Everyone's Suppressing Ghosts: Others Contract Divine Weapons, I Contract Blank Paper

three days later.

Jiangcheng Town Ghost Academy, East District Simulated Ghost Realm Building.

At 8:30 a.m., the area outside the building was already packed with people.

Today is not a regular practical training session.

After the signing ceremony, all newly lit life lamps of students will participate in the Freshman Ghost-Suppressing Training. Results will be published, rankings will be released, and the entire process will be broadcast live.

Who has the strongest protective properties, the highest compatibility, and who only produces good-looking test data? A practical training session will tell you.

This year, in particular, two more names have become the hottest.

Zhou Cheng. Grade A Thunder Pattern Peach Wood Sword, Suppression Level 4.6, a popular suppression item for offensive and defensive purposes.

Xu Du. The White Paper Soul-Guiding Lamp, with a town affinity of 5.3, is a key facilitator in the Class C mystery case at the old staff dormitory building, and ranked first in the initial test.

Three days ago, at the Town Museum's Merit Exchange Center.

Zhou Cheng eliminated a low-risk wandering evil spirit with a single sword strike, and his thunder-patterned peach wood sword, once drawn, dominated the entire arena.

Xu Du carried a whole box of blank talisman papers and conducted a group test in front of everyone.

Twenty low-risk migratory birds.

3.2 seconds.

Clear all.

For the past three days, the college forum homepage has been almost entirely filled with this story.

Is a white paper lantern considered an object for attacking or warding off evil spirits?

[Which is stronger on the Practical Training Elimination Ranking: A-Rank Thunder Sword or White Paper Lamp?]

How many more rounds can Xu Du's box of white paper last?

[Can Zhou Cheng retrieve the list of those removed from the cleanup list?]

Today, the answer will be revealed.

Outside the simulated eerie building, three huge electronic screens were already lit up.

The first section is the real-time video, the second section is the training projects, and the third section is the leaderboard.

[This training project:]

Project 1: Stabilization Test of the Charging Object.

Project Two: Basic Yin Sha Removal.

[Project 3: Crowd Elimination Training]

Project Four: Comprehensive Haunting Strategies.

[Scoring is done in real time throughout the entire process, and all leaderboards are updated publicly.]

Below is the rankings section.

[Ranking of Stable Items for Town Protection: Not yet activated.]

[Basic Cleanup Ranking: Not Enabled.]

[Group Cleanup Ranking: Not enabled.]

[Overall Ranking: Not yet enabled.]

The students gathered around the screen, discussing it incessantly.

"Today's main event is definitely the cleanup of the rankings."

"That's right. Zhou Cheng's thunder-patterned peach wood sword is an offensive and defensive artifact, specifically designed to counter low-risk Yin energy."

"Xu Du's data is terrifying too, bro. Twenty 3.2-second kills, has anyone ever seen that?"

"The testing area is the testing area. The swimming monsters in the training area are very agile; they can run, dart, and stick close to your face. If you just stick a piece of paper on them, they won't be very stable."

"I'm betting on Zhou Cheng anyway. An A-grade talisman isn't just a name without substance."

"Don't rush," someone said slowly, "Check the rankings."

The people around laughed.

The phrase "watching the rankings" has almost become Xu Du's code name these past three days.

Xu Du stood at the edge of the crowd.

I wasn't wearing anything special today. Just a black coat, nothing special.

He carries a white paper lantern to guide the soul in one hand.

He was holding a black paper box in one hand.

The box contained 480 blank talisman papers. Twenty were used for testing three days ago, and the rest were brought along.

The white paper lantern hung silently. It was neither lit nor moving, and still did not look like any kind of divine weapon.

But this time, no one dared to call it trash.

Zhou Cheng arrived not far away.

He wore a black training uniform and had a peach wood sword with lightning patterns hanging at his waist. The purple lightning pattern on the hilt of the sword was faintly glowing.

Several classmates surrounded him.

"Brother Cheng, we've got this today."

"Xu Du, that was a test, a matter of taking twenty at once, it's not the same as practical training."

"The practical training will be done in several rounds. His box of paper looks like a lot, but it's hard to say how many rounds it will last."

"Besides, how could an A-grade Thunder Sword lose to a stack of blank paper? If word gets out, where will we put our faces?"

Zhou Cheng didn't respond.

