Chapter Seventy

Chapter Seventy

The exam ended just in time for lunch. Shen Wang, looking at the array of restaurants on the street, pondered a significant life decision: "What should I eat for lunch?"

Gu Dongting suggested, "Beef noodles?" It was the quickest option.

Shen Wang frowned in disdain: "Our first meal together, and it's something so simple?"

Gu Dongting then proposed, "How about Western food?"

"Western food isn’t filling."

Gu Dongting was silent for a few seconds; "What do you want to eat?"

"I can eat anything," Shen Wang said innocently, "It depends on what you want to eat."

Gu Dongting: "..."

Shen Wang asked with confusion, "Why are you looking at me with that expression?"

This look of helplessness mixed with amusement and tolerance made him feel inexplicably pampered. Shen Wang smoothed out the goosebumps on his arm and calmed his unexpectedly quickened heartbeat, "I won't tease you anymore, let's go to that restaurant."

Gu Dongting looked over to see a bustling food stall. Due to it being lunchtime, the place was crowded and required queuing.

Shen Wang had already walked a few steps ahead and turned back when he noticed Gu Dongting hadn't followed, "What's wrong? Don't you like this place?"

"I don't have particular likes or dislikes." Gu Dongting's desires were modest, and he had no specific preference for food, with his only preference being efficiency.

But since Shen Wang liked it, queuing up... wasn't an issue.

Gu Dongting caught up and quietly listened to Shen Wang's endless chatter.

"This little restaurant looks quite spacious and clean, and the fact that so many people are eating here suggests it must be good... Based on my years of experience, this must be the best-tasting place on this street!"

The two tall and outstanding men in the queue, especially Gu Dongting in his elegant traditional attire and his cool demeanor, stood out starkly from the surroundings, attracting countless gazes.

Some even stealthily took photos of them, whispering with their friends.

Gu Dongting was accustomed to such attention and paid no mind, but Shen Wang abruptly stopped talking and approached the girl taking photos, smiling, "Miss, can I take a look at the photo?"

The girl, embarrassed and blushing, instinctively opened her phone, "I-I'm sorry..."

In the photo, the handsome man with a roguish charm was smiling warmly, his whole body angled towards the person next to him. The man in white traditional clothes, with long hair and a focused gaze on the man, had a faint smile on his lips. Despite his cold appearance, he seemed indulgent.

The two men, starkly different in style but standing together, didn’t give off a sense of division. Instead, there was an inexplicable atmosphere that felt exclusive.

"Nice shot, send me one," Shen Wang opened his phone, signaling the girl to do so.

The girl's eyes widened dramatically, her excitement palpable: "Sending! I'll send it to you right now!"

As the girl exited the photo, Shen Wang keenly noticed that it was a picture she had sent to her friend, and the chat box still had her excited exclamations.

[Sis, I met two incredibly handsome guys!!!! I’ve never seen men so good-looking!!!]

[Look quick!!! They are so perfect together!!!]

[The rogueishly handsome guy talks a lot, and the guy in the Hanfu is so patient, always listening attentively!!]

[Wuwuwu they are so perfect together]

Shen Wang's smile froze: What’s with young girls these days, so peculiar?

Returning to Gu Dongting, still not over it, he shared the incident, even showing Gu Dongting the photo, "Look at this picture, we look so warm and friendly, long live our friendship."

Gu Dongting looked at the photo and was surprised to see the expression he had when looking at Shen Wang... something he hadn’t anticipated.

He found it a bit odd but couldn’t pinpoint why, agreeing, "Indeed, it's a good shot."

After showing off the photo, Shen Wang put away his phone and pushed Gu Dongting forward, "Hurry, it's our turn!"

Gu Dongting was pushed forward, wanting Shen Wang to send him the photo too, but he rarely used his phone... sending a photo seemed a bit strange.

He never voiced this thought throughout the meal.

Shen Wang, oblivious to Gu Dongting's inner turmoil, boasted proudly, "I wasn’t wrong, was I? The food is good."

Gu Dongting reflected and agreed, finding that this restaurant was indeed better than many others he had tried, so he nodded.

The practical exam in the afternoon was starting at two o'clock. Shen Wang and Gu Dongting found a quiet park to chat and bask in the sun, feeling time fly by, and before long, it was already two.

Shen Wang lazily draped his arm over Gu Dongting's shoulder: "Time flies so fast, next time..."

