Chapter 46: Heart of the Evil Ghost

Up to this point, Yang Xuan still had not figured out where on earth this fierce ghost had popped up from.
Why had it been chasing him so relentlessly?
Could it possibly be a subordinate of that One-Star Ghost Emperor?
In the vast expanse of the Xihua Valley, he had searched for a long time without finding a suitable hiding spot.
Having no other choice, Yang Xuan once again summoned the Underworld Puppeteer System.

"Please select an item or skill to use."

Aside from the Black Tortoise Spirit Armor, Yang Xuan currently only possessed the Soul-Devouring Dagger, the Fiendish Spirit Pill, and the Ghost Clan Banner.
There was also the Opportunity Token.
However, the Opportunity Token was definitely of no use right now.
The Ghost Clan Banner had just been used, and its effect was minimal, leaving no reason to use it again.
As for the Fiendish Spirit Pill, Yang Xuan did not wish to deploy it too early.
Although the Soul-Devouring Dagger was immensely powerful, using it now would leave Yang Xuan unable to deploy it again in the short term. In this unfamiliar place, Yang Xuan still wanted to keep some trump cards up his sleeve.

"Use item: Soul-Devouring Dagger." Yang Xuan chose the Soul-Devouring Dagger without a second thought.
He had already used the Underworld General possession too many times today, and continuing to use it might push his body beyond its limits.
For now, only the Soul-Devouring Dagger was the most convenient option.
With this in hand, dealing with that fierce ghost would be a piece of cake.

With the Soul-Devouring Dagger in his grasp, Yang Xuan immediately lost all fear of the fierce ghost.
He charged toward the fierce ghost, striking instantly with the dagger.
The fierce ghost seemed to sense something and instantly dodged Yang Xuan's attack, counterattacking at the same time.
Yang Xuan was struck with utter panic; that speed completely exceeded his imagination.
He had originally thought that having the Soul-Devouring Dagger would make dealing with this fellow very simple, but who would have thought the opponent's strength far surpassed his own.
Since that was how it was going to be, he could no longer be blamed for showing no mercy.

Yang Xuan once again summoned the Yellow Springs Ghost King.
The Yellow Springs Ghost King had now become his professional muscle; practically the moment it was summoned, it could resolve the opponent.
As soon as the Yellow Springs Ghost King materialized, it met the fierce ghost head-on, and the two mighty entities collided.

A fierce gale swept past, and Yang Xuan felt the pressure pressing down from the air.
This pressure was quite terrifying, easily more horrifying than his previous battles with those nether ghosts!
Fortunately, the Black Tortoise Spirit Armor was able to withstand it all, allowing Yang Xuan to calmly watch the show from the sidelines.
He was no longer in the wretched and panicked state he had been in just moments before.
His gaze fell upon the intense battle between the Yellow Springs Ghost King and the fierce ghost, his eyes brimming with excitement.

For two experts to trade blows was of immense help to him; such an opportunity could not be missed!
That fierce ghost was even dropping loot.

[Ding! Detected: Heart of a Fierce Ghost ×1]
[Do you wish to recycle it?]

Yang Xuan chose to recycle it without a second thought, wondering how many merit points this thing could be auctioned for.
The Yellow Springs Ghost King clearly held the upper hand, and the fierce ghost's stamina was gradually running out.
Pinned down by the Yellow Springs Ghost King, it was no longer able to launch proactive attacks.

Yang Xuan glanced at the map.
The Xihua Valley was vast, but true safe zones were probably few and far between.
The most pressing matter for him right now was to find a place to search for those heavenly treasures. The spiritual energy concentration in the Xihua Valley was extremely high, so there had to be quite a few treasures hidden here.
The mere thought of instantly becoming super-rich caused dollar signs to dance in Yang Xuan's eyes.
He was broke right now!
Thinking of his merit point balance, which was under four digits, Yang Xuan felt even more like crying.
Buying the Xihua Valley back then had cost him every single merit point he had.