His gaze swept across the crowd and landed on Xu Du's paper box.

He practiced swordsmanship almost every day for the past three days.

He admitted that the box of white paper was somewhat valuable, but "something valuable" and "surpassing an A-grade thunder-patterned peach wood sword" were two completely different things.

Practical training is not a test.

The ranking list is based on the overall performance.

We must get it back today.

Nine o'clock sharp.

Lin Qingzhu, the head of the practical training department, walked to the main screen. Her voice was amplified through the loudspeaker.

"Freshman Ghost Hunting Training Begins."

"The first item is the stability test of the stabilizing device. All students will enter the stabilization room in turn to test the status of the life lamp, the response of the stabilizing device, and its resistance to pollution. This will be included in the overall score."

The first item progressed very quickly.

Most students hover around the 60s and 70s.

Gu Hanzhou's Soul-Suppressing Bell, 87.4.

Qin Zhaoxue's Buddha-light protective mirror, 89.6.

When it was Zhou Cheng's turn, the room quieted down considerably.

The peach wood sword with lightning patterns was drawn. The purple lightning patterns appeared in the detection array.

A few seconds later, the screen refreshed.

[Zhou Cheng. Stability score: 91.2. Response: Excellent. Pollution resistance: Good.]

[Currently ranked #1 on the town's stability list.]

The crowd erupted in a commotion.

"Ninety-one!"

"Grade A talismans are just different."

"With this condition, the second item is secure."

When Zhou Cheng came out of the stabilization room, his complexion was better than before.

A good omen.

Then, Lin Qingzhu called Xu Du over.

Xu Du carried the white paper lantern inside.

The door closed.

The lamp was placed on the testing platform.

The lamp paper swayed gently, and a sliver of pale light seeped out from the wick, slowly, faintly, but very steadily.

The array plate remained silent for a few seconds.

The screen refreshed.

[Xu Du. Stability score: 93.5. Response: Excellent. Pollution resistance: Excellent.]

[Currently ranked #1 on the town's stability list.]

The noise outside was deafening.

"Ninety-three?!"

"He's outdone Zhou Cheng again?"

"Isn't the white paper lamp an observation-based test? How come its stability score is so high?"

"Its pollution resistance is 'excellent,' but what's the real story behind this thing?"

Zhou Cheng stared at the screen, his jaw tightening.

He didn't say anything.

The stability ranking is only the first item.

The cleanup list hasn't been updated yet.

A few minutes later, Lin Qingzhu announced:

"The second step is to cleanse the basic Yin energy."

"Each person enters an independent clearance room, where thirty low-risk swarms of swarms are released. They can be released in batches or all at once. Releasing them in batches carries lower risk; releasing them all at once carries higher risk, but the total time is calculated based on the removal of the last swarm."

"The results will be included in the basic elimination list."

These words immediately perked everyone up.

The clearing list – today is the first real head-to-head battle.

The first batch of students entered the cleanup room.

The screen started displaying data.

[Current Basic Cleanup Ranking:]

[1. Gu Hanzhou 30/3058.6 seconds]

[2. Qin Zhaoxue 30/3064.2 seconds]

[3. Zhao Lin 27/30120 seconds (timeout)]

Gu Hanzhou's Soul-Suppressing Bells were steady, fixing each one in place, and the standard talisman array was clear.

Qin Zhaoxue adopts a defensive strategy, which is slower but results in a higher safety score.

Until Zhou Cheng's name popped up on the screen.

The crowd fell silent.

[Trainee: Zhou Cheng]

[Item for warding off evil spirits: A peach wood sword with a thunder pattern.]

Release method: Released in batches (5 animals per batch).

Someone in the crowd muttered:

"Hey, Zhou Cheng didn't choose the disposable option?"

"If he chooses a one-off approach," someone nearby chimed in, "a mishap would mean starting from scratch. Five at a time, fast and stable, being faster than Gu Hanzhou is enough to secure first place. Let's play it safe."

Clean the room.

The first batch of five Wandering Demons were released.

The gray mist had barely formed when the thunder-patterned peach wood sword was already drawn.

laugh!

A beam of purple light slashed down. The first one scattered.

Then came the second sword, the third sword, the fourth sword, and the fifth sword.

In less than ten seconds, all five were wiped out.

The screen was jumping around very fast.

