Chapter 32: Sinister Trap

The Shura Forest, from afar, seemed insignificant, but once inside, it was astonishingly vast. Lu Yun instructed Yun Feng to lead the way, and the group stealthily infiltrated. After a while, the eleven of them slowly approached the Soul Transformation Pool.

Glancing at everyone, Lu Yun said, "For safety, when we launch the attack later, two experts from the Tianjian Academy will simultaneously besiege the monsters from the Demon Domain. Proud Snow and Cangyue will focus on the Ghost Lord, while the others stay alert to any surprises. Yun Feng, you have a task: try to decipher the mystery of the Soul Transformation Pool. The rest of you, be vigilant and think of ways to neutralize its malevolent aura." With that, they cautiously approached.

Through the trees, they saw only two guardians by the Soul Transformation Pool, which pleased them. After scanning the surroundings carefully, Lu Yun didn't detect any abnormalities, calming his mind slightly. With a gentle wave, he signaled, and four figures swiftly launched an attack on the monsters.

Three sword cries rang out as three divine swords were unsheathed, each emitting dazzling light, striking the enemies. At the edge of the pool, the Demon Domain Elder and the Ghost Lord, surrounded by green light, roared and swiftly dodged, unleashing sinister and evil auras. Their movements created terrifying whirlwinds that clashed with Sword Dust and Cangyue.

Lu Yun led the rest to the edge of the pool, instructing them not to step into the mysterious patterns. He looked at Yun Feng and said, "This place is peculiar. Any probing waves near the water surface will be bounced back onto the black clouds in the sky. Now, Yun Feng, use your Yin-Yang Secret Art to see if you can find out anything. The others, stay vigilant."

Everyone remained vigilant, observing their surroundings carefully. Watching the intense battle, Purple Yang True Person asked, "Lu Yun, how do you think this battle will end? Among us, with three divine swords attacking, if we still can't win, it might be troublesome."

Watching Proud Snow and Cangyue's graceful movements, Lu Yun's gaze carried a hint of concern. Observing the Ghost Lord, he felt a vague unease, sensing something hidden within it. The current situation didn't look good. Although Sword Dust and Liu Xinghun had the upper hand in their fight, the advantage wasn't significant. Proud Snow and Cangyue had shifted from having the upper hand to being evenly matched and gradually falling behind.

With a sigh, Lu Yun said, "I wonder where this Ghost Lord comes from to have such high cultivation. It emits a very strange and mysterious aura, unsettling people. Even with Proud Snow and Cangyue's abilities, they can't gain the upper hand together, which is terrifying."

Beside him, Xu Jie said, "Let me help them. I'll take down this Ghost Lord with them." She was about to step forward with her sword, but Lu Yun stopped her, saying, "Not now. If you go now, you'll only distract them. When the time comes, we'll let you know. Just watch for now."

At the edge of the pool, Proud Snow and Cangyue, wielding their divine swords, attacked the Ghost Lord relentlessly. The Ghost Lord's black figure moved at nearly a thousand times per moment, creating an array of shadows that surrounded the two women. Suddenly, it silently appeared above Proud Snow's head, unleashing a malevolent aura and transforming into a black gas net, enveloping her.

In the midst of evading, Cangyue shouted a warning and rushed forward to intercept the Ghost Lord's attack on Proud Snow. Sensing danger, Proud Snow evaded while wielding her sword, gathering purple clouds in the sky to counter the black gas net. The collision produced a terrifying sound as the two opposing forces quickly neutralized each other.

The black light surged, quickly dissipating the purple clouds, then a force that devoured everything rushed toward Proud Snow, breaking her protective light barrier. Sensing the potent aura of the Soul Transformation, Proud Snow's expression changed. She exerted all her power, emitting a purple light that formed a dazzling purple jade battle armor around her body, lifting the black gas net upwards. Nearby, everyone saw Proud Snow in danger and wanted to rush to her aid but was stopped by Lu Yun.

With a calm gaze, Lu Yun watched the battle and said softly, "Don't panic. Proud Snow will be fine for now. She has the Purple Jade Battle Armor protecting her, and this mysterious black net can't harm her." Everyone was stunned at his words but remembered Proud Snow's extraordinary battle armor, though they weren't sure if it could withstand the assault of the black net.

The purple and black lights clashed with tremendous force. A sinister laughter, accompanied by the chilling aura of the Ghost Lord, reached their ears. Suddenly, the black net emitted a devouring force, dissolving Proud Snow's protective light barrier and swiftly engulfing her. In a critical moment, Proud Snow's eyes turned cold, and her body emitted a burst of purple light. A magnificent and dazzling purple jade battle armor appeared, protecting her body.

