https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-195-Living-as-a-Hero-Dying-as-a-Ghost-King/12920527/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-197-Returning-to-Luo-Tian-Foundation-Establishment-Second-Level/12920529/
Chapter 196: Subduing the Ghost General, the Worn Chess Piece
Chapter 196: Subduing the Ghost General, the Worn Chess Piece
At this moment, not only in the Ghost City, but even outside the Da He Fang, countless loose cultivators who were struggling to make a living were startled.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and fearfully looked towards the Da He Ghost City.
In the sky, birds cried and fled.
On the ground, animals ran for their lives without a second thought.
And within the Phoenix Descending Mountain, large swaths of mountains collapsed.
An enormous body struggled to stand up from the depths of the earth.
In the Ghost Realm, countless Yin Qi, ghostly energy, and Sha Qi surged towards him.
His slightly illusory body became increasingly solid.
A deep, low breath echoed like thunder, rumbling loudly.
This was not the kind of weak ghost king who had been suppressed for hundreds of years and was barely hanging on.
Instead, it was a powerful ghost king who had just awakened during its rebirth period.
In his previous life, he was a Jade Cauldron Sword Cultivator renowned for his combat prowess!
A loud rumble reverberated.
Luo Chen instinctively turned his head.
The Phoenix Descending Mountain, which had accompanied him for three years, suddenly collapsed.
A body entwined with gold and black colors knelt halfway, attempting to slowly stand up within the depths of the earth's veins.
At this very moment, a sword cry echoed in the void.
Clang!
A strange scene unfolded.
On the Phoenix Descending Mountain, a Mystic Yellow Cauldron slowly emerged.
A heavy sword stood upright in the cauldron, like an incense stick.
And the cauldron happened to be positioned right above Pang Ren Xiong's massive body.
As if suppressing him.
"Sword Cauldron Resonance... Ling Hu Yong... You deserve to die, die!!!"
A mournful and desolate voice, interrupted, emanated from the ghostly body.
It was a lament, a cry, a shout, and a roar.
Amidst the sword cauldron's resonance, the massive ghostly body, which had almost stood up, was slowly suppressed again.
In the distance!
Almost escaping the Dao Discussion Platform, Luo Chen witnessed this scene, and his heart couldn't help but freeze for a moment.
He had seen this scene before.
It was during the time when Pang Ren Xiong fought against the three ghost kings and that mysterious Golden Core Adept.
In the end, that great battle concluded with the sword cauldron's resonance.
Unexpectedly, this move had survived until now.
It seemed that Pang Ren Xiong had not even had a chance to enter the world before being suppressed again.
Just as Luo Chen felt a fleeting sense of relief, his body suddenly stood on end.
The suppressed ghost king, leaning to one side, looked at him with cloudy eyes.
The ghost king suddenly raised his hand and pointed a ghostly sword finger at him!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
With a single finger, both inside and outside the Dao Discussion Platform, and the ruins of the Phoenix Descending Mountain.
Countless lingering sword auras, as if summoned, instantly erupted with sword cries.
Then, countless swords soared into the sky.
The sword tips pointed diagonally, transforming into a vast stream of light, rushing down towards Luo Chen like a waterfall.
The speed was so fast that it caught him off guard.
Luo Chen's soul trembled, and he felt his life was at stake!
Suddenly, his heart stirred.
A sword-shaped token burst into dazzling light, blocking in front of him.
"Master!!!"
A hoarse and desperate roar escaped Luo Chen's mouth.
With this roar, the vast stream of light suddenly paused.
Then, it slightly shifted and exploded around Luo Chen.
Hiss! Hiss! Hiss...
There was no deafening explosion.
Only the sound of slicing tofu, a feeling of shattering.
Luo Chen swallowed his saliva and hesitated no more.
He put away the sword-shaped token, and his entire body transformed into a beam of golden light, rushing into the passage leading to the outside world.
At the foot of the Phoenix Descending Mountain.
The ghost king, which Pang Ren Xiong had transformed into, withdrew his finger in confusion.
"Master... Disciple..."
