Chapter 33 The Haunting

However, it has to be said that Chi Dao's strike hit right at Chu Hao's vital point!

The cultivation of martial arts is inseparable from heaps of money. Without financial support, how could Chu Hao possibly afford to make the Red Shadow Sword from Red Iron, or bid for the Izumo Sword Manual? Most importantly, how could he acquire the Cloud Mist Stone?

But to expect Chu Hao to swallow his pride and surrender, that's even more impossible!

Fortunately, the Fortune Full Building had made a killing before, enough to sustain the Chu Family for quite some time. Of course, this meant they could no longer afford to spend money recklessly; otherwise, just one trip to the auction house could easily cost a hundred thousand or eighty thousand, which isn't even considered money there!

After comforting Uncle Yu, Chu Hao himself sat down in the courtyard. Flying Fire was still sound asleep with no signs of waking up. He looked up at the sky, his mind racing.

Chi Dao has made his move, how would he resolve this?

This guy has the City Lord's Order in hand, and it looks like the City Lord's Mansion is fully backing him, giving him an absolute advantage. In the city, it's impossible to do any business without coming under the supervision of the City Lord's Mansion. Since the City Lord's Mansion can intervene, then Chi Dao can make trouble!

Therefore, no matter what business Chu Hao switches to, he would not be able to bypass Chi Dao and would still be subject to the other party's constraints!

Unless he leaves Eastern Cloud City!

But Madam Yun's influence extends to 37 nearby cities. If the Chi Family can contend with the Ling Family, their influence must also be significant. To completely avoid Chi Dao, who knows how far he would have to go!

There's an old saying on Earth, "People shouldn't try to fight against officials," because you're already at an absolute disadvantage before the fight starts!

What should he do?

After all is said and done, it's still a matter of insufficient strength. Of course, to contend with the City Lord's Mansion, becoming Vajra Realm is not enough; one must be at least eighth tier or above. Otherwise, how could the Nine Great Nobles have been content to submit to the City Lord's Mansion's control all this time? They would have revolted long ago!

Chu Hao decided to put these matters aside for now because the selection battle between the Eastern and Western Factions was about to begin. What he needed to do now was to improve his strength as much as possible, and ideally, he should meet Chi Dao in the competition and teach him a profound lesson!

...

Before he knew it, another three days had passed, and it was the day the academy would decide the candidates for the decisive battle between the Eastern and Western Sects' Earthly Institutes.

In the world of Martial Artists, of course, everything is determined by martial strength.

The candidates were not directly appointed but had to be decided through a selection battle. The content was simple: go to a group of Ancient Tombs, and the first eight to come out would be the representatives of the Eastern Sect in the battle.

"That group of Ancient Tombs, it's said to be haunted!" Tang Xin told Chu Hao after learning the details of the selection battle.

"Haunted?" Chu Hao found it somewhat inconceivable. This world is indeed different from Earth, but it's a high martial world, not a world of gods and demons. Where do ghosts come from?

"Anyway, that's what I heard!" Tang Xin, too, couldn't explain it, "By the way, I heard that your Fortune Full Building has been forced to close its doors. Can you withstand this pressure?"

Chu Hao smiled and said, "There are no issues for now!"

"I think you should still ask Madam Yun to come forward and mediate!" Tang Xin brought up the old suggestion again.

Chu Hao shook his head. He already owed Madam Yun many favors. It would be best not to bother her if it wasn't necessary.

"Fair enough!" Tang Xin considered for a moment, "If you really have no money for food, you can come to my house and mooch food and drinks; it's just one more pair of chopsticks after all!"

Chu Hao patted his shoulder. It was not just about one more person eating; it would mean that the Tang Family was indirectly declaring war on Chi Dao. "Okay, if it really comes to that day, I'll come to your house and mooch off you!"

After school that day, all those participating in the selection battle followed eleven teachers out of the city and arrived at a wilderness.

This place was not far from Eastern Cloud City, only about ten miles or so. If they were unlucky enough to encounter a tide of ferocious beasts, they could still make it back to the city in time to escape.

When they arrived, the sun had already set, and it was an overcast day. The night would be starless and moonless, with a bit of twilight now, but it would surely be pitch black later.

This was a graveyard, belonging to an unknown period, but some of the graves had been dug open by tomb robbers or hungry wild animals. Tombstones were lying askew, and heaps of white bones were scattered on the ground, making for a hair-raising sight.

Conducting the selection here tested not only strength but also courage!

As soon as Chu Hao stood firm, he immediately felt several hostile gazes locked on him.

Ma Long, Lin Yuqi, and Chi Dao!

Compared to Ma Long and Lin Yuqi, Chi Dao's murderous intent, though intense, carried a disdainful air of a cat playing with a mouse, clearly not taking Chu Hao seriously. Surprisingly, Ma Long and Lin Yuqi seemed to have separated!

Has the marriage arrangement fallen through?

Very likely, since Ma Jicheng obviously wasn't pleased with this future daughter-in-law. No matter how much Ma Long liked her, would he dare to defy his father?

