"Eliminate me? You and I are both from the Underworld. Do you truly believe you can destroy me?" The female ghost spoke with a biting tone, though she did not approach Mo Lin, instead standing at a distance.
Mo Lin was not surprised by her appearance; after all, Gong Xiu was a ghost of the Underworld's power, a formidable being whose presence could not be overlooked. Such a level of ghost would not be left unprepared by the Ghost Realm.
"What makes you think I became a member of the Underworld in just seven years?" Mo Lin's voice grew cold as he spoke, his words clear and deliberate. "What makes you think I've survived countless battles by mere luck?"
The female ghost remained silent, understanding well the implications of his words. To rise to the ranks of the Underworld in such a short time, Mo Lin's power could not be doubted.
"Curious," she said with an air of amusement, "How can you still stand so confidently, despite being so clearly drained? I can sense your weakening, and that thunder summoning technique you used earlier surely can't be used again."
Mo Lin's expression hardened. "You don't know my true identity."
He took a slow breath, the moment heavy with the weight of his next words. "My name is Mo Lin… And if you don't know me, you've surely heard of the Five Organs Ghost Concealment Technique."
The mention of this technique immediately made the female ghost recoil, taking two steps back in alarm.
"I know you now… You are the disciple of that great being," she stammered, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and hesitation. The mention of "that great being" filled her with a dread she could not ignore. The Five Organs Ghost Concealment Technique was infamous across the Underworld, a technique so dangerous that even the most powerful spirits feared it.
The female ghost paused, her internal conflict evident. The temptations offered by the Ghost Realm were immense, yet the pressure Mo Lin exerted was no less formidable.
Finally, after much internal struggle, she spoke again, her resolve seemingly set. "I only want to save him. I don't wish to be your enemy."
Mo Lin's eyes narrowed. "Are you certain?"
"Yes, I am certain. I will take him with me today," the female ghost declared, her resolve unwavering.
Gong Xiu, hearing this, sneered in triumph. "Little boy... Did you truly think you could kill me?"
His mocking words only served to infuriate Mo Lin, whose patience wore thin.
Mo Lin turned toward the female ghost one last time. "Will you leave, or stay?"
She remained where she was, her intentions clear without a word. The Five Organs Ghost Concealment Technique was Mo Lin's trump card, but it came at a great cost, one he could not afford to use recklessly.
The technique required an immense amount of ghostly energy, and while the Underworld was abundant in such energy, the mortal realm lacked the necessary essence to awaken the spirits within him. To awaken even one of them would require drawing from his own spirit energy.
At this point, Mo Lin knew there was no turning back. He could not allow Gong Xiu to be saved.
Mo Lin slowly opened his mouth, and dark, viscous drops began to fall from his lips, one by one.
"Ke-ke... Ke-ke..." The eerie sound echoed, sending chills down everyone's spine.
"I want out... Let me out to kill these ghosts... Let me out..." A voice hissed, filled with malice.
The other spirits trembled, their very souls recoiling from the voice's sinister undertones.
"Last time, you let me out... This time, you must let me out..." A sharper voice cut through the air, causing everyone to wince in pain.
"Master... Let me out... Let me burn these ghosts to the ground..." Another voice joined in, each one more chilling than the last.
Chen Xi and the other ghosts trembled, their bodies shaking with an instinctual fear that seemed to come from deep within their souls. The sound of the liquid dripping grew louder, and they could no longer hold their composure. They dropped to their knees, as though in awe of a terrifying presence about to manifest.
Gong Xiu's face contorted with dread. "Run... Quickly... Take me... Faster..." His voice was panicked, desperate, his fear palpable.
The female ghost sensed it too—fear, palpable and suffocating.
"Go!" She shouted, grabbing Gong Xiu and fleeing without hesitation.
There was no time to spare.
As they fled, an overwhelming sense of dread filled the air, as though something far more terrifying was about to emerge.
In the distance, Qingyun, observing the unfolding events, suddenly recalled the first time Mo Lin had entered the Jinci Hall. Mo Lin had performed a similar gesture then, and they had mocked him, unaware of the dreadful force he wielded. Now, Qingyun could fully comprehend the terrifying power behind Mo Lin's actions. Just the presence alone was enough to suffocate him.
"Ugh..." Mo Lin coughed, still struggling as he summoned more of his spirit energy.
This technique, though formidable in the Underworld, was taxing in the mortal realm, where Mo Lin's energy was insufficient. This was his first time using it in the living world, and it felt clumsy.
From Mo Lin's mouth, a pair of ghostly white legs slowly appeared, followed by the upper body of a woman. She was a female ghost, with two horns protruding from her skull, her skin deathly pale, and her smile malevolent. She held a black jar in her hand.
Her eyes were blood-red, and as she fully materialized, the night grew even darker, her oppressive presence draining the light from the surroundings. A terrifying aura radiated from her, causing everyone nearby to struggle for breath.
Her gaze fell upon the ghosts of the Ghost Realm, and with a sudden snap, they exploded one by one, as though they were fragile balloons.
Chen Xi, Chu Xing, and the other spirits fell to their knees, their foreheads pressing against the ground in terrified submission. They dared not look at her.
Beside them, Li Bingyan could scarcely breathe, overcome by an inescapable terror that stilled her thoughts.
"The Ghost Mother... It's the legendary ghost," Li Hui muttered in a hushed tone.
Mo Lin's face was pale, the cost of summoning the Ghost Mother was clear—he had nearly drained himself completely.
"Ah... Master, it's been so long since you called me," the Ghost Mother purred, rubbing her head against Mo Lin's face.
Mo Lin pointed in the direction Gong Xiu had fled and said coldly, "Catch him."
"Understood..."
The Ghost Mother's jade-like hands reached into the black jar, rummaging inside.
"Which one to use?" she murmured to herself. "Ah Da... Too slow. Ah Er... Not strong enough. This one? No. That one? No..."
She seemed to be selecting a suitable spirit.
Li Bingyan, watching Gong Xiu's distant figure, couldn't help but wonder, "Is there enough time to catch him?"
The Ghost Mother, however, seemed unconcerned, almost as if she wasn't worried in the slightest.
"Seems these little ones are all eager for a bit of freedom..." she muttered, continuing her search.
"Ah, this one will do." She finally pulled out a spirit, its skin a blue-gray hue, standing half a meter tall with a trident in hand. It exuded an unmistakable demonic aura.
"Bring them here," the Ghost Mother commanded coldly.
The small blue demon nodded, "Yes, Mother."
With a sweep of its trident, the demon stirred the air, and suddenly, the female ghost and Gong Xiu were pulled backward, as if drawn by an invisible vortex.
The female ghost, upon seeing the Ghost Mother, froze in shock. She hadn't anticipated that Mo Lin's Five Organs Ghost Concealment Technique would summon a being of such power.
The Lord had indeed entrusted everything to Mo Lin.
Mo Lin truly had an extraordinary master.