Reborn As A Ghost: Time To Build My Undead Army!-Chapter 1731: Arthur’s Immortal Ascension

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"Amazing..."

Maria could barely find words as she watched her brother ascend. The Elders around her felt the same, their eyes wide at the true power and talent of the bearer of the Heavenly Yinyang Physique.

"Even though we’ve been captured, it’s not so bad if we could help such a gifted youngster..."

"I wish I had that Physique, but just witnessing its splendor... I am content."

"I can’t believe I contributed to his ascension! This boy might one day surpass even the Heavenly Emperor—our Era’s current Venerable!"

"Well done, Arthur!" Maria flew to her brother’s side. "I had no idea you were ascending tonight! Why didn’t you tell me?!"

"Sorry, big sis. I was just too excited," he said with an embarrassed smile. "Do I look weird?"

"You look incredibly handsome!" Maria laughed. "But get some new clothes. Your old ones are completely torn, and... well, everything is hanging out."

"W-What?!" Arthur’s majestic aura vanished in an instant. He turned bright red, covered himself, and shot back toward his room in the Pagoda.

Maria glanced at the many Cultivators who had helped her brother. Though some were far from good people, they all shared the same passion for Martial Arts and Cultivation and had supported the young man to the best of their ability.

"Honestly, I didn’t expect much from any of you," Maria said with a warm smile, "but I take those words back. You’ve helped my brother in ways I couldn’t. Thank you. You’ve all earned a reward."

She summoned the Dream Heart Crystal and allowed them to touch it. In that moment, each Cultivator gained a Dream Heart of their own. They could now fully master her Ghostly Fist Art and manifest their own Dream Weapons.

"T-Thank you, Sect Master!"

"Such power...!"

"Does this mean you’ll let us go now?"

Maria’s cute smile slowly twisted into something far more unsettling.

"What was that~? I didn’t quite catch it. Could you repeat yourself?"

"N-Nothing! I didn’t say anything!"

She could grant them greater strength and freedom, but letting them return to their original sects? That was never going to happen.

"Remember, everyone," Maria continued cheerfully, her powerful Void Aura making their souls tremble, "you are now part of the Ghostly Fist Sect! You swore eternal loyalty, and you will protect and care for all your juniors. You will be rewarded for your efforts—always. But you are still paying for your sins, and you will continue until you truly repent. I will know when that day comes. Until then, enjoy yourselves."

She left them trembling, a cold shiver running down their spines as she flew away carefree, rejoining her brother and inviting him to the grand dinner feast they all shared.

"So that was a Heavenly Tribulation..."

Once night fell and everyone slept, Maria remained deep in thought about the thunder she had witnessed and how it resonated with the Heavens themselves.

Then, a spark of inspiration struck her.

Golden and black lightning crackled between her palms—an element she had already mastered long ago.

But she had never applied it to Martial Arts...

Until now.

"The eighth form..."

Maria trained and meditated through the night, allowing only half her consciousness to rest, much like a dolphin.

When the sun rose, her eyes blazed with golden and blue lightning.

The eighth form was complete.

"It’s done... Ha, haha, hahaha!"

If the Heavens rejected her and refused to send a Heavenly Tribulation...

She would create her own.

And make the Heavens tremble.

RUMBLE!

Maria stepped into the air. As she descended, thunder exploded from each footfall, briefly resembling the silhouette of a ghostly dragonfly.

BOOOM!

She landed near a mountain and struck it with a thunder-charged punch. The peak shattered, exploding into thousands of massive boulders.

"Good. This is exactly what we needed—a hybrid technique combining movement, surprise, and devastating critical strikes!"

It was a rapid attack that required a brief charge of energy before unleashing a lightning-fast blitz. The technique allowed both escape and surprise assaults, striking enemies with thunderous explosions.

The movement itself was elegant, nimble, flexible, and above all, dexterous—like a graceful dragonfly.

{Spectral Ghostly Fist Art: Eighth Form – Ghostly Lightning Dragonfly Step}

This technique was not born from her Skills; otherwise, teaching it would have been impossible.

Instead, she channeled Lightning directly from her own Ki and Soul.

How?

By transforming thoughts of anger, wrath, and determination into power.

These emotions created sparks within her Colorful Dream World, where she could assign colors to feelings—each emotion carrying a faint elemental trait.

With this method, Maria turned her anger and determination into thunder. She added the dragonfly motif because the insects were common here and because they connected symbolically to one of her previous evolutions.

"I think this will be a perfect morning warm-up. I’ll turn it into a quest after breakfast. Once they’re finished, we depart."

Maria planned to bring every disciple with her. This was a war they intended to fight and win. They wanted to prove their new abilities and show her what they were capable of.

And Maria... agreed.

They were no longer weaklings.

Thanks to the incredible boost from their Dream Hearts and these Martial Arts, the vast majority of her disciples had already reached the Core Formation Realm.

Even the weakest were now Experts of the Ki Building Realm, just one step below Core Formation.

She had trained them to fight in coordinated teams of up to nine, complementing one another to overwhelm far stronger opponents.

Of course, countless Undead Soldiers would support them, serving as bait and shields while creating openings for precise strikes.

Those who fell would rise again as Jiangshi. Maria had already warned them that death was still possible, and they had accepted it.

In just one week, she had earned their complete affection and loyalty. They were even willing to die for her.

After breakfast, Maria issued the quest. Her disciples marveled at the new technique and trained relentlessly for three hours. Within another hour, every quest was completed.

"Incredible... Are they all geniuses? They weren’t like this before you arrived..." Yoomyung muttered, genuinely amazed at their rapid progress.

"It’s not that," Maria explained. "The Ghostly Fist Art is different from any other Martial Art. You don’t need innate talent to learn it. You need a specific state of mind—strong determination and character... a soul forged through life’s hardships. These disciples were mostly orphans, weren’t they? They’ve known hunger and darkness since childhood. That pain has now become their strength."

"...I see," Yoomyung said softly, closing his eyes and nodding. "Even so, no one else could have created such a Martial Art... Only you, a being beyond human limits."

"Beyond human?" Maria laughed lightly. "If anything, I think I’m holding on to my humanity as tightly as I can."

"I apologize. My words were thoughtless," Yoomyung said quickly.

"They weren’t harsh," Maria replied. "They were simply your truth... and that doesn’t bother me. All right, we’re ready. Let’s depart."

"You’re bringing every battle-ready disciple?" Yoomyung asked.

"For now, only those at Quasi-Core Formation and above," Maria answered. "The rest will stay and continue training. As for how we’re traveling... well, it’s simple."

RUMBLE!

Suddenly, the massive pagoda began to move.

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