Chapter 40: Failure at the Last Moment (Part 2)

In the mind's eye, the situation of everyone flashed across Lu Yun's mind. With a sudden jolt, he appeared beside Xu Jie, supporting her and Yun Feng. Casting a glance at everyone, Lu Yun's expression turned cold as he glanced at Jian Wuchen, then he averted his gaze and said, "Everyone, be careful. Stick to the original plan. Leave this Ghost King to me to deal with." With that, his body mysteriously appeared in front of the Yin Corpse Ghost King, startling it into swift evasion.

With Lu Yun engaging the Yin Corpse Ghost King, Ao Xue and Cang Yue simultaneously activated their battle armor, their twin swords flying, momentarily forcing the spirits and demons to evade. Meanwhile, with Purple Yang True Man and Wind Far Yang providing cover, Xu Jie led Yun Feng along with Bi Tian and Du Li, swiftly rushing towards the exit.

Several ghost immortals and dozens of ghost fiends attacked Ao Xue and Cang Yue while also trying to sneak attack Purple Yang True Man and Wind Far Yang whenever they got the chance. Soon, they noticed the vulnerability of the group from behind and began concentrating their main forces to break through Purple Yang True Man and Wind Far Yang's defenses.

With Ao Xue and Cang Yue occupied in the front, the group fell into a dilemma. Forced by circumstances, Ao Xue and Cang Yue had to focus on defending against the onslaught of the elite opponents, leaving them unable to pay attention to the rear. Blocked from advancing, the group found themselves trapped on the ground, surrounded by numerous ghost soldiers.

In the midst of the chaos, Liu Xinghun glanced around and saw that the attention of Blood Grim, Ghost Assassin, and Soulless Yin Luo was focused on Lu Yun. His eyes lit up with a hint of surprise. He then transmitted a message to Jian Wuchen, "Wuchen, find a way to get close to me immediately. I'm going to activate the Profound Jade Gourd to capture these ghosts. When they panic and evade, we'll rush to the exit." Jian Wuchen's heart was lifted with joy at the prospect. Glancing at Ao Xue and Cang Yue, he couldn't help but ask via transmission, "What about them, I mean Zhang Ao Xue and Cang Yue?" "At this critical moment, we must prioritize the greater good. Remember, decisive actions are required for great accomplishments. When it's necessary to let go, everything must be abandoned. Don't be hindered by emotions. Quickly come to me now. Let's take a gamble while the main forces of these experts are focused on Lu Yun." With a sigh, Jian Wuchen's eyes turned cold in an instant. The Heavenly Spirit Divine Sword in his hand suddenly burst out with triple the power, driving away Soulless. At the same time, Jian Wuchen waved his left hand, and a cyan light shot towards the Black River Ghost King. The Black River Ghost King's expression changed, and it immediately dodged. Seizing the opportunity, Jian Wuchen appeared beside Liu Xinghun with a swift movement, driving away the ominous presence with a single sword strike.

Liu Xinghun whispered, "Rush towards the exit at full speed and protect me. I'll activate the Profound Jade Gourd." With that said, he leaped into the air towards the exit. Jian Wuchen activated the Soul Sealing Talisman with his left hand and the Heavenly Spirit Divine Sword with his right hand, directing their formidable attacks towards the pursuing Black River Ghost King and Soulless. With a sinister laugh, the Black River Ghost King and Soulless suddenly vanished. But in the next moment, their figures reappeared in front of Jian Wuchen and Liu Xinghun, firmly blocking the way to the exit.

At this moment, Liu Xinghun's eyes turned dark, a hint of black aura appearing between his brows. Staring at the figures in front of him, he smirked cruelly, then shouted loudly, and a bright green light suddenly appeared in the air. As this object emerged, Liu Xinghun quickly grabbed Jian Wuchen and darted towards the exit.

Shaken, the Black River Ghost King and Soulless suddenly sensed something and looked up at the sky. With a sinister cry, a cold wind rose. A green jade gourd appeared in midair, emitting a piercing wail as it rapidly spun. Simultaneously, a terrifying suction force, capable of swallowing everything, instantly enveloped the entire area outside the exit. Amidst the horrified screams, thousands of ghost soldiers were instantly sucked into it, disappearing without a trace.

