Lin Shuyou clenched both fists, his True Lord aura fully erupting, using this method to relay Brother Xiaoyuan’s instructions to his companions outside.

The ribbons on the woman’s body swept towards Lin Shuyou. A-You stood his ground, not dodging, simply holding his left hand upright in front of him, as if chanting scriptures.

The red ribbons encircled A-You repeatedly, completely engulfing him. As they tightened fiercely, corrosive mucus also secreted from them.

The two-bodied creature crawled rapidly forward, attempting to bypass Lin Shuyou and lunge directly at the young man behind him.

“Bang!”

The ribbons shattered.

Only one remained, clamped in Lin Shuyou’s left hand.

Immediately after, he stepped out with his right foot, activating the “Three-Step Praise.” He moved as if gliding, arriving precisely at the two-bodied creature’s side, his boot sole landing squarely on its joint.

No matter how its four hands and four legs thrashed on the ground, they could not escape the suppression of A-You’s foot.

The next moment, A-You tugged the ribbon with his left hand, and the woman was forcibly pulled over by an immense force.

His left hand, which had been in a chanting posture, shot forward, firmly and precisely seizing the woman’s neck.

In this manner, with one creature pinned underfoot and another throttled in his hand, Shuyou had completely subdued the scene inside the restaurant, without even needing to use his twin maces.

Earlier, Li Zhuiyuan had said they were a group of isolated spirits and wild ghosts.

And that was indeed the case.

These entities, led by the fat chef, likely met violent deaths somewhere. However, road construction had disturbed the geomancy of their resting places, allowing them to absorb other wandering spirits and gather by the roadside, exploiting their location for sustenance.

Essentially, aside from not being human, this group led by the fat chef was no different from highway fuel thieves, nail-spreading repair shops, or even road bandit gangs.

Even as a college freshman, Lin Shuyou could suppress such local vengeful spirits through spiritual possession, let alone now as the White Crane True Lord.

Seeing this, the fat chef’s eyes widened. He had suffered a disadvantage in their earlier exchange, but still hoped to overwhelm them with sheer numbers of ghosts.

Now, however, he realized he had overestimated himself. The opponent’s power was no longer something that could be overcome by numbers. Moreover, he had roared earlier, and the other few outside should have already rushed in to assist, yet there was still no response.

The fat chef finally understood what the young man had said earlier: “Why would he prefer to give you a hat rather than act himself?”

Sure enough… official positions aren’t so easily obtained.

The fat chef roared again, the flesh on his face and the pustules on his body trembling rapidly. But the next moment, he spun around, intending to flee outside.

People who are arrogant when they believe they have an advantage are often the first to passively give up when things turn against them.

Runsheng appeared before the fat chef. The chef had no time to brake and was unwilling to slow down, hoping to crush him with his mountain-like bulk.

But he was facing Runsheng, the cornerstone of Zhao Yi’s most coveted team.

“Boom.”

The two collided. Runsheng stood firm, while the fat chef flew backward.

Just as he landed and was about to get up, a shovel blade struck down, piercing his abdomen and then twisting.

The fat chef opened his gaping maw and spewed thick ghostly energy at Runsheng, who stood on his belly.

Runsheng also opened his mouth and let out a low roar. A fiercer malevolent aura not only instantly dispersed the ghostly energy but also surged into the fat chef’s body, paralyzing him entirely.

“Puff!” “Puff!” “Puff!”

Runsheng, wielding his Yellow River Shovel, began to dismember the fat chef. However, even after being cut, the decaying pieces still instinctively writhed, clearly not yet completely dead.

This was Runsheng’s weakness. While his physique allowed him to dominate malevolent spirits, his lack of proficiency in other areas often led to awkwardness with minor issues and details.

He instinctively wanted to pull out a demon-breaking talisman to purify it, but the recent pain of losing the mini pickup truck was still fresh, making Runsheng exceptionally keen to save money at that moment.

Runsheng looked up at the White Crane True Lord, who was still deliberately holding his pose, one hand clutching and one foot pressing.

He said nothing, but the meaning in his eyes was clear.

“Evil spirits, only kill, do not save.”

Lin Shuyou’s vertical pupils flashed with a bloody light, and the white crane mark on his forehead swirled.

