C785 Ghost King Raging Flame!

Deep beneath the earth's surface, White Bone departed from the crevice behind him. Strands of silver brilliance seeped through the cracks like water, coalescing into a luminous moonlit circle that once again shrouded the area.

The circle of moonlight radiated a divine glow that soothed the souls within, imbuing them with a sense of clarity and coolness. Yuan Lianyao, bathed in the light, felt her Lunar Spirit and the red lotus she had summoned both being nurtured and gaining insight into the profound mysteries.

This new circle of light, while lacking some of the Shadow Moon Essence of its predecessor, seemed enriched with something else. Within, countless phantoms ebbed and flowed, morphing into myriad shapes.

Gazing into the light, Yuan Lianyao experienced a vision of life itself, witnessing beings in the mortal realm live, battle, love, and slay each other, each step leading inexorably towards death. The circle seemed to harbor the arcane secrets of life and death.

Rahu, the Ghost King, observed the nascent circle of light, sensing the core truths of necromancy within. He murmured softly, "Is this it?"

Confused, Yuan Lianyao inquired, "Who is it?"

"It is it," White Bone affirmed, nodding. After a brief pause, he addressed Yuan Lianyao, "Stay here. I must venture out to confront Thoaos and the Spectres."

At his declaration, the ghostly Fox Monkeys stirred with excitement. "Master! The battle is finally upon us!"

Yuan Lianyao, anxious, pressed, "What about Yu Yuan?"

"He will be safe under their watch," White Bone reassured, gesturing towards the shimmering circle. "I have stood guard until now, awaiting the emergence of this entity. Rest assured, aside from Dhoreus, who has regained his full might, no other Ghost King can penetrate this circle or enter the little world where Yu Yuan resides."

Aware that Yu Yuan was safely cultivating within the little world at the Root of the Lunar Meridian, he was confident there would be no mishaps. With the Root of the Lunar Meridian itself standing guard, who could possibly harm Yu Yuan in the Land of Terror, save for Dhoreus, the embodiment of the Root's consciousness?

Rahu was about to respond when his expression shifted subtly, a sign of an unforeseen change.

White Bone's emerald eyes suddenly flashed with an otherworldly glow. "They arrived quite swiftly."

Being Ghost Kings themselves, Razses, Taruer, Black Staff, and Thoaos could not completely conceal their presence from White Bone and Rahu. Within a certain proximity, their auras were detectable.

It was similar to how Razses and the others could detect White Bone's presence and pinpoint his exact location.

White Bone and Rahu sensed streams of souls, some swirling in the somber skies, others burrowing beneath the earth. There were those as overt as Thoaos, and those as stealthy as Razses, lurking within the "Locking Soul Painting."

Except for Tian Zang, the other Ghost Kings were converging on their location.

"When shall I assist you?" Rahu inquired.

"When I require your aid, I'll send word," White Bone responded.

"I'll merge with my true self and await your signal." With those words, Rahu's phantom vanished.

"You may continue to refine your Lunar Spirit here," White Bone said, glancing at Yuan Lianyao. "The Yin Qi is weaker than in the smaller space, yet far more concentrated than outside. Moreover, the aura here holds the profound mysteries of the soul. Reflect on them deeply."

He paused, then addressed the Crucible of Evil, "This applies to you as well."

"Thank you for your guidance, Lord White Bone," came Yu Yiyi's icy voice from within the cauldron. "May you triumph gloriously, reaping victory far and wide. Ideally, without the need for my master's intervention."

Yuan Lianyao was at a loss for words.

With a whoosh, White Bone transformed into a ghostly white light. His diminutive skeletal form swiftly departed from the subterranean chamber.

A moment later, atop the ruins, White Bone materialized abruptly.

He looked up at the Imdohr, strung together by twenty-eight blackwood beads.

As White Bone appeared, the souls within the Imdohr beads sneered menacingly, "White Bone!"

Inside the majestic palace, Cao Jiaze of Ebon Star tensed and warned, "Be cautious!"

Chu Yao from the Order of Healing's expression turned grave at the sight of White Bone.

Mo Yan, wielding the Shadowblade, and Ann Ziqing, clad in her purple divine armor, instinctively distanced themselves from the ruins where White Bone had appeared. They had each learned from Wintermaw, Razses, and Black Staff that White Bone had claimed the title of king. However, White Bone's emergence was unexpected; he hadn't remained hidden underground nor had he stayed to guard Yu Yuan. This contradicted the information they had received and took them by surprise.

