The earth veins collapsed and the ghosts besieged the city

The black air beneath the cracks surged like a boiling pot. Countless pairs of crimson eyes could be vaguely seen within the thick black mist, fixed intently on the four men suspended in mid-air. Lin Shen's fingers clasped Li Ye's wrist, his nails digging into his flesh. Yet, the pain in his arm grew stronger, as if a thousand-pound boulder were hanging from his hand, testing his already exhausted strength with every second.

"Hold on! I... I'll pull you up!" Lin Shen's voice was hoarse as if it had been rubbed by sandpaper. He tried to lean back and use his weight for leverage, but the stone slab under his feet suddenly cracked with a "click" sound, and the whole person slid down half an inch in an instant. The contact between his palm and Li Ye's wrist also began to slip.

Li Ye's face flushed crimson, his free hand gripping Lin Munan's arm tightly, his knuckles white. He could feel Lin Munan's body falling, Meng Yao's weight pulling them both down like lead. His own arm began to tremble uncontrollably, a tearing pain piercing his muscles. "Lin Shen! I... I can't hold on any longer! Meng Yao..."

Meng Yao's voice was already tinged with tears, tears mixed with cold sweat streaming down her cheeks, dripping into the black air below, and being instantly swallowed by it. Her fingers tightly grasped Lin Munan's sleeve. As her vision blurred, she suddenly saw a pale hand reaching out from the black air. The nails on that hand were sharp and long, with a bluish-black sheen, and it was grabbing at her ankle. "Something...something is grabbing me! Help me!"

Lin Munan instinctively looked down, just in time to see the ghostly hand about to reach Meng Yao's ankle. He tried to kick it away, but found himself held down by Meng Yao's weight, unable to move. He could only watch helplessly as the ghostly hand's nails ripped through Meng Yao's trouser legs, leaving three bloody marks. Meng Yao screamed in pain, her body struggling violently, only accelerating the three of them's descent.

Chen Ba, lying on the ground, watched with utter dismay. She tried to rise to help, but as soon as she lifted her upper body, she felt a sharp pain in her chest. A mouthful of blood spilled from the corner of her mouth, dripping onto the bronze compass. The compass's blue light, stained by the blood, instantly dimmed. The needle, originally pointing toward the town center, began to spin wildly, as if it had lost its way. She looked up toward the town center, her pupils suddenly constricting—the black energy there had coalesced into a vast black vortex, from which a dilapidated archway faintly emerged. The words "Qingwu Town" were engraved on the archway, but now they glowed an eerie red, as if stained with blood.

"Oh no! It's the 'Grieving Archway'!" Chen Ba's voice was filled with despair. She raised the compass with all her might and shouted at Lin Shen, "A hundred years ago, Zhang Mingshan's ancestors sealed the strongest grudge spirits in the Grudge Archway to suppress them. Now the earth veins have collapsed, and the seal of the archway has been broken! Those grudge spirits are more than ten times stronger than the black shadows before. We..."

Before she could finish her words, the black vortex in the town's center suddenly exploded, and three massive shadows swooped out from it, landing on Qingwu Town's three main streets, forming a three-legged tripod. The leading figure was tall, dressed in tattered official uniform and a rotten black gauze hat. Its eyes were two pitch-black holes beneath the brim, and it gazed directly toward the dry well. The other two shadows were even more eerie. One was hunched over, holding a tattered oil-paper umbrella covered in blood-red runes. With every step, a pool of blood oozed from the ground. The other shadow was completely indistinct, resembling a flowing black mist. Wherever it passed, a layer of frost coated the stone pavement, and even the air became icy cold.

"It's the 'Three Resentful Spirits'!" Chen Ba's voice trembled as she pulled out a tattered ancient book from her bosom. This was something she had found in the small building of the Zhang Mansion. It recorded the secrets of Qingwu Town. "Official Uniform Spirit, Oil-Paper Umbrella Spirit, and Black Mist Spirit. These are the three vengeful spirits that killed the most townspeople a hundred years ago. Zhang Mingshan's ancestors used secret techniques to seal them in the archway. Now they're out. We're no match for them!"

The official took a step toward the dry well, and the ground shook instantly, causing the stone slabs near the crack to collapse. Lin Shen felt his feet suddenly empty, and he plummeted downwards. Fortunately, he reacted quickly, grabbing a nearby raised stone slab with his free hand and barely stabilizing himself. However, his arms had completely lost feeling, and he could only rely on his fingers' instinctive grip to hold on tightly. If he wasn't careful, the four of them would fall into the black air.