From his left hand, tridents materialized, viciously piercing the woman he was holding.

Meanwhile, a blur appeared around his lower body. Under the blessing of the “Three-Step Praise,” it was as if countless Lin Shuyous were repeatedly stomping down.

“Crack!”

The woman was riddled with holes by the tridents, and the two-bodied creature underfoot was utterly crushed, both dissolving into black ashes.

After this, Lin Shuyou walked over to Runsheng. He extended his right hand, forming ghost fire, then clenched his left fist and struck. The ghost fire flared up around him, guided by his fist, incinerating all remaining pieces of the fat chef’s corpse into nothingness, leaving not even a drop of liquid.

Outside, in front of the auto repair shop.

Tan Wenbin experienced Zhao Yi’s treatment.

The twin sisters were more than just eye candy; they were genuinely capable fighters.

The leakage of the White Crane True Lord’s aura was the signal to clear the area.

The repairman, whose bone spurs had just emerged, hadn’t even had a chance to display his terrifying abilities before a more fearsome cold gleam removed all “rebellious bones” from his front.

Then, a dagger sliced open his chest, a hand reached in, and Liang Yan formed a seal inside the master’s body. A ball of red fire appeared; as the seal was withdrawn, flames erupted from the master’s body, transforming him into a twisting, fire-spitting spectacle like a spinning firework during the New Year, before finally dissolving into a black puddle.

The yellow-haired man’s fate was even more tragic. He had just revealed his grotesque and terrifying appearance from his death in a car accident, but instead of special attention, he received several merciless slaps.

With several sharp cracks, the yellow-haired man’s face completely distorted, as the handprints bore runic marks that had a powerful suppressive effect on spiritual entities and specters.

Liang Li delivered another kick, sending the yellow-haired man flying towards the paint boxes previously used for repairing motorcycles. Instantly, the color of his hair rapidly changed until he rolled to the last box, settling definitively on green.

With a finger pressed to his brow, Liang Li began to chant.

The yellow-haired man let out a painful howl, his form rapidly shrinking until, finally, only a ghostly green human skin remained imprinted on the ground.

Liang Li casually scraped at it with the sole of her shoe. The human skin twisted, dissolved, and floated, quickly returning to dust in various forms.

The entire process was incredibly fast. Tan Wenbin didn’t even have time to finish the half-smoked cigarette in his hand. He took a final deep drag, flicked the butt onto the ground, and freed his hands to applaud.

In front of the convenience store, Zhao Yi raised his right hand. Complex patterns flowed across his five fingernails. Amid piercing shrieks, the old woman’s body rapidly compressed into a ball, which Zhao Yi caught in his right hand.

Turning and walking away, Zhao Yi tossed the ball up, let it bounce lightly, and then slapped it forward with his left hand.

“Pop!”

The old woman exploded like a balloon.

After landing, Zhao Yi walked towards the restaurant, tidying his clothes as he went.

The sign at the restaurant entrance began to blur.

With the specters maintaining this false environment eliminated, the area would naturally collapse. This small roadside service area would soon become a barren patch of land beside the highway.

However, the sign, which had just been blurry, now became clear again.

Someone was holding it up.

There was no need to guess who it was.

As Zhao Yi entered the restaurant, Lin Shuyou and Runsheng were heading out.

“Runsheng.”

Zhao Yi tossed a pack of cigarettes to Runsheng.

Runsheng caught it, opened it, and a smile touched his lips.

Zhao Yi reminded him, “Smoke it secretly. Don’t let Mengmeng see.”

Lin Shuyou glanced over and said, “It’s just a moving finger. What’s there to worry about her seeing?”

Zhao Yi: “One finger is fine, but a whole pack is different.”

Lin Shuyou: “What do you mean?”

Zhao Yi didn’t explain. He walked further into the restaurant and sat down beside Li Zhuiyuan.

On the table was Li’s small compass, and atop it rested a translucent hat.

Zhao Yi asked, “Found it?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Yes, found it.”

When they first determined the coordinates earlier, everyone was prepared for a fierce battle. However, upon approaching this service area, a quick preliminary scan revealed something was off.

The caliber was too weak.

Naturally, both Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi concluded that this group of isolated spirits was merely being used as pawns, and they were not the real masterminds.

