Chapter 5

Evil spirits and vengeful ghosts swarmed around him. Ethan Moore’s vital energy began to crack. The cold energy seeped through the cracks into his body, causing his entire body to go numb with cold. Just when things seemed hopeless, a strange cry came from behind him. He turned around and his pupils constricted in shock—the Taoist priest he had just redeemed had stood up again!

The Taoist’s face was contorted and deformed. His eyes were dark and cloudy, and his entire body exuded a strong sense of death. It was clear that he was possessed by evil spirits. He bared his teeth and claws, charging at Ethan Moore at an astonishing speed.

Ethan Moore dodged to the side, his gaze once again falling on the small wooden coffin. The coffin wasn’t large, with a wooden dragon carved on it. The dragon had its head raised high, its four claws spread out. In the cracks of the coffin, traces of cinnabar remained. “One dragon at the top, four claws holding down the evil forces, sealed with cinnabar blood—such a coffin will surely imprison vengeful spirits!” The words from ancient texts flashed through Ethan Moore’s mind, and he understood everything at once.

The Harrison family truly sealed the vengeful spirits in coffins, all for the purpose of creating the Mirror Demon! That mirror must have absorbed the bones and blood of those vengeful spirits. The little ghost that was captured served as a vessel to nourish the Mirror Demon. No wonder that little ghost was so terrified of this place. No wonder the Taoist priest was hunted by the Harrison family—he must have discovered their secret of creating the Mirror Demon.

The evil spirit possessing the Taoist priest rushed at him once again. Without time to think, Ethan Moore bit his tongue sharply, spitting a drop of his vital blood onto his fingertips. Then, he recited the spell loudly: “Heaven and earth are formless; my magical energy is pure and strong. All things, help me! Offer a sacrifice!”

A red light burst from his fingertips, hitting the evil spirit. The spirit let out a shrill scream and paused for a moment. But there were too many evil spirits around. The red light disappeared in an instant, and more evil spirits rushed forward. Ethan Moore’s energy was completely shattered. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, and he gradually lost his strength.

Just as he was about to give up, a small hand suddenly rested on his shoulder. It was that mischievous little ghost. The ghost pointed at a “kerosene lamp” beside the wooden coffin, making noises with its mouth and constantly repeating, “Eat… eat…”

Ethan Moore followed the direction the little boy pointed. What he saw wasn’t a kerosene lamp at all. It was actually a bead the size of a fist, completely white in color and emitting a faint glow that dispelled the gloominess in the surroundings. Strange patterns flowed across the surface of the bead, giving off an air of mystery.

“Can this really be eaten?” Ethan Moore was full of doubt. The bead seemed crystal-clear and transparent, yet it emitted a strong sense of spiritual energy. It certainly didn’t seem like an ordinary object. But before he could hesitate, the little ghost slapped him on the cheek. The bead flew straight into his mouth and melted instantly.

A warm current swept through his entire body in an instant. All the fatigue and chill from before vanished. His body became incredibly light, and his vision became sharp. The chaotic spiritual energy within him suddenly became orderly and began to circulate vigorously. What shocked him even more was that the Yin-Yang eyes in the bottom of his eyes became even clearer. All the evil spirits and vengeful spirits around him were nowhere to hide from his sight. He could even see the cores of their vengefulness.

“Kikikiki—” The evil spirit lunged at him once again. A cold glint flashed in Ethan Moore’s eyes as he quickly formed seals with his hands and recited the spell once more: “Sacrifice!”

This time, it wasn’t a faint red light, but a blinding crimson glow that erupted from his body, instantly filling the entire chamber. The sound of countless evil spirits screaming in agony filled the air. The evil spirits possessing the Taoists trembled with fear. Like a drop of water encountering fierce fire, they vanished instantly, leaving not a trace behind.

Those swarming evil spirits and vengeful ghosts had their eerie red eyes suddenly become lifeless. One by one, they turned into black smoke and disappeared into the air. The gloomy atmosphere in the secret room also vanished accordingly.