The oil-paper umbrella demon moved toward the ruined temple. With a flick of its umbrella, the blood-red runes on the umbrella flew out, transforming into red chains that tightly wrapped around the surrounding buildings. As the chains tightened, the buildings instantly collapsed, sending countless rubble flying toward the dry well. Lin Shen and the others could only barely dodge, unable to spare any attention.

The Black Mist was the fastest, appearing silently on the other side of the gap. A cloud of black mist entwined Lin Shen's arm. Lin Shen felt a piercing chill, and the skin on his arm instantly formed a layer of white frost. His already weak strength almost vanished. He tried to shake off the black mist, but it seemed to have a life of its own, climbing up his arm and quickly wrapping around his shoulder, leaving him half unconscious.

"Lin Shen! Your shoulder!" Li Ye shouted anxiously when he saw the black fog on Lin Shen's shoulder, but he was unable to take care of himself and could only watch the black fog continue to erode Lin Shen's body.

Meng Yao's consciousness began to fade. She felt her body grow lighter and lighter, as if it were floating. She looked down at the black energy below. Those crimson eyes were getting closer and closer. She could even hear the shrill screams from within the black energy, like the struggle of countless wronged souls. She suddenly remembered the "Yang-Inducing Technique" Xiuxiu had taught her before. Although it hadn't worked before, she had no choice now. Gathering her last bit of strength, she closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, and silently chanted a mantra.

This time, instead of a golden ball of light condensing in her palm, a piercing chill spread. She opened her eyes and discovered a layer of black mist covering her palm. A ferocious, ghostly face loomed within the mist, lunging towards her. Meng Yao screamed in fear and instinctively flung her hand away, accidentally loosening her grip on Lin Munan's sleeve, sending her body plummeting towards the black aura.

"Meng Yao!" Lin Munan yelled. He tried to reach out and grab her, but only managed to grab a strand of her hair. Just as Meng Yao was about to fall into the black energy, a faint golden light suddenly flew out from her arms and landed on her body. It was the mahogany pendant Xiuxiu had given her. The word "An" on the pendant now glowed with a faint golden light, temporarily blocking the erosion of the black energy and slowing Meng Yao's descent.

Seeing this, Lin Shen felt a glimmer of hope. He remembered the jade pendant in his arms. Although the jade pendant's yang energy was weak, it might be able to combine with the power of the peach wood pendant. With his remaining strength, he pulled out the jade pendant and threw it towards Meng Yao. "Meng Yao! Grab the jade pendant! Use its power to block the black energy!"

Meng Yao instinctively reached out and grasped the jade pendant. As soon as it touched her hand, it resonated with the mahogany pendant. Two golden rays of light intertwined, forming a small shield that protected Meng Yao. The black energy hit the shield, making a sizzling sound, temporarily preventing it from approaching. But the shield's light grew fainter and fainter, clearly unable to sustain the power of the two tokens for long.

The official uniform demon saw the light shield and let out an angry roar. It raised its hand, and a black air wave attacked the light shield. As soon as the air wave hit the light shield, it shook violently, and the golden light instantly dimmed by half. Meng Yao's body fell again, just one step away from the black air.

Chen Ba knew she couldn't wait any longer. Using her last bit of Yang energy, she placed the bronze compass on the ground, muttering a complex incantation. The compass's faint blue light began to resonate with the earth's veins. The black energy seeping from the cracks in the ground temporarily ceased flowing, and even a faint trace of Yang energy surged from the veins, converging towards Lin Shen and the others.

"Lin Shen! I've temporarily suppressed the resentment in the earth veins. Hurry and come up while you can!" Chen Ba's voice was a little weak. She could feel her Yang energy rapidly draining away. The spell could only last for half an incense stick at most. "The Oil-Paper Umbrella Evil and the Black Mist Evil are coming this way. It will be too late if we're late!"

Lin Shen nodded. He looked at Li Ye beside him and gritted his teeth: "Li Ye, pull Lin Munan up first, I will help you stabilize it!" After that, he used up his last bit of strength, leaned his body back, and grabbed the stone slab tightly to lend Li Ye leverage.

Li Ye understood. He took a deep breath and pulled Lin Munan up a little. Lin Munan took the opportunity to grab the stone slab beside him and finally climbed up. As soon as he stood firm, he immediately turned around and reached out to pull Meng Yao: "Meng Yao! Hold my hand!"

