Chapter 20: Chaos in the Ghost Domain
In the Black River, inside the Ghost King's Castle. In a mysterious palace, at this moment, an angry voice was echoing. "What is going on this time? Why did I just close my eyes for a while and the whole castle became filled with wailing spirits and howling ghosts? Who killed those dead soldiers and ghostly apparitions? And also, one of our Ghost Immortals died and another was heavily injured, which greatly reduced our strength. How can we still resist the other two castles like this? Speak up! What kind of commander are you, useless to the extreme!" In the dark and eerie Ghost Palace, a sphere emitting black light spoke out in anger.
In the Ghost Temple, the ghost commander's faint dark shadow flickered with a faint light, and in the green light, it looked very eerie. Looking at the black light ball, the ghost commander said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, this time it was an error on my part to command the illusion, which caused heavy losses in the royal city, please punish me. However, there is one thing that Your Majesty may not have thought of, among the seven people who entered the royal city this time, several are extremely special individuals."
"Is this a special excuse? The strength of our Black River Sect was originally the weakest among the three, and now with your serious mistake, it has put us in an even more difficult situation. This time, thanks to good luck, our Ghost Domain army has the opportunity to enter the human world. For this reason, all three sects of the Ghost Domain will drive countless vengeful spirits to the sealed passage, just to let them go and die first, to break through the barrier of the human world. After the passage is opened, we will each rely on our own abilities to seize the beautiful mountains and rivers of the human world. Now that our strength has greatly decreased, how can we compete with the other two sects for the human world? You tell me!"
"I'm deeply sorry for this, I will do my best to make up for the mistake, please don't be angry, Your Majesty. As for what happened this time, there were some reasons behind it. Firstly, the enemy's strength was unexpectedly strong. Secondly, I underestimated them and didn't launch a full-scale attack, which led to heavy losses in the end. Thirdly, an unusual person appeared among the enemy, and all our failures this time were caused by him." The Ghost General slowly explained the reasons for their defeat.
In the darkness, a pair of red and black eyes stared at it coldly, asking gloomily: "Is that so, strange enemy? What kind of strangeness? You'd better give me a satisfactory answer, or you'll have to settle this matter yourself."
The dark shadow of the Ghost Marshal flashed with a faint light, and his expression could not be seen at this time. However, from his voice, it was clear that he was very calm at this moment. Lightly, the Ghost Marshal said: "This time, the first person to enter the royal city is also the strange person I mentioned earlier. His actions were extremely mysterious, and he appeared silently in the royal city. In the subsequent confrontation, he first broke through one of the three great absolute arrays, the Twelve Cruel Murder Arrays, and then severely injured himself while escaping under the Lethal Ghost Refining Divine Law. The strength was so powerful that it was only encountered in the royal city for a thousand years. Moreover, the most strange thing is that he mastered the highest law of the Ghost Domain, the Soul Transformation Great Law, and even cultivated the supreme state of 'Wang Jia'."
"Astonished, the King of Ghosts asked: 'Could such a thing happen? What happened afterwards? Did he manage to escape despite his severe injuries?'"
"No, at that time he wanted to escape, but unfortunately, he was under my surveillance and had nowhere to hide. In the end, I don't know why, he actually escaped to the side of the Soul Locking Well, where he was intercepted by me and two ghostly immortals. At that time, his true yuan was exhausted, and before dying, he only asked about the Soul Sealing Symbol, and then was sent into the Soul Locking Well by the ghostly immortals.
I thought the matter had ended, but not long after, two women burst in, asking about the young man with all their might. The twin girls held the Shadow Moon Twin Swords, ranked eighth on the Divine Arms List, which were extremely powerful and caused us to lose many people. What's even stranger is that when I was about to refine them with the Black Net, they appeared with a very mysterious protective armor, constantly resisting me.
Just then, four more people entered the royal city, so I ordered the ghostly immortals to go and intercept them." The Ghost Marshal recounted what had happened earlier in a calm tone.
"Coldly staring at Gui Shuai, the Ghost King asked: 'So it was the Shadow Moon Twin Swords, one of the Twenty-Four Heavenly Gods' artifacts. What happened afterwards? Did that pair of women die at your hands? And how did those intruders escape?'"
Later, when the two women's souls had dissipated and their primordial spirits were about to disperse, the Soul-Locking Well suddenly underwent a transformation. Slowly, the Ghost General recounted everything that had happened. In the midst of his account, when he mentioned the appearance of the Thousand Shadow Blood Demon in Lu Yun's sword, the Ghost King's eyes shot out cold lights, clearly shocked to the extreme.
