Chapter 759: The Ghost Venerable Goes Back on His Word

Chapter 759: Chapter 744: The Ghost Venerable Goes Back on His Word

Seeing Shen Lang standing motionless, Ghost Venerable Ye Youming couldn’t help but hurry him along.

This was understandable. Experts at the Emperor Martial Realm Basic Level had a lifespan of around 29,000 years. The three great Ghost Venerables, who were at the Emperor Martial Realm Middle Stage, had lifespans of about 40,000 years. If their Cultivation failed to advance beyond that time, they would face the Celestial Human Five Declines and ultimately turn to dust.

Ye Youming was one of the oldest relics in the Thousand Soul Hall. He had already lived for tens of thousands of years, and then, for no good reason, he had been trapped in this place for over ten thousand more…

If Shen Lang hadn’t arrived, he likely would have remained trapped within this Seal until his death.

The first time the Yumu Cave Blessed Land had opened, Ye Youming had captured several experts who entered this place. By searching their memories, he learned that the people of the Yumu Cave Blessed Land had vanished without a trace ten thousand years ago.

Now, after so long, Shen Lang had finally appeared. What’s more, he’d even taken the Heaven-Slaying Trident. With only one final obstacle remaining before he could see the light of day again, Ye Youming was so anxious he was practically jumping around underground like a monkey.

“Lord Ghost Venerable, there’s no need to be anxious,” Shen Lang said. “This Seal is in tatters, and without the Heaven-Slaying Trident to anchor it, breaking it won’t take much time.”

Shen Lang began to weave his way through the countless rockeries. Everywhere he stepped, he left behind a footprint that shimmered with blue light.

And though his figure wasn’t particularly large, the ground shook violently with his every step.

It was as if a Giant were walking across it!

“Come here. Stand in this spot and don’t move.” Shen Lang beckoned to Duanmu Xie. “In a little over half an hour, on my command, smash this spot with a full-force punch! Don’t hold anything back!”

Once Duanmu Xie walked over, Shen Lang immediately started moving again, his pace growing faster and faster.

「Half an hour later…」

Shen Lang had covered the entire thirty-li radius, leaving behind a trail of footprints that still shimmered with Spirit Light.

Having waited all this time, Ye Youming finally lost his patience. “Kid, this Sealing Array has a three-hundred-li radius. What are you doing walking around in such a small area? You think you can break this Seal just like that?”

Shen Lang, breathing a little heavily, replied, “If we were to properly dismantle this Seal, how could it possibly be so easy?”

“However, this Grand Array has many flaws to begin with. Your constant attacks over the last ten thousand years have left it in ruins. At the same time, it’s no longer anchored by the Heaven-Slaying Trident or the four external Arrays. Lord Ghost Venerable, if you just join forces with me and focus all your power on breaking a single point, you can escape this cage.”

Ye Youming said nothing. At this point, even if he didn’t trust Shen Lang, he had no other choice.

‘How could this young kid possibly have such abilities?’ Although he was suspicious, he had also witnessed Shen Lang’s heaven-defying methods with his own eyes. Deep down, his trust was already beginning to outweigh his doubt.

「Another ten minutes passed…」

Shen Lang let out a soft cry. “Lord Ghost Venerable, in five minutes, there will be a tide-like surge of Energy within the Hungry Ghost Dao! The external Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi will be drawn into this place by the Array. At that moment, the external Pure Yang Qi will clash with the Supreme Yin Qi within the Seal, neutralizing each other. That will be when the Seal is at its weakest!”

“When the time comes, I need you to listen for my command and focus all your power to strike the very spot where I’m standing now!”

“With the impact from your immense power, plus Duanmu Xie’s help from the outside, a small opening will be torn in the Seal. This opening will last no more than ten seconds, perhaps only two or three. Lord Ghost Venerable, you must seize that opportunity and charge out of the Seal within that time frame.”

“Otherwise, if you want another chance to get out, you’ll have to wait at least another fifty years!”

