Volume II: The Appearance of the Nine Provinces Map and Entering the Spirit Ruins Chapter 139: Rampant Phantoms

With ghosts marching in unison, Chen Yu and the other three were instantly struck with terror.

"The old scoundrel Xuyang is set on killing us. Escape is no longer an option. Our only choice is to fight," Liu Yue'er shouted in a deep voice, taking the lead and charging straight into the horde of ghosts.

Though terrified, Xiao Xiang knew he had to fight for his life, so he brandished his sword and rushed forward as well: "Old bastard Xuyang, I, Xiao Xiang, will not coexist with you under the same heaven!"

Zhu Yi also rushed in with a dark expression. Naturally, Chen Yu did not fall behind.

In an instant, sword qi crisscrossed the air as one ghost after another perished beneath their blades. Yet, this Inverted Mysterious Yin formation seemed connected to the Nine Hells; the ghosts were endless and inexhaustible, charging forward wave after wave. If this war of attrition continued, the four of them would sooner or later exhaust their strength and die.

"Damned... old bastard..." Xiao Xiang cursed inwardly. Then, he turned to Liu Yue'er and asked, "Liu Yue'er, since you know about this Inverted Mysterious Yin formation, do you know how to break it?"

Liu Yue'er's expression darkened as she replied, "I have only heard of it. How could I possibly know how to break it?"

"Damn it... What should we do then? Are we really going to keep draining our strength against this like this?" Xiao Xiang asked bitterly.

At that moment, Chen Yu asked, "Liu Yue'er, can your Departing Flood Dragon Fish Cage cover the entire Crescent Moon Peak?"

"What are you trying to do?" the other three asked with puzzled expressions. Liu Yue'er also furrowed her brow deeply.

"The power of thunder and fire is the nemesis of ghosts. If the Departing Flood Dragon Fish Cage covers the entire Crescent Moon Peak, we might just have a chance to break this deadlock," Chen Yu explained.

Upon hearing this, the three of them understood. This was indeed a good idea, though it was uncertain whether it would succeed. But did they have any other choices left now?

Liu Yue'er said, "I am proficient in setting up array talismans, but I have very few Fire-Spitting, Five-Thunder, and Wind-Borrowing talismans left—not enough to cover this Crescent Moon Peak."

Without a second word, Chen Yu took out all the Wind-Borrowing and Fire-Spitting talismans he had on him, amounting to over forty pieces.

Immediately after, the two of them looked at Zhu Yi and Xiao Xiang. Although somewhat reluctant, the two knew that in order to survive, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and contribute.

"Fine... I need the time it takes for a stick of incense to prepare," Liu Yue'er told the three of them.

This time, Chen Yu did not hesitate further and said, "I will try my best to buy you time."

Xiao Xiang and Zhu Yi could only nod heavily.

The three of them stood guard at three separate positions, protecting Liu Yue'er in the center.

Realizing what they were up to, Master Xuyang let out a cold snort as the number of ghosts surged dramatically, swarming fiercely toward Chen Yu and the others.

Chen Yu, Zhu Yi, and Xiao Xiang were shaken, but this was no longer the time to retreat; they had no choice but to brace themselves and fight. With angry roars, the three of them unleashed waves of flashing sword light.

At this moment, Chen Yu pulled out all the stops: he employed the Summoning Wind and Summoning Rain Technique, the Golden Light of Earth-Crossing, the Dragon-Subduing and Tiger-Taming Technique, the Instant Blossoming Technique, the Five Elements Blazing Fire Sword, and the Supreme Clumsy Sword Art...

The sharpness of his sword qi was fully displayed, mowing down these ghosts as easily as cutting vegetables.

Although there were numerous ghosts, their individual strength was not formidable, so how could they possibly match Chen Yu? Yet, precisely because of their sheer numbers, it was impossible to annihilate them in a short time, failing to resolve the current predicament.

Ah... Zhu Yi was the first to reach her limit, her arm bitten by a ghost. A chilling, freezing energy coursed through her entire body, draining the color from her face. Frost instantly formed over her bitten arm, causing her strength to plummet drastically.

