"We don’t split up," he said firmly. "We move as one team and search the entire area together."

No one argued.

They all understood the danger well enough to know that separating would only invite death.

With that, they began to venture deeper into the ghost zone.

The place looked like the ruins of a once-thriving city.

The trees were lifeless, their branches brittle and gray, while the ground beneath their feet was dry and fractured, as though it had long since lost all vitality.

Everyone remained alert, their senses stretched to the limit as they listened carefully for even the slightest sound.

Then...a faint cry pierced through the stillness.

It was distant, weak, yet unmistakably human.

The group immediately halted.

The superior raised his hand, signaling them to stay still. ’Don’t rush... this could be a trap,’ he thought, his eyes narrowing.

Instead of charging forward recklessly, he motioned for them to proceed cautiously.

Slowly, they moved toward the source of the sound.

When they finally arrived... There was no one there.

An unsettling realization dawned on them.

"It was a ghost..." someone whispered under their breath.

Before they could react further, a thick mist began to rise from the ground.

It crept silently, like a living entity, wrapping around their legs before climbing upward and engulfing their bodies.

Visibility dropped instantly.

"Hold onto each other!" the captain shouted. "Don’t let go!"

Without hesitation, everyone reached out, grasping the nearest hand they could find.

For a brief moment, there was a sense of reassurance.

Then...something felt wrong. The hands they were holding... they weren’t normal.

They were cold. Too cold. And worse...they were wet. Sticky. Slimy.

Yasmin’s voice suddenly rang out, sharp with fear. "Whose hand is this?! Why is it so sticky?!"

Sasha’s expression darkened, her grip tightening instinctively. "This... doesn’t feel right," she muttered. "This hand is... wrong."

Liam’s voice cut through the tension. "Impossible," he said, though a hint of doubt crept into his tone. "All of us have dry hands. How could..."

He stopped mid-sentence.

A horrifying realization struck them all at once.

Silence fell. Then, almost simultaneously, they all jerked their hands away.

But it was already too late.

Two talisman masters...Master Hu and Master Tim...let out blood-curdling screams.

Their cries echoed through the mist, filled with raw terror and despair, before abruptly cutting off.

A suffocating dread gripped everyone’s hearts.

Noah’s body trembled uncontrollably, fear clawing at his chest.

’I need to run...’ the thought flashed through his mind, but when he looked around, the mist had swallowed everything.

There was no direction, no escape.

He forced himself to stop. ’If I panic now, I’ll die,’ he thought, clenching his fists.

This time, he didn’t dare reach out to anyone.

Fortunately, no one reached for him either.

Just as he steadied his breathing, a desperate voice shattered the silence.

"Someone is choking...help! Help!"

It was Yasmin.

Without thinking, Noah rushed toward the sound.

He and Yasmin had worked together for years, and he had always treated her like a younger sister.

Hearing her like this... he couldn’t ignore it.

When he reached her, his heart lurched.

Yasmin was clutching her own throat, her fingers digging into her skin as if trying to strangle herself.

Her face had turned pale, her eyes wide with panic.

"No! What are you doing?!" Noah shouted, grabbing her hands and pulling them away.

The moment he touched her... Yasmin froze.

Her trembling slowed, and her dazed expression began to clear.

She stared at Noah, her voice shaking. "There’s... something here... a ghost..."

Noah felt a chill crawl up his spine, but he forced himself to stay steady. "Stay with me," he said firmly. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

As Yasmin held onto his hand, the icy coldness surrounding her began to fade.

Her breathing gradually steadied.

A look of confusion crossed her face.

"This... is strange..." she murmured, glancing at Noah. "You’re not cold at all... you’re warm."

Noah blinked, surprised.

Only then did he notice it himself. Despite the freezing environment, his body felt normal...almost... protected.

"I don’t have anything like that," he replied, frowning.

"Are you wearing extra layers?" Yasmin pressed.

"No," Noah said, shaking his head.

Before they could think further, Sasha suddenly rushed toward them. Her expression, usually composed, now carried a hint of panic.

Without hesitation, she grabbed Noah’s hand.

The moment she did, she let out a relieved breath, her tense shoulders relaxing slightly.

Noah frowned, instinctively trying to pull away, but Sasha tightened her grip.

"Don’t move," she said quickly. "There’s something on you... something protecting you."

Noah froze.

Soon, Liam and Celestial Master Li also made their way toward him, their movements cautious but deliberate.

One by one, they reached out and held onto him.

Noah was left speechless. ’Why are they all relying on me...? Even I don’t know what’s happening,’ he thought uneasily.

Yet, as they gathered around him... the mist began to thin.

Slowly... Gradually...

Until it completely disappeared. Silence returned once more.

Then, their gazes shifted. All of them looked toward Noah’s chest.

Or rather... toward something beneath his clothing.

A faint golden glow seeped through the fabric, pulsing softly like a heartbeat.

Recognition dawned instantly.

"That’s... the source," Celestial Master Li muttered.

Without hesitation, he turned to Noah. "Sell it to me," he said, his voice firm but eager. "Name your price. I’ll give you ten million dollars."

Noah frowned immediately, shaking his head. "No. I can’t sell it."

But Sasha was faster.

Before anyone could stop her, she reached forward and pulled at the thread around his neck.

The jade amulet slipped out into the open.

The moment everyone saw it... their expressions changed.

Yasmin was the first to react. Her eyes widened slightly as recognition dawned on her face.

"This... is interesting," she murmured, leaning in a little closer.

Everyone immediately turned toward her, confusion evident in their gazes.

"You recognize it?" Sasha asked, her tone sharp but curious.

Yasmin nodded slowly, her fingers tightening slightly around Noah’s sleeve as if grounding herself.