C836 Combination

In the unpredictable tapestry of life, nothing could be more unexpected.

Who could have foreseen that Mingdu and White Bone, eternal adversaries locked in a relentless rivalry, would be compelled to unite against a common foe due to the return of Tianzang?

Tianzang's ferocity knew no bounds.

Having possessed Mingdu's body and reclaimed the Aura Altar, he stepped into the Soul Crossing River, effortlessly dominating the scene with the Muddy Devil Embryo.

In that moment, Tianzang stood as the sovereign of all Heavenly Ghosts and evil spirits, radiating an aura of unparalleled supremacy.

The Aura Altar, now resembling a lotus pedestal under his feet, merged with his soul, bolstering his ability to subdue legions of ghosts within the Soul Crossing River.

The river's waters ceased their flow at his command, and one by one, the resplendent stars, crafted from mysterious substances, dimmed and died.

With a blue face and a menacing grin, Tianzang mocked Mingdu with a chilling laugh. Meanwhile, he wielded the Muddy Devil Embryo to assail the remaining ancient spirits.

The Qianqiang Ghost was left to Yu Yuan, a chance for him to exact personal vengeance.

The other ghosts, centuries-long loyalists to Mingdu, fled from the blue shadow of the Muddy Devil Embryo. As the essence of death reached them, they dared only to whirl around Mingdu in a desperate orbit.

Until...

Mingdu's soul, with White Bone's blessing, slipped into the gleaming white skeletal form.

A pair of emerald eyes within the skull flickered out, like twin extinguished lanterns.

Three seconds passed.

One of the eyes reignited with a vibrant green Soul Fire, more turbulent than before, exuding a lethal aura intent on annihilating all souls.

His soul seemed to coalesce within that single eye in a mere instant.

The other vacant socket began to reveal a flicker of pure black flame, emanating an aura of chilling silence and enigmatic depth. Swiftly, the flame intensified.

With a resounding burst, it transformed into a dark sphere of Soul Fire, carrying the distinct essence of Mingdu.

Mingdu and White Bone, the Ghost Kings who once reigned supreme over Horror Land, now shared a single bone-white vessel, united against the overwhelming threat of Tianzang.

With a swift whoosh, a gleaming silver light streaked across the sky from a nearby domain, arriving in the blink of an eye.

White Bone extended his hand and seized the finely honed awl, forged from the essence of Dark Mountain.

"We've arrived."

The voice that emerged from the bones was an unmistakable blend of his own and that of Mingdu.

Two souls, two minds, fused into a single body, a single voice.

His diminutive skeletal form swelled like the rapidly growing Dark Mountains of Mingdu's realm, shooting upwards in an instant.

In a flash, the bones transformed into a towering Skeleton Giant, a hundred zhang in height, its frame emanating a ghostly white glow. With a single step, it descended upon the radiant starry river like a deity presiding over the cycle of life and death.

Tianzang's laughter boomed, "I've been eagerly anticipating your arrival!"

As the colossal Skeleton Giant stepped into the starry river, it was swiftly enveloped by an endless expanse of silver-gray Yin Qi, forming a natural barrier around it.

From the outside, Luo Yue could not discern the unfolding events within the starry river. She could only faintly sense that two, no, three formidable beings were now clashing in earnest—one an amalgamation of the other two.

Luo Yue shifted her gaze.

The Muddy Devil Embryo, now a sinister blue shadow, had not been recalled by Tianzang and continued its onslaught against the remnants of Mingdu's forces, swallowing another ancient specter whole.

As the ghost, shaped like a massive lion, was consumed by the blue shadow, it cackled wildly, proclaiming with fervor,

"Your Highness will surely grant us rebirth! The Ghost King Realm's prince has the power, and once he ascends to become a Ghost God, even the Ghost King shall be resurrected!"

The ancient ghost met its fate with valor, devoured by the blue shadow without a hint of fear. He held an unwavering belief that Mingdu would prevail and that as long as Mingdu lived, his devoted followers would rise again, as they had done before.

"Yu Yuan!"

In that moment, the Qianqiang Ghost unleashed a harrowing, disjointed wail.

Luo Yue jerked her head around.

A crimson sword light had burst forth from its sheath, its intent clear: to sever any hope and possibility for a soul's survival.

Somehow, Luo Yue felt the very laws of Horror Land being stifled as the sword intent took hold.

Or perhaps, the laws themselves had subtly shifted, imbuing the sword spell with an infinite enigma.

The piercing sword light swept through, and where it passed, the tiniest, unseen spirits of Horror Land perished, reduced to mere dust.

