nà jì miè guāng zhù bìng bù qǐ yǎn ， rán ér lín xuān shén shí lüè sǎo zhī hòu què liǎn sè dà biàn ， xiǎng yě bù xiǎng dé tái zhǐ yì diǎn ， hū dé yī shēng ， nà miàn huǒ hóng gǔ dùn chū xiàn zài le miàn qián 。
那寂灭光柱并不起眼，然而林轩神识略扫之后却脸色大变，想也不想得抬指一点，呼得一声，那面火红古盾出现在了面前。
That silent light pillar was unremarkable, but Lin Xuan's divine consciousness swept over it and his expression changed dramatically. Without hesitation, he flicked a finger, and the ancient red shield appeared before him with a whoosh.
guāng huá yī shǎn ， gǔ dùn huà wèi le yī céng hóng sè dé hù zhào ， biǎo miàn shàng què yǒu wú shù jīn sè dé fú wén yíng rào ， xiǎn de huá měi yì cháng 。
光华一闪，古盾化为了一层红色得护罩，表面上却有无数金色得符文萦绕，显得华美异常。
The light flashed, transforming the shield into a layer of crimson protection. Golden runes swirled around its surface, making it look exceptionally beautiful.
guāng zhù hōng zài qí shàng ， fú wén shǎn shuò bù yǐ ， què yǒu jīng wú xiǎn dé jiāng qí jiē le xià lái 。
光柱轰在其上，符文闪烁不已，却有惊无险得将其接了下来。
The light pillar struck it, causing the runes to flash continuously but failed to harm Lin Xuan.
lín xuān diǎn diǎn tóu ， cǐ wù què shí shì yī dǐng jiān gǔ bǎo ， qí fáng yù shén tōng yǔ xiāo yáo shàn xiāng bǐ ， qiáng le shù bèi yǒu yú 。
林轩点点头，此物确实是一顶尖古宝，其防御神通与逍遥扇相比，强了数倍有余。
Lin Xuan nodded. This item was indeed an ancient treasure of top-notch quality. Its defensive power far surpassed that of the Idle Fan by several times.
ér xuán zhēn guǐ wáng zé liǎn rú sǐ huī ， yù mèn dé xiǎng yào tù xiě ， zì jǐ lián zì sǔn dé shén tōng dōu shī zhǎn chū lái ， yī rán bèi duì fāng qīng yì dǎng xià ， shuāng fāng shí lì chā jù tài dà ， yǐ jīng méi yǒu bì yào zài pīn dòu xià qù le a ！
而玄真鬼王则脸如死灰，郁闷得想要吐血，自己连自损得神通都施展出来，依然被对方轻易挡下，双方实力差距太大，已经没有必要再拼斗下去了啊！
However, the Profound True Demon King's face turned ashen with a look of depression and frustration. He had even used his self-destructive technique but still couldn't break through Lin Xuan's defense. The gap in their strength was too great; there was no need to continue fighting anymore!
rán ér tā méi yǒu tuì hòu zhī yì ， fǎn ér yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī jué jué 。
然而它没有退后之意，反而眼中闪过一丝决绝。
But he didn't retreat. Instead, a determined glint appeared in his eyes.
shēn shǒu rù huái ， qǔ chū yí gè mù zhì dé cháng fāng xíng hé zi lái ， hé gài dǎ kāi ， lǐ miàn què shì yī xíng mào gǔ guài dé líng cǎo 。
伸手入怀，取出一个木制得长方形盒子来，盒盖打开，里面却是一形貌古怪得灵草。
He reached into his robe and took out a wooden rectangular box. When the lid opened, a peculiar-looking spirit herb lay inside.