He only got out the words 'next time' before pausing, swallowing the rest of his sentence.

Gu Dongting is a cultivation fanatic, the foremost in the metaphysical world, incredibly busy, even replying to messages is a matter of fate.

If not for this fortuitous meeting at the entrance exam, how could they have possibly ended up eating, chatting, and sunbathing together?

Next time, there probably won't be a next time.

Gu Dongting waited but didn't hear the rest of Shen Wang's 'next time'. They parted ways at the Metaphysical Association. Gu Dongting, with his usual cold expression, nodded to the cultivators also maintaining order, a form of greeting, thinking to himself: Next time... What about next time... Another meal? Or sunbathing in the park?

By the time Shen Wang reached the Metaphysical Association building, most of the examinees had already arrived, all chattering noisily.

Gu Dongting had already informed Shen Wang that the practical exam was easy, requiring candidates to catch just one ghost by any means.

Almost all candidates chose to form teams—except for Shen Wang.

While everyone else found their groups, Shen Wang stood alone on the outskirts of the crowd, looking somewhat forlorn and pitiful.

Suddenly, a hand slapped Shen Wang's shoulder. He jumped, turned around, and saw it was the same chubby boy who tried to sell him the exam questions in the morning.

The chubby boy on tiptoes, with a sympathetic look, said, "Classmate, couldn't you find a team? You can join ours."

Shen Wang sized up the chubby boy and stepped back: "No need, thank you."

The chubby boy, thinking Shen Wang was just being shy, persisted, "Our team has a geomancer, a Black Miao gu master, and even a master from Luohan Temple!"

"Don’t judge by my appearance, I am actually a descendant of the Mysterious Diviner, do you know Chen Tuan? He's my ancestral master!" The chubby boy puffed out his chest, proud.

Shen Wang: "..."

If he remembered correctly, there were hundreds, if not thousands, of diviners claiming Chen Tuan as their ancestral master.

While the chubby boy was speaking, several others approached. Shen Wang glanced over briefly and saw a slender youth in a grey long coat, a boy in black ethnic clothing, and a... roughly five or six-year-old little monk.

"Is this the master you mentioned?" Shen Wang's gaze uncontrollably lingered on the little monk's bald head.

The little monk, with a delicate and tender appearance, put on a serious expression, melting hearts, "Amitabha, I am just a humble monk from the temple, unworthy of the title 'master'."

Adorable.

Shen Wang restrained his impolite thoughts. The Miao boy standing next to the little monk couldn't hold back and circled around to pat the monk's head.

When everyone looked over, he withdrew his hand, looking up at the sky, pretending nothing happened.

The chubby boy was displeased: "Si Ke! How many times have I told you not to secretly touch the master's head!"

The Miao boy named Si Ke turned his head away, showing impatience and tolerance, "I know, stop nagging."

The chubby boy was unhappy with his perfunctory attitude, but the little monk tugged at his clothes, "It's okay, Ji Ming brother."

Chubby boy: "..."

He gently patted the little monk's head: "Don't worry, master, I won't let him bully you again."

Shen Wang watched the chubby boy's hand lingering on the little monk's head and his eyelid twitched.

Noticing Shen Wang's gaze, the chubby boy blushed and hesitantly withdrew his hand, "The practical exam is difficult, you can't catch a ghost alone without a team..."

Shen Wang raised an eyebrow, noticing that the chubby boy's teammates showed no objection.

In that case... Shen Wang nodded, accepting the invitation: "Okay."

The chubby boy was still earnestly persuading when he heard Shen Wang's agreement, and he hadn't even reacted yet, "Don't worry about holding us back, the master's skills are effective against evil spirits... Eh? You agreed?"

He scratched his head, breaking into a smile.

The Miao boy rolled his eyes: "Dumb."

After confirming their team-up, everyone introduced themselves, and Shen Wang got a basic understanding of the group.

It turned out that the chubby boy and his friends had known each other for a long time and had prearranged to take the exam together.

Among them, only the chubby boy was slightly weaker in terms of ability, while the others were quite strong, which explained why they didn't mind adding an unknown new member.

Soon, the staff responsible for the exam came out and led the examinees onto a bus, heading out of the city.

Shen Wang looked around and noticed there were only two staff members on the bus, and big shots like Gu Dongting who maintained order weren't there.

The chubby boy, thinking Shen Wang was curious, explained, "The location for each practical exam is different and not disclosed in advance to prevent examinees from familiarizing themselves with the area, ensuring fairness."

