C728 All the Spirits Gathered!

In the Land of Terror, a snow-white fox dashed through the biting cold wind, heading straight for the domain of White Bone. Ann Ziqing's Lunar Spirit, concealed within the purple divine armor, trailed the followers of "Razses, the Ghost King" with a composed and casual demeanor.

As they journeyed, formidable ghosts occasionally revealed themselves among the towering Shadow Mountains. At these moments, the white fox would simply declare, "I am a subordinate of Sir Razzes!" Upon hearing that the white fox served the "Ghost King," any ghost dwelling in the Shadow Mountains would immediately recognize the authority and shout, "Send my regards to Master Razses!" Despite the white fox's distance from the heart of the Land of Terror, these powerful ghosts continued to offer their greetings to the "Razses Ghost King," a testament to the high regard in which he was held by the ghostly denizens.

Inside the purple divine armor, Ann Ziqing's expression was one of ease as she occasionally nodded in agreement. She felt a wave of relief, grateful for the alliance between the Colddeath and the "Ghost King." Without it, even armed with the Glacial Storm Seal, her passage through the Land of Terror would not have been so untroubled. Simply by accompanying a subordinate of the "Razses Ghost King," she had avoided any confrontations with the territorial ghosts.

The name "Ghost King" was indeed a mark of distinction.

After some time, the majestic Silver Peaks came into view, emanating a sacred aura akin to a snow-capped mountain against the gloomy sky. "That is White Bone's place of cultivation," the white fox informed Ann Ziqing, pausing at the base of the Silver Peaks. It added in a hushed tone, "This White Bone is quite remarkable. Even our Lord holds it in high esteem, seeing it as a potential candidate to ascend as a new Ghost King, just like himself."

Ann Ziqing's respect deepened. She had been briefed on the might of "Razses, the Ghost King" before venturing into the Land of Terror. Now, she had firsthand experience of how the title of "Ghost King" commanded respect and fear among the myriad ghost spirits.

Convinced of White Bone's exceptional nature, she believed that this Spectre must indeed possess extraordinary qualities. "Lord White Bone! I am a subordinate of Razses, the Ghost King, and I have come to pay my respects to you, Lord White Bone."

The white fox suddenly unleashed a wave of soulful sound. Raising its hand high, it bowed respectfully, "We seek a human cultivator within Lord White Bone's domain. His name is Yu Yuan. He arrived riding a dark cauldron and was last seen at Celestial Shade Liu Linzhi's Shadow Mountain. Now..."

The white fox called out.

Ann Ziqing's eyebrows knitted together, and her eyes, bright as diamonds, flashed with specks of blood.

Despite being in her Lunar Spirit form, the presence of the purple divine armor allowed her to harness a trace of her vitality. This sliver of life force lent her Lunar Spirit Body an illusion of flesh and blood.

"Stop shouting. There are no ghosts here," she whispered.

"Ah!?" The white fox exclaimed in disbelief, "Impossible, right?"

It was odd that White Bone, who was cultivating at Shadow Mountain, would leave no subordinates behind.

"I can sense it," Ann Ziqing stated with conviction. "Something has befallen Lord White Bone in his own territory. The conflicts among Spectres have been exceedingly frequent of late. It's possible that Lord White Bone has been usurped and silently eradicated by a more powerful Spectre."

"That can't be," the white fox protested, shaking its head. "Lord White Bone mentioned that the White Bone Spectre is quite unique. Unless a Ghost King like yourself intervenes, no other ghost can best it."

"I will search on my own."

Ann Ziqing's skepticism grew. Her remnant soul shifted, and a droplet of crimson blood emerged from the chest of the purple divine armor.

The crimson blood, not exposed to the air, vanished in an instant, transforming into strands of deep red lightning that infused the embedded array within the divine armor.

The purple divine armor burst forth with dazzling light.

Ann Ziqing's eyes turned a deep crimson as she briefly connected with the artifact soul of the divine armor and declared, "From now on, you'll follow my lead."

"Oh, right, of course," the white fox nodded eagerly.

...

Lu Yuqin from the Taintborn Sect dissipated her Lunar Spirit into vivid mists that scattered in all directions.

"Melt Soul and Shadow!"

Above the radiant lotus platform, the magma fire pit conjured by Yuan Lianyao's Lunar Spirit suddenly swelled, casting its fiery embrace over the area like an inescapable net.

The mist, transformed by Lu Yuqin's Lunar Spirit, was abruptly devoured by the seething lava pool created by Yuan Lianyao's own Lunar Spirit. Within the depths of the pool, tiny sparks of fire infiltrated Lu Yuqin's Lunar Spirit relentlessly.