【周承+1。+1。+1。+1。+1。】

The crowd was excited.

"quick!"

"The Thunder Sword is for eliminating orientation."

"Much cleaner than the Soul-Suppressing Bell."

The second batch, the third batch, and the fourth batch.

Zhou Cheng became increasingly steady in his attacks; once the lightning pattern lit up, one of the enemies would surely be defeated.

The screen refreshed as the final sword strike landed.

【周承30/30总用时：42.8秒。平均单体：1.42秒。污染外泄：6.8%。镇物消耗：中低。评定：优秀。】

[Currently ranked first on the basic cleanup leaderboard: Zhou Cheng.]

The audience gasped in surprise.

"42.8 seconds!"

"More than ten seconds faster than Gu Hanzhou!"

"Number one on the cleanup list!"

"The A-grade Thunder Sword is still the A-grade Thunder Sword."

"Xu Du is under a lot of pressure now."

Zhou Cheng came out of the cleaning room.

His face was slightly pale, but his eyes were very bright.

He didn't look at Gu Hanzhou, nor did he look at Qin Zhaoxue.

He looked directly at Xu Du, who was standing on the edge of the crowd.

"Xu Du".

The sound wasn't loud, just enough for people nearby to hear.

"Keep this list up for now."

The forum exploded instantly.

[Zhou Cheng tops the elimination list! Rank A Thunder Sword gets his revenge!]

[Cleared 30 in 42.8 seconds!]

[The white paper lamp hasn't even been installed yet, let's look at Zhou Cheng's data first; the pressure is immediately on Xu Du.]

Tests are just tests; real-world training is the true test!

Many people turned to look at Xu Du.

The play has begun.

Lin Qingzhu glanced down at the list.

"Next, Xu Du."

The room fell silent for a moment.

Xu Du carried the cardboard box and walked towards the cleaning room.

As Zhou Cheng passed by, Zhou Cheng slightly turned his head and lowered his voice:

"Testing and practical training are different. Use that box of paper of yours slowly today."

Xu Du paused for a moment.

Look up.

"Yes," he said. "Watch."

After saying that, he went into the purification room.

The door slowly closed.

The large screen switches to Xu Du's perspective.

The clearance room was spacious, with three layers of protective barriers on the ground.

Directly in front, thirty low-risk wandering evil spirit bottles are neatly arranged.

The staff's voices came from the loudspeaker, speaking in a businesslike manner.

"Xu Du, please choose a release method. In batches, or all at once?"

Xu Du placed the cardboard box at his feet and opened it.

A stack of blank talisman papers was revealed, neatly arranged.

"Release it all."

Upon being cleared outdoors, a chorus of low gasps immediately followed.

"Release it all?"

"Thirty in one pot?"

"The test area had twenty, this time it's thirty."

"The practical training area is much more lively than the test area; what if someone breaks out of the formation..."

Zhou Cheng frowned.

The reason he chose five at a time was after careful consideration: the A-grade Thunder Sword was fast enough, and he could take first place by playing it safe, so why gamble on releasing it all at once? If all thirty were close at once, the suppressing object would be slow to respond, and the whole result would collapse.

This was something he had calculated and recalculated to be sure of.

Xu Du, on the other hand, only utters two words when he opens his mouth.

Release everything.

The staff checked it again.

"Releasing thirty units at once carries a high risk. Confirmed?"

"confirm."

Lin Qingzhu looked at the screen and didn't say anything to stop her.

"Do as he says."

next second.

Thirty wandering evil spirit bottles were opened simultaneously.

The gray mist spewed out all at once, converging into a low gray tide in mid-air, accompanied by a shrill screech, as it rushed towards Xu Du.

Xu Du did not retreat.

A white paper lantern is used to guide the soul.

The stark white light fell on the cardboard box.

Thirty blank talismans flew out of the box at the same time.

Xu Du picked up the brush that guided the pattern.

There was only one word written on the very first sheet of paper.

Extinction.

The handwriting was immediately noticeable.

The next instant, the remaining twenty-nine blank sheets of paper simultaneously displayed the same character "灭" (extinguish).

As the area outside was cleared, a teacher suddenly stood up straight.

"Simultaneous pattern formation!"

"Even faster than the test zone!"

Xu Du raised his hand.

"go."

Thirty sheets of white paper flew out at once.

