Ghost Catching System

”You walked out of here? Seriously?”

The Toad said indifferently, ”What do you know? This place was once a thriving hub, a center for the exchange of Yin-Yang Studies. Taoists, Buddhists, hermits—the strongest of that era gathered here to combat Evil Demons and Ghost Demons.”

Chu Hao asked in surprise, ”Aren’t you a Toad Spirit? How are you connected to the Divine Palace?”

The Toad retorted with displeasure, ”Ignorant mortal, what do you understand? In that chaotic era, Demons, Ghosts, and Evil Spirits all had to choose a side. Otherwise, they wouldn’t even know how they died. That’s why Ghost Demons could also choose to fight evil and gain recognized status by entering here.”

Chu Hao said, ”You mean to say, not only humans but also Ghost Demons are here?”

”That’s right.”

Someone fell from the sky. Chu Hao and the Toad saw the silver-haired Emperor Bai Jiang crash to the ground. He quickly scrambled up, face grimy, cursing under his breath.

Chu Hao said in surprise, ”Old Genius, you actually made it in too.”

Emperor Bai Jiang replied discontentedly, ”It’s just an external Formation. I can even go to the Underworld, so what’s a place like this?”

True. Emperor Bai Jiang possessed the Yin Yang Mirror, capable of traversing even the Underworld, let alone a place like this.

Ahead, a green luminescent light flickered. Chu Hao and the others approached and found a stalk of grass, about three feet tall, straight as a sword. It had three leaves emitting a soft, mystical glow.

It looked like ordinary grass, but there was a Curse Mark on it. Chu Hao had studied many Talisman imprints, but he didn’t recognize this type of Curse Mark.

A stalk of grass bearing a Curse Mark. As they neared it for inspection, the Toad said excitedly, ”Kiddo Chu, go pull it out!”

Chu Hao knew the Toad too well. Seeing its excited expression, this grass had to be extraordinary. Yet, this creature, who would usually kill for treasure, was now egging him on to pick it.

There’s a catch.

Chu Hao asked, ”Why don’t you go?”

The Toad started forward, then hesitated. ”This thing isn’t simple. It’s a Sword Curse Mark from the Yin-Yang Curse Imprints. If you can get it, you could master a powerful Sword Curse.”

Hearing this, Emperor Bai Jiang was greatly tempted. He walked over and reached for the grass.

Suddenly, the grass blades burst apart, transforming into three rays of green light that stabbed towards Emperor Bai Jiang.

Emperor Bai Jiang paled, sensing a lethal threat. His silver hair instantly grew wild, forming a hedgehog-like shield around his body, like a silver buckler, protecting him completely.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Sparks flew. The Grass Sword’s power was extraordinary; it still managed to slice through the silver hair, severing it section by section.

Chu Hao and the Toad were startled.

The Grass Swords flew into the sky, then plummeted straight down, targeting Emperor Bai Jiang.

What rotten luck! Emperor Bai Jiang cursed inwardly. How can a mere stalk of grass be so formidable, several times sharper than a sword?

At that moment, Chu Hao and the Toad made their move, intending to capture the Grass Sword.

Chu Hao took out the True Word Brush and cast the ’Lin’ character. The power of the ’Lin’ True Word was now extraordinary. It wasn’t just for setting restrictions anymore; it could impose them directly on objects.

”Lin.”

The Grass Sword paused in mid-air. The Toad charged, landing a toad kick on the Grass Sword, which immediately dimmed.

Chu Hao seized it at once.

System notification: ”Host has come into contact with a Curse Mark; System is automatically upgrading, initiating the Curse Mark feature.”

System notification: ”Curse Mark Shop opened. Collect the required Curse Marks in the shop to obtain Experience Points.”

System notification: ”Curse Mark Shop opened. Collect the required Curse Marks in the shop to get a chance for a Curse Mark Lottery draw.”

Chu Hao’s heart surged with excitement; the Curse Mark function sounded incredibly powerful.

