The Book of Spirit Sealing

Zhao Yunzhong’s fist smashed into the white figure.

To his surprise, however, his fist met no resistance; the white figure instantly dissipated.

Not daring to be careless, Zhao Yunzhong, relying on his experience and conditioned reflexes, kicked out behind him.

As expected, his kick met only empty air once more.

He twisted his body, letting his arms follow the motion, sweeping through the surrounding air.

Zhao Yunzhong was agile, his fists and feet striking with power. Every move was precise, devoid of unnecessary flair, each strike aimed solely at the most direct hit.

However, Zhao Yunzhong’s target—the malevolent spirit he imagined had murdered his goddess, Fu Ziqing—was currently concealed within the wall.

“Incredible, truly incredible! As expected of a master, these are genuine skills!”

Watching Zhao Yunzhong twist and turn on the stairs, battling wits with thin air, Fu Ziqing offered a heartfelt compliment.

Zhao Yunzhong’s movements were formidable, his speed and explosive power impressive. Yet, they posed no threat to Fu Ziqing whatsoever.

Much like when she was attacked by the ceiling fan ghost’s hair, even when cornered, Fu Ziqing only needed a thought. She could instantly dematerialize, causing her opponent’s attacks to pass harmlessly through.

After dematerializing, she would enter a vast, white space. From there, she could still perceive the outside world. She had discovered this ability many years ago, initially believing all ghosts possessed such a means of escape, especially since she also entered that same space when she “rested.”

Previously, she had no way to verify this conjecture. It wasn’t until other female ghosts appeared in this dormitory building that she realized none of them shared her ability.

So, this must be a unique ability of mine, then? she mused. Moreover, she retained her memories from life, along with her reason and self-awareness, making her vastly different from those other female ghosts driven solely by simple desires to attack.

Fu Ziqing felt she was truly exceptional.

This hooded man possessed the peculiar ability of ghostification, essentially using a ghost’s power to fight other ghosts. It was quite novel and utterly unexpected.

However, for Fu Ziqing, it was clearly insufficient.

At that moment, Zhao Yunzhong, who had been punching and kicking at empty air, finally realized something was amiss. He stopped, activating the ghost energy within him to once again enhance his five senses. Another sensation, one that should not have belonged to a human, allowed him to perceive the malevolent spirit’s location.

This newly acquired sense was what the Department of Anomalies referred to as “Ghost Sense.”

Activating his Ghost Sense signified his entry into the second stage of ghostification, where all his physical attributes doubled in power.

He struck the wall where the malevolent spirit had been hiding. Instantly, cracks spiderwebbed across its surface, and flakes of aged, yellowed plaster cascaded down.

Fu Ziqing drifted out from the wall. Zhao Yunzhong’s second punch immediately followed, but Fu Ziqing instantly dematerialized, reappearing further away from him.

“Stop hitting! Can’t we just stop and talk properly?”

Fu Ziqing shouted at the hooded man.

She was unaware that her words were nothing but incomprehensible noise to him. It was rare for anyone to even vaguely perceive her, and despite knowing his special status, she still wished to communicate, to make him understand she wasn’t just a simple ghost.

She explained that she had been a ghost for twenty years, at most only startling young girls, never harming a living soul.

She was an honest, upright, and good ghost!

Zhao Yunzhong, however, was operating on an entirely different wavelength. As Fu Ziqing prattled on about the hardships of her ghostly existence, the hissing noises only fueled his anger further.

Zhao Yunzhong’s attacks grew increasingly fierce, forcing Fu Ziqing to constantly dematerialize to evade them.

After dematerializing more than a dozen times in quick succession, Fu Ziqing began to feel a profound weariness.

At this point, she finally understood completely. This hooded man was no different from the other ghosts she had encountered; he was either unable or unwilling to communicate with her.

The other female ghosts were driven by instinct. This hooded man, too, likely had a special mission. Yet, the outcome was the same: they all simply wanted to eliminate her.

Since that was the case, after dematerializing once more to dodge the hooded man’s attack, Fu Ziqing floated in the air, her hands casually hanging by her sides.

“I’m angry now.”

Fu Ziqing spoke softly, her pale, bloodless face devoid of expression, her grey eyes showing no ripple of emotion.

Her hair lifted slightly, her white dress swaying gently.

Zhao Yunzhong’s movements suddenly became sluggish, stuttering as if he were a machine long overdue for maintenance.

A jolt of alarm shot through Zhao Yunzhong. An unknown force in the air was binding his movements.

