The sky, thick with ghostly miasma stretching for tens of miles, shockingly receded as if a tide were surging away.
A dual-headed Vulture Skeleton Demon, with a wingspan easily exceeding two hundred zhang, descended from the heavens, its four eyes casting an imposing, dark, spectral gleam as it circled, tearing through the heavy ghost fog.
This dual-headed Vulture Skeleton Demon possessed two heads, four wings, and six feet, spewing black flames from its nostrils that stretched for several zhang. Its entire body was comprised of jet-black bones. With a single beat of its gigantic skeletal wings, it churned up dense black air and flashed across a distance of more than ten li in an instant.
A spectral shadow, shrouded in black mist, stood impassively atop the dual-headed Vulture, looking down upon the cultivators battling amidst the mountain range of skeletons below.
Though its figure was entirely obscured by the eerie black energy, making its appearance utterly invisible, the terrifying majesty that radiated from this phantom made it the sole, supreme existence within hundreds of li.
“Pay homage to Our Master!”
The two early-stage Nascent Soul ghost cultivators, the Skeleton General and the Corpse King, immediately ceased their pursuit of the Green Robe Ancestor upon seeing the circling dual-headed Vulture, dropping to their knees in obeisance. Their reverence and respect were absolute, without a hint of hesitation.
“We welcome the Ghost Lord!”
The numerous skeletons and zombies, these Golden Core ghost treasures, likewise abandoned their assault on the wicked cultivators from the Savage Isle, recalling their respective ghost artifacts, trembling as they prostrated themselves and kowtowed.
Meanwhile, those Savage Isle Wu Cultivators were stunned rigid by the immense spiritual pressure, exchanging horrified glances. Overwhelmed by terror, they stood paralyzed, unsure whether to flee or bow down.
“The—the Ghost Lord?! Are you truly the master who commands all the Golden Core and Nascent Soul ghost cultivators across this entire ten-thousand-li island?”
The Green Robe Ancestor’s face turned deathly pale, icy dread pouring through him. The extent of his shock was indescribable.
The anti-air restrictions of the Ghost Fog Great Formation were completely ineffective against the dual-headed Skeleton Vulture and that phantom shadow. There could only be one reason: this phantom was the controller of the entire Ghost Fog Great Formation, capable of manipulating it at will.
Yet, at this moment, the Green Robe Ancestor wished he had never set foot on this ghost island. Any thought of seizing control of the island had long since vanished into thin air.
He regretted his existence to the point of wishing for death.
Merely the mount of the Ghost Lord was an eleventh-tier, mid-stage Nascent Soul dual-headed Vulture Skeleton Demon.
This dual-headed Vulture Skeleton Demon was already capable of materializing a true form. Skeleton demons of the same tier possessed strength far surpassing that of cultivators. Just this mid-stage Nascent Soul dual-headed Skeleton Vulture was more than enough to kill him and prevent any escape.
This eleventh-tier Skeleton Vulture was merely the Ghost Lord’s steed. Let alone the terrifying existence that was the Ghost Lord itself.
Such vast and terrifying spiritual pressure was something the Green Robe Ancestor had only ever felt from the late-stage peak Nascent Soul cultivators who ruled the seas near the Blood Sea. Those cultivators, at the late-stage peak of Nascent Soul, were comparable to the Five Great Sect Masters of the Heavenly Dao Alliance or the Five Great Giants of the Heavenly Demon Alliance—powerful beings qualified to contend for the Spirit Transformation stage.
“I am the Desolate Spirit Ghost Lord. I had assumed you would retreat wisely in the face of peril, but you proved so foolish. Even the Sect Master of the Heavenly Dao Alliance would not dare speak of destroying my Desolate Spirit Ghost Island if he came here. What are you, a mere mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator?!”
The phantom let out a cold laugh. From within the strange black energy, a dark, ghostly hand suddenly stretched out. Floating above its palm was a wisp of faint, somber black flame, which then morphed into a black lotus, so dark it seemed to devour all surrounding light.