Ye Youming was stunned once more. “You even know about the Energy tide in five minutes? Who on earth are you? Are you one of the people from the Yumu Cave Blessed Land?”

“Aha! No wonder you, a mere kid, know so much about the Sealing Array here. You really do have some unspeakable connection to the Yumu Cave Blessed Land!”

Shen Lang rolled his eyes. “Lord Ghost Venerable, you’re overthinking it. I have no connection to the Yumu Cave Blessed Land. I just caught a few minor ghosts earlier and extracted their memories.”

“Besides, I’m proficient in Arrays. After studying this Seal for so long, it was simple enough to deduce the workings of the Energy tide in the Hungry Ghost Dao by observing the Seal’s changes and Profound Mysteries.”

“Huh?” Only then did Ye Youming remember the strange and powerful Cultivation Technique Shen Lang had used earlier to absorb who knows how many Ghosts.

‘Finding out what goes on inside the Hungry Ghost Dao must be as easy as flipping his hand for him.’

Ye Youming gave an awkward laugh. “Er, it’s mainly because I was tricked by the people of the Yumu Cave Blessed Land, so I’ve become a bit paranoid. Don’t take it to heart, young friend… Hehehe!”

Time slowly ticked by.

The gloomy Hungry Ghost Dao was completely silent.

With all the Dark Energy absorbed by Shen Lang and the countless vengeful and Fierce Souls drawn into his Tai Chi Diagram, the entire Hungry Ghost Dao was deathly still.

There were no screams or shrieks from the Ghosts, no… sound at all.

Suddenly…

A sound like a surging tide echoed from the distance, growing ever closer!

It was as if a massive torrent was sweeping toward them!

“It’s here!”

Standing quietly, Shen Lang lifted his head, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

In the distance, a fierce wind howled as a roiling wave of energy, visible to the naked eye, surged toward them like a tidal wave!

‘So it really is the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, drawn in by the Sealing Array. It seems the people of the Yumu Cave Blessed Land only intended to trap the Ghost Venerable, not kill him. They used this method to replenish the Energy in the Hungry Ghost Dao, converting it into the Dark Attribute via the Sealing Array…’

Shen Lang nodded to himself, standing motionless.

The fierce wind immediately swept past, sending Shen Lang’s long hair whipping through the air.

The instant this pure Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi from the outside world swept through, the Sealing Array, which was constructed from Dark Energy, began to shake violently, showing signs of instability!

“Lord Ghost Venerable! Duanmu Xie! Now!”

At Shen Lang’s explosive command, the Ghost Venerable, still sealed underground, unleashed his full power and struck the spot Shen Lang had indicated!

On the surface, Duanmu Xie, who had long been gathering his power, let out a fierce roar. His massive fist, wreathed in the boundless power of the Corpse Qi King, smashed down on the ground before him!

“BOOM!”

The two massive booms overlapped into a single, deafening roar. Within the Hungry Ghost Dao, the earth quaked and the heavens seemed to turn upside down!

On the ground, thick, sprawling Spiritual Lines became visible, revealing the entire Sealing Array right before Shen Lang’s eyes.

Then, at the point where Ghost Venerable Ye Youming had struck, an opening no larger than a person’s fist suddenly appeared!

Black gas surged wildly from the opening, erupting like a fountain!

“SHHHHH!”

A dragon-shaped cloud of smoke shot out violently from the tiny opening!

Then, after lasting for barely five seconds, the Sealing Array vanished once more.

The small opening that had appeared also sealed shut in an instant!

The dragon-shaped black mist that had shot out of the opening instantly dispersed, filling the entire sky of the Hungry Ghost Dao!

“Hahahaha! I, Ye Youming, am free!”

A world-destroying pressure enveloped the entire Hungry Ghost Dao, so immense that even Duanmu Xie couldn’t withstand it and was forced to his knees!

