A haze of spectral mist began to coalesce within the blood-red crystalline eyes of the Ice Toad. It perceived the Ghost Lord, but the terrifying spectral pressure emanating from the Ghost Master instilled in it a profound sense of danger, forbidding any challenge.

It merely gave a low growl and rapidly retreated, attempting to slip back into the ice cellar. The Ghost Lord, whose boundless fury had found no outlet, instantly focused on the Ice Toad, igniting the fires of its rage.

“Useless spawn of evil, unable to kill even a few Golden Core cultivators! Die for this master!” Fierce flames blazed in the Ghost Lord’s eyes.

Its withered right hand shot out, instantly transforming into a massive, spectral claw wreathed in black flame, dozens of zhang high, lunging for the Ice Toad. The toad leaped desperately to escape but could not evade the grasp; it was entirely seized by the chilling, ghost-energy-laden claw.

The black flames erupting from the claw intensified, tightening their hold dramatically. A sphere of black fire engulfed the entire Ice Toad.

One could see the toad spewing forth clouds of ice mist and chilling vapor, desperately attempting to extinguish the flames that enveloped it. Yet, the frigid energy could not resist the black fire.

The Ice Toad let out a mournful cry as its ice crystals melted within the flames, its spiritual energy rapidly diminishing. With a sharp bang, it was crushed by the ghost claw, shattering into a large burst of icy fragments.

This Nascent Soul stage demonic spirit, which had posed such a significant threat to cultivators like Ye Qin and Sun Xing of the Golden Core stage, was violently destroyed on the spot. The Ghost Lord, having disposed of the Ice Toad, vented a portion of its ire.

Unable to locate Ye Qin and the other three within the ice cellar, it emerged from the ancient teleportation array with a grim expression, manifesting itself in Desolate Spirit City. It was preparing to summon its subordinates—the Two-Headed Ghost Vulture, the Corpse King, and the Skeleton General, along with all the Golden Core ghost cultivators—to blockade the entire Desolate Spirit Giant Island, lest Ye Qin, Sun Xing, and the four treasure-seeking cultivators escape with the North Abyss Ice Lotus Seed.

Just then, a piercing screech of a ghost vulture echoed down from the sky. The Two-Headed Vulture Skeleton Demon, trailing rolling black mist and ghost energy, flew over Desolate Spirit City, arriving instantly before the ruined grand hall, where it dematerialized into a skeletal humanoid form.

The strange face of the Two-Headed Vulture held an unfamiliar expression of sheer panic. “Ghost Vulture, what is the meaning of this?

I ordered you to hunt down the Nascent Soul cultivators who entered the island! Why have you returned without being summoned back?” The Ghost Lord’s face shifted, displaying extreme displeasure.

The Two-Headed Vulture was clearly distraught and spoke rapidly, “Master, your subordinate was pursuing those fleeing Nascent Soul cultivators, on the verge of driving them off Desolate Spirit Island, when suddenly I observed a massive host of Nascent Soul cultivators from the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance’s Immortal Palaces advancing! Among them were many late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators at the Palace Master level.

Seeing the situation turn grave, I immediately hastened back to report to you, Master. How we should defend against them, I request your command!” “What, Nascent Soul cultivators from the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance have arrived!?

Damn it! Why have they suddenly entered the Sea of Blood in such force, arriving at this Desolate Spirit Island!

Could the seven Nascent Soul cultivators seen earlier have merely been their vanguards?” The Ghost Lord was startled, its tone instantly sharpening into a razor edge, its dark eyes blazing brightly. Even for one at the peak of the late Nascent Soul stage, poised to break through to the Spirit Transformation realm, the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance were figures to be deeply wary of.

“Master, shall this subordinate personally strike to make an example of them and drive them off Desolate Spirit Island?” the Two-Headed Vulture hastily inquired. “Silence!

The Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance, as the two largest immortal cultivation alliances in the East Sea, are deeply entrenched and unbreakable, unlike those few rogue Nascent Soul cultivators from the Sea of Blood who were easily dealt with. Provoking them will invite immense trouble.

Immediately recall the Corpse King and the Skeleton General. Without my express command, do not engage the Nascent Soul cultivators of the two Immortal Alliances rashly.” Black light flickered within the Ghost Lord’s eyes.

It understood perfectly that in the East Sea cultivation world, no one could afford to provoke an immortal cultivation power as vast and incomprehensible as the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance. Even the Demon Race, which once rampaged unchecked across the East Sea Archipelagos and the Sea of Blood, rarely appeared in the Sea of Blood now, having been forced back to their ancestral home—the deepest reaches of the East Sea Demon Sea.

Its personal cultivation strength was only comparable to that of a Sect Master from the Heavenly Dao Alliance or a major figure from the Heavenly Demon Alliance. The power base of Desolate Spirit Ghost Island, which it had built with its own hands, was comparable only to a single major Immortal Palace in the East Sea, nowhere near strong enough to dare contest or oppose these two grand alliances.

