301: Chapter 301 Ghost King!

In the Land of Ghostly Grievances, gray mist churned, and the Yin wind wailed like weeping.

Two figures, one behind the other, moved unhurriedly through this eerie space, which was thoroughly saturated with death and resentment.

Lu Qiu walked with an unhurried gait, his scarlet gold spiritual light firmly sealing off the viscous ghost mist. Wherever he passed, the mist retreated, leaving behind a brief, relatively clear path.

Fairy Ziling followed closely behind, her pale purple protective spiritual light swaying slightly as she stuck close to the edge of Lu Qiu's light, not daring to stray even a fraction. Her beautiful eyes scanned the surroundings vigilantly, even though she knew that the greatest dangers had already been easily neutralized by the figure in front.

The pathfinder in front was not Lu Qiu himself, but that Beast Owl with its hideous appearance and fierce Aura, "Xiao"!

Like a tireless killing machine, it crisscrossed the gray-white ghost mist, invincible and unstoppable.

In a short time, several fierce ghosts and malevolent spirits with Auras at the Core Formation Stage had already been reduced to the purest Yin Qi and Soul Power under its violent claws and all-consuming maw, becoming food for its belly.

Fairy Ziling gazed with complex emotions at the large, gray-black figure looming in and out of the ghost mist ahead, while the shrill screams of ghosts before death and the satisfied low growls of the Beast Owl as it consumed them reached her ears from time to time.

In her heart, beyond shock, there was more of an indescribable curiosity and desire to explore.

What on earth... was this species?

To possess such shocking abilities?

It was simply the natural nemesis of Yin spirits and ghosts!

Watching how easily it devoured those Core Formation Stage ghosts, it seemed as though it wasn't fighting, but enjoying a fine meal!

How did Senior Lu manage to subdue such a fierce creature?

Unable to restrain her confusion, Ziling spoke softly, her voice remarkably clear amidst the wailing Yin wind: "Senior... this Junior is bold enough to ask... what kind of strange beast is this Spirit Pet of yours? This Junior's knowledge is shallow; I have never seen, nor even heard of, such a strange and powerful existence."

Lu Qiu did not stop walking. Upon hearing this, he turned his head to glance at her, a faint smile appearing on his ordinary face as he retorted: "Miss Ziling, you are widely knowledgeable. Have you ever heard of... the name 'Beast Owl'?"

"Beast... Owl?" Upon hearing this, Ziling's delicate body jolted violently. Her beautiful eyes beneath her veil suddenly contracted, and her complexion paled slightly in an instant!

She looked up abruptly, her gaze once again cast upon the gray-black fierce figure ahead, her eyes filled with incredulous shock and sudden realization!

"Beast Owl! It is actually... the legendary Beast Owl!" Her voice carried a trace of involuntary trembling.

That was it!

Such a hideous and terrifying appearance, such a pure yet chaotic Aura of Yin evil and ferocity, with a natural suppression and desire to devour Yin spirits and ghosts... what else could it be but the Beast Owl, that fierce creature which only exists in ancient records and is regarded as the Incarnation of disaster and ominousness?

Ziling had read widely, and in some ancient texts collected by the Miaoyin Sect, there had been sporadic and vague records about the "Beast Owl."

It was an extremely rare and terrifying monster; its birth itself was the crystallization of a disaster.

According to records, the Beast Owl was not a Yao Beast born of heaven and earth, nor was it an ordinary ghost or zombie.

It was a deformed monster bred from the residual, undying resentment, Essence Blood, baleful Aura, and corpse-Yin evil of a large number of Yao Beasts that had died in extreme pain, hatred, and despair, after undergoing long years of nourishment, sedimentation, mutual devouring, Fusion, and mutation within a rare, naturally formed "Myriad Beast Yin Burial Cave" or similar ultimate Yin absolute land or place of great evil!

It was an aggregate of death, resentment, pain, and Yin Qi, a fierce spirit that defied the natural order of heaven and earth and reversed Yin and Yang!

Because its composition was complex and chaotic, the form and abilities of every Beast Owl were not fixed, but without exception, they all possessed terrifying Physical Body strength, the talent to control Yin Qi and corpse poison, and a chaotic, violent Divine Soul filled with the desire for destruction.

