161: The Divine Thunder that Wards Off Evil Destroys the Ghost King's Secret Door to the Herb Garden

Deep within the Land of Ghost Grievances.

Yin winds howled furiously, and white mist churned like viscous paste. The Resentment Qi here was incredibly dense, even condensing into black ice crystals floating in the air.

“Aaaah—!!!”

Pitiful screams rose and fell continuously.

In front of a narrow pass, over a dozen Core Formation Loose Cultivators were completely surrounded by a group of black-robed Demonic Cultivators from Extreme Yin Island.

“If you don't want to die, move forward for this Young Lord!”

Ugly Crow stood on a massive rock, his face ferocious. The magic plate in his hand shot out strands of black light, forcing the Loose Cultivators to move deeper into the pass.

And in the center of the pass, lurked a creature ten zhang tall, covered entirely in red hair, with eyes like bloody lanterns—the [Red-Haired Ghost King].

This Ghost King emitted a terrifying aura comparable to the Nascent Soul Early Stage. Not only was it infinitely strong, but it was also surrounded by a circle of “Soul-Devouring Poison Mist,” which corroded the spirituality of any Magic Treasure that entered it.

“That's a Red-Haired Ghost King that evolved from a 'Ten Thousand Year Corpse King'!”

Among the forced Loose Cultivators, someone desperately shouted, “Ugly Crow! You're making us walk to our deaths! You want to use our flesh and blood to feed it so you can pass while it eats!”

“Smart.”

Ugly Crow sneered, “Since you know, then obediently go die. It is your honor to pave the way for my grandfather's great undertaking.”

“We'll fight!”

A hint of ruthlessness flashed in the eyes of several Loose Cultivators, and they were about to summon their Magic Treasures to resist.

“Hmph, overestimating yourselves.”

A cold, gloomy voice sounded.

Behind Ugly Crow, the mass of black mist (Ancestor Ji Yin's Divided Soul Incarnation) that always followed him trembled slightly. Several black chains shot out like venomous snakes, instantly piercing the Dantian of the leading resistors.

“Pfft!”

Their Golden Cores shattered, and the people died instantly on the spot.

The remaining Loose Cultivators shook with fear, only able to shuffle toward the Red-Haired Ghost King like walking corpses... “What great prestige you display.”

Just then, a hoarse and somewhat weak voice abruptly came from the mist.

Ugly Crow frowned: “Who?!”

The mist dispersed.

Two figures, one male and one female, slowly walked out.

The man was a sickly Daoist with a sallow complexion who looked like he could drop dead at any moment. The woman was a graceful female Cultivator wearing a veil (Purple Spirit).

“It's you again, you sick ghost?”

Ugly Crow recognized Zhou Wannian (Han Li's Incarnation), and a killing intent flashed in his eyes. “Perfect, I was still short two sacrifices. Since you came, head on down the road together!”

“Head down the road?”

Zhou Wannian stopped, less than fifty zhang away from the Red-Haired Ghost King.

He glanced at the drooling Ghost King, and then at the arrogant Ugly Crow.

“This humble Daoist is too frail; I'm afraid I won't be enough to feed this big fellow.”

Zhou Wannian coughed twice and slowly reached a hand out from his sleeve.

“However, this humble Daoist knows a few minor tricks for 'Ghost Expulsion.' Perhaps without anyone dying, we can get this Ghost King... to move aside.”

“Ha? Ghost Expulsion?”

Ugly Crow looked like he had heard a joke. “This is a Red-Haired Ghost King! It can chew up the Magic Treasures of Core Formation Late Stage Cultivators, and you are just Core Formation Early Stage...”

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—

Before he finished speaking.

A trace of golden electric arc suddenly pulsed at Zhou Wannian's fingertip.

As soon as that trace of electric arc appeared, the Red-Haired Ghost King, which had been roaring and drooling at the crowd, suddenly reacted like a mouse seeing a cat. All its red hair instantly stood on end, and it let out a shriek of terror.

“This... this is...” Ancestor Ji Yin's Divided Soul, attached to the black mist, trembled violently. “Evil-Warding Divine Thunder?!”

“Go.”

Zhou Wannian flicked his finger.

There was no earth-shattering momentum.

That trace of golden electric arc split into two in the air, then two split into four, instantly transforming into a golden electric net that lightly covered the Red-Haired Ghost King.

“Roar—!!!”

The Red-Haired Ghost King turned to run, but how could its speed compare to lightning?

Boom!

The electric net descended.

It was like a red-hot wire slicing through butter.

The Red-Haired Ghost King, which struck fear into all Core Formation Cultivators and which even Ancestor Ji Yin was unwilling to confront directly, immediately boiled violently and smoked the moment it touched the golden electric net.

In just three breaths.

