Chapter 10: The Ghost Envoy

Looking at the sea, Leng Jiahao asked, "Have you all noticed that the eyes of this ghost face seem to flicker with a black brilliance, as if alive? Is this a magical ghost formation, or a conscious ghostly entity, or perhaps some other spirit of the ghost sea? I'll call this black sea here the Ghost Sea for now, because it's extremely sinister. What I want to know is whether this sea is the same as the sea in the human world, housing some strange spirits of cultivation and the supernatural? In other words, are there any spirits of the ghost realm here that even frighten other ghostly beings?"

Everyone exchanged glances at his words, feeling that he had a point. Liu Xinghun whispered, "Jiahao, your questions are insightful. Though they're just speculations, they're quite plausible. We're new to the Ghost Realm, completely unfamiliar with it. Perhaps what we've encountered today is indeed one of the evil spirits within this Ghost Sea. And indeed, its eyes do flicker with brilliance, which one can perceive if paying attention."

Jian Wuchen gazed at the ghostly face on the water's surface and said, "Now that we're trapped here, the key is how to escape. For now, let's assume this is an evil spirit below us. But what could be its weakness? It's intangible, taking the form of water to create its ghostly face. How can we possibly attack it? Senior brother, with your vast experience, do you have any suggestions that I could try?"

After pondering for a moment, Liu Xinghun said, "This is indeed tricky. But personally, I think we need to employ extraordinary means to deal with it. By extraordinary means, I mean we must surprise it, attack where it least expects. Perhaps initially, we've been targeting the wrong spot. We shouldn't aim for the weaker spot between the two water columns, as it's not weak there. I suddenly feel that no matter which side we attack, as long as it's between the two water columns, it's like confronting two brilliant lights. Maybe we should directly attack the water column itself; that might be the weakest link in the barrier. Of course, this is just my speculation, not necessarily correct, but I think it's highly probable."

The other four pondered and found Liu Xinghun's speculation reasonable. Glancing at each other, Jian Wuchen began to feel the increased suction below. With a serious expression, he said, "Now, everyone, be vigilant about the powerful suction. I'm going to follow senior brother's advice and attempt another forceful strike. We've already expended too much true essence here, so everyone must stay focused and bravely face this new challenge."

With those words, Jian Wuchen's body emanated a radiant aura, and his Heavenly Spirit Divine Sword erupted with a dazzling array of multicolored lights. Fixing his gaze on one of the water columns, Jian Wuchen's eyes gleamed brightly, and his entire body began to rotate rapidly without warning. Along with his rotation, the radiant multicolored lights converged into a formidable beam directed at the water column. Around him, the airflow stirred by the rapid rotation of the divine sword formed a colorful barrier, enveloping this mystical and eerie space.

With a loud shout, Jian Wuchen's body radiated multicolored brilliance as his sword thrust forward, aiming at the water column. On the opposite side, the dark red light dragons swirling around the water column spun furiously, layer upon layer of dark red light forming a rapidly rotating light sphere. The formidable centrifugal force threw off most of the attacking force cleverly.

Brilliant light clashed with the dark red light sphere as the Heavenly Spirit Divine Sword struck. The resulting explosion unleashed tremendous force, accompanied by a deafening roar that reverberated throughout the peculiar space. Jian Wuchen's body trembled violently, his sword vibrating incessantly with a humming sound. Meanwhile, on the water column, the dark red light dragon gradually slowed down, ultimately dissipating into a stream of light under Jian Wuchen's assault.

After breaking through the light sphere, the radiant multicolored beam struck the massive water column fiercely. With a muffled bang, the black water column trembled violently for a few moments before shattering instantly. A thick water column disappeared in an instant, causing cracks to appear in the once eerie space, torn apart by the powerful currents. On the sea surface, the eyes of the ghostly face glowed brightly as two black light pillars suddenly shot up, one of which struck Jian Wuchen directly, while the other aimed at the rest.

Mid-air, Jian Wuchen let out a furious roar. Suddenly, his entire body was shrouded in a layer of black ghostly aura, exuding a powerful aura that seemed to devour everything, fiercely corroding his body. Jian Wuchen hadn't expected the ghostly face on the sea to unleash such a powerful attack, catching him off guard and hitting him severely.