Amidst the bone-chilling, maniacal laughter, four streams of black gas shot out like lightning. With a series of hisses, they bound Shen Lang’s arms and legs, yanking him into a spread-eagle position!

“Don’t you dare harm my Lord!”

Duanmu Xie roared furiously, managing to force himself back to his feet under the terrifying pressure. He threw a punch toward the distant black mist that was issuing the maniacal laughter!

A cold snort came from the mountain-sized black mist. Without any visible surge of Energy, the punch Duanmu Xie had thrown suddenly reversed course and slammed heavily into his own chest!

Duanmu Xie cried out in pain as he was sent flying backward. He crashed hard onto the ground and passed out.

At that moment, Shen Lang, his limbs bound and unable to move, showed no change in his expression. There was not a trace of shock or fear in his eyes.

It was as if he had expected this to happen all along.

“Kid, you’re in my hands now. With a single thought, I can make you die a horrible death. Aren’t you afraid? That look on your face like you have everything under control… I find it really annoying!”

Ye Youming’s voice echoed from within the vast black mist.

Immediately, the four streams of black mist binding Shen Lang tightened violently!

As they constricted, even someone with Shen Lang’s mental fortitude couldn’t help but let out a pained grunt.

The black gas didn’t just bind his physical body; it sank into his flesh and bound his very soul.

The moment they tightened, the pain that erupted from the depths of his soul was enough to make the will of countless experts collapse in an instant!

Among the three great Ghost Venerables, Ye Youming was famous for his strange and mercurial temper.

He had been cooped up in this underground Seal for over ten thousand years, and the resentment in his heart soared to the heavens!

Now that he had finally escaped, he was ecstatic. However, the people of the Yumu Cave Blessed Land were long gone, leaving him no outlet for his grievances. He had also found Shen Lang irritating from the start, suspecting him of one thing after another, so he didn’t hesitate to make him suffer!

At this, Shen Lang slowly raised his head. “Using the Thousand Soul Hall’s Soul-locking Chain on me… don’t you think that’s a bit of overkill, Lord Ghost Venerable? I rescued you, and this is how you repay me? Are you planning to go back on your word?”

Ye Youming chuckled lightly. “Hehehe, how could I do something so faithless? I did promise not to kill you, and I have no intention of killing you. It’s just that since you’ve obtained the Heaven-Slaying Trident, you should at least pay a little interest, right?”

“Hand over your eyeballs, hahaha! The legendary Silver Eyes of Truth are worth far more than even the Ten Great Celestial Artifacts!”

“Silver Eyes of Truth? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Shen Lang had used his Silver Eyes of Truth multiple times in the Hungry Ghost Dao, so it was only natural that Ye Youming had noticed. But right now, his only option was to play dumb.

As expected, Ye Youming sneered, “The legendary Silver Eyes of Truth can see through all illusions and perceive all profound secrets. You might be able to fool others, but how could you possibly fool me?”

“Furthermore, that Cultivation Technique you practice is simply heaven-defying. It is the greatest nemesis of my Soul Race. Even I can’t help but feel my heart pound in terror when I sense the aura from that black hole. It makes me want to turn and flee!”

“I won’t kill you, but I must cripple your Cultivation. Otherwise, leaving you alive will make you the greatest threat to our Soul Race!”

Shen Lang’s expression remained unchanged. He asked calmly, “And? I doubt that’s all you want to do, Lord Ghost Venerable.”

Ye Youming was taken aback for a moment, then said coldly, “I’ll also extract your memories to see just who you are, and why you carry so many earth-shattering secrets!”

“Don’t worry, kid. Whether it’s gouging out your eyes, crippling your Cultivation, or extracting your memories, I won’t let you suffer too much, nor will I let you die. In consideration of the fact that you returned me to the world of the living, I will spare your life!”

The moment his voice fell, a gigantic hand emerged from the billowing black mist and reached for Shen Lang!

Already immobilized by the Soul-locking Chain, Shen Lang faced this unimaginable pressure and found it difficult to breathe, as if his body were about to explode…