The Altar Shadow and the White-Cloaked Soul-Calling Spirit

The path to the northeast grew increasingly difficult. The stone pavement had long since broken, revealing a dark pit beneath. Walking on it could hear the crunch of rotten leaves. Xiuxiu's peach wood sword remained tense, its red glow flickering, as if resisting a deeper evil. "The closer I get to the altar, the colder I feel... Not the cold of yin energy, but the cold of someone staring at my back." She clutched Lin Munan's sleeve, her voice trembling with a barely concealed tremor.

Lin Shen slowed his pace. The silver powder on his dagger shone coldly in the twilight. He could clearly feel the air around him growing not only colder but also thicker, as if countless invisible threads were entwining him. "Everyone, hold the talisman paper in your hands. Su Wan, keep your lighter ready."

As soon as she finished speaking, Meng Yao let out a low "Ah!" and the camera slipped from her hands. The lens hit the dirt, cracking the silver coating. The reflection wasn't of the crowd, but of a woman in white—long hair falling to her waist, her skirt trailing on the ground. Her face was hidden in the shadows, save for a pair of green eyes staring intently at the camera.

"What's that?" Li Ye immediately shielded Meng Yao behind him and pointed his trekking pole at the camera lens. But when everyone looked again, all that was left in the camera was the muddy ground. The woman in white had vanished without a trace, as if it were just an illusion.

Chen Ba's bronze compass suddenly spun wildly, the black energy at the needle's tip condensing into wisps that drifted forward. "It's not an illusion. An evil being is following us, and its resentment is so strong it can interfere with magical instruments." Her voice tightened, and the black mark on her wrist grew faintly hot. "It's more powerful than the ghost in the mirror and the burial puppet before. The compass can't detect its true form."

After only fifty steps, a white mist suddenly appeared ahead. It wasn't the light, morning mist, but a thick, milky white that even sunlight couldn't penetrate. Through the mist came the intermittent sound of a woman crying, as if it were coming from far away, yet also as if it were right next to my ear.

"Don't listen! It's hallucination!" Su Wan immediately lit a piece of talisman paper, and a golden flame illuminated a small area within the white mist. But just as the flames began to burn, the crying suddenly grew closer, and a woman in white slowly emerged from the mist—the same one captured on camera. This time, her face was revealed, her skin as white as paper, her lips a dazzling red. Her eye sockets were devoid of pupils, only two dark holes from which black blood dripped continuously.

"White-robed Ghost!" Chen Ba suddenly shouted, his face as pale as paper. "Ancient books record that this evil creature is the resentment of a woman who died unjustly. Its soul and body are fused together into one, making it impossible to kill it, and it can only be temporarily suppressed!"

The White-Robed Ghost said nothing, merely slowly raising her hand, her pale fingers reaching for Xiuxiu. Xiuxiu's peach wood sword instantly glowed red, and it lunged towards the White-Robed Ghost. But as soon as the peach wood sword touched her sleeve, the red light dimmed as if extinguished by cold water. Xiuxiu was also thrown away by an invisible force, landing heavily on the muddy ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"Xiu Xiu!" Lin Shen immediately rushed over, stabbing the dagger at the back of the white-clothed ghost. The silver powder hit her white clothes, making a "sizzling" sound, and black mist emerged from the white clothes. But the white-clothed ghost didn't even move. Instead, she turned around, and her dark eyes were fixed on Lin Shen. Lin Shen felt a chill running from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. His body suddenly froze, and the dagger slipped from his hand. Countless painful faces appeared in front of his eyes, all of whom were killed by the white-clothed ghost. Their screams exploded in his ears, as if to rip his eardrums.

"Brother Lin Shen!" Xiu Xiu struggled to get up, the peach wood sword glowing red again, and she threw it towards the white-clothed ghost. The peach wood sword grazed the white-clothed ghost's shoulder, cutting a hole in her sleeve, but the hole was quickly filled by the black energy, leaving no trace.

Lin Munan drew her silver bow to full strength, simultaneously firing three silver arrows wrapped in talisman paper at the White-Robed Ghost. The silver arrows pierced the black aura and struck her chest. Golden runes ignited her body, and the White-Robed Ghost finally let out a shrill scream as her body was enveloped in flames. But just as everyone thought her tactic was working, the flames suddenly died out. The White-Robed Ghost's body remained unharmed, and instead, the black aura grew thicker. Countless black vines sprouted from her skirt and entangled Lin Munan.

"Get out of the way!" Li Ye raised his trekking pole and swung it at the vines. As soon as the pole touched the vines, it was corroded by the black energy, turning into a pool of black water. The vines wrapped around Lin Munan's ankles and spread toward her calves. The black energy followed the vines and penetrated her skin. Lin Munan felt a sharp pain in her calf, as if pierced by an icicle.