"Silence, all around was quiet. It wasn't until a while later that the Ghost King spoke: 'In this case, considering the losses we've suffered this time, it's barely acceptable. As for this strange person, from now on, be vigilant and notify me immediately if he enters the royal city again. Also, Blood Fury has been revived, so keep a close eye on him. I can already sense his presence, heading towards Black River! At the same time, another extremely evil aura is faintly visible, which seems to be the aura of Wu Jian Ghost Slayer.'"
"A loud cry, the Ghost General's voice trembled: "The Blood Evil Ghost and the Ghost Slasher have revived at the same time, how can this be? If it's really like this, then the Ghost Domain will never be peaceful again. Adding that mysterious and unpredictable Wú Líng Yīn Luó, all three of the Ghost Domain's great evils have appeared at the same time, which is something that has never happened in the Ghost Domain before. Your Majesty, do you have any instructions regarding this matter?"
The Ghost King hummed coldly and said, "This matter is a major event in the Ghost Domain, not just for us, but also for the Yin Corpse and Wu Soul realms. Now that a powerful cultivator has appeared from the mortal world, let's shift this troublesome affair onto their heads. Didn't you say that person was extremely formidable? Let's kill two birds with one stone and reap the benefits while others do the work. Another method is to take advantage of the fact that the passage to the Mortal Realm will soon be opened, and we can lure these three great evil spirits to go and fight against the powerful cultivators of the Mortal Realm, which would also be very beneficial for us."
"Your Majesty is wise, such a high and absolute strategy, it really makes me feel inferior. I will do this thing according to Your Majesty's intention, and I will definitely try my best to complete it. Now, does Your Majesty have anything else to ask? If not, I will leave."
"Go, be careful to defend yourself. At this time our strength is greatly damaged, if you are not careful, don't come see me again." As soon as the words fell, the ghost general lightly declared a white declaration and his dark shadow disappeared into thin air.
In the ghost temple, a gloomy laughter echoed. In the darkness, a pair of eyes flashing with red and black lights, together with that terrifying smile, looked extremely eerie. "Perhaps this time is an opportunity, it's just a matter of who can grasp it more accurately." The cold voice floated quietly in the ghost temple, lingering for a long time without dissipating.
By the Black River, Lin Yunfeng looked at Lu Yun's expressionless face and shouted loudly: "Hey, Lu Yun, what's wrong with you? We've been asking you questions for a while now, why won't you answer?"
He suddenly turned his head, Lu Yun came back to his senses from his memories, apologetically looking at the few people. Seeing that the few people were looking at him with strange expressions, Lu Yun said in a soft voice: "I was thinking about some things. Now we'll first cross this Black River, find a place to rest for a while, and then talk about other things, let's go." After finishing speaking, he led the few people and easily crossed the Black River.
In a low-lying slope, Lu Yun and the other six were sitting together in a circle. After several hours of meditation and breath control, the seven had basically recovered their strength and were now discussing what had happened earlier. Zi Yang Zhen Ren looked at Lu Yun and asked softly, "Lu Yun, what exactly happened earlier? Why did both Ao Xue and Cang Yue feel that your aura was slowly disappearing? What kind of danger did you encounter after entering Gui Wang City?"
With a glance at everyone's curious gaze, Lu Yun let out a soft sigh and said: "This time's trip to Gui Wang City was just one step away from sending me plummeting into the depths of despair. Originally, I had also entered quietly, taking great care in my actions. Who would have known that within Gui Wang City, those green city walls, aside from their strange color, could actually reveal all hidden objects? Any hidden entity, once entering Gui Wang City, would be left with nowhere to hide. Due to underestimating the enemy, I suffered heavy injuries in the Twelve Ghostly Array, one of the three ultimate arrays of the ghost domain, launched by twelve ghostly apparitions. Afterwards, I was nearly annihilated by their extremely overbearing 'Ghost Refining Spirit' technique. Finally, I was attacked by two ghost immortals, causing me to fall into a desperate situation and be forced to use Locking Soul Shock."
The six people's faces changed greatly when they heard this, and one person had actually encountered three consecutive heavy blows. It was truly shocking to hear. Under these three powerful attacks, how did he survive? This point made the six people full of curiosity, and everyone looked at him with bright and spirited eyes.
Gazing lightly at the horizon, Lu Yun seemed to be recalling that thrilling episode. In the air, he transmitted a faint voice: "Countless injuries made me completely lose my defensive ability. At the moment I entered the Soul Locking Well, the powerful Soul Splitting Ring tore apart my body. Fresh blood turned into a bloody mist with the rotating whirlwind, spreading in the air. When everything was about to end, it was a calling voice, a thread of heart words, with determination that pierced through the three realms, awakening me. At that moment, I only thought that I couldn't die yet, there were still many people waiting for me to return. Just like that, the strong will to survive supported me, letting me wander at the edge of hell and then return here again."
Upon hearing this, the six people all fell into a deep silence. The faint sense of desolation in Lu Yun's tone made everyone feel a heavy sense of solemnity. Perhaps it wasn't until this moment that they realized entering the Ghost Domain didn't just mean coming to take care of business, but also meant resisting death itself. The Ghost Domain was said to be the most perilous place among the three intervals and seven realms. Coming here was equivalent to playing with one's life; without a mindset prepared for certain death, it would be very difficult to adapt to this place.
In the night wind, a chill crept over the bodies of the seven people. Lu Yun's gaze swept across the six people, finally settling on Ao Xue and Cang Yue, with three parts tenderness in his eyes. Without saying a word, as if their hearts were connected, the gazes of the three met in mid-air. Faint smiles, shallow laughter, threads of concern, and strands of deep emotion all floated in each other's eyes.
At this moment, a smile appeared on Lu Yun's face, radiant and unparalleled. The silent words in her heart carried a few tender thoughts, gently transmitted to the hearts of the two women. As the night wind no longer blew, the deep emotions still flowed between their hearts.
Suddenly, a terrifying and eerie howl, mixed with boundless anger, softly echoed in the night wind. Turning back, looking towards the direction of the Black River, all seven pairs of eyes revealed a hint of shock. Lin Yun let out a strange cry, asking: "This sound is truly terrifying, it's as if there's an aura of death surrounding us, yet it sounds somewhat familiar, how strange." Familiar? Everyone was puzzled, looking at Lin Yun in confusion. Suddenly, Lu Yun's eyes changed, and a hint of a mysterious smile floated on the corner of his mouth, making him look extremely bizarre at that moment.
Xu Jie looked at Lin Yunfeng and asked, "What are you talking about? Familiar? What's familiar about this voice? It's gloomy and terrifying, listening to it makes people feel uncomfortable."
Yun Feng chuckled and said, "Don't be afraid, there are so many people here, and I'm protecting you too, what's there to fear? I say this voice is familiar because I feel like we've heard it somewhere before, only the memory is very vague."
"What nonsense are you spouting, who needs your protection? Just take care of yourself." Xu Jie glared at Yun Feng with a hint of anger in her tone, as if blaming him for speaking recklessly in front of everyone. The people around them lowered their heads and closed their eyes, a faint smile spreading across their faces. Meanwhile, Yun Feng let out two dry laughs, looking somewhat embarrassed.
Quietly gazing at the Black River, Lu Yun spoke softly: "Actually, what Yun Feng said is not false. This sound is indeed very familiar to us. It's the one emitted by the Undead Blood Fiend. At this moment, it's probably engaged in a fierce battle with the ghost army of the Black River, and they're having a great time."
"Ah, it's it. Lu Yun, you didn't mishear, did you? If this thing really appears, finding the Soul-Sealing Symbol will be even more difficult." Zi Yang True Person asked with a worried expression.
"Master, don't worry. The appearance of Blood Evil is actually beneficial to us. Remember when it was resurrected that day, it said it had a deep grudge against the Ghost King and Ghost Marshal. Now with its help in restraining those powerful ghosts, our actions will be much more convenient." Lu Yun slowly analyzed the benefits of Blood Evil's appearance for their group.
Everyone listened to Lu Yun's words and felt that they made some sense. Feng Yuanyang said, "In this case, we now have a good opportunity to take advantage of the situation and enter the Ghost King City to find out what happened to the Soul Pool. Now, let's act, what do you all think?"
Looking at him, everyone fell into thought for a moment and nodded slightly. Under Lu Yun's lead, the seven of them once again turned back to Gui Wang City. As they flew, Lu Yun analyzed the current situation, saying in a low voice: "With our current strength, we are not enough to go head-to-head with the entire Gui Wang City. Although that Undead Blood is holding back most of Gui Wang City's power, I think it's still not easy for all of us to enter." After finishing speaking, he looked at everyone, seeking their opinions.
Ziyang Zhenren's expression changed slightly, saying: "This time I will not agree to let you go alone again. If we are going, we should all go together, so that if something happens, we can take care of each other. If only you go, and something like last time happens again, how can we rescue you in time?" The five people beside him all agreed with Ziyang Zhenren's words, not wanting Lu Yun to venture out alone again. After all, it was the Ghost King City, a place of extreme danger.
"This time, I didn't plan to go alone. What I mean is, we'll split into two groups, Master and Yun Feng, Xu Jie shi mei, and Feng shi xiong will hide outside the Ghost King City, keeping an eye on that bloody movement. And I'll secretly head out with Ao Xue Cang Yue to carefully search for the location of the Soul Pool, see if we can find the Sealing Soul Symbol back. This way, Master should be at ease, right?"
Ziyang Zhenren looked at him and the two women, thought for a moment, and then reluctantly agreed: "Alright, since that's how it is. You three remember to be careful and safe, if there's any danger, come back immediately, we'll continue looking for opportunities next time, don't be too impatient, understand?"
Gently nodding, Lu Yun led everyone through the Black River and appeared outside the Ghost King City. Glancing at the two women, Lu Yun said calmly, "Let's go, time is pressing. The sooner we arrive, the more hope we have." Ao Xue and Cang Yue nodded lightly and quietly followed behind Lu Yun, heading towards the Ghost King City.
Standing quietly outside the protective light shield of Guiwang City, Lu Yun fell into deep thought. The two women asked him softly from behind, but he didn't respond, only staring at the light shield with a very strange gaze.
Standing outside the light shield for the second time, Lu Yun discovered that this layer of light shield had undergone tremendous changes compared to when he first saw it. Its operating frequency had actually increased threefold, clearly indicating that the ghost army in Gui Wang City had strengthened its defenses and launched its strongest defense.
Turning back, he glanced at the two women and said in a low voice, "Give me your hands, I'll pass on to you a mysterious usage mantra. From now on, as long as you practice more, you will discover many secrets."
Smiling at Lu Yun, the two women simultaneously stretched out their slender white hands. Gently grasping this pair of exquisite jade-like hands, Lu Yun felt a strange sensation in his heart at that moment. It seemed as if his own hands existed solely to hold onto these jade-like hands for this lifetime. Holding them tightly in his palms, the feeling of being connected by flesh and blood was so strong it was hard to bear. Among the three people, they all sensed that feeling at that moment, but no one spoke a word, instead silently gazing at each other.
"Be careful, feel it carefully." Turning around, Lu Yun pulled the two women, step by step, towards the majestic light shield. As the three approached the light shield, a powerful force pushed them back. At this moment, Ao Xue and Cang Yue's first reaction was to use their internal energy to resist. But Lu Yun's hands emitted a strange power that dissolved the energy they had mobilized. Immediately, Lu Yun input two weak true yuan into the bodies of the two women. The weak true yuan, under Lu Yun's control, constantly changed frequency, carrying the true yuan in the bodies of the two women, running together with it.
As they approached the strange light shield again, the powerful repulsive force still existed. However, as Lu Yun's true energy frequency increased, the repulsive force gradually decreased. At this moment, both women relaxed and carefully sensed Lu Yun's true energy, which had been constantly transforming at a high frequency, and vaguely felt something in their hearts. When Lu Yun raised his true energy frequency to 8,960 times per breath, the repulsive force that had been rejecting the three of them disappeared. Thus, the three could easily enter.
However, Lu Yun did not go in, but instead let go of the two women's hands, looked at them, and said softly: "Now you try it yourself, see how high your own true energy frequency can be raised. With your own ability, can you enter?"
Looking at Lu Yun, Ao Xue and Cang Yue did not speak up, they just nodded quietly, adjusting the frequency of their true energy fluctuations, trying to approach that light shield. The first time, they were bounced back simultaneously, the second time they were still bounced back, the third time, after persisting for a while, they were still bounced back.
"Controlling the frequency of true energy is mainly based on human will, not relying on coercion to complete. To achieve the intention of the heart, the movement of energy must be focused and empty-minded. The first time you can raise the frequency of true energy to over 4,300 times, it's already very good. However, the result you got by consuming a large amount of true yuan is not what I want." Lu Yun said, grabbing the hands of the two women again, a very weak true energy entered their bodies, instantly raising their true energy frequency to over 10,000 times in an instant.
For the third time, Lu Yunsong quickly raised the frequency of the true energy in the two women's bodies, making them feel it for a long time and understand many principles. Once again, Lu Yunsong opened his hands and smiled at the two women. This time, he only saw the two women's bodies sway slightly twice before they easily passed through the light screen.
In the royal city, Ao Xue and Cang Yue exchanged a glance, a hint of a smile appearing on their faces. Looking at Lu Yun who had just arrived, Ao Xue said softly, "Lu Yun, your method is truly amazing, why didn't we know about it? In the past, although I have also adjusted my own true energy frequency, that was only a small fluctuation, never thought that my true energy could be forcibly increased several times, it's really too amazing."
"But what's even more amazing is that this method can easily pass through this powerful barrier, without having to forcefully break through like we did the first time, causing a huge commotion." Cang Yue smiled as she looked at Lu Yun, her melodious voice rising softly.
Glancing around, he found that the bloody figure was nowhere to be seen. Looking at the city, Lu Yun's mental wave suddenly activated, and the high-speed rotating mental wave was like a giant net covering the sky, rapidly analyzing and feeding back all the information around him. In just a moment, he discovered that Xue Li was now approaching the center of Gui Wang City at an astonishing speed.
Looking back at the beautiful face, Lu Yun said softly: "Now, you just started learning, and after becoming more skilled, the frequency of your true energy will be even higher. This true energy wave not only allows you to penetrate some mysterious boundaries but also can detect hidden information, and most importantly, it can defend against and attack enemies. The magic domain's magic immortal is most adept at this method, its attacking power is extremely strong, and it is very difficult to defend against. Take your time to comprehend it, and it will be of great help to you in the future. As for me now, my true energy frequency can reach 100,000 times per breath, and if you work hard, you can also achieve it."
Beautiful eyes widened in surprise, Ao Xue and Cang Yue stared at him with expressions of shock and doubt. Seeing the surprised look on the two women for the first time, Lu Yun couldn't help but smile smugly, grabbing their jade hands and dashing forward.
As they proceeded, Cang Yue spoke in a soft voice: "Your cultivation has probably surpassed many of ours. The numerous mysteries on your body are all shocking. Remember during the Six Institutes' Martial Assembly, almost everyone above the 9th level thought you would definitely lose, because they couldn't imagine what you could use to defeat Jian Wucheng. But in the end, you used the ancient and never-before-seen Lei Shen Jue to defeat Tian Jian Jue, shocking everyone. And this time, many things that have happened in Gui Yu's domain have also slowly revealed your mysteries."
Aosnow glanced at Cangyue and said calmly, "Actually, both of us understand that you've been hiding something all along. But how long can you keep hiding? Ten years, twenty years, or a lifetime? Today, you're teaching us this method to control our true energy, is it because you've already started thinking about not hiding anymore?"
A slight, almost imperceptible tremble ran through his body as Lu Yun savored the meaning behind Ao Xue's words. Why had he suddenly thought of imparting this technique to them? Was it truly because he no longer wanted to hide, or was it just that he didn't want to hide in front of them anymore? Or perhaps it meant something else? Lu Yun felt a bit bewildered about this himself. Maybe deep down, he understood, but he was unwilling to confront it.
After coming out of the Soul Locking Well, Lu Yun began to change imperceptibly, although it was not obvious, but he himself was very clear. He knew that at this moment, his body contained an extremely evil and violent aura. Even if it is being suppressed now, there will be a time when it will erupt in the future. That evil aura has taken root in his body, and to eradicate it is not an easy task.
Looking at the two women, Lu Yun said calmly: "Some things are necessary to cover up. In the future, one day, you will naturally understand why I need to cover it up. In front of both of you, I actually haven't covered much because I couldn't bear to deceive you. Many things can't be said now, but what I can tell you is that in the future, I will leave here. This life, I have a different path from others to take, coming to Yi Garden is just for preparation later on. When one day I leave, everything will be understood. Now, let's seize the time and find the Soul Pool first. Let's go."
Aoyuki and Cangyue's eyes changed slightly, with a hint of shock in their expressions. Lu Yun's words revealed that he was going to leave Yiyuan, which made the two women very worried. Because his tone hinted at a sense of vicissitude. What secrets were hidden on him that others didn't know?