Meng Yao felt like she had grabbed a lifeline when she saw Lin Munan's hand. Gathering all her strength, she reached out toward him. Just as their fingers were about to touch, the Black Mist suddenly appeared behind him, a cloud of black mist sweeping towards his back. Lin Munan had no time to dodge, and could only watch helplessly as the black mist wrapped around his back. A piercing chill instantly spread through his body, freezing him in place.

"Lin Munan!" Lin Shen shouted. He wanted to help, but found himself entangled in the black mist, unable to move. Guanfusha seized the opportunity to attack again. A black wave of air struck the light shield, shattering it instantly. Meng Yao's body plummeted towards the black mist.

At this critical moment, a golden light suddenly emanated from the east of the town, instantly enveloping the entire dry well area. A figure in white emerged from the light, clutching a broken peach wood sword. It was none other than Xiuxiu's spirit!

Xiuxiu's spirit flew toward Meng Yao. The fragments of the peach wood sword in her hand glowed golden, blocking the erosion of the black energy. She gently lifted Meng Yao up and carried her to Lin Munan. Then, she turned and looked at Guanfusha and the other three black shadows, her eyes filled with anger. She had been harmed by the black shadows in her life, and although her resentment in death was slight, she still hated these resentful spirits who had harmed the townspeople.

"Sister Xiuxiu!" When Meng Yao saw Xiuxiu's soul, tears instantly welled up in her eyes. She wanted to reach out and grab it, but found that her hand went straight through Xiuxiu's body.

Xiuxiu said nothing, merely smiled at Meng Yao, then turned and flew towards Guanfusha. The fragment of the peach wood sword in her hand shone brightly, and she thrust it towards Guanfusha. Guanfusha was caught off guard by the sudden appearance of a spirit, brimming with pure yang energy, and stumbled back a few steps.

Chen Ba saw this scene, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes: "It's Xiuxiu's soul! Her soul was protected by the Yang energy of the peach wood sword, and was not consumed by the resentment. Moreover, it can also use the power of pure Yang! Lin Shen, hurry! Now that the official uniform evil is restrained, let's quickly find a way to deal with the other two evil spirits!"

Lin Shen nodded. He tried to break free from the black mist, but found that it was getting tighter and tighter, almost freezing his body. He looked at Li Ye beside him and found that Li Ye was also struggling desperately, but his arms were injured by the previous wave of energy from Guanfusha, and he had no strength at all.

Seeing Xiuxiu restrain the official uniform demon, the oil-paper umbrella demon immediately pounced on Lin Shen. With a flick of the oil-paper umbrella in its hand, a red chain swung around Lin Shen's neck. Lin Shen instinctively ducked, the chain grazed his scalp and tangled around a nearby stone slab. The chain instantly severed the stone slab, sending gravel flying towards Lin Shen. He could only barely block it with his arm, which was instantly smashed by the broken stone and covered in blood.

The Black Mist continued to harass Lin Munan, its black mist constantly corroding Lin Munan's body. Lin Munan's face became increasingly pale, and his consciousness gradually began to blur. Meng Yao wanted to help, but found that apart from being able to barely use the power of the peach wood pendant, there was no other way. She could only watch Lin Munan's body become weaker and weaker.

Although Xiuxiu had temporarily restrained the official robe evil spirit, her soul power was limited, and the glow of the peach wood sword fragment gradually faded. The official robe evil spirit quickly reacted, letting out an angry roar and sending a black gust of air hurtling towards Xiuxiu. Xiuxiu had no time to dodge and was struck by the gust of air. Her soul instantly became slightly transparent, and the peach wood sword fragment in her hand fell to the ground, its light completely extinguished.

"Sister Xiuxiu!" Meng Yao shouted. She wanted to rush over to pick up the fragments of the peach wood sword, but was held back tightly by Lin Munan. Lin Munan knew that rushing over now would mean suicide, but he was powerless and could only watch Xiuxiu's soul become more and more transparent.

Chen Ba's spell was nearly broken. Her face was as pale as paper, blood oozing from the corners of her mouth. The blue light of the bronze compass was growing dimmer and dimmer. She looked at the scene before her, filled with despair—they had fought tooth and nail, yet faced with such a powerful vengeful spirit, they still seemed so insignificant.

Lin Shen watched Xiuxiu's increasingly transparent skin, then glanced at his struggling companions. A wave of resentment suddenly flared within him. He remembered Xiuxiu's smile, their promise to bring her home, their vow to protect Qingwu Town. He couldn't just give up. Even if it cost him his life, he had to fight for a glimmer of hope for his companions.

