Volume Two, Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Body of the Ghost King

Yu Mu put away the flute tassel, his face tinged with regret. He said sorrowfully, “Since that’s the case, elder brother, let’s leave.”

Meng Fang was perplexed—why did Yu Mu respond so emotionally to a cultivation method he could not practice himself?

“Wait!” Meng Fang turned to the two and said, “We don’t have spiritual tools or pills, but if you’re willing, we can discuss buying it from you.”

“Sell it?” The two from the Sacred Sun Sect exchanged glances. “Spiritual tools are quite valuable. As long as you can offer enough spirit crystals, of course we can sell it to you.”

“Brother, let’s not. We don’t even know if we can practice it; it’s not worth risking so much…”

“Does this price suit you?” Before Yu Mu could finish, Meng Fang had already produced from his robe a fist-sized spirit crystal of the light element. The crystal radiated dazzling brilliance.

The two from the Sacred Sun Sect looked at it in surprise and delight. “Such a large, top-grade spirit crystal! It's a bit short of the value, but its attribute is exactly what we need, and it’s rare to see one this size. Very well! Let’s make the trade.”

“Brother…”

Before Yu Mu could protest, the exchange was complete.

The two Sacred Sun Sect disciples gleefully examined the spirit crystal, while Meng Fang pulled Yu Mu out of the room.

In an empty chamber, Meng Fang handed Yu Mu the scroll. “Brother, this is a cultivation method of the Dark Spirit. I’m curious, what draws you to it?”

Yu Mu accepted the scroll, deeply moved, and proceeded to tell Meng Fang everything about his past and present lives.

Meng Fang listened as if hearing a scripture from the heavens, utterly dumbfounded.

“You mean to say you remember your previous life? This… this…” After a long pause, Meng Fang struggled to find words to express his astonishment.

Yu Mu scratched his head. “I don’t know the reason myself.”

“No wonder you’ve always acted so strangely, as if you didn’t belong in this world. So that’s why!” He pointed to the scroll. “Brother, you think that the Netherworld and the fact that someone once comprehended the Ghost King’s Chains from you means you could cultivate this method?”

Yu Mu nodded. “After entering this place, I realized I could not only see the shadow spirits, but they seemed to fear a certain aura from me.”

Meng Fang pondered this, his face shocked. “You’re saying the shadow spirit that attacked Brother Lu was scared off by you?”

Yu Mu nodded slightly. “Yes. I’ve always felt that the Yanluo Immortal King might have left something on me. But it’s only a guess; whether I can cultivate this method remains uncertain, so…”

“Hey, brother.” Meng Fang patted Yu Mu’s shoulder. “Wealth is but a worldly possession. It’s nothing. What you need most now is a cultivation method. Even if there’s only a slight chance, you must seize it.”

“Then I thank you, Meng Fang.” With that, he accepted the Ghost King’s Body without hesitation. Though he hadn’t studied it closely, he believed it would be worthwhile.

This place had the most magical tools, but very few other types of treasures. The rarer the item, the more extraordinary—like the Rebirth Pill they’d found before.

The two wandered for some time, finding nothing more, nor did they locate Old Qu. Most of the treasures in the rooms had already been taken.

Yet now they had become targets for nearly everyone, as rumors spread that they carried two spiritual tools. In truth, they possessed only half a tool, an auxiliary artifact they could not even use.

Clearly, someone maliciously spread these rumors to frame them.

They could no longer stay.

As Sky-Pillar had advised before they arrived, it was time for them to leave—the next layer was beyond their abilities.

But Meng Fang no longer had a teleportation talisman, and Yu Mu refused to leave alone. So they began searching for a way out.

When they finally escaped through a portal amidst the chaos, they found themselves in a corridor—the very place where Yu Mu had called for Meng Fang before. This seemed to be a transit point, and both had visited it several times.

“Brother, how long are we going to wander like this? I doubt these portals are the way out. Remember, we passed them on our way in.”

“What do you mean, elder brother?”

Meng Fang nodded. “I believe the exit lies within the maze of these corridors.”

Yu Mu considered this and nodded as well. “You’re right. We’ve passed through these portals hundreds of times; if there were another way, we would have found it by now. What should we do next?”

Meng Fang thought for a moment. “From now on, let’s avoid the portals. Pick a direction and walk. If it leads nowhere, try another. This way, we won’t circle endlessly, and eventually, we’ll find an exit.”

“Alright, I’ll follow you. Which direction should we try first?”

“Left.”

“Alright.”

No sooner had the two stepped beyond the portal’s range than a figure appeared before them. Their faces changed dramatically—it was one of the top experts at Ye Yun’s side.

Turning back, they saw a group between them and the portal—Ye Yun and his dozen followers, the other expert among them.

So ruthless.

They were being eliminated, their escape cut off.

If Old Qu were still with them, they might have resisted for a while, but now only the two remained. There was no hope for escape. Each of those two experts could easily defeat them, and Ye Yun himself was far stronger than either of them alone.

Surrender? That was not in their nature. With no way out, they might as well fight to the death!

Both chose the more challenging path and charged at Ye Yun.

Ye Yun smirked and said to his men, “Keep the bear demon occupied—don’t hurt him. I’ll kill the bull demon first, then finish him myself. Just make sure they don’t escape.”

“Yes, young leader,” the group answered in unison.

Ye Yun gave a low shout, “Cut!” and swung his blade at Meng Fang, while Yu Mu was intercepted by the other expert.

In the expert’s hands, Yu Mu was like a mouse beneath a cat’s paw, utterly powerless. The difference in strength was too great—he was toyed with at will.

On the other side, the battle was fierce. Unlike Yu Mu, Meng Fang had neither skills nor levels to match Ye Yun, and could only fight desperately.

Sadly, the gap between them was obvious. After a few exchanges, Meng Fang was wounded all over, his body drenched in his own blood.

Ye Yun did this deliberately, to vent his anger.

After seeing blood, Meng Fang fought harder, his axes spinning like wheels. Steam puffed from his nostrils, and his eyes turned blood-red.