At the pool's edge, Proud Snow's body shimmered with mysterious purple light, and the purple jade battle armor radiated with a majestic aura, resisting the black net. In midair, the purple and black lights fiercely battled, reaching a stalemate. Nearby, Cangyue's eyes lit up with determination, and she emitted a white light, with a silent white jade battle armor appearing on her body. With a flick of her divine sword, 196 swords converged into a golden sword light, shooting at the black net.

Watching Proud Snow and Cangyue simultaneously activate their protective armors, everyone's eyes lit up, captivated by the dazzling armor and the graceful figures of the two women. With their peerless beauty and exquisite figures, Lu Yun, Bitian, and Duli were deeply enchanted. Even Feng Yuanyang and Purple Yang True Person couldn't help but shake their heads in admiration, marveling at the unmatched beauty of the two.

At the pool's edge, Yun Feng's body shimmered with green and red light, his eyes flickering with strange red and green rays as he focused on the Soul Transformation Pool. Suddenly, Yun Feng trembled, taking two steps back, his face showing a mix of shock and excitement. Turning back to look at everyone, Yun Feng exclaimed, "I've figured it out! I know the secret of the Soul Transformation Pool."

"Really? Have you found a way to break it?" Voices of surprise and urgency rang out from several people, their expressions filled with delight.

With a hint of pride, Yun Feng smiled and said, "Of course. Do you even need to ask? With me here, is there anything I can't figure out? The most mysterious aspect of this Soul Transformation Pool lies in the black clouds in the sky. To the naked eye, they seem separate from the water surface, but they're actually interconnected and closely linked. There's a mysterious force in the pool that creates a strange barrier around the water surface. Any probing waves that approach are bounced back onto the black clouds in the sky, making it impossible to gather any useful information."

Lù Yún heard this and asked, "Since that's the case, how did you uncover the secret of the Soul Transformation Pool?" It wasn't just Lù Yún; others were puzzled too, all looking at Lín Yúnfēng with questioning eyes.

With a smirk, Yúnfēng chuckled, "This naturally wasn't easy to figure out. Trying to find something from the surface of the Soul Transformation Pool was impossible. The only way was to pay attention to the mysterious patterns around the pool. According to my investigation, these mysterious patterns form an immensely vast and complex map of the Milky Way. Normally, such a mysterious Milky Way map shouldn't appear here since there are no stars visible. But why does it appear here? The only explanation is that it's not something from the ghost realm but from the human realm. But why would something from the human realm appear here? In my opinion, the Soul Transformation Pool might not have been like this originally. It might have been immensely powerful and evil, directly affecting the human realm. As a result, it was sealed by experts from the human realm using this mysterious Milky Way map, resulting in what we see now."

"You're just speculating; it might not be accurate. Anyway, let's get to the point. What exactly did you discover, and how can we safely enter the Soul Transformation Pool and retrieve the sealing talisman?" Lù Yún asked directly, without much time to listen to speculation.

Seeing everyone's eager eyes, Yúnfēng quickly put away his playful expression and said softly, "Based on my analysis of the information I obtained from the Milky Way map, to enter this mysterious Soul Transformation Pool, we must first decipher the magical Milky Way formation around it. Otherwise, the magical barrier on the surface of the pool cannot be undone. As for how to break this Milky Way formation, I have found a method. We should be able to enter."

Upon hearing this, everyone was delighted, but Lù Yún's expression instantly changed from surprise to shock. With a glance back, he looked at the path they had come from and said in a deep voice, "Everyone, be alert immediately. Stay close together and be defensively cautious. Also, call back the four of them and suspend the attack."

The surprised expressions of joy turned into shock, and everyone looked at Lù Yún in confusion. Following his gaze, everyone suddenly had a foreboding feeling that something significant was about to happen. They immediately gathered together, while Zǐyáng the True Person and Yúnfēng shouted in unison, calling the four fighters in battle to retreat.

An extremely sinister laugh echoed, and black ghostly shadows flickered around the Soul Transformation Pool in the entire Shura Forest. The eerie figure silently appeared in the air, followed by nine ghostly shadows and countless ghost soldiers. Glancing at the Ghost Emperor and the Domain Lord of the Demons, the sinister figure smiled, "This time, thanks to the two lords, for bringing all these people here. Your contribution is invaluable, and the King is very pleased."

"Welcome everyone to the most mysterious Soul Transformation Pool in the Ghost Realm. On behalf of the various forces of the Ghost Realm, I welcome you all. To show our respect, I have specially brought high-level experts from the three domains of the Ghost Realm to greet you here. Hehe, are you all surprised? It's okay, ask anything you want. Before you die, I will kindly answer your questions."

