Chapter 14: Mysterious Master

In the Ghost Sea, a black radiance floated on the surface of the sea. On the water, a huge ghost face pattern appeared clearly. Above the ghost face, a black light shroud pervaded within a radius of ten meters, emitting a terrifying and eerie atmosphere, akin to the howling winds of hell.

Watching the three figures, the Ghost Messenger smirked sinisterly, and the black shadow instantly transformed into countless figures, forming a solid black gas wall that began to contract inward. Accompanied by the sinister and evil wails of the undead, everything seemed so eerie, filling people's hearts with fear. Sensing the increasing pressure around them, countless soul-devouring auras crazily engulfing their bodies, Liu Xinghun and the other two had faces ashen with despair clearly written on them.

Glancing at Jian Wushen and Leng Jiahao, Liu Xinghun gritted his teeth and said, "This is our final battle. Let's fight it together. Now, the three of us will unite and use the Reversal of Yin and Yang Technique to fight to the death." Leng Jiahao's eyes showed a trace of determination, as his body straightened up, preparing himself. Meanwhile, Jian Wushen's eyes changed slightly, a hint of sigh hidden between his brows. Without speaking, Jian Wushen simply nodded, mustering the remaining true energy and initiating this final battle.

Within the black light shroud, the three of them clenched their six hands tightly, and the Heavenly Spirit Divine Sword hovered above their heads. Seeing the shrinking light shroud around them, Liu Xinghun smiled with a touch of desolation, and with a soft shout, the bodies of the three suddenly began to rotate in reverse. A fluctuating mass of colorful radiance expanded and contracted endlessly, exuding a powerful aura tinged with destruction, growing stronger as the three accelerated their rotation. Above them, the Heavenly Spirit Divine Sword seemed to receive divine assistance, as a dragon's roar resounded, and a dazzling colorful radiance surged towards the sky.

At the periphery, the Ghost Messenger sneered coldly, and a dark red light silently appeared within the inner layer of the black light shroud, appearing extremely sinister and mysterious. With the appearance of this dark red light, a powerful aura that devoured everything erupted five times stronger in an instant, suddenly contracting. The radiance flickered, and the sudden contraction of tremendous pressure, with the force to split mountains and crack the earth, directly attacked the bodies of Liu Xinghun and the other two.

Instantly, the colorful radiance formed by Liu Xinghun and the others collided with the immensely powerful force of the Ghost Messenger's contraction. Only the sound of intense explosions filled the air, with countless flickering radiance fragments overlapping and shattering. The strong forces confronted each other, alternating between dominance and suppression, temporarily locked in a stalemate.

Within the light shroud, the rotation speed of the three slowed noticeably, coming to a sudden halt. Feeling the formidable attack of the Ghost Messenger, the three roared in unison, and all the remaining power in their bodies erupted. The colorful radiance surged, instantly suppressing the dark red light. Then, the rotation speed of the three accelerated once again, and the radiance of the Heavenly Spirit Divine Sword grew even brighter.

The Ghost Messenger roared angrily, and the dark red light was forced back again, only to shrink once more in an instant. As it alternated between expansion and contraction, the forces surged violently, pressing hard against Liu Xinghun and the others. However, just as it launched another attack, the rotating bodies of the three had already transformed into a column of light, disappearing. Only a column of light rose into the sky, illuminating the heavens and the earth. Above, the Heavenly Spirit Divine Sword rotated frantically, a towering sword pillar, carrying a dazzling rainbow of colors, piercing through the sky.

With a roar, the rainbow-colored sword pillar, infused with the unwavering will of Liu Xinghun, Leng Jiahao, and Jian Wushen, enhanced by the Reversal of Yin and Yang Technique, unleashed a final blow. Thunderous explosions resounded as the radiant light, accompanied by the frantic tremors, spread out around the three, creating an earth-shattering explosion.

As the radiant light danced and the ghostly atmosphere lingered, amidst the furious roar of the Ghost Messenger, its figure rapidly rotated, layers of black shadows solidifying and continuously stacking, fiercely resisting the rainbow-colored divine sword. The two forces fluctuated, and the colorful radiance and the dark red light alternated in dominance, fiercely contending with each other. At this moment, time seemed exceptionally long yet strangely brief, a peculiar sensation pervading the surroundings.

