Volume 2 Chapter 3: Ghost Domain Legion

  The sharp, powerful sword edge, under high-speed rotation, produced an extremely overbearing destructive force. The sword edge composed of hundreds of sword shadows above Lu Yun, in a top-like manner, brought the sacred aura of the Xuantian Divine Sword, flashing with crimson light, and suddenly collided with the countless ghost soldiers rushing forward. A loud crash, accompanied by the mournful cries of countless fierce ghosts, seemed particularly terrifying. All around, amidst the numerous drifting black smoke, various black lights flashed, but disappeared in just an instant.

  The spinning sword tip disappeared in the rolling black air, and the countless ghost soldiers who rushed up were also turned into dust smoke by Lu Yun's powerful blow. On both sides, the two divine swords, Ao Xue and Cang Yue, flashed dazzling light, with several meters long sword tips, sweeping everything, instantly killing countless ghost soldiers. The only one who seemed to be a bit struggling was Zi Yang Zhen Ren, but he also relied on his strong cultivation to repel the ghost soldiers who were getting close.

  The ghost let out a cold laugh, and suddenly recalled the attacking ghost soldiers. With a slightly chilly gaze, he looked at everyone. His eyes swept over the divine swords in Pei Yue's and Cangyue's hands, and he smiled gloomily: "I didn't expect that you were from the Human Realm, and that the legendary Shadow Moon Twin Swords of the Three Great Divine Swords had actually appeared. What a surprise! Unfortunately, this is the Ghost Domain, not a place for cultivators like you to run amok. Now, let me see if you cultivators from the Human Realm can survive under my great army's attack. Form the array, Ghost Feather Piercing Heart Style!"

  As soon as the words fell, all the ghost soldiers around him instantly divided into four groups and gathered together in a square shape. The front row of ghost soldiers stood upright with their long guns, six people in a row, overlapping five layers, with the number decreasing layer by layer, and only one ghost soldier standing on top. Twenty-one ghost soldiers formed a triangular cone array, with their long guns simultaneously stretching forward, aiming at Lu Yun and the other three people. Behind them, countless ghost soldiers stood up in unison, and suddenly four triangular cone arrays appeared before Lu Yun and the others, like four black dragons.

  The ghost general's green eyes gleamed with a sinister gaze, and he let out a stern cry: "Attack!" The eerie, cold voice was like the biting north wind of winter, striking at everyone's hearts. Just as the ghost general gave the order to attack, the four groups of ghost soldiers suddenly rotated as a whole, transforming their triangular spear formation into a circular one. Due to the speed, the spear formation formed by the four groups of ghost soldiers instantly transformed into four black giant dragons, bringing with them earth-shaking roars, and began to launch an attack on Lu Yun and the other three people.

  His face changed slightly, and Lu Yun shouted loudly: "Everyone be careful, this attacking formation is very fierce!" After finishing speaking, the Yixin Heart Soul Sword flipped and turned like flying, with a tearing scream, accompanied by a piercing red light, a strong and powerful Lihuo True Yuan, bursting out tenfold in an instant, transforming into a fire dragon, crazily charging towards the black dragon that came to attack. The other three parties, the Ao Xue Divine Sword transformed into a purple dragon, while Cang Yue's divine sword transformed into a fire phoenix, with one dragon and one phoenix forming a left and right wing attacking formation, welcoming the battle against the ghost soldier's black dragon. In the rear, Ziyang True Person's whole body flashed with red light, layers of Lihuo True Yuan rolling non-stop, with a ten-zhang-long dazzling sword pillar in his hand, fiercely colliding with the ghost soldier together.

  A deafening roar, the powerful impact transformed into countless strong gusts of wind, wildly sweeping across the land. All around, the light and darkness flickered incessantly, as the two sides' powerful attacks gradually dissipated amidst the thunderous sound. Lu Yun, Cang Yue, and Ao Xue's bodies shook slightly before stabilizing their figures, while Zi Yang Zhen Ren was forced to retreat two steps due to the disadvantage of his weapon, struggling to steady himself amidst the intense attack.

