Chapter 8 General of the First Rank

  In the Black River, strange changes began to occur around Lu Yun. As Lu Yun displayed his "Tian Di Wu Ji" divine technique in the Black River, he fully absorbed the eerie ghost energy to increase the power of his "Hua Hun Da Fa", causing all the ghost energy in the entire Black River to crazily converge on him.

  Standing in the distance, Lu Yun's entire body was shrouded in a black mist, with countless ghostly energies attacking him frantically, surging towards him non-stop. As wave after wave of ghostly energy grew thicker, the water of the Black River slowly rose from beneath Lu Yun's feet, reaching a height of over ten zhang in just an instant. From afar, it looked like a black pillar composed of dark energy, lifting Lu Yun up and continuing to rise upwards.

  All around, with Lu Yun at the center, those dense evil spirits began to swirl like a whirlpool, and on the entire Black River, a rare and spectacular sight appeared. On the shore, everyone stared blankly at Lu Yun, unable to understand why such a strange thing was happening, it was bizarre yet shocking. However, at this moment, in their minds, they had always thought that Lu Yun would encounter such a situation, it must be the result of his full strength against those evil spirits. They did not know that the appearance of this spectacular sight was actually caused by Lu Yun alone.

  When Lu Yun was crazily attracting the ghost energy, his body's qi mechanism expanded greatly, absorbing it at the fastest speed. Afterwards, the "Tian Di Wu Ji" technique inside his body used its full power to refine and purify the ghost energy, transforming it into a true yuan that belonged solely to Lu Yun, storing it in his entire body's meridians. At the same time, his Ghost Sect's "Hua Hun Da Fa" had received a powerful supplement and was rapidly advancing. When Lu Yun felt the "Hua Hun Da Fa" enter the Great Completion realm, the situation around him suddenly began to change. Countless ghost energies gathered crazily to form a black pillar that lifted him up. The surrounding area also started to rotate like a whirlpool due to his use of the "Hua Hun Da Fa", creating the strange scene seen by Lin Yunfeng and others on the Black River.

  In the blink of an eye, a brilliant light flashed by. Lu Yun's heart rose with a hint of a smile, and he turned his head to glance at the five people on the shore, saying in a low voice: "Everyone, take advantage of this opportunity to fly over the Black River now. The atmosphere here has been controlled by me, and that attractive force has disappeared. This is the only good timing, everyone act quickly."

  Everyone nodded in unison, and the five figures flew by his side like five wisps of light wind. Lu Yun saw that the five people had already flown over the Black River, and with a raise of his hands, the entire river's water suddenly surged upwards, creating a massive wave that shot into the air. Lu Yun smiled in satisfaction, feeling a sense of joy in his heart, before disappearing from view. As soon as he left, the river water immediately fell back down, quickly returning to its original state.

  Yun Feng, Ao Xue, Cang Yue, Xu Jie and Zi Yang, after flying over the Black River, discovered a mysterious castle in the distance with a gloomy atmosphere. The first impression was that this castle was different from the mortal world, giving people an ethereal and unreal feeling. The entire castle seemed to be made up of black ghostly energy, looking hazy and mystical, extremely eerie.

  Ziyang Zhenren glanced at a few people and said, "Looking at this Guiwang City, it's really quite strange, completely different from what we imagined." Yunfeng took over the topic and said, "Indeed very strange, this is the first building we've seen since arriving in the Ghost Domain, completely unlike anything in the mortal world."

  Proud Snow gazed at the mysterious Ghost King City and said in a low voice, "Every place is different. Since this place is inhabited by ghosts, it's naturally different from our physical world. Now that we've crossed the Black River, let's all be careful and try to hide our tracks." As soon as she finished speaking, Cang Yue's tone changed slightly, "Everyone be careful, there's an unusual aura around us, it seems like we've been discovered."