Mumbling to himself, the voice gradually faded amidst the sword cauldron's resonance.
...
"Huff... huff..."
Rapid breaths escaped Luo Chen's mouth.
From the arduous cultivation ground of Phoenix Descending Mountain to the White Stone Square.
In just a few miles, it felt like he had walked through his entire life.
Amidst the countless swords flying towards him, his mind almost flashed with images of his life.
If not for his years of cultivating Divine Spirit Demonic Annihilation, making his willpower exceptionally firm, he might have obediently waited for death at that moment.
"I never expected that the token Pang Ren Xiong gave me years ago would save my life."
"By the banks of the Lanchang River, that voice calling me a good disciple still rings in my ears."
"Although I didn't make the journey in the end, I still called you Master!"
Luo Chen let out a bitter laugh.
Due to the twists of fate and changing circumstances, such a convoluted path unfolded.
"If I can improve my cultivation and comprehend the mysteries of creation, I will help you escape this suffering one day."
Luo Chen took a deep breath, ready to take a step.
But his body sensed a sharp gaze that made him extremely uncomfortable.
He turned around.
A pair of sharp, piercing eyes stared at him intently.
No.
To be precise, they were fixed on the golden sword pellet surrounding him.
"Give... it... back... to... me..."
"Give it... back... to... me..."
"Give it back to me!"
The initial stuttering.
And the final roar, all in an instant.
This time, Luo Chen didn't hesitate at all.
The sword light blazed!
The Soul Confinement Banner unfurled! A cauldron suddenly expanded, releasing four-colored tassels that covered an area of one li.
In his hand, a proud sun slowly rose.
...
A great battle, unknown to others, suddenly erupted within the Ghost City.
Luo Chen unleashed all his abilities.
In just an instant, he completely suppressed the ghost general that Luo Tianhong had transformed into.
"In my previous life, I had to give you three points of respect."
"After death..."
"Why bother to bring trouble upon yourself and seek me out?"
Luo Chen's eyes turned cold, and he raised a massive fireball, which smashed down.
A violent blast resounded.
Intense heat spread out in ripples.
The surrounding Yin Qi melted away like snow under the sun.
The ghost general's body, already pulled by the Soul Confinement Banner and suppressed by the Four Symbols Cauldron, had no more strength to resist.
At this moment, he was completely subdued.
Boom!
Luo Chen withdrew and quickly reached the edge of the White Stone Square.
Looking at the center of the explosion, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Ever since he decided to cultivate using the Phoenix Descending Mountain's spirit vein, he had envisioned how to fight against the existence of a ghost general.
The Blazing Sun Technique was undoubtedly the best method.
Considering the unpredictability of ghost creatures, Luo Chen intended to use the suppression power of the Four Symbols Cauldron and the intimidating might of the Mind Control Spell as a distraction.
However, the latter could easily backfire on him, so Luo Chen would only use it as a last resort.
Fortunately, he had acquired the Soul Confinement Banner, which was effective against ghosts, compensating for this weakness.
Now, his strike proved effective.
It didn't require much effort on his part.
Looking at the sword pellets surrounding him, Luo Chen sighed.
"If I'm not mistaken, this sword pellet should be Luo Tianhong's cultivation treasure."
"Nurtured for decades, if one day I reach the Golden Core Stage, it can become my innate magical treasure."
"No wonder he was so desperate to find me when he saw this treasure."
Luo Chen put away the sword pellet, changed his aura, and was about to leave.
However, as he turned around, his gaze suddenly froze.
In the center of the square, within the massive crater.
Luo Tianhong's shattered ghostly body was slowly melting.
But in the center of the ghostly body, a black chess piece emitted a faint glow, preventing its body from melting.
The surrounding Yin Qi that had been cleared out slowly filled the area.
It replenished his body once more.
In a short while, his body became slightly more solid.
"What's this?"
Luo Chen's eyebrows twitched.
At this moment, Luo Tianhong opened his eyes again, stubbornly staring at Luo Chen.
Luo Chen's heart stirred, and he turned and left.
Behind him, Luo Tianhong roared and chased after him.
