Chapter 564: Ghost
In his opinion, revealing information so casually was never a good habit when cultivators were competing for opportunities.
Meanwhile, Lana wasn’t paying attention to any of that. Her focus remained on the zone in front of her.
For some reason, ever since they had entered the forest, she constantly felt as though a pair of eyes was watching her from somewhere nearby.
Every time she turned around, however, she found absolutely nothing. The sensation remained, but the source never appeared.
Axel had already noticed her unusual behavior. Walking beside her, he spoke calmly.
"You don’t need to pay too much attention to it."
Lana looked at him. "You noticed it too?"
Axel nodded. "It is probably one of the ghosts."
Seeing her confused expression, he continued.
"There are many kinds of ghosts. The first type enjoys harming people and feeding on their fear and suffering. The second type loves mischief. They make people feel as if they are being watched, even though they have no intention of attacking. The third type exists purely to create fear and panic."
As Axel explained, Lana listened attentively. The mysterious world of ghosts was still relatively new to her.
Soon, the group arrived at a church. The old building stood silently in the middle of the forest.
Its stone walls were covered in moss, while ivy crawled across cracked windows. Everyone frowned.
"A church?" Richard muttered.
Axel nodded.
"Shiki are extremely pure spiritual beings."
His gaze swept across the building.
"They are naturally attracted to places containing holy energy, divine energy, or even traces of spiritual purification. That means churches, temples, shrines, and similar locations are often worth investigating."
The moment he finished speaking, everyone nodded. Then they spread out to investigate. However, before anyone could go too far, Axel stopped them.
"Stay within sight of each other."
His voice carried a serious warning.
"Do not wander too far away. If the distance becomes too large, ghosts may isolate and attack you."
Everyone immediately agreed. Meanwhile, Lana entered the church.
The interior was dark.
Only a few weak rays of sunlight slipped through broken stained-glass windows. Dust floated through the air.
As Lana slowly walked between the benches, her footsteps echoed softly throughout the empty church.
Yet the further she walked, the stronger the feeling became. Someone was following her.
Every instinct in her body screamed that she wasn’t alone. Finally, unable to endure it anymore, she suddenly turned around.
Nothing. The church remained completely empty.
Lana frowned. Then she returned her gaze forward. A moment later, she walked toward one of the old wooden benches and bent down to inspect it.
Suddenly, a pair of feet appeared directly in front of her.
Lana froze. Her eyes slowly traveled upward.
Nothing. There was nobody there. She blinked. Then lowered her gaze again. The feet were back.
Standing directly in front of her. The sight was bizarre and terrifying.
However, Lana remained calm. Without hesitation, she pulled out an exorcism talisman.
Then she waved it toward the empty space. The next second, a horrifying scream exploded throughout the church.
The temperature instantly dropped. Several people jumped in fright. Layla nearly dropped her weapon. "Oh my god!"
She clutched her chest. "Lana, you really know how to scare people!"
Lana laughed softly.
"It was only one ghost."
Then a playful idea crossed her mind. "How about this?"
Everyone looked at her. "Let’s make a bet."
Her eyes sparkled. "Let’s see who can exorcise the most ghosts in this church."
Fay rolled her eyes. "Of course you would suggest that."
She crossed her arms. "Now that you’ve become stronger, you’re becoming more arrogant."
Lana immediately frowned. "What is wrong with you today?"
She tilted her head. "Are you on your period or something? Why do you keep arguing with me?"
The moment those words left her mouth, several people nearly choked.
Fay’s face instantly darkened. Meanwhile, Betty and Layla struggled desperately not to laugh.
Fay gritted her teeth but ultimately chose not to reply. For the next three hours, everyone searched the church thoroughly.
They investigated every corner. Unfortunately, despite all their efforts, they failed to discover any clues related to a Shiki.
Eventually, exhausted and hungry, they regrouped near Axel.
Axel had already prepared lunch. The aroma of freshly cooked food immediately lifted everyone’s spirits.
Lana opened her lunchbox. After taking a bite, her eyes brightened.
The food was genuinely delicious. Everyone quickly focused on eating. The peaceful meal helped wash away some of the tension.
After lunch, they rested briefly before continuing their search. By the end of the first day, every member of the group had encountered at least one ghost.
Each person dealt with their ghost differently.
Some battles lasted for hours. Some lasted only a few minutes. A few encounters ended in less than a second.
Naturally, the fastest among them was Lana. Yet despite their efforts, Lana was becoming increasingly disappointed.
There was still no sign of a Shiki. The next day, Axel decided to change locations.
"It doesn’t look like a Shiki is hiding here."
Everyone agreed. Soon, they arrived at an abandoned temple.
The moment Lana saw it, a shiver ran down her spine. Unlike the church, this place felt wrong.
The atmosphere was oppressive. The surrounding trees seemed twisted and unnatural. Even the sunlight struggled to penetrate the area.
And then she saw him, a bearded man, or rather, a ghost.
The ghost stood near the temple entrance, staring directly at them. His expression was filled with hatred.
The murderous intent radiating from him was so intense that Lana’s skin crawled.
It felt as though he wanted to slaughter every living person present.
Then suddenly, the ghost disappeared. Lana’s eyes widened.
The next instant, the figure reappeared directly in front of the group. "Ah!"
Lana instinctively jumped backward. Her sudden reaction startled everyone.
"What happened? What did you see?"
The group hurriedly looked toward the same spot. Yet they saw absolutely nothing.
The empty path stretched before them. Confusion appeared on everyone’s faces.
Fay couldn’t help muttering, "Lana, even if you want attention, don’t drag us into it."