With a thunderous boom, the radiance dimmed. After a fierce confrontation between the two mighty forces for a while, the radiance began to fade, and the power began to weaken. Finally, only a flash of colorful radiance occurred, and the formidable light shroud of the Ghost Messenger was finally shattered. In mid-air, a column of blood soared into the sky, and Liu Xinghun, Leng Jiahao, and Jian Wushen fell in three different directions. Blood spurted from their mouths, their faces pale with a touch of desolation, as they descended towards the sea. At this moment, the three of them were exhausted, their true energy depleted, on the verge of death.

On the surface of the water, the eyes of the ghost face flickered with a bewitching black light, silently watching the five figures in mid-air. At this moment, Bi Tian, with a faint red glow all over his body, grabbed Du Li desperately with his right hand, struggling to prevent his body from falling. However, with their true energy depleted, he could only sigh, filled with regret. Watching the slow descent of the two people, Bi Tian's eyes showed a trace of loss, the unexpressed feelings abruptly ending before they even began. Thinking of that moving figure, that cold demeanor, a smile appeared at the corner of Bi Tian's mouth. As long as love existed, even death was insignificant.

With a slight turn of his gaze, Bi Tian understood that this time, all five of them were defeated. Without saying a word, Bi Tian only whispered in his heart, "Don't be afraid, I'll be with you on the journey, so you won't be lonely!"

In mid-air, the Ghost Messenger watched the five figures falling, emitting a cold ghostly laugh, its eyes flashing with a sinister light. At this moment, the Ghost Messenger no longer attacked, just silently watching the five, watching them perish in the Ghost Sea. It understood that at this moment, the five had reached the end of their rope, and there was no need for action. The ghosts below would naturally devour them, causing them to disappear forever.

"Slowly drifting down, the distance of several zhang was covered in an instant. Just as the five individuals were about to fall into the mouth of the Ghost Yan, a strong light shot from afar. A crimson aura instantly appeared above the Ghost Yan, lifting the falling five individuals. Immediately, the crimson light flashed, carrying the bodies of the five, appearing a hundred zhang away, quietly suspended in mid-air. Upon closer inspection, the so-called crimson aura turned out to be a red blood flag, shimmering with strange flowing lights, countless incantations densely spread across it, appearing mysterious and unpredictable. At the moment when the crimson aura appeared, the space next to the Ghost Envoy suddenly fluctuated, and suddenly a spatial gate opened, and a figure surrounded by luminous radiance appeared out of thin air.

The silhouette of the Ghost Envoy flickered, instantly appearing ten zhang away, alertly watching the suddenly appearing figure. Upon closer inspection, only to see that this person was about fifty years old, with a peculiar appearance, eyes emitting a hidden brilliance, the whole body exuding a divine radiance. What shocked the Ghost Envoy the most was that it found itself unable to see through this person at all. When this person's eyes looked at it, the bottom of its heart couldn't help but tremble violently, a ominous omen rising within.

Coldly glancing at the Ghost Envoy, the mysteriously appearing person said indifferently, "So you're the Ghost Envoy of the Ghost Island, one of the three forbidden areas in the Ghost Domain. No wonder you have such formidable cultivation. Your methods are quite impressive, but let me give it a try. Let me see if I can extinguish you, it could be considered reclaiming a bit of justice for them." Finished speaking, he waved his right hand, and the floating Celestial Sword in the air automatically flew into his hand.

With a dragon's roar, the Celestial Sword immediately emitted an incomparably joyous aura, the entire blade bursting forth with dazzling radiance, instantly illuminating a radius of several li. The mysterious person glanced at the Celestial Sword, a strange look flashing in his eyes, seeming to hide something. With a flick and a turn of his right hand, a formidable might erupted, and the seawater on the entire sea's surface suddenly surged, forming five towering columns of water. The five columns of water shimmered with different colored lights, surrounding the mysterious person as if they were pillars supporting the heavens, forming a mysterious barrier, trapping the Ghost Envoy within.

Dark shadows flickered, countless streaks of light moving within the swirling black mist. Only a cry of surprise was heard, and the Ghost Envoy asked in horror, "Who are you exactly, and why do you have such formidable cultivation? With your cultivation, you are definitely not a master of the human realm. Speak quickly, where do you come from?"

The mysterious person sneered, "Where I come from is of no use to you. Because no matter where I come from, today you are doomed to perish. Now, accept my punishment!" Finished speaking, a wave of his hand, and a burst of light erupted from the Celestial Sword. With overwhelming momentum, it launched an attack on the Ghost Envoy.

