Chapter 159: Fighting Ghosts?
“The Karma Fire Red Lotus is proof that the Blood Pool has purified an evil spirit. For every evil spirit cleansed, a red lotus blooms in the pool,” Cloud Cliff Master said calmly.
“Contained within this red lotus are the malicious thoughts of those evil spirits. The moment you touch it, those thoughts invade your mind. If your will is not firm enough, you will either be consumed by the darkness, turn into an evil spirit yourself, and fall into the pool… or your soul will simply shatter, melting into the blood.”
He curled his lips into a faint smirk. Leaning in closer, he whispered into Lin Huai’s ear, “I warned you. That was my sincerity in our cooperation, but you didn’t believe me. How does it feel? Can you hold on? I can save you, you know.”
His words were like poisoned ice needles, piercing directly into Lin Huai’s violently churning sea of consciousness.
The wails, hatred, brutality, and madness of countless evil spirits surged like a breaching flood, crashing against her mental defenses. The purest evil thoughts of the spirits purified by the Blood Pool were condensed within this single flower, and right now, they were frantically seeking a new vessel.
“I’ve even braved the Path of Evil Spirits. Mere ghosts… I refuse to let them control me!”
Lin Huai gritted her teeth, forcing the words out with unyielding stubbornness. But her face was ashen, her body trembled uncontrollably, and her knuckles turned pure white from the force of gripping the edge of the blood jade coffin.
The erosion of evil thoughts from this Karma Fire Red Lotus was far fiercer and more direct than she had anticipated. This was not a simple mental attack; it was like a virus, aggressively trying to assimilate and occupy her entire existence.
Cloud Cliff Master took two calm steps back, watching her struggle with great interest.
“Commendable courage. But unfortunately, mere stubbornness cannot withstand these countless evil thoughts. They will seek out the weakest part of your heart, amplify your fears, your desires, your anger… until you are completely lost.”
As if to confirm his words, the scene before Lin Huai’s eyes began to twist and warp.
She was no longer standing on the blood jade coffin. Instead, she seemed to have fallen into the Avici Hell. She saw countless lingering spirits demanding her life. She saw Chen Feng’s cold, mocking face from her previous life, and the smug, arrogant smile on Su Wan’s face as she clung to Chen Feng’s arm.
She saw the ridicule of all those people during the countless times she was betrayed and backstabbed. All the resentment and hatred she had experienced in her past life were magnified a thousand times over, transforming into hideous inner demons roaring to drag her into the abyss.
“Surrender… join us…”
“Hate… destroy everything…”
“Give up, Lin Huai… this is the real you… no one in this world loves you…”
The whispers were all-pervasive. Lin Huai felt her consciousness flickering like a candle in the wind, liable to extinguish at any second.
At the very end of the hallucination, Old Lin’s face appeared.
She saw him standing at the entrance of their coffin shop, looking at her with eyes full of utter disappointment and coldness. He said, “Lin Huai, you’ve disappointed me too much. Go. I will just pretend I never raised a daughter like you…”
Old Lin was the last hurdle meant to break her. Yet, he was also the exact catalyst needed to wake her up.
Those evil thoughts had dug out all the fears and memories from the bottom of her heart, but they had severely miscalculated what Old Lin meant to her.
The moment she saw him, all the surging evil thoughts and hatred in Lin Huai’s heart instantly calmed down. In this moment, she felt only a deep sense of guilt. “Old Lin, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have disobeyed you.”
“I shouldn’t have gotten engaged to Chen Feng, and I shouldn’t have chosen that day for the engagement. I was wrong, Old Lin, I’m sorry.”
“But the end of the survival road can resolve all regrets. Wait for me. I will definitely reach the end and bring you back to life!”
She remembered her original goal, and her resolve solidified like iron.
Cloud Cliff Master’s relaxed expression gradually faded. He was surprised to find that, although Lin Huai was swaying precariously and in terrible condition, her expression had shifted from confusion and pain to total calm.
The aura around her no longer fluctuated violently. Instead, a sense of deep stillness settled over her, forming a subtle standoff with the surrounding evil thoughts.
A flash of disbelief crossed Cloud Cliff Master’s eyes. She stabilized? Her will is that resilient?
He had originally planned to step in as her savior just as she was completely lost or crying out for help. Not only would he secure the red lotus, but he would also make Lin Huai owe him a massive favor, making her much easier to control. But now, the situation was slipping out of his grasp.
The red lotus in her hand slowly stopped emitting its red mist. Its color turned a vibrant, brilliant crimson, and the very tips of its petals faded to a tender, delicate pink.
Just then, Lin Huai’s tightly closed eyes snapped open!
Her gaze locked directly onto Cloud Cliff Master. Her voice was hoarse and tinged with exhaustion, but sharp. “Daoist Master Yun, you look disappointed.”
“Well? Do I now possess the strength to reach the end of the road even without your help?”
Cloud Cliff Master said nothing. He simply looked away toward the other red lotuses in the Blood Pool, then calmly pulled a porcelain bottle from his backpack.
Before Lin Huai could stand up from the coffin lid, Dong Xiaobao’s voice suddenly echoed clearly in her mind. “Sister, Sister, are you okay?”
Keeping her eyes on Cloud Cliff Master’s back, Lin Huai replied mentally without changing her expression, “Xiaobao? Where are you? How are you talking to me?”
“Sister, I secretly hid in the coffin and followed you in. I’m inside right now. Try to open the lid just a little bit, and I’ll help you.”
Lin Huai hesitated. For one, she was worried that the overwhelming Yin energy of the Blood Pool would cause the little ghost to lose her mind. Secondly, she didn’t want Cloud Cliff Master to know about Xiaobao’s existence. Although they seemed to be cooperating, both of them were keeping their true trump cards hidden.
But when she saw what Cloud Cliff Master was doing, Lin Huai made a quick decision. She slowly nudged the coffin lid beneath her feet open by just a few inches.
Cloud Cliff Master uncorked the porcelain bottle. From it floated a confused-looking Safety Ambassador ghost with all its limbs intact.
The ghost’s wrists, ankles, neck, and waist were tightly bound by heavy iron chains, and Cloud Cliff Master held the other end of those chains firmly in his hand.
Lin Huai narrowed her eyes. Ghost Taming?
Would Cloud Cliff Master really reveal his trump card so easily? She shook her head slightly. It shouldn’t be possible. This old Daoist was full of schemes, and she needed to stay vigilant. Fortunately, Dong Xiaobao was not Lin Huai’s only hidden card either.
Cloud Cliff Master directed the bound Safety Ambassador and commanded, “Go. Pluck a red lotus for me.”
The ghost looked terrified. As the chains rattled, it flew out trembling, located the nearest red lotus, and reached out to pluck it.
But the very moment its fingers closed around the flower, the surging evil thoughts and malevolent energy contained within the red lotus rushed violently straight into the Safety Ambassador’s body.