Before long, Yang Xuan discovered a completely wild, natural ginseng.
This ginseng looked extraordinary, boasting a history of at least a thousand years—it was definitely a top-tier specimen among ginsengs!
Yang Xuan stepped forward to harvest it, carefully storing it away inside his system inventory.
He raised his head to look around, and after making sure there was no danger, he continued on his way.

He found over a dozen more medicinal herbs, every single one of them worth a fortune.
Just as Yang Xuan intended to continue searching, a sudden feeling of danger surged from the soles of his feet straight up to his spine, causing every hair on his body to stand on end!
Yang Xuan quickly steadied his stance and looked up in a certain direction.
There was nothing there.
Yet he knew that something was definitely watching him from that spot!

Casually and without betraying any emotion, Yang Xuan observed that direction before continuing on his way. This time, he picked up his pace while raising his vigilance to the absolute maximum.
Before long, he discovered a few more heavenly treasures.
Every time he found one, Yang Xuan harvested it immediately and then moved on.
He maintained the exact same high level of vigilance as before, not daring to relax even the slightest bit.

Until Yang Xuan rounded yet another mountain peak, that scalp-tingling sensation surfaced once more!
Yang Xuan came to a halt and looked around in all directions.
Yet in his surroundings, he discovered absolutely nothing!

It was the feeling of being spied upon.
It was as if a pair of eyes was staring right at you from the shadows.
Yang Xuan felt goosebumps threatening to break out all over his body.
His brow furrowed, and cold sweat poured down.
"Who is it?" Yang Xuan demanded sharply, his voice carrying a long distance.
After a long moment, however, there was still no movement whatsoever.

A flicker of panic rose in Yang Xuan's heart; what was going on here? Exactly what kind of entity was lurking in the shadows and spying on him?
And were they friend or foe?
If they were friends, that would be fine, but if they were enemies, it would be quite dangerous.
He took a deep breath, his gaze locked tightly onto the direction from just moments before.

After a brief moment, Yaoji stepped out, looking at Yang Xuan with a giggling smile.
"Why are you here?" The vigilance in Yang Xuan's heart instantly vanished; he hadn't expected it to be this girl.

Yaoji clicked her way over to Yang Xuan's side in her towering stilettos. "I was just curious about what you were up to. How did you end up in this Xihua Valley?"
"I'm just here to take a look around."
Yang Xuan certainly didn't want these people to find out that he had bought the Xihua Valley, otherwise they would surely fleece him dry.
This chick was not weak in strength, and he didn't dare to lower his guard.

Yaoji cast a suspicious look at Yang Xuan. "You're not telling the truth!"
"No, really, I just happened to wander in by coincidence," Yang Xuan explained.
"I sense a lingering aura of death on you. Just now, a malevolent ghost came through here, and it should have been coming after you," Yaoji said with a solemn expression.
She had just happened to see a flash of white light over here and noticed Yang Xuan suddenly appear, so she had immediately followed.

Yang Xuan's expression stiffened. Was his luck really this atrocious? He had actually been spotted by this girl.
He absolutely could not let her find out about his connection to the Yellow Springs Ghost King.
Although the Yellow Springs Ghost King had already submitted to him, from the perspective of the Special Operations Division, that was an act of high treason and sheer defiance!
"This aura of death... why does it feel so familiar?" Yaoji suddenly furrowed her brow, her gaze locking firmly onto Yang Xuan. "Did you just see a ghost king entirely shrouded in black energy? And it was very tall, too!"

Yang Xuan's scalp went numb, thinking to himself that this girl had terrifyingly sharp eyes!
So he hurriedly scrambled for an excuse: "No way, how could I have possibly seen something like that?!"
Yaoji looked Yang Xuan up and down. "You're trying to fool a ghost!"

Internal misery plagued Yang Xuan, leaving him with no choice but to let out a few dry laughs, not daring to say another word.