C742 Challenge!
"Bai Gu has ventured into Luohou's domain—it seems he's officially thrown down the gauntlet to Luohou!"
"After years as a specter, Bai Gu has finally mustered the courage to confront Luohou in battle!"
"Master! I've confirmed that Bai Gu has engaged Luohou in combat!"
"..."
Such conversations unfolded across the realms of the five great Ghost Kings, amidst Jiang Xingwen's training grounds, and among the ranks of high-level ghosts and Heavenly Ghosts.
The formidable ghosts of Horror Land buzzed with excitement over Bai Gu's bold incursion into Luohou's territory.
Lately, Bai Gu's maneuvers had been exceptionally aggressive, slaying three peers and absorbing their souls, advancing with an unstoppable momentum.
His actions had sown a seed of fear among many ghosts, who now closely monitored every move Bai Gu made.
Upon discovering that Bai Gu had altered his course towards Luohou's lands, the apprehensive ghosts breathed a sigh of relief, their fears giving way to a sense of anticipation for the chaos to come.
Unlike the Ghost Kings' skirmishes, where they merely probe and retreat after gauging each other's strength, Bai Gu's confrontations are relentless, a fight to the death.
The Ghost Kings, for now, are content with reconnaissance, withdrawing after a brief clash to bide their time for a decisive battle.
Among the multitude of ghosts, Bai Gu, with his notorious reputation for brutality, stands out. He seldom engages without cause, avoiding conflict until necessary. But once he strikes, the ensuing savagery and determination strike terror into the hearts of all ghostly beings.
Ironically, his current adversary is the highest-ranked Luohou, renowned for his benevolence.
The clash between these two titans has naturally captured the keen interest of many in Horror Land.
Even the Initial Spirit Ghost King, the Kalpa Ghost King, and the Thousand Tribulation Ghost King have instructed their followers to report any news of Bai Gu and Luohou's clash immediately.
This underscores the significance of the duel between Bai Gu and Luohou, even among the Ghost Kings.
...
Luohou emerged from the Dark Mountain.
As she departed, the modest, ash-gray mountain suddenly burst into a dazzling display of luminescent ripples.
In an instant, the once unremarkable peak was bathed in a kaleidoscope of radiant light, its very substance transformed in a breathtaking metamorphosis.
From the Yin Qi-rich Dark Mountain emerged a Holy Mountain, dazzling with treasure-like radiance, as if harboring countless rare and precious gems.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Rainbow beams of light burst forth from the Dark Mountain behind Luohou, piercing the darkened skies of Horror Land and illuminating them with an unmistakable brilliance.
"Luohou!"
The mightiest of the ghosts felt a sudden premonition.
Deep within Horror Land, massive soul shadows rose into the air, gazing from thousands of miles away at Luohou's location, attuned to the immense and unusual energy stirring within the Dark Mountain.
The white bones in their eyes sparkled with anticipation, not a trace of fear to be found, but rather an endless well of combativeness was ignited.
He could tell, with unerring instinct, that this Dark Mountain where Luohou concealed himself was unlike any he had encountered before. Even the Dark Mountains governed by the five great Ghost Kings had a distinctly different aura.
"Strange..." murmured the Ghost Bone to herself.
The frail shadow of Luohou's ghost became increasingly distinct against the backdrop of the transforming Dark Mountain. She clutched an empty flower basket in her hand, her presence reminiscent of a demure lady of high breeding stepping shyly from her chamber, basket in hand, as if to meet her suitor, her gaze fixed upon the Evil Cauldron.
"Lord Emissary, won't you come out for an audience?"
Luohou's ghost, cradling her flower basket, stood before the Dark Mountain, now radiating a seven-colored luster so intense that even the white bones found it blinding. "Lord Emissary? I seek clarity on one matter—are you here on behalf of the Divine Soul Sect, or do you come in your own right to refine your soul in Horror Land?"
Even before their formal introduction, Luohou's ghost had concluded that Yu Yuan was an envoy from the long-vanished Divine Soul Sect.
The slender and exquisite Ghost Bone, her eyes alight with mirth, seemed as though she had just covertly cast a spell that nearly shattered Yu Yuan's three souls within his Consciousness Little World, an act she deftly denied. "Lord Emissary, is it possible that your cultivation level is so low that you've been wounded by my modest trick?"
At her words, the ghost's green eyes flickered with astonishment.
He had not perceived that Luohou had already made her move.
But Luohou's intended target was not him—it was Yu Yuan.
"Lord Emissary, my small test wasn't meant to anger you, was it?" Luohou's surprise grew as Yu Yuan remained absent, seemingly provoking Bai Gu by discussing the Evil Cauldron with him instead. "If I have indeed caused offense, I offer my sincere apologies, Lord Emissary, and ask for your understanding."
