Chapter 0: 144. Nightmare Ghost
“Jing Shixue… with those wide eyes of yours staring right at my face, how could you possibly say such a thing?” Qin Gou asked, pointing at his own face in disbelief.
Jing Shixue pondered for a moment and said, “Ah, you’re right. This King was too excited and got things mixed up. How could Fellow Daoist Qin, who is so young, possibly be Old Master Qin?”
Qin Gou’s expression softened slightly.
Jing Shixue clapped her small hands together, as if suddenly realizing, “Fellow Daoist Qin must be Old Master Qin’s biological son then!”
“I am my father?!” Qin Gou’s widened eyes were filled with utter despair.
“Jing Huniu, I’ll say this one last time. I am Qin Gou of Arc-Moon Mountain, the master of Zhao Xinting. Can you please stop spouting nonsense and driving me mad?”
“But…”
“There’s no ‘but.’ The artifact spirit in that treasure armor you’re wearing should know who I am best. If you don’t believe me, feel free to try communicating with it mentally.”
Upon hearing this, Jing Shixue did as she was told. Although the artifact spirit in the treasure armor did not possess high spiritual intelligence, after carefully sensing it, Jing Shixue discovered the spirit’s natural joy and excitement when facing its creator, Qin Gou.
Jing Shixue’s expression turned to shock. “So, Fellow Daoist Qin is indeed…”
Qin Gou gave a helpless smile. “You foolish girl, I’ve given you so many hints, yet you still needed me to spell it out so plainly before you finally understood?”
“Foolish? I only just realized that my supposedly unique secret technique, which I was so proud of, is nothing more than a decoration in front of someone like Fellow Daoist Qin. I clearly sensed that Fellow Daoist Qin, Senior Qin, possesses an aura that is far too young compared to cultivators of the same realm. This is clearly due to Senior Qin’s cultivation and attainments having reached a perfect state, achieving a level that is incredibly difficult to discern!”
Jing Shixue would never admit to being a fool. She quickly found a perfect reason to convince herself. “Moreover, during the time we’ve spent together, Senior Qin has always been approachable and amiable, with none of the stuffiness of seniority. He feels like a good friend of the same age, truly embodying the demeanor of a wise hermit. How can you simply blame me for being careless?!”
As soon as she said this, Qin Gou turned his head and praised her highly. “Indeed! That makes a lot of sense! Clan Leader Jing has always been honest and straightforward, never engaging in false flattery. In this cultivation world full of schemes and intrigue, it’s easy to be misunderstood as ‘foolish,’ but it’s actually a rare and precious quality! I was the one who was slightly careless with my words just now. And please, don’t call me ‘Senior Qin’ anymore. Calling me ‘Fellow Daoist Qin’ is more comfortable for me!”
“Got it!”
Jing Shixue immediately broke into a smile. After all, this exchange of mutual flattery had completely dispelled the slight sense of unfamiliarity and distance Jing Shixue might have felt after Qin Gou revealed his identity.
Not long after.
Qingyu’s opponent was utterly defeated, their stone body completely shattered. However, in this secret realm, their spiritual intelligence seemed to have temporarily escaped destruction.
A moment later, after reuniting with Xiao Yan, who had also defeated her opponent, Jing Shixue formed a spiritual seal and spoke in a special way, “Spirit of the Secret Realm, now that the time has come, are you willing to show yourself? Let’s have a clear talk.”
However, the Spirit of the Secret Realm’s voice echoed again. Its response was, “Indeed, the time is right. My observation of you all has been sufficient.”
Jing Shixue’s dark eyebrows furrowed slightly. “Observation? What exactly do you want to do?”
At the same time, Qin Gou, upon hearing this, couldn’t help but wonder, *So, the main mission of those Secret Realm Clones earlier was to stall for time? And if the Spirit of the Secret Realm had been secretly watching them all along, why didn’t it directly point out to the Great Marsh Cloud Tiger Clan that its main target was actually A’Yuan?*
Could it be that the “forbidden sinner” the Spirit of the Secret Realm mentioned was not just Qin Yuan from the beginning? After all, the one who was also split into two by some strange law was the mysterious White Tiger Primordial Lord, and Qin Gou’s Junior Sister, who still didn’t know her Senior Brother was right beside her.
“Naturally, I want you all to witness firsthand that although my Spirit God Cult is not as powerful as it once was, it is by no means to be easily offended or defied by anyone!”
The Spirit of the Secret Realm’s voice was extremely cold. “You group of outsiders, like wolves and tigers, who have come aggressively; though you all seem mad and possess terrifying methods, Jing Shixue, since you have by chance obtained part of my Spirit God Cult’s inheritance, you should understand that my Spirit God Cult’s greatest skill is to use the enemy’s methods against them, to defeat the barbarians with their own tactics!”
“Now that I have witnessed all of your battles, it is time for you to deeply understand the true terror of the ‘Spirit Dao Clone’ under my command.”
Upon hearing this, Jing Shixue gritted her teeth. “Judging by your words, do you truly have no intention of negotiating with us?”
“There is no need.”
The Spirit of the Secret Realm spoke with lofty arrogance. “The moment you, Jing Shixue, dared to defy my sect’s will and disobey orders from the very beginning, and decided to associate with the forbidden sinner for some foolish personal affection, you forfeited any right to be taken seriously by my Spirit God Cult… or even the chance to survive! The benefits you accidentally obtained in the past are also due to be returned to their rightful owner!”
“How ridiculous! You’ve been babbling incoherently from the start, and this is the first time in my life I’ve learned that sacrificing everything to save my daughter’s life is such a grave mistake!” Jing Shixue’s heroic eyes were filled with rage as she shouted, “If you want to take this King’s life, you’ll have to see if you have the ability!”
“You can rest assured.”
The Spirit of the Secret Realm sneered. “This ‘Nightmare Ghost’ is a supreme demon born from the combined ferocity and malice of all you ruffians. It is more sinister than your wickedness and more ferocious than your madness! From now on, all of you will have ample time to fully experience its terror!”
As soon as the voice finished speaking.
The earth trembled violently, and a Secret Realm Clone wearing a sharp, fitted outfit suddenly materialized within everyone’s sight. After hearing the Spirit of the Secret Realm’s description, everyone had expected this fearsome god named ‘Nightmare Ghost’ to have a monstrous appearance with a green face, fangs, and three heads and six arms. However, its true appearance was a great surprise to everyone, especially Qin Gou, who had remained silent for a long time.
“Spirit of the Secret Realm, why does this so-called supreme demon, formed by stitching together so much madness and ferocity, have to look exactly like me? What kind of logic is that?!” For a moment, Qin Gou gazed at the Nightmare Ghost, whose eyes gleamed with ferocity, and fell into deep confusion and indignation.