  As soon as Cang Yue finished speaking, a gloomy voice came from afar: "Welcome to the Ghost Domain Black River Interval, General Hei has been waiting for your arrival for a long time." As soon as this was said, the surroundings were suddenly shrouded in black air, layers of black fog rolled in like waves, and surrounded the five people. Countless vengeful spirits and ghosts appeared before their eyes, arrayed in a strict formation. A tall, black ghostly figure floated quietly in mid-air two zhang above the ground, gazing at the five people with an unblinking stare. Those green-glowing ghostly eyes were filled with an aura of extreme malevolence, and seemed to be laughing sinisterly at the five people. A ancient war sword that shone with a dark red glow, emitting an extremely strong ghostly aura, was held quietly in General Hei's hand.

  Ziyang Zhenren whispered to everyone to be careful, looking at the ghost general and asking: "What are you, a first-class general or a second-class general? How did you know we would pass through here at this time?"

  That ghostly general sneered: "It seems you know a thing or two about what's going on here. I am one of the three top generals of Heihe River, my name is Heihe Dao Wudi, and in the Ghost Domain, they call me General Invincible. As for you, as soon as you approached Heihe River, we already knew everything about you. The yang energy from the mortal world is extremely heavy, and as soon as you entered the Ghost Domain, we sensed it. Now, let's wait for your last companion to arrive, and then I'll take care of all of you together, making you stay here forever."

  Lu Yun rushed over, sneering: "You're still a bit short." As soon as the words fell, Lu Yun appeared beside Jian Wuji. The sword intent burst out in an instant, enveloping Jian Wuji in his own attack. In the midst of the attack, Lu Yun's divine sword flipped ninety-nine times, forming a layer of impenetrable air that compressed and advanced step by step.

  Dagger Invincible sneered, his long dagger flashing out at incredible speed to meet Lu Yun's attack. The sound of clashing weapons echoed through the air as countless black energy and dazzling red lights burst forth in all directions, like a whirlwind of petals dancing and fluttering about. The powerful force of each impact sent Lu Yun flying back several feet, his entire body shifted to the left side. Meanwhile, Dagger Invincible stood still on the spot, his sinister smile unwavering.

  Lu Yun flashed to the side of Zi Yang Zhen Ren and said in a low voice, "Today's action has failed, everyone should not rush in anymore. At present, the only thing we need to do is to break through and escape from the attack of these ghost soldiers. Now Ao Xue and Cang Yue are holding back that one-product general, Yun Feng is responsible for cutting off the rear, Shifu and Xu Jie follow closely behind me, and we will rush out."

  Yun Feng said: "Lu Yun, this method of yours isn't very good. We went through great difficulties to cross the Black River and enter here, now we're just going to leave like this? Isn't that a waste? I think it's better if we venture deeper inside, maybe we can still find that Soul Pool and take out the Soul Seal. As long as we have the Soul Seal in hand, these ghostly creatures won't dare approach us."

  Lu Yun glared at him and shouted, "Don't be delusional, stop daydreaming! Have you forgotten what happened in the Ghost Soul Forest? Just one ghost fairy almost got our entire Easy Garden mobilized to subdue it. I'm telling you now, that ghost fairy wasn't actually eliminated back then. Its strength was so great that even the divine sword Purple Shadow couldn't kill it, understand? Now we're charging in, do you know if there are any ghost fairies inside? If three or four appear, we won't be able to leave alive! Quickly follow my orders and charge out with all your might!" As soon as he finished speaking, the light of his Like Intent Heart Soul Sword surged greatly, its extremely yang sword energy carrying a several-zhang-long sword tip, wildly sweeping forward.

  On this side, Ao Xue and Cang Yue exchanged a glance, and the two divine swords attacked simultaneously. Only to see Ao Xue's entire body radiating a magnificent dark blue light, unleashing Yi Yuan's "Feng Wu Jiu Tian" (Phoenix Dance of the Nine Heavens). Her whole person was like a butterfly in the wind, lightly rising up. Behind her, a cyan-colored phoenix suddenly appeared, letting out a clear and melodious cry to the heavens. That crisp and pleasant sound was like the divine music of the nine heavens, carrying layers of strange and wondrous sounds that shook the surrounding ghostly creatures into a frenzy of shrill howls. Immediately after, Zhang Ao Xue's two hands spread wide, like a phoenix spreading its wings, rising up into the air. From her mouth came a long, drawn-out whistle, similar to the nine heavens' phoenix cry, resonating throughout the cloudy skies. The cyan-colored phoenix behind her was now transforming along with her surging aura, gradually changing into a several-zhang-long (1 zhang = 3.33 meters) colorful phoenix that rose up in flight as Zhang Ao Xue leapt upwards. On top of her head, the treasured sword spun around rapidly, and the purple light emitted by it grew faster and faster, instantly releasing a vast expanse of purple light that covered the sky. That powerful purple sword energy looked like a purple pillar of light from afar, seemingly wanting to pierce through the universe.