This led to Li Zhuiyuan entering to conduct a new round of exploration.

Zhao Yi: “Are we going?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “We have to go.”

Zhao Yi: “The first time, I fanned the flames, but this time, I want to pour cold water on it. Because the rhythm of this situation is off.”

A few days ago, when they were still in Nantong, there was constant commotion in the peach grove. Someone was isolating the entities attempting to enter Nantong.

Such a disturbance could definitely not have been caused by the minor spirits in the service area. In other words, if these minor spirits had truly participated in the attempt to break into Nantong, they should have had a basic understanding of how powerful and terrifying the one under the peach grove was. They wouldn’t have been so presumptuous as to cause an accident just as they drove out of Nantong’s territory.

Furthermore, the person who deceived and used them knew their weakness better than they did, so they couldn’t possibly cause any real harm to their side.

This was a display of weakness to the enemy, using these minor spirits as a prelude, like bait.

Even when Li Zhuiyuan detected the other party, that person’s turn and utterance of “How dare you!” seemed perfectly normal, but in reality, contained elements of deliberate performance.

Li Zhuiyuan: “Before, we were the ones thinking about how to prevent our opponents from escaping. This time, our opponents are thinking about how to prevent us from escaping.”

The person in official robes was not far from here. The reason they chose another combat location was to lay out a comprehensive trap, waiting for them to walk into it.

Zhao Yi: “From their perspective, we can always retreat to Nantong, which makes their arrangements necessarily complex. I think we can respect their intentions, especially since this place isn’t far from Nantong…”

Li Zhuiyuan: “If this place wasn’t far from Jiujiang Zhao, would you be willing to bring the karma of ‘walking the river’ back with you?”

Zhao Yi replied frankly, “Of course not.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Deal with your own problems. Since we’ve left Nantong, don’t think about the roof over your home anymore.”

Zhao Yi: “You still plan to charge straight in?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Yes.”

Zhao Yi: “Then I won’t try to dissuade you. How exactly do we proceed? We don’t have much time. Since you’ve ‘scouted’ him, if we arrive too late, it might arouse suspicion.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “The opponent is either luring us into a trap with a formation or establishing a blockade barrier. If they were powerful enough to wipe us out in one fell swoop, killing everyone they saw, they wouldn’t go to all this trouble or consider the possibility of us escaping back.”

Zhao Yi: “Starting with their outer defenses? That’s your strength, but… do we have enough time?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Since they’re from Fengdu, they possess the Fengdu legacy. I’m familiar with that.”

Zhao Yi: “More familiar than them?”

Li Zhuiyuan pondered for a moment, then nodded: “Yes.”

“Why the hesitation?”

“Unless the Great Emperor is in Fengdu, running a school and lecturing on scriptures like Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.”

“Bodhisattvas lecturing on scriptures don’t teach you true skills. And, of course, I don’t think the Great Emperor would be that idle. He’s too lazy to even guide his own descendants, watching them decline generation after generation. It’s impossible for him to impart teachings to his subordinates.”

“So, ruling out that possibility, it’s certain that these people from Fengdu don’t understand Fengdu better than I do.”

After all, Li Zhuiyuan had received the Fengdu Great Emperor’s most complete inheritance, even if the initial set he received from Yin Meng’s grandfather was… a toddler’s version.

But Li Zhuiyuan had reverse-engineered it. Each of the Twelve Edicts of Fengdu not only corresponded to a specific method or spell but also represented a category.

However, thanks to the provisions from his great-grandfather’s basement, Li Zhuiyuan had an abundance of precious inheritances at his disposal.

For each category, there were specialized inheritances for the young man to study and comprehend. Li Zhuiyuan could simply select the optimal aspect from each inheritance system.

For example, he only used the “Liu Clan’s Qi-Gazing Art” for geomancy, the “Qin Clan’s Dragon-Observing Method” for basic training, and the Great Emperor’s Twelve Edicts of Fengdu focused on use against spiritual entities and… splashing karmic dirty water onto the Great Emperor.

Zhao Yi quipped, “Truly worthy of being the Fengdu Great Emperor’s inheritor. I think even if the Great Emperor genuinely intended to personally cultivate an inheritor, that person still couldn’t surpass you.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “In terms of intimacy with the Great Emperor, who can compare to you?”