Its massive body turned into a wisp of smoke amidst agonizing screams, dissipating between heaven and earth.

Only a fist-sized red bead, emanating dense Yin Qi, was left, dropping onto the ground.

[Ghost King Core].

The entire scene fell into dead silence.

The Loose Cultivators who had believed they were certainly going to die all gaped, their eyes nearly popping out.

Instant kill?!

Another instant kill?!

Zhou Wannian waved, drew the Ghost King Core into his hand, and placed it in a jade box (this was excellent material for feeding the Ti Hun Beast or refining Yin-attribute Magic Treasures).

Then, he looked at the stunned Ugly Crow and displayed his signature honest and simple smile.

“Oh dear, this ghostly thing looked fierce, but it turned out to be a paper tiger, shattering upon contact.”

“Young Lord Ugly, the path is clear.”

“No need to thank this humble Daoist; this humble Daoist never leaves his name after doing good deeds.”

After speaking, Zhou Wannian, accompanied by the admiring Purple Spirit, swaggered through the pass and headed toward the depths of the Inner Hall.

Leaving behind a group of Loose Cultivators who had escaped death, and an Ugly Crow who was shaking with rage, his face green.

“Evil-Warding Divine Thunder... that is a Divine Ability only possessed by Magic Treasures refined from Golden Lightning Bamboo!”

In the black mist, Ancestor Ji Yin's voice became incredibly greedy. “This person definitely possesses a heavy treasure! Ugly, don't make a move! Wait until we enter the Inner Hall, reach the 'Cold Separation Platform,' and I, the Old Ancestor, will deal with him personally!”

...Passing through the Land of Ghost Grievances.

The sight before them suddenly opened up.

It was no longer gloomy ghost mist, but a massive valley filled with the fragrance of birds and flowers, where the Spiritual Qi was so dense it was almost liquid.

[Void Heaven Inner Hall · Spirit Medicine Garden].

Surrounding the valley was a Restriction light barrier a thousand zhang high. five-colored rosy light flowed across the barrier, clearly indicating an ancient grand Formation. Within the light barrier, rare flowers and exotic grasses, long extinct in the outside world, were vaguely visible.

At this moment, many people had gathered outside the light barrier.

There were Wan Tianming of the Righteous Path, Savage Beard of the Demonic Path, Ancestor Ji Yin (main body), Wen Tianren of the Confucian Sect, and Grand Elder Jin Kui of the Star Palace.

These Nascent Soul Old Monsters sat cross-legged, guarding the several entrances to the Spirit Medicine Garden, mutually restraining each other, none daring to act rashly.

Because the Restriction on this Spirit Medicine Garden was too strong, even a Nascent Soul Middle Stage Cultivator would need to expend a large amount of Origin Qi to forcefully break it, making them vulnerable to sneak attacks from opponents.

“Brother Han, what should we do?”

Purple Spirit followed behind Zhou Wannian, looking at the group of big shots nervously. “With these Nascent Soul Seniors guarding the door, us Core Formation Cultivators probably won't even get a sip of the soup.”

“We definitely can't enter through the main gate.”

Zhou Wannian crouched behind a boulder, his gaze sweeping over the Nascent Soul Old Monsters.

“They are waiting for noon, the moment the Restriction is weakest.”

“But we don't have to wait.”

Zhou Wannian patted the spirit beast pouch on his waist.

“Squeak, squeak.”

The Three-Tailed Spirit Fox poked its head out, its small nose twitching incessantly, its large eyes full of excitement. Its tiny paw pointed toward an inconspicuous pile of rubble on the side of the valley.

“Over there?” Zhou Wannian's eyes lit up.

“Let's go, we'll use the back door.”

...Behind the pile of rubble.

This place looked like a desolate stone wall, covered in moss.

But guided by the Three-Tailed Spirit Fox, Zhou Wannian discovered an extremely faint trace of Spiritual Qi leaking from a crack in the stone wall.

“It's the 'Formation Core's' exhaust vent.”

Zhou Wannian was proficient in Formations and instantly saw the trick. “ancient grand Formations running for ten thousand years inevitably suffer wear and tear. This crack connects to the Spirit Medicine Garden's drain.”

“Iron Pillar.”

Zhou Wannian summoned Iron Pillar, which was miniaturized to the size of a palm.

“Transform, drilling mode.”

Click, click, click.

Iron Pillar instantly transformed, turning into a pangolin equipped with an alloy drill bit.

“Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—”

Under the cover of Zhou Wannian's “Star Concealment Formation,” Iron Pillar silently drilled a small hole in the crack, just large enough for one person to pass through.

“Enter.”

Zhou Wannian and Purple Spirit slipped inside like two slick loaches... into the interior of the Spirit Medicine Garden.