In a critical moment, Jian Wuchen disregarded the heavy depletion of his true essence and hastily mobilized his entire true essence, forming a purple light barrier to protect himself. The black light pillars enveloped Jian Wuchen's entire being, the eerie aura continuously eroding his protective true energy. He could only muster all his strength to resist.

On the side, seeing Jian Wuchen in danger, Liu Xinghun shouted to the others, "Everyone, be careful! I'll help Wuchen." With that, a strong purple light shot out from Liu Xinghun's sword, hitting one of the black light pillars. Despite its formidable force, it failed to disperse the pillar completely. Nevertheless, Jian Wuchen suddenly unleashed all his power, and the Heavenly Spirit Divine Sword, imbued with a sacred aura, broke through the black light pillar, rushing towards his assailant.

In mid-air, Leng Jiahao, noticing Jian Wuchen's predicament, didn't hesitate. He immediately grabbed Jian Wuchen and swiftly retreated to the side of Bi Tian and the others. With a grim expression, Liu Xinghun stared at the water's surface and shouted, "Let's go, everyone! This place is too sinister. While the strange barrier is dissipating, let's leave immediately." With that, he led the group back the way they came.

A sinister, mocking laughter echoed, accompanied by a voice saying, "Since you've come, isn't it too rude to leave like this? In all these years, you're the first to encounter me, the Ghost Faceless, one of the three great evils of the Ghost Sea, and leave alive. Truly admirable. However, though you've escaped that trial, you won't be able to leave."

The five felt a chill run down their spines, their gazes scanning the surroundings but finding nothing. Liu Xinghun shouted, "Who are you? Why not show yourself?"

"I am the Ghost Envoy of this Ghost Sea. Meeting me means you won't leave alive because this is my domain," came the voice amidst a chilling laughter.

A faint black mist silently appeared above the heads of Liu Xinghun and the others, exuding a powerful and sinister aura that enveloped them. Countless wails of lost souls filled the air, creating a terrifying atmosphere. Terrified, the five wore ashen faces, their eyes filled

 with fear.

Sensing the abnormal air currents around them, Liu Xinghun shouted, "Everyone, protect yourselves with your true energy! Beware of the attacks from this strange entity. Let's do our best to see if we can leave this place." With that, he released his sword, unleashing hundreds of purple sword lights imbued with a strong aura, forming a purple nebula above them, providing protection.

After launching a powerful strike, Liu Xinghun pulled Jian Wuchen and began to perform a technique, flying forward. Behind them, Bi Tian, Du Li, and Leng Jiahao each controlled their swords to protect the group from above, while their bodies danced in the wind, rushing forward as fast as they could.

Amidst chilling laughter, accompanied by the cries of countless souls and the roars of furious ghosts, the atmosphere in the Ghost Sea became even more sinister. Despite their rapid flight, the five felt that they had escaped the entity's attacks, but the ghostly cries continued to haunt them. Feeling a sense of relief, they focused on flying, believing they had overcome the ordeal.

Flying swiftly through the air, they covered a considerable distance within moments. However, as they looked down at the sea, Du Li's expression suddenly changed, revealing a look of horror. On the sea surface, the clear ghostly face still appeared silently below. Its eyes, flickering with a black brilliance, seemed to mock them. Looking around, they felt the wind howling, indicating their rapid progress, but why did the ghostly face below them seem to remain stationary?

Glancing at his companions, Du Li sighed softly, his tone filled with desolation. "It's best for everyone to look below before deciding whether to continue expending our energy." In just two sentences, the previously relieved expressions of the four turned grave as they looked down.

Shocked, fearful, sorrowful, and sighing, various expressions appeared on the faces of the five. Jian Wuchen lowered his body and said, "What's going on? Are we encountering an illusion, or have we fallen into a virtual space?"

Liu Xinghun looked horrified at the sea surface and said in a slightly astonished tone, "The Ghost Wall is just a trivial matter that couldn't affect us. I believe we have encountered a ghostly entity in the Ghost Realm this time. This creature is extremely powerful, capable of controlling space, trapping us in an illusory dimension where we cannot escape. There must be a mysterious barrier around us now, and unless we break through that barrier, we won't be able to leave."