  On the side, Cang Yue's entire body shone with a golden light, a powerful aura, like rolling thunder, rose to cover the sky. With a light cry, Cang Yue's hands performed the magic and sword techniques of the Phoenix Academy's most mysterious "Phoenix Nirvana" technique, instantly revealing her unique characteristics. Only then did Cang Yue's body glow revolve, with a dazzling fire phoenix behind her, as if born from the flames, crying out to the sky. The wings danced, countless flames fluttered in the dark air, like red lotus flowers, exceptionally beautiful. The divine sword Whirling Moon spun towards the sky, a moon-colored light shot up, forming a striking contrast with Ao Xue's purple light.

  In the distance, the dark surroundings also became extremely bright due to the radiance of these two divine swords. Two columns of light shot up into the sky, and two phoenixes spread their wings, forming a tight seal around the Invincible Sword outside the Ghost Domain. The two voices whispered in unison as Ao Xue and Cang Yue launched their attacks simultaneously, their movements seemingly connected by an invisible thread. The two columns of light, one on the left and one on the right, struck at the General from both sides.

  Only the green eyes of Jian Wu Di flashed with a hint of astonishment, as if he too had sensed the aura of the two divine swords. As the two beams of light attacked, Jian Wu Di's entire body instantly transformed into a black energy sphere, surrounded by flashing green lights, rapidly dodging and colliding within the encirclement. However, Ao Xue and Cang Yue, due to their greatly increased cultivation, coupled with their all-out effort, were not so easily avoidable, were they?

  Only two beams of light, one yellow and one purple, merged when they collided, instantly transforming into a dazzling purple-yellow halo under the control of the two women, completely sealing Knife Unbeatable in that special space. Proud Snow glanced at Cang Yue, softly saying: "Cang Yue, let's use our full strength together, see if we can eliminate this ghost general. Activate."

  As soon as the words fell, the two women's bodies burst with radiant light, and the two clusters of dazzling light in the dark ghost domain were particularly eye-catching. The purple-yellow light shield shrank instantly. Inside, it was filled with a sacred aura, which was the destructive power for the ghosts. In the light shield, Knife Unbeatable's body was flashing with black light from time to time, sometimes strongly colliding with the surrounding seal, and sometimes weakly dodging, his entire body was trapped in between, unable to exert his true abilities.

  At the same time, Yun Feng unfolded the "Demon-Slaying Sword Technique" of Yi Garden, closely following Lu Yun to kill the enemy and retreat. Zi Yang Zhen Ren and Xu Jie protected Lu Yun's left and right wings, followed behind Lu Yun, and charged forward. Lu Yun was in front, seeing Ao Xue and Cang Yue had already trapped that first-class general, a hint of comfort appeared in his eyes. His gaze swept across the front, a dense black mass of ghostly soldiers, extremely terrifying, those fierce roars, wails, were simply indescribable.

  Lu Yun's eyes turned cold, and the divine sword in his hand suddenly emitted a heaven-shaking long whistle. A red light flashed by, and the entire hundred-meter radius was enveloped in a bloody glow. At this moment, Lu Yun once again displayed the Earthly Fire True Essence from the Black Domain Secret Realm. The powerful true essence of the fiery blaze, accompanied by scorching heat that burned everything, frantically refined those ghost soldiers and ghost generals. All around, the mournful wails of the dead souls and the heart-wrenching howls of the ghosts filled the entire Black River bank, filling it with an eerie and mysterious atmosphere, completely like a scene from the Rosary Hell.