The phantom flicked its finger. That black lotus transformed into a streak of black light, shooting toward the Green Robe Ancestor on the ground.
“Netherflame!?”
The Skeleton General and the Corpse King, kneeling on the ground, gasped in unison upon recognizing the spectral fire, their faces showing extreme fear.
The Green Robe Ancestor, without a moment’s hesitation, spat out a mouthful of vital essence, his body erupting with a surge of green baleful light, transforming into a green escape beam that hurtled toward the exterior of the Skeleton Mountain Range.
He then urged his Green Baleful Sword to protect him, simultaneously unleashing several high-tier defensive Nascent Soul artifacts—the ‘Green Scale Dharma Shield’ and the ‘Golden Profound Armor’—each of excellent grade. He even summoned his ninth-tier Bone-Melting Serpent Skeleton Demon to protect his life.
The Green Robe Ancestor had the will to fight when facing the early-stage Nascent Soul Skeleton General or the Corpse King.
But facing the Ghost Lord, whose power was at the late-stage peak of Nascent Soul, commanding all ghost cultivators on the Desolate Spirit Island, comparable to a Sect Master or a Giant, he couldn't even summon the resolve for a final, desperate battle.
The gap between mid-stage Nascent Soul and late-stage peak Nascent Soul was only one tier, but the difference in actual power was vast. Especially for late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators at the level of Sect Masters or Giants, who possessed profound treasures, they were far beyond comparison with ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators. He suspected he wasn't even a tenth or twentieth of the Ghost Lord’s strength—certain death awaited.
The Green Robe Ancestor’s desire to live was urgent; the speed of that green light escape reached its absolute maximum.
But the speed of that black lotus was even faster. Spinning rapidly with a sizzling sound, it sliced through the heavens, pursuing the green light! Ten li, eight li, six li—the black light formed by the black lotus rapidly closed the distance in just a few blinks of an eye.
The Green Robe Ancestor had no idea what that black lotus was, but given how terrified the Skeleton General and the Corpse King were of it, he dared not let it approach.
He finally couldn't resist, unleashing an attack. The Green Baleful Sword trembled, and a dazzling green sword beam fiercely cleaved toward the incoming ghost fire.
“Kaka!” In an instant, the hundred-zhang sword beam of the Green Baleful Sword struck at the black lotus shooting toward it. This Black Lotus Netherflame landed upon the Green Baleful Sword, a minor divine ability artifact. “Chiii~ Chiii!”
Almost instantaneously, the black lotus devoured the dazzling light of the Green Baleful Sword. The sword lost control, constantly deteriorating under the incineration of the black flame. Even the sword body began to burn, and it wavered before falling onto the Skeleton Mountain Range.
The black lotus moved unimpeded onto the Green Robe Ancestor’s Azure Swim Dharma Shield and Golden Profound Armor. These two Nascent Soul artifacts couldn't even offer resistance; they shared the same fate as the Green Baleful Sword, losing their luster in a flash and becoming scrap metal.
“No! What kind of ghost fire is this? How could it instantly ruin my minor divine ability-grade artifact? This is a minor divine ability-grade artifact; a Nascent Soul ghost cultivator’s flame simply cannot harm it! Unless it’s the ghost fire controlled by a Spirit Transformation stage ghost cultivator!”
The Green Robe Ancestor screamed in horror, frantically unleashing wave after wave of powerful palm strikes, trying to smother and dispel the black flames clinging to the Golden Profound Armor. But it was useless; this black flame burned upon contact with anything.
The black flame quickly spread to his robes and flesh, silently consuming even his bone marrow.
“Could it be the legendary Netherflame? The Netherflame that only exists in the Underworld on the Western Gloom Continent? The Netherflame that can burn all living beings and spiritual energy in the world! How is this possible? How could this fire appear in the Blood Sea! No, this old ancestor refuses to accept it, how could such a heaven-defying Netherflame appear in the Blood Sea!”
The Green Robe Ancestor’s entire body erupted into a furious blaze of black flame. Amidst his shrill screams echoed disbelief, despair, and terror.
