62: Chapter 62 The Power of Ibon

The movements of the three ghosts had clearly slowed down.

They were Yin Souls, living by consuming Yin Qi.

After clashing head-on with Wu Xi just now, the Yin Qi they had accumulated over decades was almost entirely depleted.

Every time they attacked, it felt like strength was being drained from their very bones.

In contrast, Wu Xi seemed as if he had been injected with adrenaline.

The tentacles on his body danced faster and faster, each lash whistling through the air.

The three ghosts, who had been able to barely parry just a moment ago, could now only dodge in a pathetic scramble.

"Pfft!"

A pitch-black tentacle whipped across like a lash; Troublemaker Ghost was unable to dodge in time, and his entire left arm was bent backward by the impact.

The crisp sound of snapping bone was clearly audible, and the wooden sword in his hand fell to the ground with a clang.

Troublemaker Ghost winced in pain, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

Gritting his teeth, he picked up the wooden sword with his right hand and continued to brandish it.

But missing an arm, his combat effectiveness was cut in half.

Shabby Ghost's situation was even worse.

He had just been kicked in the knee by Wu Xi, and his entire leg was twisted at an eerie angle.

He could only lie prone on the ground, his costume torn to shreds and covered in dust and blood.

Wu Xi's power was too bizarre; they hadn't expected that the three of them joining forces would be beaten into submission by a monster that had appeared out of nowhere.

Just then, Wu Xi stopped.

The three ghosts looked at each other, their eyes full of confusion.

Why had this monster suddenly stopped?

Troublemaker Ghost watched Wu Xi warily, ready to fight for his life at any moment.

Wu Xi spoke slowly, "You have been fighting for so long, don't you want to see the pass given by the Prime Minister to General Guan?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the three ghosts were stunned.

A pass? At a time like this, why was he still bringing up some bullshit pass?

Troublemaker Ghost frowned and said in a deep voice, "What do you mean?"

Wu Xi said calmly, "I said just now that I am Zhang Wenyuan, carrying the pass from the Prime Minister for General Guan. You wouldn't believe it and insisted on fighting."

"Now that the fighting and the commotion are over, don't you want to see the contents of this pass with your own eyes?"

"Hahaha!" Troublemaker Ghost suddenly burst into laughter, bending over, "Don't try that trick! Do you think we will fall for your deception again? What kind of pass? It's completely fake! You are just a monster that popped out of nowhere!"

"Whether it's fake or not, why not take a look and find out?" Wu Xi said, "I will take it out for you to see. If it is fake, it won't be too late to attack then."

"If it is real, then you are defying the Prime Minister's orders."

The three ghosts exchanged glances.

They all knew in their hearts that this was definitely a trap.

But they couldn't help but be curious.

This monster was acting all mysterious; what exactly was it trying to pull?

Moreover, they really needed some time to recover their strength.

They had been fighting for so long and were near their limits.

Shabby Ghost whispered, "How about… we take a look? If he dares to pull any tricks, we can attack together. Besides, he's alone now; are we three afraid of him?"

He also wanted to take this opportunity to catch his breath and recover some Yin Qi.

"Fine." Xiahou Dun nodded, his eyes cold, "Let's see what you can pull out! If you dare to play us, I will make sure your Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering today!"

Wu Xi smiled slightly. His smile appeared exceptionally eerie on that octopus-like face. Countless tiny tentacles writhed at the corners of his mouth, making one's scalp tingle.

"Rest assured, I won't play games with you."

He slowly raised his right hand and reached into his bosom.

The three ghosts instantly held their breath.

They stared fixedly at Wu Xi's hand, their muscles tensed all over.

Niu Fei behind the pillar was also incredibly nervous; he poked his head out, watching without blinking.

He was also very curious about what exactly was hidden in Wu Xi's bosom.

Below the stage, Qiu Chuanxing gripped the sword at his waist, his body leaning forward slightly, ready to rush up and help at any moment.