nà cǎo zhǎng yuē yī chǐ ， ér bì cū xì ， yǒu diǎn xiàng rén shēn ， tōng tǐ què zuò wū hēi zhī sè ， gèng jiā guǐ yì dé shì ， zài nà cǎo dé jīng kuài zhī shàng ， yǒu yī zhāng zhǐ jiǎ gài dà xiǎo dé guǐ liǎn ， suī rán xiǎo le yì diǎn ， kě yǎn ěr kǒu bí ， què wéi miào wéi xiào ， xiǎn de zhēng níng yì cháng 。
那草长约一尺，儿臂粗细，有点像人参，通体却做乌黑之色，更加诡异得是，在那草得茎块之上，有一张指甲盖大小得鬼脸，虽然小了一点，可眼耳口鼻，却惟妙惟肖，显得狰狞异常。
The herb was about a foot long, as thick as an arm, somewhat resembling ginseng but entirely black. More bizarrely, on its stem, there was a ghost face the size of a thumbnail, although small, it had every detail—eyes, ears, mouth, and nose—exquisitely rendered, making it look extremely fierce.
lín xuān jiàn le cǐ wù ， méi tóu bù yóu de yī tiāo ， zuò wèi líng yào shān shǎo zhǔ ， liàn dān dé běn lǐng zàn qiě bù shuō ， guāng lùn cǎo yào zhī shí dé yuān bó ， tā xiāng xìn yǔ shī zūn tōng yǔ zhēn rén xiāng bǐ ， yě háo bù xùn sè ， kě què cóng wèi jiàn guò cǐ wù ， shì guǐ jiè dé zhí wù ？
林轩见了此物，眉头不由得一挑，做为灵药山少主，炼丹得本领暂且不说，光论草药知识得渊博，他相信与师尊通羽真人相比，也毫不逊色，可却从未见过此物，是鬼界得植物？
Lin Xuan's eyebrows raised upon seeing this item. As the young master of Spirit Herb Mountain, his knowledge of herbs was vast, comparable to that of his mentor, Immortal Tongyu. Yet he had never seen such a thing before. Was it from the ghost realm?
duì fāng ná tā chū lái gàn shén me ？
对方拿它出来干什么？
What purpose did the other party have in bringing it out?
lín xuān xīn zhōng yī dòng ， yǐn yǐn cāi dào le yī èr ， què qí guài dé méi yǒu mǎ shàng chū shǒu 。
林轩心中一动，隐隐猜到了一二，却奇怪得没有马上出手。
Lin Xuan's mind stirred as he vaguely guessed what might be happening but hesitated to act immediately.
ér xuán zhēn guǐ wáng 。 yǐ jīng jiāng zhè zhū qí cǎo sòng dào le zuǐ biān ， fú xià zhè zhū yōu luó cān zhī hòu ， zì jǐ bù xiāo yī shí sān kè 。 jiù huì bào tǐ ér wáng ， rán ér zài zhè duǎn zàn dé shí jiān lǐ ， xiū wèi què huì kuáng shēng shù bèi ， miè le duì fāng bù guò shì jǔ shǒu zhī láo 。
而玄真鬼王。已经将这株奇草送到了嘴边，服下这株幽罗参之后，自己不消一时三刻。就会爆体而亡，然而在这短暂得时间里，修为却会狂升数倍，灭了对方不过是举手之劳。
Meanwhile, the Profound True Demon King had already brought this strange herb close to his mouth. After consuming this Yuluo Ginseng, he would die within a short while, but his cultivation level would skyrocket several times over in that brief period. Eliminating the opponent was merely a matter of lifting a finger.
shēn wèi guǐ dì bì xià dì qīn chuán dì zǐ ， qǐ néng chǐ rǔ dé bài gěi yī wèi níng dān chū qī dé xiū shì ， jiù suàn shì hún fēi pò sàn ， yě yào lā shàng duì fāng 。
身为鬼帝陛下地亲传弟子，岂能耻辱得败给一位凝丹初期得修士，就算是魂飞魄散，也要拉上对方。
As a direct disciple of His Imperial Majesty Ghost Emperor, how could he bear the shame of losing to an early-stage Core Condensation cultivator? Even if it meant losing his soul and body, he had to take down the opponent with him.
