A massive black shadow appeared on the rear hall wall, like a boundless abyss, almost swallowing Yang Xiaohua whole.
But then.
A red balloon wrapped around her arm and slowly lifted her into the air, allowing her to escape the abyss and temporarily avoid danger.
That darkness wasnât a ghost, but the Ghost Domain.
The Ghost Domain enshrouding the ancient mansion had invaded the rear hall, altering the surrounding environment. In such conditions, any anomaly nearby was no longer surprising.
âAnyone left who doesnât want to die inexplicably, stay near this coffin,â Yang Jian warned the others.
The ground around the red coffin was pitch black.
This was because Yang Jianâs Ghost Shadow covered the vicinity. His Ghost Shadow could repel other ghostsâ Ghost Domain invasions and also prevent other malevolent ghosts from approaching.
However, the area his Ghost Shadow could cover was limited in such an environment, so he only protected the area around the red coffin, ignoring the rest.
With a casual motion.
Yang Jian swung the Firewood Knife, severing the thin string of the red balloon.
Yang Xiaohua was freed from the balloonâs grip and dropped down.
At the same time, Yang Jian retrieved the ghost that had entered Yang Xiaohuaâs body, allowing her to grab hold of the red balloon which had almost floated away again.
After skirting the edge of death for a while, Yang Xiaohua no longer dared to be careless. She quickly stood near the red coffin, not daring to move even half a step, fearing that the surrounding paranormal forces would claim her life again.
Ordinary people were far too fragile in such an environment.
âYang Jian, if you donât think of something fast, Eagle wonât last long either. This game is terribly unfair. If the ghost wins, one of us dies immediately. But if we win, the ghost merely retreats a few steps,â Da Qiang approached, his face grim.
At this rate, based on the pace of deaths, it wouldnât even be five minutes before it was his turn to play the dice game.
Participating in this game was essentially walking to the gallows; one wouldnât survive for long.
Fan Xing also stared expectantly at Yang Jian.
They hoped he could come up with some method to alleviate the crisis.
âI do have a backup method. I initially wasnât planning to use it at this stageâafter all, we still need to survive until the seventh day. If we exhaust all our trump cards at the start, thereâll be no way out if another crisis occurs later. But looking at things now, most of you wonât even make it past today, let alone tomorrow or the following days,â Yang Jian spoke calmly, still holding something in reserve.
A real solution?
The few remaining survivors widened their eyes at Yang Jian.
They had only been hoping for a shred of luck by asking him, never expecting Yang Jian to deliver an actual glimmer of hope.
Yang Jian didnât speak further. Instead, he pulled out his phone.
After unlocking it, he tapped on a game app on the screen. The gameâs icon resembled a piano.
A game?
The group was puzzled by this display.
What was this supposed to accomplish?
Wasnât this just an ordinary mobile game?
Yet Yang Jian said nothing. He opened the app and began to play.
It was a piano simulation game where, by tapping the piano keys on the screen, one could produce sounds similar to a real piano.
The game was dull and tedious, something no one ordinarily enjoyed playing.
But as Yang Jianâs fingers clicked swiftly on the screen, an eerie and ethereal melody reverberated through the rear hall.
The melody was a medium; it wasnât meant to be heard.
At that moment, a terrifying curse was unleashed by Yang Jian.
The curse of the Eight-Tone Music Box.
The curse had been lying dormant within Yang Jian since it awakened from the coffin last time. He hadnât used it since because this curse was exceedingly dangerous. Even the one who activated itâYang Jianâcouldnât dispel it. Once cursed, without special methods, one was almost certain to perish.
Now, the Eight-Tone Music Box curse was released, and its target was Eagle, who was currently playing the dice game.
Eagle was sitting on the ground, his eyes glued to the third round of the game in front of him.
The black dice representing the ghost had rolled a 4.
His luck was evidently abysmal; his dice landed on a 2.
The outcome was settled; defeat was inevitable.
By the third round of the dice game, he had already lost.
Eagle seemed to have resigned himself to the result. A slight, bitter smile crept to his lips as he gently shook his head, ready to let the terrifying game claim his life.
