C780 I'm Back!
"Because I have returned."
With those words, the surrounding haze of silver light transformed into a dazzling river of stars, merging instantaneously into White Bone's skeletal form. The River Styx began to flow once more, signifying that White Bone had ascended to the status of Ghost King, capable of wielding even greater power.
In a flash, there were no more barriers before Jiang Xingwen and the five Ghost Kings.
White Bone, now a diminutive skeleton, blocked the stone crevice behind him. His green eyes, cold and haughty, bore no resemblance to his former self. "Should your true forms arrive, I shall take it as a challenge to my authority."
His gaze methodically scanned the phantoms of Razses, Black Staff, Taruer, Wintermaw, and Rahu.
The five Ghost Kings fell into an unusual silence.
For at this moment, the aura emanating from White Bone was unmistakably that of a true Ghost King!
Having risen to the rank of Ghost King, White Bone now spoke with audacious confidence to the former sovereign of the Land of Terror, indicating that, in his eyes, not even Dhoreus posed a threat to him now.
If White Bone feared not even Dhoreus, what of the others?
"Youling, indeed, only you are my true adversary," Dhoreus's raspy voice emerged from the River of Souls. "We should have settled our score in the Land of Terror long ago."
"Back then, I likely could not have bested you," White Bone mused seriously, gesturing behind him. "With that body, even as a Ghost King in the Land of Terror, I would not stand a chance against you. I understand you all too well; born from the Root of the Lunar Meridian, there is no ghost in the Land of Terror that could surpass you."
He then pointed to his current, luminous skeletal form.
"This skeletal form was meticulously crafted by me after a painstaking selection process in the Moonfall Sanctuary. Possessing this body, I can ascend to Ghost King in the Land of Terror and confidently defeat you."
"And all of you as well."
He gestured towards the Ghost Kings standing behind Jiang Xingwen, Rahu included.
"White Bone, such grandiose claims!" Wintermaw scoffed.
"Is it your strategy, Wintermaw, to ally with Ebon Star and let Jiaze wreak havoc in my domain?" White Bone sneered, as a ghostly white flame ignited at the tip of his finger.
The sacred white flame burst into existence, instantly filling the room. Every ghost present was overcome with a terrifying sensation, as if their very souls were being ripped apart.
Whoosh!
A stream of pure white flame traced a hauntingly beautiful path through the air, landing squarely on the ice tombstone of Thoaos. The tombstone, emanating a chilling aura, was immediately engulfed in flames.
Perched atop the tombstone, Thoaos attempted to disperse his intensely cold remnant soul, only to find that any part of his soul that neared the ice tombstone was also set ablaze.
The soul fragment of Thoaos, manifested from his ice power, rapidly dissolved.
In no time at all, a small portion of Thoaos's soul, along with the ice tombstone, was completely consumed by the fire.
"I will be right here, waiting for you to come dragging that tombstone," White Bone stated calmly.
"Very well," Thoaos replied.
"The same goes for you."
White Bone, standing guard at the stone fissure, turned his gaze to the phantoms of the four other Ghost Kings hovering before him.
Razses gave a wry smile, while Taruer and Black Staff remained silent. Rahu's expression was a mix of emotions.
"Dhoreus, inside the River Styx, Yu Yuan is in the process of refining the Lunar Spirit," White Bone remarked nonchalantly. "Once his Lunar Spirit is fully formed, and if he manages to unleash that sword spell, you'll be at an even greater disadvantage. Unless I'm mistaken, the reason you've been hiding in the River of Souls all these years is that you still haven't fully assimilated that sword power, correct?"
"The mere presence of his sword's will could trigger the residual sword power and wound you once more. Is that what you fear?"
White Bone's gaze lingered on the belt.
This time, Dhoreus, the Ghost King within the River of Souls, did not respond immediately.
"Lord, after all this time, it's still the same?" Razses exclaimed in astonishment.
"Youling, it seems you truly know everything," Dhoreus finally sighed after a moment. "Surviving an encounter with that Divine Sword was no small feat. How could I have done so without paying a steep price? You're right; I'm bound to the River of Souls because I have yet to fully dissolve that sword power."
"If that's the case, then why do you remain?" White Bone's eyes sparkled with a mocking light. "Knowing who I am and watching me rise once more as a Ghost King, given your knowledge of me, what do you think you can accomplish in your current condition?"
"Fine, I'll return later," Dhoreus huffed.
Whoosh!
The belt coiled around Jiang Xingwen once more. Amidst her terrified screams, she was whisked away by the "River of Souls" and vanished in the blink of an eye.
"White Bone, what about her?" Rahu inquired softly.
"She can aid Dhoreus in assimilating the residual sword's will." White Bone gave Rahu a direct look, hesitated briefly, and then added, "Out of respect for Yu Yuan, don't stir trouble with me. I'm willing to let past grievances slide."
A wry smile spread across Rahu's face.
"The show's pretty much over. You three, return to whence you came," White Bone said, dismissing them with an icy tone.
Razses, Taruer, and Black Staff remained silent as their phantoms slowly faded, the Soul Power within them silently slipping away, signaling their withdrawal of strength.
Before long, only Rahu remained, her phantom lingering in this small pocket of space.
"Why didn't you open the little world behind us earlier to let this power overflow?" Rahu asked after a pause. "You could have ascended to Ghost King much sooner."
She could see that White Bone had leveraged the power within the dim silver radiance to advance to Ghost King status.
White Bone, whose memories were intact, knew his former skeletal form was concealed behind him, still brimming with Shadow Moon Essence and potent Yin Qi.
If White Bone had tapped into those forces, he could have claimed the title of Ghost King long ago.
Why endure the arduous process of hunting down Spectres of his own rank? Why go through such strenuous efforts and nearly destroy himself in the process?
Rahu was perplexed.
"Defeating you and ascending to Ghost King in that battle would have been far more advantageous for me," White Bone said, his gaze icy and detached. "I had no desire to rely on the contingency I left behind. Advancing to Ghost King with the remnants of Youling's power was a last resort."
"I returned because I foresaw that the Land of Terror was on the cusp of an unprecedented golden era. I am here to pursue the ultimate God of Ghosts."
He said no more.
Rahu was deep in contemplation.
Behind White Bone, the silver-gray expanse of the little world was traversed by the slow-moving River Styx.
The tall and striking Ghost King, immersed in the waters of the Styx, had the Shadow Moon Essence within him occasionally burst forth, briefly illuminating Yu Yuan's body.
Yu Yuan sat in silent meditation beside the flowing River Styx.
The ghost in the form of a Fox Monkey jolted awake, the first to do so.
It had successfully evolved into a Celestial Shade. Its emerald eyes, matching the hue of White Bone, suddenly burst with brilliance as it exclaimed with joy, "The Master has arrived!"
Not far from it, Yuan Lianyao opened her lovely eyes in astonishment and asked, "What did you say?"
"The Master is outside; he has come," the Fox Monkey-shaped ghost said excitedly. "I must go to the Master!"
Whoosh!
In a blink, it had traveled from the inner realm of the little world to the outside where White Bone and Rahu were.
"Master! I have the honor of seeing you once more!"
Upon seeing White Bone, the fiercely loyal subordinate wailed dramatically, "Many of our comrades have been slain. Master, you must seek justice for us!"
White Bone nodded leisurely and responded, "You've done well."