When they reached the edge of the White Stone Square, there was a slight struggle.
But seeing the golden light appearing beside that figure, he ultimately roared and chased after him.
As Luo Chen flew, he used his spiritual sense to monitor the movements behind him.
When he saw Luo Tianhong catching up, his heart secretly calmed down.
"As expected, his obsession is not only to guard the Sword Pavilion but also to retrieve the sword pellet he cultivated with his life essence."
"Using this as bait, I can lure him away from the White Stone Square, the place he is most familiar with, and then I can manipulate him."
"That treasure, I must get my hands on it!"
"However, I need to find a relatively safe place and set up a formation first."
With these thoughts in mind, Luo Chen's figure paused.
Then, he disappeared into the alleyways.
The ghost general behind him was startled, but without hesitation, he dove into the alleyways.
...
After a cup of tea.
Luo Chen's footsteps stopped outside a tall building.
The familiar layout of the building allowed him to enter without hesitation.
Soon after, Luo Tianhong's figure also chased after him to this place.
Just like before, without hesitation, he directly entered the building.
After the two figures disappeared, the weak and small ghost spirits gradually gathered around.
If someone were to look up, they might see the crooked sign hanging outside the tall building.
"Spirit Medicine Pavilion"!
If there were any relatively safe places within the Ghost City.
Then the locations of the five major upper sects' industries were undoubtedly the best.
Because after the outbreak of the war in the inner city, only the cultivators from these places managed to survive and escape.
In other words.
These places were undoubtedly the least damaged compared to other areas.
Among them, the Spirit Medicine Pavilion was the place Luo Chen was most familiar with.
The moment the ghost general Luo Tianhong entered the Spirit Medicine Pavilion.
Layer upon layer of white mist suddenly spread out.
Enveloping the entire building.
The scene resembled the formation on the summit of Little Huan Mountain.
And as the white mist unfolded, a confused look flashed in Luo Tianhong's eyes.
He could no longer sense the connection to his obsession! The obsession had disappeared.
This change made him go berserk, and he began to wreak havoc inside the Spirit Medicine Pavilion.
On the second floor.
Luo Chen watched this scene and couldn't help but sigh in relief.
The formation from Little Huan Mountain was not particularly effective in offense or defense.
But when it came to confusing the enemy and hindering their observation, it truly had the effect of a top-grade first-stage formation.
After all, it was a formation used by the Duan family to guard their forbidden land.
It would be unreasonable if it didn't have some miraculous effects.
Seeing Luo Tianhong trapped, Luo Chen quickly took action.
This formation, called White Mist Concealment, was hastily set up and couldn't hold Luo Tianhong for long.
During this time, he had to do his best.
The Soul Confinement Banner unfurled with a whoosh.
According to the records in the Soul Refining True Art, Luo Chen struck out with a series of spirit techniques.
Initially awkward, but gradually becoming more proficient.
Very soon!
The black flag of the Soul Confinement Banner fluttered without any wind.
A black curtain slowly unfolded.
Luo Chen, standing within it, felt the Yin Qi swirling around him, and the wailing and roaring voices never ceased.
There were even dozens of ghost soldiers comparable to the late Essence Condensation Stage, constantly swirling and dancing around him.
Each of them emitted a bloodthirsty aura.
Every time they passed by Luo Chen, they couldn't help but pounce on him.
However, as the master of the Soul Confinement Banner, how could he allow them to turn on him?
Before they even got close, black chains of Yin Qi would fly out from all directions, pulling them away.
After repeating this several times, the ghost soldiers no longer dared to approach Luo Chen.
"With this, the power of the Soul Confinement Banner is fully unleashed."
"Next, I need to lure Luo Tianhong inside."
Calculating the time, it seemed about right.
Almost at the moment Luo Chen's thoughts shifted, the vast white mist covering the Spirit Medicine Pavilion slowly dissipated.
Luo Tianhong was stunned, and his confused eyes gradually regained their clarity.
The next moment, he charged towards the second floor.
"Whoosh..."
A deep breath could be heard as he stepped onto the second floor.
Dozens of ghost soldiers pounced towards him.