"Last time, the exam was in a small town, I wonder where it is this time."

"The time before, it was in a mountain village..."

Amidst their lively discussion, the bus stopped at a small hill outside the city. Shen Wang, with his exceptional eyesight, saw a building halfway up the hill with large characters reading 'Crematorium'.

Shen Wang: "..."

Holding an entrance exam in a crematorium was indeed... Shen Wang was at a loss for words.

After getting off the bus, the team leader announced the exam rules.

"There are five ghosts scattered around this mountain. Catching one qualifies you. There's no restriction on how to catch them, and teaming up is allowed, but teams must not exceed five members."

"The exam lasts one day and one night. Everyone must leave the exam location by five o'clock tomorrow afternoon."

"In case of an emergency, please activate your alarm device, and staff will come to assist."

After finishing, the staff member's expression was blank, his gaze heavy as he swept over everyone present: "And most importantly, no attacking each other."

Hearing this, Shen Wang became thoughtful, while the chubby boy next to him nervously muttered under his breath, and the other team members also looked serious.

"The exam starts now!"

The moment the staff member made the announcement, people instantly dashed out with astonishing speed!

Just as Shen Wang was thinking of walking leisurely, the chubby boy had already started panting and running: "Shen Ge, hurry up! There are only five ghosts in total, if others catch them first, we’ll fail the exam!"

The geomancer in the grey coat picked up the little monk and followed swiftly.

Shen Wang had no choice but to keep up.

After all the examinees had hurriedly left, a staff member watched their departing figures and let out a slow breath, asking the man who had appeared beside him at some point, "Is that thing ready?"

"It's ready, already placed inside," the newcomer replied somberly, confirming, "But are you sure it won’t harm the others? There are several examinees with significant backgrounds."

There’s a descendant from Miaojiang who is fiercely protected by their elders, and that famous prodigy from Luohan Temple... Any trouble with any of them would be more than he could handle.

"What's done is done, why worry about it now!"

The two tried to suppress their unease, only hoping that Shen Wang would fall into the trap without involving others.

Shen Wang and his group, following the crowd, had reached the entrance of the crematorium. The examinees were using compasses, calculating with fingers, or opening their spiritual eyes... it was like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each displaying their unique abilities.

In Shen Wang’s team, the geomancer in the grey coat also held a compass, quickly pointing in a direction, "This way!"

They all rushed over, but upon reaching the area with heavier Yin energy, they found several people already there.

Unwilling to leave just yet, the chubby boy approached, "Did you catch any?"

The others shook their heads, "It had already run away when we arrived."

"So cunning!"

"How can we catch ghosts that keep running around... The special department is really making things difficult for us!"

"Let's change locations!"

That group quickly ran off again, brushing past another team that had sensed the ghostly presence. Faint snippets of their conversation carried on the wind.

"Did you catch it?"

"Not yet."

Shen Wang, who had witnessed the whole process, was speechless.

After being battered by the written test, Shen Wang realized the practical part of the entrance exam was also extraordinary, an eye-opening experience.

Rubbing his forehead and questioning life, Shen Wang remarked, "What exactly is this exam testing? It seems more like playing hide-and-seek than catching ghosts."

The Miao boy glanced at Shen Wang, "What else did you expect?"

"This is just an entrance exam," the little monk explained in his childlike voice, "Just finding the hiding place of the ghost is considered stepping into the path of cultivation."

"There are higher-level challenges, but we can't participate in those."

Shen Wang understood: at the end of the day, this entrance exam was just a basic threshold, hardly challenging.

Seeing Shen Wang's clueless demeanor, the Miao boy looked at him curiously: "What kind of ancient relic are you, not knowing anything..." Even more of a bumpkin than him, a true country bumpkin.

Shen Wang touched his nose: "I've only started cultivating not long ago."

Strictly speaking, Shen Wang's involvement with metaphysics only began in recent months, not even a full year yet.

The Miao boy wanted to say more, but the geomancer’s compass spun around and finally stopped in one direction. He didn't bother to continue speaking and urged, "Let's go!"

Shen Wang looked in the direction the compass pointed. The Yin energy there had thickened momentarily before quickly fading, indicating that the ghost hiding there had stayed only for a few minutes before moving again.

Shen Wang: "..."

He suspected these little ghosts were leading them on a wild goose chase.

