Chapter 24: Shadow Corpse Ghost City

Outside the royal city in the Heihe Region, Purple Yang True Man, along with Yun Feng, Xu Jie, and Feng Yuanyang, hid together under a rocky wall, silently watching the movements of the Ghost King City. From a distance, the Ghost King City showed no signs of change, still enveloped in darkness. It was likely still the mysterious green world inside.

Time seemed particularly lonely in the waiting. Yun Feng, who couldn't stand loneliness the most, couldn't help but speak softly to Xu Jie, "What kind of fun activities do you have at your Phoenix Academy besides cultivation? How do you spend your free time apart from training?"

Giving him a glance, Xu Jie replied softly, "Apart from cultivation, it's still cultivation. There's nothing else to do. Our academy has strict requirements, and every sister disciple is diligent in their cultivation. We've never thought about how to have fun. I remember, Senior Sister once secluded herself for ten days straight just to practice a technique. Now, she's one of the top three in this expedition, which shows that hard work pays off."

"I see. Won't you get bored? Practicing day and night, what kind of life is that? Don't you need to eat and sleep? I truly admire your dedication. If it were me, I wouldn't last three days!" Yun Feng's voice was indifferent, eliciting quiet laughter from Purple Yang True Man and Feng Yuanyang beside him.

Giving him a glance, Xu Jie was about to reply when a strong aura suddenly emerged from the Ghost King City. The four of them looked towards the city, their expressions showing shock. They saw the once pitch-black city now bathed in a bloody light, with the entire city shrouded in a layer of bloody brilliance in just a short moment. The eerie atmosphere filled the entire Heihe Region, causing countless Yin spirits to howl in agony.

Exchanging glances, the four were about to discuss what was happening when a piercing sound tore through the air from above. Looking up, they saw Land Yun holding the hands of Proud Blood and Cang Yue, appearing next to them at an incredible speed.

"Quick, let's leave here immediately, or it will be too late." Urgently urging the four to leave, Land Yun continued to tightly hold the hands of the two women as they flew away.

Seemingly sensing something, Land Yun turned back gently. He saw a faint blush on the beautiful faces of Proud Snow and Cang Yue, making them even more enchanting. Land Yun's eyes shifted, and he chuckled softly, "What's wrong, blushing so beautifully? Did you feel shy being seen by them just now? In fact, they've already noticed some things between us, but everyone just hasn't addressed it directly. The aspirations of youth, the proud soaring of the sky, the lonely sword reflecting the moon for thousands of miles; holding hands, hearts as one, roaming freely in the three realms and seven worlds."

With a faint smile, carrying a hint of pride, his eyes were particularly captivating. Gazing at Land Yun, the two women remained silent, perhaps pondering his words about holding hands and hearts as one. Two hearts as one, or three hearts as one? Perhaps—

Behind them, Purple Yang True Man and the others hurried to catch up, asking what had happened and why Land Yun seemed so anxious. With a casual release of the hands of the two women, Land Yun explained everything that had happened in the Ghost King City to the four of them. They listened with shocked expressions. Finally, Land Yun said, "From what happened this time, with our current strength, if we encounter the Ghost King, we will undoubtedly be in trouble. Previously, Proud Snow and Cang Yue fell to the hands of the Phantom Charm in the Heihe Region. Now, if we encounter someone on the level of the Ghost King, our best course of action is to retreat. With the appearance of the Bloodthirsty Yama in the Ghost Domain, the entire Ghost Domain will likely descend into chaos. At that time, our mission will become even more critical. In any case, we must find the Soul Sealing Talisman and seal the exit of the Ghost Domain, or the mortal realm will be in danger."

Slowly recovering from their shock, Purple Yang True Man said, "Land Yun is right. Our mission this time is arduous, but no matter what, we must complete it. Once these Ghost Kings and Ghost Generals enter the mortal realm, the people of the world will face unprecedented disaster."

