Inside the Dust Valley Sect main hall, all the elders sat with an air of relief around them.

They had been scared after the Radiant Sect Master and elder arrived with news of many vengeful spirits appearing throughout the Western Region.

With the Sect Masters and most of the elders not in the sect, they had already expected the worst.

The appearance of Supreme Elder Sun raised their hope, but when the battle took a drastic turn,

With the situation turning worse every second, fear gripped their minds like a vice when they thought it was over for their sect.

The Sect Master and his wife arrived.

Since then, they knew their sect would not be destroyed today. And indeed, their sect overcame the danger.

Looking at Supreme Elder Zhao, all the elders could still remember his dazzling sword strike.

The Dust Severing Strike cleaved the Radiant Sect Master apart. He stood no chance at all.

Looking at the elders below, the sect master could see the relief on their faces. He could understand their emotion, but he knew it was not the time to relax.

Until they closed off all the netherworld gateways, they couldn't afford to relax.

"The danger is not over…," he began, his voice low and solemn. "We must find all the netherworld gateways and close them immediately."

All the elders nodded in agreement. This was the real danger.

"While Supreme Elder Sun recovers from his injury, all elders must leave the sect to clear all the vengeful spirits around the sect and the Dust Valley City."

"Supreme Elder Zhao will leave to inspect every part of the region. Any area that needs help should be helped immediately."

"When everyone is outside, if you need help, send a message to the sect and we will arrange for reinforcement immediately."

"As for the disciples, they must leave the sect in teams. If they find anything strange, they must report to the sect immediately."

"Any questions?" he asked.

All the elders shook their heads. Everyone understood the urgency of the situation and were ready to leave the sect.

"Very well. Please depart immediately."

Quickly, the elders left the grand hall and began to coordinate the disciples for a full attack on the vengeful spirits.

For towns and villages without any protective formation, they would be helpless against the terrifying vengeful spirits.

In a couple of minutes, disciples rushed out of the sect gate on their Cloud Chase horses.

During such chaotic times, the sect reduced the contribution points for the Cloud Chase Horse, making it affordable for all disciples.

….

Thousand kilometers from the Dust Valley Sect, a small village stood, surrounded by thousands of vengeful spirits.

The highest were the Restless Phantoms, but against villagers they were insurmountable mountains.

"Village Chief, what should we do? Their numbers keep increasing." A sturdy middle-aged man shouted.

He was only a Mortal Rank-8 warrior. His strength was limited. Previously, this might have earned him praise among the villagers, but now…

The Village Chief was a Mortal Rank-9 warrior; he was battling Restless Phantoms and had already sustained many injuries.

But as the village chief, he could not retreat even if he wanted.

"Lead the women and children to safety. I and the hunter teams will hold them off," the Village Chief commanded.

When the hunters heard their village chief, their expressions were solemn, but no one spoke. This was the only choice they had, or else this damn vengeful spirit would claim their lives.

"Yes, Village Chief."

"No!"

"Bo Liang has been possessed." A voice screamed with terror.

This was one of the fearful aspects of the Restless Phantom: they could possess weak-willed individuals.

"What are you doing? Kill him immediately," the Village Chief commanded.

Looking at their fellow villagers, the hunters were conflicted, but they overcame the sentimental feeling and attacked Bo Liang.

The village was thrown into chaos; screams and cries for help echoed in the air. Bodies lay on the ground in pools of blood, both young and old.

The hunter team tried to push the vengeful spirit back, but their strengths were insufficient.

Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves echoed from the distance. The villagers raised their heads and saw a team of young people rushing toward them on horseback.

Whoosh!

Before the horses stopped, the five leaped from their mounts and unsheathed their swords, cleaving every vengeful spirit on their path.

The vengeful spirits that had pushed the villagers to the brink of destruction were being handled with ease.

"Ah! I knew it! The Dust Valley Sect would abandon us," a young man in his late teens muttered, his face filled with excitement and relief.

The villagers did not respond, but their faces were full of relief.

Two minutes later, all the vengeful spirits had been killed.

"Immortals, thank you for saving us." The Village Chief stepped forward and bowed deeply.

"It's nothing." Zou Mei responded. "Take this and use it on your people."

Hmm?

The village chief and all the villagers were stunned when they saw the storage pouch.

"Immortal this…."

"Take it." Her voice left no room for argument.

The village chief took the storage pouch with trembling hands. "Thank you very much."

Zou Mei was already back on the Cloud Chase Horse. She looked at the villagers and advised, "Stay inside. Everywhere is dangerous right now."

With that, her team turned and departed. There were still many villages that needed their help.

….

Purple Mountain City.

The city protective formation had been breached, and the sound of battle echoed in the air.

Mortal Rank warriors, Foundation Realm warriors, and Core Refining warriors were on the street battling the vengeful spirits.

Compared to the small village with only Wisp Spirit and a few Restless Phantoms, the city was crawling with thousands of Restless Phantoms and Wailing Revenants.

To kill a Wailing Revenant, it would require three early Core Refining Realm warriors. This made the battle one-sided.

Warriors were dying every minute. Yet, no one escaped.

Against the never-ending vengeful spirits, there was no escape.

With the city covered in the flame of war, suddenly a dazzling flaming strike came from the sky.

Boom! Boom!

Supreme Elder Zhao appeared over Purple Mountain City and struck continuously.

In less than five strikes, almost all the vengeful spirits crawling into the city were cleared. They vanished into thin air.

Gasped!

Stunned, everyone raised their heads to look at the person who had helped them, only to find the sky empty.