Chapter 84 [VIP]

"Nonsense!" Xu Xing's voice was stern, but the hand holding him was steady and strong.

Before Jiang Zhuochen could even speak, the Buxu Sword sensed its master's command and shoved the two vengeful ghosts into the space before the rift closed.

In the next instant, a vast sword intent surged towards the vengeful ghost like a tidal wave. The sword energy was chilling, seemingly capable of freezing the soul, and even the surrounding dim yellow world trembled.

The two vengeful ghosts fought desperately, but then, something unexpected happened!

A thick, impenetrable red mist suddenly erupted in front of the two ghosts without warning.

boom--

The sword energy collided with the red mist, producing a dull, loud bang.

The crimson mist, as if possessing a life of its own, churned violently, desperately resisting the advance of the sword energy. At the point where the two met, a piercing hissing sound rang out as they frantically eroded and wore each other down, resulting in a brief stalemate.

The Bu Xu Sword shone brightly, its clear sound echoing, as if it were enraged by this unexpected obstruction.

Xu Xing's face was ashen. He pointed his fingers like a sword and drew a line in the air, channeling spiritual energy into the sword. The sword energy of the Step Void Sword suddenly surged, tearing apart the stubborn red mist.

The crimson mist was blasted apart in all directions by the impact, and finally could not be maintained and completely dissipated. At the center where the crimson mist had originally gathered, the phantom of a woman dressed in tattered red clothes slowly emerged.

Her face was pale, and her eyes were filled with an indescribable mix of emotions—resentment, relief, and liberation. Then the light in her eyes dimmed, and the illusory figure vanished like a candle dying out in the wind, leaving no trace.

Jiang Zhuochen recognized the woman in red as Yi Shui.

During the brief moment when the red mist blocked their path, the two vengeful ghosts seized the opportunity, transformed into two wisps of black smoke, and fled into the depths of the ghost realm at top speed, disappearing into the wasteland in an instant, leaving no trace.

With the crisis over, Jiang Zhuochen let out a weak sigh, resting his head on Xu Xing's firm chest. Looking up, he was surprised to find that the two of them had returned to their original appearance.

Since the six realms share the same origin, it seems there's no need to hide one's identity except for the human realm.

Seeing this incredibly familiar sight, Jiang Zhuochen twitched his fingers, but the pain in his body made him behave again.

He let out two soft hums, then Xu Xing frowned, placed his palm on his back, and slowly channeled a gentle spiritual energy into him.

Jiang Zhuochen's complexion improved slightly. He secretly peeked at Xu Xing through a crack in his eye, then began to play dead.

"They're getting bolder and bolder."

The person in his arms trembled, and Xu Xing was so angry that he was at a loss. Jiang Zhuochen's face was still pale from the injury, his lips were unnaturally taut, and he remained motionless. His deliberately long breaths ended in an unusually erratic tone, and he couldn't even fake it.

This little fool who can barely read a few words has secretly learned advanced formations.

After saying this, Jiang Zhuochen waited anxiously for Xu Xing's next move, his heart pounding with anxiety, and he couldn't help but open his eyes.

He chuckled awkwardly, "I saw my fellow students learning so diligently, so I just copied them and made a few random gestures..."

“Do you know,” Xu Xing moved his hands, trying to put him down, “that if our cultivation levels are mismatched, what will happen if we force the use of a high-level formation?”

This time, Bu Xujian was there to protect him; what about next time when he'll be all alone?

Jiang Zhuochen used his waist to flip over, wrapping his legs tightly around the other person's waist, holding on tightly and refusing to let go, and began his usual unreasonable behavior.

“I was worried about you, is it wrong for me to be worried about you? The situation was urgent, and you were trapped here…” He looked around, the dim yellow of the sky revealing an ominous blood red hue, and the surroundings were deathly still. “What kind of lousy place is this? We can’t even get out. You left Bu Xu with me, so of course I had to come find you.”

The overly blunt words left Xu Xing speechless. Her eyes, filled with a hint of grievance, stared straight at him, and the corners of her mouth were about to turn down.

"The Step Void Sword is for your self-defense." Xu Xing sighed and helped his disciple steady himself. "This is the Ghost Realm. I got entangled as soon as I entered and didn't have time to look for you."

"Is it that female ghost from earlier?" Jiang Zhuochen asked.

"Um."

"But if you forcibly break through the body and take the soul, won't the evil spirit die?" Jiang Zhuochen was puzzled. How could Yishui still be alive?

“She has already been turned into a puppet by the Lord of the Ghost Realm, so she is not considered alive,” Xu Xing explained gently.

Jiang Zhuochen understood, then frowned. "But we have no grudge against the Lord of the Ghost Realm, what is he doing?"

Xu Xing shook his head slightly, "The human world is filled with resentment and evil spirits. It wouldn't have gotten this bad without his tacit approval."

“Oh,” Jiang Zhuochen continued, “So Master has come to act on behalf of Heaven?”

He held a strand of Xu Xing's long hair in his hand, feeling a subtle tug. Xu Xing's gaze darted over it before returning to his own.

“You could say that.” He patted Jiang Zhuochen on the back. “Find a place to rest; you need to heal your injuries.”

"Why is the Ghost Realm so dilapidated?" Jiang Zhuochen slowly moved down, muttering with disdain, "How can it possibly recover in a place like this?"

"That's not always the case."

The Step Void Sword emitted a soft hum and automatically returned to its master's sea of ​​consciousness. Xu Xing raised his hand, and the two changed into darker clothes more suitable for the Ghost Realm as they walked, heading towards the more bustling heartland.