Roaring in anger, the Ghost Envoy said, "No matter who you are, this is my territory, and you will never be able to kill me. Come on, Ghostly Dance of the Ghost Envoy!" As soon as the words fell, the silhouette of the Ghost Envoy flickered, instantly transforming into nine figures rushing towards the mysterious person. In mid-air, each of the nine figures once again transformed into nine ghostly images, the entire space in a moment filled with countless ghostly figures. The howling of the sinister wind, the wailing of the lost souls, layer upon layer of sinister energy formed a dense black light ball, shrouding the mysterious person within.

With a proud smile, the mysterious person paid no attention to the attacks around him, only mocking the foolish Ghost Envoy. When the ghostly figures filled the surroundings and the attacks reached their peak, the mysterious person flicked his right hand. Suddenly, five divine dragons soared from the Celestial Sword, dividing into five directions, each aiming at one of the five water pillars and shooting towards them. Only to see brilliance burst forth from the five water pillars, simultaneously injecting into the five divine dragons. Immediately after, the five divine dragons circled around the five water pillars, while five rays of light shot out from the water pillars, forming a celestial net above, shimmering with dazzling multicolored lights, beginning to descend.

The Ghost Envoy launched a full-scale attack, but each time it was dispersed by the mysterious person's light barrier, gradually realizing that there was a huge gap between itself and this mysterious person. Sensing the imminent crisis, the Ghost Envoy let out a series of ghostly roars, its body instantly transforming into a black gas, the ghostly energy around its body rotating at a rate of tens of thousands of times per instant.

The mysterious person glanced coldly at it, saying softly, "Everything should come to an end. I don't have much time to waste with you. Accept your fate." With that, a flash of cold light in his eyes, his entire body suddenly burst forth with ten times the aura. In just an instant, the dazzling celestial net shrouded the Ghost Envoy, devouring the ghostly energy outside its body. Endless terrified screams and frantic roars echoed on the sinister sea surface, appearing extremely terrifying. With a flash of light, a black light burst forth, but in an instant it was suppressed, turning into wisps of smoke and disappearing into the air.

The mysterious person smiled indifferently, sheathing the long sword in his hand, and all the strange phenomena around him instantly vanished without a trace. Only brilliance flickered, and the five various colored lights automatically returned to the Celestial Sword, while the surrounding water columns also fell back, as if nothing had happened. His figure flashed, shooting towards the distance, the crimson aura flashing red light, carrying the five unconscious people closely behind.

On a flat hill, the mysterious person stopped, looking at the five people behind him. With a flick of his right hand, a five-colored radiance instantly formed a five-colored barrier, enveloping the five. Countless five-colored lights crazily penetrated into the bodies of the five, moisturizing their withered bodies. Time passed unknowingly, and when the five began to wake up, the mysterious person suddenly retracted his right hand, using his five fingers to seal the acupoints of the five. Looking at Sword Dust, the mysterious person contemplated for a moment, then with a wave of his right hand, grabbed Sword Dust's body and shot towards a distance.

Gently opening his eyes, Sword Dust's first thought was whether he was dead, and where he was. Looking around carefully, a figure with his back to him made him feel like he hadn't died. Checking the condition of his body with internal energy, he found that his heavily injured body had unexpectedly recovered by seven or eight layers, which was truly strange. His gaze stayed on the figure's back, and Sword Dust asked, "Excuse me, did you save me? Who are you, and why did you save me?"

The mysterious person didn't turn around, just spoke softly with his back to him, "I saved you because of an old friend's sake. As for who I am, perhaps you will know in the future."

Sword Dust looked puzzled and asked, "Thank you for saving me. I don't know about the other four people with me, how are they now? Did you save them too?"

The mysterious person said, "Don't worry, they're all fine, not far from here. This time, I came to you alone to ask you something. You'd better answer me honestly. I checked your cultivation, it's quite good. To enter the Realm of Returning Immortality at such a young age is truly rare in the world. What I want to ask is, did you gain any adventures to enter this Realm of Returning Immortality? You'd better tell me honestly."