After seeing the fate of the previous dice players, the moment he picked up the red dice to fend off the ghost, his end was already determined.
âThis is it. Maybe dying here counts as a form of release.â He accepted his fate, hoping for a peaceful departure.
But at that moment.
A strange, ethereal melody wafted from behind him, lingering in the air and showing no signs of fading. Instead, it seemed to invade his consciousness, endlessly echoing in his mind.
Suspicious, he glanced back.
âYang Jian, what did you do to me?â Eagle instantly sensed that something was off about himself.
âThe curse of the Eight-Tone Music Box. As long as this melody doesnât stop, youâre in a state of temporary safety. But once the music ends, you will die without question. The duration ranges from a few days to a weekâit depends on your luck,â Yang Jian calmly explained as he put his phone away.
The Eight-Tone Music Box curse?
Such a thing existed?
Eagleâs expression shifted, but then he realized with astonishment: he hadnât died yet. Despite losing the dice game, unlike the previous two victims, he was still alive.
Now.
Apart from the persistent melody resonating in his mind, nothing else seemed to affect him.
âUnbelievable. Eagle lost the dice game and still survived,â Da Qiang observed, his face filled with disbelief.
Yang Xiaohua also looked at Eagle, equally astonished.
âIt seems that compared to the Ghost Diceâs curse, the Eight-Tone Music Box curse is slightly superior. If thatâs the case, let the game continue,â Yang Jian declared.
Eagleâs eyes flickered as he nodded silently, understanding the situation.
Without hesitation, he picked up the dice and resumed the game with the ghost.
Now that neither he nor the ghost could die, the game was finally fair.
âThe Eight-Tone Music Box curse? I see. If you had this method, why didnât you use it earlier?â Fan Xing questioned, âWhy wait until now?â
âDo I need to explain myself to you?â Yang Jian glared at him coldly.
Fan Xing was at a loss for words.
Yang Jian indeed didnât owe him an explanation.
âThe curse can only save someone under specific conditions. Under normal circumstances, itâs a killing curse. Releasing it now seems to be a last resort. Besides, arguing about this now is pointlessâsoon, weâre all going to die together. Even if we survive today, tomorrow, or the day after, making it through to the later days will be virtually impossibleâŠâ Da Qiang interjected from the side.
Yang Xiaohua remained silent. She knew there was nothing she could change. Strictly speaking, she wasnât even considered a Messenger of the Fourth Floor.
The main reason Yang Jian had been reluctant to use the Eight-Tone Music Box was that its curse could only be applied to one person. If he had used it earlier, he would afterward have no way to use it himself in an emergency.
Furthermore, while the Eight-Tone Music Box curse could provide protection, it was also extremely fatal.
Recklessly unleashing it might have an adverse effect.
For this reason, he hadnât used it to save Wang Feng earlier, hoping Li Yang could return before things spiraled out of control.
But now, it seemed there was no choice but to use the Eight-Tone Music Boxâs curse. Continuing to withhold it would likely result in everyoneâs demise.
The paranormal force outside the rear door had temporarily been stabilized due to the Eight-Tone Music Box.
But the ghost invading from the mansionâs main hall had never ceased its march. The Ghost Domainâs influence was expanding, and now it affected not just the walls but also the ceiling and corridors. The surroundings seemed to dissolve into nothingness, as though consumed by a bottomless abyss.
The familiar environment was vanishing, as if being erased from existenceâincluding themselves.
âIs the ghost attempting to use the Ghost Domain to invade the rear hall and kill us all? Thatâs indeed a nearly insoluble method. If the ghost appeared directly, itâd leave behind a medium for me to dismember using the Firewood Knife. But this way, the ghost avoids my attacks, making it impossible for me to trigger the medium,â Yang Jian realized.
His Ghost Shadow was hindered by the paranormal interference, unable to extend its range further.
This ghostâs Ghost Domain was terrifying.
And this was while the ancient mansion imposed some level of suppression. If it were outside, this ghostâs Ghost Domain would undoubtedly be the most formidable Yang Jian had ever encountered, exceeding even his five-layer combined Ghost Domain.