Countless blurry shadows seemed to be wandering around, and the air was filled with a dull and malicious chilling ghostly aura. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth here had become weak, and anyone who did not belong to the ghost realm would be affected to some extent if they set foot here.

The two should not act too conspicuously, so Xu Xing used illusion magic to change a room, which barely caught the eye of a certain picky ghost.

Jiang Zhuochen sat quietly in meditation, and after some recuperation, his body returned to normal. However, having just experienced a fight, he was still exhausted and rested his head on Xu Xing's pillow, taking a peaceful nap.

On the other side of the Ghost Realm, two evil spirits staggered back to the Ghost Realm's main hall and knelt behind a certain man.

The shop is filled with towering pillars, their surfaces wreathed in resentment, resembling countless distorted faces silently shrieking. On either side, gargoyles with bloodshot eyes guard the throne at the very top.

The man rested one hand on the back of the throne, his fingertips tapping very slowly. The two people behind him couldn't see his expression, which made them even more nervous.

“Lord of the Abyss.” Mingxiao lowered his head even further. “We didn’t expect him to leave Buxu to that brat. Although we tried our best to trap him, it is an ancient divine sword after all. We were suppressed by a wisp of Xu Xing’s divine soul and could not fight against it.”

"It's nothing." The Lord of the Demon Realm stopped tapping his fingers, his voice dry as if he hadn't drunk any water. "I know you've done your best."

“Lord of the Demon Realm,” Ming Su, kneeling beside Ming Xiao, raised his head, his face full of resentment. “We failed to wipe them out this time, and now Xu Xing is already in the Demon Realm. It’s only a matter of time before he finds us.”

The Lord of the Demon Realm, hidden in the shadows, grew even more somber. Originally, he intended to separate and restrain the two, allowing his subordinates to buy time. He severed the connection between the Demon Realm and the human world, completely trapping Xu Xing. Taking advantage of the fact that his soul was incomplete and his power was weak, Mingxiao and Mingsu could then unleash the resentment of the human world without restraint, using it for their own purposes.

But who would have thought that everyone below was more useless than the last. Before he could even make a move, Jiang Zhuochen had already joined forces with Xu Xing.

Even if Xu Xing manages to sever the connection between the two realms once he has gathered the remaining soul fragments, it will be useless.

“They were the ones who started the massacre,” the Lord of the Demon Realm coaxed patiently. “You did nothing wrong; you just wanted revenge.”

"Yes, Lord Yu is right!" Ming Su said resentfully. "An eye for an eye! Why are those bastards allowed to go unpunished? I said before I died that I would haunt them even as a ghost!"

“Yes, these righteous sects claim to be prestigious and upright, protecting the weak and eliminating evil for the common people, but who didn’t start out weak?” The Lord of the Demons scoffed. “We could have lived in peace, but he can’t distinguish right from wrong and has forced us into this situation. We can only protect ourselves.”

"The Lord of the Abyss is wise." Mingxiao's voice rose slightly, sounding somewhat impatient. "Xu Xing will definitely kill us for the sake of the souls within us. Is it possible that the Lord of the Abyss will protect our lives like he did for Yishui?"

"Don't rush." ​​The Lord of the Demon Realm turned around and whispered words of comfort. "I cannot forcibly take his soul. Furthermore, if Xu Xing's soul is restored, it will be even more difficult for us to deal with him. You should protect these two pieces of his soul."

Upon hearing this, both of them felt that there was some truth to it, but the feeling of being suppressed at all times was not pleasant.

Ming Su spoke in a deep voice: "Lord of the Demon Realm, what do we do next?"

“In that case,” the Lord of the Demon Realm seemed to consider for a while before reluctantly speaking, “This time you will stay in the Cave of Ten Thousand Ghosts for a while longer, refining the ghost energy to fight against it. Don’t worry, if your souls are truly taken away, I have a way to save your lives.”

Their eyes lit up.

After they pledged allegiance to the Lord of the Ghost Realm, in order to fight against the souls within their bodies, the Lord of the Ghost Realm made an exception and allowed them to enter the Ten Thousand Ghost Cave, a place where only he could cultivate.

The cave is filled with the purest and most potent aura of vengeful spirits. The moment you step inside, you feel a complete relaxation, as if your marrow has been cleansed and your bones have been transformed. Just by refining a little bit of it, your cultivation level seems to have risen to a higher level.

Each time I emerge from the Cave of Ten Thousand Ghosts, the pain in my body lessens. Although I feel sluggish for a while afterward, I recover quickly and even feel lighter than before.

This serves as a constant reminder to them that the Cave of Ten Thousand Ghosts is a good place.

"Thank you, Lord of the Demon Realm!" the two said in unison.

"Remember, the longer the time, the more focused you must be during cultivation," the Lord of the Demon Realm warned. "If you are disturbed by external factors, not only will you fail to achieve your goal, but you may also endanger your life."

"Understood." Mingxiao responded, his kneeling posture upright, yet secretly filled with impatience. If they could suppress that wisp of remnant soul this time, they would no longer have to worry about backlash and would be able to deal with those two. "Thank you for your great kindness, Lord of the Realm!"

The Lord of the Demon Realm sighed, stood with his hands behind his back, and gazed into the distance. "Once this matter is resolved, you shall go and eradicate all the evildoers in the human world and bring them back to the Demon Realm."

Is this a sign of delegating power? The two were thrilled.

"Thank you, Lord of the Demon Realm!"

The Lord of the Demon Realm waved his hand, "Go and cultivate."

"Yes." The two bowed and withdrew one after the other.

Only after the two figures disappeared from sight did the Lord of the Demon Realm let out a cold snort, a strange smile curving his lips. His hand, hanging limply, twitched at the fingertips, and two barely perceptible threads flashed with a cold light.