Chapter 416: Lu Yang, It's My Turn to Take Action

Southeast of Hanshui City lay a small village named Baishui Village. In this village lived a couple; the husband's name was Liu San. One morning, Liu San woke up and found it strange that his wife had not woken him as usual.

Liu San called out for his wife at home but received no answer. He began searching and eventually found his wife drowned in a washbasin.

The coroner found no signs of struggle when the wife died, as if she had willingly drowned herself in the washbasin. Puzzled by this, the coroner reported the case up the chain of command. After an investigation, the authorities concluded that she had been killed by a Drowned Ghost.

A Drowned Ghost is said to be the spirit of someone who drowned and died with resentment. If they encounter a surge of Yin energy at the moment of death, they transform into a malevolent spirit that torments the living.

Drowned Ghosts typically inhabit rivers, lakes, and oceans. Coincidentally, near Baishui Village, there was a cold pond. Its waters were so frigid that prolonged consumption would sicken ordinary people, and it was heavily imbued with Yin energy, making it an ideal dwelling for a Drowned Ghost.

A senior disciple in the late Golden Core stage happened to pass by on his way back to the sect. Hearing of the incident, he went to the cold pond to investigate and sent a living corpse into the water to apprehend the Drowned Ghost.

However, the Drowned Ghost was incredibly powerful, at least at the Half-Nascent Soul stage, possibly even early Nascent Soul.

Hanshui City had too many ghost infestations, and the government and the sect were stretched thin, lacking sufficient manpower to deal with the Drowned Ghost.

"So, should we take this mission?"

Zhao Po, having received a mission brief, summarized it and asked Lu Yang and the other two.

Meng Jingzhou found a mere Drowned Ghost unchallenging. "That doesn't sound difficult at all. Is there anything more challenging?" he asked.

"There's a female ghost holding a ghost wedding..."

"Let's just stick with the Drowned Ghost," Meng Jingzhou quickly interrupted Zhao Po. He was joking; given his current situation, a female ghost would either dislike him and not appear, or dislike him and try to swat him dead.

"Alright then, let's go." Before departing, Zhao Po handed each of them a talisman.

"What kind of talisman is this?"

"It's a Soul-Dispelling Talisman, specially made by the sect. Every disciple sent to deal with ghost calamities receives one. The sect found that malevolent spirits were difficult to completely eradicate; even if a fierce ghost was defeated and weakened, it was hard to kill them without the appropriate means. So, in cooperation with the government's talisman masters and ghost hunters, this talisman was specifically created overnight."

Disciples of the Corpse Driving Sect were all corpse drivers, cultivating Yin-attributed techniques. Their attributes were similar to those of fierce ghosts, allowing them to defeat fierce ghosts but not easily kill them.

"Once we defeat the Drowned Ghost, we can activate this talisman to eliminate it!"

"Your sect is quite thoughtful," Lu Yang said with a smile, putting away the Soul-Dispelling Talisman. In truth, it wasn't particularly necessary for them.

With Meng Jingzhou, a bane to ghosts, they could simply burn any fierce ghost to death.

Both Pure Yang True Flame and Samadhi True Flame were effective against fierce ghosts.

The cold pond was diagonally opposite the Corpse Driving Sect, separated by the entirety of Hanshui City. The group left the sect, passed directly through Hanshui City, and even walked past the "One More Time BBQ" restaurant, which was still in its soft opening phase.

Hanshui City remained bustling, with people coming and going in throngs. The ghost calamities had not significantly impacted the city's prosperity. Firstly, Hanshui City had a large population, resulting in strong Yang energy, which deterred fierce ghosts from easily entering or causing trouble there. Secondly, even returning home wasn't necessarily safer, as a mere door couldn't stop a malevolent ghost bent on causing mischief. In fact, crowded public places were often safer.

Following the mission description, the four individuals and one living corpse passed through Baishui Village and arrived at the cold pond.

Standing by the pond, all four could feel the biting chill emanating from it.

The cold pond was surrounded by mountains on three sides, never receiving direct sunlight throughout the year. Lush vegetation encircled it, with several old locust trees being particularly noticeable.

These multiple factors combined to make the pond water extremely cold.

The pond water was clear, yet its depths remained unseen, making it impossible to pinpoint the Drowned Ghost's location.

"That's strange, why are there no fish at all?" Meng Jingzhou wondered. Logically, a place like this should have plenty of fish, even large ones weighing over a hundred pounds wouldn't be surprising. Yet, in reality, there wasn't a single fish in the pond, not even fry. "Eaten by ghosts? Do ghosts even eat fish?"

