The First Summoner - Chapter 123

Souls emerge, ghosts appear?

The spectators outside were momentarily bewildered by the incantation. Had Shen Yan recited it incorrectly?

Was she not supposed to summon otherworldly beasts?

What happened next made their eyes widen in stunned disbelief.

The moment Shen Yan’s summoning array activated, countless shadows drifted out. At first they seemed ethereal, but they gradually solidified. Ashen faces of malicious ghosts emerged atop bodies that shifted between solid and incorporeal. In an instant, they rushed at Wen Yuchu, Chi Yue, and Pei Wusu.

The most striking among them was a female ghost in a dark red dress. Nearly six feet tall, she had a graceful waist, elaborate heavy makeup, and vivid red lips that made her appear even more dangerous.

She held a blood-red broadsword and resembled a vengeful spirit come to claim lives, filling everyone with fear.

As soon as the ghosts appeared, the surrounding temperature plummeted and the sky grew faintly dark. The entire area seemed enveloped by hell itself, sending chills down every spine.

The red-dressed ghost affectionately draped an arm over Shen Yan’s shoulder. Her voice was seductive. “My Yan, which one is your target—or do you want… all of them?”

“The one holding the guqin,” Shen Yan answered concisely.

The ghost grinned. “Shall I smash his guqin, or smash him? Then I can cut off his head for soup, tear out his heart and eat it raw, and cook his flesh for you. My Yan, you truly understand your elder sister. Those are my favorite things to do.”

The geniuses present stared in alarm.

The spectators outside were even more horrified. They were shocked that Shen Yan could summon ghosts—and even more shocked by the powerful female ghost, whose strength was completely unfathomable.

What was going on?

How could a Summoner call forth ghosts? Was this some forbidden art?

Every member of Western Region Academy looked incredulous. They had never heard of such a phenomenon.

Dean Xuanyun narrowed his eyes and stared meaningfully at Shen Yan. A decision took shape in his heart.

…

Inside the secret realm—

Shen Yan calmly said, “Sister Hongling, just smash the tokens at their waists.”

The female ghost was Hongling.

She found the instruction rather dull, but still smiled, her crimson lips appearing even more bewitching. “For your sake, your elder sister will help.”

The ghosts entangled Wen Yuchu and the other two.

They prevented Wen Yuchu from playing, cutting the music off abruptly. His expression changed. When he tried to play another piece in defense, one ghost appeared behind him and bit into his neck.

Pain shot through him.

He erupted with powerful pressure and blasted the lesser ghost away.

But the ghosts were extraordinarily difficult to handle. Their bodies shifted unpredictably. They seemed to know the guqin in his arms was his weakness and focused their attacks on it.

As Wen Yuchu concentrated on protecting the instrument, another lesser ghost caught him off guard and snatched the token from his waist.

The ghost grinned eerily and delivered it to Shen Yan.

She crushed it without hesitation.

Hongling also acted. One swing of her red broadsword sent Pei Wusu and Chi Yue crashing to the ground and coughing up blood.

Then she extended one hand. Their tokens flew free in an instant, and she tossed them to Shen Yan.

Shen Yan crushed them too.

Outside the secret realm, the spectators stared dumbfounded.

Wen Yuchu, Chi Yue, and Pei Wusu had been eliminated just like that?!

Were their eyes deceiving them?

“Damn! Shen Yan is too powerful!”

“She isn’t the powerful one. Those mysterious ghosts are!”

“Shen Yan summoned them, which makes them part of her strength! The stronger the ghosts, the stronger Shen Yan is. Isn’t that how it works?”

“That’s true. It’s really no different from summoning otherworldly beasts. The strange part is how Shen Yan can summon ghosts at all. No history has ever recorded such a thing.”

“Shen Yan is incredible!”

“Who would’ve thought? Pei Wusu, Chi Yue, and Wen Yuchu were all eliminated by Shen Yan!”

The three had already been transported outside.

Their expressions varied as they looked darkly at Shen Yan and the ghost horde on the crystal screen—especially the female ghost in red.

Fewer and fewer contestants remained inside.

Shen Yan, Zhuge Youlin, Jiang Xianyue, Qiu Yaqian, Xiao Zechuan, Yu Changying, and the unconscious Zhu Miaoqing were still gathered in the same place.

Yu Changying, Xiao Zechuan, and Qiu Yaqian watched Shen Yan warily. The ghosts’ appearance posed an immense threat, and none could be certain of resisting them.

“Do you want their tokens?” Hongling asked considerately.

“Yes.”

The moment Shen Yan answered, the ghosts surged toward the three.

They had prepared themselves, yet the ghosts still caught them off guard. Their weapons could not pierce the ghosts’ bodies at all, and even injuring them proved exceedingly difficult.

Zhuge Youlin marveled at the sight.

He looked excitedly at Shen Yan. “Shen Yan, you have an incredible number of hidden cards!”

Shen Yan smiled slightly. While his guard was down, she took the token from his waist but did not crush it immediately.

Zhuge Youlin jumped in fright.

“I’m close to fulfilling what we said in the underground passage,” Shen Yan told him.

He remembered their agreement to compete for first place in Western Region Academy’s entrance examination.

“Ah, I lost.” Zhuge Youlin lowered his head.

Shen Yan returned the token. “Here.”

He looked surprised. “You aren’t going to crush it?”

Shen Yan shook her head without explaining.

Then she gripped her sword and joined the battle.

Hongling followed, though her movements remained careless, as if she were not taking it seriously at all.

With Shen Yan and Hongling participating, Yu Changying and the other two came under intense pressure. They were no fools. If they dealt with Shen Yan, every ghost would disappear.

But Shen Yan was not especially weak, and the ghosts shielded her. Instead, she suppressed all three opponents.

About seven and a half minutes later, Shen Yan crushed Qiu Yaqian’s token, then Xiao Zechuan’s, and finally Yu Changying’s.

Before being transported out, Yu Changying smiled at Shen Yan. “I truly never expected to lose to you in the end…”

After eliminating them, Shen Yan crushed Zhu Miaoqing’s token as well.

Her face had gone pale, her sea of consciousness throbbed faintly, and both her stamina and spiritual power were almost completely depleted. She recalled all the ghosts.

Only Shen Yan, Jiang Xianyue, and Zhuge Youlin remained.