Yang Jianâs five-layer Ghost Domain could banish certain lesser paranormal entities, but this ghostâs Ghost Domain could engulf everythingâpeople and buildings alike.
âContinuing to hold out here offers no way out,â he exhaled deeply and scanned the others.
Li Yang hadnât returned, and even if he did, it would only draw away the ghost at the rear door. The ghosts within the ancient mansion would still need to be dealt with by him alone.
âSo, what do we do?â the last remaining stranger among the ghost controllers asked, his voice trembling.
It was a mix of fear and extreme tension.
Yang Jian glanced at him. âDa Qiang, you have a Ghost Domain, correct?â
âThatâs right,â the Messenger named Da Qiang nodded.
Yang Jian instructed, âI need you to take my place, at least for ten seconds. During those ten seconds, Iâll charge into the main hall alone to dismember the ghost responsible for invading the rear hall. If we donât act now, weâll be ground down to death.â
âTen seconds?â
Da Qiangâs face turned pale. âIâm not sure I can do it. Is there no other way?â
âThere isnât. If the Ghost Domain engulfs the rear hall, everyone will vanishâincluding the red coffin. Then weâll all die. Right now, the ghost isnât directly visible to me, so I canât pinpoint its location. Therefore, I must attack proactively. But if I leave, the encroaching Ghost Domain requires someone to hold the fort.
âYouâre the only one left here with a Ghost Domain, so you have no choice but to endure for ten seconds, even if it means risking ghostly revival,â Yang Jian added grimly. âThis is our only shot.â
âAnd you must do it; refusing isnât an option.â
Clenching his teeth, Da Qiang growled, âFine. Ten seconds. Iâll do my best.â
Ten seconds sounded brief, but only those with ghost-controlling abilities knew how terrifying and dangerous this kind of paranormal confrontation was.
âAfter the count of three, Iâll act,â Yang Jian stated, locking eyes with him.
At this moment, he didnât doubt Da Qiang.
Because if Da Qiang didnât give his all, he too would die along with everyone else. This wasnât just for others; it was for himself.
âAlright, understood,â Da Qiang said, slapping his face in an attempt to calm his nerves and steel his resolve.
âLetâs begin.â
Beads of cold sweat already formed on his forehead, and his nerves stretched to their limits.
âOne.â Yang Jian raised a finger.
Da Qiang nodded.
Fan Xing, Yang Xiaohua, and the last remaining stranger watched them intently, their eyes glued to every move.
âTwo.â
Yang Jian gripped the Firewood Knife tightly, knowing it was his time to act.
Da Qiangâs face turned ghastly pale, his expression transforming into that of a corpse. The living man was transitioning into the appearance of the dead.
This was the precursor to activating a ghostly powerâhis body was being invaded by the ghost.
âThree!â
As Yang Jianâs voice rang out, the Ghost Shadow covering the area around the red coffin retracted in an instant, and Yang Jian, like a wild beast, charged out. He left the rear hall, heading straight for the main hall.
âItâs happening.â
As soon as the Ghost Shadow pulled back, Da Qiangâs Ghost Domain took over.
But in that split second of transition, the surrounding darkness surged forward. There was no longer any safe ground to stand on. Only a small perimeter around the red coffin remained secure.
âGet on top of the coffin!â Fan Xing yelled in terror, scrambling to climb onto the red coffin.
The other ghost controller and Yang Xiaohua didnât have time to react and could only cling to the coffin, desperate not to fall into the surrounding abyss.
Eagle, who was still engaged in the dice game with the ghost, was unaffected. The gameâs rules shielded him from all paranormal influence, including the Ghost Domainâs encroachment.
âDamn it.â
Da Qiang roared, his body contorting from the strain. His veins bulged as he fought against his own ghostly powers trying to consume him. The pain was maddening enough to drive anyone insane.
His Ghost Domain strained to resist the all-consuming darkness.
No matter how hard he pushed, the range of his Ghost Domain kept shrinking. He could barely maintain its coverage over the red coffin, and even that boundary steadily contracted.
