I was writhing on the ground in pain. The moment the curse energy appeared, my hand exploded, and now one of my hands was gone. Warren Qi crouched down beside me, examining it closely.
"Hmm, something seems off with your condition, but you need to hurry. Otherwise, that female ghost won't be able to hold on much longer."
I glanced at Lily Wu. Her body now looked like an overinflated balloon, ready to burst at any moment. There wasn't much time left—I had to release the ghost energy as quickly as possible.
Remembering how it felt just now, I didn't dare to recklessly unleash the curse energy again. I stared at the jar of red liquid—it had to be the problem, but I had no idea what it actually was.
"Ah, look, there are some words on the bottom of this jar."
Warren Qi said, holding a jar of blue liquid. I saw the label: Refinement Batch 13.
I stared in surprise, then started checking the small jars one by one. Each had a refinement batch number, from 1 to over 100. It hit me—these were for refining ghosts. The Ghost Syndicate must use these things for their rituals.
Since it's for refining ghosts, maybe there's a recipe in this room. I frantically searched and, sure enough, found a book listing various ingredient numbers. But the components—Ghost Sand, Ghost Mud, Ghost Tears, and so on—were completely beyond me.
I kept flipping through, and finally found a method for reforging a ghost's body and enhancing ghost energy. I hurried to gather the jars, and also found many test tubes and beakers, all marked with measurements.
Following the instructions, I carefully measured out each viscous liquid with the test tubes and beakers, pouring them into a large container. A colorful mixture began to blend itself together.
After a flash of light, the liquid inside turned pitch black. I swallowed nervously, then picked up the container and gulped down two mouthfuls.
Immediately, a surge of warmth flooded my body, filling me with strength. Even my exploded right hand began to slowly regenerate. This was working. I grabbed the rest of the liquid and, with a whoosh, floated above Lily Wu.
I could actually float now—unbelievable. I looked at Lily Wu’s mouth, pried it open, and poured the mixture down her throat.
It worked. Lily Wu’s swollen state gradually subsided, and her decayed cheek returned to its former beauty—a radiant smile appeared before me.
I held her tightly.
"Lily, you’re okay, you’re okay!"
Tears streamed down my face as Warren Qi clapped beside us, applauding again and again.
"Not bad, Ethan Zhang. You really fought hard. Come on, I’ll take you both out of here."
Just then, a commotion erupted. I saw a group of Ghost Syndicate members at the door. My heart sank, but suddenly, with a whoosh, they all flew into the air. I barely saw it—a shadow, Warren Qi, clenched his fists and returned to my side.
"Relax. These small fry aren’t a match for me."
I glanced at the Ghost Syndicate members. Without exception, they were foaming at the mouth, eyes rolled back, unconscious. Warren Qi led me, weaving through the floors, heading upward.
I held onto Lily Wu. As soon as we reached the top, we entered an empty hall. Following Warren Qi, we stepped outside—Ghost Tomb Mountain. I saw a bustling street spread out before us.
"Mr. Qi, we still have three friends. Do you know where they are?"
Warren Qi turned his head. Suddenly, I felt something behind me. I gripped Lily Wu’s hand tightly. It was Ghost Fiend Star, Dreadstar, Howling Elder, and an old man with an eyepatch—four Ghost Syndicate members. I spun around, ready to run, but Warren Qi stepped in front of me.
"Don’t be afraid."
Just a moment ago, I’d witnessed Warren Qi’s power, so I felt reassured. Lily Wu, too, seemed even stronger after recovering. We both watched quietly.
"What does this mean, Warren Qi?"
Ghost Fiend Star spoke first. Warren Qi laughed, clapping his hands.
"Oh, it’s nothing. Seeing you all work so hard, yet unable to use Ethan Zhang as ghost-refinement material, I just gave a little help, that’s all."
"Damn you, you bastard! You killed over a hundred of us, you..."
Suddenly, Warren Qi was right in front of Ghost Fiend Star. With a bang, Ghost Fiend Star was sent flying, but black hands sprouted from his back, stabilizing him.
Dreadstar said nothing; instead, the old man with the eyepatch spoke up.
"Lord Qi, you show up and start a fight—this might just jeopardize our cooperation."
"Ah, I almost forgot, I’m here to work with you. Now I’ll get scolded by Luke Ling and Lao Chongyuan, and that Undying Woman too. Oh, and Mr. Oblivion and Mr. Life—this is bad. I should’ve brought Oblivion with me."
As soon as Warren Qi finished speaking, I saw Dreadstar’s face twist in shock.
"So, what now? The time for playing the good guy is over, Ethan Zhang."
Suddenly, Warren Qi turned to me, his gaze cold and piercing.
"What are you saying, Mr. Qi? Aren’t you..."
Abruptly, Warren Qi appeared before me, raising his fist.
"You’re useless anyway. Might as well rest in peace."
"Ethan..."
My eyes widened. I couldn’t react in time—Lily Wu had already shielded me. With a bang, black blood sprayed from her body. She collapsed softly onto me.
My mind buzzed. Suddenly, an image flashed in my head: I was nailed to the ground, covered in blood, while green ghosts floated in the sky above.
This chapter isn’t over yet ^.^, please click next page to continue reading!
Everything before me left me speechless. I stared blankly as Lily Wu slowly turned to ash in front of me.
"Ah..."
I screamed, raising both hands—only a handful of ash remained.
"What is this? Why? Why..."
"Ah, sorry, my old habits again. After so long in the Immortality Society, my mind’s gone. Being around those lunatics, I guess I’ve lost it too."
Warren Qi crouched beside me, almost like a friend, smiling and patting my shoulder.