Shen Wang's suspicion was correct; the little ghosts chosen by the Metaphysical Association and the special department were seasoned actors.

Having participated in numerous entrance exams, some ghosts were even more familiar with the process than the examinees. One ghost cackled mischievously, throwing a clump of Yin energy into a corner and then drifting away without looking back.

As the examinees arrived one after another, the water ghost that had thrown the Yin energy hid in the shadows, laughing at their frustrated appearances as droplets of water condensed on the ground.

This time, the ghost was unlucky and got spotted by an examinee, resulting in an onslaught of magical tools hurled at it.

The ghost, dodging left and right with eerie agility, avoided the bizarre assortment of magical tools and decided to reveal itself: "Come catch me~ Catch me and you pass~"

"Come on, come on~~"

The ghost's unending taunts infuriated the examinees, who, despite their efforts, couldn't lay a finger on the ghost, even getting splashed with water in the process.

Enraged, the examinees wiped their faces and redoubled their efforts, throwing more magical tools and reciting incantations.

The water ghost wanted to continue teasing them, but suddenly felt a chill on its back. It abruptly turned around to see an exceptionally good-looking young man standing outside the bustling crowd, watching it with keen interest.

Having been through countless exams, the ghost immediately sensed danger.

The last person who made it feel this way was the current top figure in the metaphysical world, Gu Dongting!

Not daring to mess around anymore, the water ghost swiftly fled: "Too bad you can't catch me~~"

In Shen Wang's team, the Miao boy and the little monk were also among those who tried to catch the water ghost. After its disappearance, they returned dejectedly: "These ghosts are too cunning, it’s impossible to catch them."

The little monk tiptoed and patted the Miao boy’s back in comfort: "It's okay, Si Ke brother, we'll figure it out next time."

The team members looked at each other and, no longer in a rush, started to search slowly for another place with strong Yin energy.

Suddenly, Shen Wang's eyes lit up. Not far away, a group was hugging and jumping for joy, ecstatic: "We caught one! We finally did it!"

The chubby boy looked on enviously: "How did they catch one so quickly."

"Of the five ghosts released, two are experienced from past exams, and three are new ghosts..." the Miao boy said sourly, "They were lucky to find a new ghost."

Shen Wang suddenly embraced the little monk and headed in that direction: "There’s another ghost over there."

The little monk, caught off guard and lifted up, was bewildered. When he was picked up, he felt his bald head being rubbed several times!

The little monk blinked slowly and sighed heavily: Another adult who liked to rub his head.

Fortunately, the little monk was used to it and leaned comfortably against Shen Wang.

Just as the chubby boy and others were about to follow the geomancer, they were shocked to find their little monk being 'kidnapped', "Shen Wang, what are you doing! You can’t just take someone else's stuff!"

"Put down Xiao Hui Ping, he’s just a child!"

"The ghost over there has already been caught, going there is pointless now ahhhh!"

The group that had already caught a ghost was on high alert, adopting a defensive stance: "D-don’t come any closer, we-we’re not afraid of you!"

Amidst the chaos, Shen Wang stopped right above their group, placing the little monk on the ground and casually patting his head, "See that? There, attack."

The little monk, adorably innocent, obediently launched an attack.

The next moment, a shadow suddenly popped up from the seemingly empty ground, spinning in place as if its bottom was on fire, "Ouch, ouch, ouch!"

It was a chubby ghost, even its Yin energy denser than the other ghosts. Rubbing its arm pierced by the Buddha's light, it looked surprised and aggrieved, "I was just sleeping here, who did I bother? Isn’t the exam not over yet… What’s the hurry, rushing to reincarnate?"

"There really is a ghost!" The Miao boy didn’t wait to talk to Shen Wang and pounced on the chubby ghost.

The geomancer and the little monk followed closely, while the chubby boy, panting heavily, joined Shen Wang: "Huff, huff, how did you… huff huff."

Seeing him struggling to catch his breath, Shen Wang simply said, "Just luck, stumbled upon it by accident."

Both the chubby boy and the other team still lingering had complex expressions.

The chubby ghost had burrowed underground without leaving a trace of Yin energy. Could this really be discovered by luck? Or an accident???

The chubby ghost was not weak. After the initial surprise attack, the Miao boy and others couldn't touch it. Its movements seemed slow but were actually incredibly agile.

The Miao boy was gritting his teeth in anger, "Daring to provoke me!" He couldn't catch the water ghost earlier, but he refused to believe he couldn't catch this chubby ghost!