  The earth's core was filled with intense flames, accompanied by scorching temperatures that could burn the sky and boil the earth. In just a moment, at least a thousand ghost soldiers were killed, causing the entire ghost domain army to suffer heavy losses. As a result, the resistance against Lu Yun and his companions suddenly decreased, and their forward momentum accelerated significantly. In just a moment, Lu Yun led the three people behind him to the bank of the Black River, where they caught sight of Ao Xue and Cang Yue in the distance. Lu Yun said in a low voice, "Masters, you three go first, I'll hold back the aura in the Black River. Hurry up." As soon as he finished speaking, his hands emitted two extremely weak black air currents that shot into the Black River.

  Ziyang Zhenren understood that time was pressing, so he only said a word of caution and took Yunfeng and Xujie across the Black River. Because Lu Yun was secretly using the Huanyuan Dafa, Ziyang and the other two people successfully crossed the mysterious aura and returned to the shore.

  Turning back, Lu Yun's divine sword flew out, and the Intention Heart Soul Sword automatically rotated around him, continuously attacking the surging ghost soldiers. He arrived at Ao Xue and Cang Yue's side, looking at the purple-yellow light shield that was getting smaller and smaller, where Jian Wu Di was emitting a terrifying roar, Lu Yun's heart flashed with a hint of excitement. His gaze swept across the distance, and Lu Yun suddenly furrowed his brow, saying in a low voice: "Not good, another expert from the Ghost Domain is coming, let's hurry up."

  "Then what about this ghost thing, it's a pity to let it go like this. If we just had a little more time, we could have eliminated it." Cang Yue said: "Why don't you block the incoming expert first, and after we eliminate this general, we can leave together?"

  Lu Yun glanced at the two women and said softly, "No need, I'll take care of this thing." As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Yun's left palm slapped the light shield, a silver light flashed by, followed by an extremely mournful cry that disappeared instantly. When they looked again, the knife without enemy had completely vanished into thin air.

  Staring at Lu Yun in surprise, both women's eyes flashed with a hint of doubt and shock. Ao Xue said: "Lu Yun, you just used one palm to eliminate that extremely difficult-to-kill first-class general. How come we never knew about this before?" Cang Yue spoke softly: "Perhaps there are many secrets on your body that have not been told to others."

  Lu Yun looked at the two women, feeling a pang of guilt for deceiving them, but he couldn't bring himself to reveal his true intentions. He could only sigh and say, "What I've learned in this life can't be acquired in just two years." With that, Lu Yun grasped the jade-like hands of the two women and sped off towards the Black River.

  Aoyue and Cangyue exchanged a glance, both sensing the hidden meaning behind Luyun's words. As she looked at her hand being held by Luyun, Cangyue couldn't help but glance at Aoyue, her eyes conveying a hint of implication. Aoyue met her gaze, nodding slightly, and in that moment, she understood what Cangyue's eyes were saying. In fact, she herself had similar feelings - was Luyun holding both their hands not a sign that the three of them would be closely tied together for this lifetime? Upon closer thought, this wasn't the first time Luyun had held both girls' hands at the same time.

  Cang Yue glanced at Ao Xue, who suddenly asked a question: "In this life, has any other man held your hand?" Cang Yue's expression changed slightly as she looked at Lu Yun's figure and replied calmly: "In my memory, he is the only one. And you, should be the same, right?"

  "Will we have the same ending? Are our lives destined to be connected forever, or will we each have different encounters and endings?"

  Cang Yue looked at Ao Xue and said softly, "A cultivator doesn't need to think too much. If the heart is preoccupied, cultivation will be delayed indefinitely. Since we've met, let's just follow our hearts. For me, cultivating isn't about seeking immortality, but rather protecting myself. When I feel like I can give up one day, I probably will."

  Lu Yun held the hands of the two women, listening to their every word, but unfortunately he couldn't say a single sentence. Because at this moment, he was unable to speak. Some things had to be experienced, and facing the two women was something Lu Yun could not avoid. However, at this moment, saying those words would only make Lu Yun feel embarrassed.

