Chapter 38: Ghost King Part 1

On the vast wilderness, Wu Yingzong transformed into a Giant Ape and carried Chaosheng as they raced at top speed, while Hulü Guang followed on foot, sprinting behind them.

Chaosheng said, “The person chosen by the Heart Lamp must have a pure heart, free of any evil thoughts.”

“But why did it end up choosing you in the end?” Wu Yingzong knew that their most important task on this journey was to find this peerless Magic Treasure, and according to Hulü Guang, Xiao Kun was severely injured while Xiang Xian’s whereabouts were unknown, making the situation extremely dire.

“What about Lord Xiao?” the Giant Ape asked again.

“I don’t know!” Hulü Guang was somewhat afraid of Wu Yingzong—his size was simply too massive. When he asked questions out of urgency, there was a faint roar in his tone, and his mouth was filled with fang-like canine teeth. Although Hulü Guang had always acted chivalrously and righteously, he had never directly confronted a Monster before; it was beyond his realm of understanding.

In this short half-day, too many inconceivable things had happened: first the explosion at the Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves, then the appearance of a person wreathed in black fire, and finally, at the top of the red rock mountain, Hulü Guang had seen a thick mass of dark clouds with lightning flashing within. Instinctively, he felt it was related to the day’s events, so he had rushed up the stone mountain.

Now things were growing more and more chaotic, enough to give Hulü Guang a throbbing headache, but Wu Yingzong turning into a White Ape seemed relatively normal amid all the bizarre sights.

“Were you born like this?” Hulü Guang asked again. “Or did some evil person turn you into this form?”

“He’s an Ape Immortal,” Chaosheng said. “It’s innate. The form we usually see is his human appearance after cultivation.”

Hulü Guang asked again, “Why isn’t he speaking? Is he angry?”

“He doesn’t have the energy to speak.” Chaosheng answered for Wu Yingzong.

Wu Yingzong was running at full speed, needing to maintain the circulation of his True Qi, so he couldn’t open his mouth. Yet Hulü Guang still had the spare energy to chat while wearing his toe-clip sandals during high-speed pursuit—not bad at all.

“Sorry.” Hulü Guang was clearly full of self-reproach.

Having heard the full account of events, Chaosheng changed his tone to console him. “This isn’t your fault.”

Xiang Xian and Xiao Kun were the strongest among the Exorcists, and even they hadn’t been able to control the situation—how could Hulü Guang, a mere mortal, be expected to?

“So you shattered that Magic Treasure?” Chaosheng pondered for a moment before saying, “Was that the Pure Light Glazed Lamp? Did the Heart Lamp enter your body?”

“What’s the Pure Light Glazed Lamp?” Hulü Guang asked again.

The cave clusters of the Gobi Clusters appeared ahead. Wu Yingzong let out a long howl and charged inside with them.

Chaosheng and Hulü Guang stopped talking. Wu Yingzong asked, “Where are the people?”

“They were just here.” Hulü Guang looked at the sandy clearing illuminated by sunlight streaming through the cracks. Xiao Kun had vanished from where he had been moments before, and his expression changed instantly. “Where is he?”

Wu Yingzong: “How could you leave him here?”

“I had no choice!” Hulü Guang said. “That person told me to go find you all!”

“Don’t panic,” Chaosheng said. “Who exactly did you encounter?”

Wu Yingzong: “What if it was an enemy?”

Hulü Guang: “He wasn’t an enemy—because of his eyes. He… their eyes are the same, and he said, he said…”

A voice rang out from deep within the cave: “Because I’m his father.”

Wu Yingzong whipped his head around. That male War Dead Corpse Ghost appeared once more, dressed in a fitted chainmail tunic that revealed his robust physique. His exposed wrists were covered in scars, and he emerged in the dim sunlight, walking toward them.

When Hulü Guang had arrived, he had covered his face with a ragged cloth, exposing only his indigo Nether Eyes. After Chaosheng arrived, this mysterious man proactively removed the face cloth, openly revealing features that bore an extremely high resemblance to Xiao Kun’s.

He looked no older than thirty, with a high nose bridge and clear, handsome brows and eyes. The only difference was that his skin was paler than Xiao Kun’s, tinged with a grayish-blue hue.

“Yeah, he looks just like Lord Xiao’s dad at first glance.” Hulü Guang explained.

Chaosheng and the mysterious guest locked eyes. Wu Yingzong asked, “Where’s my Master?”

This was his most pressing concern. The male War Dead Corpse Ghost replied, “He was taken away by Mr. Liu, one of ‘Mu’s’ subordinates. He should not be in immediate danger for now. Come, come inside. My name is Jing Pian Ge. I suspect Xiao Kun might have mentioned me to you?”

The War Dead Corpse Ghost named Jing Pian Ge showed no hostility. He turned and led them deep into the Gobi cave.

Xiao Kun lay on a stone platform, his breathing having stopped. Chaosheng cried out upon seeing this and lunged forward.

“He tried to forcibly draw the Heart Lamp into his body, and at the moment his Spiritual Power was depleted, he forcibly ignited his Inner Elixir’s Divine Sense to summon the Celestial Maiden Hanba’s Divine Descent.” Jing Pian Ge said gravely. “His meridians and flesh were scorched by the Heart Lamp and then ravaged in fierce battle, destroying most of him. I used a secret art to temporarily seal his Three Souls and Seven Poises within his body.”

He looked up at Chaosheng and continued, “While they were being pursued, that young man named Xiang Xian risked his life to protect him and was taken away by your enemies.”

Chaosheng’s voice trembled as he said, “What now? What do we do?”