Chapter 31 Ambush!

Kujo Tsumugi threw a talisman, which instantly transformed into a streak of white lightning that struck the ghost. The ghost let out a mournful wail as its light dimmed, but it didn't disappear.

Boyang, watching from the side, threw his own talisman. This time, the powerful lightning completely obliterated the ghost, leaving no trace behind.

"Tsk."

Seeing the stark difference in the power of their spells, Kujo Tsumugi couldn't help but feel amazed. Despite her talent, she had only been learning magic for a little over a month. The range and potency of spells she could manage were far less impressive compared to Boyang's.

"I think the current situation is a bit strange," Kujo Tsumugi said as they continued deeper into Wuwangpo.

[The number of ghosts they encountered didn't increase as expected; in fact, it decreased significantly.]

"Yes, it's definitely unusual," Boyang agreed, though he didn't have a clear solution. They couldn't simply abandon their investigation because something seemed off. After all, they had come here to address the anomalies in Wuwangpo.

The only option was to remain vigilant for any hidden dangers.

"I'm feeling a growing sense of unease, as if something is approaching us. We need to move quickly," Kujo Tsumugi urged.

She led Boyang off the main road and into the bushes for cover.

"Shh... stay quiet."

Kujo Tsumugi gestured for silence and placed talismans around them to mask their presence.

They crouched in the bushes and waited for more than ten minutes. Just as Boyang began to grow impatient, a figure appeared at the end of the road they had just traveled—more precisely, a ghost.

Even though ordinary ghosts often emitted an unnatural dark green light, this one appeared almost human from a distance. It was only the dark green will-o'-the-wisps in its eye sockets that revealed its true nature.

Moreover, the ghost was dressed in an ancient rock-colored robe, quite different from the current fashion in Liyue. Despite the ghostly nature, the man's appearance was strikingly handsome, making it clear why he was once admired. It was a reminder of the cruelty of fate that such a magnificent figure had become a wandering ghost.

Next to the man was a floating elemental sphere made of pure rock elements. Kujo Tsumugi didn't recognize it but guessed it might be some kind of magical weapon.

Unfortunately, apart from Xiao, other Yakshas had not appeared in the game due to their early deaths. Kujo Tsumugi had no impression of them or their magical weapons.

However, she soon got her answer.

As the Wandering Yaksha passed a house, several ghosts emerged. The magical weapon beside the Yaksha launched an attack, firing rock-element energy balls that quickly destroyed the ghosts, leaving no trace of them.

Seeing this, Kujo Tsumugi and Boyang exchanged glances.

"That explains why there are fewer ghosts in the center of Wuwangpo," Kujo Tsumugi thought.

Boyang then used a sound transmission talisman.

"It seems your suspicion was correct. A Yaksha has indeed appeared in Wuwangpo. The good news is that it has almost cleared all the ghosts in the area, which will reduce the surrounding yin energy and cause the passage between the Yin and Yang worlds to close. This means we won't have to worry about other ghosts from the Yin world."

"But, as I mentioned earlier, Yakshas absorb the karma of the dead. If this Yaksha continues to absorb karma from the ghosts, its strength will increase to a terrifying level."

"Brother Boyang, what exactly is karma?" Kujo Tsumugi asked, curious.

"Oh, I almost forgot you're from Mond," Boyang replied with a sigh. "Karma is a complex concept. You can think of it as the sins or negative emotions accumulated throughout a person's life. The more karma a Yaksha absorbs, the stronger they become. However, it also erodes their rationality, eventually driving them mad. Many Yakshas in history died because they absorbed too much karma."

"So what should we do? The magical weapon the Yaksha has can automatically attack, and it's clearly no ordinary item. Can we really defeat it with our strength? We don't even know how strong the Yaksha is yet," Kujo Tsumugi questioned.

As they discussed, the Wandering Yaksha continued along the road, so the two emerged from their hiding spot to finalize their plan.

"This Yaksha seems to stick to the main road. How about we set up a formation ahead of him and ambush him? We can deal with this old comrade who has been around for hundreds or thousands of years. What do you think, Brother Boyang?"

"That's a viable strategy," Boyang said, his eyes lighting up.

"And we should also plan an escape route, so if we can't defeat him, at least we can get away safely," Kujo Tsumugi added.

"Agreed. We'll do as you suggest," Boyang replied.

The two followed the Yaksha from a distance and, upon confirming that it only roamed the main road, they moved to an alternate route the Yaksha would have to take. Boyang prepared the formation, while Kujo Tsumugi planned their escape route and dealt with the surrounding ghosts.

Soon, everything was ready. They hid in a small hut and waited. After half an hour, the Yaksha appeared on the road.

Kujo Tsumugi and Boyang exchanged determined looks.

One step... two steps... The Yaksha walked into the formation Boyang had set up, but Boyang did not activate it immediately. It wasn't until the Yaksha reached the center of the formation that Boyang took action.

Dozens, even hundreds, of talismans rose into the air on their own, forming a chain that tightly wrapped around the Yaksha. The formation on the ground glowed brightly, suppressing the Yaksha's strength to its lowest level.

The Yaksha reacted immediately, struggling to break free from the talisman chains. But with the formation's suppression, his strength was reduced by at least 30%. Kujo Tsumugi and Boyang did not give the Yaksha a chance to escape. As soon as the formation activated, they threw every talisman they had. Fire and lightning surged within the formation, quickly engulfing the Yaksha's figure.