Lu Yang pushed the constantly questioning Meng Jingzhou aside, squatting to observe the cold pond. "Never mind whether they eat fish or not; you can ask that after we catch it. The immediate problem is how to get down there. Who among us is good at swimming to lure out the fierce ghost?"

The four exchanged glances. Lu Yang had a Sword Spiritual Root, Meng Jingzhou had a Single Spiritual Root, Man Gu was an ancient barbarian, and Zhao Po was a corpse driver. None of them were skilled swimmers.

"I'll do it! I'll send the living corpse down!"

Zhao Po lit three sticks of incense and bowed three times to the living corpse. As the living corpse absorbed the incense's essence, a hint of color appeared on its pale skin, and its vacant eyes gained a flicker of sentience.

The living corpse leaped into the cold pond, and ripples spread across the calm water. Evidently, the living corpse had found the Drowned Ghost and was now fighting it.

The power of ghosts stems from the fear in living beings' hearts and the fragility of their souls, neither of which had any effect on a living corpse.

Cold sweat beaded on Zhao Po's forehead, and his teeth chattered. He could synchronize with the living corpse's sensations, perceiving how incredibly powerful the fierce ghost was, and his pressure doubled.

"Brother Zhao?" Lu Yang asked with concern.

"The intelligence was wrong! The Drowned Ghost down there isn't Half-Nascent Soul or early Nascent Soul; it's mid-Nascent Soul! The living corpse also saw a female corpse down there, which must be the wife who drowned in Baishui Village! The living corpse is luring the Drowned Ghost out. Get ready!" Zhao Po yelled.

Hearing this, Lu Yang and the other two quickly adopted combat stances, ready to unleash a fierce assault the moment the Drowned Ghost appeared.

Bang—

The water surface exploded, and a figure leaped out.

"Samadhi True Flame!"

"Pure Yang True Flame!"

"Tyrannical Barbarian King Fist!"

The three attacked simultaneously, just as their blows were about to strike the figure, Zhao Po urgently called out to stop them.

"Stop, stop, stop! That's not the Drowned Ghost; it's my living corpse!"

The three quickly redirected their attacks, which missed and struck the cliff face instead, sending massive boulders tumbling down with thunderous roars. Zhao Po's eyes twitched as he watched. These attacks didn't look like they were from the Golden Core stage at all.

"Where's the Drowned Ghost?" Lu Yang wondered.

Zhao Po gave an awkward smile. "When I shouted to get ready just now, my voice was too loud. The Drowned Ghost heard it, knew there was an ambush, and retreated."

"This is troublesome," Man Gu said, looking stumped. "Knowing there's an ambush, it definitely won't take the bait now."

"How about we use a storage ring to drain the water?" Meng Jingzhou suggested.

Zhao Po shook his head. "No, this cold pond has become the Drowned Ghost's domain. A storage ring cannot absorb something that already has a master."

Lu Yang chuckled confidently. "Leave this to me. It's the perfect opportunity for you to witness the profound skill I've diligently practiced for days!"

"What kind of crooked or unorthodox spell have you learned this time?" Meng Jingzhou asked curiously.

"This divine ability is renowned; you'll know it when you see it!" Lu Yang adopted an air of profundity, making Meng Jingzhou even more curious and itching to know.

"Show me quickly!"

Lu Yang paced along the pond's edge, using his spiritual energy to generate wind beneath his robes, making them billow, creating an aura of an ascending immortal.

"Listen, fierce ghost below," he declared. "I'll give you one chance. If you don't come out now, don't blame me for resorting to other methods." The pond remained still.

Lu Yang had already guessed the Drowned Ghost wouldn't respond. He flipped his palm, pressed it against the water's surface, and then sharply lifted it upwards. The pond water formed a swirling vortex, completely flowing into his palm, revealing the Drowned Ghost residing at the very bottom. Lu Yang turned around, casually flicking his sleeve with immense grace. "You've guessed it, haven't you? This is the palm technique I've diligently cultivated for days..."

Zhao Po, witnessing this, was utterly dumbfounded, speechless for a long moment. "Th-this is the legendary Sleeve of the Universe!"

A flick of the sleeve, and the pond water was absorbed into it, vanishing from sight. What else could it be but the Sleeve of the Universe?

"...Yes, this is indeed my Sleeve of the Universe!"