Ethan Moore stood there, stunned, feeling the surging spiritual energy within him. His eyes revealed the distinctive Yin-Yang markings. He was completely shocked—had he somehow activated the Yin-Yang eyes without meaning to? What kind of treasure was this bead, after all?

The little ghost climbed onto his shoulder again. It was then that Ethan Moore noticed that around the ghost’s soul, there was a very thin black rope, barely visible. It was clearly a demonic spell used to suppress the soul—the Soul-Tying Curse!

“Daring to use the Soul-Sealing Curse on you!” A flash of anger crossed Ethan Moore’s eyes. He formed seals with his hands, and a white light was sent toward the little ghost’s soul. “Heaven and earth are boundless; I borrow their power to break this curse. Soul-Sealing Curse, dissolve now!”

A flash of white light occurred, and the black rope instantly broke apart, dissipating into black smoke. The next moment, the little ghost’s appearance began to change. From the appearance of a child no bigger than a palm, it gradually transformed into a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old girl, dressed in white, with delicate features and a sweet smile.

“Thank you, brother, for saving me!” The girl happily circled around Ethan Moore, her voice full of gratitude.

Ethan Muhu came back to his senses and asked in confusion, “What’s going on? How did you get turned into a little ghost, and why were you cast with the Soul-Sealing Curse?”

The smile on the girl’s face faded, and her tone took on a hint of grievance. “In my lifetime, I had a peculiar fate. I was naturally suited to nourish the Mirror Demons. The Harrison family captured me and used the Soul-Binding Curse to suppress my soul, forcing me to remain in the form of a little ghost. This was so they could use me to nourish the Mirror Demons they created. If a few more days had passed, the Mirror Demons would have drained my soul completely, leaving me without a soul or chance of reincarnation.”

Ethan Moore sneered inwardly. The Harrison family was truly ruthless. To create the Mirror Demon, they wouldn’t hesitate to harm innocent girls. “By the way,” he suddenly remembered the bead. “What was I eating just now? And what exactly is that Mirror Demon?”

The girl smiled sweetly, her tone slightly teasing: “Brother, you’ve made a fortune! What you ate is the Harrison family’s heirloom—the Yin-Yang Pearl. It’s a treasure they planned to give to Leo Harrison during the family ceremony. This Yin-Yang Pearl is a sacred object that can activate the Yin-Yang Eyes!”

The Yin-Yang Pearl? Ethan Moore’s pupils constricted. As a child, he had heard from his grandfather that the Yin-Yang Pearl was an ancient treasure. It was both a Buddhist artifact and a spiritual object. It could nourish spiritual energy and activate the Yin-Yang eyes. Moreover, only those with Harrison family bloodline could safely absorb it. Those who consumed it accidentally would die instantly.

“How could such a precious treasure be left here?” Ethan Moore looked utterly helpless. Once again, without meaning to, he had incurred enmity with the Harrison family.

“The Yin-Yang Pearl not only activates the Yin-Yang eyes, but it’s also essential for nurturing the Mirror Demon. The Harrison family kept it here, partly to nurture the Mirror Demon and partly to protect the secret chamber,” the girl explained. “Moreover, when it comes to choosing whom the Yin-Yang Pearl accepts as its master, I tried everything possible. I never expected it to recognize you as its master. It seems like you and this Yin-Yang Pearl are fated to be together.”

Ethan Moore rubbed his forehead with a wry smile. “Fate?” That was clearly nothing but misfortune! If Leo Harrison found out that he had swallowed the Yin-Yang Pearl, he’d probably go mad. Just as he wanted to go ahead and examine the demon in the mirror, the girl suddenly grabbed his arm, her expression urgent. “Don’t go! The Harrison family is on their way. Without the Yin-Yang Pearl, the demon is severely weakened. It won’t be able to cause any trouble for now. Let’s leave now, or it’ll be too late!”