"What should we do now? Where should we go?" Yun Feng asked anxiously, reminding everyone that they should now think of a plan.

Looking at the Black River not far away, Land Yun said in a deep voice, "We've been here for over two days. We have about thirteen days left. Considering that the experts from the Demon Domain arrived two days ahead of us, we now have less than eleven days left. During this time, we must find out the whereabouts of the Soul Purifying Pool and then figure out how to retrieve the Soul Sealing Talisman. Now that the Ghost King City in the Black River Region has the Bloodthirsty Yama, the entire Ghost Domain will likely be plunged into chaos. Our task will become even more crucial then."

Agreeing with his reasoning, the others nodded in approval.

With that, under Land Yun's leadership, the seven of them headed towards the Shadow Corpse City. It took them an hour to fly from the Black River to the Shadow Corpse City. When they stopped outside the city, they looked at the ghostly city. At a glance, they noticed that this city was different from the Ghost King City in the Black River. While the latter looked black from the outside and green from the inside, this one was enveloped in a dark green light from the outside. However, they couldn't tell if it was black inside.

Silently observing the eerie green glow surrounding the Shadow Corpse City, the seven fell into silence, considering how to enter. Yun Feng glanced at everyone and was the first to speak, "It seems that this place is similar to the Black River, but the colors are different. For safety's sake, I'll go and see if there's anything unusual about this green protective barrier."

As they watched Yun Feng walk towards the mysterious barrier, Xu Jie whispered, "Be careful. This place might be different from the Black River, so don't be careless. We don't want to have to come rescue you later." Her voice was gentle, with a hint of concern subtly revealed. Yun Feng turned to look at her, his eyes shining with joy and surprise. It seemed that he hadn't expected Xu Jie to care about him too.

Looking at Xu Jie affectionately, Yun Feng nodded slightly and said, "Thank you, I understand. You can rest assured. I'm an expert in dealing with ghosts. How could I be harmed by such a simple barrier? Hehe, I'm off." With that, he couldn't help but let out a joyful whistle, then shot up towards the barrier.

Beside them, the other five looked at Xu Jie's slightly blushing face and couldn't help but smile knowingly. No one said anything, just smiling at Xu Jie, their eyes filled with blessings. Their gaze shifted, and Purple Yang True Man's eyes

 fell on Land Yun, sighing softly as he looked at Cang Yue beside him. What hidden meaning lay behind that silent sigh? He should be happy, but why did he sigh?

With a cry of alarm, Yun Feng didn't have time to call out anything else before his body was spun to the back, and his figure disappeared from view. Everyone was startled, and Xu Jie exclaimed, her body soaring into the air in an attempt to rescue Yun Feng. However, Cang Yue swiftly pulled Xu Jie back, saying sharply, "Stay calm. If you go up like this, you'll just be caught in it as well. How will you save him then? Let's stay calm for now and trust that Yun Feng will be fine."

Looking at Xu Jie with a hint of concern on her face, she seemed somewhat awkward. Glancing at the barrier, Xu Jie said, "He won't be in danger, will he? If something happens, it'll be troublesome." Cang Yue patted her shoulder reassuringly, looking at her with comforting eyes.

Land Yun stopped Purple Yang True Man and Feng Yuanyang, asking them to wait on the side, while he went to rescue Yun Feng. Approaching the barrier, Land Yun stood still for a moment, and saw Yun Feng's struggling body spinning around, having completed a full circle and returned to the front. His expression turned slightly serious, as Land Yun's mental waves had already analyzed the speed, force, and angle of the rotation on the barrier, understanding its principles.

Concentrating his power in his right hand, Land Yun waited until Yun Feng rotated back in front of him. With three hundred and sixty swift movements of his right hand, he skillfully grabbed Yun Feng's body and pulled him out. Stepping back with Yun Feng, Land Yun returned to the others. Releasing Yun Feng, Land Yun smiled and said, "How was it? Did you enjoy the whirlpool? Just a moment ago, you were boasting about how skilled you were. Why all the shouting now?"