Luo Tianhong roared and, following his instincts, tried to suppress these low-level ghost creatures with the demeanor of a superior being.
However, these ghost creatures had already been refined by the Soul Confinement Banner.
They only obeyed Luo Chen's commands.
Even if they felt a bit of fear, they only hesitated for a moment before continuing to bite and tear at him.
Luo Tianhong was stunned, not expecting these low-level ghost creatures to completely ignore his control.
"Wuu..."
He lowered his head and saw a ghost soldier biting into his leg, which was formed from condensed Yin Qi.
"Exactly!" Luo Chen exclaimed, "That's the point! You'll be free from the shackles of the Ghost Realm and no longer be bound by the Ghost King's orders."
He patted Luo Tianhong's shoulder, a gesture of encouragement.
"Come on, let's go inside."
Luo Chen led Luo Tianhong into the room.
The room was filled with white mist, and a faint green light radiated from the walls.
Luo Chen's gaze swept across the room, and he noticed a faint green light emanating from a corner.
He walked over and saw a jade plaque hanging on the wall.
The plaque was engraved with a map of the Ze Kingdom.
"This is..." Luo Chen's eyes widened.
"The Ze Kingdom Gui Map!"
This time, it wasn't a simple display of the Mind Control Spell with his eyes like during the Essence Condensation Stage.
Instead, it was an outward projection of his Spiritual Sense, directly casting the spell!
The powerful Divine Soul foundation was fully revealed, leaving no room for hesitation.
If it were the prime time for Luo Tianhong, Luo Chen might not have dared to do this.
After all, he didn't know if the disciples of the major sects had methods to enhance their Divine Soul foundation.
If he suffered backlash, it would be a loss.
But now, Luo Tianhong had become a ghostly body.
And he was directly hit by the Blazing Sun Technique, struggling to recover.
Finally, within the Soul Confinement Banner's domain, his strength was gradually weakened.
This was the moment when he was at his weakest!
As the Mind Control Spell reached its peak and enveloped Luo Tianhong, Luo Chen didn't feel the same strain as before.
He did.
But it was the feeling that his life and death were entirely in his hands.
At the entrance, Luo Tianhong slowly knelt down, his body gradually prostrating on the ground.
Seeing this, Luo Chen no longer hesitated.
His spirit technique changed in his hands.
"Retrieve!"
With a light shout, the nine chains instantly tightened.
Dragging Luo Tianhong into the unfolding black curtain.
Luo Chen stood up.
With a wave of his hand, the Soul Confinement Banner fell into his grasp.
His gaze fell upon the unfurled banner cloth, where a hideous yet determined face flickered in and out of sight.
With this, the ghost general, comparable to a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator, was subdued by him.
Not only that, but the quality of the Soul Confinement Banner also improved from High Grade to Supreme Grade!
However, using it effortlessly wasn't that simple.
Even the ghost soldiers tried to backfire on Luo Chen.
Let alone the existence of a ghost general.
Afterward, Luo Chen would need to spend a significant amount of time to subjugate the will of the ghost general.
But what Luo Chen cared about wasn't this.
What he cared about was something else.
His Spiritual Sense probed into the Soul Confinement Banner, constantly entering and exiting the ghost general's body.
Soon, he found what he was looking for.
"Come out!"
With a low shout from Luo Chen, a pitch-black and pure chess piece slowly floated out.
Looking at this object, Luo Chen's breathing quickened.
"Magical Treasure, Worn Chess Piece!"
He gripped the black chess piece and swallowed his saliva.
"It's indeed this treasure!"
In the past, when the Golden Core ruins in the Gu Yuan Mountain Range opened, Pang Ren Xiong sneaked in first and took away most of the treasures.
Later, numerous Foundation Establishment True Cultivators entered together to compete for opportunities.
In the end, Mi Shu Hua obtained the Ghost God Valley Supreme Elder's storage ring as the finale.
But in that ring, there weren't many treasures from the Ghost God Valley.
There were only a few Magical Treasures.
Among them, Luo Chen knew of the Demon Sealing Tower and the Worn Chess Piece.
