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

As soon as Jiang Dusheng finished speaking, his eyes suddenly sharpened, and he slashed his right palm across the palm with his left hand.

A drop of bright red blood seeped out, which she guided in mid-air, transforming into a blood-red rune that imprinted itself into the center of the rotating "卍" Buddhist seal.

"With my lifeblood, I will shatter your golden body!"

"disease!"

With a soft shout, the swastika Buddhist seal seemed to be infused with violent power, its golden light instantly turning into a crimson gold color, causing the illusory light of the Vajra lotus platform to dim rapidly.

The lotus petals made a "crackling" sound as they were unable to bear the weight, and fine cracks appeared.

Although they both belong to the same Buddhist lineage, their paths are quite different.

Shi Qinglian has cultivated for a longer time and possesses profound magical powers, following a path of fierce and powerful exorcism.

Jiang Dusheng, due to his special physique and experiences, incorporates more variations, embodying the Buddhist principles of righteousness and peace while also concealing profound mysteries.

In an instant, golden light crisscrossed the narrow alley, and the faint chanting of Buddhist hymns filled the air. The two figures intertwined in the golden light.

"Bang!"

Finally, the crimson-gold swastika Buddhist seal and the cracked Vajra lotus platform phantom exploded simultaneously, turning into countless points of light and dissipating.

Shi Qinglian let out a muffled groan, her protective golden light fluctuated violently, and she staggered back three steps.

Jiang Dusheng was also thrown back three steps by the force of the impact, and the bluestone slabs under his feet shattered completely.

She felt a sweet taste in her throat, her blood surging, but she forcefully suppressed it.

Shi Qinglian's magical power far exceeded her expectations. If it weren't for her unique magic and quick thinking, she would probably have suffered internal injuries from that head-on collision.

Without retreating a single step, she mustered her inner energy to steady herself. With a flick of her right hand, the eighteen Buddhist beads, whose brilliance had dimmed slightly in the air, flew back and wrapped around her wrist once more.

Jiang Dusheng raised his eyes and coldly looked at Shi Qinglian a few steps away. She simply stopped calling her "Shishu" and addressed her by her given name:

"Shi Qinglian, are you going to stop me again?"

Shi Qinglian looked at Jiang Dusheng and suddenly chuckled softly.

The laughter lacked its usual compassion and the somber mood of the moment; instead, it carried a chilling edge that sent shivers down one's spine.

"Since you are determined to leave the city and head down that deadly road, then don't blame me, your senior brother, for not showing any lingering brotherly affection today."

As soon as he finished speaking, the aura that originally belonged to Buddhism around him suddenly subsided, and was replaced by a strange aura with a majestic and oppressive presence.

Shi Qinglian swiftly formed a mudra with her hands, completely different from Buddhist hand gestures, and rapidly recited in her mouth:

"The Taiyin Decree, Your Majesty's Soul, Hear My Proclamation!"

"The Nine Netherworlds are shrouded in darkness, and the Purple Palace is obscured by dust."

"I offer my lifeblood as a sacrifice."

"O soul, return! Guard this mysterious gate!"

"The spirit of a century-old emperor has appeared!"

As the incantation was completed, he suddenly slashed his palm, and a stream of blood essence transformed into a strange, dark red rune array.

At the center of the rune array, a terrifying pressure that made one's soul tremble suddenly descended.

A blurry figure dressed in tattered imperial robes slowly materialized from the talisman array.

The figure had its eyes closed, and what emanated from its body was the deathly aura of an emperor that had been accumulating for a hundred years, as well as the violent ferocity of a resentful dragon soul.

It was the soul of the former emperor that Shi Qinglian had intercepted and secretly refined during the Night of the Hundred Ghosts Parade.

At this moment, although the Emperor's Soul has not been fully refined, he has already taken control of most of it, and its ferocious power is overwhelming, far surpassing its previous state of confusion and wandering.

Jiang Dusheng's eyes narrowed suddenly.

She never expected that Shi Qinglian would refine that originally turbulent century-old imperial soul to such an extent in such a short period of time, and be able to combine it with her own spiritual power.

