After a bitter struggle, the red-eyed William Carter was still unable to rein in his excitement, restlessly searching all around for opponents.

More than a dozen ghost generals, having slain many wraiths and replenished their vitality, were especially ferocious. Even with the night fading, they refused to retreat, locked in a desperate battle with William Carter. These ghost generals had all been fierce and unruly in life, and even in death, they would not become mere pawns in another’s hands. Edward Parker also found these fellows to be quite a headache.

John Foster had long since extricated himself, riding the wind and floating lightly in the air. He watched with great interest as William Carter single-handedly challenged these exceptionally brave ghost generals.

Among the ghost generals besieging William Carter, only four caught John Foster’s attention. One of them had a greenish face and a single eye, with a burly build. The long spear in his hand burst forth with a flurry of spear flowers; if he hadn’t absorbed most of William Carter’s attacks, the other ghost generals would have long since been scattered to the winds by William Carter.

Another was extremely ugly, his head split in two. He moved about aimlessly, but when he encountered William Carter, his blade was fierce and sharp, able to fight to a standstill. Sometimes, when he met other ghost generals, he would slash down without mercy, showing no regard for camaraderie.

The remaining two ghost generals were quite peculiar. One wore a white robe and wielded a long spear, his face as handsome as carved jade—a rare and strikingly handsome man. Though no longer among the living, he still exuded an aura of righteousness. He was also one of the very few ghost generals with a mount: a blue-spotted white horse that galloped like a dragon, clearly no ordinary steed. Although he joined in the siege of William Carter, he only intervened quietly when William Carter tried to break out or was about to slay another ghost general. The long spear in his hand appeared and vanished unpredictably, and his martial skills were so extraordinary that even John Foster dared not claim he could surely defeat this refined, white-robed ghost general.

The last one wore blue armor over a fiery red battle robe. His tall stature made him stand out among the ghost generals. Occasionally, when he looked up, two clusters of blue ghostly flames flickered in his eyes, startling even John Foster.

“Could it be that these ghost generals actually retain their intelligence from life? No wonder this Edward the Wicked has never dared to unleash his refined war souls—where did he gather so many powerful ancient war spirits?”

Chapter Five: Azure Armor

The blue-armored ghost general seemed to care about his status even in death, refusing to gang up on William Carter with the others. As the red sun rose and the stalemate continued, he let out a whistle, pushed the others aside, and somehow produced a massive halberd from behind. With a surge of energy, he unleashed a wave that shattered William Carter’s counterattack.

After fighting for so long, William Carter’s mind was already in chaos, relying on instinct alone to keep charging and slashing. As the blue-armored ghost general’s halberd came down, William Carter was suddenly jolted awake, and with a wild swing of the Azure Flame Yin Thunder Blade, he struck directly at the halberd’s edge.

The force transmitted through the halberd was like a raging storm, forming countless tiny wind drills that tore through the air. Even with the spirit of Xiang Yu possessing him, William Carter could not withstand such strange power; the energy of the Azure Flame Yin Thunder Blade was shattered by a single blow from the halberd.

Though forced back a step, William Carter’s fighting spirit remained undiminished. But the opponent seemed unwilling to continue the fight—after repelling William Carter with one strike, he turned slightly, let out a whistle, and all the ghost generals turned into black smoke, burrowing into the ground.

With blue ghostly flames flickering in his eyes, the blue-armored ghost general seemed to grin at William Carter, then spun around and dissolved into a whirlwind.

“Damn it, do these ghosts really have emotions—can they laugh, cry, feel joy and sorrow?”

With his opponents gone, the fight naturally came to an end. William Carter tumbled to the ground, limbs splayed out in a star shape, unwilling to move another inch. After a night of relentless fighting, even though William Carter had reached the innate realm, he could not withstand such exhaustion.

Once the battle ended, the fighting spirit that had sustained him suddenly vanished. William Carter felt sore and aching all over, not wanting to move even a finger. He knew full well that John Foster had been watching him and the ghost generals fight, yet hadn’t come to help, but he was too tired to even curse him.

In William Carter’s eyes, this wretched old monk had long since changed from a respected elder to a bald donkey. Whatever little admiration he once had was long since thrown to the Buddha in the Western Paradise.

His already tattered Daoist robe had been torn even further by countless evil spirits and fierce ghosts. Now William Carter understood why someone of John Foster’s status would be dressed in such rags.

“Little Daoist! If you don’t regulate your internal energy, lying there like this, you won’t recover your vitality for half a month. You’ll probably fall seriously ill and never hope to reach a higher level of martial arts.”

John Foster’s melodious voice drifted over. Though William Carter had cursed the old bald donkey a thousand times in his heart, he knew these were true words. After a bitter fight, with his vital energy depleted, this was a critical moment for cultivation. If he let himself go now, it would greatly hinder his future training.

The Scarlet Flame Sword Light Technique and the Great Spirit-Controlling Ghost Commanding Method, though powerful, were not suitable for regulating internal energy. The Azure Flame Yin Thunder Blade was even more domineering and lacked gentleness, and William Carter could only use it vaguely, not fully understanding its intricacies.

What suited the current situation best was actually the Daoist internal skill of William Carter’s own sect, the Wuji Palace. The Wuji Palace’s mental method originated from the Daoist classic “The Supreme Clarity Upper Prime Scripture,” with internal energy that flowed gently and endlessly, perfect for calming the mind and nurturing the spirit.