Ling Muxue had a playful smile on the corner of her lips, as if she were watching a good show.

Jiang Jiye's face was full of worry; Jiang Yuehong hid behind Jiang Jiye, revealing only half her head.

Wu Xi pulled his hand out from his bosom.

He held a book in his hand, a black book.

This book looked incredibly ancient; the cover was made of some unknown animal hide, feeling greasy to the touch, as if it had been soaked in blood.

The cover was engraved with some twisted, eerie symbols and patterns; these symbols seemed alive, slowly writhing under the moonlight.

On the cover of the book, written in a script that no one recognized, were the words—book of eibon.

It took a full three seconds for Troublemaker Ghost to react.

"This is the pass you were talking about? Are you sick in the head?! Using a book to impersonate a pass? Do you think we are fools?"

Shabby Ghost also started laughing, rolling on the ground with laughter.

"Exactly! What kind of crappy book is this? It looks filthy; is this supposed to be the pass? You're killing me! I think you've been beaten stupid by us!"

He had thought Wu Xi would pull out some powerful Magic Treasure, but he hadn't expected it to be just a crappy book. It seemed this monster was nothing special after all, having exhausted its tricks.

He sneered, "I thought you had some real ability; turns out you can only use a crappy book to fool people. Since you can't produce the pass, then prepare to die!"

Saying this, he raised his iron-spined spear and prepared to charge.

Wu Xi ignored their mockery and Xiahou Dun's threats.

He simply opened the book of eibon slowly.

The pages rustled, and an indescribable aura emanated from the book.

This aura was cold, damp, and decaying, carrying a thick, fishy smell of the deep sea and the stench of a grave.

It wasn't as pungent as Yin Qi, but it penetrated deeper into the bone marrow.

The three ghosts' laughter came to an abrupt halt, and the smiles on their faces vanished without a trace instantly.

In their place was a sense of bewilderment and dullness.

Their gazes were involuntarily drawn to the black book.

They saw things, things they shouldn't have seen, things that neither humans nor ghosts could comprehend.

They saw a boundless, dark ocean, the ocean bottomless and black as ink.

In the deepest part of the ocean slept a huge, indescribable entity.

They saw the truth of the Universe, saw the end of time.

Saw those horrors and despairs that transcended human cognition.

These images were not seen through their eyes but were directly imprinted deep into their Souls.

They spread wildly in their Souls like a virus, and the mental states of the three ghosts began to undergo terrifying changes.

The greasepaint on Scavenger Ghost's face began to peel off in chunks, revealing the grayish-blue skin underneath.

His eyes widened, his eyeballs almost bulging out of their sockets.

A "ho-ho" sound came from his mouth, as if something was stuck in his throat.

His hands grabbed his hair tightly, pulling forcefully.

Hair fell out in large clumps, revealing the bald scalp underneath.

Shabby Ghost's body began to tremble violently.

His teeth chattered incessantly, making a "clacking" sound.

Cold sweat poured incessantly from his forehead.

On his skin, small, red bumps began to grow, like the skin of a toad.

These bumps grew larger and more numerous, gradually spreading over his entire body.

On top of the bumps, tiny, black scales also grew.

Troublemaker Ghost had the strongest willpower among the three ghosts.

He gritted his teeth, desperately trying to resist the power within the book.

His hands gripped the iron-spined spear tightly.

Veins bulged on his forehead, and sweat streamed down like rain.

He wanted to close his eyes, wanted to look away, but found he couldn't do it at all.

His gaze had been completely captivated by the black book.

It was as if an invisible force was pulling his eyes, forcing him to look.

"Ah…" Shabby Ghost let out a painful groan.

He felt as if his Soul had been put into a frying pan of oil, unbearable in its agony.

Those terrifying images flashed incessantly in his mind, unable to be shaken off.

He wanted to scream, wanted to run away, but found he couldn't even move; his body began to age rapidly.

His hair turned white and fell out at a speed visible to the naked eye.

His skin became loose and wrinkled, like dried orange peel.