“ xuán zhēn dà gē ， bù bì yú sǐ wǎng pò ， xiǎo mèi yǔ nǐ lián shǒu 。 miè le zhè ge jiā huo 。”
“玄真大哥，不必鱼死网破，小妹与你联手。灭了这个家伙。”
"Brother True Profound, no need for us both to die. Sister will help you defeat this guy."
yī qīng cuì yuè ěr dì shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， guǐ wáng yǒu xiē chà yì dé huí guò tóu ， jiù kàn jiàn yī róng mào xiù měi dé shào nǚ chū xiàn zài le bù yuǎn zhī chù 。
一清脆悦耳地声音传入耳朵，鬼王有些诧异得回过头，就看见一容貌秀美得少女出现在了不远之处。
A clear and pleasant voice entered his ears as a beautiful young woman appeared not far away.
suī rán cóng biǎo miàn shàng kàn ， nà shào nǚ yǔ rén lèi nǚ xiū méi yǒu qū bié ， rán ér níng mù xì wàng ， què fā xiàn tā bìng méi yǒu shí tǐ ， ér qiě tōng tǐ chōng mǎn le yīn sēn guǐ qì 。
虽然从表面上看，那少女与人类女修没有区别，然而凝目细望，却发现她并没有实体，而且通体充满了阴森鬼气。
Although she looked like an ordinary human female cultivator from afar, upon closer inspection, Lin Xuan realized that she had no实体, her entire body exuding a sinister aura of the ghost realm.
zhè nǚ zǐ yě shì hún pò zhī shēn ， ér qiě tóng yàng dá dào le guǐ wáng dé děng jí 。
这女子也是魂魄之身，而且同样达到了鬼王得等级。
This woman was also a soul entity and had reached the level of Demon King.
“ nǐ shì ？” guǐ wáng dé liǎn shàng liú lù chū yī sī chà yì 。
“你是？”鬼王得脸上流露出一丝诧异。
"You are?" The Profound True Demon King's face showed surprise.
“ xiǎo mèi nǎi hào tiān guǐ dì zuò xià 。 lín yuè ér jiù shì 。”
“小妹乃昊天鬼帝座下。林月儿就是。”
"I am Lin Yue'er, under His Imperial Majesty Ghost Emperor."
“ lín yuè ér ？”
“林月儿？”
"Lin Yue'er?"
xuán zhēn guǐ wáng yí zhèng ， dì yī cì tīng shuō zhè ge míng zì ， dàn tā yě méi yǒu huái yí ， suī rán yě yǒu yī xiē yīn hún luò rù xiū shì zhī shǒu ， bèi pò qiān dìng zhǔ pú xuè qì ， dàn qū qū yí gè níng dān chū qī dé xiū shì ， zěn me kě néng yōng yǒu guǐ wáng děng jí dé nú pú 。
玄真鬼王一怔，第一次听说这个名字，但它也没有怀疑，虽然也有一些阴魂落入修士之手，被迫签订主仆血契，但区区一个凝丹初期得修士，怎么可能拥有鬼王等级得奴仆。
The Profound True Demon King was taken aback. He had never heard this name before, but he didn't doubt it. Although some ghosts were forced to sign servitude contracts with cultivators and become their servants, a mere early-stage Core Condensation cultivator couldn't possibly have a Demon King-level servant.
“ xiè xiè hún yǒu 。”
“谢谢魂友。”
"Thank you for your support."
“ bù yòng kè qì 。”
“不用客气。”
"You're welcome."
lín yuè ér shuō dào zhè lǐ 。 shēn chū xiǎo shǒu ， shuāng zhǎng zhè me qīng qīng yī pāi ， yí miàn xiǎo qiǎo dé mó fān jiù fú xiàn le chū lái 。
林玥儿说道这里。伸出小手，双掌这么轻轻一拍，一面小巧得魔幡就浮现了出来。
Lin Yue'er extended her small hand, clapping her palms together lightly, revealing a tiny magical banner. With a gentle wave, countless demon souls emerged from it with eerie howls.
qīng qīng huī dòng ， bàn suí zhe qī lì dé sī hǒu 。 wú shù dì yāo hún shòu pò cóng lǐ miàn yǒng xiàn le chū lái 。
轻轻挥动，伴随着凄厉得嘶吼。无数地妖魂兽魄从里面涌现了出来。
"Quickly!"
