462: Why didn't you act sooner...

That was not a barren peak at all, but rather countless ghostly beings piled on top of each other!

This sight, even with Xu Sanyan's cultivation, was incredibly shocking. The scene before him was like a monochrome painting with chaotic brushstrokes and a grotesque style, filled with extreme madness and malevolence, making one's hair stand on end.

The countless ghostly beings seemed to be in a deep slumber, their distorted faces looking as if they were having nightmares. Xu Sanyan immediately waved his hand, signaling everyone to be silent, fearing that he might disturb them.

But, as ill-fated as it was, a strange roar came from an unknown place, piercing their eardrums as if it were right beside them.

Everyone was thrown into disarray, searching frantically for the source of the sound, while Xu Sanyan stared intently at the group of ghostly beings.

Whoosh—

One ghostly being opened its eyes, its black pupils hollow. As the first pair of eyes opened, it was as if a switch had been flipped, and countless ghostly beings began to awaken one after another.

Just at this moment, the roaring stopped, as if the sound had only served to awaken this group of ghostly beings.

"Not good!"

The Yue Family Old Ancestor's heart immediately leaped into his throat. Countless ghostly beings on the barren peak simultaneously looked towards the group, their gazes so eerie that they made one's scalp tingle.

"Ah~! !"

A strange intonation emitted an indescribable cry. Countless intertwined ghostly beings connected into a single mass and flew up, resembling a vast black net that blotted out the sky and concealed the last ray of light.

"My life is over!" Someone wailed with a heart full of despair.

"Demonic Path fiends, I won't let you off even if I become a ghost!" Others cursed Xu Sanyan, swearing that if it weren't for him, they wouldn't have ended up here.

"Master..."

The scene was chaotic, but Xu Sanyan paid no attention, staring intently at the mountain peak. After the ghostly beings flew up, they revealed the scene hidden beneath them.

There was indeed a mountain there, but its surface had been covered by the ghostly beings. Now that they had left, a palace embedded in the mountain body was revealed.

It was as if a small portion of a mountain had been vertically cleaved, and a grand palace had been erected there. The palace was entirely black, with a pattern carved on its surface. Xu Sanyan didn't have time to examine it closely, as countless ghostly monsters had already lunged at him.

"Ah~! !"

Confused roars entered their ears. Among the hundreds of people, some turned and ran, intending to return the way they came, while others rushed towards the palace, seeking to survive. Only a dozen or so people stood still, including Xu Sanyan, the Lu Family Elder, the Lu Wang and Princess Lu WanZhe siblings, and the Yue Family Old Ancestor.

As the crowd split into three, the ghostly beings in the sky also divided. A large mass rushed towards the group returning the way they came, as they were the most numerous.

Xu Sanyan ignored them, merely conjuring a barrier of light in front of him to defend. The ghostly beings bared their fangs and slammed fiercely against the barrier, but to no avail. The thin barrier was like an insurmountable chasm, firmly separating the two sides.

Although these ghostly beings looked numerous, their strength was not very high. Perhaps they were once very strong, but after tens of thousands of years of dormancy, they were no longer what they used to be.

A Soul Refinement Realm cultivator might find them very difficult to deal with, but Xu Sanyan was already at Dao Perfection, only a step away from the Saint Realm. These seemingly terrifying ghostly beings did not cause him much pressure.

Xu Sanyan's gaze was fixed on the murals in the palace, listening to the screams of the ghostly monsters and the wails of the crowd, yet feeling no emotion in his heart. This was because he had never intended for these people to return alive; even if they didn't die now, he would have to personally deal with them in the end.

In fact, he had no enmity or hatred towards most of these people, simply because they had cursed him. As for those who hadn't cursed him...

Well, they were just unlucky.

"Bang!"

A ghostly being slammed heavily into the light barrier formed by his magic power, emitting a dull thud. Xu Sanyan tilted his head; it was somewhat obstructing his view.

Lu Wang wielded his great spear with powerful movements, but cold sweat streamed down his face. Not only did he have to protect himself, but he also had to look after his younger sister. Thanks to the Lu Family Elder's assistance, he might not have lasted until now.

Those ghostly beings were negligible in Xu Sanyan's eyes, but for Lu Wang, they were a disaster. Individually, they might not pose a threat, but their sheer numbers were overwhelming.

"Brother, be careful!"

Princess Lu WanZhe cried out anxiously. A ghostly being's claw tore at Lu Wang's back, ripping his fine silk robe to shreds. Four bloody gashes immediately appeared, with exposed flesh oozing fresh blood, proving the injuries were not light.

But Lu Wang could still endure this pain. More importantly, the wound was turning black and spreading little by little to the rest of his body!

Ghost Qi was rapidly corroding his entire body!

Lu Wang's face was ashen. At this moment, he couldn't spare a hand to heal himself, and the Ghost Qi was spreading extremely fast. In the blink of an eye, he felt his body becoming stiff. He knew he couldn't escape death this time, so he gritted his teeth fiercely, turned to look at his sister, and a hint of determination appeared in his eyes!

"Fourth Uncle, take good care of Wangzhe!" Lu Wang roared at the Lu Family Elder, then charged into the midst of the ghostly beings without looking back, instantly being submerged.

"Boom~"

Suddenly, towering flames fiercely burned within the ghostly crowd, and surging firelight dyed the sky red. Hundreds of ghostly beings shrieked as they turned to ashes.

This scene drew Xu Sanyan's gaze back. He glanced at it and then dismissed it, continuing to stare at the murals.

Although the Lu Family excelled in Soul arts, Lu Wang was not interested in them. He was more proficient in fire techniques. Both the crimson long spear and this final, life-burning strike proved that his title as the Lu Family's top Genius was well-deserved.

"Brother!!"

Princess Lu WanZhe's hot tears flowed as she screamed, but no one responded to her anymore. Instead, a streak of red light spun back and flew over, deeply embedding itself into the ground, leaving only half of the spear shaft exposed.

This was Lu Wang's weapon, the red-tasseled great spear.

"Brother!"

Xu Sanyan frowned. He felt nothing about Lu Wang's death, only finding it a bit noisy. The joys and sorrows of people were not interconnected.

Seeing that most of the people were dead, Xu Sanyan's mind stirred. A dark red Imprint suddenly appeared behind him. The Heavenly Dao Imprint emitted a faint red glow, instantly illuminating the earth and dyeing everything blood-red.

"Ah~!"

The ghostly beings seemed to sense the danger, their cries becoming even more mournful. They no longer paid attention to others, surging and pouncing towards Xu Sanyan.

Countless ghostly beings formed a large net, surrounding him completely, just as they had previously covered the mountain. For a moment, the dark red light was obscured, and only a large sphere made of ghostly beings appeared in the air.

Everyone looked at this spot with anticipation. They hoped the ghostly beings would kill Xu Sanyan, and they also hoped Xu Sanyan would eradicate the ghostly beings. Ideally, they would both perish.

But they were destined to be disappointed. A faint red light suddenly pierced through the tightly enveloped black sphere, and then more and more light appeared, as if a water-filled balloon had been pricked countless times. More and more light leaked out,

Until a certain moment, the black sphere exploded with a roar, and countless ghostly beings completely dissolved. The crimson Imprint hanging high in the sky brightened abruptly, completely changing the color of the entire ghostly realm. Xu Sanyan stood in the air, with ten thousand streaks of blood-red light making him appear like a Demonic God descended upon the world!

Princess Lu WanZhe gripped the long spear with a heart like dead ash, her slender fingers showing prominent veins, and murmured in a very low voice, "Why didn't you act sooner...?"