Immediately following, a vast shroud of somber black flame completely enveloped him. The Green Robe Ancestor’s physical body, from bone marrow to every joint, every limb, and his skull, was utterly incinerated to ash.
Even his Nascent Soul, attempting to escape its ruined body, was still wrapped and burned by the black flame.
That Nascent Soul, once at the Nascent Soul stage, rapidly dimmed as its vital energy was consumed by the flame, plummeting from the Nascent Soul stage down through Golden Core, Foundation Establishment, and Qi Refining stages, finally becoming a pure Yin spirit devoid of energy.
On this giant island, such lone spirits were plentiful. This wisp of Yin soul looked around blankly, utterly lost.
The Skeleton Mountain Range was utterly silent, save for the black flame, which was gradually fading after incinerating the Green Robe Ancestor, standing out starkly, chilling every heart.
“The Green Robe Ancestor… died?!”
Not a single Wu Cultivator from the Savage Isle had imagined that a single spectral fire unleashed by the Ghost Lord would instantly kill the Green Robe Ancestor, a formidable mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator who had dominated a region, without even affording him a chance to retaliate!
Witnessing everything, the Savage Isle Wu Cultivators watched as the ray of Netherflame instantly consumed the Green Robe Ancestor. Their hands and feet turned ice-cold, their hearts turning to dust from sheer terror. If even a cultivator as mighty as the Green Robe Ancestor could be instantly killed by this ghost fire, could they possibly survive?
“To recognize that Netherflame, you possess some insight after all. Dying by my hand can be considered your fortune.”
The Ghost Lord looked down at the fading Yin soul of the Green Robe Ancestor and spoke coldly. “Master, should we execute these Golden Core cultivators as well?” The Corpse King, seeing the Green Robe Ancestor fall, licked his black lips and quickly inquired respectfully. “No need. Let these Golden Core cultivators go to Desolate Spirit City!”
The Desolate Spirit Ghost Lord glanced at the group of wicked cultivators from the Savage Isle, who were awaiting death with closed eyes, and said grimly, “There is an ancient treasure within Desolate Spirit City, and I need their hands to retrieve it. However, no Nascent Soul cultivators are allowed entry into Desolate Spirit City other than the Golden Core ones! Any Nascent Soul cultivator seen shall be killed on sight! If this ancient treasure falls into the hands of a cultivator whose power is too formidable, it will certainly ruin the grand scheme I have nurtured for hundreds of years!”
“Yes, as you command! Your subordinate will lead a team to patrol the Skeleton Mountain Range, Blood Mist Wasteland, and Zombie Ridge, ensuring not a single Nascent Soul cultivator enters Desolate Spirit City!”
“Your subordinate will ensure these Golden Core cultivators obediently proceed to Desolate Spirit City!”
The Skeleton General and the Corpse King dared not question the Ghost Lord’s order, immediately kowtowing to accept their command.
The dual-headed Vulture Skeleton Demon let out a sharp cry, carrying the Ghost Lord into the sky, vanishing into the ghost fog on the horizon.
The Golden Core ghost cultivators dispersed, sinking into the endless ghost fog, scattering to various parts of the island.
The bodies of the Savage Isle Wu Cultivators trembled. They only relaxed once the ghost cultivators had completely disappeared. They exchanged looks, unable to believe they had miraculously survived. However, they were not fools; the Ghost Lord’s words were perfectly clear: they were to proceed to Desolate Spirit City.
Moreover, the Corpse King was watching them. If they didn't go, the consequences would hardly be better than the fate of the Green Robe Ancestor.
As for the consequences of arriving at Desolate Spirit City, that was a problem for later.
Daring not to linger, they transformed into more than a dozen streaks of light, continuing over the Skeleton Mountain Range toward Desolate Spirit City.
A thousand li away, at Desolate Spirit City.
Over twenty treasure-seeking cultivators had briefly meditated to restore their spiritual power, preparing to enter the city.
Most of this Desolate Spirit City was already collapsed ruins, evidently having suffered devastating blows during the war between Immortals and Demons. However, it was surmised that the Demon Race cultivators attacked from the sky, so the city gate remained relatively intact, without significant damage.