His eyes became cloudy and yellow, and his teeth began to loosen and fall out.

"No… don't…" Shabby Ghost let out a weak plea.

His body became increasingly withered and lighter.

It was as if an invisible giant hand was frantically extracting the Yang Qi and vitality from his body; in the end, he turned into a dried corpse.

"Plop." Shabby Ghost's body fell to the ground, collapsing into a pile of powder.

Only a black Soul drifted out from the powder.

But this Soul had also become incomplete, filled with madness and fear.

It twisted and screamed frantically in mid-air, wanting to escape this place.

But it couldn't escape at all. The book of eibon emitted a powerful suction, firmly holding onto it.

"Ah—!"

Accompanied by a shrill scream, Shabby Ghost's Soul was sucked into the book of eibon.

The pages turned gently, as if nothing had ever happened.

Scavenger Ghost saw Shabby Ghost's fate and was scared until his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering.

He used his last ounce of strength, turned abruptly, and wanted to run.

But his body had aged beyond recognition and he couldn't run at all.

He had just taken a step when he fell to the ground with a thud.

His body also began to quickly turn into a dried corpse.

"No! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"

Troublemaker Ghost let out a desperate scream.

He crawled desperately on the ground, wanting to get away from that terrifying book.

But the slower he crawled, the faster his body aged.

A few seconds later, Troublemaker Ghost's body also turned into a pile of powder. His Soul was also sucked into the book of eibon.

Now, only Troublemaker Ghost remained on the stage; watching the fate of his two companions, his eyes were filled with extreme fear.

His body had also aged beyond recognition. His skin was withered, his hair gray, and his teeth had all fallen out.

His Soul had also started to become incomplete. Those terrifying images had completely destroyed his sanity.

He looked at Wu Xi, looked at the black book of eibon, his lips trembling, wanting to say something, but unable to utter a word.

Wu Xi slowly raised his head and looked at him.

His countless tentacles danced on his face, his eyes as cold as ice.

"Now, do you believe this is the pass given by the Prime Minister to General Guan?"

Xiahou Dun opened his mouth, wanting to speak. But he could no longer make any sound, and his body began to turn into a dried corpse.

"No…"

This was the last word he left in this world.

A few seconds later, Xiahou Dun's body also turned into a pile of powder. His Soul was also sucked into the book of eibon.

The stage returned to calm. Only the black book of eibon remained in Wu Xi's hand, emanating a cold, decaying aura.

Wu Xi closed the book slowly.

"Snap." A light sound.

His body began to change. The octopus-like head, the scaly torso, the huge claws, and the long, narrow wings all slowly disappeared.

In the blink of an eye, he turned back into that ordinary young man.

Wu Xi put the book of eibon back into his bosom and brushed the dust off his body.

He turned around and looked at Niu Fei, who was hiding behind the pillar.

"It's over." Wu Xi said calmly.

Niu Fei walked out from behind the pillar; his legs were still shaking, and his face was still pale.

He looked at the three piles of powder on the stage, then at Wu Xi, and stammered, "Wu… Brother Wu… you… you are way too powerful…"

The few people below the stage were also stunned.

The sword in Qiu Chuanxing's hand fell to the ground with a clang. He opened his mouth wide, unable to say a word for a long time.

The smile on Ling Muxue's face also disappeared; she looked at Wu Xi with complex eyes.

She had originally thought this was just an ordinary ghost-catching play, not expecting such an ending.

What exactly was this Wu Xi's background?

Jiang Jiye covered her mouth, her eyes full of shock.

Jiang Yuehong walked out from behind Jiang Jiye. She looked at the three piles of powder on the stage, her eyes devoid of fear, instead filled with a strange madness.

The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, revealing an eerie smile.

The audience below the stage had long since fled in terror. On the stage, only three piles of powder and the broken iron-spined spear remained.

Wu Xi looked at the blank-faced A-He below the stage and said calmly, "Come on, let's have a good chat with the one who knows the truth."