They fed on Yin evil, Soul Power, and the Essence Blood of living beings; wherever they passed, lives were often devastated, turning the land into a ghost domain.

In history, there had been three vague records of the Beast Owl appearing in the Chaotic Star Sea. Each time, it was accompanied by blood and slaughter, requiring at least several Middle Stage Nascent Soul Cultivators to join forces and pay a heavy price to suppress or expel it. Because it was extremely difficult to kill completely, as long as a trace of resentment or Yin Qi remained, it could potentially revive again.

"I didn't expect..."

Ziling's voice carried a complex and difficult-to-fathom tone: "Senior could actually subdue even such a fierce and evil creature... This Junior... is impressed."

Her gaze couldn't help but glance at Lu Qiu again; in her heart, her evaluation of this mysterious Senior's strength and means had been raised to an immeasurable level.

To be able to subdue a Beast Owl, it not only required absolute strength to suppress it, but also some special means to resolve or control its chaotic and violent nature, otherwise, one could be backlashed at any time.

Senior Lu... how on earth did he do it?

"It was just a matter of Opportunity and coincidence." Lu Qiu smiled faintly, without offering further explanation.

The process of subduing the Beast Owl involved some of his secrets and trump cards, so naturally, it was not convenient to discuss it in detail with Ziling.

Just then, his forward steps paused slightly; in his Divine Sense, he captured an unusual fluctuation coming from not far ahead.

Not a pure spirit body, but... Physical Body fluctuations carrying heavy corpse-evil and Yin Qi?

"Hmm?" Lu Qiu's gaze narrowed slightly. Through the churning ghost mist, he looked toward a pile of rocks about a hundred zhang away to the front left.

There, he saw two tall figures wandering and roaming aimlessly.

Their entire bodies were covered in dense, long hair that had an ominous dark green hue; their faces were hideous and blurred, with protruding fangs and scarlet eyeballs faintly visible.

In their hands, each held a bone staff made from the bones of an unknown creature, with a skull embedded at the top, emitting a faint green light.

Ghost Yakshas!

And there were two of them!

This was a type of ghost more troublesome than the pure spirit body of a fierce ghost!

They possessed a substantial, powerful Physical Body tempered for thousands of years by Yin Qi and corpse-evil, with immense strength and astonishing defense, and had extremely strong resistance to many Spells and Magic Treasures targeting the Divine Soul.

The bone staves in their hands could even spew a vicious "Ghost Phosphorus Yin Fire" that was specifically used to defile Magic Treasures and burn the Divine Soul!

Judging by their Aura, the strength of these two Ghost Yakshas had actually reached the Middle Core Formation Stage!

In this Land of Ghostly Grievances, they could definitely be considered overlord-level fierce creatures; even an ordinary Late Core Formation Stage Cultivator would find them a headache to encounter.

"Xiao, over there." Lu Qiu's mind stirred, and he directly issued an order to the Beast Owl.

"Roar!" The Beast Owl had long since smelled the scent of those two "delicacies." Upon hearing this, it immediately let out an excited low growl, its massive body transforming into a gray-black gale as it lunged straight at the two Ghost Yakshas!

For it, ghosts with a Physical Body had more condensed and full Soul Power and Yin evil Aura, making them better for nourishment!

The two Ghost Yakshas also sensed danger the moment the Beast Owl rushed out. They stopped wandering, turned around in unison, locked their scarlet eyes on the pouncing Beast Owl, and let out low, warning growls.

Facing the pressure from the Beast Owl that made them instinctively feel fear, they did not choose to run, but instead raised the bone staves in their hands!

"Puff! Puff!"

Two balls of ghost fire, the size of a human head, appearing dark green, constantly flickering, and emitting a pungent, fishy stench and icy Aura, were spewed from the mouths of the skulls at the top of the bone staves. They cut through the gray mist, one from the left and one from the right, attacking the Beast Owl head-on! Wherever the ghost fire passed, the air made "hissing" corrosive sounds; clearly, its power was not trivial!

Facing this vicious Ghost Phosphorus Yin Fire, the Beast Owl did not dodge or avoid it at all, maintaining its forward charge, only letting out a low growl full of disdain!

"Boom! Boom!"

Two balls of dark green ghost fire slammed solidly into the Beast Owl's chest and shoulders, immediately exploding into two green flames that engulfed most of its body!