The Ghost Lord roared, “Furthermore, several treasure seekers have emerged from the treasury. You, along with the Corpse King and the Skeleton General, must take all the Golden Core ghost cultivators and search the island for the four treasure-seeking cultivators who first entered!

Dead or alive, bring them back immediately; they must not be allowed to flee this island!” “Yes, Master!” The Two-Headed Vulture was puzzled, unable to comprehend why its Master feared these two cultivation alliances so greatly. In truth, being a Nascent Soul level Skeleton Demon refined personally by the Ghost Lord, it rarely left the island and had never witnessed the true might of the Heavenly Dao Alliance or the Heavenly Demon Alliance, thus remaining ignorant of the Master’s apprehension.

Nevertheless, out of reverence for the Ghost Lord, the Two-Headed Vulture immediately accepted the order, flapped its bone wings, and shot skyward amidst the black mist. “So many cultivators from the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance have arrived!

They cannot be allowed to destroy the Ghost Mist Grand Array; I must find a way to stop them.” The Ghost Lord pondered for a moment where it stood, then its gaze suddenly turned icy. It sensed several groups of powerful Nascent Soul cultivators approaching Desolate Spirit City from different directions.

Each group contained a significant number of Nascent Soul cultivators. These cultivators were moving extremely fast, and the distance to Desolate Spirit City was closing rapidly.

Suppressing the anger in its heart, it leaped up instantly, transforming into a streak of black-flame meteor fire, heading toward the direction of the Skeleton Mountain Range where the largest contingent of Nascent Soul cultivators was gathered. ......

Not long after the Ghost Lord departed. Jiang Ling and Zheng Chenghui, finding no movement within the ancient treasury, cautiously poked their pale faces out from the tunnel leading from the earth vault.

The terrifying ghost cultivator aura from before had vanished from the ancient treasury, allowing them to escape a brush with death. They discovered that the Nascent Soul stage Ice Toad was dead, filling them with immense joy mixed with lingering panic and apprehension.

“Did the ghost cultivator kill this Nascent Soul stage Ice Toad?” “It seems like no one is left! Let’s go, hurry and leave this place!” The two clutched their heavily laden storage bags at their waists, traversed the main hall of the ancient treasury littered with corpses, and teleported out via the ancient array.

They fled Desolate Spirit City, daring not to reveal their presence, moving cautiously and fearfully across the island. ......

Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing’er, after the Ghost Lord entered the ancient treasury from the teleportation array, immediately shot away from Desolate Spirit City. They fled over ten li in one breath, reaching the edge of the Dead Spirit Lake surrounding the city’s outskirts.

Ye Qin located the bone boat he had hidden in a secluded spot on the way in, preparing to cross the lake and depart. As for how Sun Xing and Cultivator Pang would escape the lake island, it was no longer his concern; after all, full-fledged Golden Core cultivators surely wouldn't be stumped by such minor difficulties.

“Eh? Someone is approaching!” Ye Qin suddenly felt numerous mixed energy fluctuations within the Dead Spirit Lake, rapidly closing in.

In just a short while, he could discern a massive shadow breaking through the black waves of the stagnant water, emerging from the ghost mist covering the surface of the Dead Spirit Lake. “Nascent Soul cultivators, and quite a few of them!” Ye Qin’s expression changed, and he couldn't help but offer a wry smile.

In this ghost mist, his spiritual sense could only penetrate a few hundred zhang. But the shadow ahead contained several extremely strong pressures that made him sense the approach of this group.

These auras varied in strength and were not deliberately concealed. The highest cultivation level belonged to a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, while the weakest were almost negligible, possessing only the cultivation base of the Foundation Establishment stage.

It was truly terrible luck. In order to retrieve a few treasures from the vault, he had already encountered the Nascent Soul Ice Toad, a group of barbarian island evil cultivators, and an unfathomable Nascent Soul ghost cultivator; every step had nearly cost him his life.

Now, before he had even crossed the Dead Spirit Lake, he had run into a group of powerful cultivators. “They are all immortal cultivators, not ghost cultivators.

However, whether they are fellow treasure seekers or power-seizing evil cultivators remains to be seen!” Huangfu Bing’er, like Ye Qin, stood firm on the bone boat and did not flee. At such close quarters, Ye Qin was certain that the several Nascent Soul ancestors within the approaching shadow had already spotted them.

If he and Bing’er tried to flee now, it would only appear as if they were trying to cover something up, thus arousing suspicion. Running was out of the question, so it was better to focus on how to overcome this difficult juncture.

Ye Qin resolved internally to adapt as circumstances dictated. In the space of a single breath, a magnificent treasure ship, hundreds of zhang long and radiating a brilliant azure light, pushed aside the ghost mist blanketing the lake surface, revealing itself clearly to Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing’er.

This treasure ship was not the large battleship equipped with heavy cannons found at the ancient fortress; it was merely a flying artifact with no inherent offensive power, capable of traversing the air or navigating the lake surface. Ye Qin glanced forward.

