Yin Sha Qi.
Although not demonic Qi, it possessed effects similar to demonic Qi, capable of enhancing a vengeful ghost's cultivation and power, while also amplifying their ferocity.
On the third day after her death, at the midnight of her first seven-day mourning period.
Nie Linglan had already absorbed a great deal of Yin Sha Qi. Relying solely on the compassion she held in life, she suppressed the bloodthirsty murderous intent in her heart.
Now.
With ten or a hundred times the Yin Sha Qi entering her body, the vengeful ghost's ferocity that Nie Linglan had been forcibly suppressing began to surge, and the baseline of her rationality was on the verge of collapse.
"Second Brother, wake up!"
Seeing Li Longji start to doze off again, Li Longyou directly pulled out a silver iron awl and jabbed it into Li Longji's butt.
Ooo~
The latter let out a miserable cry, and his drowsiness instantly vanished.
Li Longyou held a pair of swords, Yin and Yang Qi swirling around the blades as they danced, forming a Taiji Bagua diagram that circulated endlessly.
"What demon dares to show itself? If you have the guts, come out instead of hiding your head and tail."
Li Longhao held a great sword. Although his body was covered in wounds, his aura was actually increasing instead of decreasing. It was clear that the cultivation art he practiced, the "Heaven-Angering Sword Sutra," had its unique merits.
Jijijiji~
From the endless Yin Sha Qi, a man in a black robe slowly materialized.
He looked down from above, overlooking the three Li brothers, a hint of contempt on his lips as he said, "Even if I reveal myself, what can you do to me?"
Li Longyou's gaze was solemn as he said, "So, the Zhao Manor massacre and the Nine Yin Vengeful Ghost were all your doing from behind the scenes?"
The man in black robe nodded slightly and said with a smile, "You're a sharp one, kid."
"Nie Linglan turning into a vengeful ghost, the annihilation of the Zhao Manor, not a single living thing spared for hundreds of meters around—all of this was done by me. But so what?"
The man seemed to feel he had the situation firmly in hand and said triumphantly, "In the scheme I have laid out, you are all just pawns."
"The time is right now. To die at my hands is also your good fortune."
With that said.
The Thousand-Face Evil Lord raised the corner of his mouth slightly, pushed back his black hood, revealing a handsome and elegant face, and looked towards the red-robed vengeful ghost: "Little girl of the Nie family, do you still remember me?"
Boom~
As the face of the Thousand-Face Evil Lord appeared before the red-robed vengeful ghost.
The last shred of reason she had barely maintained instantly shattered. Endless resentment and anger surged forth like a furious, crashing tidal wave.
"Ning Haoran~!"
Yin Sha Qi crazily poured into the red-robed vengeful ghost's body, merging with her resentment and fury to transform into the limitless power that a vengeful ghost could control.
Core Formation Stage, Fifth Tier!
Core Formation Stage, Sixth Tier!
Core Formation Stage, Seventh Tier!
In a short moment, the red-robed vengeful ghost's aura skyrocketed, and the entire ghost domain began to warp slightly.
Whoosh~
The red-robed vengeful ghost formed a seal with her hands, and in an instant, countless papers flew out.
Those papers transformed into countless little figures that flew towards the Thousand-Face Evil Lord, launching a frenzied attack. This time, it wasn't an unarmed attack.
Instead, they wielded various weapons condensed from paper—swords, spears, staffs, axes, halberds, sabers, forks, long whips, and crossbows. Although they were made of paper, no one would doubt their lethality.
At the same time.
Endless crimson silk ribbons shot out from all directions, like countless blood snakes, lashing towards the Thousand-Face Evil Lord.
An overwhelming aura of ferocity.
Even the reckless Li Longhao couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.
Good heavens.
This Nine Yin Vengeful Ghost was just too ferocious!
If it had been a one-on-one fight earlier and Nie Linglan had gone all out.
Those paper soldiers wielding weapons, paired with the unpredictable silk ribbons, he really wouldn't have been able to withstand it.
He might have been instantly wiped out.
However.
Although the rampaging Nie Linglan was terrifying.
But.
Facing the runaway Nie Linglan, the Thousand-Face Evil Lord was not the least bit flustered, and even found it a bit amusing.