Bi Tian asked, "So what should we do now to break through this invisible barrier? This time, the barrier is different from before. At least we knew where the barrier was last time. But now, we have no idea where it is. In this situation, how can we break through?" Bi Tian's words left the others puzzled. None of them had experienced anything like this, so they couldn't come up with any reasonable explanation.

However, as everyone paused to ponder, the voice of the Ghost Envoy resounded once again above them. It said, "Actually, breaking this barrier is very easy. As long as one of you is willing to be the sacrifice, to use your blood as the catalyst and perform the Tear Blood Incineration Technique, you can easily break through this barrier. You are currently within my realm of ghostly emptiness, and breaking this barrier is impossible."

The five were shaken, not understanding why the Ghost Envoy was revealing this information. Jian Wuchen exclaimed angrily, "Nonsense! We won't believe anything you say. No matter what, we won't believe you. We will definitely break through this nonsense barrier, just wait and see."

After exchanging glances, Liu Xinghun said, "Now, everyone must not panic. We need to stay calm. If we want to fly over this mysterious barrier from mid-air, there's probably no hope. The only way is to find another way out."

Looking at the sea, Bi Tian suddenly said, "I'm thinking, perhaps we've been fooled by the ghostly face below. Perhaps we've fallen into the trap set by the Ghost Envoy." This statement caught the attention of the other four, who looked at him, not understanding his meaning. Liu Xinghun asked, "What do you have in mind? Let us know, and we can judge together."

Looking at the sea, Bi Tian said in a deep voice, "Since we encountered this ghostly face or Ghost Faceless, we've indeed been in a predicament. We all experienced what happened just now, so that can't be denied. But after encountering the so-called Ghost Envoy, it hasn't launched any substantial attacks on us after the initial ambush. We've been flying for so long, and although it feels like we haven't moved, I believe we actually have. In this situation, there are only two possibilities. First, as the Ghost Envoy said, we've fallen into its barrier. Second, the Ghost Envoy is deceiving us, and there is no barrier around us. The only thing that makes us doubtful is the ghostly face on the sea. I'm thinking, perhaps it's an illusion deliberately created by the Ghost Envoy to deceive us. In reality, there's nothing below us, and it's using magic to create a mirage under our feet to confuse us."

The four pondered this, carefully analyzing the possibilities of Bi Tian's inference. Looking at the sea, Leng Jiahao said, "This explanation makes some sense, but I have a question that's unclear. If this inference is correct, why didn't the Ghost Envoy warn us and let us fall into confusion earlier? If we hadn't looked down at the ghostly face, its plan would have been completely useless, right?"

Liu Xinghun said, "Jiahao has a point. This situation is full of contradictions, and it's hard to judge who's telling the truth and who's lying. If we want to find out the truth, we must personally go down and test whether the ghostly face is real. Unfortunately, with the five of us here, each of us has suffered heavy losses in true essence, and Wuchen is severely injured. If the ghostly face below is real, we'll be risking our lives. We need to be extremely cautious."

Bi Tian said, "I believe the Ghost Envoy didn't warn us precisely because of its cunning. We suffered a major loss from the ghostly face earlier, so logically, we should have been watching it closely while trying to escape. The fact that the Ghost Envoy didn't warn us makes it even more convincing that the ghostly face below is real. Think about it, is the ghostly face so huge that it can move at the same speed as us flying? It's impossible. So either we've moved, or we haven't moved at all. Considering the whistling sound in our ears, I believe everyone understands that we have indeed moved. Therefore, the ghostly face below must be an illusion."

Du Li spoke up, "If Senior Brother is so sure, then I'll go down and try. It's better than wasting time like this." Bi Tian looked at him and said softly, "Be careful. Watch out for your safety."

Nodding slightly, Du Li flipped and turned his body, head down to feet up. The long sword carried a dazzling crimson light, shooting downward. The ten-foot-long crimson sword light aimed directly at the eyes of the ghostly face, hitting it in the blink of an eye. The waves splashed, the powerful attack causing the sea surface to churn with huge waves, and the eerie face disappeared in an instant.

Du Li's body turned, stopping three yards above the water's surface, and he looked around, shouting loudly, "Senior Brother, you were right. It's just an illusion. We've been fooled by the Ghost Envoy." With that, he soared back up into the air.