Lù Yún whispered to everyone, arranging them in a five-element formation to guard all directions, then turned his gaze to the sinister figure. After scanning the experts behind him, Lù Yún's face changed drastically; there were no less than ten of them, coupled with thousands of ghost soldiers surrounding them, the situation was extremely unfavorable. Suppressing his astonishment, Lù Yún calmly asked, "Since the Ghost Marshal is so generous, let me ask a few questions. First, how did you know that our people infiltrated here to gather information? Second, is the sealing talisman really in this Soul Transformation Pool? Third, what are the identities of the two lords you mentioned, as well as the origin of the experts by your side?"

Looking sinisterly at Lù Yún, the sinister figure chuckled, "Actually, these are quite simple. First, as soon as you left the Soulless Realm, we followed you from a distance, so we knew your whereabouts. Even if we didn't follow you, we could guess your purpose, so we set up a trap in advance to lure you in. Originally, we could have dealt with you outside, but then some of you might have escaped, which wouldn't be good. Once you entered here, we just need to activate the Shura Absolute Formation in the Shura Forest, and by then, even immortals wouldn't be able to escape. Hehe!" The sinister laughter made everyone's hearts chill, and their eyes involuntarily glanced around.

Lù Yún remained expressionless, asking, "Continue."

"As for the second point, the sealing talisman you're looking for is indeed in this Soul Transformation Pool, but even if I tell you, it's useless because no one can enter it. Even if you enter the pool, no one can survive under the powerful Soul Transformation Qi. So, coming here, besides seeking death, serves no purpose. As for the third point, the two lords you asked about, one is the Leopard Lord, one of the Twelve Demon Lords of the Hundred Beast Demon Domain. The other is from the Ghostly Island of the Ghost Domain, the Ghost Lord. As for the several experts by my side, they are the most powerful experts in the entire Ghost Realm, with cultivation levels surpassing Ghost Immortals, belonging to the Nine of the Thirteen Evil Demons of the Ghost Realm. Additionally, this time, the Three Domains have jointly sent out five thousand troops to annihilate you all. Now that I've answered, if you have any further questions before you die, I'll answer them." The sinister figure's gaze swept over the eleven people, and his evil smile was terrifying.

Glancing at the Leopard Lord and the Ghost Lord, Lù Yún's eyes sank, and his heart sank. Almost all the high-level experts of the Ghost Realm encountered this time, truly bizarre to the extreme. Now trapped in a desperate situation, Lù Yún couldn't help but look around at everyone, sighing softly, "This time we're in dire straits, perhaps not as lucky as in the past. For the sake of our lives, for peace, everyone must face it with all their might and courage. Believe that as long as we strive, there is hope. Later, everyone remember to defend with all your might, and I'll try to find a way out. Whether I can decipher the strange formation in the Shura Forest to facilitate our escape remains to be seen. Regardless, remember to persevere, persevere, and persevere again. Victory is just around the corner. Now everyone prepare, remember to fully utilize the advantage of the formation to reduce the consumption of true essence, so as to have a greater chance of survival."

Looking at Lù Yún, everyone's faces showed a trace of sorrow. If only they had listened to Lù Yún's words earlier, they wouldn't have ended up like this, trapped in a desperate situation. Swords drawn, everyone guarded their positions

 vigilantly, with a firm and weathered expression in their eyes. At this moment, a sigh seemed to emanate from nowhere, quietly drifting around the Soul Transformation Pool, lingering.

With a sinister smile, the sinister figure said coldly, "It seems there's nothing more to ask. Very well, let's begin. I hope this time won't disappoint us." With a wave of his hand, the ghost soldiers behind him immediately formed into battle formation and began to advance.

By the pool, Lù Yún stood within the Five Elements Formation, with Bì Tiān and Dù Lì by his side. Surrounding them, Zǐyáng the True Person guarded one side with Aòxuě, Cāng Yuè with Xǔ Jié, Yúnfēng with Fēng Yuǎn Yáng, and Jiàn Wú Chén with Lǐu Xīng Hún, each holding their positions, ready for action. Seeing a large number of ghost soldiers launching an attack, the eight of them wielded their swords simultaneously, each displaying their mastery, closely cooperating with each other within the formation. Meanwhile, Lù Yún instructed Bì Tiān and the others to keep a close watch on the sky, always wary of attacks from above.

Gazing at the sinister figure and the numerous high-level experts from the Ghost Realm, Lù Yún pondered how to break out. Once they broke through the encirclement of these experts, he could try to probe the so-called Shura Absolute Formation and see if he could decipher it, preparing to lead everyone to escape. He whispered a warning to be cautious, and a faint silver light flashed around him as his body mysteriously appeared outside the Five Elements Formation. Pausing briefly in mid-air, Lù Yún shot towards the forest, aiming to evade the encirclement of the Ghost Realm experts.