Roaring angrily, the Black River Ghost King and Soulless tried to flee from the terrifying swallowing force. Not far away in the sky, Blood Grim, Ghost Assassin, and Soulless Yin Luo were also furious, staring at the spinning and expanding jade gourd in the air. Meanwhile, the Yin Corpse Ghost King, who was fighting Lu Yun, suddenly sensed something was amiss and immediately roared, abandoning Lu Yun and pouncing towards Jian Wuchen.

On the ground, Ao Xue and the others, who had been besieged, breathed a sigh of relief when they saw many of the ghosts being sucked into the jade gourd. However, their relief was short-lived as they felt a tremendously powerful suction force pulling at their bodies. With a tremor in their hearts, Cang Yue shouted, "Everyone, be careful! Gather together and resist this terrifying suction force!" Lu Yun, seeing the Yin Corpse Ghost King leaving without pursuit, shifted his gaze to the jade gourd in the sky. Although he didn't know what it was, he could clearly feel the evil aura emanating from it. Glancing at Jian Wuchen and the others who had already entered the exit, Lu Yun snorted disdainfully, surprised that even these reputable sects would possess such sinister artifacts, revealing the unpredictable nature of human hearts.

Turning his gaze, Lu Yun saw the dire situation of everyone and descended beside them. At this moment, he seemed to sense something and suddenly looked up at the Yin Corpse Ghost King. In midair, the Yin Corpse Ghost King let out a furious roar, a black flag unfurling in the wind, meeting the jade gourd head-on. As the black flag appeared, it turned into a vast black cloud, isolating the jade gourd from below. Instantly, the jade gourd lost its effectiveness, completely blocked by the black flag.

At this moment, the body of the Black River Ghost King suddenly appeared at the entrance of the passage, trying to catch the escaping duo. However, with a scream tinged with fear, its body was suddenly flung away, its ghostly aura dissipating, severely injured. Its injuries startled the elite forces such as Soulless, Soulless Yin Luo, and Blood Grim, causing them to stop in their tracks.

The escape of Jian Wuchen infuriated the elite forces, as he took away the Soul Sealing Talisman. Initially, these experts wanted to rush in and stop him at all costs, not allowing him to take away the talisman. But the injuries sustained by the Black River Ghost King made these selfish and self-serving experts reconsider, analyzing the situation carefully and weighing the pros and cons before acting rashly.

Meanwhile, outside the passage, nearly two thousand ghost soldiers died in the counterattack of the elite forces, along with several thousand sucked into the jade gourd,

 leaving only less than four thousand remaining. Additionally, the Black River Ghost King's severe injury, along with the depletion of power from Soulless, Soulless Yin Luo, and the Yin Corpse Ghost King, left only the three major evil spirits of the Ghost Realm with formidable strength.

With a roar of anger, the Yin Corpse Ghost King turned coldly to Lu Yun and the others, venting all its rage on them. Glaring at Lu Yun, the Yin Corpse Ghost King spoke with bitter resentment, "You despicable humans! If it weren't for you attracting most of our attention, those two wouldn't have had the chance to suddenly activate that ghost thing and take away the Soul Sealing Talisman. To punish your despicableness, I will skin you alive, extract your marrow, and drink your blood." With a wave of its ghostly hand, the Yin Corpse Ghost King commanded the ghost soldiers behind it to launch the most ferocious attack against Lu Yun and the others. Simultaneously, the surrounding ghost immortals and fiends roared furiously, launching relentless assaults.

Seeing the situation around them, Lu Yun's expression grew grave as he softly said, "Everyone, be careful. Our only chance now is to charge into the exit passage, and they must not seal it off. If they seal the passage, we will have no hope. Stick close to me now. Ao Xue and Cang Yue, protect the left and right flanks. Master and Junior Brother, hold the rear. Let's charge." With that, a red light burst forth, and Lu Yun's Heart and Soul Sword, accompanied by dazzling sword energy, surged forward.

Ao Xue and Cang Yue wielded their divine swords, forming a diamond-shaped formation with Lu Yun, and they charged forward with all their might. Behind them, the others brandished their swords, moving forward together. Surrounding them, dozens of ghost immortals and fiends roared angrily, unleashing their domain of ghostly souls, accompanied by extremely sinister and evil corrosion, relentlessly attacking them. Ao Xue and Cang Yue, thanks to the restraining effect of their divine swords against ghosts, didn't feel too much pressure, but Purple Yang True Man and Wind Far Yang behind them faced immense pressure.