Chapter 381: The Real Gui Ji

A snow-white serpent submerged its dozens-of-zhang-long body along the bank of the murky, winding river. Lifting its head, it released dense clouds of toxic fog, which enveloped the cultivators from the Black Valley Sect and the Radiant Sun Sect.

Sizzle!

The toxic fog eroded through the cultivators' protective shields, leaving them dizzy and disoriented.

In their eyes, the enormous serpent appeared as either a beautiful woman or their cherished loved ones—parents, spouses, or lifelong companions.

Cultivators in the Spirit Condensation Realm and Profound Abode Realm stumbled forward into the serpent's gaping maw, like moths to a flame.

The serpent swallowed down their frail bodies and spat their bones back out.

Human bones piled up on the riverbank, striking despair into the hearts of the remaining survivors.

By the time Pang Jian arrived on the Sword Boat, the Rank Eight serpent had started its transformation into a stunning woman.

Its face flushed red and its eyes filled with frenzied bloodlust, devoid of intelligence.

However, its evolution was incomplete as everything below its neck was still covered in snake scales. The artificially advanced serpent was less refined than the dead Savage Bear.

The surviving disciples from the Black Valley Sect and the Radiant Sun Sect were scrambling to flee when they noticed the Sword Boat sailing toward them.

"Pang Jian?"

None of them could understand why Pang Jian would rush here.

They had not witnessed Pang Jian's earlier massacre as this place was far from the foot of the mountain, and they still maintained their earlier preconceptions of him.

"That's a Rank Eight Vicious Beast!" an elder from the Radiant Sun Sect warned.

"I know," Pang Jian said, infusing the Primal Sphere with spiritual power, cold energy, lunar energy, and lightning before tossing it.

Silver lightning and sharp icy spikes covered its surface, radiating a dazzling light as the fist-sized iron ball enlarged several times over.

The grayish-green iron ball shot directly toward the serpent's gaping maw like a giant glowing porcupine.

Fury blazed within the serpent's blood-red vertical pupils. Its submerged tail shot out from the murky river, splashing contaminated water toward the Primal Sphere.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The serpent's bloodline power drew forth the thin murky energy in Brocade Cloud, causing it to dissolve into the poisoned water.

A subtle yet eerie force in the water diminished much of the Primal Sphere's impact.

The serpent coiled its tail around the slowed Primal Sphere and pulled it into the river.

Toxic impurities from the Bloodthirst Elixir and the murky energy polluted the river water, corroding the Primal Sphere.

The saint-grade artifact Pang Jian had exchanged for merit points became a mere stone that sank to the riverbed.

"Well, that's an interesting trick." Pang Jian gently nodded.

Radiant green sword light shot forth, forming a ring that encircled the serpent.

A dazzling spectacle unfolded within the ring of light.

Heavenly Demons whirled in a frenzied dance under the sun, moon, and stars. Demonic creatures and demonic eyes surged forth while world-shattering lightning twisted in chaotic arcs across blazing flames.

Unleashed through the Abyssal Demon Sword, the Chaos Sword Technique radiated boundless mystery, creating a spectacle the serpent had never witnessed before.

No matter how the serpent struggled or what bloodline techniques it used, the ring of sword light continued to close in.

The glowing ring closed in around its human head.

Splat!

Blood spurted from its scaly neck as its head separated from its body. Pang Jian calmly approached it, grabbed the head, and stowed it in his spatial bracelet.

Splash!

Pang Jian's protective shield thickened to surround him in solid ice, enabling him to harmlessly descend into the polluted river and retrieve the Primal Sphere.

The murky energy in the river water is rather familiar,

Pang Jian thought before returning to the Sword Boat and setting off for his next target.

The lingering toxic fog around the decapitated, half-submerged snow-white serpent quickly dissipated.

"The whole serpent's body is a treasure trove, and he didn't even bother to collect it?"

The surviving members from the Radiant Sun Sect and the Black Valley Sect wondered aloud in shock.

Nervously approaching the corpse, they gathered their fallen comrades' belongings and carved out the serpent's valuable skin, bones, and flesh.

Soon after, a similar ring of sword light encircled the magpie slaughtering Demon Sect disciples, and the fearsome Vicious Beast from the Fifth World was swiftly slain.

It's much weaker than the Ice Armor Eel Dragon. It's almost as if they're in completely different leagues,

Pang Jian lamented inwardly.

Although the Savage Bear, the snow-white serpent, and the magpie had all been forcibly elevated to Rank Eight using the Bloodthirst Elixir, their real strength barely exceeded Rank Seven.

These Vicious Beasts completely lacked the terrifying aura of the Rank Eight Ice Armor Eel Dragon.

It seemed false power could never pose a true threat.

That Ghost Race warrior named Gui Ji is the real trouble.

The Sword Boat soared through Brocade Cloud.

***

After killing yet another Golden Armed Ape with a single strike, Zhou Qingchen turned to Wu Xuanfeng and asked, "Uncle Wu, what do you think? Do you think he's worthy of being the personal disciple of the Sword Pavilion's Pavilion Master now?"

