Book 08 Chapter 048: Consuming the Xuanyuan Sword
The hungry ghost path of reincarnation:
Over thirty thousand evil ghost bases were formed, which instantly calmed the terrified world. That was because the black dragon Gu Hai stopped appearing.
The five hungry ghost kings took positions in the five different areas of this world, ready to rush to Gu Hai’s location the moment it showed up and block all its escape routes.
After Gu Hai observed their distribution, it quickly grasped Ji Dihong’s intentions.
However, Gu Hai did not fall into the trap.
Black energy billowed out from a large mountain. Gu Hai suppressed the area with its immense strength.
The mountain turned out to be a giant, pangolin-shaped hungry ghost three thousand three hundred meters tall. Despite Gu Hai’s suppression, the giant pangolin-shaped hungry ghost forced a thousand hungry ghosts into its mouth to aid digestion.
“Roar!” the pangolin-shaped hungry ghost roared, apparently going crazy, as a cloud of black energy billowed out from it in all directions.
“The hungry ghost path of reincarnation suppresses other laws, but it also has its own. We can’t tackle the five hungry ghost kings right now, but handling an insignificant pangolin-shaped hungry ghost? That’s a cinch,” Gu Hai sneered.
Then Gu Hai placed a seal on the pangolin-shaped hungry ghost.
After the pangolin consumed a ma.s.sive amount of hungry ghosts, the wills of the hungry ghosts overwhelmed it, and it seemed to lose its mind, becoming more frenetic.
“If it weren’t for your black energy, you’d be in our stomach by now. This seal will bind you for two days. After two days, you should be too mad to regain consciousness. Rage on; we’ll be waiting,” Gu Hai declared coldly.
Sealing the pangolin in the valley, Gu Hai immediately departed for other locations.
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Two days pa.s.sed in a flash.
Boundless Mountain:
Countless hungry ghosts surrounded Ji Dihong, Bing Ji, and Cangjie in one of the hungry ghost bases. Each of the five hungry ghost kings held a position, waiting for Gu Hai to take the bait.
“I have a report!” A giant snake shot over.
“You’re Ju Mang’s subordinate? Speak!” Ji Dihong commanded.
“There’s a surge of black energy in the extreme east. The evil dragon is suspected to be there. The great king sent this subordinate to inform the various lords,” the giant snake said.
“In the extreme east? Gu Hai finally showed himself?” Ji Dihong’s eyes lit up.
“Yes, the news has spread to all the hungry ghost marshals in the various bases. Now, a ma.s.sive number of hungry ghosts are rus.h.i.+ng there,” the snake added.
Bing Ji’s eyes turned cold. “I’ll go!”
She transformed into a three-legged white crow and sped to the extreme east, moving five thousand kilometers in a breath of time.
As Ji Dihong and Cangjie prepared to follow, another report came.
“I have a report!”
A bull-shaped evil ghost rushed over. “There’s a surge of black energy in the extreme north. The evil dragon is suspected to be there. The great king sent this subordinate to inform the various lords.”
“The extreme north?” Ji Dihong’s expression changed.
Cangjie’s face sank. “A feint?”
“Feint? Gu Hai? Humph!” Ji Dihong snorted coldly.
“Your Holy Eminence, we should wait for news. Bing Ji has already headed east; we’ll hear from her soon,” Cangjie advised.
“No. Gu Hai is extremely cunning. Given a chance to breathe, he will become even more challenging to handle. Bing Ji went east; we’ll go north. Mister Cangjie, will you accompany us?” Ji Dihong asked.
“No, if I leave, there will be no one here to protect the hungry ghosts,” Cangjie responded.
“Alright. You stay and guard this place, just in case. We’ll be back soon. Gu Hai is only about six thousand seven hundred meters long. Mister Cangjie is currently ten kilometers long. You surely can defend this place,” Ji Dihong said.
“Alright!” Cangjie nodded.
Whoos.h.!.+
Ji Dihong instantly shot towards the extreme north.
The five hungry ghost kings had been consuming hungry ghosts for countless years, growing in strength; by now, they were among the strongest. Although Ji Dihong, Bing Ji, and Cangjie benefited from this world, the pa.s.sage of time meant they were far weaker than the five hungry ghost kings.
Ji Dihong was confident he was stronger than Gu Hai, which was why he went. However, reaching the extreme north would take quite a while.
