"Hiss!"
Tan Xin's fingertip pierced Feng Ting's chest, and after some digging, his heart was thoroughly shredded. Feng Ting died without even delivering a single punch, and this time he died as a lingering spirit. Even the robust soul of a Rebirth Realm martial artist was nearly depleted, with only a wisp of soul remaining, which Tan Xin crumpled into a ball. Along with Qin Hong's soul, it was tossed to Qi Liandao.
"Liandao, do what you need to do, I'll handle the rest!"
Tan Xin's face contorted with ferocity as she, imbued with the luck of more than half the Ghost Realm, raised her palms and charged towards the hundred or so cultivators of the three races in the Upper Five Realms, an act of sheer audacity!
...
Qi Liandao sped towards the depths of the Nine Nether Dragon Court atop a fiery red talisman. Ahead stood a stone monument inscribed with faint golden characters. This monument was the seal to the burial grounds of the True Dragon Projection. Qi Liandao had long understood this, and the key to the seal was the souls of the True Dragon Projection's former subordinates: Qin Hong, Feng Ting, and Shu Fan. Unless these three were dead, no one could approach the True Dragon Projection's remains.
"Swish!"
Qi Liandao flicked his sleeve, and a female Eleven Realm Sword Immortal appeared in mid-air. The exquisite face of this ancient beauty was filled with hatred as she rebuked, "Qi Liandao, you dare not..."
Before she could finish, a wisp of Qi Liandao's blood-red fingertip grazed her, and her head rolled from her neck, her life extinguished on the spot.
"Did you really think I kept you out of pity?"
Qi Liandao sneered, raising his hand to absorb Shu Fan's soul into his palm. He merged it with the other two souls, then used a secret technique to forcefully drive the three souls into the stone monument. Instantly, the monument erupted with a golden light that shot into the sky. Following this, countless obscure and complex ancient prohibitions were activated. The tombstone slowly slid backward, revealing a passage leading directly underground to the burial grounds.
...
"Come on!"
Within the Nine Nether Dragon Court, Tan Xin's face was a mask of ferocity. She was in a semi-human, semi-corpse state, but her ghost path luck was dense. The Green Soul Merging Technique and the refinement of possessed wandering corpses granted Tan Xin a power infinitely close to the late Fourteenth Realm. Coupled with her previous feat of unifying the Ghost Realm, she bore the luck of more than half the Ghost Realm, making her combat power exceptionally formidable!
"Looking for a fight!"
In the wind, Ning Yuansheng's Nine-Headed Lion Dharma Image manifested behind him, and he delivered a powerful palm strike. To his right, Fu Sheng, dressed as a scholar, refined two bamboo slips, transforming them into intricate golden characters that shot towards Tan Xin's right flank as sword energy. Under the combined assault of these two Thirteenth Realm great demons, Tan Xin showed no fear in her eyes, only boundless fighting spirit. She raised her hands, her left hand shattering Ning Yuansheng's attack with sharp claws, and her right hand instantly crushed Fu Sheng's two golden sword energies. She let out a great roar, and endless ghost path flames surged forth, forcing Ning Yuansheng and Fu Sheng back.
"Hiss!"
In mid-air, a blazing sword qi descended, striking Tan Xin directly on the head. It was a fierce strike from Jing Chu, a Thirteenth Realm Confucian Sword Immortal. The blow was so severe it split Tan Xin's scalp, and a trickle of black blood flowed down her face. Simultaneously, two Natal Flying Swords attacked from front and back, poised to crush Tan Xin's body.
However, a sinister smile curved Tan Xin's lips. Enduring the sword qi on her head, she surged upward, evading the two Natal Flying Swords. She raised her hand and slapped downward. The dense palm force transformed into a vision of countless sticky, bloody vengeful spirits, which, like tendrils, ensnared the two Natal Flying Swords. She looked at Jing Chu and sneered, "I haven't tasted the blood of a Thirteenth Realm scholar yet."
"Kill me if you can, and I'll drink my fill!"
Jing Chu, while maneuvering his two Natal Flying Swords to break free, swung his sword again, but it was directly dispersed by Tan Xin's palm. Tan Xin, however, raised her hand, her fingertip transforming into a blazing streak that shot towards Jing Chu's chest. This strike was incredibly potent; Qin Hong and Feng Ting had both died from it previously!
"Uncle-Master, be careful!"
Gu Lingyu folded paper in mid-air, shaping a page covered in Confucian text into a small boat and instantly sending it forward. The boat shattered, but Tan Xin's determined killing blow was neutralized. Tan Xin glared fiercely at the young scholar, who was only a Twelfth Realm cultivator yet possessed such remarkable Confucian aura. She resolved that if given the chance, she would kill him!
"Thump!"
A heavy fist descended from the sky, striking Tan Xin squarely on the back. Immediately, three streams of sword qi struck Tan Xin's throat: the combined assault of Long Dongjun, Xie Yiying, and Chen Mengjun. When human cultivators were in danger, it was naturally human cultivators who came to their aid most urgently; the bond of blood was clear to all.
"Just you lot?!"
Tan Xin suddenly shook her body, and her immense ghost qi expanded, actually repelling Long Dongjun, a Rebirth Realm martial artist. At the same time, her fingertip flicked, aiming for Xie Yiying.
"Sword Immortal Xie, be careful!"
Just as Xie Yiying's heart chilled, a figure appeared. It was Xu Shuo of the Mohist school, dragging a green formation that was tightly binding Tan Xin's body. This gave Xie Yiying ample time to evade the strike. As Xie Yiying moved aside, she unleashed dozens of sword qi strikes at Tan Xin's body.