âTen seconds. I just need to last ten seconds. I can do this,â Da Qiang muttered to himself, his overwhelming will to survive keeping him from breaking under despair.
Meanwhile, Yang Jian stormed into the main hall with the Firewood Knife in hand. He had bided his time for this, hoping to stabilize the situation until the seventh day. But now that the ghost had pushed them to the brink, he knew there was no point in holding back anymore.
If this required risking everything, so be it.
He wasnât afraid.
âLeave nothing in reserve. Trigger all the mediums left by the ghosts and dismember every one of them that appears. Turn the situation around in one fell swoop.â
Yang Jianâs eyes glinted with a mix of ferocity and determination.
As his Ghost Shadow stretched out beneath him, forming a safe path, he sprinted to the center of the main hall. There, he unleashed his Ghost Shadow outward, letting it spread across the hall.
Wherever the Ghost Shadow extended, any traces left behind by the ghosts would activate.
Suddenly.
Countless eerie and terrifying phantom figures materialized around Yang Jian.
A sea of ghosts.
The once-empty main hall became densely packed in an instant.
Every one of them was a ghost medium.
As the Ghost Shadow spread further, more phantom figures emerged. Many of the mediums were repeated traces left by the same ghost.
âLetâs do this.â
Yang Jian gave a low growl, raising the Firewood Knife and swinging it down toward a cluster of ghost mediums.
There was no flair or hesitation.
One swing severed the mediums of four ghosts simultaneously.
âAaaahâ!â
Chilling and disturbing screams instantly echoed throughout the dark mansion, sending shivers down anyoneâs spine.
âNext.â
Yang Jian swung a second time, slicing through the mediums of another three ghosts in a single strike.
The unknown, terrifying ghosts connected to those mediums would fall victim to the Firewood Knifeâs curse, dismembered instantly.
However, as he prepared for a third strike.
The curse from his first slash erupted.
The first swing had severed the mediums of four ghosts. This unleashed a commensurate and even more terrifying curse back onto Yang Jian.
Deep fissures split across Yang Jianâs body, the largest spanning nearly half his torso.
These cracks werenât only physical but also appeared on his Ghost Shadow.
The injuries were so severe that even the regenerative properties of his Ghost Shadow couldnât heal them quickly.
And the second strikeâs curse was already beginning to take effect.
Yang Jianâs body now looked like shattered porcelain, his form utterly fractured.
Even his Ghost Shadow seemed on the verge of collapsing entirely.
âRestart.â
Yang Jian murmured, his voice low and strained from the agony of being dismembered.
His ghostly eyes snapped wide open, emitting a blood-red glow that engulfed his entire body.
In less than a second, Yang Jianâs fragmented body and Ghost Shadow reassembled, back to their original state.
âLetâs go again.â His gaze turned icy and menacing.
Wielding the Firewood Knife, he swung once more.
This time, he found it.
The source of the Ghost Domain within the ancient mansion.
A horrifying, distorted figure of a malevolent ghost.
It was a familiar presenceâone heâd attacked before. The ghost had invaded the rear hall and collided with his Ghost Shadow, leaving behind a detectable medium.
After that collision, however, the medium disappeared, preventing Yang Jian from triggering a follow-up attack.
âIâve got you now.â Ignoring the other mediums around him, Yang Jian swung his weapon directly at the terrifying ghostly figure, slicing it clean in two.
The Firewood Knifeâs curse cleaved through the ghost with such precision that the entire mansion seemed to shudder slightly.
It wasnât a physical tremor but a shift in the pervasive darkness, as though the blackness itself began to writhe in torment.
A crack emerged, like a sliver of light piercing through the ancient mansionâs gloom.
This was Yang Jianâs third time wielding the Firewood Knife that night. He had used it extravagantly, each time ensuring its effects targeted this formidable ghost. There was no longer room for hesitation.
Because if this ghostâs Ghost Domain wasnât dismantled, it would soon consume everything in the rear hallâincluding the red coffin.
Without that red coffin, their mission to deliver the message would fail.
Source: Webnovel.com, updated by novlove.com
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