Zhao Yi: “It’s not a life-or-death crisis yet; no need to give me such attention now, is there?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “But there’s still not enough time. Even for something I excel at understanding, it takes a process to subtly observe, modify, and master it.”

Zhao Yi: “I understand what you mean. Don’t worry, leave it to me.”

As he spoke, Zhao Yi spread his ten fingers and moved them downwards in a pinching motion. A piece of paper, inscribed with Li Zhuiyuan’s name and birth characters, floated out from his sleeve and quickly folded itself into a small figure.

Li Zhuiyuan: “You specifically kept mine?”

Earlier, Zhao Yi had used this very technique to induce a state of suspended animation in eight people.

But back then, Zhao Yi had asked Liang Yan for paper and pen to write it on the spot. This current paper, however, was already yellowed, proving that Zhao Yi had prepared it long ago and carried it with him for a significant time.

Zhao Yi: “Your birthday is more important.”

Li Zhuiyuan looked at the small paper figure and said, “Not enough.”

Zhao Yi tore open his outer garment and reached in to rip his white undershirt. Pieces of white cloth fell, merging with the paper figure, which continued to grow as his ten fingers rapidly moved.

Finally, Zhao Yi pressed his palms together, then intertwined his fingers and bowed forward.

The paper figure’s appearance transformed, becoming identical to Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan had learned the Nuo opera puppetry technique with Zhao Yi’s help. Later, the young man had, as promised, written down the technique in a manual and given it to Zhao Yi.

This was an extremely difficult formation, but Zhao Yi had now completely mastered it.

This feeling was somewhat unfamiliar to Li Zhuiyuan. Perhaps it was because he was used to so many people around him needing to be spoon-fed, and the sudden appearance of someone who could feed themselves was a bit disorienting.

Zhao Yi: “You don’t practice martial arts, so your vital energy isn’t abundant. Plus, you’re good at concealing your aura, so creating your likeness isn’t particularly difficult.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Even at its peak, mere puppetry is ultimately fake and not lifelike enough. It can still be seen through.

They don’t want us to have a chance to escape, and similarly, I don’t want them to have a chance to escape.

If I don’t have time to master their outer arrangements, and they discover I’m fake midway, this fishing net will develop holes.”

Zhao Yi: “How about this then?”

His fingernail cut his fingertip, and blood dripped onto the paper figure.

The blood flowed faster and faster. Zhao Yi seemed to feel no distress at expending his vital essence until the paper figure was completely dyed red.

He raised his ten fingers, sucking each one to stop the bleeding.

The red on the paper figure seeped inward, making it appear more lifelike. This was genuine “vitality.”

“Wait, there’s more.”

Zhao Yi smiled and tilted his head. When he spoke, the paper Li Zhuiyuan also spoke, one voice Zhao Yi’s, the other Li Zhuiyuan’s:

“Hey Li, is this real or not?”

“Hey Li, is this real or not?”

As if feeling this disguise wasn’t enough, Zhao Yi looked at the paper Li Zhuiyuan and said, “Li, you’ve gone too far.”

The paper Li Zhuiyuan gave him a faint glance, then withdrew its gaze, ignoring him.

It wasn’t intentional mockery, but it achieved an even better effect than mockery.

At that moment, even Li Zhuiyuan himself had to admit: it was indeed alike, completely flawless.

For this very lifelike puppet, Zhao Yi spared no effort, even resorting to the most ancient and traditional method: a string puppet.

Zhao Yi: “In this world, I may not understand you the most, but I am certainly the best at imitating you. So, how does it feel?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “I feel a little pitiful.”

Zhao Yi: “…”

Li Zhuiyuan condensed a mist of blood in his palm and wrote his name on the paper figure, then drew patterns around it. As he finished, he pressed down with his thumb.

This was him officially consecrating his false self.

Not to make the fake more real, but to make his real self more fake.

After doing this, Li Zhuiyuan pulled out three sealing talismans and affixed them to his “three lights,” creating his “feigned death” in this manner.

Zhao Yi looked outside and asked, “Aren’t you going to tell your subordinates?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “I trust them implicitly, but not their acting skills.”