Even for the five hungry ghost kings, instant travel was impossible in this world, or Gu Hai would not have evaded them so many times.
After thirty minutes of flight, Ji Dihong’s expression changed. “Something’s not right.”
He turned around and flew back to Boundless Mountain.
On his way, a giant, horse-shaped hungry ghost rushed over anxiously.
“Milord, I went to Boundless Mountain earlier but didn’t find you. There’s a surge of black energy in the extreme south. The evil dragon is suspected to be there. The great king went to handle it and sent this subordinate to make a report. Fortunately, I managed to catch up,” the horse-shaped ghost reported.
“So, it is not a feint after all? Did Gu Hai set up a deceptive ritual array to lure the five hungry ghost kings away?” Ji Dihong’s face sank.
Whoos.h.!.+
Ji Dihong resumed rus.h.i.+ng back to Boundless Mountain without hesitation.
If it was really as he guessed, Gu Hai should be heading to Boundless Mountain or the five hungry ghost kings’ lairs. However, Gu Hai’s target was most likely Boundless Mountain.
Rumble…!
As Ji Dihong approached Boundless Mountain, a ma.s.sive disturbance erupted in the distance, true to his prediction.
Countless mountains shattered amid a whirlwind of sand and rock shooting into the sky and enveloping the area in darkness. Where the rubble flew, surging black energy spread.
This black energy covered the hungry ghost bases around Boundless Mountain, and countless hungry ghosts roared furiously from within.
Boom!
A ten-kilometer-tall giant was visible, apparently entangled with a python. Sand and fog covered the lower half of the giant’s body, and the other half glared ferociously as he struck his fog-covered half.
A ten-kilometer-tall giant?
“Mister Cangjie’s transformation?” Ji Dihong exhaled in relief.
“Argh!”
The giant suddenly shrieked miserably.
The giant got tossed away—no, rather, the giant’s upper half got tossed away. The lower body was gone, and his waist dripped with blood. Flesh and blood flew everywhere; a mighty bite had left behind the final wound.
The giant’s waist had been bitten off.
“Gu Hai, you deceived His Holy Eminence and took control of the hungry ghosts, making false reports. You caught me off-guard, destroying my physical soul body. I’ll ensure you never recover from this!” roared the devastated giant in rage.
“Never recover? Let’s see. Once I devour you whole, what can you possibly do to me?” Gu Hai’s chilling voice echoed from the black fog.
As a furious roar rang out, an enormous dragon maw suddenly enlarged a hundredfold, lunging at the other half of the giant.
“Oh no!” Ji Dihong’s expression changed.
Without hesitation, Ji Dihong waved his hand.
s.h.i.+ng!
A golden sword qi shot at the dragon’s head. At the same time, Ji Dihong charged forward.
Crunch!
The giant dragon’s head shattered the sword qi in one bite.
“The Xuanyuan Sword? Ji Dihong, we already guessed this must be your Xuanyuan Sword clone. Your true body is still trying to control the energy of Chiyou’s physical body. Haha!”
A black dragon roared within the fog as it charged Ji Dihong.
“A six-thousand-seven-hundred-meter-long black dragon. You dare to act so presumptuously in front of us just because of your physical prowess? Since you’ve come of your own accord, don’t blame us!” Ji Dihong sneered.
s.h.i.+ng!
Ji Dihong suddenly turned into a thirteen-thousand-three-hundred-meter-long golden sword and chopped down on the dragon in the black fog.
“Roar!”
A black dragon’s head abruptly lunged forward.
The giant’s torso had already transformed into Cangjie. At that moment, blood covered his entire body. He had intended to escape the hungry ghost path of reincarnation but halted when he spotted Ji Dihong.
The sword strike was ferocious, threatening to slice the black dragon in half. There seemed to be no escape for the dragon—surely, it would be cleaved in two.
Flee? Even if it tried, the dragon could not escape the sword’s aim; its fate was sealed.
Suddenly, Cangjie’s expression changed. “Something’s amiss! Your Holy Eminence, be cautious! It looks like it’s baiting your sword strike!”
Cangjie stared wide-eyed. The dragon showed no signs of dodging. It even opened its ma.s.sive jaws as it charged the golden sword as if unafraid the Xuanyuan Sword would slash its stomach open.