  Across from them, the four groups of ghost soldiers also suffered heavy losses under the strong counterattack of Lu Yun and his companions, with at least one-fifth of their forces being annihilated. The ghost general's green eyes flashed with anger as he took a step forward, bellowing: "Change formation, Ghost Shift! Attack!" As soon as he finished speaking, all the ghost soldiers around them let out a fierce cry, and countless black shadows instantly surrounded Lu Yun and his companions, rotating around them. From a distance, it looked like a swirling black vortex that had enveloped Lu Yun and his companions. As the rotation speed increased, the entire area within a hundred feet was filled with rolling black fog, gradually shrouding the few people in a gloomy ghostly aura.

  Ziyang Zhenren looked at the rolling black air, his heart heavy. He glanced at Lu Yun and the others, and said in a deep voice: "Everyone be careful, this ghost army leader is not simple, it's clear that he was once a seasoned veteran of the battlefield, and his use of array techniques is surprisingly skilled. For such an enemy, our usual method of solo combat in the cultivation world would be very difficult to deal with. Everyone must remember to work closely together, otherwise it will be hard to withstand their attacks."

  In the swirling black air, countless ghostly hands and claws flashed before Lu Yun's eyes like a dream, making it difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion. The dark light flickered in and out of sight, always attacking fiercely at the moment when Lu Yun and his companions relaxed their vigilance. Countless fierce ghosts let out heart-piercing, blood-curdling screams, accompanied by those ghostly hands and shadows, making the entire encirclement seem eerily terrifying to the extreme. It was indeed a place that lived up to its name as the Ghost Domain.

  A burst of dazzling light exploded from Lu Yun's eyes, his Soul Sword spinning rapidly in front of his chest. His true yuan was increasing exponentially, surging upward wildly. A crimson glow spread out around Lu Yun, his powerful fire true yuan burning like a raging flame, forming a blood-red lotus on his body that shone with dazzling light.

  With a loud explosion, Lu Yun's entire body suddenly burst out with energy, and the rotating Flying Heart Soul Sword instantly shot out a column of crimson light that was over six feet in diameter. The powerful flame true yuan, mixed with the power of the strongest yang, strongest hardness, and strongest dominance, instantly struck the swirling black fog. In an instant, the red and black lights clashed violently, and the intense impact exploded into a terrifying destructive force in the blink of an eye. The rolling black fog was blasted apart by the crimson light column, and countless black gases, accompanied by terrified wails and screams, dissipated into wisps of dark wind that scattered away in an instant.

  On both sides, Ao Xue and Cang Yue's bodies shone with a brilliant light, their divine swords radiating a sacred aura. Under the full force of their urging, they unleashed a powerful attack. Coordinated with Lu Yun's strong strike, in an instant, the entire formation laid out by the ghostly soldiers was destroyed. Behind them, Zi Yang Zhen Ren exerted his utmost strength to display the Yi Tian Fa Jue of the Yi Garden, coordinating with the Lie Huo Tian Gai Jian Jue, also releasing a mighty divine power, killing those ghostly soldiers until they wailed and howled.

  The ghost general's expression was cold and stern, not caring about the dead ghost soldiers at all. After a glance around the rolling and scattered black air, the ghost general let out a cold shout, and with a single thrust of his long spear, he instantly fired 108 shots in mid-air. Just as these 108 shots flashed by, the surrounding ghostly energy suddenly gathered into 108 clusters of ghost fire, floating in mid-air, flickering with eerie green flames.

  The demon general sneered and said, "Indeed, you have some skills. I'll come to test your abilities and see if you can roam freely in my Ghost Domain." After finishing speaking, his black figure lightly landed on one of the ghost fires, preparing to launch an attack.

  Lu Yun looked at the ghost general and said in a low voice, "Who are you, anyway? Since you call yourself a general, you should have a certain status in the Ghost Domain. I don't know how many generals like you there are in the Ghost Domain, or if they can be easily caught by the handful."

  The Ghost General said in a cold voice, "You think you can trick me? Unfortunately, it's not hidden enough. But I'll tell you anyway, but that depends on whether you have the ability to listen. Now, prepare to die! Since you've come to my ghost domain, I'll fulfill your wish and make you real ghosts! Ghost turns infinitely, soul leaves body!" After speaking, the 108 teams of ghost fire around them flew rapidly in a cross-shaped rotation, with a very strange and peculiar trajectory. The Ghost General's figure appeared and disappeared at times, his black long spear launching powerful attacks against Lu Yun and the other four without warning.