However, before he could investigate, the Toad lunged and bit his hand.

”Damn you!”

He had been secretly rejoicing but hadn’t guarded against the Toad. The moment it saw him obtain the Grass Sword, it immediately turned hostile and bit him.

Chu Hao’s hand throbbed with pain, forcing him to let go. The Toad immediately snatched the Grass Sword and fled.

Chu Hao roared, ”Warty Toad, if you have the guts to run, I’ll chase you to the ends of the earth and skin you alive!”

The Toad stopped, looking somewhat abashed. It sensed the Grass Sword’s peculiarity and said, ”Don’t mind it. That was just instinct.”

”Damn it!”

This Top notch Toad is utterly shameless, claiming it was instinct!

Emperor Bai Jiang also walked over. ”What is this Curse Mark? It’s very powerful.”

The Toad responded, ”This thing has a significant origin. Some say it’s formed after a Divine Deity dies. If you learn the Curse Mark on it, you can roam freely and dominate the Human World.

”Any Ghost, Ghost Demon, or Evil Demon would be mere fodder to you.”

That powerful?

The Grass Sword had become inert. The strike it had unleashed was merely self-defense; once its energy was depleted, it grew weak.

Chu Hao checked the Curse Mark Shop. There were tens of thousands of Curse Marks—an overwhelming number. This Grass Sword Curse Imprint was just one among them.

The shop also indicated that collecting the Grass Sword Curse Imprint would yield ten thousand Pretentiousness Points and one million Experience Points.

The Toad examined the Grass Sword Curse Imprint for a long while, then said disappointedly, ”Not every Curse Mark is powerful; there are strong and weak ones. This thing barely qualifies as a First-Stage Curse Mark at best. What trash! To think I had such high hopes for it!”

Emperor Bai Jiang asked respectfully, ”How is the strength of a Curse Mark determined?”

The Toad explained, ”By its inherent power. This Grass Sword Curse Imprint might seem mighty, but it could only execute that single strike you saw.”

Emperor Bai Jiang’s expression turned a little sour. So it was my own bad luck, not that the Grass Sword was truly formidable. It could only manage one attack.

The Toad continued, ”The levels of Curse Marks range from First Stage to Tenth Stage. The higher the stage, the more terrifying it becomes. There are also legendary Curse Marks—those are often the most fearsome.

”It’s said that obtaining a Curse Mark of Fifth Level or higher grants considerable status in the Underworld and makes one nearly invincible in the Human World.”

Chu Hao and Emperor Bai Jiang were amazed.

Chu Hao asked, ”Can Ghosts, Demons, and Evil Spirits also use Curse Marks?”

The Toad replied, ”Anyone can acquire Curse Marks. Once a Ghost obtains one, their strength becomes incredibly fearsome.

”Back when the Divine Palace existed, Ghost Demons who mastered Curse Marks could command entire regions, completely free from the Underworld’s restrictions.”

So Curse Marks are actually that formidable!

The Grass Sword Curse Imprint wasn’t very good, being just a First-Stage Curse Mark. The Toad tossed it disdainfully to Chu Hao. ”Here, take this trash. This Emperor has no use for it.”

Chu Hao smiled inwardly.

”Ding... Host has collected a First-Stage Grass Sword Curse Imprint, earning one million Experience Points.”

”Ding... Host has collected a First-Stage Grass Sword Curse Imprint. Collect nine more Curse Marks to get one Curse Mark draw.”

Chu Hao inwardly asked, ”System, what are the rules for the draw? If I collect ten First-Stage Curse Marks, what tier of Curse Mark prize can I win?”

System: ”Collecting ten Curse Marks grants one draw. The probability of the draw, which depends on the tier differences of the collected Curse Marks, is determined by the System.”

Chu Hao was thrilled, eager to find more Curse Marks. However, they were extremely rare; he walked for some time without spotting another.

ps: It’s the last two days of 2017. I wish everyone a happy new year in advance! If you’ve got a monthly ticket, cast it now—good luck in the coming year for those who do.