The mist reconvened, reforming Lu Yuqin, who now pleaded for mercy within the fiery basin. "Sister Yuan, we're both disciples from sects in the Land of Quiescence. Why must you be so ruthless? Our Taintborn Sect has never had any conflict with your Ruby Hand. Killing me will only complicate things for you once you leave this place!"

"I give you my word!"

"I swear it!"

"I, Lu Yuqin, will remain silent about what you and Yu Yuan have witnessed. I won't breathe a word to anyone! Sister Yuan, please show mercy and spare me!"

Lu Yuqin's pleas echoed from within her Lunar Spirit, amidst the lava pool, but Yuan Lianyao ignored her cries.

Meanwhile, Yu Yuan was engrossed in the spectacle when suddenly a blade light surged from beneath his feet. The appearance of the blade light made his soul reel, as if besieged by the malevolent thoughts of a myriad of ghosts penetrating his Mindscape, disorienting him and obscuring all sense of direction.

Caught off guard, he failed to mount a defense.

With a tear, the dark magical light shrouding his real body was cleaved by the blade light, allowing a piercingly cold wind to rush at him with bone-chilling ferocity.

A moment later, the latent power within the beast skin gifted by Chen Liangquan ignited. A dim, blood-red light enveloped him securely.

As the fierce wind howled into the Crucible of Evil, the beast skin garment, inscribed with an enigmatic array, began to tear and disintegrate. Yet, in that fleeting moment, the cauldron spirit rallied its power and once again cast a protective dark magical light around him.

The magical light stood like a shield, but the beast skin garment had already disintegrated, reduced to ashes as if consumed by intense flames.

Below him, the "Shadowblade" with its blade pointed skyward lay under the Crucible of Evil, seemingly poised for its next assault.

The Shadowblade was nowhere to be found inside the ornate red sedan.

At that moment, Mo Yan's Lunar Spirit emerged from the sedan with a languid air, irritably telling Cuion to step aside. "Move, don't get in my way," he snapped.

Cuion, ranked thirteenth among her kind, was visibly annoyed yet restrained herself due to Mo Yan's status, not daring to lash out. Despite her boldness in framing and killing a scholar and her professed disdain for all human cultivators, her spite remained even as a ghost. But in Mo Yan's presence, her confidence waned.

She dutifully cleared space, allowing Mo Yan's Lunar Spirit to claim the most prominent spot in the sedan.

"You really have nine lives; you didn't die from that," Mo Yan remarked casually, swinging his legs from his perch at the front of the palanquin. He seemed utterly unfazed, even as White Bone, employing the Sacred Writ of the Skeleton, slaughtered Cuion's minions. "I even went to the trouble of burying the Shadowblade underground, separating the Lunar Spirit and the Devil Blade to distract you."

Mo Yan expressed his disappointment, "That garment you're wearing is quite extraordinary. It somehow managed to shield you from the bone-chilling winds of the Land of Terror."

With a whoosh, the Crucible of Evil ascended to avoid another powerful strike from the re-energized Shadowblade.

After a silent exchange with the cauldron spirit, Yu Yuan quietly summoned the sword sheath from the Bracelet of Holding, gripping it firmly. His spiritual sense brushed against the sheath, revealing the red jade pendant given to him by Ann Ziqing, which flickered with a blood-red glow within the bracelet's tiny confines.

He paused, a suspicion forming in his mind—Ann Ziqing knew his whereabouts. He had a hunch that she was hurrying towards him with all haste. Yet, he felt no sense of anticipation. After all, their recent encounters had been fraught with her schemes, nearly costing him his life.

"Lord White Bone! You..."

Just then, the Skyreach Consortium's Cloud Cruiser floated by leisurely. Lin Yue, Faang Yingzi, and Ma Jianjiang looked on bewildered, unsure of what to make of the massive scene unfolding before them. The Cloud Cruiser had initially headed for the Silver Peaks, but found neither White Bone nor the ghost tasked with receiving supplies.

Lin Yue, feeling resigned, began to search within the territory of the White Bone Spectre.

That's when he stumbled upon this place.

Next, he witnessed a fierce battle between two formidable Spectres, Yu Yuan and Yuan Lianyao, along with Mo Yan from the Devil Palace.

Lu Yuqin, who had vanished after leaving the Cloud Cruiser just a bit earlier, was now engulfed by the magma pool that Yuan Lianyao had conjured. Her Lunar Spirit shimmered amidst the fiery waters, albeit battered and torn.

It was clear that Lu Yuqin's Lunar Spirit was on the brink of being melted away.

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