I, Xie Yiying, walk the martial world, and I will never suffer a loss.
Tan Xin roared in fury, dragging the formation's threads and flinging them outward. Xu Shuo's body was sent flying, crashing heavily into the distant peaks, injured from a single blow.
In the air, the cultivators of the Rainbow Skirt Realm finally made their move. Ran Qing waved his long sleeve and conjured a Natal artifact: a large green bell, which he used to envelop Tan Xin. He shouted, "A heaven-sent opportunity, why aren't you acting?!"
Instantly, Jing Chu, Cao Yan, Nan Qingfeng, Xie Yiying, and others unleashed their swords. Sword qi erupted from the ground, striking Tan Xin's body within the great bell. After enduring this blow, Tan Xin was covered in blood, but Ran Qing was not faring well either. The green bell showed countless cracks. Just as he was about to retrieve his Natal artifact, he saw the bell explode. Tan Xin burst out from the shattered bell, her face contorted with rage, "Old man, you've injured me, and you think you can get away unscathed?"
Ran Qing spat a mouthful of blood. His Natal artifact was destroyed, and his Thirteenth Realm cultivation wavered. This expedition had incurred a tremendous loss!
"Continue the assault!"
Ning Yuansheng and Fu Sheng unleashed their techniques again. Ning Yuansheng's expression was grave, "Don't give her a chance to breathe. We are fighting in the Ghost Realm, and Tan Xin is the Ghost Emperor. She will grow stronger as she fights. If we delay, we will eventually die under her claws!"
"Hahahaha~~~"
On the ground, although Tan Xin was covered in blood and looked disheveled, the ferocity in her eyes had not diminished. She laughed, "You know that too, do you!?"
...
Outside the Nine Nether Dragon Court.
Upon the mountains, figures broke through the wind, arriving one after another. It was a large group of Golden Core realm players from the national server, including Lin Zhao, Shen Xingchen, Leng Yan, and Chen Xue. From a distance, the Nine Nether Dragon Court was bathed in brilliant light, and the afterglow of soaring magical techniques was dazzling, clearly indicating that a world-shattering battle was underway within.
"We're almost there!"
Su Xinghe, riding his flying sword, frowned, "Everyone, hurry!"
Just then, golden sand particles suddenly condensed into vines, shooting up from the ground. "Snap snap snap," they bound their feet and flying artifacts. A Ghost King, wielding a saber, appeared directly below, pulling on the vines of condensed fine sand. It was the legendary Yellow City Ghost King. With a mighty tug, everyone plummeted.
"Hmph!"
The Yellow City Ghost King sneered as he looked at the group of players, "The Empress has ordered me to guard the outer perimeter of the Nine Nether Dragon Court and prevent those insignificant ants from disturbing the battlefield within. Do you think you can pass? If you want to enter the Nine Nether Dragon Court, you'll have to get past me, the Yellow City Ghost King, first!"
Saying this, he raised his saber, and countless ghost soldiers behind him charged forward.
"Damn it!"
Ding Chi gritted his teeth, "This is troublesome, they're not letting us in?"
"Then there's no choice!"
Yi Shi Cang Liang, wielding his sword, said solemnly, "Let's go together and deal with the Yellow City Ghost King first!"
"En!"
Over 500 Golden Core realm players from various guilds surged forward, attacking the Yellow City Ghost King and his army. However, they would not be able to defeat him in a short time, and being delayed was now irreversible. Sand continued to fly in the wind, and self-condensing vines danced. Any player who left the ground was pulled down, and struggling was futile.
Lin Zhao's body sank. As a Second Realm martial artist, his speed was extremely fast. After dodging the engulfing attack of a giant-mouthed ghost soldier, he fiercely struck its neck with his sword. Immediately, more than a dozen flying swords swept out in a round of attacks, instantly killing the giant-mouthed ghost soldier. In the distance, another large group of ghost soldiers approached, so he unleashed the Sword Qi Cage, followed by an AoE slaughter with the Departure Sword Style, Breaking Sword Style, and Moonfall.
He looked in the direction of the Nine Nether Dragon Court, his heart filled with worry. There were too many things to concern him. The Human Race's Upper Five Realms had all gone to the Nine Nether Dragon Court to thwart the True Dragon's reincarnation scheme. Would Xiao Jiu'er have gone too? Would Lin Wanhua, who had been missing for a long time, also be there? Judging by the situation in the Nine Nether Dragon Court, this battle was bound to be incredibly perilous!
Since they couldn't go through the air, what about the ground? The Yellow City Ghost King couldn't possibly be that omnipotent.
Therefore, Lin Zhao summoned his Snow Rock warhorse, mounted it, and said solemnly, "Chen Xue, Xingchen, I'll leave the situation outside to you. I'll take a detour and head to the Nine Nether Dragon Court from the ground."
"En, be careful!"
...
On the ground, Lin Zhao was not the only one trying to take a detour into the Nine Nether Dragon Court. There was also an old Daoist, leaning on a walking stick and carrying a green gourd at his waist. He skirted along the foot of the mountain and finally reached the entrance of the Nine Nether Dragon Court. He peeked inside to see the scene: cultivators of the three races were besieging Tan Xin within the Nine Nether Dragon Court, with demonic arts flying, swords traversing the air, and various techniques and methods erupting one after another.
"My goodness, that's terrifying..."
The old Daoist hastily leaned against the rock face, quickly uncorked the green gourd, and took a drink to calm his nerves!