Zhao Yi nodded: “Indeed. After all, we’re facing true ancient specters this time. Their perceptive abilities cannot be overestimated.

Then pick another person, and I’ll create a puppet for him too, so he can stay with you to set up the outer defenses. You can’t be out there running around alone; that’s too dangerous.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “They know our roster.”

Zhao Yi: “The old woman at the convenience store had a ledger with all eight of our names in it. But I think the opponent’s attention will definitely be focused on you. As long as you’re fine, it’s unlikely they’ll notice if others are a bit dull or stiff.

For example, Runsheng… actually, A-You would be the most suitable.

A-You standing silently by the side until the end would seem completely normal. At most, he could say a few silly things midway. He’s simply too easy to imitate.”

“Controlling two puppets would put too much pressure on you. Just focus on controlling one.”

“Okay.”

Li Zhuiyuan handed his small compass to Zhao Yi. “You already know the error. This is the coordinate point. You can take the fake me out now.”

Zhao Yi took the compass, stood up, hesitated, and then asked:

“So, when you used to make such risky decisions, were you always this efficient?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “I’m not like you, who sees several opportunities before him, wants to kill, but then dares not.”

Zhao Yi: “Li, you’re really too rude.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Buy me more time.”

Zhao Yi: “Don’t worry, I will.”

As he walked out, midway, Zhao Yi stopped again and said, “Oh, right, I need to remind you of something. To completely eradicate these minor spirits, you’ll need to dispose of their remaining skeletons.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “I know.”

Zhao Yi’s face lit up, and he chuckled, “Oh, right, account cancellation, you’re a professional.”

Yin Meng, holding a shovel, was digging in a desolate area. It wasn’t long before blackened skeletons appeared, tangled together, belonging to more than one person.

“Whew, found them! How dare you cause us an accident, how dare you destroy our pickup truck!”

The money for the mini pickup truck had originally been earned by Yin Meng selling antique books on the black market, and the truck was registered in her name.

Therefore, theoretically, the two vehicles scrapped this time were considered the property of the two women.

However, while the Chen family couldn’t compare to the Fengdu Great Emperor, Chen Lin and her brother truly took a lot of property when they ran away from home, whereas Yin Meng… had been truly poor since childhood.

“Pop!”

Pulling out the stopper, she poured the corpse-dissolving fluid in, completely eradicating these minor spirits who had fed on “human blood buns” from the highway.

After finishing, Yin Meng walked back, carrying her shovel.

She rendezvoused with the others at the pre-arranged meeting point.

Brother Xiaoyuan stood in the middle of the group, outlining the upcoming tasks and points of attention.

When Zhao Yi was present, Tan Wenbin could relax considerably. He didn’t have to provide elaborate explanations and knew he could only act as Brother Xiaoyuan’s verbal proxy, whereas Young Master Zhao could serve as a mental proxy.

Everyone was listening intently, except for Runsheng.

Yin Meng noticed that Runsheng, who usually disliked using his brain in such meetings and mostly sat idly, had specifically looked at Brother Xiaoyuan several times today.

Zhao Yi checked the time, feeling they had reached a critical point and could no longer delay, so he clapped his hands:

“Alright, everyone to your positions! Hurry up and go kill the real mastermind!”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Move out.”

This was a mudflat, where stone slabs had been laid to create a relatively spacious platform.

During specific seasons, several nearby villages would pool money to hire performers for community operas.

At those times, the place would be lively, not only with opera performers and audiences but also attracting many small vendors, resembling a miniature temple fair.

The opera had been performed and the fair had passed a few days ago, leaving the area looking somewhat desolate.

Besides trash and numerous footprints, the banner on the stage remained, the plastic canopy still wrapped, and below stood a plastic sculpture used during the opera.

It was very light, damaged, wearing an old opera costume, with a court tablet in its hand. During performances, it was used as a prop, representing a certain official of the Underworld, serving as a backdrop with no lines.

A desolate mudflat, a stark stage, and a lonely old master.

This was the scene that greeted “Li Zhuiyuan” and the others upon their arrival.

Everyone’s gaze was fixed on the sculpture.

And the sculpture did not disappoint. It began to melt, and then red and black liquids seeped from within, causing it to gradually expand while simultaneously exuding an aura of solemn severity.