Standing side-by-side at the bow were a middle-aged man clad in magnificent white robes, a middle-aged man in scholar’s attire, and an elder in pale silver robes. Their incredibly distinct spiritual pressure fluctuations clearly announced their cultivation levels: two early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators and one mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

Behind these three Nascent Soul ancestors stood more than ten late-stage Golden Core cultivators. These Golden Core cultivators were uniformly dressed in golden-bronze colored robes; some were male, some female, appearing either noble or beautiful, with varying ages.

In the center of these Golden Core cultivators was a young girl, barely seventeen or eighteen years old, with a touch of immaturity, possessing only a Foundation Establishment cultivation base. She stood prettily on the deck, protected by the late-stage Golden Core cultivators, curiously observing the eerie scenery of the Dead Spirit Lake.

Her face and figure were obscured by the Nascent Soul ancestors in front of her, yet she did not notice Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing’er. In addition to these cultivators on the deck, there were still more within the treasure ship’s cabin who had not emerged.

This group of cultivators was quite peculiar; they displayed none of the tension or alertness expected when entering a dangerous place, appearing instead relaxed and casual, almost as if they were sightseeing on Desolate Spirit Island. The only commonality among this group was a golden insignia on the corner of their robes.

Ye Qin’s gaze immediately fixed upon their golden markings. Such a uniform insignia implied that this entire group of Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators on the azure treasure ship belonged to the same Immortal Palace.

Ye Qin felt a sense of familiarity regarding that insignia. However, insignia of Immortal Palaces in the East Sea were countless, and he could not expend the energy to remember them all; for the moment, he could not recall where he had seen it before.

In the blink of an eye, the azure treasure ship had stopped at the shore of the Dead Spirit Lake, directly facing Ye Qin and the girl. Ye Qin did not overthink the situation and immediately cupped his hands respectfully.

“Junior pays respects to the esteemed seniors!” Before ascertaining the origin of the other party, Ye Qin dared not casually reveal his own background. If they happened to be enemies of the Purple Sword Palace, he would have no recourse for any injustice.

“Junior pays respects to the esteemed seniors!” Huangfu Bing’er followed suit with a bow. “Oh?

You boy, are you a cultivator from the East Sea’s Purple Sword Immortal Palace? That insignia you wear should only be worn by Nascent Soul Elders of the Purple Sword Palace, correct?

And you, young lady, seem to be a disciple of the Water Cloud Immortal Palace! With such weak cultivation, how can the two of you be alone on this ghostly island, unafraid of being killed by the island’s ghost cultivators?” The elder in the pale silver robes looked at Ye Qin on the bone boat with surprise and curiosity.

He then looked towards Huangfu Bing’er, noticing the identical Immortal Palace insignia on their clothes, and narrowed his eyes as he asked. This elder clearly possessed broad knowledge, having recognized the identities and origins of both Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing’er at a glance.

“Is this person an Immortal Palace Elder?” “How can he be so young, yet have such low cultivation?” The more than ten Golden Core cultivators aboard the treasure ship couldn't help but react with surprise and whispered discussion, harboring doubt. “This junior is indeed a cultivator of the Purple Sword Palace, dispatched here to venture and investigate the situation of the ghost cultivators on the island by order of the Purple Sword Palace Master.” Seeing that the elder had recognized them immediately, Ye Qin had no choice but to brace himself and state this.

This Nascent Soul ancestor seemed not to be an enemy of the Purple Sword Palace, which allowed Ye Qin to breathe a small sigh of relief. However, he dared not relax completely.

Nascent Soul cultivators acted according to their whims, rarely concerning themselves with the lives and deaths of lower-level cultivators, especially on an island situated in the Sea of Blood, thousands of miles from the East Sea. If these few Nascent Soul cultivators took a disliking to him, it could still lead to a major predicament.

While Ye Qin was unsettled and unsure what to do, the elder in pale silver robes asked with a faint smile, “Did the two of you emerge from that ruined city ahead? Is that city called Desolate Spirit City?” Ye Qin was suddenly startled.

The direction from which he and Bing’er had come was too obvious to conceal. “Precisely so.

My wife and I followed a group of cultivators into that Desolate Spirit City, but we encountered ghost cultivators and, due to our limited strength, were forced to retreat,” Ye Qin replied, his face unchanged and his heart steady. “Hahahaha, that is excellent news!

I once read in a fragmented ancient text tens of thousands of years ago that during the last Immortal-Demon War, the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance stored a vast amount of supplies within a certain city. That city was named Desolate Spirit City.

This city is extremely hidden; very few cultivators know of it. If we can retrieve the contents of its treasury, it will be of immense benefit to the growth of our Immortal Palace!

You two are quite capable, actually finding this place before this old man!” The elder finished speaking to Ye Qin and then turned to the other two Nascent Soul cultivators on the treasure ship, chuckling smugly. “The two of you emerged from Desolate Spirit City in such haste; did you discover any treasures there?” The middle-aged man in the magnificent white robe, however, looked at Ye Qin with suspicion.

He waved his hand toward several Golden Core cultivators beside him, ordering, “A few of you, go and check if they possess any unusual items on their persons!” “Wait! Do not be rude!” The young girl, shielded in the center of the Golden Core cultivators, suddenly had her eyes light up, and her crisp voice rang out from the deck.