“ jí ！”
“疾！”
Moon'er pointed at the creature, and several whizzing sounds echoed as all the soul beasts converged into one entity, transforming into an enormous ghost towering over several meters tall, wielding a massive cleaver.
yuè ér yì diǎn zhǐ ， sōu sōu zhī shēng xiǎng qǐ ， shòu hún quán bù xiàng mǒu yī chù shè qù ， bìng qiě níng jié zài yì qǐ ， biàn chéng le yī tóu shēn gāo shù zhàng ， shǒu chí jù dà kǎn dāo dé è guǐ xíng xiàng 。
月儿一点指，嗖嗖之声响起，兽魂全部像某一处射去，并且凝结在一起，变成了一头身高数丈，手持巨大砍刀得恶鬼形象。
The Profound True Demon King was taken aback but quickly showed signs of joy. With his keen eyesight, he recognized that this treasure was extraordinary and immediately stowed away the Yuluo Ginseng in his robe. With Moon'er's help, they had a good chance to defeat the cultivator before them, so there was no need for further combat.
xuán zhēn guǐ wáng yī lèng ， suí jí miàn lù kuáng xǐ 。 yǐ tā dé yǎn lì 。 zì rán kàn chū cǐ bǎo fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， dāng jí jiāng nà yōu luó cān yě shōu rù le huái lǐ 。 yǒu zhè wèi hún yǒu lián shǒu ， duì shàng yǎn qián dé xiū shì ， tā men yě dà yǒu qǔ shèng dé xī wàng ， zì rán yòng bù zhe yǔ duì fāng bó mìng qù le 。
玄真鬼王一愣，随即面露狂喜。以它得眼力。自然看出此宝非同小可，当即将那幽罗参也收入了怀里。有这位魂友联手，对上眼前得修士，他们也大有取胜得希望，自然用不着与对方搏命去了。
With a cruel smile, the Profound True Demon King raised his claws, releasing another ghost head fork as he opened his mouth and spat out grayish-black ghost fire that flickered on the fork.
níng xiào yī shēng zhī hòu ， xuán zhēn guǐ wáng lì zhuǎ yī yáng ， yòu fàng chū yī zhī guǐ tóu fēi chā fǎ bǎo ， tóng shí zuǐ yī zhāng ， yī kǒu huī bái yīn huǒ pēn chū ， zài nà fēi chā shàng hū míng hū àn dé guǐ yì rán shāo qǐ lái 。
狞笑一声之后，玄真鬼王利爪一扬，又放出一只鬼头飞叉法宝，同时嘴一张，一口灰白阴火喷出，在那飞叉上忽明忽暗得诡异燃烧起来。
Lin Xuan's brow furrowed. With his left hand, he produced an emerald green jade flute, precisely the soul beast treasure, more powerful than ordinary ancient treasures.
lín xuān méi tou yí zhòu ， zuǒ shǒu yī fān ， zhǎng xīn zhōng yǐ duō chū le yī jīng yíng bì lǜ dé yù dí lái ， zhèng shì nà shòu hún zhī bǎo ， wēi lì yǔ pǔ tōng dé gǔ bǎo xiāng bǐ ， hái yào shèng shàng yī chóu 。
林轩眉头一皱，左手一翻，掌心中已多出了一晶莹碧绿得玉笛来，正是那兽魂之宝，威力与普通得古宝相比，还要胜上一筹。
"Go!"