Luo Yue's gaze was fixed on the crimson sword light, her soul sizzling as if on the verge of shattering. She blanched in terror.

Suddenly, the piercing wails of the Qianqiang Ghost ceased. All she could discern were countless tiny golden flecks, further fragmented, their embedded memories and thoughts snuffed out one by one.

As a peer of the Ghost King, Luo Yue sensed an awakening within her, an understanding of the rules' power.

The Qianqiang Ghost had met its end beneath that blade, beyond the reach of even the Mingdu Ghost King's power to reshape destiny and grant rebirth.

The sword light, severing all vitality from the soul, was itself bolstered by the rule's force emanating from the Yin Meridian's source.

Mingdu represented only a fragment of the Yin Meridian's will, not its entirety. It was powerless to reverse the fate of those claimed by the sword spell, leaving the Qianqiang Ghost's demise absolute, without a trace for reincarnation.

"Broken Soul, Broken Soul..." murmured Yu Yuan, clutching his sword sheath within the cauldron. He was immersed in the esoteric nature of the Broken Soul Slash, deeply understanding the interplay of forces within him as the spell coursed through his meridians.

Behind him, thousands of Evil Devils morphed into a dark canopy, under which a blood-red crescent moon hung ominously.

His body still thrummed with the unyielding sword intent. As it lingered, the space outside the cauldron creaked, hinting at the opening of a spatial passage.

The Qianqiang Ghost, his first intended victim, had been utterly obliterated by the Broken Soul Slash.

The Soul Formation, conjured by the Evil Devils at his back, was instrumental. It ensnared the Qianqiang Ghost from a distance, leaving it nowhere to flee, as if mired in a soul-sapping quagmire.

Targeted by the blood moon and bombarded by an endless barrage of malevolent thoughts, the Qianqiang Ghost's spirit sustained deep wounds.

The death knell was the Broken Soul Slash. With its execution, the faintest whispers of the Qianqiang Ghost's soul were torn asunder.

At that time, he was privy to the profound truths of the Yin Meridian and had enhanced his sword spell with the essence of the Yin Sunflower.

Could the Qianqiang Ghost possibly elude capture?

Whoosh!

Another ancient ghost, sworn to Mingdu, hesitated briefly before seemingly choosing to dive into the engulfing blue shadows.

Yu Yuan, puzzled, mused aloud, "Am I imagining things?"

After a decisive sword swing, Luo Yue, seeing no further danger, drifted closer. "Imagining what?" she inquired.

"It feels like that ghost willingly entered the Muddy Devil Embryo under Tianzang's control," Yu Yuan remarked.

"You're not mistaken; it did seek out its own demise," Luo Yue confirmed with greater insight. "It preferred death by Tianzang's hand over yours, sensing that being struck down by your sword spell would strip it of even the faintest chance at rebirth."

The "Broken Soul Slash" was already the nemesis of ghostly spirits, and with the backing of the Yin Meridian's source, it was virtually unstoppable in Horror Land.

The Qianqiang Ghost, once felled by this sword spell, stood no chance of revival, even if it ascended to the rank of a ghost.

This ancient ghost had clearly grasped this reality, hence its momentary hesitation before actively seeking its own end.

Escape was not an option; to flee was to betray, and the fate of those who betrayed Mingdu was unspeakably grim.

With no escape and no chance of victory, death was the only path left.

And in the face of certain death, who wouldn't grasp at the possibility of a future life?

"He's not the only one; the others will seek death in the same manner," Luo Yue asserted confidently.

Subsequent events bore out her prediction. The remaining ancient ghosts loyal to Mingdu, though they appeared to flee, subtly steered clear of Yu Yuan, widening the gap between them as much as possible.

Then, as if by some cruel twist of fate, they were successively hunted down and swallowed by the blue shadow.

The man in white, along with the eight ghosts who had returned from the Outland Star River, perished one by one.

The Qianqiang Ghost met its end by the "Broken Soul Slash," while the other ghosts were consumed by the Muddy Devil Embryo.

Suddenly, in this particular area, only Yu Yuan and Luo Yue remained, along with the dazzling river of stars that had emerged from the Soul Crossing River, now shrouded in a thick mist of Yin Qi that obscured the view of what lay within.

"Junior Brother..." Luo Yue's eyes narrowed as she clutched her flower basket, her gaze fixed on him, words teetering on the edge of her lips.

Yu Yuan, taken aback, asked, "What's the matter?"

"Tianzang and Bai Gu, whose side are you on?"

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