After the ghost-hunting master descended the mountain, his fame spread throughout the capital.

The moment the words fell, it seemed as if an invisible shackle had been broken.

A murderous aura surged from Xie Jinchen's body, instantly engulfing the surroundings.

A dark red tinge appeared deep in Xie Jinchen's eyes, his hair moved without wind, and he seemed to transform into a fierce weapon drawn from its sheath, its sharpness fully revealed and its killing intent overwhelming.

The ghostly figure was forced to stop halfway by the violent and malevolent aura.

Its pale green pupils flickered violently, and it let out an uneasy howl, instinctively sensing a threat, even suppression from its superior rank.

Xie Jinchen slowly raised his head, a cold, almost sinister smile curling at the corner of his lips:

"Now, it's my turn."

His body surged with murderous intent, and with one step, the tiles beneath his feet shattered.

Although the ghostly figure was intimidated by Xie Jinchen's murderous aura, its ferocity was fully unleashed under the pressure of the evil magic.

It let out a frenzied roar, and the giant scythe in its hand, dripping with corrosive slime, rose up again, slashing down at Xie Jinchen.

Wherever the blade passed, even the air seemed to be corroded by the intense deathly aura.

Xie Jinchen neither dodged nor evaded; he simply held his sword horizontally, and his murderous aura condensed into a crimson barrier, forcefully blocking the attack.

"boom!"

The blast wave exploded, shattering all the roof tiles.

Xie Jinchen used the momentum to spin around, his left hand forming a hand seal, and a blood-red talisman appeared out of thin air. He let out a low shout:

"Heavenly Gang Suppressing Evil, Break!"

The talisman transformed into a bolt of crimson lightning, striking the ghostly figure's head.

The ghostly figure let out a miserable howl as half of its body was blasted into black smoke, but its ferocity only intensified. Its mangled body suddenly expanded, splitting into three clones that attacked from different directions.

Xie Jinchen flicked his sword, and the murderous aura spread like a tide, instantly locking onto the three ghostly clones.

His sword flashed repeatedly, each strike landing on the ghostly figure. The black smoke dissipated and then condensed again, but it could never get within three feet of him.

The black-clad leader, who had been watching the battle, finally changed his expression when he saw that the Ghost Shadow Splitting Technique had been easily seen through and suppressed.

A flicker of horror and panic, as if the situation had completely spiraled out of control, flashed in his eyes.

A ruthless glint flashed in the black-clad leader's eyes. He slashed his left index finger across his right index finger, and red blood immediately seeped from the tip of his finger.

Without hesitation, he used his bleeding finger to quickly draw a talisman on the palm of his left hand.

As the blood talisman was completed, his aura weakened considerably, clearly indicating that he had paid a significant price.

He raised his left palm, covered in blood-red runes, aimed it at the disintegrating ghostly remains, and with all his might, he hissed and roared:

"A thousand ghosts devour the heart, sacrifice!"

The ghostly figure suddenly shrank, turning into a cloud of black mist, and then exploded with a bang.

Countless grotesque faces screech as they burst forth from the exploding black mist.

They varied in size and, filled with a desire to devour all living souls, lunged and pounced towards Xie Jinchen in the center.

The sheer number of ghostly faces completely shrouded Xie Jinchen in a deathly shadow of howling ghosts.

His eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he thrust his long sword downwards, the tip sinking deep into the broken roof beam beneath his feet.

Xie Jinchen formed hand seals, and the murderous aura around him instantly condensed into a vortex of interwoven crimson and black.

"Boom!"

The vortex of malevolent energy, like the gaping maw of a giant beast, swallowed up all the ghostly faces that filled the sky.

The ghostly figure howled mournfully before being torn apart into nothingness.

A trickle of blood spilled from Xie Jinchen's lips, but he did not stop, instantly locking onto the black-clad leader.

He drew his sword, and in a flash, appeared before his opponent like a ghost, the blood-stained blade pointing straight at his throat.

"Who sent you?" His voice was icy, and his murderous aura rendered the other person unable to move.

The leader in black smirked, forcing a twisted, venomous grin. His voice was hoarse and broken, "You'll never...know..."

"laugh!"

The sharp sound of a blade slicing through flesh and trachea cleanly cut off his unfinished words.