  A dark light flashed, and a strong air current suddenly appeared in front of Ziyang True Person. Looking at the black gun shadow that suddenly appeared, Ziyang True Person shouted loudly, holding his sword with all his might to attack. The red and black lights met in mid-air for an instant, only to hear a muffled sound, followed by Ziyang True Person's body shaking back three steps, his face turning pale. And the Ghost General also exclaimed, hiding his figure in the swirling ghost fire.

  Lu Yun was on high alert, thinking of a way to repel the ghostly soldiers and extract information about the Ghost King's City from them. He glanced at the other three and found that they were still safe for the time being, but if this dragged on, they would eventually fall into the hands of the ghost army. Turning back, Lu Yun said to the three, "Everyone be careful, the swirling airflow is getting thicker with ghostly energy, it's already starting to erode our protective true energy, we can't hold out for much longer. Now I plan to force a breakthrough, you just need to protect Yun Feng from being affected. Be prepared, everyone, I'm starting now."

  A burst of red light, a dazzling radiance, mixed with an aura of wild ferocity, suddenly erupted from Lu Yun's body. His eyes flashed with a strange, cyan-red glow, his entire being shimmering with a brilliant light that seemed to reverberate with an intense energy, like a raging wave crashing against the sky, dispersing in all directions. The Ruyi Heart Soul Sword above him flickered with dazzling red light, interspersed with faint, five-colored radiance, flying towards Lu Yun's head, automatically revolving around it. Lu Yun's eyes gleamed like lightning, his mental waves silently emitting seven different signals, analyzing the mysteries of this ghostly formation from various angles.

  Suddenly, Lu Yun's eyes flashed with a hint of coldness, and the Heart Soul Sword on his head burst into brilliant light. A crimson sword pillar shot up into the sky, accompanied by dozens of meters of radiance, fiercely slashing downwards. From afar, it seemed like a beam of light sweeping down, instantly flashing amidst the swirling black air currents around him. The powerful radiance against the dark backdrop made it even more dazzlingly bright. In an instant, the sword struck with incredible speed, precisely landing on the Ghost General's head as he flew by at high speed. Everything was so accurate and flawless, without a single mistake.

  The green-eyed general's gaze flashed with shock, his long spear thrust upwards, a black light enveloping Lu Yun's sword. In the flash of light, the powerful ghostly energy and fierce fire true yuan exploded in a deafening crash. Immediately, strange lights and colors scattered everywhere, filling the sky with dark shadows and red light like colorful clouds, emitting a beautiful scene. Around them, the ghostly energy weakened suddenly, while the red light broke through the black ghostly energy's encirclement, illuminating everything in a brilliant white glow.

  The black general's body flashed with a dark aura, and he was knocked back three zhang. His breath weakened significantly in an instant. Lu Yun's body also retreated three steps, his eyes revealing a shocked expression. After glancing at the remaining eighty-seven ghost fires, Lu Yun's body swayed, and in an instant, nine Lu Yuns appeared simultaneously around him. Nine Lu Yuns drew their swords at the same time, unleashing nine dazzling red lights that contained the aura of the divine sword, striking those eighty-seven ghost fires.

  The sky was filled with a dazzling red glow, sword energy crisscrossing in all directions, and waves of dark wind howling. Everything seemed mysterious and profound. As the sword shadows rose and fell, the green ghost fires disappeared one after another, turning into waves of black smoke that vanished around Lu Yun and the others. In mid-air, nine Lu Yuns suddenly converged into one, instantly becoming a single Lu Yun. All this was so mystical and astonishing that it left people shocked.

  However, just as Lu Yun was about to merge with the ghost general, the latter appeared a zhang away from him, his black long spear striking with full force. A streak of black light shot towards Lu Yun's chest. Lu Yun's eyes turned cold, and a mysterious smile hung on the corner of his mouth. In that instant when the spear struck, he transformed into nothingness, disappearing into thin air.