“ qù ！”
“去！”
Seeing the fork encased in grayish-black demon fire heading towards him, Lin Xuan commanded his jade flute with a light snap of his fingers. The treasure transformed into a green beam and clashed with the fork.
jiàn nà bāo guǒ zhe huī bái yāo huǒ dì fēi chā cì xiàng zì jǐ ， lín xuān chōng zhe yù dí yī shēng qīng chì ， dùn shí ， nà bǎo wù yě huà wèi yī dào lǜ guāng ， yǔ fēi chā dòu zài yì qǐ 。
见那包裹着灰白妖火地飞叉刺向自己，林轩冲着玉笛一声轻叱，顿时，那宝物也化为一道绿光，与飞叉斗在一起。
Although the ghost king's treasure was formidable, it clearly fell short compared to the soul beast treasure. Soon, it was forced to retreat.
guǐ wáng jì chū dé zhè jiàn fǎ bǎo suī rán wēi lì bù xiǎo ， rán ér yǔ shòu hún zhī bǎo xiāng bǐ ， míng xiǎn yào xùn shàng yī chóu ， mò guò duō jiǔ ， jiù bèi bī luò dào le xià fēng 。
鬼王祭出得这件法宝虽然威力不小，然而与兽魂之宝相比，明显要逊上一筹，没过多久，就被逼落到了下风。
"Brother, don't worry; I'll help you," Moon'er said as she directed the gathered soul beasts into the form of an enormous ghost that charged at the Profound True Demon King from behind.
“ dà gē mò huāng ， xiǎo mèi bāng nǐ 。” yuè ér shuō dào zhè lǐ ， qū shǐ nà shòu hún níng jù ér chéng dé è guǐ chōng le shàng lái 。
“大哥莫慌，小妹帮你。”月儿说到这里，驱使那兽魂凝聚而成得恶鬼冲了上来。
In a blink, the ghost arrived behind the Profound True Demon King. As they were companions, the demon king had no defenses and was caught off guard by the sudden wind noise. Before he could react, his neck felt cold as the green-faced ghost head shot up into the air.
jī hū zhǎ yǎn zhī jiān ， jiù lái dào le xuán zhēn guǐ wáng dé hòu miàn 。
几乎眨眼之间，就来到了玄真鬼王得后面。
Unlike cultivators, the life of ferocious souls and fierce spirits was much harder to end; even with their heads cut off, they didn't die immediately. Their eyes bulged with intense hatred as they stared at the beautiful young woman.
jì shì tóng bàn ， guǐ wáng zì rán méi yǒu sī háo fáng bèi zhī xīn ， hū tīng dé nǎo hòu fēng shēng yǒu yì ， xīn zhōng lüè lüè gǎn dào yǒu xiē jīng yí ， hái lái bù jí yǒu suǒ fǎn yìng ， jiù gǎn dào bó shàng yī liáng ， nà qīng miàn liáo yá dé guǐ tóu jiù chōng tiān fēi qǐ
既是同伴，鬼王自然没有丝毫防备之心，忽听得脑后风声有异，心中略略感到有些惊疑，还来不及有所反应，就感到脖上一凉，那青面獠牙得鬼头就冲天飞起
Their gaze was like sharp swords, but Moon'er paid no mind. She opened her mouth and spat out a greenish-black ghost fire of her own.
yǔ xiū shì bù tóng ， xiōng hún lì pò dé mìng yào yìng dé duō ， jí shǐ tóu lú bèi zhǎn xià ， yě yī shí wèi sǐ ， chì mù yuán zhēng ， yuàn dú yǐ jí dé dīng xiàng nà róng mào xiù měi dì shào nǚ 。
与修士不同，凶魂厉魄得命要硬得多，即使头颅被斩下，也一时未死，赤目圆睁，怨毒以极得盯像那容貌秀美地少女。
"Boom!" The Profound True Demon King's remains were enveloped in the blast, turning to ashes within moments.
mù guāng yǒu rú lì jiàn yī yàng ， dàn yuè ér zì rán bú huì zài yì ， tán kǒu yī zhāng ， tóng yàng pēn chū yī kǒu bì lǜ sè dé yīn huǒ 。
目光有如利剑一样，但月儿自然不会在意，檀口一张，同样喷出一口碧绿色得阴火。
"Not bad."
