Ghost Catching System

Taoism and Buddhism were common knowledge, but Chu Hao had never heard of a ”Loose Saint.”

Chu Hao asked, ”What is a Loose Saint?”

The toad said, ”A saint from among the unaffiliated practitioners. They aren’t part of Taoism or Buddhism; they rose from the Human World. You could say they’re the progenitors of modern Yin Yang Masters.”

Today’s Taoist and Buddhist communities didn’t think highly of Yin Yang Masters. They believe Yin Yang Masters propagate minor arts, merely referencing various techniques from Taoism and Buddhism. This creates a muddled practice, so their grasp of Yin Yang Studies is superficial. They can only capture ordinary Xiao Gui; stronger Ghosts are beyond their capabilities.

However, how would they know how powerful the ancestor of the Yin Yang Masters, the Loose Saint, was? It’s just that too much time has passed, and too many traditions have been lost.

Emperor Bai Jiang nodded and said, ”The Loose Saint was very powerful, their Yin Yang arts no less potent than those of the Taoist and Buddhist traditions. I once read in an ancient manuscript that the Loose Saint’s ancestors might have been among Emperor Huang’s people.”

The toad looked at Emperor Bai Jiang. He seems to know quite a bit, he thought, then said, ”When it comes to Yin Yang Studies, Emperor Huang was the first to research it. In the earliest years, it was used to confront Chiyou.”

Li Yin found it incredible, exclaiming, ”I thought these were just myths!”

The toad said, ”Too much time has passed, and much of history has been obscured. Even if it wasn’t, how many ordinary people would have understood Yin Yang Studies back then? In fact, the so-called golden age of Taoism only began after Emperor Huang. Many scriptures within Taoism were passed down from him.”

The toad’s revelations were astonishing. Could Emperor Huang truly be the founder of Yin Yang Studies?

Mu Yuxun said with anticipation, ”My sister will definitely become an unaffiliated practitioner!”

She really didn’t want her sister to renounce worldly life or anything like that. The Taoist path would be somewhat better; if her sister became a Monk and had to shave her head, that would be so awkward.

Chu Hao felt the same. Mu Yufei was so beautiful! He really couldn’t bear the thought of her becoming bald.

Finally, they reached the border of the Uninhabited Area.

Nowadays, the Uninhabited Area of Tibet was incredibly lively. It used to be desolate, without even a single ghost shadow in sight. And now? They were actually stuck in a traffic jam!

Although the main road was jammed, they went off-road and, after a full day of travel, finally arrived near the Holy City, where tents could now be seen scattered about.

”This is insane, how many people have come here?” Wang Qi exclaimed in amazement.

There were families dragging along their belongings, teams forming, and some places even had pushcarts selling snacks. A piece of Tibetan specialty cheese was being sold for the sky-high price of a thousand yuan.

Chu Hao and his companions climbed a low hill on the plain and caught sight of the Holy City.

From afar, on the horizon of the great plains, a colossal ancient city loomed, incredibly magnificent, appearing like a mirage, almost surreal.

Chu Hao could see very far; at this moment, the Holy City emitted a strange glow, illuminating the sky, turning it into a kaleidoscope of colors, as if silver light spilled down from the Milky Way.

”It’s so beautiful,” many people marveled.

Wang Qi said excitedly, ”Shall we go now?”

The toad scoffed, ”Enter if you have a death wish. Those without talent cannot perceive the call from within and might get lost, unable to find their way out.”

Wang Qi visibly flinched. If he hadn’t been following Chu Hao and the others, he’d have no idea what to do.

Mu Yuxun found her father. Upon seeing Chu Hao, Mu Chenglong said anxiously, ”Master Chu, you must save my daughter!”

Chu Hao comforted him, suggesting that Mu Yufei’s entrance into the Holy City might not necessarily be a bad thing. His words were quite persuasive, which eased Mu Chenglong’s anxiety considerably.

Mu Chenglong said, ”When we first arrived, we saw some people try to approach the Holy City, but they couldn’t enter. They described a repulsive force; the closer they got, the heavier their bodies felt. Some who dismissed the danger tried to force their way in. Their bodies underwent a change—their bones were crushed by an intense pressure, and they died right at the edge.”

Zhao Gousheng, the Head of Tiger Soul, arrived. The Seventh District had already set up camp here.

Upon seeing Chu Hao, he smiled and said, ”Master Chu, I wonder how much you know about the situation inside.”

Chu Hao shook his head and said, ”Not much. What’s the situation now?”

Zhao Gousheng replied, ”The Seventh District has already blocked off the road ahead. Despite many wishing to enter, hardly any actually can, except for some who simply vanish at the horizon.”

Chu Hao was somewhat curious and asked, ”How many people are we talking about?”

Zhao Gousheng replied, ”Six people, since the changes in the Holy City began a few days ago.”

Too many people were flocking to the Uninhabited Area of Tibet; thousands, even tens of thousands, were arriving daily. Soon, the area might be completely overrun. Chu Hao couldn’t help but sigh at the sheer frenzy of this terrifying new age. Ordinary people were truly desperate, risking everything for a chance at fortuitous encounters. He asked, ”How many have found their opportunity so far?”

Zhao Gousheng answered, ”Over seven hundred people so far. The way they obtained their opportunities is quite peculiar. They wake up claiming they dreamt of entering the Holy City. We discovered that their souls had indeed left their bodies and entered inadvertently during their sleep.”

”After waking up, these people had abundant Yang Energy within them and generally unlocked the Heavenly Eye. Some even woke up with various Curse Marks on their bodies.”

The toad hastily asked, ”What kind of Curse Marks?”

Zhao Gousheng gave the toad an odd look but still answered, ”There are many kinds. Some Curse Marks help enhance Yang Energy, while others are similar to Talismans and can supplement it. Just yesterday, someone woke up with a unique mark—it was a complete pattern, but we don’t know its abilities yet.”

The toad became even more excited, but he said nothing.

According to Zhao Gousheng, very few people actually developed Curse Marks—only about a dozen out of the more than seven hundred.

Chu Hao had Mu Yuxun, Zhang Lili, Wang Qi, and their other classmates set up tents nearby. He decided he would go take a look himself.

Zhao Gousheng said, ”Quite a few people from Taoist circles have arrived as well. I received word that Zhang Zhonghao is also here.”

Given what was happening in Tibet, it wasn’t surprising that people from Taoism would show up.

Zhao Gousheng continued, ”Besides people, Evil Spirits, Ghosts, and Demons have also come in good numbers. Yesterday’s wolf pack was led by a Demon Wolf King.”

Everyone and everything has shown up, Chu Hao mused. It’s certainly become a lively gathering.

Chu Hao, the toad, representatives from Shangu Imperial City, Chu Xionghuan, Chu Zhiyuan, Emperor Bai Jiang, and the others set off. They passed the security cordon and proceeded forward.

The wind was strong on the grassland. Though the sun felt mild, its bright rays created visible heat distortions, making the Holy City ahead appear to waver like a mirage—ethereal and illusory.

After walking for some time, they were now only about 1,000 meters from the Holy City.

Here, everyone began to feel a strong sense of repulsion.

Chu Hao’s eyes could normally see great distances, but this time the view was indistinct. It was as if a veil of light obscured his vision, preventing him from seeing the Holy City’s true form; prolonged staring even made his eyes sting.

Is it a Formation? he wondered.

They advanced another hundred meters or so. Their bodies began to feel heavy, as if they were dragging a hundred-pound weight. An ordinary person would likely be unable to withstand it.

Chu Zhiyuan exclaimed in surprise, ”Such a strong sense of repulsion!”