The ghost fire burned fiercely, making "sizzling" sounds, as if it wanted to incinerate its bones, flesh, and even its Divine Soul together!

"Senior!" Ziling couldn't help but exclaim, her face turning pale.

That ghost fire looked extremely vicious; was the Beast Owl actually taking it head-on?

However, the next moment, a scene appeared that made her eyes widen.

She saw that in the midst of the raging dark green ghost fire, the Beast Owl's figure jolted violently, and the gray-black Yin evil Aura around its body erupted, like a layer of viscous ink, quickly submerging and covering the ghost fire on its body!

The ghost fire seemed to have met its nemesis; its burning momentum quickly weakened and soon extinguished completely, leaving only two slightly charred marks on the Beast Owl's thick fur.

And these two charred marks, under the circulation of the Yin evil Aura around its body, actually recovered and healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, restoring to their original state in the blink of an eye, without even a single hair damaged!

Indestructible Body!

Or rather, it was that monsters like the Beast Owl, which were bred from resentment and Yin evil, had extremely strong resistance and recovery power against Yin-attribute attacks of the same origin!

Such minor injuries were not worth mentioning to it at all!

"Roar!" The Beast Owl seemed to be angered by this tickle-like attack, letting out an even more violent roar. Its speed surged again, and in an instant, it rushed in front of the Ghost Yaksha on the left, lifted that sharp claw larger than a millstone, and slammed it down hard at its head!

The Ghost Yaksha's reaction was not slow either; it raised its bone staff to parry, while the green hair on its body stood on end, forming a layer of defense.

"Clang! Crack!"

A loud sound like metal clashing accompanied by a crisp bone-cracking sound! The Beast Owl's sharp claw slammed onto the bone staff, and the seemingly sturdy bone staff was directly bent and cracked!

The giant claw, its momentum undiminished, pressed hard onto the top of the Ghost Yaksha's head, pressing its entire body down to kneel on the ground, causing the ground to sink into a large pit!

"Awoo!" The Ghost Yaksha let out a painful howl, struggling desperately, but the Beast Owl's strength was simply too terrifying, suppressing it firmly.

At the same time, the Beast Owl opened its maw filled with fangs, aiming at the Ghost Yaksha's body, and a powerful, all-consuming force targeting Yin evil Soul Power erupted!

"Whoosh—!"

He saw wisps of thick dark green Yin Qi and Soul Power being forcibly extracted from the Ghost Yaksha's seven orifices and pores, like streams flowing into the Beast Owl's mouth!

The Ghost Yaksha's body shriveled and withered at a speed visible to the naked eye, the layer of green hair lost its luster, and it finally turned into a dried corpse that had completely lost its vitality, being tossed aside casually by the Beast Owl.

The other Ghost Yaksha saw this, and obvious fear appeared in its scarlet eyes; it turned and fled regardless of everything! However, its speed was simply too slow in front of the Beast Owl.

After the Beast Owl finished off the first one, its figure flickered, and it had already caught up with the fleeing second Ghost Yaksha, slamming it down with the same claw, and consuming and absorbing it in the same way.

In just a dozen breaths, the two Middle Core Formation Stage Ghost Yakshas became food for the Beast Owl's belly, turning into resources for its evolution.

Ziling watched all this silently, the shock in her heart beyond measure.

The Beast Owl's strength and ferocity had once again reorganized her understanding.

At the same time, she felt even more that Lu Qiu's ability to subdue such a fierce creature was unfathomable.

Lu Qiu was not very surprised by the Beast Owl instantly solving the two Ghost Yakshas.

His Divine Sense was always focused further away.

After devouring the two Ghost Yakshas, the Beast Owl's Aura was clearly a bit stronger, and it seemed closer to that Nascent Soul threshold.

Just like that, with the Beast Owl, this tireless "cleaner," clearing the way, Lu Qiu and Ziling steadily advanced in the Land of Ghostly Grievances.

About half an hour later, they had penetrated deep into the heart of the Land of Ghostly Grievances.

The surrounding ghost mist became even thicker, and the Yin Qi became more bone-chilling; occasionally, one could see scattered broken Magical Artifacts and white bones on the ground belonging to Cultivators who had entered the hall before.