Gathering his last bit of strength, he bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the black mist. The blood carried his last bit of yang energy, and the black mist sizzled as it hit the blood, instantly dispersing most of it. He seized the opportunity to break free from the mist's restraints and lunge towards the fragments of the peach wood sword on the ground.

The official uniform demon saw Lin Shen's movements and immediately attacked him. It raised its hand, and a black air wave hit Lin Shen's back. Lin Shen ignored the air wave behind him and desperately crawled towards the fragments of the peach wood sword. Just as the air wave was about to hit him, Xiuxiu suddenly rushed over, blocking Lin Shen's back and hitting his soul with the air wave.

"Xiu Xiu!" Lin Shen shouted. He finally crawled to the side of the peach wood sword fragment and reached out to pick it up. As soon as the fragment touched his hand, it resonated with the jade pendant in his arms. A golden light instantly burst out from the fragment and the jade pendant, illuminating the entire dry well area.

Amidst the golden light, Zhang Mingshan's figure loomed. His spirit gazed upon the scene before him, its eyes filled with guilt and determination. He nodded toward Lin Shen, then turned and flew toward Guanfusha and the other three dark figures. Zhang Mingshan's spirit, brimming with powerful yang energy, instantly suppressed the resentment of the three shadows, rendering them immobile.

"Quick! Use the peach wood sword fragments and the power of the jade pendant to destroy the resentment in the core of the earth vein!" Zhang Mingshan's voice was filled with a hint of urgency. "My soul power can only last for a moment. If I miss this opportunity, there will be no chance again!"

Lin Shen nodded, clutching the peach wood sword fragment and jade pendant, and ran towards the town center. Li Ye, Lin Munan, and Meng Yao immediately followed, while Chen Ba used up his last bit of strength to maintain the power of the compass and escort them.

The three shadowy figures were pinned down by Zhang Mingshan's spirit, unable to move. They could only watch as Lin Shen and the others fled towards the town center. The official uniform demon roared in anger, but it was of no use. Although Zhang Mingshan's spirit was weak, it carried a century of obsession and yang energy, enough to temporarily suppress them.

Lin Shen and the others quickly reached the core of the earth vein in the town's center. The ground had completely collapsed, forming a massive black hole. Thick black air surged from the hole, the source of the resentment at the core of the earth vein. Lin Shen gazed at the hole, took a deep breath, and raised the fragment of the peach wood sword and the jade pendant above his head. The two golden beams intertwined, forming a massive blade of light, which he slashed towards the hole.

As the blade of light touched the black energy, a sizzling sound emanated, instantly splitting the black energy in two. Lin Shen seized the opportunity to toss the fragments of the peach wood sword and the jade pendant into the black hole. Two streaks of golden light erupted from the black hole, illuminating the entire core of the earth vein. The resentment within the black hole began to violently churn, as if struggling, but under the suppression of the golden light, it could not resist and could only be slowly purified by it.

Zhang Mingshan's spirit saw this scene and smiled with relief. He nodded to Lin Shen and the others, then turned and flew towards Xiuxiu's spirit. Their spirits gradually merged in the golden light, transforming into a streak of golden light that soared into the sky before dissipating in the sunlight—they had finally completed their mission and protected Qingwu Town.

As the resentment at the core of the earth veins was purified, Guanfusha and the other three dark shadows let out a shrill scream, transforming into wisps of black smoke and dissipating into the air. The ground shaking gradually stopped, and the cracks began to slowly heal. The sky over Qingwu Town turned a deep blue once again, and the sun shone on the earth, dispelling all the haze.

Lin Shen and the others collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath. Their bodies were already covered in wounds and their strength was completely exhausted, but a relieved smile appeared on their faces - they had finally succeeded, protecting Qingwu Town and fulfilling their promise to Xiuxiu.

Meng Yao pulled out a mahogany pendant from her bosom. The word "An" (safety) on it shone with a faint golden light, as if blessing them. Lin Munan looked at the pendant and said softly, "Sister Xiuxiu, we did it. Qingwu Town is safe."

Lin Shen looked at the sky and said silently in his heart: "Xiu Xiu, we can take you home now."

As the sun set, its golden rays cast long shadows across the cobblestone streets of Qingwu Town. Supporting each other, they walked toward the dry well—there, too, lay the people they wanted to take home and the most precious memories of their journey.

Although this battle has cost them a great deal, and although there may be new challenges in the future, they know that as long as they unite together, there will be no difficulties that cannot be overcome. Their story is far from over.