“Hah!”

He bent his lower body, then, with a thunderous roar, he unleashed a sudden burst of power. His hands formed claws as he adopted an attacking stance, lunging towards the white figure in the air.

The next second, Zhao Yunzhong froze mid-air. Unknown forces from all directions, like countless sturdy ropes, firmly locked his limbs in place.

Just a few more seconds passed, and Zhao Yunzhong felt an icy chill spread through his entire body. His muscles began to stiffen, the unknown power like a frigid winter current, corroding and freezing every joint and every inch of his flesh.

At this moment, he finally recognized the ghost’s immense power. “Malevolent spirit” no longer adequately described her strength; such abilities indicated she was, at the very least, a Vicious Ghost!

Even so, Zhao Yunzhong did not completely panic.

Though his body was immobilized, the ghost energy within him suddenly surged and churned. The grey-black lines coiling around his entire body rapidly thickened, their color steadily darkening.

A few seconds later, these vein-like lines grew to the thickness of a thumb, turning an absolute black.

Zhao Yunzhong’s face, now covered in black patterns, appeared as if its flesh had been instantly drained, leaving only skin stretched taut like a skull.

He stared intently at the white figure, the ghost energy emanating from his body suddenly coalescing. A dark, terrifying ghost claw lunged forward.

The ghost claw flew towards Fu Ziqing, only to shatter into scattering mist in an instant.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Fu Ziqing claimed it for herself.

She floated before the hooded man, waiting quietly for a minute or two.

The hooded man seemed to have no further means of attack, gradually weakening over those minutes. The ghost energy swiftly receded back into his chest, and his face slowly returned to normal.

Recalling the earlier attempts at communication, Fu Ziqing finally took a serious look at the man.

He was quite ordinary; she didn’t recognize him.

Having concluded her brief assessment, Fu Ziqing intensified the binding force in the air.

“Ugh…”

Zhao Yunzhong let out a painful groan.

Even in this desperate situation, the hooded man showed no fear. Instead, he smiled, appearing calm and composed, as if he had long been ready to embrace death.

This, in particular, earned him a measure of respect from Fu Ziqing.

Reaching into the hooded man’s chest, Fu Ziqing fumbled for a moment before extracting a small wisp of ghost energy.

She put it into her mouth, swallowed it, and instantly, the fatigue from overusing her dematerialization ability vanished.

Suddenly releasing the aerial restraint, the hooded man plummeted, then tumbled down the stairs.

It was a minor punishment, she decided.

Fu Ziqing had no intention of taking their lives. She turned and drifted away.

Suddenly, Fu Ziqing sensed a faint hint of danger.

She looked back to see the hooded man standing once more, a small book now clutched in his hand.

The danger Fu Ziqing perceived emanated precisely from that book.

“The Book of Spirit Sealing!”

The hooded man held the book with both hands, his expression resolute as he shouted:

“Open your eyes, I beseech you!”

As his words faded, the small book floated into the air on its own. A tiny crack suddenly appeared on its black and crimson cover, which then widened to reveal a blood-red eyeball.

The eyeball swiveled, then fixed its gaze upon Fu Ziqing.

How could Fu Ziqing dare to linger? The thought of dematerializing instantly sprung to mind, yet…

Dematerialization failed!

She tried again!

Still, it failed!

Fu Ziqing now experienced the same sensation the hooded man had felt moments earlier. The instant that eyeball’s gaze locked onto her, she found herself utterly unable to move.

Even more terrifying, all her abilities seemed to be sealed. She could still sense their presence, yet she was utterly incapable of using them!

“Close your eyes, I pray!”

Zhao Yunzhong shouted once more.

Immediately, the eye on the Book of Spirit Sealing slowly closed. Simultaneously, the white figure in the air was gradually drawn into the book.

The Book of Spirit Sealing floated back into Zhao Yunzhong’s hand.

Zhao Yunzhong tucked the small book into his pocket. Then, he opened his left palm, revealing a vivid red number visible only to him:

“30”

Ignoring it, Zhao Yunzhong calmly descended the stairs. When he reached Zhang Hanchi, he nudged him, but he didn’t stir.

With a sigh, he crouched down, hoisted Zhang Hanchi onto his back, and the two departed from Huai Xiang Yuan.

Beneath the crescent moon, a cool breeze swept through.

The old, mottled dormitory building exuded wisps of inky black mist.

Within the mist, the moonlight bent and twisted, making the entire building appear distorted.