The chubby ghost was also suffering. In every exam, it would just burrow into the ground and sleep, only emerging near the end to be caught by the examinees.

It had never been caught before... What kind of demon had managed to pull it out of the ground this time?

The battle between them was intense, and more examinees, drawn by the commotion, kept arriving in waves.

The chubby boy was getting anxious, "Shen Wang, what do we do? More and more people are coming, won’t we lose the ghost to them?"

"No, we won’t," Shen Wang replied.

His tone was so calm that, inexplicably, the chubby boy found himself reassured.

As he relaxed, he couldn't help but doubt himself: He barely knew Shen Wang, so where did this confidence come from?

The team that had caught a ghost earlier hadn't left. Instead, they stood by, spectating and even commented on the contestants: "Ah, so close to catching it."

"With so many people and just one ghost, there’s not enough to go around... We can't exactly cut it into pieces."

"I think the little master Hui Ping has a better chance of winning. Haven’t you seen the ghost avoiding him?"

Engrossed in their conversation, they didn't notice the ghost bag they were holding bulging repeatedly, as if the ghost inside was continuously hitting against it.

Sensing something, Shen Wang glanced over just in time to see the ghost bag suddenly burst open, releasing a puff of black smoke.

Shen Wang's pupils contracted: "Get back!"

Following his shout, the black smoke in the air gradually coalesced into the shape of a person. It looked down at the examinees on the ground and cackled, "So all the humans are here."

All the examinees were dumbfounded, completely unaware of what was happening.

Some bold ones rushed forward, attempting to capture the evil ghost. The next moment, their magical tools were swatted away, and the black smoke surged towards the students. Anyone touched by it was likely in grave danger!

A yellow talisman appeared out of nowhere, interrupting the ghost's attack.

The attacked student collapsed to the ground, terrified, and was quickly pulled back into the crowd by those around him.

The ghost, its black aura disrupted and red eyes gleaming coldly, scanned the crowd: "Who was it?"

Its power was visibly formidable, making the novices, still hovering on the fringe of cultivation, tremble and become restless.

"What’s happening? Aren’t all the ghosts in the exam supposed to be absolutely safe?"

"This has never happened before... Call the senior brothers over!"

"I did, but it’s no use!"

Hearing their cries, the evil ghost laughed heartily: "Within the range of my ghostly aura, no information can be sent out… Now, can you tell me who attacked me just now?"

No one spoke; everyone huddled together, warily and fearfully watching the evil ghost.

The ghost was in high spirits, observing the trembling students like a flock of little sheep, even forgetting the anger from being thwarted earlier: "Since you won't tell me, then I'll... find out one by one!"

As its words ended, the surrounding black aura surged, eager to probe into the crowd.

Just then, a yellow talisman shot towards the ghost’s face. The ghost's eyes flashed red as it hastily retreated to safety, then furiously yelled, "Who is it? Who?!"

After their initial panic, the students began to calm down upon seeing the ghost falter twice. They looked around nervously, trying to identify the person.

The chubby boy and the Miao boy stared at Shen Wang, their eyes wide and mouths agape.

They were closest and had seen with their own eyes how Shen Wang flicked a yellow talisman at the ghost!

Shen Wang, with a cold gaze, slowly walked out of the crowd.

The ghost and everyone's eyes focused on Shen Wang, who casually played with a yellow talisman in his hand: "It was me."

The ghost could sense the powerful force within the talisman, strong enough to harm it. It glared at Shen Wang like a beast eyeing its prey: "Who are you?"

Shen Wang looked up: "You're not worthy to know my name."

The ghost’s aura surged violently.

Among the crowd, the Miao boy asked the chubby boy with a complex look, "Where did you find this expert?"

The chubby boy appeared clueless: "Just... stumbled upon him."

"… Why is someone so powerful attending a beginner's exam?"

"Don’t know, maybe for the thrill of it?"

Or perhaps because I can only participate in the entrance exam, Shen Wang thought to himself, standing fearlessly against the ghost.

The atmosphere tensed for a moment, then without looking back, Shen Wang shot another yellow talisman. Before the crowd could grasp what happened, the ghost retracted a strand of its black aura.

The evil ghost, infuriated to the point of laughter, exclaimed, "Good, very good!"

The chubby boy, almost hit by the attack, went weak at the knees and leaned on the Miao boy, "Damn, he's using sneak attacks!"