Glancing at Xu Jie, who was staring at him, Yun Feng's face flushed slightly, feeling embarrassed to face her. Sneaking a peek around, he saw the amused expressions of the others, causing his face to turn even redder as he quickly turned away.

Proud Snow glanced at Xu Jie, changing the subject, "Now that we've encountered this rotating barrier, how should we pass through it? Does anyone have any ideas?"

Silence fell, everyone seemingly unable to come up with a solution. Land Yun glanced at everyone and said softly, "Actually, entering is quite simple. As long as our rotation speed exceeds that of the barrier, we won't be affected by it and can easily pass through."

Looking at Land Yun, everyone's eyes showed a hint of astonishment. It seemed that every time they encountered a difficulty, he always had a solution. There was an air of mystery surrounding him, making it impossible to fully understand him. Who could guess how many secrets he still held?

Cang Yue said softly, "In that case, let's move forward, but let's not waste any time. I'll try this method first to see if it works, and then the rest of you can follow." But Land Yun stopped her.

"We've been on the move for several hours now, expending a considerable amount of our energy. For everyone's safety, let's rest here first and recover our strength. Once we're inside, we'll have more energy to deal with any unexpected situations. Let's take a break now, and we'll enter later." With a gentle smile, Land Yun looked tenderly at Cang Yue, his eyes revealing a hint of admiration.

After a glance at Land Yun, Cang Yue turned and sat beside her junior sister, starting to meditate and restore her energy. With a smile, Land Yun looked at Proud Snow and said, "Okay, let's go. Everyone, remember to maximize your rotation speed to make it easier."

With Land Yun's guidance, the seven of them smoothly passed through the protective barrier and entered the Shadow Corpse City. As they entered the city, their faces changed slightly. It wasn't as dark as they had imagined, but instead, it was filled with a gray mist, obscuring their vision. Within the mist, there were faint figures moving around, but they couldn't see them clearly.

"Be careful. It's foggy here, and we can't see our surroundings. For safety's sake, let's stick together and not separate. Let's head towards the center of the city and hope to find some useful information." As he spoke, Land Yun led the way.

Not long after, they encountered a group of ghost soldiers, and they began to fight. Watching the jumping ghost soldiers up close, Land Yun suddenly understood why this place was called the Shadow Corpse City. These ghost soldiers resembled zombies in the mortal realm, jumping up and down. They looked strange, but their defense was extremely strong, making them difficult to kill. This compensated for their lack of speed.

Leaping into the air, Land Yun stopped halfway and carefully surveyed the terrain around him. Soon, he discovered that this place was different from the Ghost King City in the Black River. The latter was visibly higher on the outside and lower on the inside, while here it was the opposite, with the outside lower and the inside higher, progressively increasing in height. Locking onto the tallest structure in the center with his mental waves, Land Yun's expression became somewhat solemn. From his mental waves, it seemed that there was something peculiar about the altar at the highest point, as if it emitted a mysterious aura that diverted his mental waves whenever he approached.

Glancing at his companions below who were fighting, Land Yun whispered, "Speed up, everyone. I can feel three powerful auras approaching, they'll be here soon. It's best if we take care of everything here before those three experts arrive."

With a light response, the six of them immediately increased their strength, and their attacks became much fiercer. In just a moment, they had eliminated the group of ghost soldiers. However, right after the six of them wiped out all the ghost soldiers, three ghostly figures suddenly appeared in the air, exuding a sinister and evil aura, positioning themselves above the group.

A chilling and eerie scream echoed, and a ghostly voice rang out, "Who are you people, and why do you dare intrude into my realm of the undead? Don't you know that this place is meant to collect souls and undead?"

Yu Feng smiled and replied, "Who we are is not important for now. We're here to clean up you and your kind. Besides, we're also looking for something."

