When Faye Knox placed her wooden tokens on the table, the Ghost Clan elder in charge of tallying barely glanced at her, thinking, How many tokens could a girl possibly have? Just making it out of the Land of the Undead alive was already a stroke of luck.
But when Faye suddenly produced more than a hundred wooden tokens, the elder was genuinely surprised. "Do you have more?" he asked.
Faye glanced at him and replied, "Yes, I have plenty more. How many do you want me to take out? I don't just have wooden tokens—I have Phantasite too. I wonder, if someone takes first place, do they get to skip the second trial?"
She didn't speak loudly, but everyone ahead heard her. They all turned to look at Faye, curious. Her words sounded a bit boastful—she actually wanted to take first place. Some found it amusing, but on second thought, it meant she must have collected a substantial number of tokens and Phantasite.
The elder was only responsible for recording numbers, so he couldn't promise anything. But at that moment, the commander walked over and said, "If you can take first place, you'll definitely pass directly. As long as you're in the top three, you advance. Young lady, can you really surprise me?"
The commander's eyes locked onto Faye. At that moment, he couldn't sense any energy fluctuation from her at all, which meant she was hiding her strength extremely well—or maybe she really was an expert.
Faye acted as if she hadn't noticed the commander's gaze and smiled, "I remember that once you become an elite disciple of Grimchart City, you can go to Blackspirit City. Is that true?"
"That's absolutely true. As long as you meet the requirements, we'll send you there. Blackspirit City is ruled by the Ghost King, and the standards are extremely strict."
Faye nodded, then emptied all the wooden tokens from her storage ring. Instantly, the tokens piled into a small mountain on the elder's table, leaving everyone stunned.
The elder stared at Faye as if she were a monster. "Did you really get all these by yourself? How is that even possible?"
"Heh, aren't they right here already? What's impossible about that? Old man, you'd better start counting!" Faye laughed.
The crowd began to whisper among themselves. For someone to have so many tokens meant she had killed a lot of her own kind. Killing in the Land of the Undead was taken for granted, but it also showed she was terrifyingly strong and ruthless. Instantly, Faye was labeled a 'witch.'
After a while, the elder finally spoke: "You have a total of nine hundred and twenty-seven wooden tokens. You're the person with the most tokens in years—it's truly unbelievable!"
At that moment, Faye turned and glanced at Evan Chu, her lips curling into a slight smile, as if to say, 'Do you have this many tokens? You're doomed to lose this time.'
Evan put on an exaggeratedly shocked and dejected expression, making Faye even more certain she had won. This time, he was going to learn just how powerful she really was.
The commander was also stunned, staring at Faye. "Impressive, very impressive. Anyone who can collect so many tokens must be at least Eighth‑Layer Saint Martial. Young lady, am I wrong? Looks like our Ghost Clan is full of talent!"
Faye just smiled, neither confirming nor denying. The commander waved his hand and the tokens vanished. "You also have Phantasite, right? Take it out—let's see if you can surprise me again."
Faye then produced her Phantasite. It was useless to her—though filled with energy, she couldn't absorb it. Hundreds of Phantasite stones suddenly appeared on the table.
This time, the elder was clearly unsettled. To gather so much Phantasite, she must have slain countless powerful and vicious monsters. For such a petite girl to accomplish this—it was truly terrifying.
After counting the stones on the table, the elder said, "Three hundred and sixteen in total. Looks like I was completely mistaken—you really are a hidden master."
Faye said, "I have one more Phantasite stone. I wonder how many regular stones this one counts for?" As she spoke, she produced the massive Phantasite core Evan had given her from the Nether Viper.
This Phantasite was several times larger than any other, clearly from a monstrously powerful creature. The commander trembled with excitement. "How did you get this Phantasite? Don't tell me you killed the beast yourself. Only a monster at least Ninth‑Layer Saint Martial could have such a core. You'd better tell the truth."
"I did kill it myself. Why not? Ninth‑Layer Saint Martial monsters are powerful, but they have weaknesses. If you strike the weak spot, you can kill them. I was seriously injured getting this Phantasite and needed ten days to recover, so I plan to keep this one for myself." Faye replied.
The commander looked at Faye, half believing and half doubting. It was almost unbelievable—he himself would struggle to kill such a monster, yet this young woman had done it. He couldn't help but be suspicious.
"Alright, I understand. You may step down. With so many tokens and Phantasite, you're definitely first place. Once the competition ends, you'll be sent straight to Blackspirit City." the commander said, then flashed into the air.
High above, a middle-aged man watched. When the commander joined him, the man laughed, "Unbelievable. Go investigate this girl's background—such an outstanding new talent in our Ghost Clan is truly unexpected."
"City Lord, I have a feeling this girl isn't really Ghost Clan. Her ghost‑qi is dense, but it doesn't match her true power. At most, her ghost‑qi is Fifth‑Layer Saint Martial, but anyone who could obtain a Phantasite this huge should be at least Ninth‑Layer Saint Martial." the commander said respectfully.
"That's exactly why I want you to investigate. It's not just you—even I can't see through her. If she truly is Ghost Clan, she must be given top priority training. If not, you know what that means. This must be handled in secret—don't alert her." the city lord replied.
The commander nodded and flew back down. At that moment, Faye stepped away and it was Evan's turn. As she passed him, she said coldly, "Let's see how you die this time!"
Evan just shrugged and replied, "Heh, I know you're strong, but don't celebrate too soon. You'll see." As he spoke, he even mimed a squeezing gesture, making Faye so furious she wanted to kick him into the sky...