But as Du Li flew away from the sea surface, a huge wave suddenly surged up without warning, engulfing Du Li's body in an instant. Above, Bi Tian let out a loud cry, disregarding everything, and flew madly towards the water's surface. In mid-air, Bi Tian shouted in alarm, "Du Li, be careful! Get out of there, now!" The red aura enveloped Bi Tian's body like a ball of light, and in an instant, it rushed towards the sea surface.

In mid-air, Liu Xinghun burst out, "Bi Tian, come back! It's dangerous." However, at this moment, even if Bi Tian were in danger, he wouldn't listen. Cold sweat broke out on Leng Jiahao's face as he said, "Senior Uncle, what should we do now? This ghostly sea seems relentless in swallowing lives."

Liu Xinghun's expression changed constantly, full of worry, and he said, "I'm also in turmoil now. This damn place is full of strange things happening. What worries me the most now is that if something happens to them, how can we explain it to Ru Yuan when we return? Jiahao, you and Wuchen be careful

. I'll go down and take a look. We can't let them get into trouble; otherwise, we'll be too ashamed to return." With that, he plummeted downwards at high speed.

In mid-air, a faint black mist appeared. A cold voice echoed once again, "Hehe, if you don't believe me, it's too late to regret now. I'll send you to play in the Ghost Sea." With that, a powerful eerie aura instantly pressed down. The oppressive and sinister force, carrying the corrosive ghostly aura that eroded everything, was like Mount Tai pressing down, quickly forcing Jian Wuchen and Leng Jiahao, who had suffered severe losses of true essence, to plummet downwards.

On the water's surface, Bi Tian's body burst with red light, and he fully exerted his techniques, crazily attacking the ghostly face in the sea. In the huge mouth of the ghostly face, within the rapidly rotating vortex, Du Li's body flashed with a faint red light, constantly spinning along with the whirlpool, appearing and disappearing intermittently. Bi Tian was filled with extreme anger, and seeing his junior brother in danger drove him into madness. The powerful sword aura, accompanied by terrifying power, relentlessly attacked the eerie eyes.

Liu Xinghun was about to go help Bi Tian, but the words of the Ghost Envoy made him tremble, unable to help but look up, revealing a rare tremor in his eyes. Glancing at Jian Wuchen and Leng Jiahao, Liu Xinghun gathered his remaining true essence, slapped his left hand, and rotated his body with force. His figure quickly spun, instantly transforming into a shadow, soaring into the sky with a dazzling purple sword column.

The powerful attack violently collided with the downward pressure, and the two immensely powerful forces, under high-speed friction, produced a fierce explosion. With a flash of light, a hurricane swept through the area. Liu Xinghun trembled, a trace of blood appearing at the corner of his mouth. Despite this full-force attack, it only temporarily halted the downward pressure. However, this momentary pause gave Jian Wuchen and Leng Jiahao an opportunity. Seizing the chance, the two landed beside Liu Xinghun, their faces solemn as they looked up.

With a cold laugh, a faint black mist instantly filled the area within a hundred yards. In the mist, countless indistinct figures, accompanied by eerie laughter, swiftly circled around Liu Xinghun, Jian Wuchen, Leng Jiahao, and Bi Tian. The surrounding oppressive aura, accompanied by a stifling sensation, continued to tighten.

Bi Tian completely ignored everything around him, focusing on Du Li whose light was fading. Bi Tian's eyes emitted a blood-red light, his whole being consumed with anger. His long sword turned, a dazzling sword aura extending for a hundred feet, instantly transforming into a red light column. With Bi Tian's body, it violently rushed into the rotating vortex. As the light dimmed, a deafening sound erupted, and Bi Tian felt the powerful erosive force of the surrounding seawater, wreaking havoc on his protective true qi. The rotating water current, carrying irresistible force, dragged Bi Tian's body into it.

Gazing firmly at Du Li, who passed by him, Bi Tian exerted all his power, preparing to make a desperate move. Seeing Du Li getting closer and closer, Bi Tian suddenly pushed out with his left hand, using a powerful rebound force to detach himself from the vortex and rush towards Du Li. Quickly grabbing Du Li, Bi Tian roared in anger, his entire body bursting with true essence. With a forceful pull of his right hand, he finally pulled Du Li's body out of the water. Another palm strike with his left hand, utilizing the rebound force, Bi Tian ultimately flew out of the water with Du Li.