Shen Wang's brows furrowed slightly. This evil ghost was already a fierce one, and judging by the density of its ghostly aura, it was a high-level fierce ghost.

Shen Wang could handle this fierce ghost, but a fight would inevitably endanger the other students nearby... As he contemplated a solution, the evil ghost, already tired of the standoff, suddenly vanished from the spot.

Shen Wang's pupils contracted, and without much thought, he took out the jade amulets he had recently made and threw them all out.

When all the students were trapped by the evil ghost, the staff outside began to notice something amiss.

"What's going on? Why is it so quiet?" Gu Dongting was the first to sense something was wrong and questioned the staff.

The staff, sweating profusely, stammered, "Gu, Gu Shi Xiong, maybe they went to rest."

Gu Dongting's gaze was sharp: "They are busy with the exam; how could they go to rest!"

The staff member stumbled over his words, unable to speak. Gu Dongting gave him a deep look, memorizing his face, then turned and summoned all the fellow cultivators who came to protect the students.

"Something's not right, let's go up the mountain to check."

Without any objections, everyone agreed: "Yes, Gu Shi Xiong."

As they approached the crematorium, the closer they got, the more alarmed they became: "Gu Shi Xiong, why is the ghostly aura so strong here!"

The ghosts they had summoned were weak, with little attacking power. But now, the ghostly energy was so dense it far exceeded their expectations.

"What level of malevolent ghost could emit such dense ghostly energy?" someone couldn't help but remark.

Facing a malevolent ghost that was beyond their capacity to handle, ominous thoughts crossed everyone's minds, which they then struggled to suppress.

There were over a hundred candidates this time, all fresh forces in the world of metaphysics, involving virtually every sect and family. If something were to happen here...

Not just they, who were in charge of protection, but even the combined efforts of the Metaphysical Association and the Special Department might not be able to contain the fallout!

Amidst the anxiety, a calm and cool voice settled the restless minds of everyone.

"Don't worry, they will be fine."

Gu Dongting's expression was serene, his gaze resolute. He wouldn't normally be so confident, but this entrance exam was different—it included Shen Wang.

Arriving at the spot where the ghostly energy was most intense, everyone gasped in shock. The ghostly energy almost enveloped the entire lawn, obscuring what lay within!

The situation was more severe than they had imagined!

Gu Dongting commanded, "Inform the higher authorities, secure this area, and prevent anyone from going up the mountain. Also, detain all the staff."

As he spoke, Gu Dongting grasped his ever-present sword.

"Brother Gu, the candidates are still inside!" someone reminded him anxiously, fearing a reckless strike. What if it harmed the candidates?

Gu Dongting cast a dismissive glance and said, "Find the weakest point of the ghostly energy."

"Yes, Brother Gu!"

Everyone quickly busied themselves with Gu Dongting's orders, leaving only a few to stay behind and carefully survey the situation. Gu Dongting's lips moved silently, uttering a name: "Shen Wang..."

Within the ghostly miasma, several clear jade tokens floated above their heads, emitting a lustrous glow that kept the pervasive dark energy at bay.

The candidates huddled together, looking to Shen Wang as their leader, "Boss, what do we do now?"

When Shen Wang used yellow talismans to repel the evil ghost, everyone was both shocked and elated.

As the malevolent ghost launched a sudden indiscriminate attack, Shen Wang quickly set up a simple protective formation using jade tokens, earning burning admiration from everyone's gaze.

Shen Wang gazed at the jade tokens with reluctance, sighing heavily.

The others immediately tensed, watching Shen Wang anxiously.

Shen Wang murmured to himself, "These jade tokens are quite valuable, and now they're all used up..."

Thinking of the hundreds of thousands spent on buying jade raw materials, Shen Wang felt immense heartache!

He had intended to make these jade tokens as hidden trump cards!

The chubby kid, hearing Shen Wang's words: "..."

The Miaojiang youth, also hearing: "..."

The young monk earnestly said, "Money is but an external possession. Brother Shen, your obsession with wealth is a fixation; it's not good, not good."

Shen Wang ruffled the young monk's head hard: "Money isn't everything, but without it, nothing is possible. You're still young, little monk, and don't understand."

Saying this, Shen Wang sighed again.

The malevolent ghost hiding among the others, seeing their relaxed chatter, glared with blood-red eyes, the surrounding black aura pulsating rapidly with anger: "These detestable cultivators, imprisoning and tormenting me for decades!"