Su Wan lit all the talismans and threw them at the White-Robed Ghost. Golden flames formed a circle of fire around her. "Everyone, retreat! The talismans won't hold out for long!" she shouted. But as soon as she finished her words, the White-Robed Ghost stepped out of the circle of fire, and the flames automatically extinguished around her, leaving not even a trace of heat.

Meng Yao, hiding behind Chen Ba, suddenly remembered the camera's flash. She picked up the camera and, trembling, pressed the shutter button. A blinding white light instantly illuminated the mist. The white-robed ghost's movements suddenly paused, and more black blood flowed from his dark eyes, as if resisting the glare. "The flash worked!" Meng Yao exclaimed in surprise, pressing the shutter button again.

This time, the White Ghost merely tilted its head and drifted toward Meng Yao. The camera flashes still flashed, but they could no longer stop her. Chen Ba immediately controlled the Evil-Suppressing Gu and flew toward the White Ghost. But as soon as the insect reached her, it was engulfed by the black energy, leaving no trace. "Her resentment is too strong. The bright light and the insect can only hold out for a while!" Chen Ba shouted, and the bronze compass suddenly cracked with a snap, the needle completely breaking in two.

The ghost in white reached out and grabbed Meng Yao's wrist. She felt a piercing chill creep down her wrist, her body stiffening and her consciousness growing hazy. "Help...help me..." Her voice trailed off, and the camera slipped from her hand, crashing to the ground, completely damaged.

"Meng Yao!" Li Ye pounced towards the ghost in white, but as soon as he got close, he was bounced back by an invisible force. He fell heavily to the mud and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Lin Shen finally broke free from the illusion. Seeing Meng Yao being captured by the White-Robed Ghost, he immediately picked up the dagger and stabbed at the White-Robed Ghost's wrist. The silver powder hit her skin again, making a sizzling sound. But this time, the White-Robed Ghost only glanced at Lin Shen, and Lin Shen felt a powerful resentment penetrate his mind, and countless painful memories came flooding back - there were images of the White-Robed Ghost being murdered, images of her body abandoned in the wilderness after her death, and images of her transformed into an evil creature, killing her enemies one by one.

"I hate them so much..." The ghost in white finally spoke, her voice hoarse as if sandpaper was rubbing against her. "I hate them so much... Why did they want to kill me... Why didn't anyone save me..." Her resentment grew stronger and stronger, the white mist became thicker and thicker, the temperature around her dropped sharply, and even the water on the muddy ground began to freeze.

Xiuxiu suddenly stood up, the red light on the peach wood sword, though faint, still blazing. "Her grievances stem from her unjust death... Perhaps we can help her resolve her grievances!" Xiuxiu shouted, walking towards the white-robed ghost. "Who are you? Who killed you? We can help you find your enemy!"

Bai Yigui's movements suddenly paused, and the black blood flowing from her dark eyes slowed down. She looked at Xiuxiu and said hoarsely, "My enemy...my enemy...is long dead...but I still hate...I hate this world so much..."

At that moment, a bell rang in the distance. It wasn't a temple bell, but rather one from the altar. The ghost in white suddenly trembled, as if frightened. "The altar... he's calling me..." She glanced at everyone, then transformed into a black mist, drifting towards the altar. The white mist gradually dissipated as she left.

Meng Yao's body collapsed to the ground. Chen Ba immediately stepped forward and placed a talisman on her forehead. The talisman instantly turned black, but Meng Yao's complexion slowly regained color. "She's just been invaded by Yin Qi. She'll be fine after a while of rest." Chen Ba breathed a sigh of relief, but looking at the black mark on his wrist, his face darkened again. "That white-robed demon is being controlled by the shadow in the altar. He's using her resentment against us."

Lin Shen lifted his sleeves and looked in the direction where the White-robed Ghost had disappeared, a chill running through his heart. "The unkillable evil creature, and the dark shadow controlling her... This altar is probably even more dangerous than we imagined."

After a short rest, Meng Yao finally regained consciousness, though she remained weak. A dark mark, like the one on Chen Ba's wrist, emanated a faint chill. "We must continue forward, otherwise, when the White-Robed Ghost returns, we'll be in even greater danger." Lin Munan gripped the silver bow tightly, his gaze fixed firmly on the altar.

The crowd supported each other and continued walking towards the altar. As the dusk deepened and the air grew colder, the outline of the altar in the distance became clearer and clearer. It was an altar built of black stone, engraved with strange runes. Black air swirled above the altar like a black cloud.

When they reached the foot of the altar, they suddenly heard a strange laugh. It was the shadow's voice: "You are finally here. I have prepared gifts for you."

As soon as he finished speaking, the runes on the altar suddenly lit up with a black light, and a figure in white clothes walked out of the light. Her resentment was stronger than before, and the vines under her skirt were longer. She stared at everyone in her dark eyes, as if she was looking at prey.

"This time, I won't let you escape again..." The white-clothed ghost said hoarsely, and the vines wrapped around everyone. A more dangerous battle officially began.