Chapter 7: Chapter 7: The Ghost Cultivator's End
Lu Fan remained in the inn, his thoughts racing as the situation in Baihu City grew ever more dire. The ghostly disturbances escalated with each passing day, and the city was gripped in a state of panic. However, the inn where Lu Fan stayed remained eerily calm. No ghost had dared to come near it, though Lu Fan had no idea why.
Unbeknownst to him, the electric energy he had amassed over the months created an aura around him, one that even the most malicious of spirits instinctively avoided. Ghosts, with their sensitivity to thunderous energy, sensed the danger radiating from him, and they simply stayed away. It was an odd advantage, but one that Lu Fan didn't fully understand yet.
As the days passed, the situation in the city grew worse. More people were reported dead, and rumors spread of strange occurrences in the streets. Then, one evening, the atmosphere in the city suddenly shifted. A loud noise rang out from the heart of Baihu City, followed by the unmistakable sounds of a fierce battle.
Lu Fan stood up, his curiosity piqued. He rushed to the window of his inn and peered out into the streets. What he saw took him by surprise: the Tiger Escort Agency leader, along with several cultivators, were engaged in a heated fight with a man dressed in black. The force of their clashes created shockwaves, rattling the buildings around them.
The man in black wasn't just any fighter—he was a ghost cultivator, a dangerous type of martial artist who mingled with the forces of the dead. Lu Fan could see the ghost flag swirling behind him, flickering with dark energy. The man was in the process of refining the flag, attempting to bind spirits to it for his own purposes. However, his plot had been uncovered, and now he was fighting for his life.
"This is bad," Lu Fan muttered under his breath. He watched closely as the cultivators of the Tiger Escort Agency, skilled and powerful though they were, seemed unable to land a decisive blow. The man in black's agility and eerie strength kept them at bay.
But just as the battle seemed to be reaching its peak, a sudden rush of energy cut through the chaos. From the shadows of the city's outskirts, a new figure appeared. Dressed in robes that shimmered with an otherworldly glow, an immortal cultivator descended into the fray. His appearance was sudden, and his presence was overwhelming.
Before the ghost cultivator could react, the immortal cultivator struck. A flash of silver and a burst of spiritual Qi illuminated the night as the immortal cultivator's sword cleaved through the air. The ghost cultivator, caught off guard, barely managed to raise his ghost flag in time to defend himself. But the immortal cultivator's strength was too much, and the flag was torn to shreds in an instant.
With a flick of the immortal cultivator's wrist, a spiritual attack shot out, striking the ghost cultivator directly. The man in black screamed as the soul-binding energies of the flag were shattered, and his connection to the spirits was severed. The dark energy that had surrounded him dissipated in an instant, and the ghost cultivator crumpled to the ground, defeated.
The Tiger Escort leader and his men, though shocked by the appearance of the immortal cultivator, quickly regrouped. They stood back as the immortal cultivator calmly stepped forward, inspecting the now-defeated ghost cultivator.
Lu Fan, hidden in the shadows, observed the scene closely. He realized that his understanding of energy and cultivation was still incomplete. The fight between the immortal cultivator and the ghost cultivator made one thing clear—there was a vast difference between mortal martial arts and the techniques of immortal cultivators.
For a moment, Lu Fan was mesmerized by the immortal cultivator's presence. He could feel the spiritual Qi emanating from him, a force so pure and powerful that it seemed to fill the air. The ghost cultivator, in contrast, had relied on a combination of blood, Qi, and soul energy, creating a dangerous mixture that allowed him to control spirits. But even with his power, he was no match for the immortal cultivator's refined techniques.
Lu Fan's thoughts turned inward as he reflected on his own progress. While he had worked tirelessly to refine his body using electricity, he knew now that he lacked the spiritual Qi required to truly advance. The energy he had cultivated through electricity had made him a physical powerhouse, but it was not enough to push him into the innate martial realm.
He needed blood Qi, the energy used by most martial artists, and while he could not cultivate spiritual Qi without a spirit root, there was still hope. Once he became an innate martial artist, he could create his own spirit root and move closer to becoming an immortal cultivator himself.
With this realization, Lu Fan felt both a sense of urgency and a renewed determination. He had seen the power of the immortal cultivator firsthand, and he knew that he had to grow stronger. The path ahead was clear—he needed to find a way to cultivate blood Qi and refine his techniques further. Only then would he be able to break through into the innate realm and begin his true journey toward immortality.
As the immortal cultivator left the scene, disappearing into the night, Lu Fan made up his mind. He would find a way to enter the innate martial realm, no matter the cost. The ghost cultivator's defeat had shown him the way, and now, it was time for Lu Fan to take the next