Xie Jinchen's eyes remained completely still, as if he were merely brushing away a speck of dust.

But in that instant, the malevolent energy within him completely spiraled out of control.

Black, malevolent energy erupted from his body like a raging tide.

He grunted, knelt on one knee, and plunged the sword deep into the tile, trying to steady himself.

But the malevolent energy continued to overflow wildly, Xie Jinchen's vision began to blur, and he heard the rushing blood and the roar of the malevolent energy in his ears, while excruciating pain clashed and pounded through his body.

"Your Highness!"

Just as An Yi finished off the remaining assassins, he saw this and tried to rush over, but Xie Jinchen stopped him, "Don't come any closer!"

He can't hold on much longer.

Whether it's the body or the mind that's forcibly clinging to the last shred of reason.

Just as consciousness was about to be swallowed by the boundless sea of ​​evil—

"Thank you, Jinchen!"

A familiar voice pierced through the chaotic aura of malevolence, like a clear spring pouring into a raging fire.

Xie Jinchen looked up in a daze and saw a green figure walking through the air.

Jiang Dusheng channeled spiritual energy through his fingertips, forcibly tearing open a temporary passage in the chaotic yin-yang energy field. As if shrinking the distance to an inch, he instantly traversed a distance of dozens of feet and appeared in front of Xie Jinchen.

Her clothes fluttered, her hair was slightly disheveled, and there were even fine beads of sweat on her forehead, indicating that she had arrived in a great hurry.

Her usually calm eyes now reflected his menacing appearance, filled with undisguised anxiety.

Jiang Dusheng caught Xie Jinchen's swaying figure, placed his palm on his chest, and said urgently:

"Concentrate! I'll help you suppress the evil energy!"

However, as soon as her spiritual power touched Xie Jinchen's body, it was backfired by the violent baleful energy, and her fingertips were instantly burned with blood.

Xie Jinchen's body convulsed again from the combined internal and external shocks, and a sweet, metallic taste rose in his throat. The jade prayer beads on his wrist shimmered with a faint glow.

Xie Jinchen looked at Jiang Dusheng's anxious face because of him and suddenly chuckled softly.

His pupils, shrouded in a dark red mist, strained to focus, trying to make out her face so close to his.

"I thought I wouldn't even see him one last time..."

He was barely breathing, each word seeming to be squeezed out from his broken chest:

"Jiang Dusheng, I've walked a tightrope my whole life, and I consider myself as hard as iron..."

He paused, absorbing the warmth emanating from her. "I never imagined... nor dared to hope... that someone would..."

"And so... I walked into this purgatory that even I despised, without a care in the world."

Xie Jinchen raised his hand, his bloodstained fingers gently stroking her cheek. His eyes, still bloodshot, revealed a rare tenderness.

"Only now do I understand..." His voice was terribly hoarse, his breath ragged, yet he stubbornly insisted on finishing his sentence:

"The word 'love' is enough to make the most clear-headed person become confused, the most composed person lose control, and a person who is used to taking every step carefully develop many unwarranted delusions and weaknesses."

Jiang Dusheng gritted his teeth, his fingertips swirling with spiritual energy, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Shut up! Calm down!"

She shouted urgently, trying to mask her inner panic with sternness.

"Don't waste your energy..." Xie Jinchen grabbed her wrist as she was casting the spell, the force so strong it almost hurt her.

His dark red pupils were fixed on her face, as if trying to etch her current appearance into the depths of reincarnation.

"Jiang Dusheng..." Xie Jinchen stared into her eyes, a self-deprecating smile curving his lips:

"You've calculated everything under heaven, but did you ever foresee that I would be your tribulation in love?"

Jiang Dusheng's breath hitched, and the spiritual energy at his fingertips was momentarily disrupted.

Seeing the fleeting helplessness in her eyes, Xie Jinchen chuckled softly. The laughter aggravated his wounds, causing him to cough up more blood.

His voice grew softer and softer, yet each word pierced deeply into Jiang Dusheng's heart:

If in this life I cannot find a place in your heart…

He paused, a dark, murderous aura surging in his eyes, carrying an almost obsessive resolve:

"I am willing... to be a ghost for eternity, to escape reincarnation, and to be sealed by you!"

"In this way... it's another way of connecting with you."