The oppressive aura emanating from the Emperor's Soul made her spiritual energy feel stagnant.

The illusory image of the Emperor's Soul stiffly raised its head, its eyes, filled with only a deathly, eerie light, gazing at Jiang Dusheng.

An invisible soul force surged forth like a tide, carrying with it a will to imprison.

Shi Qinglian's face paled slightly; clearly, forcibly controlling the incompletely refined Emperor Soul had taken a heavy toll on him, but a resolute glint flashed in his eyes:

"Nephew, this road is blocked. Stay here."

With a change of hand seal, the illusory image of the Emperor's Soul raised an arm covered with a tattered robe sleeve and slowly reached out to grab Jiang Dusheng.

The movements appeared slow, but they blocked all her escape routes.

Just then, "Junior brother."

A familiar low shout, like a morning bell or evening drum, suddenly rang out at the other end of the alley.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Dusheng's tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

A few days ago, she sent Wang Dazhuang out of the city to deliver a message, just in case.

Unexpectedly, my master turned out to be so reliable this time.

Huiming was standing not far behind Shi Qinglian at that moment.

His face was gaunt and calm, but when he looked at Shi Qinglian and the terrifying Emperor Soul behind him, a trace of indescribable sorrow flashed in his eyes.

"Junior brother," Huiming's voice was soft, "turn back. Forcibly controlling such a malevolent spirit will harm both yourself and others. Look at yourself, your aura is restless, your mind is in chaos. Is this truly the path you seek?"

Shi Qinglian's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

He turned around, maintaining the posture of controlling the Emperor Soul, but his voice was colder and drier than before:

"Senior brother, you shouldn't have come. I will walk my own path. Today, I cannot let her leave the city."

"You can't stop her." Huiming slowly shook his head and took a step forward.

This seemingly casual step actually landed near a crucial point where Shi Qinglian's magical power and the Emperor's Soul were connected, silently creating a kind of interference.

Seeing this, Jiang Dusheng immediately seized the fleeting opportunity.

In the instant that the binding of her Emperor Soul's power loosened slightly due to the interference from Huiming's step, she quickly shouted in Huiming's direction:

"Master! I'm leaving this big guy and your rebellious junior brother to you to deal with. I have something extremely urgent to attend to, so I'll be going now."

Before she finished speaking, she had already silently activated her magic, and the bone flute close to her sleeve trembled slightly, taking in the souls of Ruan Guyan and Wang Dazhuang.

At the same time, she lightly touched the carriage shaft with her toes, using the momentum to leap onto the roof. With a few leaps, she transformed into a blurry purple shadow and sped towards the city gate.

The speed was astonishing, clearly indicating that they were well-prepared and had used some kind of speed-enhancing technique.

Seeing this, a flash of ferocity crossed Shi Qinglian's eyes, and she shouted sharply, "Trying to leave?!"

The hand seals in his hands changed rapidly, as he forcefully urged the Emperor's Soul to pursue.

Huiming took another step forward, blocking the way for Shi Qinglian and Jiang Dusheng's departure.

Shi Qinglian's gaze darkened, and the last trace of hesitation in her eyes was completely replaced by a cold determination.

"Senior brother," he slowly withdrew his gaze from Jiang Dusheng's back and turned to look at Huiming, who was blocking his way.

"Since you've decided to protect her and insist on stopping me..." The eerie aura around Shi Qinglian rose again, intertwining with the fierce death energy of the Emperor Soul, and even showing a tendency to overwhelm Huiming's righteous and peaceful Buddhist light.

"Then let me see, junior brother, how much skill you and I still lack after all these years of secluded cultivation."

The moment he finished speaking, the deathly aura and resentment of the dragon soul that had been accumulating for a hundred years in front of him suddenly erupted and swept towards Huiming.

The blurry hands of the Emperor's Soul phantom rose, as if condensing the grief and resentment of the entire dynasty's fall, transforming into two enormous dark dragon claws that tore through the air and grabbed at Huiming.

Where the wind swept by, even the light seemed to be swallowed up, and the moss on the alley walls withered and died instantly.