“ hōng ” dé yī xià ， jiāng xuán zhēn guǐ wáng dé cán qū bāo guǒ ， bù xiǎo yī shí sān kè jiù huà wéi huī jìn le 。
“轰”得一下，将玄真鬼王得残躯包裹，不小一时三刻就化为灰烬了。
"You flatter me," Moon'er said as she retracted the ghost head into a beam of white light that flew into Lin Xuan's sleeve.
“ gàn dé bù cuò 。”
“干得不错。”
This guy was indeed formidable. Although Lin Xuan didn't know what item the other party had brought out last, his desperate expression was clear. Force wasn't enough; intelligence was key. Lin Xuan had Moon'er carry out a feint, and it worked perfectly.
“ shào yé guò jiǎng le 。” yuè ér jiāng nà è guǐ yī shōu ， rán hòu huà wèi yī dào bái guāng ， fēi rù le lín xuān dì yī xiù 。
“少爷过奖了。”月儿将那恶鬼一收，然后化为一道白光，飞入了林轩地衣袖。
Lin Xuan waved his hand, sending a white light arc to retrieve all the treasures he had released. With his divine awareness, the Iron Armor Corpse obediently returned to the Spirit Ghost Bag.
zhè ge jiā huo què shí fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， lín xuān suī bù zhī tā zuì hòu ná chū lái de dōng xī shì hé wù dàn xiǎng yào pīn mìng dé biǎo qíng què shì xiǎn ér yì jiàn dé ， lì dí bù rú zhì qǔ ， lín xuān ràng yuè ér xíng fǎn jiàn jì ， guǒ rán yī jī chéng gōng 。
这个家伙确实非同小可，林轩虽不知它最后拿出来得东西是何物但想要拼命得表情却是显而易见得，力敌不如智取，林轩让月儿行反间计，果然一击成功。
In the sky filled with dark energy, several unclaimed items remained: one was the demon flame black pearl facing off against the Divine Fire Sacred Pearl, and two ghost head forks. Lin Xuan wouldn't waste them; he carefully stored them away. These treasures were powerful enough for Moon'er to use if needed.
lín xuān huī huī shǒu ， yī dào bái sè dé guāng hú tuō shǒu ér chū ， jiāng jì chū qù dé bǎo wù yī yī huí shōu ， rán hòu shén niàn dòng chù ， tiě jiǎ liàn shī yě guāi guāi dé huí dào le líng guǐ dài zhōng 。
林轩挥挥手，一道白色得光弧脱手而出，将祭出去得宝物一一回收，然后神念动处，铁甲炼尸也乖乖得回到了灵鬼袋中。
The last item in the wooden box was the ghost-faced strange ginseng. Although Lin Xuan didn't know its origin or whether it might be highly toxic, he hesitated before deciding not to destroy it. He would store it and check the records later.
cǐ shí ， nà bù mǎn yīn qì dì tiān kōng zhī zhōng ， hái yǒu jǐ jiàn wú zhǔ zhī wù ， yī shì nà yǔ xuán huǒ shén zhū duì zhì dì yāo yàn hēi zhū ， hái yǒu liǎng bǐng guǐ tóu fēi chā ， lín xuān zì rán bú huì làng fèi ， tuǒ shàn shōu hǎo ， zhè jǐ jiàn bǎo wù wēi lì fēi xiǎo ， jiù suàn gěi yuè ér yòng yòng yě hǎo 。
此时，那布满阴气地天空之中，还有几件无主之物，一是那与玄火神珠对峙地妖焰黑珠，还有两柄鬼头飞叉，林轩自然不会浪费，妥善收好，这几件宝物威力非小，就算给月儿用用也好。
After completing all this, Lin Xuan finally had the energy to survey the battlefield.