  The Ghost General's face changed, and he quickly turned around to draw his gun, defending with all his might. A cold laugh came, and Lu Yun's sword fiercely chopped down on the Ghost General's long gun. The gun and sword clashed, and the powerful force shook both sides simultaneously, but neither of them retreated, choosing instead to engage in a fierce battle. Lu Yun's divine sword flashed with five-colored light, and a breath that restrained evil spirits suddenly pressed the Ghost General's long gun down three inches, slowly forcing it downwards. Around them, since Lu Yun had pinned down the Ghost General, Ao Xue, Cang Yue, and Zi Yang True Person launched a full-scale attack, sweeping away those ghostly soldiers who had escaped. The cold wind howled, carrying the ghostly soldiers' fierce cries and wails, as they fluttered in the desolate wilderness.

  Gazing coldly at the ghost general, Lu Yun held his sword in his right hand, increasing the pressure while speaking: "Tell me, what is your identity and what position do you hold in the Ghost Domain? Also, where is the Ghost King City located, and which direction should I head from here?"

  The ghost general's green eyes flickered with a panicked expression, looking at Lu Yun's sword, feeling extremely uneasy in his heart. His whole body was flashing with black light, and the ghost general resisted Lu Yun's attack with all his might, shouting: "What is this sword in your hand? Why does it contain the essence of fire dragon and Xuan Tian? This is impossible!"

  Lu Yun's expression was cold and stern, and he said severely: "I don't have time to talk to you now. Either answer my questions or your soul will scatter. Think carefully." After finishing speaking, his right hand added three more points of power, causing the Ghost General's entire body to violently fluctuate with black light, looking extremely unstable.

  With a loud roar, the Ghost General exerted his full strength and in an instant, his entire body transformed into a wisp of black smoke, disappearing into thin air. Lu Yun's eyes turned cold as his Intent Heart Soul Sword automatically flew to the top of his head, completely protecting him at its center. With a thought, all hidden auras around him appeared in Lu Yun's mind. He discovered that the Ghost General was currently six feet to his left, drawing strange hand gestures with both hands, seemingly casting some sort of dark and sinister ghost domain secret technique.

  Lu Yun sneered coldly in his heart, and with a flicker of his mind, the Mind Wave vibrated at an incredible frequency of 98,000 times per second, launching a silent and stealthy attack on the ghost general. Time seemed too short at this moment. In less than the blink of an eye, the ghost general's hidden body appeared before Lu Yun and the others. The ghost general's entire body was shrouded in black airflow that shot out in all directions, his dark and handsome face twisted beyond recognition, and his mournful wails were heart-wrenching.

  The three of them had almost annihilated all the remaining ghost soldiers and shifted their attention to Lu Yun. Looking at the miserable state of the ghost general, they were all puzzled in their hearts. They didn't understand why Lu Yun was standing there without any signs of attacking, yet the ghost general ended up like that. They looked at Lu Yun with curiosity, but none of them asked anything because they all knew his personality - if he wanted to say something, he would naturally speak up; otherwise, even if you asked him, he wouldn't say a word.

  Everyone's eyes swept across the room, and Lu Yun gazed at Yun Feng, who was still meditating. "What do you think we should do to get the information we want from this ghost general?" he asked. "Although I've locked its soul with my spiritual power, making it impossible for it to escape, if I relax even a little, it might be able to flee. If Yun Feng wakes up now, everything will be much easier. His yin-yang spell should be able to easily trap this thing, and he'll also find it easier to eliminate it. This ghost general's cultivation is extremely high, truly frightening. Luckily, my divine sword was just enough to subdue it; otherwise, we would have had a hard time fighting it head-on." Lu Yun spoke calmly, hiding many things. He knew that some matters, although they couldn't be hidden from everyone forever, shouldn't be revealed too early.

  Aoyue glanced at Luyun and said softly, "If I use my Purple Shadow Divine Sword to cover it and force it to answer our questions, do you think it will work?" Luyun heard this and smiled slightly in his heart, but on the surface, he thought for a moment before saying, "This should be feasible. Remember that ghost fairy was also very afraid of your divine sword back then. I believe this General Whatever will be the same. Now, go ahead and use your divine sword to cover it, and I'll release it."

  With a faint smile, her eyes fixed on Lu Yun, revealing a hint of intoxicating charm. A soft cry, and the purple light burst forth, the Purple Shadow Sword suddenly appearing above the Ghost General's head, spinning automatically. A purple column of light appeared in the spin, instantly trapping the Ghost General at its center. Suddenly, the Ghost General let out a terrified scream, his body shrinking into a ball as he wildly flailed about.

