Chapter 97: The Haunting at Great Mirror Lake

This quiet little path seemed as if it had been forcibly carved out of the dense forest, appearing utterly discordant with its surroundings.

“Shouzheng, you’ve noticed something strange about that place too, haven’t you? This path is called the Road of No Return. It’s said that many disciples from the sects who enter here mysteriously vanish without a trace.”

Jiang Mingyue approached him, narrowing her eyes as she fixed her gaze on the tranquil path, speaking calmly.

“What’s this? Miss Mingyue, are you thinking of testing it out?”

Zhang Shouzheng half-joked, unaware that Jiang Mingyue nodded seriously. A flicker of sorrow passed through her eyes as she whispered, “Yes, I must go. My cousin, Jiang Wu, disappeared here. I have to investigate thoroughly. Whatever’s inside, nothing will stop me.”

“Mingyue, this matter can’t be handled recklessly. You know full well the place is thick with vengeful spirits. There’s also a powerful evil killing formation inside—the Nine Direction Ghost Soul Seizing Formation. If the formation’s core isn’t destroyed, you’ll perish within.”

Zhang Shouzheng glanced around and spoke in a low voice.

“How... how do you know that? If it really is that formation, I’ll have to reconsider. But I’m still going in. This concerns our Jiang family.”

Jiang Mingyue sighed deeply, her expression growing complex. Zhang Shouzheng sensed she was hiding something—more precisely, she was likely seeking a particular item inside, something she absolutely needed to find.

“This isn’t good. It’s almost four o’clock—why is there suddenly such thick fog?”

Suddenly, one student screamed, and chaos broke out among the others. Meanwhile, Qian Hui quietly slipped away into the woods, swiftly climbing a large tree. From her vantage point atop the tree, she surveyed the entire area. Most students were still visible through the fog, which seemed not to obstruct her vision at all.

“This sudden fog must be artificial, created by exploiting the geography and setting up some formation. Their goal is probably to identify who we really are.”

Fan Xiaopang and Jiang Putai joined her. The four gathered closely to discuss.

Since this area faces Mirror Lake, it’s entirely possible to summon such fog with even a modestly arranged formation.

“This is a Maze Formation. Given our strength, breaking out shouldn’t be too difficult. We’re currently positioned on the north side, facing Mirror Lake. The formation’s caster must be on that fake hill. Teacher Qian Hui is probably watching us secretly. We should just act like all the other students.”

Jiang Mingyue bit her lip and spoke.

But before she finished, a splash echoed nearby—someone had fallen into Mirror Lake.

“Help! Help! I can’t swim!”

The voice was panicked and close to where Zhang Shouzheng and the others stood. Rushing to the lake’s edge, Zhang Shouzheng saw faint mist rising above the water’s surface. A student was thrashing desperately in the water, splashing everywhere, yet none of the surrounding students moved to help.

“This isn’t a simple Maze Formation. Don’t act rashly before I finish calculating the outcome.”

Jiang Mingyue’s face darkened slightly as she formed hand seals and moved with a mysterious gait resembling the Big Dipper constellation.

“Xiaopang, I know how powerful the Mountain Moving Sect is. Teacher Qian Hui is watching us secretly. You should have a way to locate her position, right?”

Zhang Shouzheng looked anxiously at Fan Xiaopang. At that moment, someone jumped into the water and grabbed the drowning student, swimming toward the shore. Yet a bad feeling stirred in the rescuer’s heart; his eyes flickered with a strange green light. When he looked again at what was in the water, his expression turned grim.

The youth who jumped in was fair-skinned, pulling the victim’s collar expertly as he swam. His rescue technique was trained—grabbing the drowning person’s back collar prevents being entangled. However, the drowning person wasn’t their classmate at all—it was a corpse of a woman.

Zhang Shouzheng was horrified. The corpse was bloated, wearing an eerie, malicious smile, and most strikingly, a bright red talisman adorned her forehead.

What was truly alarming was the young rescuer. The cries for help in the water were not from a living person. Could this youth be a cultivator? If so, how could he not know that the one he was saving was no human?

Fan Xiaopang knelt down, pressing both hands to the ground as if sweeping, then suddenly opened his eyes and exclaimed joyfully, “Found her! Teacher Qian Hui is on a big tree right behind us.”

“Fatty, it’s time to test you. It’s time to use your Mountain Moving Sect’s secret arts—move a few trees to disrupt her vision.”

Jiang Putai patted Fan Xiaopang’s shoulder. Fan Xiaopang, pale-faced, nodded and said, “I’ll try. You all get ready.”

Zhang Shouzheng drew out a yellow talisman, clasped his hands, and muttered an incantation:

“Heaven and Earth boundless, talisman fire exterminates evil!”

Releasing the talisman, it glowed with a faint red light and floated toward the youth’s head, suddenly plunging down onto the corpse’s forehead. The talisman ignited, and the corpse let out a piercing scream as the spiritual fire quickly spread over her entire body.

This talisman flame burns malevolent and shadowy things—it’s no ordinary fire, akin to the Netherworld’s Yin flame, and water cannot extinguish it. The pale-faced youth in the water heard the scream, his expression changed, and he turned around, startled. But he immediately released the corpse and swam toward shore, his gaze full of gratitude toward Zhang Shouzheng.

The talisman fire gradually faded. Just as the youth was about to reach the shore, a huge bubble erupted behind him. A ghastly white hand shot out, covering the youth’s face and pressing down hard, dragging him underwater.

“Accursed fiend, you seek death!”

Zhang Shouzheng, furious and shocked, stared at the water’s surface, then sat cross-legged on the ground. Turning to Jiang Putai, he said, “Putai, I’ll send out my primordial spirit. Please take care of my body.”

“Don’t worry, if anyone dares come, I’ll punch them into mush!”

Jiang Putai flexed his strong right arm, blew on his fist, and grinned carefreely.

A faint golden spirit figure shot out from above Zhang Shouzheng’s head and dove into the water. The youth struggled fiercely beneath the surface. Suddenly, the water brightened as Zhang Shouzheng’s golden-cloaked primordial spirit appeared before him.

Filled with pure Yang energy, which is the bane of dark, evil beings, Zhang Shouzheng’s spirit grabbed the ghost’s hand. The ghost shrieked sharply as the grasped area burst into roaring flames.