Chu Hao felt no sympathy; such a gold-digging woman deserved such an end! However, Lin Yuqi certainly wouldn't give up her aspirations of marrying into the Nobility so easily, now seemingly getting along and laughing with Chi Dao!

From this perspective, maybe she dumped Ma Long to latch onto Chi Dao, a clearly more "high-quality" prospect.

If this were Earth, she would be labeled a schemer, a manipulative woman!

"Everyone, listen up. The competition is about to start!" a teacher said solemnly, "What you need to do is to go to ten different places in the graveyard and get a stamp on your chapter. Once it's full, you can leave. The first eight to exit will represent the Eastern Sect in battle!"

"The chapters are each in the hands of ten teachers, not in any particular order, but you'd best arrange a sequence to avoid unnecessary detours!"

"Do you see the fires? There are a total of ten bonfires. Later, we'll be waiting there, and this is also the exit. Those who cover the chapters or choose to give up midway, gather here!"

With that, the ten teachers dispersed in different directions toward the blazing fires.

Because the graveyard was vast, each bonfire was at least four miles apart from each other, and no matter how one planned the running route, it took a long time to complete.

The last teacher stood in place, urging them on until the teachers at the starting point gave the signal. Then he said, "I'll count to three, and everyone will set off together!"

"One!"

"Two!"

"Three!"

At the count of three, several hundred competing students immediately surged out, each heading their own way.

The competition rules gave many a hope. It wasn't necessarily the strongest person who could win in the end because the route was of one's choosing; they could completely avoid strong opponents and win with speed.

Being among the top eight of the Earthly Institute, to represent the Eastern Sect in battle, what an honor that was!

Chu Hao and Tang Xin set off together toward the direction of a bonfire, which Tang Xin strongly suggested, to possibly "protect" Chu Hao when necessary.

Though there had been hundreds of them just now, after dispersing towards ten bonfires, on average only a few dozen went in each direction. And since everyone's speed varied, it wasn't long before only Chu Hao and Tang Xin were left.

At this point, the setting sun had completely disappeared, and it was a cloudy night with no stars or moon in sight, so dark one could almost not see their hand before their face! Had it not been for the distant bonfires guiding their way, most would probably have gotten lost!

The stillness of the night, combined with the eerie atmosphere of the graveyard, created an indescribably terrifying feeling.

"Ah—" From time to time, screams filled with terror and panic could be heard, making anyone listening shudder in fear.

They were naturally from students of the Eastern Sect, but whatever they encountered that terrified them so!

Chu Hao and Tang Xin glanced at each other, but it was so dark they could hardly see each other's faces, only making out a vague outline.

Whir whir whir!

Just then, small green flames appeared, flickering like will-o'-the-wisps.

Chu Hao was unafraid; Earth's martial prowess obviously couldn't compare to this place, but in terms of technology, it far surpassed in countless ways, and he knew that this was phosphorus in the bones burning, creating the green fire.

But what happened next was beyond Chu Hao's expectations!

The specks of green fire rose from the ground, forming a human shape!

In the faint light, one could vaguely see that it wasn't the phosphorus flame that had taken a human shape, but a skeleton that had risen from the ground, with the phosphorus fire burning on its body!

Ghosts!

Chu Hao immediately thought of what Tang Xin said earlier, about the graveyard being haunted!

A skeleton had actually risen to its feet, was it any wonder that so many people were screaming in fright? Even Chu Hao felt a chill rise from the bottom of his heart and spread throughout his body.

Clack clack clack!

Suddenly, the moonlight appeared, and the sound of bones clattering continuously rang out. With the ghostly flames drifting, one skeleton after another rose up, creating a terrifying scene in the dim moonlight.

This scene could make the faint-hearted faint on the spot!

The moon that had just emerged was obscured by dark clouds again, plunging the surroundings into darkness, but it made it possible to see even more clearly the skeletons encroaching on Chu Hao and Tang Xin in the light of the ghostly flames.

Can humans fight ghosts?

"Break through quickly!" Tang Xin shouted, her figure darting forward. The skeletons' weakness was clear; their movements were unusually slow, allowing for an escape before they could complete their encirclement.

But when it came to fighting these skeletons... at least Tang Xin didn't have the courage to do so.

The two darted out, but it seemed as if the entire graveyard had come to life, with more and more skeletons rising, as if they had arrived in the Yin Nether Ghost Realm. Chu Hao and Tang Xin kept dodging back and forth, widening the distance between them, and with the darkness enveloping the place, they soon lost track of each other.

However, at that moment, nobody had the time to worry about this; escaping the encirclement of skeletons was the priority.

Squeak!

Chu Hao abruptly stopped. Running blindly in any direction, how could he obtain the ten chapters? Knowing the institute chose to conduct the screening battle here surely had a reason, but it definitely, definitely wasn't to harm the lives of the students!

So—

Chu Hao turned around to face the slow-moving white skeletons encircling him.