Not long after, the soul led Ning Beichen to a gloomy place filled with mist that could corrode human souls.
If it were the former Ning Beichen, he wouldn't dare to enter, let alone stay for long. However, Ning Beichen was no longer afraid of this black mist because his soul and body had become one, a state known as "spirit and desire united." The mist could not corrode his soul.
Upon entering the mist, Ning Beichen immediately saw many souls, which, upon seeing him, lunged at him like hungry wolves.
Already seething with anger over his master's capture, Ning Beichen showed no mercy to these foolish creatures. He entered a berserker mode, pounding them into pieces before finally stopping.
The soul that had guided him trembled in fear, not daring to move, lest Ning Beichen take his rage out on him. Fortunately, Ning Beichen was only in a frenzy, not truly insane, and didn't kill his guide.
After Ning Beichen's frenzied rampage, the lurking souls no longer dared to approach. They either fled in panic or hid, afraid to show themselves. Ning Beichen's dominance caused the souls to cry out in agony and wish they could flee as far as possible. Still, some clueless souls charged at him, serving as cannon fodder. If these souls had bodies, the place would have long been awash in blood and littered with corpses.
Soon, a colossal ancient castle appeared in the mist, resembling a mountain from afar. Only a single passage led to it.
"M-master, the Soul King is inside the castle," the guiding soul said fearfully.
Ning Beichen grabbed the soul by the neck and strode towards the castle.
However, a squadron of soul soldiers mounted on warhorses soon appeared in the passage. These soldiers differed from the souls outside. They were armored and fully equipped, while the others were mere beggars.
The mounted soul soldiers stopped before Ning Beichen and spoke, "Who dares to cause trouble in our King's castle?"
"I am your grandfather! Tell the Soul King to get out here!" Ning Beichen roared.
"Audacious human scoundrel, capture him!" one of the mounted souls commanded, waving his hand.
"Capture me? Then let's see if you have the ability." Ning Beichen didn't want to waste time. Like a rocket, he soared into the sky and punched downwards.
With a thunderous crash, some of the mounted souls were smashed into pieces. The unhit horses and souls descended into chaos, some even being trampled by their own mounts. After Ning Beichen, from the air, had smashed the presumed leader of the souls into fragments, he descended and, upon touching the ground, charged towards the castle like a missile.
Soon, more souls appeared before Ning Beichen, but they too couldn't stop his advance. As Ning Beichen was about to reach the castle, colossal souls emerged. These giants were at least ten times larger than the previous ones, making Ning Beichen appear like a tiny figure. Wielding massive hammers, they swung them down at Ning Beichen like an avalanche.
Though berserk, Ning Beichen wasn't foolish enough to block the hammers with his body. He swiftly dodged and, with a thought, his bronze ancient sword unsheathed from behind him. It transformed into a dark beam that shot towards the sky, severing the head of a giant soul with a single strike. Ning Beichen then leaped into the air, commanding the bronze ancient sword to go on a rampaging spree against the giants. Under Ning Beichen's mental command, the bronze ancient sword, like a fish in turbulent waves, flashed with lightning speed, dismembering the giant souls one by one.
Soon, no more giant souls stood before Ning Beichen. He had reached the castle. With a sword strike at the grand gate, a deafening roar echoed as the gate cracked and then collapsed.
Inside the castle, countless soul soldiers appeared, weapons in hand, looking at Ning Beichen with fear. It was the first time a human had ever reached this place, leaving them momentarily stunned. However, they quickly reacted, surging towards Ning Beichen like a tide.
Ning Beichen's brow furrowed, his eyes fierce. The bronze ancient sword hovered beside him. Facing the tide of souls, he did not retreat an inch.
"Kill!"
As the souls rushed in like a flood, Ning Beichen roared. He charged forward, his bronze ancient sword surging with him.
"Kill!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
Ning Beichen savagely used his fists, while the bronze ancient sword, like an unfeeling Grim Reaper, relentlessly reaped the souls. No soul could withstand their onslaught. Ning Beichen fought tirelessly. After an unknown amount of time, when he emerged from his frenzied state, few souls remained before him.
Panting heavily, Ning Beichen suddenly felt a change in his bronze ancient sword. Its once pitch-black blade had turned red, and he could even sense it breathing. With a thought, the sword returned to his hand. For some reason, Ning Beichen felt that the bronze ancient sword had become significantly more powerful.
At first, Ning Beichen thought it was an illusion, that he had become stronger, thus perceiving the sword as more powerful. However, when he held the bronze ancient sword and slashed at the castle, he was dumbfounded. A massive sword mark was carved across the entire structure. Several buildings within the castle had turned to dust under his strike.
This time, Ning Beichen was one hundred percent certain it wasn't an illusion; the bronze ancient sword had indeed become more potent.
"Soul King, get out here! Let me see how many more of your subordinates I can kill!" Ning Beichen roared at the castle.
"Presumptuous!"
At that moment, a voice from within the castle erupted, a sonic wave that vibrated Ning Beichen's eardrums.