Decades of suppressed rage and hatred could not be quelled by anything but blood!

The malevolent ghost slammed against the protective formation, causing ripples to spread.

The talking candidates abruptly stopped, their faces pale as they watched the ripples.

"Ancestors above, bless and protect me, please," someone whimpered.

Shen Wang scoffed, "Keep ramming, if you break through, I'll take your surname."

Frustrated to the extreme, the malevolent ghost kept slamming into the barrier, each attempt stronger and faster, yet all in vain.

Shen Wang: "You've been hitting this for a while now... does it hurt?"

The malevolent ghost was nearly driven to madness!

It had finally found a chance to escape after the old Taoist, who had trapped it, died. It thought it could wreak havoc, but instead, it ran into an unbreakable barrier as soon as it got free!

The surrounding ghostly energy howled furiously, like a wolf salivating at the sight of prey, yet impotent against an unassailable fortress.

Unperturbed, Shen Wang's calmness spread to the others, who even began to treat the commotion outside as if it were a spectacle.

Suddenly, Shen Wang's eyes flickered. A pale, chubby hand emerged from the ground on the ghost-enshrouded lawn, followed by the top of a head, and then a pair of eyes.

It was the fat ghost that had burrowed into the ground!

The fat ghost's eyes roamed, fixating on a spot in the air several times. Sensing something, Shen Wang gripped the offensive jade talisman in his hand tighter.

Outside the ghostly aura, upon learning their juniors were trapped by a fierce ghost, the masters and elders of nearby sects all rushed to the scene.

Leading them was a monk: "What exactly is happening here?"

Others began to demand answers as well.

"What's going on with your Metaphysical Association? I sent my grandson here for an exam, and you let loose a malevolent ghost!"

"How did the Special Department conduct their inspections!"

"What's the situation inside the ghostly aura now? My son is still... still..."

In such a situation, even the most revered seniors couldn't maintain their composure, cursing like common ruffians.

The vice president of the Metaphysical Association hurriedly arrived, facing the barrage of accusations. Knowing they were at fault, they could only accept the blame: "Everyone, please rest assured, the Metaphysical Association will definitely provide an explanation to all of you!"

The Metaphysical Association was dealing with the members of various sects, while the Special Department personnel gathered outside the ghostly aura to assess the situation.

Xie Qingming's expression was solemn: "Brother Gu, how did such a powerful malevolent ghost appear out of nowhere? There's never been any hint of this before."

Gu Dongting shook his head: "I don't know either."

The two exchanged glances. Xie Qingming's eyes covertly swept over the Metaphysical Association's vice president, lost in the crowd. He pursed his lips and asked, "We've found the weak spot in the ghostly energy, Brother Gu, why haven't you..."

According to Gu Dongting's usual practice, he would have already struck with his sword, a single stroke to break all magic. But now, why was he motionless?

What if those trapped in the ghostly energy were in danger?

Xie Qingming was worried. The sect members could still confront the Metaphysical Association only because Gu Dongting was there, a more reliable option than handling it themselves.

But if something went wrong inside... Gu Dongting would be the first one they blamed.

As the head of the Demon Exorcism Department in the Special Department, Xie Qingming knew all too well the weight of responsibility and pressure on Gu Dongting's shoulders.

Yet, this young man, even a few years younger than him, had always carried everything calmly and rationally, without any mishaps.

But... Xie Qingming couldn't help but worry, if something went wrong, what about Gu Dongting's reputation?

Gu Dongting, unaware of Xie Qingming's concerns, said indifferently, "Wait a bit longer."

Wait? For what? Xie Qingming knew Shen Wang was also inside, but this was a formidable malevolent ghost. Could Shen Wang break the formation?

Just as he was about to speak, a burst of pure spiritual energy shot out from within the ghostly aura, like sunlight piercing through dark clouds, tearing the ghostly energy apart.

Everyone, whether cursing or being cursed, froze, instinctively looking towards Gu Dongting, only to find him standing in place, his sword still sheathed.

"What's happening?" someone asked.

The next second, the overwhelming ghostly aura shattered thunderously, revealing a ghostly figure lying half-dead on the ground, with a man relentlessly punching it, again and again.

Not far from them, a formation of jade tokens protected all the candidates, unscathed.

Even the fat ghost that was thrown in cowered aside, fearfully watching the man brutally beating the malevolent ghost.

Fat Ghost: Terrified, very terrified.