C778 The Fight for the Ghost King

In the shadowy depths of the Outland Star River, a dark red star drifted languidly through space. Its surface was strewn with the remnants of the fallen: fragments of crystal from shattered Yang Gods, the colossal bones of Great Demons resembling mountains, and the continuous, wall-like corpses of refined Heavenly Demons.

A massive platinum skull, riddled with countless holes, housed the howling soul of an Asura within. Perched atop this skull was an old man with a somber visage. One eye blazed red while the other was a frosty silver, his entire being exuding an aura of savagery and cruelty. He massaged the silver eye with his fingertip, his brow furrowed. "These new eyes always seem to feel a bit off," he muttered.

From his vantage point on the skull, he surveyed the surroundings, which were teeming with creatures as insignificant as flies. Dark red streams of light burst forth from the base of the star, converging into his slight frame like countless tributaries of energy.

Not far off, the Yin Corpse King, who had fled Sword Prison only to be torn asunder and reconstituted, was busy refining the bones of a Great Demon. The demon, a vast purple python, lay in segments, its once mighty form now broken. The turbulent blood and Qi within were being distilled into a sinister corpse aura, infusing the Yin Corpse King with its power.

This nefarious cultivator, once confined within Sword Prison and now at the Unrestrained Stage, could only muster reverence and dread in the presence of this notorious being from the Outland Star River.

"Master, what's that?" The Yin Corpse King exclaimed, his gaze snapping toward a slowly emerging, deep vortex in the distant, dim star river. Within the maelstrom, Galaxy Ancient Starships glinted with an icy metallic sheen.

Galaxy Warships, each spanning ten thousand meters, emerged silently from the vortex like specters, their decks barely revealing the silhouettes of numerous Galaxy Alien Race warriors.

The ancient starships made minor adjustments to their course, setting off toward the Boundless Land. Atop these vessels, no fewer than seven beings of the Yin Corpse King's caliber unleashed their formidable soul thoughts, sweeping over the dark red star.

But in a mere moment, their soul thoughts recoiled as if startled, retreating swiftly. That fleeting encounter left even the Yin Corpse King with a shiver running down his spine and a tingling sense of alarm.

Ming Kun, assuming a human form, perched atop the massive, platinum-grade head of the Chaos Roc, a Dark Domain Asura. His expression was icy as he subtly curled his lips into a sinister grin and chuckled, "The Boundless Land is bustling with activity."

"Master, what about them?" the Yin Corpse King exclaimed in alarm.

"At this juncture, no one would dare provoke me," the Chaos Roc declared, its mouth agape. "The upper sects, the Demon Palace, and the Devil Palace, along with those thankless Heavenly Devils, have all suffered losses. Those seven youngsters, knowing full well who I am, will flee as far as they can. Once I've refined another dozen stars or so, I'll make my return to the Boundless Land."

"It's been ages since I've laid eyes on Yu Yuan. He's quite distant, and merely catching a glimpse of him would cost me a drop of my blood essence."

With a sigh that conveyed both pain and reluctance, he extracted a drop of blood from his chest and exhaled it towards the heavens.

That exhalation was imbued with the inexhaustible essence of the sun and moon, resembling a dazzling, miniature galaxy.

Instantly, the Giant Beast Soul Amber, encircled by flames, manifested within the amber-hued blood. Inside, the scene of Yu Yuan sitting in quiet meditation within a small silver-gray realm, alongside Yuan Lianyao and a ghostly creature in the guise of a monkey, came into view.

This also included the desiccated Styx and the motionless body of the Ghost King, from which the soul had departed.

"The lad's already forging his Yin God," the Chaos Roc cackled with glee. "My blood essence was not spent in vain. Though I've been somewhat flush with it lately, refining blood essence is still no easy task! Ah, what's this... the dried-up Styx! The Horror Land! This young upstart is actually refining his Yin God in his true form within the Horror Land!"

With a forceful slap to his thigh, he rose to his feet, overcome with excitement.

Crack!

Beneath him, the nearly kilometer-tall Asura head shattered explosively due to his fervor.

The Yin Corpse King, watching, felt a shiver run down his spine, silently grateful for his own allegiance.

Following the Chaos Roc, he pierced through the barriers and re-entered the vast cosmic river. Having witnessed the Chaos Roc assume its true, gargantuan form to consume stars, he came to understand the sheer magnitude of the Starry Behemoth.

The Asura's head, a kilometer in height, towered like a mountain within the Boundless Land.

In comparison to the true form of the Chaos Roc, it was utterly insignificant.

"Marvelous!"

With a single stomp, the Chaos Roc shattered the coveted white gold skull within the Boundless Land. "Time is of the essence. This kid's progress is astounding. I must return before he forms his Yang God. If not, usurping his body for cultivation, given his human form, will be a challenge."

While speaking, his gaze fell upon the soulless body of the Ghost King sprawled on the ground.

"Hmm? This little one appears to be..."

Musing to himself, he cast an inadvertent glance at the Yin Corpse King. "The progenitor of your lineage."

"What?" exclaimed the Yin Corpse King, startled.

...

Deep beneath the earth's surface.

Beyond the misty silver luminescence, Jiang Xingwen, Luohou, and the other five Ghost Kings were all disturbed.

The enigmatic ring of light, born of the Yin Sunflower Essence and thick Yin Qi, caused the Ghost Kings' soul essences to vanish upon contact.

It was akin to a lethal toxin.

A pinpoint of white brilliance flickered within the small space inside the ring.

Then, more gleaming white lights emerged.

"Bones!"

The Cold Abyss Ghost King, perched atop the Ice Stone Tombstone, uttered an icy tone through clenched teeth.

All eyes of the Ghost Kings, along with Jiang Xingwen's, were fixed on the luminous specks.

In a blur, a diminutive skeletal figure burst forth into the light.

Leaping from the Dark Mountain, it arrived in this confined space, settling just outside the shimmering silver circle, its green eyes growing ever more radiant.

"Bones!"

Upon seeing him again, the Luohou Ghost King sensed an unfamiliar presence, as if the skeleton before her had transformed into a different Spirit Soul, no longer the ghostly challenger of before.

"Do you also wish for my demise?"

The white skeleton regarded Jiang Xingwen with a quizzical look.

"Not I," Jiang Xingwen replied with a bittersweet smile, gesturing to the Soul Crossing River at her waist. "It's this—inside lies the Artifact Soul that longs for your end."

"That would be Mingdu," declared the white skeleton.

"It's not the Mingdu Ghost King; it's the Artifact Soul of the Soul Crossing River," Jiang Xingwen clarified.

"The Soul Crossing River has never possessed an Artifact Soul. It has always been Mingdu who has been communicating with you, directing you," the white skeleton said coolly. "Mingdu, it's been ages since we last met."

"It's been ages. I never thought you'd set foot in Horror Land again."

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