Wu Xuanfeng nodded fervently, gaze still fixed on the Sword Boat in the distance. "He's worthy! Absolutely worthy!"

The other rogue cultivators watched the Sword Boat with shining eyes, voicing their amazement one after another.

"Young Master Zhou, if he's so powerful, why isn't he in the top one hundred of the Soul Wandering Realm leaderboard?”

"Has he truly just advanced to the Soul Wandering Realm?"

"He's practically on the same level as Zhu Wenle."

The last rogue cultivator recalled Pang Jian's earlier remarks—that Zhu Wenle likely would not survive to return to Auspicious Light—and could not help but sigh. "Zhu Wenle did die in the end. He was right after all."

"This battle isn't over yet!" Zhou Qingchen snorted coldly.

The Spirit Condensation Realm rogue cultivators nodded and continued assisting him in hunting nearby Vicious Beasts.

***

At the foot of the towering mountain, Gui Ji used Zhu Wenle's body to wield the giant fan while puppetting the Blazing Rainbow Army soldiers and the Zhu Clan members into formation around the Flying Fish Boat.

After Pang Jian left, more of Gui Ji's Soul Flames drifted out to possess the living Blazing Rainbow Army soldiers and Zhu Clan members from the Boundless Sky Divine Kingdom.

All of them had become his puppets and shared a single consciousness—Gui Ji's. He was more skilled at using the Blazing Rainbow Army's military tactics than the officers themselves.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Beams of sword light shot out from the Flying Fish Boat, cutting down the possessed cultivators from the Boundless Sky Divine Kingdom.

With the Celestial Profound Mirror hovering above her, Liu Youyu frowned and shouted, "Celestial Lagoon Sect disciples, leave this place immediately!"

"Understood!" Yu Huan took off running.

After fleeing several dozen li, she noticed the Sword Boat had reappeared, but Pang Jian was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Pang Jian?" the Celestial Lagoon Sect disciples wondered aloud.

"No idea."

***

Deep underground, blackish-yellow light surrounded Pang Jian as he casually headed toward the towering mountain.

He had used the black turtle scute's Earth Dive ability to dive underground, where he spread his divine sense and locked onto his target within the mountain.

Soon, he transitioned from Earth Dive to Mountain Phase as he ascended the mountain from within.

A blackish-yellow light shot upward from within the mountain and soon reached its center.

Pang Jian steadily approached a frigid cave inside the mountain with the Heart of Winter in his hand.

Massive ice crystals hung from the cave ceiling, where the Ghost Race warrior, Gui Ji, sat in fine robes with hands clasped.

He breathed clusters of ghostly flames that emerged from the heads of six native Ghost Race warriors.

The six Rank Seven Ghost Race warriors, thin and frail, became frozen within the surrounding ice crystals, watching in despair as he devoured their Soul Flames.

"Don't hold it against me. Brutal warfare comes with sacrifices. I had no other choice." Gui Ji sighed as he continued consuming his kinsmen's Soul Flames. "I hold a high status in the Heavenly Ghost World and have children to feed.

"This journey accompanying the Lord Sovereign into the Abyss is a major turning point in my life. I need to return to the Heavenly Ghost World. I absolutely cannot die here in the Abyss.

"We're all from the Ghost Race. I hope you understand. Please don't hate me," Gui Ji said, shaking head.

Suddenly, an intense chill emanated from the ice rock beneath him.

"This cold..."

Gui Ji's expression shifted as he looked down.

A person steadily rose from beneath the transparent ice with a crystalline heart in hand and flashed him a chilling smile that sent shivers down Gui Ji's spine.

He recognized that crystalline heart.

Gui Ji's face paled with horror. "The Heart of Winter!"

Boom! Crack!

The ice crystals hanging on the cave ceiling shot toward Gui Ji.

Gui Ji had devoted most of his energy and attention to controlling Zhu Wenle and the cultivators from the Boundless Sky Divine Kingdom.

He never expected such a disaster in his safehold, let alone that the person attacking would wield the divine artifact, the Heart of Winter.

The ice crystals pierced his body.

Letting out a shrill scream, he hastily summoned his Soul Flame back.

Clusters of green Soul Flames ignited within his mind and he unleashed an overwhelming aura as he shouted, "Soul-Devouring Heavenly Ghost!"

A massive, skeletal ghostly projection appeared behind him—it was the Outer God that Gui Ji worshiped.

Gui Ji intended to eradicate Pang Jian's divine soul and possess him just as he had Zhu Wenle.

Pang Jian chuckled. "You've never been to the Frozen Land, have you?"

His golden divine soul flew out from his forehead, instantly shattering Gui Ji's Outer God projection and extinguishing the green Soul Flames one after another.

The Rank Eight Gui Ji and the six Rank Six Ghost Race warriors became Pang Jian's spoils in Brocade Cloud.

Not long after, the Sword Boat glided over to the Flying Fish Boat as Liu Youyu watched the limp bodies of Zhu Wenle and the others in confusion.

Pang Jian held up a severed head and said, "This is the real Gui Ji."