His eyes were cast down, looking at Li Zhuiyuan standing below.

At this moment, Zhao Yi felt a little uneasy. Fortunately, his “disguise” was perfected; even a slight imperfection would have failed to deceive the opponent.

As the saying goes, “one’s heart is a mystery behind one’s belly.” As beings constantly dealing with “ghosts,” their perceptive acuity far exceeded normal human imagination.

Just as the sculpture was about to speak, Zhao Yi spoke first:

“Mengmeng.”

“Again?”

Yin Meng knew what was about to happen, and she also knew it was pointless.

Zhao Yi: “Go show your face.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Go on.”

“Alright.”

Yin Meng stepped forward, standing before the others.

Tan Wenbin, standing behind, felt a slight doubt. Hadn’t they said they would directly kill them upon arrival? What was the purpose of having Mengmeng step forward to reveal herself again?

Most importantly, the opponent was already visible, so why hadn’t Brother Xiaoyuan bound everyone with the red thread yet?

Yin Meng’s appearance forced the words the sculpture on stage was about to say to Li Zhuiyuan to be swallowed back.

Even the majestic aura that had previously gathered was momentarily distorted and interrupted.

Some things in this world are like that: even if everyone knows it’s a pointless procedure, you still genuinely have to go through with it.

The sculpture stood up, walked to the edge of the stage, and bowed slightly, lowering its court tablet. Its normally severe tone softened:

“Greetings, Miss Yin.”

After the greeting, the sculpture straightened, its gaze regaining its sternness. A faint tremor emanated from its throat, subtly resonating with the surroundings. But when its attention fell back on Li Zhuiyuan…

Yin Meng began to return the greeting:

“Greetings, Lord.”

The sculpture’s body emitted a faint brittle sound.

Its aura flowed back, its movements froze, and reluctantly, it had to return the bow again.

There was no other way. Other factions would honor the Yin family as esteemed guests because of Yin Changsheng.

This set of polite formalities was merely a gesture. However, for a ghost official under Fengdu, the Yin family held a much more special significance.

Even if they themselves knew that the Great Emperor didn’t care about the lives of the so-called Yin family members, the Great Emperor’s surname was Yin after all.

Even if the Yin family was without rank or order, and later generations had declined so much that they couldn’t even enter the Yin ancestral tomb after death, their status as “imperial relatives” was undeniable.

In this situation, others could be eliminated, but he would not kill Yin Meng; he would spare her life. Yin family members could die anywhere, but not by his hand.

Even if the Great Emperor didn’t care, his colleagues and superiors would tacitly dispose of him if his hands were stained with Yin family blood.

Li Zhuiyuan: “Call him Lord Judge.”

Yin Meng said “Oh,” and bowed once more:

“Greetings, Lord Judge.”

“Heh.” The sculpture decided to drop the act. Its regained aura was no longer disturbed, and it simply grunted.

Its gaze, swift as lightning, directly targeted the young man, and it spoke again:

“There’s no path westward! I advise you to turn back!”

Li Zhuiyuan: “You call this ‘advising’?”

Zhao Yi echoed, “These guys just love to put on airs. Even after fighting and revealing their true colors, they still enjoy flaunting their status and position openly.”

The sculpture ignored the replies and mockery from below, letting out a sigh as if just quickly going through a routine:

“That place is not somewhere you should go, nor are you worthy of going, nor do you have the qualifications to go. So be it. Since you insist on entering hell, I, the Judge, shall open the gates for you.

Don’t blame the eighteen layers of the Underworld; it is your stubbornness and willingness to degenerate!”

After speaking, the sculpture raised its head, and numerous cracks appeared all over its body.

Li Zhuiyuan: “Runsheng, A-You, go!”

The one giving the order was, naturally, Zhao Yi.

The Judge above was clearly about to act. Unsurprisingly, the hidden forces lying in ambush would emerge, and the grand formation covering the surroundings would activate.

At this moment, sending Runsheng and A-You onto the stage to fight would serve to buy even more time.

Most likely, he, in his sculpted form, would be suppressed by the combined efforts of Runsheng and A-You. Then, just as their side saw a glimmer of hope, the opponent would reveal his true setup with a smile, bringing despair to them.