“You realized too late!” the dragon laughed, its head thrown back.
Boom!
The thirteen-thousand-three-hundred-meter-long Xuanyuan Sword plunged into the dragon’s mouth, aiming to pierce through.
Its powerful aura scattered the surrounding black energy, revealing an eight-thousand-three-hundred-meter-long black dragon.
An eight-thousand-three-hundred-meter-long black dragon? A thirteen-thousand-three-hundred-meter-long Xuanyuan Sword?
There was no need to think. It was clear the sword was longer than the dragon and would cut the dragon in half.
As the sword penetrated over three kilometers, it seemed poised to pierce through the dragon.
Clang!
The dragon suddenly bit down on the sword, stopping its advance.
“What? It hurts!” The Xuanyuan Sword suddenly let out a surprised cry.
The Xuanyuan Sword thrashed about, smas.h.i.+ng the dragon into the ground. However, it could not shake free or cut through the dragon’s tough hide.
“Hurry, help His Holy Eminence!” ordered the blood-covered Cangjie anxiously.
“It’s too late!” the dragon snorted coldly.
It opened its jaws again and lunged, swallowing another three kilometers of the sword.
Clang!
Once more, its fangs clamped down on the sword’s body.
Over six kilometers of the Xuanyuan Sword had already entered the black dragon’s body. The black dragon should have been skewered, yet its body still moved freely, maintaining a sinuous grace.
“Argh!”
The Xuanyuan Sword let out an agonized scream.
As it flailed, countless sword qi erupted from it, tearing the dragon’s skin and causing blood to spray everywhere. However, the dragon maintained a ferocious expression, firmly biting the Xuanyuan Sword.
After a few moments, the dragon lunged forward again, swallowing another two thousand seven hundred meters of the sword.
“How is this possible? Did Gu Hai refine it instantly after swallowing? How could he refine the Xuanyuan Sword? It is made from a dragon vein!” Cangjie exclaimed in shock.
The black dragon was only eight thousand three hundred meters long but had already swallowed close to ten kilometers of the Xuanyuan Sword; this made no sense. The strange scene panicked the surrounding hungry ghosts. How can it be like this?
“World devouring? Chiyou’s world devouring? Refining instantly after swallowing?” Ji Dihong roared furiously.
“You realized too late, Ji Dihong! Do you regret sending the Xuanyuan Sword after us? Hahaha! Today, we’ll start by consuming your Xuanyuan Sword clone!” Gu Hai bellowed.
“Roar!”
In high spirits, Gu Hai opened its mouth again and gulped down the rest of the Xuanyuan Sword.
Gu Hai swallowed the Xuanyuan Sword? He ate His Holy Eminence’s clone?
The blood-covered Cangjie had suffered severe injuries. Naturally, he could not resist. After Gu Hai digested the Xuanyuan Sword, it would immediately go after him.
“Gu Hai, I’ll be back! You are dead for sure!” Cangjie roared furiously.
Cangjie’s figure flashed, and the s.p.a.ce around him twisted as he slowly left the hungry ghost path of reincarnation.
As Cangjie started to vanish, he saw some fl.u.s.ter appear in the black dragon’s eyes.
Azure light filled the east.
Ju Mang arrived in an instant and happened to see Gu Hai swallowing the Xuanyuan Sword.
Ju Mang erupted in rage, turning into a thirty-three-kilometer-tall, tree-shaped hungry ghost.
“Evil being, how dare you?!” Ju Mang rushed over.
Thirty-three kilometers tall? Just how mighty was that?
Gu Hai was only eight thousand three hundred meters long. It managed to hurt Cangjie and swallow the Xuanyuan Sword only by trickery, catching the two off-guard. This would not work a second time.
With Gu Hai as it was now, how could it hold up against the thirty-three-kilometer-tall Ju Mang?
Unfortunately, Cangjie had already left the hungry ghost path of reincarnation.
As Cangjie left the hungry ghost path of reincarnation, he heard another four cries of “Evil being! How dare you?!”
The other four hungry ghost kings had realized they had gotten tricked. As they rushed over, they also saw Gu Hai swallowing Ji Dihong’s clone. Enraged, they all wanted to tear him into ten thousand pieces.
Gu Hai had nowhere to escape.
However, Cangjie had already left the hungry ghost path of reincarnation.