"Get lost..." Zhu Yi roared in fury, her expression filled with terror.

"Is Liu Yue'er not ready yet?" Zhu Yi urged anxiously. Over on the other side, Xiao Xiang was also struggling desperately to hold on.

"Wait, half a cup of tea's time is all that is needed," Liu Yue'er replied, well aware of the pressing time constraints. Therefore, she did not flare up at Zhu Yi's resentful complaints, simply doing the best she could.

"Hold on, we still have a chance," Chen Yu said in a deep voice, hoping to help Zhu Yi regain her composure.

"Hold on... hold on..." Panicked and restless, Zhu Yi lost all faith in achieving victory against this vast horde of ghosts. With resentful cries, she shouted, "If you want to struggle here, that's your business, but I'm not playing along anymore. I refuse to believe I can't escape this so-called Inverted Mysterious Yang formation!"

With that, Zhu Yi abandoned the others, slashed through the surrounding ghosts, and fled into the distance.

"Don't... come back quickly..." Liu Yue'er thought anxiously. If she were disturbed by the ghosts now, all her previous efforts would go down the drain. That truly would spell utter despair.

Before Zhu Yi could get far, however, she was engulfed by the ghosts swarming from all directions, and in a split second, she was decapitated.

"Heh-hehe... One has already been dealt with. As for the three of you? How much longer can you last?" Master Xuyang sneered from the shadows.

Xiao Xiang's heart was thrown into chaos as well, prompting him to shout at Liu Yue'er, "Attack now! Otherwise, we won't have any chance left!"

"No! This little bit of power is simply not enough to wipe out these ghosts," Liu Yue'er said sternly.

"Could it be that we still have a chance?" Xiao Xiang was nearing a state of madness.

"Haha... Don't rush, you have plenty of time," Master Xuyang sneered evilly, seeking to break their psychological defenses. "We can slowly play with you."

Chen Yu said, "Liu Yue'er, continue. I will shoulder these ghosts."

Liu Yue'er gave Chen Yu a deep look. Although she had no idea what other tricks he had up his sleeve, she had no choice but to trust Chen Yu now.

"Damn it, it's you again..." Xiao Xiang could not help cursing aloud.

"If you want to die faster, keep talking," Chen Yu said coldly. His icy gaze caused a sudden tightening in Xiao Xiang's chest.

Without wasting any more words, Chen Yu pulled a handful of ten beans from his tunic and cast them using the Bean-Soldier Incarnation Technique. Instantly, ten identical figures of Chen Yu appeared, guarding the fronts of the three remaining people respectively.

"Bean-Soldier Incarnation? One of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Arts?" Xiao Xiang said in a deep voice. "Since you possess such Daoist magic, why didn't you use it earlier?"

Yet Chen Yu merely glanced at Xiao Xiang as if looking at an idiot.

Although the Bean-Soldier Incarnation Technique created several clones to fight for him, it also diluted Chen Yu's own spiritual power. Unless absolutely necessary, he would never casually employ it.

Seemingly realizing his own foolishness, Xiao Xiang darkened his expression and said no more, though the murderous intent he harbored toward Chen Yu deepened by a fraction.

"Tsk tsk... Interesting. To think that someone at the One-Origin Realm has cultivated so many spells from the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Arts. Truly remarkable," Master Xuyang sneered in profound surprise. "Unfortunately, this is the end of the line for you."

Abruptly, the situation shifted again as an invisible force invaded the minds of the three survivors, attempting to take control of their consciousness.

"Oh no..." the three thought in alarm, instantly guarding their minds to resist the chilling intrusion.

Fortunately, Chen Yu's bean-soldiers were unaffected and could still fight.

"This won't do. If this continues, I won't be able to concentrate on casting the spell at all," Liu Yue'er said.

"Damn it..." Chen Yu let out a low shout, immediately invoking the Instant Blossoming Technique to envelop the three of them within its domain. Their minds instantly felt much lighter.

"Hurry... I can't hold on for long," Chen Yu urged anxiously.