Chapter 63: Ghost Disciples

Only seconds after Wang Che sent his message.

The communicator instantly filled with dense replies.

“Hahaha… Flying Frenzied Lizard… not bad, it could still run. You got lucky there, pal.”

“Even this year’s top contender ended up like that? Seems everyone’s struggling… that makes me feel better.”

“My mood is improving… yes, improving! Thanks for sharing, Big Bro Wang Che!”

“Could it really be that serious?”

…

Wang Che looked through many responses.

Soon, two private messages came in.

“Wang Che, what’s your exact position? I noted two locations earlier. Both had several Heart-Splitting Flowers guarded by Heart-Splitting Ants. I gave up. You might want to check if you can find an opening.”

“If you have time, could you share a bit about how you train your Green Caterpillar?”

The sender was Chen Fei.

“Hmm… this guy is a kid whose world revolves around Soul Beasts,” Wang Che thought for a few seconds. Even in this situation, he remembered the Green Caterpillar.

“Ha! Serves you right for not teaming up with us! If the three of us were together in this place, you wouldn’t be going home empty-handed, dare I say you might have even made a fortune!”

This was from Bai Youyou.

The girl loved sharing, often bragging about her gains in the public channel.

But she wasn’t foolish; she revealed no location details.

There was also one from Cheng Cheng.

“Just getting out safely is good enough. Please be careful. I passed a few eliminated contestants on the way… their injuries didn’t seem like attacks from Soul Beasts here… more like they were attacked by people…”

Wang Che found this message quite intriguing.

“Based on their replies…” Wang Che pondered. The statements they made in the public channel were likely true.

They probably hadn’t gained much either.

A simple casting of the line.

After a moment’s thought, he replied uniformly: “Thanks for the concern.”

Then, he closed the public channel.

“Still a few hours left. No need to head to other Floating Earth Clods. Let’s refine the items I’ve gathered first. With Soul-Calming Fruit and Bouncing Grass as main ingredients, plus the other selected herbs as supplements, two batches of Marrow Cleansing Ointment should suffice.”

“One remaining Soul-Calming Fruit can be consumed directly for cultivation. That should bring me closer to touching the first layer of the Supreme Soul-Nourishing Chapter.”

“The Spirit Stone, small as a pebble, is tiny, but it’s enough for the Mecha Fall Armor to use later… might even have some extra.”

“Then there are the two rocks, dug from the ground. One feels fiercely hot, brimming with intense fire Life Energy. The other’s surface is diamond-hard and unyielding, infused with dense mountain-rock Life Energy. Both seem like ancient Life Energy crystals. Incredibly valuable out there, with wide applications.”

“Useful in medicine, pet cultivation, cultivation sites, Life Energy strengthening programs, and even as rare materials for some Soul Pet evolutions… Even selling casually would earn a tidy sum.”

Certain evolution paths for Soul Pets were linked to the Soul Pact Master’s Martial Soul.

They also required specific materials to trigger evolution.

Life Energy crystals were among those materials.

“Lastly, this Soul Guiding Device… it looks ancient. Soul Guiding Devices did exist two thousand years ago, just before the civilization crumbled. Humanity rebuilt itself over millennia. Current tech surpasses that past era by far…”

The final Soul Guiding Device was severely corroded.

It looked like a three-pronged rod.

Its surface was dull gray. It seemed like some sort of activator, but Wang Che sensed no energy within it.

Its type was hard to identify.

“Hmm…”

Wang Che stared at it. It somewhat resembled an Ultraman henshin device from the Little Blue Planet stories.

Based on Wang Che’s past lives, it certainly wasn’t any transformation device.

It seemed more like a key.

Though likely damaged beyond use at present.

It needed fixing.

“Forget this for now. Time to refine the Marrow Cleansing Ointment…”

Wang Che retrieved his furnace, set up firewood, and began his work…

—

Meanwhile, outside the Floating Forest.

Deputy Officer Li stood like a statue, his large frame motionless as he silently gazed at the Floating Forest shrouded in dense fog.

He suddenly asked, “How many are left?”

A nearby soldier responded, “About thirteen.”

Deputy Officer Li continued, “And the Ghost Disciples?”

The soldier flipped through his notes. “Judging from the wounded and eliminated contestants we’ve assisted, at least ten had injuries inflicted by Soul Masters above level thirty…”

Deputy Officer Li sneered. “Just as expected – they won’t show their hand until they see prey. Intelligence gathered over half a year ago warned that an unknown number of Ghost Disciples had infiltrated Xiyue Continent, purpose unclear. All this time, they were completely dormant.”

“Higher-ups analyzed they’d likely surface during this year’s Soul Land expedition, targeting our young prodigies. Turns out they were right.”

His gaze turned cold and sharp as he stared at the Floating Forest.

Ghost Disciples.

Humans infected by extradimensional Soul Ghosts, whose wills had faltered.

After the great war, the land bore deep scars. Humanity recovered slowly.

But the trauma gave birth to darkness.

Affected by those extradimensional Soul Ghosts, the lingering soul remnants trapped in the Soul Lands had infected countless weak-willed humans, turning them into Ghost Disciples.

They retained memories but were twisted beyond recognition.

Inheriting the Soul Ghosts’ savagery, cruelty, volatility, and cunning, driven by extreme selfishness and greed, they willingly sacrificed anything to grow stronger. They harbored intense hatred towards modern human society and sought only destruction.

They were suppressed constantly yet never eradicated completely.

“A clinging plague,” Deputy Officer Li stated coldly. “Today, we end them! How dare they run rampant in Xiyue?”

“However, the remaining Ghost Disciples likely won’t expose themselves carelessly now,” the soldier cautioned. “The Soul Land within the Floating Forest is vast. The remaining thirteen contestants are smart; they’ll retreat at the first hint of danger without need for rescue. Plus, our intervention during previous rescues might have tipped them off.”

“They might just go back into hiding within the Soul Land.”

“Not necessarily,” Deputy Officer Li shook his head. “They are more likely to target the remaining thirteen. Those still present are the strongest and most gifted potentials, far surpassing the eliminated ones. Ghost Disciples relish slaughtering young human talents before they bloom.”

“Two years ago, at Haifa University—the most famous Soul Pet academy in the Riyao War Zone’s Kyrgyzstan Region—they orchestrated a massacre. Over a hundred students perished, Soul Masters injured too many to count. Those beasts were behind it all.”

“If they dared wreak havoc in such a heavily guarded location, they won’t hesitate here. Even knowing we protect them secretly, they’ll act regardless of the cost.”

The soldier seemed lost in thought.

Suddenly remembering, he asked, “Sir, when exactly did we confirm their presence in the Floating Forest?”

Higher-ups had relayed a suspected activity assessment.

Confirmation was separate.

Deputy Officer Li replied, “On our way here, a contestant named Wang Che encountered signs of an ambush on the Yoyo Deer Herd and reported it immediately after involvement. Our field investigation confirmed Soul Pets associated with those Ghost Disciples were involved.”

The soldier was stunned. “Wang Che? So that’s why he got the first bonus points? No wonder the reward was so substantial…”

Just then.

A sharp alarm blared!

“Deploy rescue teams immediately!”

Figures erupted from the tents stationed behind, darting swiftly into the Floating Forest.