A master of comedy!

"What? Kill—"

Tan Sheng suddenly realized something halfway through his sentence and quickly swallowed the rest of his words, but the shock in his eyes did not subside for a long time.

He considered himself mature beyond his years and calm, but he never expected that Zhou Sheng's plan would be so crazy and audacious.

When the other party's voice reached his ears, he almost thought he had misheard.

After seeing Zhou Sheng nod in confirmation, Tan Sheng shook his head and sighed, "You're simply insane. Is it too late for me to say I'm quitting now?"

Zhou Sheng glanced at him sideways and said only three words.

"Do you dare to do it?"

Tan Sheng: "..."

Count me in.

After a brief hesitation, Tan Sheng gritted his teeth and chose to join.

"Very good. Actually, there was something you said that I really liked."

Zhou Sheng looked at him, a smile slowly spreading across his sharp, angular eyes. His gaze became much more intimate, as if he had finally accepted the other person at this moment.

Which sentence?

"If there were a hundred Yu Zhensheng in the world, they would be the ones performing on stage!"

After a pause, Zhou Sheng's gaze suddenly sharpened like lightning, his pupils gradually turning square, swirling with azure light.

His nearly century-long cultivation of Taoism has made him increasingly resemble the legendary immortal.

The Yazi sword at his waist sensed the killing intent in its master's heart, and hummed and vibrated in its sheath, softly uttering a dragon's roar.

“We are practitioners of occult arts, not actors kept by anyone.”

"Since they enjoy listening to opera so much, then let them... enjoy it to their heart's content!"

For some reason, after hearing these words, Tan Sheng felt a surge of excitement, and the Nine Dragon Seal in his arms was burning hot.

He gave Zhou Sheng a deep look, a premonition rising in his heart.

If he were to actually accomplish this incredible feat, the entire world of ghost storytelling might be transformed because of him.

They are making history.

When to make a move?

"hold on."

Zhou Sheng slowly closed his eyes. With a great battle imminent, he became even more immovable, as steadfast as a rock.

This is the composure honed through countless bloody battles.

"We have to wait for Bao Ying to arrive at the destination first. If the timing is wrong, not only will we all suffer, but they will also never return."

"When will the time be right?"

"Follow my orders."

Zhou Sheng did not give a definite answer, but his voice was resolute and firm, as if he had already made up his mind.

That intangible confidence calmed Tan Sheng's anxiety considerably.

"Before that, we need to survive."

Zhou Sheng patted his shoulder and said meaningfully, "If I'm not mistaken, the eighth scene we're about to perform will be the enemy's real killer move."

"I don't know what it is yet, but... the enemy is confident that they can wipe us out."

Tan Sheng's pupils narrowed, and a chill ran through him.

The real...killer move?
So all those previous dangers were just feints in your eyes?
"The eighth scene... is not easy to sing."

……

Fengdu City, Moon-Gazing Tower.

This is one of the nine opera stages. Compared to Zhou Sheng's Duyun Tower, one is in the south of the city and the other is in the north.

The eighth act had already been performed on stage, and a glimmer of hope appeared in the eyes of the young ghost performers.

Without a master like Zhou Sheng to preside over the performance, their group of fourteen has dwindled to just six.

Fortunately, it will be dawn soon.

"I followed my master's orders on the immortal mountain and came to the underworld to visit my mother..." The underworld opera performer playing Mulian was already hoarse, but he still tried his best to sing, not daring to relax for a moment.

He was also a disciple of a renowned master, with a solid foundation and considerable skill. Among the six still alive, he was considered the strongest.

But for some reason, a sense of foreboding suddenly rose in his heart.

"Wrong! Wrong!"

Suddenly, a furious voice erupted from the stage, making everyone's eardrums ache.

Mulian stared intently, and his scalp tingled with fear.

On the stage, a figure that was almost charred black appeared out of nowhere, its body covered with magma patterns, and magma seeping from the deep cracks.

Especially the man's face, half of it was burned to a crisp, and the other half was just a skeleton.

Anger, murderous intent, resentment, rage...

Like a volcano about to erupt, it was about to burn everyone to ashes.

The terrifying figure stared intently at the female actor playing Liu Qingti, and said, word by word, "The first time one goes through the ordeal should be three bites and three spits, with each bite spaced seven beats apart, accompanied by swallowing through the throat..."

The voice was extremely hoarse, as if the throat had been burned to a crisp by lava.

What he said filled the female erotic performer with terror, turning her face deathly pale.

The layman looks at the excitement and the insider looks at the doorway.

This seemingly casual remark demonstrates that the other party is an absolute expert in the field, with keen insight and exceptional skill.

If she were to encounter such a senior in a normal life, she would surely be delighted and would humbly seek his guidance.

However, if it were performed on the stage of a Ghost Festival play, it would undoubtedly be a disaster.

The other party could easily spot her flaws on stage, and then...

"You were a beat too slow on your second bite."

As soon as he finished speaking, the charred figure stepped forward and suddenly hugged the woman. His charred skin cracked open, gushing out streams of crimson fluid.

The woman let out a scream, and then her soul rapidly melted away, her beautiful face covered with horrific burns. After a brief struggle, she was completely reduced to ashes.

The charred demon revealed a hint of enjoyment, as if the intense heat within its body had been slightly soothed by the pure yin energy.

The man playing Mulian trembled. The woman, named Jinyue, came from a famous family in Jingzhou and was considered the most outstanding Yin-Yang performer here besides him.

The two had helped each other in previous dramas and admired each other very much.

She thought she could graduate alive and meet him in reality, but in a short while, her soul was scattered.

However, he had no time to grieve, because the charred figure looked at him.

"We have arrived at Fengdu City. Let me recite the incantation. Om Mani Padme Hum..."

He suppressed his fear and pretended not to see the other person, continuing to sing.

At that moment, he wished he could be like Mulian in the play, possessing boundless Buddhist teachings and great supernatural powers.

Unfortunately, although the incantation he recited had a certain Buddhist power, it was like a light drizzle in front of the charred evil spirit, and it couldn't subdue it at all.

If he could truly become one with the actor, he might still have a chance, but even his master hadn't fully mastered that level of skill, let alone him.

"Wrong, wrong again!"

The nightmarish voice rang out again, striking him as if he had been struck by lightning.

"In the Mulian opera, the recitation of the six-syllable mantra should be 'gradually rapid like a waterfall' to express the intense longing for one's mother. Furthermore, the six syllables should resemble six Bodhi seeds, each independent and round, yet connected by threads..."

The other person's words made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

"Your energy has dissipated."

In despair and fear, his soul was engulfed by flames and lava, and turned to ashes a few breaths later.

The charred figure then looked at the remaining four people.

That one glance completely shattered the four people's defenses. They rushed backstage in terror, but the next moment, they were torn to shreds by the swarming ghosts.

No one from Wangyue Tower ever returned.

The terrifying, charred demon, following the faint sounds of opera, continued on to the next stage.

...(End of this chapter)