Ethan Moore felt a chill in his heart. Without hesitation, he took the girl with him and quickly left the Harrison family through the secret passage, returning to the Moore family.

Returning to the Moore family, the young girl said solemnly to Ethan Moore, “Brother, the Yin-Yang Pearl can help you control the forces of Yin and Yang. It can even reverse the order of heaven and earth, and alter time and space. Moreover, I sense that you can combine the Moore family’s secret techniques with the art of Yin-Yang to create a truly unprecedented ancient martial art, with unimaginable power. Congratulations.”

Ethan Moore felt delighted. He hadn’t expected the Yin-Yang Pearl to have such a wonderful use. “Thank you,” he said to the girl. “Are you ready? I’ll now transport you into reincarnation.”

The girl smiled like a blooming flower and nodded gently. Ethan Moore formed mudras with his hands and recited the transformation spell. The girl’s figure gradually became transparent, eventually turning into a wisp of smoke that vanished into the night. All that remained was her soft words, “Thank you, brother.”

Ethan Moore lay in bed, tossing and turning, feeling uneasy. He got up and went back to the ancient temple on the back hill, determined to figure out the relationship between the Yin-Yang Pearl and the Moore family, as well as the mysterious woman his grandfather had mentioned.

Upon arriving at the ancient temple, a melodious, demonic voice reached my ears: “A thousand trials, a hundred lifetimes of suffering. Eternity passes in the blink of an eye! An immortal body, an indestructible soul. Unrivaled throughout history…”

Ethan Moore felt a shiver in his heart. He turned around and saw a woman with long hair standing in the center of the ancient temple. Her expression was calm, her gaze indifferent, and she exuded a mysterious aura. Somehow, he was certain that this was the woman his grandfather had mentioned—the one who could help him develop his “Yin-Yang Eyes”.

The woman walked towards him slowly, her tone calm: “As fate would have it, this Yin-Yang Pearl has ultimately returned into the hands of the descendants of the Muir family.”

“Do you know my grandfather? The Yin-Yang Pearl… Could it possibly have originally belonged to the Moore family?” Ethan Moore asked eagerly.

The woman nodded and said slowly, “When the world was first created, Yin and Yang were separated. From these two forces, all things came into being. The art of Yin and Yang is a secret technique of the Moore family. The Yin-Yang Pearl was also the family heirloom of the Moore family. It was only later that it was stolen and fell into the hands of the Harrison family. If not for that, you wouldn’t have been able to easily harness the power of the Yin-Yang Pearl.”

Ethan Moore was stunned. He had never heard that the Moore family had such a history.

The woman smiled and handed Ethan Moore a small book the size of a palm. “This contains the basic principles of Yin-Yang magic. Practice diligently. In the future, when you have time, you can come to the ancient temple to find me, just as your grandfather said.” With that, the woman vanished in an instant, like a ghost, disappearing into the ancient temple.

Ethan Moore held the small book in his hands, filled with confusion. Meanwhile, in the Harrison family’s lair, Leo Harrison and the man in green stood in the mess, trembling with anger.

“Who is it! Who stole the Yin-Yang Pearl!” Leo Harrison grabbed the green-robed man by the collar and screamed frantically. “That’s a family heirloom of the Harrison family! How could it be stolen so easily? Investigate immediately! Even if you have to dig three feet underground, you must find the person who stole the pearl!”

The man in the green shirt quickly nodded and turned to leave. But Leo Harrison called out to him, “Don’t let anyone else in the family know about this, especially the clan elders!”

The man in the green shirt nodded and left. Leo Harrison stood alone in front of the mirror, staring at his own grotesque reflection and clenching his fists. Suddenly, a dark shadow appeared in the mirror. The mirror demon slowly took shape: pale, emaciated, with sunken eyes. Its shadow perfectly matched Leo Harrison’s own. Leo Harrison stared at the mirror demon and suddenly broke into a strange smile. The mirror demon responded with a similarly terrifying grin.