This was an indescribable joy.

Zhao Yi was betting on human nature, and he believed ghosts were no different.

Runsheng and Lin Shuyou leaped onto the stage. One, wielding the Yellow River Shovel, focused on smashing, while the other, with twin maces, blocked any movement.

Lin Shuyou also felt a bit strange. Where was Brother Xiaoyuan’s red thread?

For a battle of this caliber, was Brother Xiaoyuan really letting him improvise freely?

Runsheng’s heart remained unruffled.

With one shovel strike, the sculpture’s back cracked extensively. However, after turning, it grabbed the shovel blade and began to grapple with Runsheng.

“Hehehe…”

Laughter echoed, seemingly mocking Runsheng’s overestimation of his own strength.

However, at least for now, there was no significant difference in strength between the two sides.

Zhao Yi knew this move was a success.

The Judge, believing that they had all fallen into the trap and couldn’t escape, chose to extract some emotional gratification for himself.

Of course, there was another reason for this scene: Zhao Yi had discerned that the Judge harbored genuine indignation and imbalance regarding Li Zhuiyuan’s journey to Fengdu.

The implied meaning was: “You? Do you even deserve it?”

With this underlying sentiment, he was naturally even less willing to give up the opportunity to humiliate and tease Li.

Zhao Yi also breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the Great Emperor wasn’t forcibly detaining Li to be executed in Fengdu, meaning not only Li had a chance to live, but Zhao Yi himself, and his entire clan, also had a chance to survive.

The fight continued. The sculpture displayed immense combat power, able to clash head-on with Runsheng without falling behind. However, with Lin Shuyou’s addition, the sculpture gradually became passive.

Boy: “No, that’s not right. This guy’s strength is still constantly pouring in!”

Lin Shuyou: “What do you mean?”

Boy: “It means his spiritual body is very likely nearby. He’s fighting you now without using his full power!”

Lin Shuyou: “Why?”

Boy: “He should genuinely be a Judge, not a fake one.”

Lin Shuyou: “Brother Xiaoyuan said he’s a Judge.”

Boy: “Judges are different from one another, and even the same Judge is different when in Fengdu compared to being outside.

Because their true bodies are unlikely to emerge, their strength depends on how much of their spiritual body they are willing to bring out.”

Lin Shuyou: “What’s so impressive if he’s still hiding his strength? Aren’t all of our people not yet engaged either?”

Boy: “You don’t understand… if he’s willing to bring out a significant portion of his spiritual body, do you think he’d come out alone?”

Lin Shuyou: “Are you saying he brought subordinates?”

Boy: “Judge, Judge, there’s the word ‘official.’ If there’s no one to manage under him, what kind of official is he?”

At this point, the White Crane True Lord voluntarily disengaged from the battle and moved to the edge of the stage, his vertical pupils scanning the surroundings, attempting to locate any hidden presences.

Boy: “Guess how many ghost generals and ghost marshals he brought out!”

Lin Shuyou: “Are ghost generals and marshals powerful?”

Boy: “Their rank is lower than a Judge, but their strength isn’t necessarily weaker. A Judge is a civil official in the Underworld system.”

The White Crane True Lord’s actions made Zhao Yi feel a little helpless. He knew the Boy must have figured something out.

Just then, the sculpture’s gaze swept towards the White Crane True Lord: “Heh heh, it seems…”

Li Zhuiyuan waved his hand forward: “Liang Yan, Liang Li, go!”

Liang Yan and Liang Li rushed to the stage at lightning speed. Together, they slammed the sculpture down, along with the words it was about to utter.

With the addition of the Liang sisters, even if the White Crane True Lord was distracted, they could still relentlessly pummel the sculpture.

The harder it was beaten now, the happier the sculpture became, because it anticipated the joy of revealing the truth and plunging its opponents into deeper despair.

Zhao Yi hoped it would remain joyful.

Logically, a considerable amount of time had passed from the meeting to their arrival here, and then to their exchange and the start of the fight. Li should have already explored the outer perimeter by now. Li, how much more time do you need?

Under immense pressure, the sculpture had almost no power to retaliate, becoming increasingly battered and broken.

Yet, faintly, suppressed laughter could be heard from deep within the sculpture.

Boy: “That’s not right. How