  Lu Yun withdrew his mental energy and said in a low voice, "Now we can ask it some questions. Remember to ease up on the pressure a bit and give it some time to breathe, or else it won't have time to answer our questions." After finishing speaking, he swept his gaze over Cang Yue, Zi Yang, as well as Xu Jie and Yun Feng on the other side, before finally returning to Ao Snow.

  Lu Yun glanced at him, and Ao Xue seemed to understand his meaning. He opened his mouth and asked the ghost general: "Now you still have to answer our previous question yourself. If not, when I increase my strength later, you'll probably be unable to speak even if you want to. Speak quickly, we don't have time to drag this out with you."

  The Ghost General felt a significant reduction in pressure all over his body, and he looked up at the divine sword Purple Shadow above him, revealing an unusual glint in his eyes. His gaze shifted to Ao Xue, and the Ghost General spoke: "This time you've won, but next time, you'll still be buried within the Ghost Domain. Because no living creature has ever left the Ghost Domain alive, no one can. As for my identity, I am the Second-Rank Great General of the Third Army Corps of the Ghost Domain, commanding two thousand ghost soldiers. And the Ghost King City you asked about is located on the banks of the Black River in the Ghost Domain, due south from here."

  Everyone heard this and couldn't help but exchange a glance, with a hint of surprise in their eyes. Lu Yun carefully analyzed his words, vaguely sensing something was off. Looking at the ghost general, Lu Yun said coldly: "Ao Xue, increase the pressure, I don't think what he's saying is true, I want to ask again."

  Aoshu slightly nodded, her heart moved, and the purple shadow of the divine sword suddenly flashed with a strong light. This time, the ghost general immediately let out a mournful cry, and the black light all over his body disappeared one after another, gradually revealing its true form.

  Lu Yun asked coldly, "Now I'll ask you, you said you're a second-grade general of the Third Legion. Then above you, is there a first-grade great general? If so, how many are there? In the Third Legion, how many second-grade generals like you are there? Also, since there's a Third Legion, then naturally there must be First and Second Legions. How many major legions are there in the entire Ghost Domain, and what is the distribution of their strength?"

  The demon general's entire body was crazily crashing everywhere, looking extremely painful, and couldn't even bother to answer Lu Yun's question. Ao Xue gently withdrew her two hands, opened her mouth and said: "Still not leaving quickly, if you don't speak now there won't be another chance."

  The General's entire body was weak, and he said in a low voice: "In the Ghost Domain, there are only three major legions. The highest commander of the legion is called the Ghost Marshal, with three first-class generals and nine second-class generals under him. The main forces are distributed along the Black River, Yin Corpse River, and Wu Hun River. These three rivers form a triangle, each flowing into the Ghost Sea. And the Ghost King City is on the banks of the Black River, flying south for about three hours can arrive. Alright, I've answered you, give me a break."

  Aoyue looked at Luyun and Cangyue, asking: "Do you think its words are credible? Should we add more weight to it and ask again?" Cangyue slightly shook her head, saying: "To be honest, no matter what it says, we can't be certain whether it's true or false because we're completely unfamiliar with this place. If we ask three times and it gives us three different results, how will we know which one is real, or if all three are fake?"

  Lu Yun looked at Zi Yang Zhen Ren and asked, "Master, what's your opinion? If you have none, let Ao Xue take action and use the divine sword to refine its soul."

  Ziyang Zhenren thought for a moment, just about to speak, when the ghost general who had been suppressed suddenly burst out with full force. The black light and the purple light emitted by the Purple Shadow Sword exploded violently. The powerful recoil made Ao Xue tremble slightly, and the sword shook lightly. However, in an instant, the ghost general had turned into a wisp of black smoke and broke through the encirclement of the purple light.

  Arrogant Snow's face changed slightly, and she let out a delicate cry. Her slender body rose into the air without any wind, and a purple light flashed down in an instant. The Ghost General's entire body began to undergo a strange transformation. His handsome face grew sharp fangs, and his green eyes turned dark red. His body was shrouded in rolling black mist, with countless vengeful spirits appearing and disappearing. The scene was extremely terrifying. A black light flashed, and the eight-foot-long spear appeared in his hand out of thin air. With a sinister laugh, the Ghost General said, "Now you will no longer have the chance to capture me. Haha, now let me show you my true power! Evil Spirit Transformation!"

