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Would Ghost Cultivators even dare consider it? It's utterly unthinkable for them.

Human Cultivators are different from Ghost Cultivators. While Human Cultivators can distinguish their aptitude and cultivation path based on their spiritual roots, Ghost Cultivators are born with innately yin bodies and have no concept of spiritual root attributes. Their cultivation relies entirely on their ghostly constitution and comprehension. The so-called ghostly constitution is divided into eight types, corresponding to the spiritual root attributes of Human Cultivators, yet differing from them in nature.

In short, because Ghost Cultivators possess extreme yin constitutions, they instinctively fear things of extreme yang nature, such as lightning, and dare not approach them recklessly, to avoid damaging their spectral forms.

"Human Cultivators have all the advantages," Gui Wei sighed. "Not only can they withstand lightning with their mortal bodies and remain unafraid of yang substances, but I’ve also heard they can even craft lightning-based talismans. Unlike our ghostly talismans—no Ghost Cultivator would dare craft a lightning talisman. Isn’t that just asking for trouble?"

Ji Chengsi had to admit he was right, but it still annoyed him.

"Why did you come to my family’s ship just to sigh like this? It’s almost nightfall, and there’s still thunder outside. Aren’t you going to scram back?" Ji Chengsi unceremoniously tried to shoo him away.

Gui Wei sat there without a care, lazily replying, "Ji Liuliu (Six-Six), don’t be such a cold fish. I came here specifically to discuss something with you."

"Discuss what?" Ji Chengsi was puzzled, not recalling anything they needed to discuss.

Gui Wei got straight to the point. "The one who discovered that heavenly lightning can kill the undead must be that Master Ning, right?"

"So what if it is?" Ji Chengsi eyed him warily. "Don’t tell me you’re thinking of poaching him?"

"I’d love to, but I doubt I’d succeed," Gui Wei tsked regretfully, secretly plotting how to lure that alchemist surnamed Ning to the Gui family.

He admitted the Ji family wasn’t bad, but their Gui family wasn’t lacking either. Whatever the Ji family could offer Ning Yuzhou, he was confident the Gui family could match—or even improve the terms—as long as he was willing to join them.

From the elixir formula alone, Ning Yuzhou’s alchemical talent was evident. How could the Gui family and Xuanyin City not be tempted? Unfortunately, Ning Yuzhou remained elusive, clearly leaving everything to the Ji family to handle. Even if they wanted to meet him or lure him away, they had no opportunity.

The Ji family wasn’t foolish either. They naturally recognized Ning Yuzhou’s potential and made sure to block outsiders from contacting him.

Though Ning Yuzhou wasn’t technically their family’s alchemist, it didn’t matter—he was their young master’s friend. That was far better than Xuanyin City or the Gui family. For the sake of their young master’s friendship, they could still maintain favorable relations in the future.

After finally managing to send off Gui Wei, who had come to snoop around, Ji Chengsi snorted.

He sought out Uncle Qi and solemnly instructed, "Uncle Qi, you know how impressive Ning Yuzhou is. If Xuanyin City or the Gui family come prying about him in the future, you have to help block them."

Uncle Qi gave him a look and said, "Leave it to me."

"How can I not worry? Look—it’s still storming with thunder outside, yet Gui Wei dared to wander onto our ship. Clearly, he’s up to no good, so we have to be on guard. My brother Ning is so talented—of course they’d be tempted. What if they manage to lure him away?"

"They won’t."

"How can you be so sure? Brother Ning and the others can’t hold their own against the Gui family and Xuanyin City. What if they resort to dirty tricks—"

"They won’t."

"Uncle Qi, why won’t they?"

"..."

Uncle Qi gave him a look that said *figure it out yourself*, then stepped out of the cabin, studying the distant flashes of lightning on the horizon.

The Ghost Kings overseeing the ships of the Gui family and Xuanyin City stood similarly in the rain, observing the lightning in the sky, wanting to confirm whether heavenly lightning truly could kill the undead.

They weren’t the only ones. Many Ghost Cultivators had already chosen their spots, determined to witness it for themselves.

When night fell, the storm grew even fiercer, with thunder and lightning terrifying to behold.

With a deafening *boom*, a thick purple bolt of lightning struck the sea. The blinding white light forced the Ghost Cultivators to instinctively shut their eyes and retreat into the shadows, their bodies tensing reflexively.

Only when the lightning faded, leaving behind the mournful wind and rain, did the Ghost Cultivators silently exchange glances, their expressions of shame.

Ghost Cultivators have an innate fear of lightning. Even when their minds tell them to stay put, their bodies instinctively recoil from the thunder's reach—it's just how they're wired—no helping it.

The Ghost Kings kept their cool better, but that knee-jerk reaction still made them miss the action in the sea.

With no other options, the Ghost Kings had to keep watching.

By dawn, the three-day storm that had the Ghost Cultivators spooked finally let up.

Their frayed nerves finally settled, leaving them utterly exhausted. Whenever lightning strikes, all Ghost Cultivators, regardless of whether they exerted themselves, end up completely drained, body and soul.

Yet, the end of the storm did not mean safety.

As their ships sailed onward, the undead they'd run into would only get tougher, even life-threatening.

Once the storm cleared, Gui Wei returned to the Ji family’s ship.

Accompanying him was a steward from the Profound Yin City.

Ji Chengsi was taken aback at their arrival and asked, "What brings you two here?"

Gui Wei was one thing—this incorrigible playboy had no shame, so his visit wasn’t surprising—but why was the Profound Yin City steward here?

Gui Wei fanned himself with a bone fan, eyeing the steward without a word.

The steward spoke gravely, "During last night’s storm, the Ghost King aboard our ship braved the storm’s wrath, staring down the sea without blinking. At last, he glimpsed a clue—lightning truly can kill the undead."

"Ah, our Ghost King saw it too," Gui Wei said with a smile. "These past days of storms were dreadful. Spotting that took some serious guts."

Indeed, it was no easy task. The Ghost Kings had steeled themselves, prepared to endure lightning strikes just to observe, almost getting fried in the process.

Yet this revelation thrilled them.

The undead, once thought invincible, could in fact be slain. Though the reliance on heavenly lightning was somewhat disappointing, it was still a boon. After all, if these undead could be killed, it meant the Undead Sea wasn’t the death trap they thought.