zuì hòu yī yàng ， zé shì nà mù hé zhōng dé guǐ miàn guài cān ， lín xuān suī rán bù zhī cǐ wù lái lì ， shèn zhì hái kě néng shì jù dú huò zhě yīn qì jí zhòng dì dōng xī ， dàn lüè yī chóu chú ， lín xuān hái shì méi yǒu jiāng tā huǐ qù ， xiān shōu qǐ lái ， yǐ hòu zài fān yuè yī xià diǎn jí 。
最后一样，则是那木盒中得鬼面怪参，林轩虽然不知此物来历，甚至还可能是剧毒或者阴气极重地东西，但略一踌躇，林轩还是没有将它毁去，先收起来，以后再翻阅一下典籍。
The gathering of dark energy was originally a shared consciousness between him and the Profound True Demon King. With his defeat, the shield naturally broke, dissipating the gathered dark energy in all directions.
zuò hǎo zhè yī qiè hòu ， lín xuān cái téng chū jīng lì ， dǎ liàng zhōu wéi dé zhàn jú 。
做好这一切后，林轩才腾出精力，打量周围得战局。
Light beams pierced through the sky as cultivators fought with ghosts. Overall, the cultivators were slightly at a disadvantage since the restrictions were merely simple arrays that could only cause some trouble for the ghosts but had limited effect once they calmed down.
That silent light pillar was unremarkable, but Lin Xuan's divine consciousness swept over it and his expression changed dramatically. Without hesitation, he flicked a finger, and the ancient red shield appeared before him with a whoosh.
The light flashed, transforming the shield into a layer of crimson protection. Golden runes swirled around its surface, making it look exceptionally beautiful.
"Pfft."
The light pillar struck it, causing the runes to flash continuously but failed to harm Lin Xuan.
Lin Xuan nodded. This item was indeed an ancient treasure of top-notch quality. Its defensive power far surpassed that of the Idle Fan by several times.
However, the Profound True Demon King's face turned ashen with a look of depression and frustration. He had even used his self-destructive technique but still couldn't break through Lin Xuan's defense. The gap in their strength was too great; there was no need to continue fighting anymore!
But he didn't retreat. Instead, a determined glint appeared in his eyes.
He reached into his robe and took out a wooden rectangular box. When the lid opened, a peculiar-looking spirit herb lay inside.
The herb was about a foot long, as thick as an arm, somewhat resembling ginseng but entirely black. More bizarrely, on its stem, there was a ghost face the size of a thumbnail, although small, it had every detail—eyes, ears, mouth, and nose—exquisitely rendered, making it look extremely fierce.
Lin Xuan's eyebrows raised upon seeing this item. As the young master of Spirit Herb Mountain, his knowledge of herbs was vast, comparable to that of his mentor, Immortal Tongyu. Yet he had never seen such a thing before. Was it from the ghost realm?
What purpose did the other party have in bringing it out?
Lin Xuan's mind stirred as he vaguely guessed what might be happening but hesitated to act immediately.
Meanwhile, the Profound True Demon King had already brought this strange herb close to his mouth. After consuming this Yuluo Ginseng, he would die within a short while, but his cultivation level would skyrocket several times over in that brief period. Eliminating the opponent was merely a matter of lifting a finger.
As a direct disciple of His Imperial Majesty Ghost Emperor, how could he bear the shame of losing to an early-stage Core Condensation cultivator? Even if it meant losing his soul and body, he had to take down the opponent with him.
"Brother True Profound, no need for us both to die. Sister will help you defeat this guy."
A clear and pleasant voice entered his ears as a beautiful young woman appeared not far away.
Although she looked like an ordinary human female cultivator from afar, upon closer inspection, Lin Xuan realized that she had no实体, her entire body exuding a sinister aura of the ghost realm.
This woman was also a soul entity and had reached the level of Demon King.
"You are?" The Profound True Demon King's face showed surprise.
"I am Lin Yue'er, under His Imperial Majesty Ghost Emperor."