"Sword Dust's eyes narrowed slightly, pondering for a moment before he spoke, 'You're right. I did indeed have some adventures. Not long ago, on Mount Tai Xuan, the legendary Five-Colored Immortal Orchid appeared. In order to seize that Five-Colored Immortal Orchid, a massive and incomparably powerful three-headed spirit snake suddenly appeared, directly threatening the life and death of our Heavenly Sword Sect. At that moment, our Sect Master launched the Profound Heaven Sword Formation to attack the three-headed spirit snake. Unfortunately, we were still defeated in the end, and he was heavily injured. At the most critical moment of danger, the legendary Divine Bird of my Heavenly Sword Sect, the Great Peng, suddenly appeared and fought fiercely with the three-headed spirit snake. Initially, the Great Peng was at a disadvantage because it lacked the assistance of the Heavenly Spirit Divine Sword, so I lent my aid with the Divine Sword and together we drove away the three-headed spirit snake. I remember being heavily injured at that time, and the Great Peng brought me back to the peak of Mount Tai Xuan, where it used its thousands of years of cultivation to produce a Five-Colored Danhua to heal me. Afterwards, not only did my injuries heal, but my cultivation also unconsciously advanced to a higher level, entering the realm of Returning Immortality.'

The mysterious person, upon hearing this, flashed a strange light in his eyes and continued to inquire, 'Has this year's Six Academy Martial Arts Competition been held?' Sword Dust's expression changed slightly, and he replied softly, 'Yes, it has been held, less than ten days ago.'

Without turning around, but the mysterious person sensed something amiss in Sword Dust's tone and couldn't help but ask, 'With your cultivation, you should have been firmly in first place in this year's Six Academy Martial Arts Competition, and I assume the first place went to the Heavenly Sword Sect again, right?'

Sword Dust's expression changed, his eyes looked strange for a moment, but then turned gloomy. Looking at the mysterious person's back, Sword Dust sighed lightly, 'No, I only got second place. The first place was taken by Lu Yun from the Yi Garden.'

The mysterious person's body trembled, surprised, 'Yi Garden, how is that possible? Tell me, by what method did Lu Yun defeat your Heavenly Sword Nine Techniques? With your cultivation, I believe you have already mastered the Annihilation Technique. Could it be that there is still a technique in Yi Garden that can surpass the Annihilation Technique?'

Sword Dust sighed lightly, 'Yi Garden does indeed have an extremely domineering technique, but it was just a trick played by Lu Yun. He had been hiding it all along and only revealed it at the last moment, causing my defeat. As for the technique he used, it's the forbidden secret of the Yang Pavilion in Yi Garden, the Five Thunderous Heavens Technique, which has never been successfully cultivated by anyone in the past thousand years.'

The mysterious person trembled upon hearing this, murmuring softly, 'The Five Thunderous Heavens Technique, so the Thunder God's Technique has reappeared in the world. I didn't expect this millennium-old Thunder God's Technique to resurface. This is the supreme technique of utmost yang and utmost strength in the world. Be careful when encountering it. Your defeat under this technique is not unjustified. This time, in addition to saving you, there is something else I need to tell you. Now, let me give you something first. This item belonged to an old friend back then, and now I'm giving it to you. Remember to keep it safe and not to reveal it easily.' With that, a crimson aura suddenly appeared, and a red blood flag shot out from the mysterious person's hand, gently landing in Sword Dust's hand.

Looking at the blood flag in his hand, countless runes formed a Tai Chi diagram on it. Various lights shimmered, and layers of red light circled and flowed, appearing extremely mysterious. The mysterious person whispered softly, 'This flag is called the Blood River Diagram, exceptionally domineering and mysterious. As for how to use it, we will naturally teach you later. Now, let me tell you the origin of this Blood River Diagram. Legend has it that three thousand years ago, the Blood River True Lord cultivated for ninety-nine years to create it. On the day the divine artifact was first formed, the entire world was blood-red, with a Tai Chi diagram hovering in mid-air, punishing immortals above and exterminating demons and monsters below. It is one of the eight most miraculous divine artifacts in the world. Legend has it that there are twenty-four divine artifacts in the three realms, and among them, the Blood River Diagram ranks fourth. And on the divine weapon roster, the Heavenly Spirit Divine Sword, ranking fifth, is only ranked thirteenth among all divine artifacts. You can imagine the power of this Blood River Diagram.

