Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Calamity of the Seventh Night (XIII)

Luo Hanya’s heart trembled, her eyes bloodshot and wild, exuding a formidable aura—she was transforming into a demon. Gazing at the frozen ghost soldiers before her, she reached into the void, summoning a flame that radiated an eerie energy. Perhaps it was the environment, but the Demon Flame was especially turbulent; blood-red flickers wrapped around a dark crimson core, greedily absorbing the surrounding ghostly energy as though it were nourishment.

Demon Flame devouring power activated, spiritual energy regenerating.

Luo Hanya seemed oblivious to the system’s voice, charging savagely toward the frozen ghost soldier. The Demon Flame blazed, engulfing her right hand entirely.

“Die!” she roared, her voice twisted with fury like a devil’s. With a shrill scream, her right hand smashed into the ghost soldier’s skull. Its once-impenetrable body was now as fragile as paper, shattering instantly under her blow.

Panting heavily, Luo Hanya felt as if the strike had drained every ounce of her spiritual energy. The Demon Flame left on the corpse burned relentlessly, strange black smoke rising from the body and condensing in midair.

Hidden quest: Exorcise the Seven Ghosts, progress 17.

In the void, a pair of fiery crimson eyes suddenly flared—Flame Tiger gazed greedily at the sinister energy spheres, opening its maw filled with fire and devouring them all. The Nine Nether Hellfire on its body surged violently, as if it had consumed some potent elixir.

Wind Ghost’s gaze flickered; when Flame Tiger devoured the energy spheres and its hellfire intensified, a strange curve appeared at her lips. She licked them, her eyes burning as she stared at the ghost soldiers, as if she had discovered some delectable treat.

Luo Hanya’s body alternated between red and black light; he knew his spiritual energy was depleted, but he still had a friend to save and could not afford to lose all his strength.

Desperately, he tried to channel Demon Flame to restore his energy, but it was a mere drop in the ocean, wholly inadequate.

Meanwhile, Dream Trace Farewell’s health had already turned deep yellow. Struggling against six ghost soldiers, she fought valiantly. Though they had suffered from previous lightning strikes and were only a third as strong as before, even a hero cannot withstand overwhelming numbers; a tiger fallen to the plains is prey to the dogs.

Her previous attack had left her spent, and beset by six ghost soldiers, she could hardly fend them off. Their relentless assault with swords, spears, and clubs worsened her injuries.

Suddenly, caught off guard, she was struck by a heavy iron club wielded by a ghost soldier, her health instantly dropping to red. Pain seared through her body, her organs burning as though shattered. She coughed blood, laughing bitterly as she collapsed to the blood-soaked earth.

“Stop!” Luo Hanya intercepted a ghost soldier’s strike with one hand, seizing another blade aimed at Dream Trace Farewell with the other, but there were six opponents and only two hands.

An iron club, mottled with rust, smashed unexpectedly into Luo Hanya’s back. In his demonized form, he was far tougher than Dream Trace Farewell; he only uttered a slight grunt, seemingly unscathed.

Wind Ghost let out a bizarre laugh, her form drifting silently toward Luo Hanya like the wind.

Flame Tiger, a shadowy mass, lunged ferociously into the battle.

Luo Hanya desperately parried the six ghost soldiers’ weapons, preventing them from harming Dream Trace Farewell. The ghost soldiers’ eyes gleamed with cunning as they focused their attacks solely on her.

Dream Trace Farewell, tears streaming down her face, was gravely wounded, her body stiff and immobile. She shouted, “Luo Hanya, you useless fool, run! Don’t worry about me! They’re slower than you—just kite them, and they’ll exhaust themselves eventually!”

Luo Hanya glanced at her, tears flowing, and managed a smile, his gaze resolute, reassuring her.

In that instant, as he turned, his movements faltered, and he spat out more blood.

Under the blood moon, in a forecourt shrouded with dark mist and sinister energy, a beautiful woman lay on the crimson earth, and a demon-like man, beset by six ghost soldiers, coughed up blood again and again. Nearby, Flame Tiger slaughtered, Wind Ghost stalked, and the situation seemed hopeless. The deaths of Luo Hanya and Dream Trace Farewell appeared inevitable.

Luo Hanya forced a bitter smile, feeling a pang of shame. “Is this it? How humiliating.” He braced against several more attacks, his health about to turn red.

He looked calmly at the six ghost soldiers before him, a strange peace settling in his heart. He smiled slightly, sensing Flame Tiger and Wind Ghost’s positions, as if he had relinquished all hope and awaited the arrival of death.

Flame Tiger had already joined the fray, charging toward Luo Hanya with unstoppable force. The ghost soldiers dared not block its path, scattering to avoid it.

Suddenly, an unexpected turn: Flame Tiger planted its forepaw, twisted its hips, and accelerated into the scattering ghost soldiers. The roaring Nine Nether Hellfire instantly incinerated them into wisps of black smoke.

Flame Tiger wasted no time, devouring the black smoke, and roared skyward, shaking the earth thrice and stunning the ghost soldiers. Its tail, raised like an iron rod, sliced a ghost soldier in two as easily as paper.

Near the head of a stunned ghost soldier, strange whirlwinds appeared, grinding its skull to dust, then swept over its body, turning the remains into wisps of black smoke.

Wind Ghost appeared not far from Luo Hanya, evidently pleased, smiling sweetly at Flame Tiger. Flame Tiger, unwilling to be outdone, growled, devouring the black smoke from the two ghost soldiers it had killed.