Glancing at his junior brother, Bi Tian showed a hint of relief in his eyes. With a smile, he emitted a blood arrow and flew upward with some difficulty, carrying Du Li's body enveloped in a faint red light.

On the other side, the Ghost Envoy launched a formidable attack. Among the three surrounded individuals, Jian Wuchen was the first to spit out blood, his face instantly pale. Seeing this, Liu Xinghun's eyes filled with despair. He didn't expect the Ghost Envoy to be so powerful; it seemed that they were destined to perish in the Ghost Realm today.

Leng Jiahao glanced at Liu Xinghun and whispered, "Senior Uncle, don't give up. As long as we have a breath left, we cannot give up easily. Even if our true essence is severely damaged now and we may not be able to deal with this Ghost Envoy, at least we can abandon our physical bodies and escape in the form of our spiritual essence."

Liu Xinghun's eyes lit up at these words, showing a glimmer of determination. Seeing the faint black mist slowly tightening around them, he understood that this seemingly inconspicuous mist was extremely dangerous. With a shake of his long sword, Liu Xinghun said in a deep voice, "Well said, we must never give up. We must determine the outcome with this Ghost Envoy. Now, listen to me, you two. Unless it's absolutely necessary, we must not abandon our physical bodies and escape as spirits. This place is the Ghost Realm, and the most terrifying aspect of the Ghost Realm is soul transformation. Once we encounter soul transformation, we will inevitably be annihilated, with no chance of escape. Given the Ghost Envoy's cultivation, it must be quite proficient in soul transformation techniques, so you two must be careful. Now, let's join forces with the Three Elements Merge Technique, led by Jian Wuchen's Heavenly Spirit Divine Sword, and see if we can break through altogether. Let's begin."

With that, together with Jian Wuchen and Leng Jiahao, forming a triangle, they began to prepare. Because the three of them belonged to the same Sky Sword Sect, their practiced techniques were identical, making it very easy for them to execute the Three Elements Merge Technique. They simultaneously emitted a faint purple light, their bodies spinning faster and faster. As the rotation accelerated, a purple light completely enveloped the three of them. Above, the Heavenly Spirit Divine Sword, under the joint efforts of the three, burst forth with a sacred rainbow light, continuously expanding and emitting a powerful aura.

Seeing the three joining forces, the Ghost Envoy's mocking laughter echoed from all directions. With a flash of black light, a black mist took on a humanoid shape, appearing to the left of the three, sinisterly staring at them. Around them, numerous faint black shadows crisscrossed, and the strong and eerie aura had condensed into a black light shield, relentlessly devouring the true qi around the three.

With a roar, the Heavenly Spirit Divine Sword, accompanied by the rainbow light, shot out in a spinning manner, violently colliding and rubbing against the black light shield. At the same time, Liu Xinghun and the other two transformed into three purple lights, closely following the Heavenly Spirit Divine Sword, attempting to forcefully break through. The Ghost Envoy snorted coldly, clasping its hands in front of its chest. Instantly, a black light ball, emitting a terrifying and sinister aura, silently appeared in front of it. Glancing at the rainbow light, the Ghost Envoy pushed with both hands, and the black light ball shot directly at the Heavenly Spirit Divine Sword. Immediately, the opposing forces of sacred aura and devouring darkness clashed, repelling each other and colliding fiercely, causing a powerful explosion accompanied by deafening thunder, dense and continuous.

In mid-air, Bi Tian's slightly rising body was instantly blasted away by the powerful explosion. Threads of blood scattered in the sea breeze, under the dark sky, appearing blurry. As light and shadows flickered, the rainbow light dimmed after twelve consecutive attacks. At the same time, the black light ball gradually shrank and finally disappeared into the black light shield.

Within the light shield, the three purple lights dimmed, revealing the true forms of the three individuals. Each of them had bloodstains at the corners of their mouths, and their pale faces showed a hint of despair. Outside, the Ghost Envoy smirked, saying sinisterly, "It's getting late. It's time for you all to leave." Its words were like a hellish soul-stirring sound, shaking the hearts of the three.