  As soon as the words fell, hundreds and thousands of fierce ghostly figures appeared around him. Each ghost had a pale face with sharp teeth, and their dark red eyes shot out extremely terrifying dark red glows. Countless gun shadows, accompanied by countless dark red glows, combined with the eerie and ominous atmosphere all around, making everything seem especially frightening.

  Lu Yun and the other three immediately split up, forming a square shape to protect Xu Jie and Yun Feng in the middle. As they watched the crazily attacking gun shadows and dark red glows, Lu Yun, Ao Xue, Cang Yue, and Zi Yang all defended with all their might, their four swords dancing densely without any gaps, temporarily holding off the Ghost General's attack. Due to the Ghost General's extremely fast speed and greatly increased strength after its transformation, Lu Yun and the other three were at a loss for what to do with it for the time being.

  "Now it's like this, very unfavorable to us. If just one second-rate general can take care of us, then we don't need to go to Ghost King City at all. Now you three guard the middle two people, and I'll deal with this ghost thing. This time, I won't give it another chance to escape." After finishing speaking, Cang Yue's entire body burst out with a strong golden light, just like a blazing sun rising in the dark clouds.

  A soft shout, Cang Yue's entire body flickered with light and shadow, a series of afterimages, as fast as flowing light, instantly spread out in all directions. The sky was filled with Cang Yue's afterimages, combined with the countless Xiao Yue divine swords, the surroundings were occupied by two completely different colors, black and yellow. Strange whistling pierced the eyes, flowing light like silver, various lights flickered uncertainly in the midst of intense explosive sounds, flashing out a tempting scene.

  A loud roar echoed, and the Ghost General's body suddenly appeared three zhang away. All the ghostly shadows around him completely disappeared. Cang Yue stood still in mid-air, with the Whistling Moon Divine Sword spinning rapidly above her head. A powerful aura was firmly locked onto it, preparing for a mighty strike. The Ghost General seemed to have given up on escaping as well, with black mist swirling around his body and dark red eyes occasionally shooting out crimson glows that struck Cang Yue's protective true energy. Each time the crimson glow hit Cang Yue's protective true energy, the light of her protective shield would dim slightly, clearly indicating that the crimson glow possessed extremely strong corrosive properties.

  When the Cangyue divine sword, accompanied by dozens of feet of dazzling light, fiercely chopped down, the Ghost General's entire body transformed into a black star cloud, with a pair of demonic red eyes rapidly shooting out dark red light. Confronting the chopping sword pillar, two clusters of dark red light shot out from the demonic eyes, instantly colliding with the sword pillar. The two different lights held each other off in mid-air for a moment before the divine sword's light broke through the Ghost General's counterattack and chopped down instantly.

  A deafening thunderclap shook the sky, and a powerful gust of air blasted out a deep pit ten zhang in diameter on the ground, shocking to the extreme. A brief, mournful cry sounded twice, and then everything vanished without a trace, restoring calm. Nearby, Lu Yun's body suddenly shot up into the air, his hands closing together, with his palms facing each other, enveloping a thread of black gas between them.

  A loud, unwilling roar echoed: "Impossible, no, why did you...?" In just a few words, Lu Yun's palms merged and everything disappeared. Lightly landing beside Ao Xue, Lu Yun said calmly: "Everyone has consumed quite a bit of energy, let's take this opportunity to see if we can recover some. This trip to the Ghost Domain is extremely perilous; with just one second-grade general, it's already gotten us into such a huge mess. If we reach the Ghost King City, I'm afraid we won't even make it inside before being taken care of by them."

  He glanced at Lu Yun, and Ziyang True Person was more and more unable to see through him. His gaze moved to the meditating Yunfeng, and Ziyang True Person said: "When are we leaving? Are we waiting for Yunfeng to wake up before we go?"

  Lu Yun said in a low voice, "Alright, once he wakes up, we'll leave. The direction is due south." After finishing speaking, she raised her head to look at the black sun, but found that it seemed to have moved slightly. With a calm smile, Lu Yun suddenly understood something and a hint of mysterious smile appeared on her face.