My master flicked three talismans, eliminating three vengeful spirits.
Though fierce in appearance, these spirits were only at the mid-Qi Gathering stage. Before my master, they were nothing.
Yet, one remained.
This one was still oblivious to its fate. With its companions dead, it hadn't fled but instead charged towards us, trying to bite.
I gripped my peach wood sword and met it head-on.
"Abomination!"
I growled, raising my sword with a direct strike. The vengeful spirit raised its claws to swat it away, roaring in defiance. My sword, however, severed its arm. The spirit screamed in pain. But that wasn't the end. After cleaving off its arm, I spun and brought my sword down towards its head. With a "bang," it exploded like a watermelon, the spirit instantly killed and dissipating into a black mist.
The three people hiding behind my master watched, utterly stunned. The ghosts that had terrified them were so easily dispatched by my master and me. Awe replaced their fear, and their confidence in us grew.
"Master Daoist, Master Daoist, your skill is incredible!"
"Wonderful, truly wonderful. With Masters like you, we're sure to make it back alive!"
"..."
They spoke repeatedly, the two women weeping with relief. My master and I, however, weren't in a mood for sentimentality. We simply urged them to keep up.
We continued forward for several dozen meters, encountering another corpse. It was a female body, mauled beyond recognition, its intestines spilled out. The blood had long since congealed; she had been dead for some time. I glanced at her and asked the trio, "Is this one of the two female colleagues you mentioned who died?"
The two women flinched, unable to look. The man nodded sickenedly, "Yes, she, she was the first to die..."
I grunted, and my master and I led them onward. As we ventured deeper, the surroundings began to shift. The dim, concrete garage gave way to a much gloomier environment, severely limiting our vision. In this spectral passage, this peculiar setting, we could see ghosts even without our Celestial Eyes. However, our normal sight was hampered by the darkness.
Continuing further would require opening our Celestial Eyes. To maintain our sight, my master and I decided to do so. My master used the traditional method, applying ox-eye tears steeped with seven-star grass to his eyes. This lowered the yang fire in his eyes, opening the path to the netherworld and activating his Celestial Eyes.
But my method was different now. After the events at Xiao Han Mountain, my fellow disciple Lao Mo and I were envious of how Yunxia Gu and Xia Qiuxi opened their eyes with talismans. Upon our return, I learned the technique from Yunxia Gu. I had now mastered this rudimentary talisman art and carried it with me.
I drew an Eye-Opening Talisman, forming a sword finger. I chanted, "Hasten, as the decree commands, open!"
Instantly, I felt my pupils involuntarily constrict and dilate. Under the talisman's influence, a chill enveloped my eyes. I blinked involuntarily. When I opened them again, the dim garage ahead had become incredibly clear. I had to admit, Celestial Eyes opened with talismans offered a farther and clearer sight than those opened with seven-star grass and ox-eye tears, and without that pungent odor.
My master was unfazed. He simply instructed me, now that my eyes were open, to help the three with theirs. I took out the seven-star grass eye solution I carried. "All three of you, close your eyes. I will open your Celestial Eyes."
The trio obeyed our commands without question or hesitation, willing to do anything we asked. I sprayed the medicated liquid onto their eyelids. "Rub your eyelids with your fingers for about three seconds, then open your eyes."
The three complied swiftly. Once their Celestial Eyes were open, they gasped in astonishment.
"The surroundings, the surroundings have become so clear!"
"What is this potion? I feel like I can see everything around me clearly, even without my glasses!" exclaimed one of the girls wearing glasses.
"It's eye-opening medicine. It can maintain your Celestial Eyes for a period, allowing your naked eyes to see clearly in the dark. In the living world, it can also reveal ghosts..." I explained briefly, putting away the solution.
The three stared at their surroundings in wonder. The experiences of this day and night had fundamentally changed their perception of the world. My master and I had no time to cater to their emotions. With our eyes opened, we pressed onward into the gloom.
Here, the Yin Sha Qi was palpable. The further we went, the denser the aura became.
"Master, the Yin Sha Qi is so heavy. This place is likely extremely ominous," I stated cautiously.
My master nodded. "Be careful. The source of this aura shouldn't be far. We might encounter it soon. When that happens, watch these three closely, and make sure nothing happens to them again..."
"Understood, Master." I replied.
We continued forward. At that moment, a woman's scream suddenly echoed from the darkness ahead:
"Don't, don't come closer, don't come closer..."