Although countless vengeful spirits around them transformed into ghostly soldiers and generals, engaged in a fierce and bloody battle, since John Foster was there to protect him, William Carter was not worried about being possessed by the myriad ghosts. He calmed his mind and focused his will to capture that chilling aura.

William Carter was no fool. After obtaining the incantation for the Divine Spirit Commanding Ghosts technique, he pondered over it and gained some insight. He knew that as long as he subdued this most powerful force, the rest of the spirits would be easy to handle.

Though it was a demonic art, the Divine Spirit Commanding Ghosts technique naturally had its own mysteries. To avoid having the primordial spirit or soul shot into his body interfere with his consciousness and seize his body, there were many secret methods to suppress such situations.

Extending his will, William Carter collided with that chilling aura within his body, feeling as if his internal organs were burning, blood spurting from his mouth. An unspeakable irritation and disgust welled up in his heart. The vajra staff in his hand once again burst forth with brilliant golden light, forming a pillar that enveloped William Carter.

This unremarkable dark green bamboo staff was a treasure of heaven and earth, crafted from ten-thousand-year-old shadow bamboo. When John Foster obtained it, he gathered thirty-six tantric lamas and, with supreme Buddhist power, blessed it with the Great Vajra Demon-Subduing Mantra. It could subdue all evil spirits and was extremely powerful.

With the Buddhist power of the vajra staff aiding him, William Carter urgently circulated his true qi, and his consciousness forcefully crashed into the chilling aura. Suddenly, countless thoughts flooded his mind, and a surge of negative emotions—regret, rage, and despair—poured into William Carter's heart. He could barely withstand it, feeling an urge to leap up, shout, and kill to feel relief.

Seeing William Carter's pupils turn red and his hair bristle in anger, John Foster couldn't help but sigh and pressed a finger to William Carter's forehead.

Just as he was merging with the spirit of Xiang Yu, William Carter suddenly felt a brightness between his brows, and countless rays of light shone down from the sky before his eyes. His previously agitated emotions also calmed. It was John Foster, fearing that William Carter would lose control, who forcibly used tantric meditation to open his divine third eye.

Today, William Carter had first had his meridians opened by John Foster, forcibly boosting his power, mastering the Scarlet Flame Sword Light technique in a single day, and then absorbing hundreds of spirits. Now, with his third eye forcibly opened by John Foster, in a daze, William Carter had already advanced from an ordinary little Taoist to a top-tier expert. His martial and magical skills progressed by leaps and bounds.

With his celestial eye wide open, William Carter's willpower was strengthened a hundredfold. The power of the Divine Spirit Commanding Ghosts technique increased tenfold. The spirits within his body exploded and were merged into his own true qi and primordial spirit.

However, the chilling aura formed by Xiang Yu's spirit also became even more violent. Now connected to William Carter's primordial spirit, their emotions influenced each other. William Carter tried his best to calm himself, but gradually sensed that he was being entangled by Xiang Yu's spirit, as if he was about to be controlled by this ancient overlord's soul.

Chapter Four: The Duel of Magic

“Hahaha! Many thanks for your help, Dharma King. I was worried I couldn't control the heroic spirit of the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, and didn't dare release my own battle spirit to cultivate, which delayed me greatly. Today, with your great assistance, I will surely repay you in the future.”

With a loud, sky-shaking laugh, a thin figure shot into the sky. Who knows how long he had been buried in the earth just now. As soon as Edward Parker appeared, a black-robed ghost general clad in dark gold armor separated from his back.

Facing such a formidable foe, John Foster dared not be careless. He could only watch helplessly as the black-robed ghost general charged into the surrounding formation of ghostly soldiers.

Judging by appearance alone, Edward Parker wore a blue Taoist robe fluttering in the wind, a tall and ancient crown, and had a dignified bearing—he looked far more like a true Taoist than the ragged John Foster. This old Taoist rode the wind, conversing and laughing in midair. If others saw him, they would surely take him for an immortal, bowing in worship and burning incense in offering. Just by his appearance, he could already fool many devout men and women.

With palms together in a slight bow, John Foster said calmly, “Daoist brother, you have cultivated for far longer than this monk. Although the Doumu Mysterious Spirit Incantation absorbs vengeful spirits to aid cultivation, there is nothing inherently wrong with that. But the year before last, in order to practice your arts, you took the souls of tens of thousands of my Yuan soldiers outside Xunyang City. What was your reasoning?”

Edward Parker smacked his lips and replied carelessly, “I saw those soldiers slaughtering my Han people and couldn't bear it. Out of compassion for all living things, I went to offer comfort. The commanding general, Yelü Buhua, could not appreciate this Taoist's merciful heart, so I had no choice.”

“No choice?”

“Then what about the monk's disciples and the seven hundred resident monks at the temple? How did they offend you, Daoist brother, that you took their souls and burned the monk's abode to the ground?” As he spoke, John Foster's tone remained calm, without a trace of anger. Yet the Great Sun Purple Flame energy on his body suddenly erupted, blazing fiercely as if about to soar. In the flames, John Foster appeared like the true body of the Great Sun Tathagata manifesting in the world, his vast Buddhist power sweeping away the surrounding ghostly aura.

Seeing John Foster's display of power, Edward Parker was secretly shocked, thinking, “This old bald donkey truly deserves his reputation as one of the four great masters of this age—he is indeed extraordinary. I must not take him lightly.”