Facing the gray swarms of wandering demons, it was like a white rain.

The first one is posted on the first wandering demon.

boom.

The gray mist dissipated.

The second one, the third one, the fourth one.

The paper tokens scattered in mid-air, each one seemingly having been pre-locked onto a target.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.

The thirty soft sounds were almost consecutive.

The surging gray tide was torn apart in the middle by the white paper.

Less than four seconds.

Once the room was cleared, all wandering evil spirits disappeared.

Only thirty sheets of white paper, burned to ash, slowly fell to the ground.

The large screen froze for a moment.

Then, the data kept refreshing.

[Xu Du. Release method: One-time use.]

Quantity cleared: 30/30.

Total time: 3.9 seconds.

Average single-cell time: 0.13 seconds.

[Pollution leakage: 0.5%]

[Item consumption: Low.]

[One-time consumption: 30 blank talisman sheets.]

Rating: Excellent.

[This update refreshes the record for clearing new students in this college.]

[Currently ranked first on the basic cleanup leaderboard: Xu Du.]

Outside the simulated eerie building, all was silent for a moment.

42.8 seconds.

3.9 seconds.

Zhou Chenggang's name was pushed down from the top of the cleanup list before the hype had even died down.

It's not just a little bit off.

It's like forcing someone to press their head down.

Someone opened their mouth, but after a long pause, managed to utter a sentence:

"On average... one every 0.13 seconds?"

"How can we even compare these?"

"...Isn't the white paper lamp a type of control device?"

The person next to him gasped.

"This isn't a lockdown, bro."

"This is a true cleanup."

The White Paper Soul-Guiding Lamp has always been officially classified as "auxiliary control".

until today.

"Did the white paper lamp take the cleanup list?"

"That's blank talisman paper, it's blank paper, brother!"

"Who just said 'A-grade Thunder Sword can't possibly lose to Paper'? Come out here."

The forum completely exploded.

[Clearance Ranking Updated! Xu Du cleared 30 enemies in 3.9 seconds!]

[Zhou Cheng's name was removed from the list less than five minutes after he reached the summit.]

[0.13 seconds per item, white paper lamps smash the clearing leaderboard head-on!]

Who says white paper lanterns can only be used for blocking? Come out and take your punishment.

A box of blank paper placed the Grade A Thunder-Patterned Peach Wood Sword in second place.

Zhou Cheng stood there, his face gradually turning pale.

He stared at the screen.

[Currently ranked first on the basic cleanup leaderboard: Xu Du.]

The words felt like a slap in the face.

He just said:

Put this list up for me for now.

He hung up... not long after.

Xu Du came out of the cleaning room.

The white paper lantern remains silent.

Thirty sheets of cardboard are missing from the box. There are four hundred and fifty sheets left.

He walked up to Zhou Cheng.

Zhou Cheng's lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something.

Xu Du spoke first.

"Zhou Cheng".

He looked up.

"What you just said, 'Just leave it hanging for me.'"

He paused for a moment.

"It won't hold."

No one around spoke.

The list on the electronic screen is still being updated.

【1. Xu Du】

【2. Zhou Cheng】

3. Gu Hanzhou

This time, everyone saw it clearly.

It's not that the old staff dormitory building is special.

It's not a related field.

It wasn't luck.

The white paper soul-guiding lamp can effectively clear away evil spirits.

Moreover, it's faster than an A-grade thunder-patterned peach wood sword.

Just then, the second electronic screen beeped.

drop.

A new project description pops up.

[The third item: Group Elimination Training, is about to begin.]

[Target group: Low-risk swarms of swarms of swarms.]

Initial quantity: 100.

[Current college freshman record: 86.]

[Record holder: Gu Changming, top of last year's training list.]

[Scores will be included in the group elimination ranking and the overall ranking.]

The crowd had just quieted down for a moment when it erupted again.

"One hundred?!"

"The mass cleanup has started."

"College History Freshman Records, Chapter 86."

"Xu Du just completed thirty strokes in only 3.9 seconds..."

"Is he trying to rewrite history?"

All eyes fell on the paper box in Xu Du's arms.

Xu Du looked down.

There are still 450 blank talisman papers left inside.

He closed the box.

I looked up and glanced at the screen that had "86" written on it.

"...That's enough."

These two words were uttered.

Zhou Cheng's expression turned even uglier.