  Flying to the center of the Black River, Lu Yun's entire body's Qi mechanism sank down, a wisp of ghostly energy shot out from his feet, instantly disrupting the Black River's atmosphere, allowing him and the two women to smoothly pass through the heart of the Black River. Just as Lu Yun was pulling the two women through the Black River, a furious roar echoed out, and a black figure appeared on the banks of the Black River, with green eyes filled with anger staring at Lu Yun and the other two.

  Just after crossing the Black River, Lu Yun's heart was slightly reluctant to let go of the two women. He turned around and beckoned with his hand, and the Like-Intent Heart-Soul Sword fell beside Zi Yang True Person. After the two women stood firm, Zi Yang True Person looked at Lu Yun and said: "Now our whereabouts have been known by the ghostly creatures of the Ghost Domain, so how can we enter the Ghost King City again? What should we do now? To be honest, none of us have experience this time coming here. I've decided to hand over all command to Lu Yun from now on. Everything will be decided by you, and we'll follow your arrangements. You say what we should do now, and that's what we'll do."

  Yun Feng said, "That's right, Lu Yun is the most talented one among us. Let him take command, it will be better than our current situation. Now give your orders, we'll all listen to you." He looked at Ao Xue and Cang Yue, who nodded slightly, but didn't say anything, just gazing calmly at Lu Yun, waiting for his instructions.

  After glancing at everyone, Lu Yun thought for a moment and said: "Yun Feng, can you now find out the whereabouts of another group of people? I want to know about their situation and see if they have had the same experience as us."

  Yun Feng was taken aback by the words, looked around and said in a low voice: "Then wait for me to check it out, I'll check it out right away, you wait." After finishing speaking, Yun Feng sat cross-legged, his whole body sank into a state of meditation. In just a moment, Yun Feng's entire body was shining with glory, the yin and yang energies circulating endlessly on his body, flashing with mysterious aura.

  Lu Yun looked around and said in a low voice, "My plan now is to find some ghostly creatures in the Ghost Domain to ask about the situation here. Although we haven't been here for long, our lack of understanding of this place makes us feel restricted and everything is more troublesome than it should be. I think that the Ghost Domain is not much different from the Mortal Realm. The Mortal Realm is where humans live, and this is where ghostly creatures live. Although we didn't see any ghostly buildings on our way here, the existence of the Ghost King's City suggests that there must be some ordinary ghostly spirits living here too. They might not all be bad, just like ordinary people in the Mortal Realm. I plan to go find some of these ghostly spirits and ask them about the true state of the Ghost Domain."

  Zi Yang Zhen Ren said, "Your analysis may also have some reason. At present, we are actually a kind of invader, causing destruction to their lives. Just like ghosts entering the human world, at that time they were also invaders and would be resisted. You asked Yun Feng about another group's situation earlier, are you planning to go see them now?"

  Lu Yun glanced at everyone and said in a low voice, "There's no such plan for the time being. I just want to know if they are before us or after us, that's all. We'll wait for Yun Feng to wake up and then start searching for those ordinary ghosts. Now everyone can take this opportunity to rest and recover their lost strength as soon as possible." The crowd remained silent, lowering their heads to quietly restore their vitality.

  When Yun Feng woke up, he looked at Lu Yun and said with a slightly changed expression: "It's very strange. I've been searching for a long time, but the result is that their breath is extremely weak, as if they are hiding. The direction is in front of us, and the distance from here should be more than 500 miles away. There seems to be an ocean there, and what my consciousness has detected is a vast expanse of black waves. Their breath is hidden within those giant waves, sometimes visible and sometimes invisible, making it impossible to distinguish."

  Everyone looked at each other, their faces slightly shocked, but they didn't know what to say. Their eyes shifted slightly, and Lu Yun said: "Since we don't have any news from them for the time being, let's take care of ourselves first. Now, do as I say and go find the ghostly spirits, understand the basic situation of this ghost domain. Let's go." After finishing speaking, he cast a spell to lift his body and move forward.