As for why this Blood River Diagram is so powerful, it is said that when the Blood River True Lord was cultivating it, he happened to encounter the rare Cry-Blood Demons and Heavenly Demons battling in the world. The Blood River True Lord hid on one side, waiting until both of these extremely powerful spirits were heavily injured, and then suddenly released the Blood River Diagram, capturing them within. Afterward, after decades of cultivation, and adding countless spiritual objects and spiritual energy, he tried to refine the blood and evil energy of these two spirits, but unfortunately, he never succeeded. So in the end, after the Blood River Diagram was cultivated, its entire body was blood-red, containing a sinister aura, capable of slaying immortals and exterminating demons.'

Sword Dust, upon hearing this, was filled with shock. He couldn't believe that such a small flag had such an extraordinary origin. He didn't understand why this person would give such a divine artifact to him for no reason. Earlier, he said it was because of an old friend, but who was this old friend? This was something Sword Dust couldn't figure out.

Looking at the mysterious person's back, Sword Dust asked, 'Since this artifact is so powerful, why are you giving it to me for no reason? We should not know each other, and it seems unreasonable for you to give me this item for no apparent reason. Can you tell me why?'

The mysterious person, still facing away, sighed, 'You don't need to ask too much about this. Just understand that everything I've done today is because of an old friend who has passed away. Now, let me teach you the method of using this Blood River Diagram. Before that, you must first learn a technique, or else you will be counter-attacked by the sinister aura of the Blood River Diagram.' With that, the mysterious person struck out with his right hand, enveloping Sword Dust in a purple light. Countless heart sutras and mantras appeared clearly in his mind, deeply imprinted in his memory.

Without turning around, the mysterious person continued, 'This Purple Hua Devouring Sun technique is mysterious and unpredictable, with infinite power. As long as you cultivate it well, you can naturally surpass Lu Yun's Thunder God Technique. When you have mastered this technique to the state of perfection, you will be able to dominate the world and traverse the mortal realm. Work hard. Now I will teach you the method of using the Blood River Diagram, remember it well.'

 With that, a red light silently appeared around Sword Dust, enveloping him in that mysterious light shield.

Looking slightly towards the sky, the mysterious person's eyes flashed with a strange light. At this moment, he seemed perplexed by his actions today. Perhaps he shouldn't have done this, but unfortunately, it was too late to take it back now. With a light sigh, the mysterious person's figure slowly ascended. In the night sky, that figure seemed somewhat desolate, emitting a strange aura, drifting in the air.

'Take care of yourself. I hope the next time I see you, you will have changed. That way, my efforts in saving you this time won't be in vain. Purple Hua present, Blood River arise, Tai Xu revolve, souls be slain! Take care, and as for everything in the future, it's up to you to handle. Fate and destiny, all predetermined, three lifetimes entangled, is a sin!' With a soft sigh, the faint words floated in the night sky, hiding the meaning that Sword Dust could not understand.

Watching the distant figure, Sword Dust was filled with confusion. This mysterious person didn't show his face, nor did he tell his name, making it impossible for Sword Dust to guess his intentions. Thinking of the words of that person, Sword Dust shouted loudly, 'Rest assured, the next time we meet, I will show you my achievements. I want the entire world to know the name Sword Dust, and I want to defeat Lu Yun again and regain honor for the Heavenly Sword Sect.'

In the night breeze, there was no response, and the mysterious person just left like that. Sword Dust put away the Blood River Diagram, took a glance around, and then swiftly shot back along the path he came. Returning to the side of Liu Xinghun and the other three, Sword Dust took a look at them and then secretly released their acupoints. At the same time, he sat down beside them, pretending to be unconscious.

Liu Xinghun was the first to wake up. Seeing the appearance of the five people, he was first stunned, but quickly guessed something. He woke up the other four, and upon seeing them, Liu Xinghun said, 'Everyone wake up, we've been saved by someone, but they left without a word. Now everyone check your bodies to see if the internal injuries have improved.'

Bi Tian, Du Li, and Leng Jiahao were overjoyed at the news. After trying it out, their internal injuries had indeed improved significantly, and the three of them were extremely happy. They then analyzed the situation together for a while, but unfortunately, they each had different opinions and couldn't figure out what exactly had happened. Looking at everyone, Sword Dust said, 'Regardless, since we've been saved, we should cherish this hard-won opportunity to recover our bodies. Once everyone's cultivation is restored, we will continue forward and try to find the Soul Transformation Pool before the other group, and retrieve the Soul Sealing Talisman.'

Upon hearing this, the four of them felt it made sense and stopped talking, each starting to meditate and recover their expended power with all their might."