Chapter Twenty-Four: The Ancestral Hall

“What on earth is this thing?” Zhou Bai unfolded the mouse-shaped clay figurine in his palm. Even in the sunlight, a faint, chilling aura seeped out from it.

“Even your Spirit Eyes can’t see through its true nature?” Wen Meng, who had already activated his Spirit Sight with a talisman, could only barely sense the gloomy energy emanating from the object.

Zhou Bai shook his head. He had only just mastered this supernatural ability, so it was understandable that he couldn’t utilize it perfectly yet.

“Let me try.” Lin Danian took the clay figurine from Zhou Bai, gripped it firmly, and snapped it in half.

The inside of the figurine was revealed to them—internal organs, blood vessels, bones—everything was present, albeit in a crude, earthen form.

Then, something astonishing happened. Before their eyes, the clay figurine began to transform at a speed visible to the naked eye, turning from earth into flesh and blood.

Feeling the figurine, which was just a moment ago mere clay and now warm, living tissue, Lin Danian instinctively threw the mouse to the ground.

The upper half of the mouse twitched belatedly, its lower half spasming. With a shrill squeak, it lay still and died completely.

Yet as the mouse went silent, the sinister energy did not dissipate. Instead, it gathered together and drifted off in a certain direction.

“Follow it.”

Of the three, only Zhou Bai could see the aura swirling in the air. At his low command, he rushed after it. Wen Meng and Lin Danian exchanged a glance and followed closely behind.

The wisp of gloom sped swiftly through the shadows in the corners. If Zhou Bai hadn’t fixed his gaze on it, they might easily have lost track.

They stopped in front of a side room in the Wang family manor. The aura had slipped through the crack beneath the door.

Zhou Bai used his Spirit Eyes to observe the room. Through the gap, a faint trace of sinister energy wafted out, though only a little—perhaps less than the aura that clung to Lin Danian himself.

Judging by the furnishings, this was likely the ancestral hall for the family’s ancestral tablets.

Trusting Zhou Bai’s Spirit Eyes, Wen Meng placed his compass in his palm, its spiritual glow flickering softly.

Seeing their attention focused on the ancestral hall, Lin Danian soon lost patience. He patted Zhou Bai on the shoulder, his expression grave. “What’s going on? What’s wrong with this hall?”

“When the clay figurine broke, a trace of sinister energy drifted straight here. There’s more sinister aura inside the hall as well,” Zhou Bai replied.

Wen Meng frowned. “It’s more than a little strange. This is the Wang family’s ancestral hall—the most spiritually fortified place in the manor. Ordinary spirits can’t even approach, but now, with the aura flowing in reverse, something unnatural must be at work.”

Lin Danian snorted, the veins bulging on his bare arms. “The source of all this in the Wang family manor is probably right here. I just wonder if that evil spirit left any trace.”

From time to time, a draft swept through the courtyard, making the hall’s doors rattle loudly, as if they might burst open at any moment.

But in Zhou Bai’s Spirit Sight, things were not so simple. The doors seemed to beckon them inward.

Wen Meng was an old hand—he didn’t need Zhou Bai to warn him. Glancing at the sky, although the clouds were thickening, there was still plenty of daylight. “Danian, don’t use the main entrance. While it’s still day, break through the window.”

“Alright.”

Nodding slightly, Lin Danian strode up the steps to a window on the side of the room.

Zhou Bai moved to follow but Wen Meng caught his arm. “Danian’s skin is thick enough—if anything happens, he’ll be fine. Let’s wait.”

“Mm.” Zhou Bai nodded and focused, pushing his Spirit Eyes to their utmost.

He didn’t realize that this prolonged activation was strengthening the gloomy energy within the depths of his eyes. On the system panel, his proficiency with the Spirit Eyes rose from five percent to six.

“Leave it to me. A little window like this won’t stop me,” Lin Danian declared. He gripped both sides of the window and heaved, but it didn’t budge, as if it were made of iron instead of wood.

He tried again, exerting even greater force. But not only did the window not open—a grip that should have splintered wood left not the faintest mark.

With an awkward cough, his face flushed with embarrassment. Having boasted moments ago, he now found himself stymied.

With a shout, Lin Danian unleashed his supernatural power, Demonic Possession. His body swelled, his skin flushing red, and his short hair stood on end.

“Demon King?!”

The sight was oddly familiar to Zhou Bai, as if all that was missing was a character tattooed on Lin Danian’s back.

Wen Meng was taken aback. “Demon King? I thought Danian’s true supernatural form was a Guardian Spirit.”

“It’s nothing, probably my mistake,” Zhou Bai mumbled, scratching his head. No way could he explain that Lin Danian looked like a bruiser from an old fighting game in his past life.

“Danian’s Demonic Possession is no simple feat. He refined his own heart through countless near-death experiences into a core spirit artifact. In the centuries-long history of the Underworld Registry, his potential ranks among the highest.”

As they spoke, Lin Danian moved. His energy surged to its peak, his skin now entirely crimson.

His shirt ripped apart, and the muscles on his back bunched together, forming the visage of a demon.

His right fist struck the window. With a muffled boom, the blast of air sent leaves raining down from a nearby tree.

A crack appeared in the window. Lin Danian did not pause, swinging his left fist in succession.

Bang, bang, bang.

His arms blurred, wood shavings flew, and the force of his blows drove his feet deep into the stone tiles.

Zhou Bai instinctively took a step back—not because of Lin Danian’s display of power, but because the sinister energy pouring from the shattered window was now thick enough to seem almost tangible.

This enormous surge of gloom did not escape Wen Meng, whose Spirit Sight had been activated. His expression darkened. They hadn’t even met the spirit yet, and already they were at a disadvantage.

After smashing the window, Lin Danian flipped nimbly back to a safe distance. The sinister aura around him gradually faded, and his ferocious energy subsided.

“It’s your turn, Old Meng,” he said, shaking out his aching arms and grumbling, “Supernatural powers of the ghostly path are too weak in daylight. Not only is their strength diminished, but half the aura is gone the moment it leaves the body.”

Now that the window was gone, a gaping hole yawned in the wall of the ancestral hall. With his Spirit Eyes, Zhou Bai could see clearly into the room within.