The Ghost Kings had insisted that White Bone was confined to an inch of land beneath the surface, unable to move until their real bodies could descend and collectively venture below to slay him in the underworld. While the Ghost Kings were still en route, White Bone, who was supposed to be lying in wait underground, had already emerged!

With a thunderous stomp, White Bone shot up into the sky. In midair, countless skeletal hands gently tapped the blackwood beads. The twenty-eight blackwood beads, resembling enormous purple-black grapes, burst open, releasing Imdohr's soul like a stream of dark juice. White flames sprang from within White Bone, enveloping each of Imdohr's souls.

White Bone's silhouette darted through the sky, reappearing beside the massive scythe held aloft by Imdohr's forces. Amidst the ghostly wails, White Bone's fist hammered down on the meticulously crafted scythe. Clang! Clang! Sparks flew as another portion of Imdohr's soul was shattered within the scythe. Strands of white flame infiltrated the blade, eradicating Imdohr's residual souls and preventing even a remnant soul from escaping.

Perched atop the colossal scythe, White Bone shone brilliantly. The light that bathed Imdohr's Spectres caused them to dissolve as if they were snow under a blazing sun. Before the stunned onlookers, hundreds of ghosts disintegrated within seconds.

"White Bone King!" they exclaimed.

"My God, White Bone has ascended to Ghost King!"

"The seventh Ghost King has risen in the Land of Terror!"

Ghosts from other domains, who bore no ill will towards White Bone and had come merely as spectators, erupted into a chorus of astonished cries and screams.

In the suspended palace, after the initial shock, Cao Jiaze quickly regained his composure and turned to Chu Yao behind him, "Chu, later on, try not to get involved, okay?"

Chu Yao nodded in understanding, "I've got it under control."

With a loud crash, the sickle beneath White Bone's feet shattered into countless fragments, hurtling towards the fleeing minions of Imdohr. Cries and shrieks filled the air as the ghosts, once under Imdohr's command, met their demise if targeted.

"Imdohr is dead! The Imdohr Spectre had no chance to resist before being crushed by White Bone!"

"After Imdohr, who's next?"

As the ghosts continued their chatter, White Bone, swift as a streak of white lightning, reached the Silver Peaks where he had been cultivating in just a few breaths.

"Those others are likely not going to make it either."

A Celestial Shade, observing from a distance, realized that the Spectres who had joined Imdohr in invading White Bone's territory were doomed.

The Spectres, unaware of what had transpired and ignorant of White Bone's successful advancement, continued to besiege his stronghold.

Half an hour later.

White Bone, ablaze with ghostly white flames, returned to the desolate ruins. The other Spectres who had followed Imdohr were now all dead.

Standing alone amid the dust-covered ruins, White Bone resembled a grim reaper of souls, his green eyes icy and merciless as he briefly glanced up at the palace.

Inside, every Lunar Spirit from Euwrea felt an involuntary shiver, instinctively drawing closer to Cao Jiaze.

The floating palace, transformed from the Mark of the Celestials, was shrouded in a sea of spiritual energy.

Cao Jiaze, with a respectful gaze towards White Bone, offered a fist-and-palm salute and smiled, "Lord White Bone, please hold on for a moment. Wintermaw is on his way."

White Bone's expression remained impassive as he responded coolly, "I am waiting."

"Miss Ann, what's Razses's stance?"

Mo Yan, concealed within the Shadowblade and remaining vigilant, drew near to Ann Ziqing. A playful phantom emerged from the blade, grinning as it spoke, "Lord Razses should also be on his way, right? Once the battle commences, will Razses take action immediately, or wait for the opportune moment?"

Ann Ziqing's eyes were clear as she shook her head and said, "I have no idea what Razses is planning."

"The Black Staff will collaborate with Wintermaw. But first, Wintermaw must take the lead," Mo Yan declared. "White Bone poses too great a threat. The Black Staff, Wintermaw, and Taruer are in agreement: we must deal with White Bone before we address anything else."

"And what of Dhoreus?" Ann Ziqing huffed.

Caught off guard, Mo Yan blinked. "Dhoreus?"

A mocking smile played on Ann Ziqing's lips. "It appears your bond with your father, the Black Staff, isn't as strong as one might think. Has he not informed you that Dhoreus, the once-dominant Ghost King of the Land of Terror, has reemerged?"

Mo Yan's complexion turned a steely gray, and he said with a grave tone, "I'm going to question him about this immediately!"

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