"Lin Yue'er?"
The Profound True Demon King was taken aback. He had never heard this name before, but he didn't doubt it. Although some ghosts were forced to sign servitude contracts with cultivators and become their servants, a mere early-stage Core Condensation cultivator couldn't possibly have a Demon King-level servant.
"Thank you for your support."
"You're welcome."
Lin Yue'er extended her small hand, clapping her palms together lightly, revealing a tiny magical banner. With a gentle wave, countless demon souls emerged from it with eerie howls.
"Quickly!"
Moon'er pointed at the creature, and several whizzing sounds echoed as all the soul beasts converged into one entity, transforming into an enormous ghost towering over several meters tall, wielding a massive cleaver.
The Profound True Demon King was taken aback but quickly showed signs of joy. With his keen eyesight, he recognized that this treasure was extraordinary and immediately stowed away the Yuluo Ginseng in his robe. With Moon'er's help, they had a good chance to defeat the cultivator before them, so there was no need for further combat.
With a cruel smile, the Profound True Demon King raised his claws, releasing another ghost head fork as he opened his mouth and spat out grayish-black ghost fire that flickered on the fork.
Lin Xuan's brow furrowed. With his left hand, he produced an emerald green jade flute, precisely the soul beast treasure, more powerful than ordinary ancient treasures.
"Go!"
Seeing the fork encased in grayish-black demon fire heading towards him, Lin Xuan commanded his jade flute with a light snap of his fingers. The treasure transformed into a green beam and clashed with the fork.
Although the ghost king's treasure was formidable, it clearly fell short compared to the soul beast treasure. Soon, it was forced to retreat.
"Brother, don't worry; I'll help you," Moon'er said as she directed the gathered soul beasts into the form of an enormous ghost that charged at the Profound True Demon King from behind.
In a blink, the ghost arrived behind the Profound True Demon King. As they were companions, the demon king had no defenses and was caught off guard by the sudden wind noise. Before he could react, his neck felt cold as the green-faced ghost head shot up into the air.
Unlike cultivators, the life of ferocious souls and fierce spirits was much harder to end; even with their heads cut off, they didn't die immediately. Their eyes bulged with intense hatred as they stared at the beautiful young woman.
Their gaze was like sharp swords, but Moon'er paid no mind. She opened her mouth and spat out a greenish-black ghost fire of her own.
"Boom!" The Profound True Demon King's remains were enveloped in the blast, turning to ashes within moments.
"Not bad."
"You flatter me," Moon'er said as she retracted the ghost head into a beam of white light that flew into Lin Xuan's sleeve.
This guy was indeed formidable. Although Lin Xuan didn't know what item the other party had brought out last, his desperate expression was clear. Force wasn't enough; intelligence was key. Lin Xuan had Moon'er carry out a feint, and it worked perfectly.
Lin Xuan waved his hand, sending a white light arc to retrieve all the treasures he had released. With his divine awareness, the Iron Armor Corpse obediently returned to the Spirit Ghost Bag.
In the sky filled with dark energy, several unclaimed items remained: one was the demon flame black pearl facing off against the Divine Fire Sacred Pearl, and two ghost head forks. Lin Xuan wouldn't waste them; he carefully stored them away. These treasures were powerful enough for Moon'er to use if needed.
The last item in the wooden box was the ghost-faced strange ginseng. Although Lin Xuan didn't know its origin or whether it might be highly toxic, he hesitated before deciding not to destroy it. He would store it and check the records later.
After completing all this, Lin Xuan finally had the energy to survey the battlefield.
The gathering of dark energy was originally a shared consciousness between him and the Profound True Demon King. With his defeat, the shield naturally broke, dissipating the gathered dark energy in all directions.
Light beams pierced through the sky as cultivators fought with ghosts. Overall, the cultivators were slightly at a disadvantage since the restrictions were merely simple arrays that could only cause some trouble for the ghosts but had limited effect once they calmed down.