripped it tightly, feeling the Vermilion Bird’s power gather within me and surge toward the blade. A powerful force was ready to erupt. I rubbed the hilt, focused, and stared at the slowly opening door.
A chorus of wails flooded in as soon as the door was open enough for us to pass. I roared, the Vermilion Bird’s cry echoing. Raising the Phoenix Blade high, fire transformed into the Vermilion Bird, wrapping all three of us. I flapped my wings and shot out.
With a thunderous boom, the dense crowd of ghouls at the entrance was reduced to clouds of ash by the fire phoenix. Flames surged outward like a raging tide, sweeping through the masses of ghouls all around.
I gripped the Phoenix Blade tightly and swept it upward at the ghouls flying overhead. A crimson flame lit up the sky and carved out a path. With the two of them, I sped toward the cafeteria a thousand meters ahead to the left.
We flew past the dormitory—now the cafeteria was in sight. At that moment, a huge wave of ghouls surged toward us, drawn by our sudden appearance.
I reached the sky above the cafeteria and swept my attack at the ghouls crowding in from behind. Then I glanced at Rachel Lan—she nodded, and with a swish, released the white silk and dropped down. I hurled the Phoenix Blade toward the rooftop below.
With a crisp clang, the Phoenix Blade stabbed deep into the rooftop. Rachel Lan grabbed it, and flames burst forth immediately.
"Now take me over, Ethan."
Justin Huang, clutching my legs tightly, shouted. I flapped my wings again. Looking back, I saw Rachel Lan raising the Phoenix Blade, ready to break through the cafeteria roof and enter.
Training Ground No. 3 was farther away, about three thousand meters to the right of the main building. As I flew toward the Ghost Burial Squad’s headquarters, ghouls were flying in from every direction, completely surrounding us.
I kept flapping my wings, rising higher. Taking a deep breath, I blasted fire down at the dense swarm of ghouls beneath us. With a thunderous roar, swathes of ghouls were consumed by the sea of flames.
But just then, as the flames faded, a silvery object shot toward us.
"Careful, Ethan!"
Justin Huang shouted, letting go of my legs and grabbing the object—a spear, it seemed—that was flying toward us. Sparks crackled as Justin tumbled toward the rooftop of the Ghost Burial Squad main building.
"Justin!"
I shouted. In the dense crowd of ghouls, I spotted one that stood out—its entire body was purple. A Purple Revenant. My heart skipped a beat.
The Purple Revenant looked much fiercer than the others, attacking me with its claws. After Justin Huang landed, thuds echoed as ghouls bounced off his powerful body, sent flying from the rooftop.
Justin Huang was like a raging bull on the rooftop, charging through the ghouls with his arms locked tight. The Purple Revenant flew at me—I punched it hard, but its body was tough. My flames could only scorch it, unable to penetrate.
Then the Purple Revenant grabbed my throat. Justin Huang was already surrounded—no matter how hard he fought, ghouls kept pouring out from the rooftop’s gaping hole like ants.
I grabbed the Purple Revenant’s neck with my left hand and pressed my right palm against its chest. My right hand glowed crimson as fire surged toward it.
I roared, and with a thunderous blast, a crimson fire beam pierced through half the Purple Revenant’s body. It began to burn, whimpering as it fell below.
I immediately flapped my left wing, sending Vermilion Bird feathers flying at it. Explosions echoed as I dove toward the rooftop, raising a hand.
"Justin!"
Justin Huang spun his arms like a whirlwind, knocking aside a swarm of Flying Revenants. He crouched, and with a boom, cracked the ground and leapt toward me. At that moment, the surrounding ghouls jumped up too, lunging at him.