The city walls, due to the passage of time, were already mottled and scarred by corrosion from the blood mist and ghost energy. Hidden within the dim ghost fog, Desolate Spirit City presented a scene of ancient vicissitude and decay.
Yet, not a single treasure-seeking cultivator present dared to let their guard down or underestimate this Desolate Spirit City. Ye Qin gazed calmly at the ancient city, his mind turning over possibilities.
“Husband, this city feels strange. We must be more careful!” Huangfu Bing'er whispered softly.
“Mm. I have never cultivated the art of formation arrays, so I can’t discern anything specific. Fortunately, among the treasure-seekers here, there are several Dao Friends proficient in arrays. They should be able to see the dangers lurking in this ancient city! We can just follow them inside,” Ye Qin nodded. His strength ranked among the strongest of the treasure-seekers, but he would not act rashly. He looked at Bing’er, and seeing the worry etched on her face, he tightened his grip on her cool little hand.
“Fellow Dao Friends, we must enter this Desolate Spirit City quickly and locate the ancient treasure here,” Sun Xing stated solemnly. “Which Dao Friend is willing to take the lead and venture into this ancient city?”
“Dao Brother Sun, cultivation world cities are usually protected by incredibly complex and powerful city-guarding arrays. This city should be no exception; it must possess a protective formation designed to repel sudden attacks from Demon Race cultivators and beast hordes. The power of such formations is terrifying; they can often obliterate even tenth-tier or higher Demon Race cultivators in a single blast, let alone a group of us Golden Core cultivators!”
“Although this city is now ruins, some residual formations remain within. These remnant formations still exert partial array effects and retain immense power. These remnant formations, being incomplete, are paradoxically more troublesome than complete ones,” a Confucian-robed cultivator, skilled in array formations, immediately shook his head and said. “Take the city gate for example; it still retains a residual formation. It cannot be cracked by normal array-breaking techniques; it must be forcefully destroyed!”
Ye Qin heard this and looked over.
Indeed, the gate of Desolate Spirit City faintly glowed with an ancient radiance. Amidst the various lights, countless ancient talismans could be vaguely seen flowing.
“Then let’s forcefully blast it open!”
Sun Xing pondered for a moment; he saw no other recourse.
The treasure-seeking cultivators brought dozens of flying sword artifacts to bear, forcefully striking the ancient city gate, preparing to collapse it and enter the city built ten thousand years ago.
Just then—from a thousand li away in the Skeleton Mountain Range—a muffled sound suddenly echoed faintly.
Following that, a weak light also appeared.
All the treasure-seeking cultivators started in alarm.
“What is that sound?”
Ye Qin stopped wielding his Golden Bird Shining Light Sword in shock and looked toward the distant direction of the Skeleton Mountain Range.
Huangfu Bing’er shook her head in astonishment; she didn't know.
“It sounds like someone speaking, but how can a voice travel this far?! Could it be Nascent Soul cultivators fighting? Only Nascent Soul cultivators can produce such immense sounds.”
Sun Xing listened carefully, frowning.
“That’s possible. Perhaps other Nascent Soul cultivators have been drawn by the news, hoping to claim the treasures within this ancient ruin! They must be fighting in the Skeleton Mountain Range!”
The treasure-seeking cultivators murmured among themselves, all feeling uneasy.
The fact that the sound and light could penetrate layers of ghost fog from over a thousand li away was somewhat alarming. But, due to the great distance, they had no clear idea of what was transpiring there.
“Don’t worry about it. Let’s hurry and get inside the city first. No matter the treasure, we must snatch it before anyone else. Once the cultivators from all corners of the Blood Sea gather, there won’t be anything left for us!” Sun Xing roared loudly, controlling the Four Directions Earth Quadrupole Formation Banners to launch waves of massive rock projectiles.
“Boom!”
Under the successive bombardment of dozens of Nascent Soul artifacts, the gate of Desolate Spirit City finally collapsed, creating a great hole several zhang high.