The former was something Pang Ren Xiong highly valued and once intended to bring back to the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect.
The latter was the Ghost God Valley Supreme Elder's protective treasure, a Medium Grade Magical Treasure!
Pang Ren Xiong, already a Golden Core sword cultivator, focused all his attention on his sword and didn't value such treasures.
So, he bestowed it upon Luo Tianhong, who had made great contributions.
After the battle in the inner city of Da He Fang, Luo Tianhong perished, and the Worn Chess Piece, a defensive Magical Treasure, also went missing.
But unexpectedly, one of the black chess pieces fell into the ghost general's body, a reincarnation of Luo Tianhong.
"I didn't expect that even with only half of it, it's still a Low Grade Magical Treasure!"
"If it combines with the white chess piece, wouldn't it restore the might of a Medium Grade defensive Magical Treasure?"
"No, I can't be so greedy."
"Having one chess piece is already a stroke of good fortune!"
Even with just the black chess piece, it was already a Low Grade Magical Treasure.
For Luo Chen, this was undoubtedly a significant harvest, surpassing three years of bitter cultivation!
All along, Luo Chen's protective means had been in an imbalanced state, favoring offense over defense.
In terms of offense, he was at his peak.
Even during the Essence Condensation Stage, he could threaten Foundation Establishment True Cultivators.
But defense had always been his weakness.
He only had a High Grade defensive robe and the fringe defense of the Four Symbols Cauldron.
This wasn't his fault.
It was due to the current cultivation world's trend of favoring combat.
Because of the emphasis on combat, defensive Magical Tools had always been in high demand.
Among the same-tier Magical Tools, their prices had always been high.
Moreover, during battles, defeating enemies often started with breaking their defensive Magical Tools.
As a result, every time they collected spoils of war, they rarely obtained defensive Magical Tools.
Luo Chen, leading the Luo Tianhui, had experienced numerous great battles.
But the defensive Magical Tools they seized were still few and far between.
Those of High Grade quality were even rarer.
Compared to ordinary High Grade defensive Magical Tools, they were still inferior to the Four Symbols Cauldron he was accustomed to using.
So, for a long time, he hadn't made up for this weakness.
The Second Stage defensive spell, Crystal Sky Curtain, gifted by Wang Hai Chao, was something Luo Chen decided to cultivate, despite suspecting the giver's ill intentions.
He did so to make up for this weakness.
But spells like this were easy to learn but hard to master.
To cultivate them to a truly usable level, who knew how much time it would take.
In comparison, Magical Tools were quicker to master.
And defensive Magical Treasures were the dream of all Foundation Establishment True Cultivators.
Initially, Nan Gong Jin agreed to deal with Duankunqian for the Ze Kingdom Gui Map.
Now, Luo Chen also possessed his own defensive Magical Treasure.
Instantly, his weakness was strengthened to the fullest!
"But this treasure has been immersed in Yin Ghost Qi for many years, and it still needs to be nurtured for a while before it can be used freely."
Luo Chen carefully put away the treasure.
He planned to refine it thoroughly after returning.
Magical Treasures, unlike Magical Tools, couldn't be quickly mastered upon acquisition.
Looking around, Luo Chen didn't plan to stay long.
The current Ghost City of Da He Fang was indeed not a good place.
Although the Ghost King, Pang Ren Xiong, was suppressed by the means left by Ling Yong from the Falling Cloud Sect.
But those means were like floating weeds without roots.
Pang Ren Xiong, with the advantage of location, would eventually break free.
At that time, not only Phoenix Descending Mountain and Ghost City but perhaps the entire Da He Fang, a thousand li area, would be under the might of Pang Ren Xiong's ghostly power.
"In that case, Da He Fang wouldn't be a land without a master but would become a land of evil."
"Where should I go from here?"
Faint thoughts lingered in Luo Chen's mind.
Luo Chen concealed his breath and descended to the second floor.
Suddenly, his footsteps stopped.
At the entrance of the Spirit Medicine Pavilion, a faint figure was crouching next to the rotten wooden window, timidly looking at him.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
