Only I Cultivate

"Run!" Feng Fan screamed, dashing toward the exit without hesitation.

He didn't care if the others followed or not—his life was far more important.

The only person he would never abandon was Luo Li, because her death meant his own. It was nearly impossible to survive without her.

The others heard Feng Fan and, this time, didn't hesitate. They remembered very well what happened the last time they ignored him—Zhou Niu died. 

There was no need to test their luck again.

The three of them sprinted toward the exit, holding the boxes filled with whatever they could grab. Thankfully, they didn't look back; otherwise, they would've dropped everything and fled in fear at the countless ghosts emerging from the walls and ceiling!

The ghosts came in many shapes and sizes, but they all shared one thing in common: gunshot wounds scattered across their bodies.

"The guns," one of the ghosts hissed.

"It killed me!" dozens of pained voices echoed as the ghosts pursued them.

"You took my wife from me!"

"I'll kill you all!"

Feng Fan ran like a madman, with Kong Han, Li Kang, and Ding Qing right behind him. They could hear the screams but dared not look back, afraid a single glance would shatter their will to escape.

As the saying goes: out of sight, out of mind.

Despite running frantically, Feng Fan wasn't without purpose. Ma Chen's room was on the fourth floor, west wing. They still had to cross the entire floor and climb the stairs.

At the center of the house, wooden stairs stretched from the first to the fourth floor—that was Feng Fan's goal.

Luo Li glanced back, saw the massive swarm of ghosts closing in, and frowned.

With so many ghosts, even Ma Chen would die if she surrendered.

Luo Li remembered her confrontation with Ma Chen. She was ranked as a Baleful Ghost, similar rank to her and Gao Shan, who were both C-rank Hunters.

But despite their similar ranks, their losses weren't unjustified. Ghosts were generally stronger than humans of the same rank, which is why most Hunters worked in teams of two to five.

Gao Shan wasn't just her classmate, but also her partner in SIF. 

Normally, they would be able to beat Ma Chen in a direct confrontation, but Ma Chen was too cunning. She caught them by surprise and launched an unexpected attack on Luo Li.

Ding Qing was the slowest and at the highest risk of being caught, but thanks to Feng Fan's timely warning, even she had a chance to escape.

'Whoever thought it was a good idea to come to a haunted house for a school trip… you better hope I never catch you!' Feng Fan thought as he swung his stirrer at the apparitions blocking his path.

The wooden stairs soon came into view, and without a second thought, Feng Fan charged up them, taking two steps at a time. Even for someone used to exercise like him, it was exhausting.

Fighting and running while carrying someone was far from easy. The eerie atmosphere only heightened the tension, draining his energy even faster.

As Feng Fan made his way up, the others followed suit.

The ghosts didn't need to climb the stairs like they did; they simply passed through the walls, closing the gap between them and the slowest member of the group—Ding Qing.

Ding Qing felt cold air touch her back gently as the ghosts closed in. She didn't need to look behind to know her life was hanging by a thread.

"S-Save me!" she screamed before dropping the box she was holding.

With the extra weight gone, Ding Qing's speed increased, but her stamina was already low. Each step she took left her breathing heavier and more ragged.

Luo Li glanced behind and saw Ding Qing's situation, but didn't move. With the final battle ahead, conserving her energy was more important than saving someone who was already a burden.

Feng Fan, hearing the sound of the dropped box, knew exactly what was happening. He didn't look back, but his frown deepened. 

'I hope the ghosts keep chasing, we need them!' He was less concerned about Ding Qing's fate than about keeping the ghosts focused on them.

The loud screams of the ghosts seemed to attract even more of them. With every passing second, the number of ghosts behind them grew. Before long, more than half of the ghosts in the house were targeting them.

The screams didn't just grab the attention of the ghosts—they also drew the attention of humans.

A group of five appeared in front of Feng Fan, and he instantly recognized them. It was Gao Shan, his teacher, and some of his classmates who had escaped with them.

Feng Fan didn't have time for greetings and shouted, "Run!"

He didn't need to say it twice. In fact, no one would be foolish enough to stop and look behind them, unless they were paralyzed by fear.

The group of five quickly ran after Feng Fan. As they ran, Gao Shan tried to talk to Luo Li to get a better understanding of the situation.

Looking at Luo Li's face, Gao Shan's expression twisted in disgust, but he quickly masked it. Normally, she wore a mask to hide her features, but because of Ma Chen, it had been left behind.

"Luo Li, what's going on?!" Gao Shan asked.

"We're drawing the ghosts in to deal with Ma Chen. We're heading to her room right now," Luo Li responded, keeping it brief.

Gao Shan's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you crazy?! You're trying to get us all killed?!"

Feng Fan's face twitched. After all, this was his plan, to begin with. "Shut up! If you don't like it, leave! We don't need you!"

They did need him, but Feng Fan knew he wasn't going to leave without Luo Li. Gao Shan had more chances of surviving with Luo Li, and she just happened to be on his back. 

Gao Shan wasn't an idiot and understood that.