Chapter 43: Manipulated

Yet the closer he got, the more Yang Xuan felt that something was amiss.

This figure... actually looked a bit like Fatty.

How could Fatty possibly be this agile? Moreover, an aura of black Qi was emanating from Fatty's body.

Could it be that he was controlled by a ghost? Or... had he already been possessed by a ghost?

The mere thought of this possibility made Yang Xuan swallow hard. He tried his best to hold his breath, acting as if nothing was wrong as he continued to stand in place.

The most urgent task was to figure out the situation to avoid bringing greater trouble upon himself.

Yang Xuan narrowed his eyes, staring closely at the figure in front of him while preparing himself for battle at any moment.

Time ticked away second by second. Yang Xuan waited with bated breath as he watched the figure step closer and closer to him.

He stared intently at the other's movements, his body slightly arched and primed for action.

Soon, the dark shadow arrived right in front of Yang Xuan, and only then did he see clearly that it truly was Fatty, except his face was obscured by a patch of black mist.

"What is wrong with you?"

Yang Xuan asked in a deep voice, his expression rather stern.

Fatty did not reply. Suddenly, he grinned broadly, bared his sharp fangs, and lunged viciously toward Yang Xuan's shoulder.

Noticing the opponent's move, Yang Xuan reacted swiftly.

The two immediately locked in a fierce struggle.

Yang Xuan discovered that Fatty's strength had increased by a massive margin, almost catching up to his own. A wave of surprise washed over him; as the saying went, dark arts offered instant mastery—could it be that Fatty had practiced some sort of evil technique?

No, that was impossible.

He was clearly a human.

Yang Xuan knitted his brows tightly, fighting Fatty while trying to find a way to dispel the layer of black mist.

To his surprise, however, no matter how many methods he tried, the black mist could not be dispersed.

Could it be that Fatty was no longer human?

Yang Xuan dared not dwell on it any longer. Right now, only one path lay before him: defeat Fatty.

Seeing the head shrouded in black mist approach him directly, Yang Xuan swung the Soul Clan banner in his hand.

A wave of energy surged toward Fatty.

This move was precisely what he had comprehended from the Soul Clan banner.

Facing the silvery-white beam of light, Fatty showed no fear whatsoever; instead, he burst into laughter.

Moments later, a plume of black smoke spewed from his mouth. Like a sharp blade, it collided with the silvery-white beam emitted by the Soul Clan banner.

Although they appeared evenly matched, Yang Xuan knew very well that the opponent's power far surpassed his own.

It seemed this Fatty had indeed been possessed by that ghost.

From this, it was evident that the ghost's ability was superior to his own.

This was somewhat troublesome. It seemed he would have to be much more careful in his subsequent actions, or he would fall into a passive state.

Suddenly, Yang Xuan felt a powerful force hurtling toward him.

He instinctively retreated, but he was still a fraction of a second too late.

Fatty had actually rushed straight in front of Yang Xuan and grinned widely.

That smile was truly terrifying.

The corners of his mouth were stretched almost to his ears, and his eyes had turned completely deep purple.

Yang Xuan swallowed hard, his movements gradually slowing down.

He watched Fatty vigilantly, terrified that an attack might come the very next second.

Fatty gave a sinister chuckle, suddenly reaching out to grab Yang Xuan's wrist before exerting a violent force that dragged Yang Xuan crashing to the ground.

Caught off guard, Yang Xuan rolled over swiftly after hitting the floor and quickly searched through the system mall.

Aside from the Strength Pill, the only thing available for purchase right now was a Speed Pill.

Yet could a Speed Pill allow him to escape?

His remaining points were running low.

Once he purchased the Speed Pill, he would no longer have the means to buy a Strength Pill.

Should danger arise later, his life would be hanging by a thread. Furthermore, he still had no idea what had happened to Fatty, nor whether he had completely broken free from human control.

Given the current circumstances, however, he had to make a decision as quickly as possible.

Yang Xuan did not hesitate to select and purchase the Speed Pill.

The Speed Pill could buy him only a few seconds of time, but that was already enough for him.

Right before his eyes, Fatty lunged forward once more.

Yang Xuan swallowed the Speed Pill without hesitation, broke into a sprint, and bolted away.

Leaving the realm of ghosts was no easy feat.

Besides, so many malevolent ghosts existed in this place.

Gritting his teeth, Yang Xuan made up his mind. Since he had already come this far, he would find a way to take away the token that governed this ghost realm.

That way, the rulers of the ghost realm born every year hereafter would be subject to his command.

Consider it an investment in his own future.

With this thought, Yang Xuan continued to charge forward.

Through the corner of his eye, amidst the black mist, he could vaguely discern a figure pursuing him relentlessly.

He noticed a palace not far away, one completely different from any structure in the outside world.

It even exuded a rather eerie aura.

Could it be that the ruler of the ghost realm usually resided within this palace?

Once inside the palace, there might be a chance to force the ghost out of Fatty's body.

Even if it couldn't be driven out, it was still better than running endlessly like this.

With this in mind, Yang Xuan rushed straight into the palace, with the black-mist-shrouded Fatty following closely behind.

Inside the palace, pitch-black darkness prevailed, and an eerie atmosphere permeated every corner.

Fortunately, however, there were no malevolent ghosts here like the ones outside.

Yang Xuan quickened his pace and reached the innermost depths of the palace, where a tall stone pillar stood.

A sword was embedded directly into the stone pillar.

The moment he saw the sword, Yang Xuan felt his heart skip a beat, for its appearance was far too familiar.

It was unmistakably the Soul Sword.

He found it hard to believe his own eyes. Could this really be true?

Could the Soul Sword be the exclusive artifact belonging to this ghost realm ruler? If so, this ghost must possess an extraordinary background. After all, the Soul Sword had once been sealed, yet now it appeared in this place—a truly astonishing revelation.

"Fatty" followed closely behind, his pitch-black eyes fixed intently on Yang Xuan, his facial expression exceptionally ferocious.

Yang Xuan swallowed hard, feeling that he was simply not in the same league as this fellow; if they were to fight one-on-one, he probably couldn't even withstand a single blow from him.

Just as he intended to pull out the Soul Clan banner once again, a dark shadow ambushed him from behind, followed instantly by a tremendous impact.

Accompanied by a loud crash, Yang Xuan was sent flying into a corner, a wave of sharp pain erupting in his chest.

Enduring the intense pain in his chest, Yang Xuan struggled to his feet. Looking at the Soul Sword embedded in the stone pillar, a thought struck him, and a cold smile curved the corners of his mouth.

Upon seeing this, "Fatty" burned with towering rage, utterly astounded that this fellow could still stand up.

Just as he prepared to make his next move, he suddenly glared at Yang Xuan with furious eyes.

For no other reason than this:

Yang Xuan was currently reaching out to pull the Soul Sword from the stone pillar.

To a ghost, a spiritual artifact was practically the equivalent of a heart.

Even if Yang Xuan could not defeat this ghost, if he managed to get his hands on its artifact, his chances of victory would increase to at least eighty percent.

Because he could use the artifact to inflict devastating damage upon his opponent.