The first turn of the unrivalled dissonant hammer art was originally a single-target attack.

However, Shen Xu was a peak-stage fusion realm cultivator, a mid-stage level eight soul refiner, and a peak-stage level eight body refiner.

Because of this, using the first turn of the unrivalled dissonant hammer art against level six evil ghosts was equivalent to using a level six crowd attack.

When the attack landed, the nearest sixty evil ghosts were beaten into nothing before the attack dissipated.

’Not bad.’ The double thought and subconsciously smiled.

However, Meng Quan was not as assumed.

Seeing his evil ghosts disappear one after the other, he clenched his hands and the red in his eyes deepened.

"I will kill you and torture your soul until it turns into an evil ghost." He screamed, urging the remaining ghosts to rush at Shen Xu.

However, the double didn’t take the evil ghosts seriously and unleashed another wave of hammer attacks.

"I don’t believe you have limitless soul power." Meng Quan shouted, waved his ghost banner and three hundred level five and six evil ghosts rushed at Shen Xu.

’He is right.’ The double thought and narrowed his eyes.

He could easily deal with the evil ghosts because they were level five and six.

However, Meng Quan was a Mahayana realm cultivator, and he definitely had level seven and eight evil ghosts. If Shen Xu consumed too much soul power, eliminating the lower realm evil ghosts, he would inevitably fall into trouble when he encountered higher realm opponents.

’I need to be careful.’ He thought, but didn’t stop his attacks.

After all, the enemy was already at the door, and his only choice was to kill or be killed.

With that in mind, he used a combination of soul power and the unrivalled dissonant hammer art to deal with the three hundred evil ghosts, consuming one-fifth of his soul power.

’Does he really have endless soul power?’ Meng Quan wondered with a gloomy expression.

A moment later, he gritted his teeth, and a maniacal ruthlessness filled his eyes.

’It seems I need to go all out.’ He decided and waved his ghost banner.

Soon after, ten level seven evil ghosts flew out of the banner and rushed towards Shen Xu.

Compared to the level five and six evil ghosts, the level seven were more solid, and their evil aura was more suffocating.

Seeing them, Shen Xu narrowed his eyes, and his right hand tightened around his hammer.

’He is finally getting serious.’ He thought and raised the hammer.

A moment later, he unleashed the first turn of the unrivalled dissonant hammer art, planning to some of the new opponents.

Unfortunately, he thought well, but reality was bleak.

Although Shen Xu used a considerable amount of soul power, only the nearest evil ghost was killed, while the rest were only stalled for half a breath before they continued flying towards him

Simultaneously, they opened their mouths and unleashed a shrill screech that reverberated in the surroundings, shaking people’s minds and momentarily causing their qi to stagnate.

"Not good." Shen Xu muttered and hurriedly escaped to the right.

However, the evil ghosts didn’t want to let him go and continued screeching while chasing him around the battlefield.

’I can’t let them surround me.’ The double thought and raised his hammer.

A breath later, a soul power hammer hit the nearest evil ghost, causing its form to collapse upon itself before dissipating into nothing.

Meng Quan was not happy when he saw this, and he furiously swung a sword towards Shen Xu.

"I will kill you. I will kill you." He angrily chanted, his heart filled with unwillingness.

Meng Quan had refined his natal weapon, the ghost banner, when he advanced to the foundation establishment realm.

Over the thousands of years since then, he had cultivated many ghosts in the banner and lost some to powerful opponents. However, this was the first time that he had lost so many evil ghosts in one fight.

Thinking of the more than five hundred evil ghosts that he had already lost, Meng Quan bit his tongue and spat a drop of blood essence onto the ghost banner.

Simultaneously, the ghost banner became darker and exuded a more ferocious aura.

’I have never suffered such a loss, so I will never let you go. Shen Xu, you must become the tonic that will nourish my ghost banner and my natal evil ghost.’ He thought, and in a place that others couldn’t see, Meng Quan’s natal ghost opened its eyes and began to evolve.

.....

On the shore, Wang Haiwen saw Meng Quan’s actions and shook his head.

"The little double is out of luck." He said, and a trace of schadenfreude flashed in his eyes.

"It’s just a competition. Is it necessary to take it so seriously?" One of the tribulation transcending realm cultivators asked and sighed.

"Just a competition?" Wang Haiwen sneered and quickly continued.

"Disciple Meng has lost half his life’s collection. Can he still be calm and spare the little double?"

"Can he blame anyone but himself?" Luo Jianfeng said and quickly continued.

"He should have switched to level seven and level eight evil ghosts after Shen Xu killed the first one hundred." He said.

Hearing this, several tribulation transcending realm cultivators looked at Luo Jianfeng with knowing eyes.

"Fellow Daoist Luo, your Tianxuan sect has been hiding deeply." Someone said, and another nodded.

"The little double has level eight soul power, but his control is beyond a tribulation transcending realm cultivator." A female cultivator said, and subconsciously narrowed her eyes.

"It’s not just his control that is impressive. The depth, density, and purity of his soul power are extremely high. I am afraid that the Evil Ghost Dream doesn’t have a chance unless he can unleash an attack that surpasses the Mahayana realm." A male cultivator said.

"An attack that surpasses the Mahayana realm? Are you suggesting that the Evil Ghost Dream should unleash a tribulation transcending realm?"

"I suspect that he can’t defeat the little beauty unless he unleashes such an attack."

"Do you think it’s possible?" Someone asked and quickly continued.

"It’s easy for low-level cultivators to unleash attacks that can surpass realms, but it gets difficult as the cultivation level increases. Although the little double is a fusion stage realm cultivator that can deal with a Mahayana realm cultivator, he is an anomaly and not the norm."

"I agree with fellow Daoist Tao. It’s highly unlikely that the Evil Ghost Dream can cross the big gulf between the Mahayana realm and the tribulation transcending realm."

"I think you are overestimating the little double." A male cultivator sneered, and everyone turned to look at the speaker.