CHAPTER 34: CHAPTER 34: STRANGE STATUE

Not unaware of Mathilda’s distrust, Lana refused to invest her time in a meaningless argument. Instead, she focused her attention on Mr. Crow.

"Should I just channel my power in Xander in case the ghost feels provoked? Can it be exorcised then?"

After cultivating for the past 2 weeks, Lana can easily channel the aether in her body to her fingertips.

While Lana was well aware of ghosts’ weakness, having no real guidance, she still sought Mr. Crow’s help.

Mr. Crow’s playfulness had vanished on hearing Lana’s bet. His brows furrowed while his beady eyes stayed on Lana.

"Channeling your power won’t be enough. Chant a prayer too. And beg God Nytheris that the ghost you encounter hasn’t been cultivating for more than a year."

Lana nodded. Suddenly, the scene of the glass shards cracking and flying in all directions flashed in her mind, and an idea formed.

"Can I create a barrier of Aether?"

’Hm? Smart ass.’ Mr. Crow commented, yet he advised sincerely, "No, the Aether in your body isn’t enough. However, in case of a life-and-death situation, doing it one time won’t cause any kind of problem."

Lana’s eyes lit up. Her heart pounded with excitement.

Aether barrier, one of the most useful and in-demand powers exorays (superhumans) wield.

Thanks to the knowledge of the general principle, Lana figured she could wield it too, but with moderation.

Aether barriers are usually created by exhaling a portion of Aether accumulated in the wielder’s body and forming an imaginary barrier around an object of protection or the wielder himself.

The imaginary mindwaves slowly guide the exhaled orbs of Aether to form a circular barrier around the object.

Lana was fascinated by the concept in her previous life and tried to manifest it every day. As a result, she realized not everyone can do it.

It required a unique talent: control. From exhaling the precise low amount of Aether orbs to syncing the orbs with the mindwaves.

It is not the kind that can be formed by repeated practice.

In this life, while cultivating, Lana had an enlightenment... she could maybe... make an Aether barrier in this life.

When Mathilda led Lana in, Lana marvelled at the modest, warm house. It had a living room with an ivory velvet sofa and a glass table between the L-shaped structure of the sofa.

There was a bright chandelier adding a touch of warmth to the living room, while there was a stark contrast between the ivory and brown patterned plush carpet and the wooden floor.

Yet each piece of furniture was tinged with a black fog, making Lana reluctant to sit.

"You can sit. The servants will serve you the snacks in a few minutes, while I call my son over." Mathilda’s voice was overflowing with eagerness, causing Lana to stiffen.

"No thanks, I am fine." Lana smiled stiffly.

Mathilda didn’t insist, while showing a cordial smile on her face as she left. However, before she left, Lana made a request, and Mathilda agreed.

Lana didn’t remain idle. She closed her eyes and slowly tried to channel the Aether at the tips of her fingers. Opening her eyes, Lana saw a blue glow, and her confidence soared.

To test the effect of her power, Lana walked up to an ivory velvet sofa and injected a small stream of blue light onto it.

The next second, the black fog clouding the ivory sofa dissipated and receded to the point it vanished from the sofa altogether.

"What a pure energy..." Mr. Crow muttered under his breath.

Before this trip, he couldn’t gauge Lana’s mystic energy’s density. However, now with a live demonstration, he had an estimation.

Her mystic energy is as pure as a white cloud, yet even those clouds may pale in comparison. If there was a rank for it... It might be X-Rank.

With such energy, Mr. Crow knew that Lana would have no problem dealing with a ghost possessing one year of cultivation.

Unaware of Mr. Crow’s inner monologue, Lana’s heart thudded with excitement.

With light steps, Lana sat on the sofa while observing the surroundings.

A statue caught her attention. Despite its age and resemblance to both an animal’s head and a human’s body, the statue stood out as the only object devoid of black fog.

Even the black fog circulating around it was sucked by it and vanished.

Lana’s curiosity piqued, and she decided to ask for permission to inspect it from Mathilda.

’This item seems like a spiritual one.’ She wondered in her heart.

But soon doubt surfaced in her mind; her brows were furrowed. ’But if that’s the case, then why isn’t it cleansing but only absorbing? And why is the black fog not receding even though the statue is absorbing so much of the black fog? Strange.’

As her curiosity spiked, Lana decided to seek the help of the expert Mr. Crow. "You..."

"She is the daughter of my best friend. As long as you meet her, you will know how amazing she is." Mathilda’s soft, feminine voice, coupled with the collective sound of footsteps, made Lana straighten up.

What appeared in her view was... a young man with features similar to Mathilda’s. His height was nearly 6 feet, while his pale skin glistened under the chandelier lights.

His handsome face didn’t entice any kind of goodwill from Lana. From her perspective, his face overlapped with the eerie expression of the creature from her visions.

However, Lana schooled her emotions into a neutral expression and greeted in a soft, tender voice.

"Hello. I am Lana."

"Hello, Xander." Xander nodded back; his aura was cold as if it could materialize into ice any second.

"Xander, why are you so cold? I heard from my mother that you are a cheerful guy." Lana pouted while lying through her teeth.

Xander only replied in a few words, "Not feeling well."

"Ah? Then I won’t hold you back." Lana stood up, showing a regretful expression; her heart was practically threatening to pop out at the fact that she was flirting and acting coy in front of a man possessed by a ghost.