Hearing his grandfather say there were none, Lin Xiaolei was clearly stunned for a moment.
“I don't believe it!”
He casually pulled over a chair and sat down.
“Grandfather, you probably haven't read novels, but I have. Let me tell you...”
He spoke incessantly, telling the old Daoist about the novels he had read, especially those related to specters.
He clearly loved this genre of fiction. Not only did he recount numerous plotlines, but he also threw in his own theories, presenting them with great conviction.
Daoist Wufang was much older. When he wasn't engaged in quiet cultivation, he was busy exorcising ghosts, so he naturally had no time for novels.
Yet, he still listened attentively, even though his grandson's descriptions were highly exaggerated.
Still, he managed to extract some key information:
“Specters? Rules? Dungeon quests, and you can leave once you complete them?”
“That is indeed quite novel.”
“But you said the world where the dungeon is located might be a dream, or perhaps some corner of the world. In that case, where do you think this Withered Forest and Barren Mountains is?”
Lin Xiaolei looked up and glanced out the window.
“I don't know. In my memory, there is no such place at all.”
“Even if there is, it's likely a very remote area, probably abandoned long ago.”
He leaned in close to the old Daoist's ear and whispered.
“That young master we saw earlier, and the butler, they probably aren't living people either.”
The old Daoist glanced at him. “Didn't you already verify whether they were living people?”
Lin Xiaolei shook his head.
“Grandfather, you forgot what I just said.”
“In some novels, the living people in specter dungeons might have died long ago. They are merely illusions conjured up because the dungeon requires them.”
“Once players like us enter the dungeon and discover the so-called truth, these living people will most likely vanish, or even turn into Malevolent Ghosts, or even Fierce Ghosts.”
At this point, a flicker of dread passed through his eyes.
“Perhaps... they might even turn into Half-Step Blood-Clad ghosts.”
In their world, ghosts were also categorized by levels of strength.
The lowest tier was known as a Wandering Soul.
These spirits lacked the capacity for thought and acted almost entirely on instinct. Any basic Taoist spell could easily disperse them.
Some would even fade away on their own after a while.
Those slightly stronger were Malevolent Ghosts.
If a Wandering Soul existed long enough and was lucky enough to absorb sufficient yin qi, or if they possessed strong obsessions from their past life, the process would accelerate, and they would transform into a Malevolent Ghost.
Upon becoming a Malevolent Ghost, they could recall a small portion of their memories from when they were alive, possess independent consciousness, and even spontaneously comprehend basic ghostly arts.
For instance, abilities like Ghostly Howl or Ghostly Claw.
Anything stronger than that was a Fierce Ghost.
This was also the highest level of spirit that a person could directly transform into upon death, provided factors like obsession, resentment, pain, reluctance, or unwilling despair reached their absolute limits.
As for the subsequent Blood-Clad rank, and even the strongest Ghost Kings, those required long periods of cultivation.
What Lin Xiaolei had mentioned earlier—about the living people in the dungeon potentially turning into Half-Step Blood-Clad ghosts after a certain event occurred—was actually based on this concept.
It was something his grandfather had told him before.
Decades ago, while pursuing a fleeing Malevolent Ghost, his grandfather had arrived at a remote mountain village.
There, he happened to cross paths with a villager who had narrowly escaped from the village.
Upon questioning, he learned the general sequence of events from the survivor's mouth.
An old bachelor in their village, who had been single for many years, had emptied his life savings to buy a wife, only to discover that she was barren!
Consequently, the woman was subjected to inhumane treatment by the old bachelor.
This included, but was not limited to, living in a pigsty, eating pig feed, and even being rented out to other men in the village for profit.
This state of affairs persisted until three days ago, when the woman died. Three days later, she returned for vengeance.
By the time this villager escaped, seventy to eighty percent of the people in the village were already dead.
As for what happened next...
Lin Xiaolei had actually recalled this story the old Daoist told him during his childhood when he mentioned the Half-Step Blood-Clad rank just now.
Then, for some unknown reason, his gaze toward the old Daoist became rather peculiar.
Noticing this, the old Daoist reached out and knocked him hard on the head.
“You brat, are you thinking about what happened back then again?”
“If I knew you'd be like this, I would never have told you. What a little rascal!”
Lin Xiaolei snapped out of it and rubbed his head.
“I didn't say anything, and I don't think there's anything wrong with it either.”
At the time, the old Daoist had not approached that mountain village. He had merely stolen a distant glance from a faraway mountaintop.
Yet, with just that single glance, he saw a blood-red figure.
It wasn't entirely blood-red, but rather half-drenched in blood.
Whether they were Wandering Souls or Malevolent Ghosts, their forms were either white, black, or gray. Only upon becoming a Fierce Ghost would a tinge of red appear on their bodies. The more red there was, the stronger the Fierce Ghost.
Once a Fierce Ghost became completely red, they could advance to the Blood-Clad rank.
As for Ghost Kings, neither the old Daoist nor Lin Xiaolei had ever seen one, nor had they even heard of one existing anywhere.
The old Daoist kicked him again in annoyance.
“Back then, your grandfather could only trade blows with Malevolent Ghosts, and that was a Half-Step Blood-Clad ghost! A single glance from her could have cost me my life!”
“With that distant glance, I happened to see that Fierce Ghost grab the Malevolent Ghost I was tracking, tear it apart with her bare hands, and stuff it into her mouth piece by piece.”
“If I hadn't run fast, you wouldn't even be here today!”
Lin Xiaolei grinned.
“Grandfather is wise!”
Upon seeing the Fierce Ghost, the old Daoist had fled without a moment's hesitation, leaving even that villager behind.
What a joke.
Anyone who came out of that village was definitely heavily marked by the Fierce Ghost.
Running with him?
That would have been asking for death!
Nevertheless, the old Daoist possessed some sense of responsibility. Once he confirmed he was safe, he immediately reported the situation.
Later on, he received news that the Fierce Ghost had been eliminated.
It was said that when the organization's people located the Fierce Ghost, she was on the verge of advancing to the Blood-Clad rank.
According to estimates, she only needed another two or three days.
If she had actually reached that stage, the consequences would have been catastrophic!
After all, in the absence of a Ghost King, a Blood-Clad ghost was the strongest of all spirits!
Because he had reported it in time, preventing a major disaster, he was rewarded with a wealth of benefits, including some high-level legacy Taoist spells.
It was precisely this harvest that had forged the Daoist Wufang of today.
Lin Xiaolei looked at his composed grandfather, feeling a bit restless.
“Grandfather, do you think we should go out and look for specters right now? See if we can kill or suppress them?”
After some thought, the old Daoist shook his head.
“Unwise.”
“Why?”
“If we find them early and suppress them early, we'll be safer.”
He knew very well that his grandfather's current strength was already enough to deal with Fierce Ghosts!
Hearing this, the old Daoist felt a deep sense of frustration at his grandson's lack of promise.
This grandson had great talent for cultivating Taoist methods, but his head was simply missing a screw.
“You child, you're almost twenty years old, yet you still haven't grown a brain!”
Rate on N.U.
