The Grand Blood Spirit Formation of Ten Thousand Bones

Xie Wujie felt a sudden jolt run through his entire body, as if he had been doused in icy water while still half-asleep. He snapped his head up, only to find himself alone.

“Damn it, that scared me half to death!” Xie Wujie glanced around, shook his head, and turned back to continue roasting sweet potatoes.

But the moment he turned around, he saw that, without his noticing, someone had appeared by the campfire—a woman.

A chill crept up Xie Wujie’s spine, rising from his lower back all the way to the crown of his head. His eyes widened in shock.

The woman was dressed in white, her long hair flowing, alluring in appearance, and unnervingly, she held an iron chain in her hand. Her eyes shone with a faint, wicked green light, the corners lifted in a seductive manner. The mingling of her murky pupils and enchanting eye shape created a bewitching allure, while her lips were thin and dull in color.

Her figure was sultry, curves accentuated, and her voice was languid and seductive: “To think such a handsome young man would stumble in—looks like I’ll be feasting well tonight!”

Xie Wujie narrowed his eyes, alert. “Who are you? Are you human or ghost?”

The woman was enchantingly coquettish, closing the distance in three steps, until she stood before Xie Wujie and, with a long tongue, licked his neck, sending his nerves into a frenzy and making him shudder all over.

After that lick, Xie Wujie suddenly found himself unable to move. The woman shamelessly reached for his belt, flashing a wicked smile. “A delicacy delivered to my door—how could I refuse? Once I drain you dry, you’ll understand the consequences of wandering where you shouldn’t.”

She pressed herself against him, wrapping him in her arms. Xie Wujie trembled, catching the scent of her perfume—it was intoxicating, making his senses reel, his skin crawl with terror.

Her gaze was venomous as she leaned in, intent on kissing him.

Xie Wujie gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and summoned all his strength—a burst of energy sent the woman flying with a startled cry.

“So ungrateful!” she scolded. “Fine, since you intruders have no way out, when you’re barely clinging to life, I’ll return for your soul!”

With that, she turned to flee. Xie Wujie hurriedly pulled on his arm guards and gave chase. “Don’t run!”

The woman ran ahead, Xie Wujie pursued behind, twisting and turning through the woods until they reached a dead end. The woman cried out and fell, her white robes torn. Only then did Xie Wujie realize she was walking on stilts, giving the illusion of missing legs—she was impersonating a ghost.

Xie Wujie frowned deeply. “Miss, we’ve never met, neither old feud nor new grievance between us. Why disguise yourself as a fierce ghost to frighten me?”

“What are you going to do?” The woman hugged her chest, retreating step by step.

Xie Wujie laughed helplessly. “If I meant you harm, would I be here reasoning with you? Tell me, are you one of the people from the Hall of Yama?”

“I am not!” she snapped. “I was only trying to scare you four away out of kindness, and you mistook my good intentions for hostility, thinking I was attacking you. Don’t be ridiculous—if you head there now, it’s a dead end!”

“Since you’re not from the Hall of Yama, why stop us from going?” Xie Wujie pressed.

“You seem to be a cultivator yourself, so let me give you a warning—do you know what kind of place this is?” she replied.

Xie Wujie frowned, surveying the woodland clearing, but saw nothing unusual.

“There is a heavy aura of death here. Many corpses are buried,” came the voice of Dongmen Jianhao from behind.

Startled, Xie Wujie exclaimed, “Senior brother, you’re not resting?”

“If we pretended to sleep, how could we lure this young lady out?” Dongmen Jianhao answered. “It was all a plan devised by Ji Liancheng, your second senior brother, to use you as bait and draw her out.”

“What?” Xie Wujie was dumbfounded, never imagining he’d been set up by his own brother.

Ji Liancheng waved his fan with a sly smile. “Forgive me, junior brother. Among us, aside from you, either we look fierce or scholarly, but you seem the easiest to fool—so you were chosen as bait.”

“Next time, let me know in advance so I can be prepared!” Xie Wujie protested, half amused, half exasperated.

Dongmen Jianhao stepped forward. “Miss, are you alright?”

He helped her up, and as she caught sight of Dongmen Jianhao’s handsome face, she trembled, cheeks flushing, and replied shyly, “I—I’m fine…”

Xie Wujie sighed inwardly—this truly was a world where appearances mattered.

The young woman explained that she was a local villager. The Hall of Yama was infamous for its slaughter, a fact well known in the region. She had disguised herself as a ghost to scare away those who came to hunt in the area, thus protecting many people.

The Hall of Yama had set a deadly formation known as the Grand Blood Spirits Array. The woman led the group to the edge of the forest, a barren wasteland.

Casting a tender glance at Dongmen Jianhao, she lifted a rabbit in her hand. “Watch closely, everyone.”

With that, she tossed the rabbit forward. It bolted into the wasteland, and as it crossed the boundary, red ripples began to spread across the ground.

The rabbit slowed, and soon its body shrank, until only the skeleton remained.

Everyone stared, dumbfounded.

Xie Wujie shivered in fear, grateful they had waited outside and not stepped onto that cursed land, else their fate would have matched the rabbit’s.

The woman’s name was Huang Ruonan. She spoke, “If you want to reach the Hall of Yama, it’s near impossible. The area is a death trap—if you go, you may never return.”

“Miss, since they’ve set traps all around, where did they come from themselves?” Ji Liancheng asked.

Xie Wujie could see the Hall of Yama in the distance—a black fortress surrounded by a haze of ash and shadow, radiating a murderous aura.

Huang Ruonan replied, “They seem to emerge from the forest, as if springing from the earth itself.”

“There must be a secret passage, known only to members of their sect. The Hall of Yama is like an assassin’s guild—their rules are strict, outsiders can’t possibly figure them out,” Dongmen Jianhao said.

Xie Wujie interjected, “So the entrance is somewhere in the forest?”

“Most likely,” Dongmen Jianhao agreed. “Liancheng, can you predict when they’ll come out?”

“They usually emerge before sunrise, to carry out their missions,” Ji Liancheng said.

The group discussed and decided to wait around the forest, hoping to find clues.

“Wait, be careful as you move about,” Huang Ruonan warned kindly.

Xie Wujie laughed, “Don’t tell me there are real ghosts—I don’t believe it!”

“There really are. Legend says that in the latter half of the night, monsters appear in the woods. I must return now; after midnight, even I dare not venture out,” Huang Ruonan replied.

Xie Wujie’s face turned grim and he fell silent.

Yang Hongliu chuckled lewdly, “If there truly are ghosts, I hope they’re as lovely as Ruonan. If so, bring as many as you like—I’ll welcome them all, heh heh…”

Ji Liancheng took out several talismans from his pocket. “Real ghosts feed on souls and have no physical form—they’re difficult to deal with. Here, each of you take one—these are warding talismans. They’ll protect you for one night; no evil spirit will dare approach.”

Xie Wujie quickly stuffed one into his pocket.

Dongmen Jianhao declared, “Alright, let’s split up. We’ve rested for an hour—time to search for the Hall of Yama’s entrance.”