Luohou's repeated use of 'lord' betrayed her fear, which lay with the Divine Soul Sect rather than Yu Yuan himself.
Convinced that Yu Yuan's mastery of Soul Arts and Spiritual Spells was rooted in the fabled Divine Soul Sect, and with the sect's rising prominence—a force not even the Five Great Utmost Beings could contain—Luohou felt compelled to probe the true extent of Yu Yuan's connection to them, especially given the uncertain dynamics within the Boundless Land.
Once assured of Yu Yuan's ties to the Divine Soul Sect, she knew it was only right to show him the respect he deserved.
Bai Gu, on the other hand, had been under her watchful eye since entering her domain. She had long been ready for any confrontation, finding the pressure from the Divine Soul Sect less daunting than expected.
Over the last century, she had faced and effortlessly bested ghost after ghost in their challenges.
This track record had instilled in her an unshakeable confidence; she doubted any ghost in Horror Land could match her in combat.
Bai Gu stood to the side, the ghostly white flames that danced along her bones quietly subdued as she centered herself.
Time passed...
Whoosh!
Yu Yuan, having plunged into the cauldron's inner sanctum, finally resurfaced, standing at its rim once more.
With just a glance, Bai Gu noticed the dimness in Yu Yuan's eyes, the fine cracks at their edges, and the minuscule droplets of blood—a clear sign of the soul wound Luohou had mentioned.
"I am not a representative of the Divine Soul Sect, nor am I currently affiliated with them," Yu Yuan declared, drawing a weary breath and massaging his forehead. "My name is Yu Yuan. It's an honor to meet you, Lord Luohou."
As he spoke, Yu Yuan scrutinized Luohou intently, an odd sense of recognition stirring within him.
Luohou's slender and fragile form was undeniably beautiful, yet she was not the kind to leave an indelible mark upon one's memory after a single encounter.
Yu Yuan racked his brain, but deep within the memories of his Earth Soul, he couldn't match anyone to Luohou.
In his past life, and even in this one, he was certain he had never encountered this face, nor did he recognize the ghostly Luohou.
Yet, having practiced the Soul Forging Technique for some time, his perceptive Heavenly Soul felt a strange familiarity with Luohou, as if he should know her.
"If we truly know each other, it's not from this lifetime!"
Yu Yuan quickly concluded that if he had indeed encountered Luohou before, it must have been when he was Hong Qi in a past life.
In Horror Land, spirits like Heavenly Ghosts and Nether Ghosts could evolve from foreign souls into ghosts through cultivation.
Altering one's soul's shape, features, and stature in this transformation was not a difficult feat.
If the Luohou Nether Ghost before him was once a human practitioner turned ghost through the path of the Yin God, after several alterations in appearance, Yu Yuan would indeed struggle to recognize them.
The sense of familiarity Tianhun felt might be because their soul's essence hadn't fundamentally changed, retaining its original form.
"Who could it be that I know?"
Yu Yuan naturally delved deeper into his thoughts, trying to match the Luohou Nether Ghost with a woman from his past life.
"I'm not representing the Divine Soul Sect, nor do I have any ties with them..."
The Luohou Nether Ghost's lips curled into a light chuckle, her gaze turning icy. "With that in mind, there's no need for me to be restrained or pull any punches."
It was then that she seriously engaged her opponent—the White Bone Nether Ghost.
"White Bone, you should have challenged me much earlier, not now," Luohou Nether Ghost said with a tinge of regret. "You're clever, having understood much and meticulously plotted for some time, even slaying three Nether Ghosts to build your momentum."
She shook her head, "Unfortunately, all your calculations have made you miss the prime opportunity."
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
From behind her, the sound of water trickled from the base of the Dark Mountain, resplendent with the glow of seven-colored glass.
To the White Bone, this ordinary sound of water was like thunderclaps, exploding within its soul, leaving it staggered as if struck by a formidable blow. Fear surfaced in the depths of its green eyes for the first time. "You, you've already..."
The spectral figure of the white skeleton extended a luminescent bony hand, stuttering as it pointed and spoke of Luohou.
Yu Yuan was momentarily taken aback, his lips curling into a bitter smile.
Beneath Horror Land lay the source of the Yin Vein, ready to bestow the ultimate boon upon the Ghost King! Beyond the imposing heights of Dark Mountain, a stream formed from condensed Yin Qi awaited beneath, where the Ghost King honed his powers.
This Yin Water Stream at the base of Dark Mountain was the Ghost King's exclusive domain!
A mountain and a stream, the true marks of the Ghost King!
Who could have foreseen that Luohou, the preeminent Ghost King who had topped the ranks for a century, had ascended to the throne as the new Ghost King so stealthily?
Luohou had risen to become the sixth Luohou Ghost King of Horror Land!