With a sinister laugh, the sinister figure merely waved his hand, and nine ghostly shadows shot out, five of them directly pursuing Lù Yún. Glancing at the human experts trapped there, the sinister figure, accompanied by the remaining four high-level experts, approached the Leopard Lord and the Ghost Lord. Smiling at the two lords, the sinister figure asked, "Esteemed lords, how long do you think these ten people can hold out? If our experts launch a simultaneous attack, can we annihilate them all within ten moves?"

With a cold gaze, the Ghost Lord replied, "These people are highly skilled; even in the human realm, they are considered rare talents. Among them, the three wielders of the divine swords are especially formidable. Moreover, there is a man emitting a peculiar aura, which is quite alarming. With our current strength, it's easy to deal with them, but if we act too hastily, we will pay a heavy price."

"The Ghost Lord speaks wisely. We are not in a hurry to finish them off now. Let's slowly deplete their true essence. When they are exhausted, it will be effortless to deal with them. For now, let's see what unique skills these human experts have, which will be useful when we enter the human realm." The Leopard Lord agreed.

The sinister figure smiled at their suggestion and said, "Very well, let's follow the lords' advice and enjoy the show." With that, he made a slight gesture behind him, and a ghostly shadow flashed, disappearing into the dark forest.

While the stalemate continued in the battle, Lù Yún, after rushing into the forest, quickly analyzed the current situation using his psychic waves. In just an instant, the distribution of energy clouds in the entire forest, including the ongoing battle by the Soul Transformation Pool and the pursuit of the five ghostly shadows, became clear in Lù Yún's mind. 

While swiftly moving through the forest, Lù Yún analyzed the situation around him. From the information detected by his psychic waves, the forest was significantly different from when they first entered. The energy cloud distribution in the forest, though vast and complex, was now in motion, operating in a mysterious and difficult-to-understand manner.

Even after analyzing one hundred and forty-four positions, Lù Yún failed to decipher the mystery of the Shura Absolute Formation, feeling shocked. Turning around, he glanced at the five ghostly shadows that had caught up, his eyes calm. Among these five, there were no particularly exceptional experts. For Lù Yún at this moment, having encountered numerous high-level experts from the Ghost Realm, he wouldn't pay much attention unless they were top-tier experts.

With a fierce roar, the five Ghost Realm experts sensed the disdain in Lù Yún's eyes and couldn't help but rage simultaneously. They were all high-level experts of the Ghost Realm; how could they tolerate being looked down upon? A black shadow flashed, and a hidden trace of ghostly energy appeared beside Lù Yún, aiming a strike at his left chest. At the same time, the four other ghostly shadows crisscrossed in the air, forming a densely packed net of nearly a thousand ghostly shadows, shrinking inward layer by layer.

With a cold gaze, Lù Yún's lips curved into a cruel smile. At this moment, there was no room for mercy. With no one else nearby, Lù Yún could act without restraint. A colorful radiance flashed, and Lù Yún continuously deployed nine defenses around him with his psychic waves, increasing the frequency from 183,700 times to 278,900 times. It was evident that Lù Yún intended to annihilate these Ghost Realm experts in one fell swoop, preparing for their escape later.

As the energy clouds fluctuated and the ghostly shadows flickered, the violent collision resulted in endless screams of agony. The five ghostly shadows were instantly repelled, their entire bodies extinguished in black light, revealing their terrifying forms. Coldly looking at these five ghostly shadows, Lù Yún's eyes flashed with a cold light. He propelled them away with a flick of his body and stood still in mid-air. With both hands

 raised, a powerful and incomparable aura spread rapidly in all directions.

In mid-air, Lù Yún was surrounded by swirling black mist, undulating waves of black energy enveloping his body, appearing mysterious and terrifying. His black eyes flickered with a cruel glint, and his entire body was surging with qi, forming a black vortex that sucked the five ghostly shadows toward him. Amidst the sounds of screams and howls, the five ghostly shadows revolved around Lù Yún, their black ghostly energy being fully absorbed by him and gradually transformed into his own Soul Transformation power. Gazing coldly at the remaining five Ghost Realm experts, Lù Yún suddenly turned his head and looked in the direction from which they came, a cruel smile on his face. With his hands intertwined in mid-air, a strange seal emerged from between his palms. As the seal appeared, eerie cries and screams resounded throughout the forest, filled with shock and despair.

"Soul Transformation! How is this possible? No, it can't be, I don't believe it, no—" With a flash of black mist, all the voices suddenly disappeared.

With a cold glance at the ghostly shadow hiding nearby, Lù Yún shot outward. As a black shadow flashed, the figure of the Ghost Realm expert appeared in the clearing. The ghostly shadow looked at Lù Yún's back in horror, green eyes flashing with shock and mystery, before quickly darting towards the Soul Transformation Pool.