Just then, at the edge of Lu Qiu's Divine Sense, he once again captured an unusual, powerfully chilling fluctuation that made one's heart palpitate!

The source of that fluctuation was in a huge depression with lower terrain about twenty miles ahead.

Its Aura was so strong that it far exceeded all the ghosts encountered before, actually reaching the peak of the Late Core Formation Stage, and even faintly touching the Nascent Soul threshold!

"Ghost King..."

A flash of keen light crossed Lu Qiu's eyes.

A ghost of this level could already be called a "King" in this Land of Ghostly Grievances.

Its strength was definitely not to be underestimated; even if a Late Core Formation Stage Cultivator encountered it, they would have to fight bitterly, and with the slightest carelessness, they could fall.

"A bit interesting..."

Lu Qiu's mouth hooked slightly; not only was there no fear, but he revealed a look of interest. "Xiao, follow me, quietly."

He restrained his own and Ziling's Aura, and with the Beast Owl, which had also become cautious but had an even stronger look of excitement in its eyes, he quietly crept toward that depression.

Ziling also held her breath, following closely behind, her heart inevitably becoming nervous.

A Ghost King at the peak of the Late Core Formation Stage... even with Senior Lu here, it could not be an easy opponent, right?

As the distance closed, even through the thick ghost mist, one could faintly see a tall black ghost shadow standing in the center of the depression.

That ghost shadow was two zhang tall, its entire body wreathed in thick, impenetrable pitch-black ghost energy. As the ghost energy churned, one could faintly see that inside was a skeletal body wearing broken armor and holding a huge ghost-headed saber formed from Yin Qi.

In its eye sockets burned two fist-sized, dark golden soul fires, emitting a cold, violent, wise, and murderous light.

And in its left hand, it was actually holding a fist-sized, perfectly round, strange bead that emitted a faint green light, with liquid seemingly flowing inside!

The spiritual power fluctuation emitted by that bead clearly did not belong to the ghost itself, but was a Magic Treasure!

And judging by its grade, it was definitely not low!

Just as the three of Lu Qiu approached the edge of the depression and had not yet been fully exposed, the Ghost King seemed to sense something and turned its head abruptly. Those two dark golden soul fires "whooshed" and burned even more vigorously, firmly locking onto the direction where Lu Qiu and the others were!

"Hiss—!"

A sharp, ear-piercing hiss, filled with anger and murderous intent, was emitted from the Ghost King's mouth, shaking the surrounding ghost mist until it churned violently!

The next moment, as if in response to the Ghost King's call, dense "rustling" sounds and low ghost wails came from the thick black ghost mist all around!

Ghost shadows of various sizes, but all emitting fierce Auras, crawled out from the mist, dense and numerous; there were actually more than a dozen of them!

These ghost shadows had different forms; some were fierce ghosts, some were malevolent spirits, and there were also two smaller Ghost Yakshas. Their Auras, without exception, had reached the Late Foundation Establishment Stage!

After these ghosts appeared, they immediately scattered, forming a loose encirclement, faintly surrounding Lu Qiu, Ziling, and the Beast Owl in the middle!

For a time, the Yin wind roared, ghost cries echoed, and murderous intent lurked everywhere!

What was even more troublesome was that the Ghost King itself held that green bead Magic Treasure, which looked extraordinary!

No one knew what kind of eerie power this bead possessed.

Facing this sudden encirclement and the powerful pressure exuded by the Ghost King, Ziling's complexion couldn't help but turn a bit pale, and she subconsciously moved closer to Lu Qiu.

However, there was no trace of panic on Lu Qiu's face.

His gaze passed over the ghosts that had surrounded them and fell directly on the Ghost King in the center of the depression, which had an overwhelming Aura, especially on the green bead in its hand. A flash of inquiry crossed his eyes, and then, the corners of his mouth hooked into a satisfied arc.

"Not bad."

He whispered to himself, as if evaluating a piece of merchandise: "Soul Power is condensed, Yin evil is pure, and it even has a Magic Treasure... This Ghost King is enough for Xiao to have a full meal, and even... use it to break through the Bottleneck."

His tone was calm, yet it carried an unquestionable confidence.

It was as if this dangerous situation, which would make even a Late Core Formation Stage Cultivator shrink back in fear, was nothing more than a sumptuous feast prepared for the Beast Owl.