I looked carefully around. Now, the number of ghosts on the fourth basement level had clearly decreased compared to what we saw earlier—there were fewer than twenty left. They looked terrified, huddled together in the center of the array.
A green light was shining from the center of the array.
"They're actually devouring ghosts! Hah! Take this—" Suddenly, Howard Lee brandished the Copper Coin Sword and charged at Ironmask.
"It's useless." Ironmask said. Instantly, sharp streams of deathly energy stabbed at Howard Lee from all directions. With a bang, golden light erupted from Howard Lee's body, and the attacking energies were instantly dissipated.
With a whoosh, Ironmask flew to the center of the array.
"I don't mind playing with you for a bit. Your spirit-commanding technique is impressive, but I doubt you can keep it up for long. Kid, with your talent, at such a young age, you're already top-tier in the Mount Mason Order. It'd be a shame for you to die here."
"Enough talk!" Howard Lee snapped. Suddenly, another ghost was grabbed by a hand and dragged into the green light.
"Not good... Ethan Zhang!" Howard Lee shouted. I rushed over immediately, holding the Heaven-Earth Spirit Talisman Bag and opened its mouth.
Howard Lee quickly began chanting a spell, intending to capture all the ghosts before us.
Suddenly, the Heaven-Earth Spirit Talisman Bag in my hand glowed blue. With a rush of suction, the ghosts began to scatter and flee.
"Where do you think you're going? Get over here." Ironmask said, sending a stream of deathly energy to wrap around a ghost trying to slip into the wall. He dragged it out and tossed it into the green light. That hand reached up again, pressing down on the ghost's head and pulling it under.
At this moment, I saw that arm for the third time. At first, it was shriveled and pitch-black, but now it looked full and healthy—aside from being unusually pale, nothing else seemed strange about it.
Each ghost that tried to escape was snared by Ironmask's deathly energy and dragged back. Two more were immediately thrown into the green light.
The air was filled with the ghosts' agonized screams as two more were dragged into the green glow. Suddenly, I saw the ground bulge upward with a rumble. I blinked, making sure it wasn't an illusion—the ground really was swelling as if being inflated.
"If you want to live, get into the bag yourselves!" Howard Lee suddenly shouted. The dozen or so remaining ghosts immediately rushed toward me.
"Thunder in hand, east, west, south, toward Heaven's Gate—Lightning Summoning Incantation..." Suddenly, I saw Howard Lee's Copper Coin Sword flash with violet light as he thrust it at Ironmask, slashing a few times and severing several streams of deathly energy.
The remaining ghosts scrambled over each other to squeeze into the Heaven-Earth Spirit Talisman Bag.
With a whoosh, Ironmask flew into the corner, seemingly unwilling to face Howard Lee head-on. Once the last ghost entered the bag, I tied it shut and tossed it to Rachel Lan before rushing forward.
The ground beneath my feet heaved, as if I were standing on waves, and I nearly lost my balance. The entire sealing array began to glow green.
"Ethan Zhang, the Array Nexus is right in the center. If that thing wants to get out, it'll have to come through there. Find a way to send it back!"
Howard Lee shouted as the ground beneath us shook even more violently. I had to crouch low, stepping carefully on the uneven floor amid the swishing sounds.
"Qingyuan, jump!"
Rachel Lan's voice came from behind me. I turned and saw two Spirit Shrouds flying through the air. I leaped up, landed on the silk, and shot straight toward the Array Nexus, where a deep green light was flashing.
"Condense—Celestial Chord Sword!"
Deathbane Aura gathered in my hands, forming the shape of the Celestial Chord Sword. I gripped it tightly with both hands.
With a bang, it sounded as if someone was pounding on the wall. I saw it came from the Array Nexus. I gripped the sword of deathly energy and faced the center.
With a crack, fissures spread across the sealing array beneath my feet.
A furious howl echoed through the space, and violent tremors shook the ground beneath me. Howard Lee was chasing Ironmask.
Suddenly, the Array Nexus before my eyes began to change. With a snap, I saw droplets of green liquid splatter, followed by a pale hand reaching up and gripping the ground tightly.
I crouched at the center of the Array Nexus, gripping the sword of deathly energy. The air around me was freezing, as if I were in an ice cellar. A sharp pain shot through my feet—I looked down and saw my feet frozen under a thin layer of ice.
Another pale hand reached out from the Array Nexus, clawing at the ground. The Blue Wraith sealed inside was about to crawl out.
"Ethan Zhang, hurry up!"
Howard Lee kept shouting. I swung the sword of deathly energy at the two hands, expecting to sever them, but with a clang, it felt like striking steel.
While I was stunned, a face suddenly appeared, followed by an entire head emerging from the ground—a long-haired Blue Wraith with a large scorpion tattooed on its face.
