Chapter 189: The Rescue

Chapter 189: Chapter 189: The Rescue

Young Master Yellow Springs was displeased when Young Master Ghost cut him off.

To him, delivering a victory speech was a rare and exquisite pleasure.

Especially after defeating such a powerful opponent.

The thrill was far greater than any visit to the Joyful Tower.

But Young Master Yellow Springs said no more when he saw Young Master Ghost take out the Soul-Calling Banner.

The Soul-Calling Banner did not belong to Young Master Ghost; he had borrowed it from the Ghost King Sect Leader specifically to eliminate the Thunder Knight.

It was this very Soul-Calling Banner that had ensured not a single one of them was killed by Zong Ziqi.

Otherwise, given Zong Ziqi’s strange explosive power and sudden, thunderous speed, they could not have guaranteed they would be able to react in time.

"Go!"

With a wave of his Soul-Calling Banner, Young Master Ghost sent countless vicious ghosts and malevolent spirits charging ferociously toward Zong Ziqi like a stampede of wild horses.

Zong Ziqi’s gaze hardened. He tried to move, only to find his limbs had gone numb. Not a shred of strength remained.

He gave a self-deprecating smile.

He had lost count of how many times he had used the Thunderbolt Breathing Technique during the fight.

The Thunderbolt Breathing Technique worked by stimulating the body with lightning, allowing it to erupt with power and speed far beyond its normal limits. However, this burst was damaging to the body and could not be sustained.

But in order to fight his enemies, Zong Ziqi had used the technique—which he should have only been able to use five times in short bursts at his current stage—at least twenty times.

This meant he had pushed himself four times past his limit.

Zong Ziqi’s body had already completely broken down.

Even the body of a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator could not withstand being overdrawn to such an extent.

Even if Young Master Ghost were to turn and walk away, leaving him be...

...Zong Ziqi couldn’t guarantee he would survive.

’If this is death, so be it.’

’Killing two of those villains makes it worth it.’

’But if I die like this, I will have failed to repay my master for his teachings.’

’I still haven’t proven that a Body Cultivator can walk the path of a Sword Cultivator.’

’For now... I am still just a swordsman.’

’And you, Brother Jiang.’

’I failed your trust. Even though I received your message, I wasn’t able to save you in time. That was my mistake, and I’ve come to you to apologize.’

’Oh, right. I wonder, if I’m killed by this Soul-Calling Banner, will my soul ever be able to find release?’

’If so, our reunion might be delayed a little longer, huh?’

Zong Ziqi stared blankly ahead, the events of his past spinning through his mind like a revolving lantern.

Suddenly, he thought he saw a figure appear before him.

The back of this figure felt incredibly familiar to Zong Ziqi.

’Heh, this "life flashing before my eyes" thing is too realistic. I’m even having hallucinations,’ he thought. ’Well, that’s fine. Seeing Brother Jiang one last time will let me face death with composure.’

With that thought, Zong Ziqi silently closed his eyes and waited for death to come.

But after waiting for a long time, he felt nothing amiss. In fact, he felt a gentle warmth. Though his eyes were closed, an intensely bright light seemed to be in front of him, so bright that it still stung his eyes through his closed lids.

Suddenly, Zong Ziqi heard a faint voice.

"This Perfect Level Golden Light Spell really is something else. Not only is its Defense astonishing, but its ability to protect against ghostly creatures is on a whole other level."

Huh?

’Isn’t that Brother Jiang’s voice?’

’It’s over. Am I having auditory hallucinations on top of visual ones?’

’No, wait. I must be dead now. So does that mean I’ve really found Brother Jiang?’

Zong Ziqi opened his eyes and was instantly, temporarily blinded by the even more dazzling golden light.

But before the blindness took hold, Zong Ziqi was certain he had seen Jiang Xu.

’And he... was glowing?’

...

"This temporarily upgraded Golden Light Spell really isn’t half bad."

Jiang Xu looked at the Golden Light Spell emanating from his body, quite satisfied.

A layer of dazzling golden light surrounded him. The shield formed by the Golden Light Spell shone brilliantly, like sunlight piercing through haze, instantly illuminating the darkness.

Whenever one of the grotesque, ferocious ghosts or lost souls touched this golden light, its body began to melt like the first snow under a blazing sun, dissolving into wisps of black smoke that quickly dissipated.

As they perished, they let out shrill, piercing shrieks, their wails echoing through the air, chilling one to the bone.

However, just as these ghosts and lost souls were dissolving, Jiang Xu noticed something strange.

On their twisted, contorted faces, he seemed to see a fleeting smile—a look of release and relief that came from the depths of their souls.

It was a smile like that of one finding final peace after endless suffering and bondage, like a soul long imprisoned in Hell finally allowed to reincarnate.

This scene filled Jiang Xu with doubt, making him wonder if he was imagining things.

But the expressions on the faces of the ghosts and lost souls told him in no uncertain terms that perhaps under the purification of the Golden Light Spell, they were not simply being destroyed, but were attaining a kind of salvation.

Young Master Ghost, Young Master Yellow Springs, and Wuji Fairy had not noticed Jiang Xu.

After finding Zong Ziqi, Jiang Xu had been hiding to the side and observing, not revealing himself.

But when he saw that Zong Ziqi was truly about to be killed, with no way to resist, he could no longer stand by.

He flashed directly in front of Zong Ziqi. Surrounded by endless ghosts, Jiang Xu had no other choice but to temporarily upgrade his Golden Light Spell to the Perfect Level.

But to his surprise, the Golden Light Spell was exceptionally effective against ghosts.

Perhaps it was because the Soul-Calling Banner was not Young Master Ghost’s own Magical Treasure. He could only control the Qi Cultivation Realm ghosts within it—not even a single one at the Foundation Establishment level—which was why Jiang Xu was having such an easy time.

Even after activating the Golden Light Spell, Jiang Xu maintained the stealth from his Concealing Breath Spell. He simply chose not to hide himself from Zong Ziqi, which was why Ziqi could see him.

In the eyes of Young Master Ghost, Young Master Yellow Springs, and Wuji Fairy, all they could see was an endless swarm of ghosts surrounding Zong Ziqi. The ghosts blocked the view of not only Young Master Yellow Springs and Wuji Fairy, but even Young Master Ghost himself could not see what was happening at the very center.

His mastery of the Soul-Calling Banner was only at the most low-level tier; he couldn’t even sense the life-or-death status of the ghosts, and thus had no idea Jiang Xu was wreaking havoc inside.

So, when Jiang Xu saw that the others showed no reaction, he immediately scooped up Zong Ziqi, concealed them both, and turned to flee.

Zong Ziqi only felt himself being suddenly hoisted up and then wildly jolted up and down, so violently that he felt his bones were about to shatter.

’What’s going on? Can hallucinations run off with people?’

’I didn’t even use my Visualization Method to picture Brother Jiang!’

’How has he achieved Appearance now?’