A rich medicinal fragrance assaulted their senses.

“Oh heavens...”

Purple Spirit covered her mouth as she looked at the scene before her.

“That is Ten Thousand Year Fire Dragon Grass! That is Nine-Leaf Purple Ganoderma! And that... the Lifespan Fruit that was long extinct?!”

The ground was covered in Spirit Medicine; any single stalk taken outside would fetch a sky-high price.

But Zhou Wannian didn't even look at them.

His target was very clear.

The Spirit Fox jumped out of the pouch, like a white bolt of lightning, heading straight for a cold pond deep inside the Spirit Medicine Garden.

Zhou Wannian followed closely.

By the cold pond grew a plant half the height of a person, entirely white like jade, shaped like a small person sitting cross-legged.

It emitted a faint white halo, within which countless human faces seemed to shift and change.

[Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng].

Soul Transformation Stage Spirit Medicine!

It was a top-tier sacred object for refining an Incarnation Outside the Body, or assisting in breaking through the Soul Transformation Bottleneck!

Moreover, this thing had become sentient, even possessing basic intelligence.

“Squeak, squeak!”

At this moment, the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng seemed to sense danger and immediately prepared to run!

That's right, it actually grew two legs and ran faster than a rabbit, intending to dive into the cold pond and use Water Evasion.

“Trying to run?”

Zhou Wannian was already prepared.

“Fix!”

The “Spirit Fixing Talisman” he had prepared long ago shot out from his hand.

But the Spirit Ginseng was incredibly slippery; it actually twisted its waist in mid-air and dodged the Talisman.

“Good heavens, it has become a spirit!”

Zhou Wannian grinned.

“Too bad you ran into a professional.”

“Star Thunder Net!”

He flicked his sleeve.

Seventy-two star thunder bee cloud swords flew out, instantly weaving into an impenetrable sword net above the cold pond. The golden Evil-Warding Divine Thunder crackled, sealing off all escape routes.

The Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng hit the sword net, was shocked into trembling violently, let out a cry similar to a baby's, and plopped onto the ground.

“Collect!”

Zhou Wannian was quick-witted, using a specialized jade casket to Seal it.

“Done!”

Zhou Wannian was in high spirits. With the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng secured, he had the core Materials for his “Second Nascent Soul” plan.

“Brother Han, look over there!” Purple Spirit suddenly pointed to the center of the cold pond.

There, a lotus flower burned with blue flames.

The flames were bone-chillingly cold, yet they emitted extreme heat.

The seed of the [Azure Blue Ice Flame]!

“Don't move.”

Zhou Wannian grabbed Purple Spirit, who was about to try and pluck it.

“That is Cold Flame leaking from the void heaven cauldron. Touching it will freeze even your Soul.”

“However...”

Zhou Wannian looked at the fire lotus, a hint of contemplation flashing in his eyes.

“It seems this thing might be contained using my 'taiyi star sand'?”

He tentatively summoned the star heavy ruler, carefully approaching the fire lotus.

Just then.

Rumble!

The Restriction above suddenly shook violently.

“Not good! The old monsters outside have broken the Formation!”

Zhou Wannian's expression changed.

“No time to collect the flame!”

“Biting off more than you can chew is unwise. Go!”

Without the slightest hesitation, he gave up on the dangerous fire lotus, grabbed Purple Spirit, and turned to slip into the underground hole they came through.

“Wipe away the traces here!”

“Iron Pillar, plug the hole!”

...Ten breaths later.

When Wan Tianming, Ancestor Ji Yin, and the others finally broke through the Restriction and rushed into the Spirit Medicine Garden after expending tremendous effort.

What they saw was a garden full of Ten Thousand Year Spirit Medicine.

“Haha! We're rich!”

The Nascent Soul Old Monsters disregarded their image and began frantically snatching Spiritual Plants.

Although Ancestor Ji Yin snatched a few stalks, his keen nose suddenly caught a residual scent.

He arrived at the edge of the cold pond deep in the Spirit Medicine Garden.

He looked at the large pit on the ground that had just been dug up, with a faint trace of root remaining.

As well as the unique, Soul-stirring fragrance in the air.

“Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng?!”

Ancestor Ji Yin let out a heart-rending roar of fury.

“Who?! Who got here first?!”

“Aaaah! I, the Old Ancestor, will kill you!!!”

Meanwhile, in the underground passage not far away.

Zhou Wannian listened to the roaring above and happily patted the Storage Pouch filled with Spirit Medicine.

“Roar all you want, roar all you want.”

“This is only the beginning.”

“The upcoming 'Ice Fire Path' and 'Void Heaven Palace Inner Hall'...”

“That is the real main event.”

“Purple Spirit, are you ready?”

“We are going... fishing for big fish.”