Chapter Sixteen: Swallowed by the Icy Heart

"The Soul Devouring Beast has been dealt with, and it's about time I return!" Accompanied by the two ghosts, one thin and one robust, Han Tianyue felt rather cheerful along the way. Yet he'd been separated from his body for too long and had no idea of its current state; should anything have happened, that would truly be disastrous. So Han Tianyue made up his mind to depart.

Upon hearing this, the gaunt ghost began wailing loudly.

"Why are you crying like a woman?" the burly ghost rebuked him, though he himself shed a single ghostly tear.

"Ghosts have tears?" Han Tianyue was curious, and not wanting them to continue their lament, he smiled and teased them gently.

"We may be undead spirits, but we've been officially registered as ghosts. We're true citizens of the Ghost Tribe now, and just like humans, we have tears," the burly ghost explained. "Only, we're newly registered and can't yet live under the sunlight. When the day comes that we can, we'll come find you."

"Alright, it's a promise!" Han Tianyue raised his hand to seal the agreement.

The burly ghost grasped Han Tianyue's hand firmly. "Yes!"

"I don't even know your name," the burly ghost asked.

"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. My name is Han Tianyue."

"Han Tianyue!" The burly ghost etched the name in his memory. "I'm Dali."

The gaunt ghost, still tearful, said, "I'm Mask."

"Dali, Mask, from now on, we are brothers!" Han Tianyue extended his other hand toward Mask, who gripped it tightly.

"Boss, Brother Han Tianyue!"

"Brother Han Tianyue, Little Mask!"

Though their brotherhood ran deep, as night fell, Han Tianyue bid farewell to Dali and Mask and set out on the path to reclaim his body.

Though soul and body were separated, a connection remained, and Han Tianyue quickly found his physical form. However, his body was buried underground. Slipping back into himself, Han Tianyue pushed hard against the coffin, but it didn’t budge.

"What now?" Lying within the coffin, Han Tianyue realized that if he didn’t escape soon, he’d suffocate and truly become a ghost.

"Iceheart!" Within him lay tremendous energy; his spirit had always urged him to consume the Iceheart, but Han Tianyue had hesitated. Now, for survival, he decided to gamble.

He swallowed the Iceheart. It slid down his throat as if alive, seeping into his lungs and organs. Instantly, his entire body surged with power. With a mighty shout, "Ah!" the whole grave exploded open.

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