Suddenly, the Blue Wraith lifted its head and stared at me coldly. I saw the black scorpion tattoo on its face start to move. With a hiss, the scorpion's tail shot out from its face and grew larger, instantly wrapping around me.
The sharp, black stinger stabbed straight at my neck.
"Qingyuan, watch out!"
It was Rachel Lan's two Spirit Shrouds that wrapped around the scorpion tail, stopping the black stinger right at my neck.
There was a tearing sound as the Spirit Shroud holding the scorpion tail began to rip apart, unable to hold on. I struggled, but the tail binding me felt like steel—cold and hard against my hands.
I was still gripping the sword of deathly energy, but at this moment, I couldn't use it at all.
With a thunderous bang, I turned to see Howard Lee stabbing Ironmask with his sword. After an explosion, Ironmask crashed into the wall, and Howard Lee rushed toward me.
"Kid, you'd better stop now, or when I get out, you'll wish you were dead."
The Blue Wraith beneath my feet spoke, glaring at me viciously. Suddenly, another Spirit Shroud flew over and wrapped around the scorpion tail. I glanced sideways—Rachel Lan was half-kneeling on the ground, her brow tightly furrowed, looking grim. She was nearly at her limit.
"You think you can escape that easily?" Ironmask said, lunging at Howard Lee.
"Ethan Zhang, find a way—aim for his Heaven's Gate!"
Howard Lee shouted, just as Ironmask caught up to him, wielding a broadsword formed from deathly energy. He swung at Howard Lee, and with a muffled bang, the blade struck Howard Lee's back, forcing him to crash to the ground under the immense force.
I shifted slightly, relaxing my right hand as the sword of deathly energy dissipated. Struggling, I managed to reach my chest with my right hand—a burning pain told me my elbow was scraped raw.
"That's better. When I get out, if I'm in a good mood, maybe I'll let you go."
I kept searching for the Spirit Binding Line and finally found it. Lifting my left hand, I aimed at the Blue Wraith's forehead. Howard Lee, though knocked to the ground, didn't seem seriously hurt and was still locked in combat with Ironmask.
Gradually, the Blue Wraith before me had already exposed half its body—I could now see both of its legs.
"Ethan Zhang, use the Earth Incantation first!"
Howard Lee shouted again. I aimed at the Blue Wraith's legs, pulled the Spirit Binding Line, and with a swish, an arrow shot from my left arm, piercing the Blue Wraith right between the legs.
With a scream, the Blue Wraith writhed in agony, glaring at me with hatred. The scorpion tail that was about to sting me twitched and pressed against my neck, causing a sharp, itchy pain.
"Qingyuan..." Rachel Lan called out.
I saw the Blue Wraith had stopped emerging, as if the arrow had worked. Raising my left hand, I aimed at its heart, pulled the Spirit Binding Line, and with a swish, a blue arrow drove into its chest, right where the heart was.
Gradually, the Blue Wraith began to sink back down, while the extended scorpion tail creaked and slowly retracted into its face.
I broke free from its grip. With a crack, the thin ice around my feet shattered. The Blue Wraith had sunk until only its head remained above ground. I stared coldly at it, raising my left hand and aiming at its forehead.
"No, don't—please..." It looked terrified, begging for mercy.
"No words for heretics—scatter and disperse! Copper Coin Sword, scatter—" Suddenly, Howard Lee threw the Copper Coin Sword and chanted a spell. With a crash, the sword broke apart, copper coins clattering to the ground.
"By the law, expel the true demon, drive away foul things—Thirty-six Heavenly Spirits, Five Emperors Incantation..."
The scattered copper coins flashed with blue light and shot toward Ironmask. Instantly, Howard Lee was enveloped in a blaze of golden light.
"Three Pure Ones above, honored ancestors, grant divine power—shield!" Howard Lee spread his arms wide as the copper coins embedded in Ironmask's body. Ironmask screamed and collapsed, but Howard Lee quickly pulled out a stack of blue talismans and slapped them onto Ironmask, wrapping him up tightly.
"Do it, Ethan Zhang!"
I pulled the Spirit Binding Line, and with a swish, the final arrow shot toward the Blue Wraith's forehead.
"You brat, just you wait..." the Blue Wraith shouted.
"Heh, if this thing gets hit, escaping will be nearly impossible."
A man's voice sounded, sly and mocking. Then a pale, clean hand reached out and caught the arrow precisely.
"Xiaowei..." Rachel Lan called out. Only then did I realize the person before us was Vivian Ouyang, her face tinged with mischief as she smiled wickedly at us.
With a spurt, the golden light around Howard Lee faded. He coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground.