Seeing Ye Qin appear, Cultivator Pang finally understood why the Wang uncle and nephew were present, and a burst of ecstasy made him roar at Zhu and Yang.

He had no confidence whatsoever in the strength of the Wang uncle and nephew; he hadn't expected the Wangs to be the ones to rescue them from the encirclement of the Skeleton Puppets. However, he had immense confidence in Ye Qin's power. An existence that even Patriarch Green Robe, a Nascent Soul cultivator, had failed to kill multiple times—his combat prowess could be imagined. He was even slightly stronger than Pang himself, a late-stage Golden Core cultivator.

Under Cultivator Pang's roar, both Zhu and Yang unhesitatingly abandoned their attacks on other fronts and charged with all their might toward Ye Qin's location.

Just as Ye Qin made his move, Huangfu Bing'er also shot out from the ghostly mist, wielding the Ice-Fire Twin Swords, transforming them into two colossal torrents of chilling ice and scorching flame, devastating swathes of Skeleton Puppets and helping Cultivator Pang and the others break free.

"Not good, they're about to break through!" The leading Skeleton Ghost Cultivator, Che Sen, seeing Huangfu Bing'er attacking the weak point in the skull formation, his face darkened. He rushed with several hundred skeletons to pursue the Wang uncle and nephew. The Zombie Ghost Cultivator, Che Wang, was fully engaged in battle with Ye Qin and couldn't divert his attention to control the skeletons. Only Che Sen was left, struggling to command nearly a thousand Skeleton Puppets to besiege the three late-stage Golden Core cultivators, including Cultivator Pang.

But with the strength of a mere mid-stage Golden Core Ghost Cultivator, it was simply impossible to use its divine sense to control such a massive horde of skeletons and zombies.

Divine sense could initially only control one skeleton; after every split, the controllable number would double. This kind of divine sense splitting became increasingly agonizing the further it progressed. Its divine sense had only split nine times, allowing it to accurately control just over five hundred puppets.

The massive horde of skeletons and zombies instantly descended into chaos, losing control. Their offense and defense became disordered, they couldn't execute precise coordination, and their power plummeted significantly.

Galvanized by renewed spirit, the three late-stage Golden Core cultivators poured their energy into their primordial spirit artifacts to break out. With Huangfu Bing'er attacking from the outside as well, their unstoppable assault smashed through two to three hundred skeletons in the thinnest part of the formation, forcibly blasting open a pathway of shattered bone.

"Insolent mid-stage Golden Core Ghost Cultivator dares to plot against me! Let you know the might of Pang!"

Having escaped the encirclement of the skeletons and zombies, Cultivator Pang, consumed by fury, retracted the Seven Treasures Canopy Umbrella. It transformed into a sharp stream of multicolored light and shot straight toward the Ghost Cultivator Che Sen, who was controlling the skeleton horde.

Cultivator Zhu and Cultivator Yang simultaneously let out sharp cries, jointly controlling their artifacts—the Red Spider Flying Sword and the Black Fiend Staff—to attack Ghost Cultivator Che Sen.

"Victory through numbers, you got lucky this time! But I give you a final warning: this Desolate Spirit Ghost Domain is my Master's territory. You trespass upon Ghost Island and offend my Master's majesty; you are doomed sooner or later!"

Che Sen's face shifted darkly. Seeing that the situation was irreversible, he finally cursed in annoyance, transformed into a plume of black smoke, and swiftly drilled into the piles of bones scattered everywhere, vanishing without a trace. With its current strength, without the restraint of a large skeleton horde, it was no match for the three late-stage Golden Core cultivators. Trying to use the skeleton horde again to replay the same tactic and trap Cultivator Pang was just a fantasy.

Boom!

The Seven Treasures Canopy Umbrella blasted the bones and skeletons within several hundred zhang into fragments, but there was no sign of Ghost Cultivator Che Sen.

"Hmph, Ghost Evasion Technique, you fled quite fast!"

Cultivator Pang flashed over to where Che Sen vanished, controlling the Seven Treasures Canopy Umbrella, sweeping the area for several miles with his divine sense, yet finding no hidden aura. Hearing Che Sen's words before fleeing, he couldn't help but snort indignantly, "A defeated enemy still dares to boast wildly—unreasonable! The Sea of Blood is the battleground where we Donglian cultivators and the Demon Race fight. Since when did a mere handful of ghost cultivators get to dictate terms, carve out territory, and openly establish a ghost domain!"

"Brother Pang, if these ghost cultivators kept a low profile, lived in seclusion to practice, then so be it; we Donghai cultivators wouldn't bother with them," Cultivator Zhu appeared beside Cultivator Pang, his face grim, saying with a sneer.

"But these ghost cultivators here are too audacious, establishing a ghost domain, causing ghostly miasma to soar and corpses to litter the ground. Sooner or later, this will draw the wrath of us Donghai cultivators, perhaps even a full-scale campaign. They are courting death themselves! We don't need to be so angry; just focus on finding the treasure."

On another part of the battlefield.

Ye Qin and the Corroding Bone Alligator Skeleton Demon were locked in combat with the other Zombie Ghost Cultivator, Che Wang.

It had to be admitted that Che Wang's combat power was far superior to that of an ordinary mid-stage Golden Core cultivator from the Eastern Sea. Setting aside its powerful divine sense and skeleton control techniques, its zombie body itself was a ghost artifact refined through a thousand trials, rendering it immune to damage from ordinary magical artifacts.

Ye Qin only used one Golden Bird Shining Light Sword and some mid-grade talismans, focusing entirely on defense. However, his ninth-rank Corroding Bone Alligator Skeleton Demon was powerful enough to suppress Che Wang's relentless offense.

Ye Qin appeared relaxed, not in a hurry at all, and had no intention of forcibly channeling his mana to deploy the Grand Five Elements Sword Array.

Che Wang attacked frequently, its ghostly hands clawing fiercely, the green-black Phantom Spirit Ghost Fire burning intensely, posing a massive threat to all living things with terrifying power. Unfortunately, it was all blocked by the Corroding Bone Alligator Skeleton Demon. This ninth-rank skeleton demon was simply immune to ghost fire. Unable to harm Ye Qin, the Zombie Ghost Cultivator felt a surge of powerlessness. "Damn it! I will find a chance to kill you later!"

Che Wang glanced at Che Sen escaping in the distance. It abruptly halted its attacks, green light flashing from its eyes. With a ferocious glare filled with resentment toward Ye Qin, it wrapped its black robe around itself and shot into the surrounding ghostly mist with a 'hiss,' flying away. If it didn't leave now, once Cultivator Pang and the others converged to kill it, it wouldn't even remain a ghost cultivator; it would be utterly annihilated, disappearing completely from the world.

Ye Qin's goal was to save the three of them, so he had no interest in pursuing the ghost cultivator. He retracted his flying sword and stood still, coldly surveying the entire battlefield situation.

The three ghost cultivators had all fled, and even the Golden Core-level puppets had scattered and bolted into the ghostly mist. Only hundreds of unmanned Foundation Establishment-level skeletons and zombies remained, posing no threat whatsoever. Almost instantly, they were annihilated by Huangfu Bing'er, the three cultivators including Pang, and the Wang uncle and nephew.

Cultivator Pang flew toward him.

"Many thanks to Fellow Daoist Ye for your timely aid! If you hadn't arrived just in time, I, Pang, would surely have suffered a great loss! I, Pang, do not like to owe favors, and I will certainly repay this debt in the future!"

Cultivator Pang, having just escaped death and venting his frustration by slaughtering skeletons, spoke solemnly and earnestly.

Ye Qin paid little mind to the repayment of the favor. However, he knew that since Cultivator Pang had made such a declaration, he no longer viewed Ye Qin as a low-ranking cannon fodder cultivator but rather as an equal in strength, showing a degree of respect he hadn't before. It was not easy to earn the respect of a treasure-hunting cultivator like Pang, who had spent a hundred years roaming the Sea of Blood, a late-stage Golden Core cultivator.

"Brother Pang, what is the origin of these ghost cultivators on this island? You have roamed the Sea of Blood for so long; you shouldn't be completely ignorant of their background? Just how strong is the ghost cultivator force on this island?"

Ye Qin was meticulous; many doubts already plagued his mind, and he suddenly inquired. He certainly didn't want to provoke a powerful ghost cultivator faction that would be hard to counter.

"The fighting in the Sea of Blood has always been fierce. Many Golden Core cultivators, unwilling to enter the cycle of reincarnation after death, transform into ghost cultivators to continue their practice. I know a bit about the ghost cultivator forces within the range of the Ancient Ship Stronghold. However, this Ghost Cultivator Den was only recently discovered, and I know almost nothing about it," Cultivator Pang shook his head, hiding nothing. He pondered for a moment, then added, "This is my second time on this island. All the ghost cultivators I encountered were Golden Core level, and there weren't many of them. The local ghost cultivator force should not be strong."

"Brother Pang, as far as I know, most ghost cultivator techniques run contrary to the heavens and harm natural order. Therefore, the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance have always severely suppressed ghost cultivator activities. Once a ghost cultivator is discovered, they are immediately purged without mercy. Why are the ghost cultivators here in such large groups, seemingly without fear?" Elder Wang interjected, his voice filled with doubt.

"Each year, a very small fraction of Golden Core cultivators who die in the Sea of Blood become ghost cultivators. The higher-ups of the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance are busy fighting the Demon Race for control of the Sea of Blood; they don't have time to bother with these endless ghost cultivators. Silently permitting ghost cultivators to operate in the Sea of Blood will not lead to their complete extermination," Cultivator Zhu laughed heartily.

"The ghost cultivators on this island are all extremely powerful and difficult to deal with. Should we still cross the Bone Mountain Range to search for treasures?" Elder Wang sighed, looking toward Ye Qin and Pang with waning confidence, hoping they would make a decision.

"Go! Why not? For the sake of treasure hunting, I have already lost dozens of companions I've known for decades; how can I stop halfway!" Cultivator Pang's expression was exceptionally resolute.

"These ghost cultivators are only rampant here in the Bone Mountain Range, relying on their Skeleton Control Techniques. Beyond this mountain range is a plain, with no bones scattered around, preventing them from instantly condensing skeletons anywhere they please. Without large hordes of skeletons, these ghost cultivators are nothing special!"

"We will follow this path, cross the Bone Mountain Range, traverse the plain, and eventually reach this city." Cultivator Pang took out a map scroll and infused it with mana. Above the scroll, a phantom image materialized. He pointed to a city in the center of the map.

"This city is...?" Ye Qin's expression turned serious as he scrutinized the map.

"This was once a city built by ancient cultivators; its original name is unknown. However, it is now called Desolate Spirit City! The last time I was here, I reached the city's edge and noticed a glow of treasure leaking out from within," Cultivator Pang stated.

"Fellow Daoist Pang, are you so certain there are treasures in this city? And not just the ghost cultivators within the city causing trouble?" Ye Qin was not easily convinced and voiced his doubt.

"In this Ancient Ship Stronghold, I, Pang, am considered a veteran treasure hunter. If I am this certain, there is naturally a reason. I spent over a hundred years collecting numerous accounts and ancient records regarding the last great war between the Celestial and Demon Races."

Cultivator Pang spoke with considerable pride, producing a white jade top, tossing it to Ye Qin for examination.

"According to records from some ancient cultivation families, during the last great war between the Celestial and Demon Races, the cultivators of the Donghai Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance established a treasury on a mysterious, massive island within the Sea of Blood. It served as a supply base, stockpiling vast amounts of spirit stones, elixirs, magical artifacts, and talismans for the campaign against the Demon Race. Furthermore, they stored large quantities of top-tier materials and powerful artifacts to reward cultivators who achieved outstanding merit. Unfortunately, before the supplies in this treasury could be used, it was heavily assaulted by the Demon Race cultivators. After a fierce battle, both sides were nearly wiped out. As for the subsequent fate of this treasury, it remained unknown to anyone. After ten thousand years, even locating the island became difficult. I suspect that the location of this treasury is very likely on this very island."