"Arrogant and ignorant cultivators, do you know where you are? How dare you act so insolently here. Come, take them down!" With a roar, dozens of ghostly figures appeared all around, forming a large encirclement trapping the six of them.

Dismissing the threat with a cold smirk, Yu Feng said, "Just a bunch of parlor tricks. Watch how I break through your nonsense!" A silver light flashed, and the Immortal Sword of Zhanfeng emitted a dazzling brilliance, forming a silver eight trigram in front of him, flying towards the oncoming attack. Dark energy surged as a dark spirit turned into a ghostly face, spewing forth a black flame to meet Yu Feng's silver trigram. The clash produced a cacophony of thunderous sounds, signifying the intense battle between the two forces.

In the meantime, Yu Feng's companions, Ao Xiang and Cang Yue, also joined the fray, their attacks complementing each other in a display of purple and yellow brilliance.

In the midst of the battle, Luyun, observing from above, suddenly fixed his gaze on a certain direction. After a moment, he disappeared from his position and reappeared beneath a tall altar in the city. Concealing his presence, he carefully observed a figure standing atop the altar, seemingly lost in contemplation.

As Luyun surveyed the surroundings, he noticed peculiar runes carved into the walls surrounding the altar. They resembled soul-sealing incantations, but with subtle differences. As he circled the altar, his eyes fell upon a smooth, jade-like stone embedded at its peak, emitting a faint glow.

Realizing the significance of the stone, Luyun extended his hand and attempted to seize it with force, but to no avail. Instead, he employed a soul-restraining talisman to extract it, successfully obtaining the stone without resistance. As he held the stone in his hand, a refreshing sensation washed over him, weakening the malevolent aura within him.

Upon examining the stone, Luyun discovered intricate carvings depicting a battle between a bloodthirsty Yanluo and an eight-eyed monster. As he pondered the meaning behind the carvings, he suddenly realized the urgency of the situation. Employing a stealthy approach, he discreetly left the area, rejoining his comrades in battle.

Returning to the battlefield, Luyun found the skirmish nearing its end. With the help of his companions, they swiftly dispatched the remaining enemies.

After the battle, Aoxiang asked, "Did you leave for a moment to go to the city?"

Luyun was taken aback, wondering how she knew he had left. Glancing at the others, he noticed only Cang Yue looking at him calmly, while the rest were catching their breath, replenishing their energy. With a nod, Luyun replied, "Yes, I did leave for a moment to inspect the city. Surprisingly, I found Sword Wuchen there, but I didn't see the other four."

"Ah, they're here too, and so quickly. Perhaps they've deduced that the Soul-Transforming Pool is located in this Ghost King City and rushed here? Your speculation has some merit, Master," said Ziyang Zhenren.

The group fell silent, contemplating the various possibilities. Yu Feng agreed, "I think Master's words make sense. Otherwise, why would he leave the No-Soul Ghost King City and come here? It's possible that the Soul-Transforming Pool is indeed here, so we must hurry and not let Sword Wuchen get ahead."

Cang Yue and Xujie remained silent, unsure of what to say at this moment. Meanwhile, Aoyang speculated, "I think Sword Wuchen's appearance here may be coincidental. Since this place is closer to the Black River Realm than the No-Soul Realm, they may have chosen this location first when they fled from the Black River Realm. Besides, Master's speculation also has some basis. We can't determine it for sure right now."

With a calm smile, Luyun said, "There's no point in discussing this further now. Let's focus on our task and search the area around the Ghost King City to see if we can find anything. Regardless of whether any of the speculations are correct, we must find the Soul-Transforming Pool and retrieve the Soul-Sealing Talisman. Let's go, everyone, our target is the vicinity of the Ghost King City!" With a smile, Luyun led the way as they began their search for the second Ghost King City in the Ghost Domain.

Would they encounter endless danger like they did in the first city? What secrets lie hidden within this second Ghost King City, and what formidable opponents await them? For now, no one could say for sure!