Old Tang caught his breath and said, “Let’s go!”
Wang Ya said softly, “I want to perform Soul Delivery on them.” She walked down the steps to the arched doorway. Performing Soul Delivery on the undead was easy, but to deliver these controlled Malevolent Ghosts, she first had to eliminate the demon controlling them. Even if Wang Ya forcibly delivered them, leaving this harmful plant demoness here would allow it to continue wreaking havoc. After all, this place wasn’t completely sealed underground; the large hole in the cave ceiling connected to the outside.
No matter how much she resembled a demon, she was still human at heart. She had cultivated Tao for twenty years, and the concept of “exorcising demons to protect the Dao” was deeply ingrained in her. With her abilities, she couldn’t bear to let these undead remain undelivered forever or allow this demon to keep harming the world. She knew this was a setup left by the Feng Family back then, but since it was plaguing the world, even if it was the Feng Family’s doing, she had to uproot it.
Wang Ya stepped through the arched doorway and swiftly formed hand seals with her hands.
Wang Ya, shrouded in Demonic Aura, stood solemnly at the entrance. A golden light emerged from her body, gradually growing brighter until it suppressed even the demonic glow around her. At that moment, Wang Ya, brimming with demonic energy, appeared majestic and solemn, like a great compassionate Buddha descended into the world.
Suddenly, Wang Ya let out a soft shout!
A golden lotus seal akin to Buddhist light shot from her palm, surging forward into the cave with thunderous force.
Old Tang, Zhang Qingshui, Wang Cheng’an, and Huang Qi all felt the majestic power and soothing Buddhist aura within that light. They watched as the demon’s roots in the cave burned like they had been doused in oil and set aflame. The writhing roots twisted in agony, contracting sharply as inky black pus-like sap flowed through them. Deep within the mountain rock, their pained thrashing caused the entire cave to tremble, cracking open fissures.
The Evil Ghost-Headed Demon blocking the doorway overhead raised its claws toward Wang Ya, emitting a shrill howl. Its entire body burned, collapsing inch by inch. It struggled desperately, inching toward Wang Ya bit by bit as burning roots rolled toward it, trying to fill the gaps in its crumbling form with shattered fragments to hold itself together.
Wang Ya formed seals again and blasted the monster that had lunged right up to her with a Lotus-Shaped Buddha Seal, sending it flying backward into the air where it exploded. In midair, it let out an utterly shrill howl: “Why? I was ordered to guard this place for a millennium, my master—why do you kill me?”
Wang Ya shuddered at those words! She suddenly remembered this was Feng Family territory, a setup left by the Feng Family—perhaps even by the Yellow Springs Other Shore Flower Demon. She said softly, “Your mission is over!” The hand seals she formed changed, and a fiery red Other Shore Flower materialized in her palm. At the same time, she chanted lowly, “Yin and yang are distinct; Yellow Springs Ferry. The living stay away; undead, make haste! Be on your way!” With her chant, her hand gesture shifted abruptly. The Other Shore Flower, blooming to its fullest, rose from her palm and floated into the cave ahead. The Malevolent Ghosts—engulfed in the golden light of the Buddhist Hand Seals, their bodies of resentful wail aura burned away—collided with the red glow. Their Yin Qi and resentment shattered completely. They transformed into their appearances from life, then dissolved into points of soul light that followed the Other Shore Flower’s red glow upward and dispersed.
Only one blurry figure remained undissolved. No longer humanoid, it gathered in the air, struggling in the red light as if desperate to lunge at Wang Ya, mad and unwilling. Wang Ya’s ears rang with an utterly shrill howl: “Flower Lord, why do you slay me? Why do you break your word? Why—” As the figure faded, so did the voice.
Wang Ya’s legs went weak, and she staggered back two steps, her face deathly pale as she turned around. Dragging her heavy, nearly exhausted body, she sat back on the steps and stared blankly at the tottering cave. That shrill scream still echoed in her ears. Had she been wrong to deliver them? She had clearly felt the relief from those Vengeful Souls and Fierce Ghosts, but the demon’s accusing howl pierced her heart, making it ache. Back then, in the Myriad Coffins Azure Dragon Palace, the Azure Scale Monster had hurled the same accusation, asking why she broke her word. Wang Ya wondered if these were left here by the Yellow Springs Other Shore Flower Demon all those years ago, and if that demoness had made promises to them. These were all harmful things—the Myriad Coffins Array in the Azure Dragon Palace with its 999 coffins, each holding a person sealed alive and refined into corpse ghosts. And here, so many Vengeful Souls and Fierce Ghosts; from their appearances during delivery, dressed in clothing from various eras, mostly ordinary folk. Having released three waves of power in succession, Wang Ya felt her abilities utterly drained. Her veins and bones burned with scorching pain, as if scorched by fire. The Buddhist Hand Seals she unleashed had cleansed those vicious spirits and demons, but they dealt enormous damage to her own Demonic Power and Demonic Aura.
Huang Qi asked softly, “Wang Ya, are you okay?”
Wang Ya knew Huang Qi could see and hear things ordinary people couldn’t. She asked, “Did you hear what that demon shouted just now?”
Huang Qi nodded. Puzzled, she asked, “Why did you deliver them?”
Wang Ya smiled faintly and said, “Twenty years cultivating Tao—shouldn’t I deliver them when I see them unable to find peace?”
Old Tang and Zhang Qingshui stared at Wang Ya in astonishment, as if she were a monster.
Wang Cheng’an, meanwhile, dragged over Wang Ya’s backpack discarded at the arched doorway and rummaged through it frantically. He asked, “Yaya, got any food? I’m starving.”
Wang Ya snapped out of it at Wang Cheng’an’s voice and asked Old Tang, “Don’t you have any food?”
Old Tang said, “We’ve been trapped for over twenty days. No matter how we rationed, it wasn’t enough—we’ve been out for two days!” He saw how skinny Wang Ya had become, her chin sharp, and Zhang Qingshui unharmed but frail as if a breeze could topple her. They’d probably gone without food longer than the group. Old Tang said, “Wang Ya, this is Feng Family turf—you know it best. Any idea where to find food?”
Wang Ya thought for a moment, then called out, “Dad!”
Wang Cheng’an dropped the backpack and came to her side, frowning pitifully as he mumbled, “Yaya, I’m so hungry. Look how skinny I’ve gotten.”