He extended his right hand and casually slashed forward, causing endless Yin Sha Qi to transform into a black demonic blade that shattered all the paper soldiers, paper weapons, and crimson ribbons.
"You are still too weak right now."
The Thousand-Face Evil Lord laughed. "The gap between the Golden Core Stage and the Core Formation Stage is greater than you can imagine."
"Even with the support of this ghost domain, what of it? In front of me, you are nothing but a mere chicken or a tile dog, utterly incapable of withstanding a single blow. You, in your current state, don't even qualify to make me take you seriously."
Looking at the resentful vengeful ghost whose aura was constantly rising, the Thousand-Face Evil Lord sneered.
He said mockingly, "That's right."
"I am Ning Haoran, the despicable scoundrel who personally destroyed your happiness. And it was the Nie Family who sold you to the Zhao Family, whose eldest son sought to defile you."
"Every single bit of this was orchestrated by me from behind the scenes. Now that you've heard it, are you furious?"
Roar~
After hearing the words of the Thousand-Face Evil Lord, the clothing on the red-robed vengeful ghost grew even more vibrant, its redness deepening to an inky black. An incomparably terrifying aura of resentment surged to its peak.
Core Formation Stage, Eighth Level!!!
Beneath her dense hair, a beast-like low growl echoed, making one's scalp prickle.
The red-robed vengeful ghost frantically attacked the Thousand-Face Evil Lord, but how could a difference of a single major realm in cultivation be so easily overcome?
Furthermore.
Even among those at the Golden Core Stage, the Thousand-Face Evil Lord was no weakling. His cultivation had long since reached the Sixth Level of the Golden Core Stage or higher, making him a veteran powerhouse even within his own realm.
No matter how furious the red-robed vengeful ghost was, she could still stir up no waves before the Thousand-Face Evil Lord.
Hong~
With another colossal palm strike, he sent the red-robed vengeful flying. The Thousand-Face Evil Lord sneered: "You are no threat to me right now. Go kill those little brats!"
"Kill them, devour their blood essence and souls. Only then will your Nine Yin Vengeful Ghost body receive the best nourishment."
"By then, you might just be able to threaten me, kill me, and take your revenge!"
The Thousand-Face Evil Lord's voice was filled with temptation.
Nie Linglan, who had still possessed a shred of reason, naturally wouldn't be swayed by such simple words. But at this moment, having absorbed too much Yin Qi, her reason had already collapsed.
Her sanity lost, Nie Linglan actually turned around, aiming her killing intent at the three Li brothers.
In that instant.
Over ninety percent of the Yin Qi in the entire Zhao Manor was drawn into the red-robed vengeful ghost's body.
As the Yin Qi merged with her boundless resentment.
Her cultivation, which had already reached the Eighth Level of the Core Formation Stage, broke through to a new realm once more.
Core Formation Stage, Ninth Level!!!
Hong~
An incomparably terrifying spiritual pressure gushed out in all directions. In an instant, the Zhao family's houses began to collapse one by one, and the entire manor was reduced to a pile of rubble in the blink of an eye.
From amidst the endless dust and smoke.
A blood-red figure slowly emerged, bringing a terrifying pressure to the three Li brothers.
However, this was not the limit.
Just as the red-robed vengeful ghost ascended to the Ninth Level of the Core Formation Stage, a terrifying anomaly occurred over Maple City.
Extremely dense dark clouds enveloped the entire city. Within the clouds, black energy churned and demonic shadows flickered, exuding a terrifying aura that made one involuntarily tremble and shudder.
One colossal demonic phantom after another, majestic and terrifying, manifested high in the nine heavens, overlooking the mortal world.
The pressure they exuded was not something the common people of Maple City could withstand. Even the three Li brothers, who were currently in the Zhao Manor, could not help but feel their hearts tremble.
Such momentum!
This kind of phenomenon could only be caused by the ascension of a super-demon of at least the Nascent Soul Stage or higher, right!
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Hey everyone, I hope you're doing well.
I'm writing this with a heavy heart because, for the first time in over two years of creating content for you all, I've been hit really hard financially.
I've always tried to keep things running smoothly—updating regularly, posting daily, and even putting out bonus chapters on Patreon. But right now, I'm in deep trouble trying to manage my education expenses on top of everything else.
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