Chapter 80

In the Tenglong Continent, ghost cultivators are a special existence among practitioners. They refine their three souls and gather their seven spirits, condensing their entire essence into a Taiyin ghost body, detaching from their physical form to become a tangible yet incorporeal being.

Practitioners across the world have countless cultivation systems, but they all ultimately aim to challenge the heavens, seeking immortality and freedom in the universe. However, the path to immortality through the Dao of Immortals is distant and hard to achieve. The ghost path, on the other hand, is a shortcut to immortality.

Moreover, once the ghost body is condensed, the person is essentially already dead. Although they can exist in the world in the form of a ghost, they become a creature that cannot withstand sunlight.

To achieve eternal existence and immortality by abandoning the physical body and transforming into a ghost, forever walking in darkness, is not a path that everyone is willing to take. However, there are some who, having failed in their cultivation and with no hope of immortality, prefer to live forever in darkness rather than fall into the cycle of rebirth and suffer its torments. They choose to join the Fengdu Ghost Mansion and cultivate the ghost path.

At this moment, in the valley, the young disciple of the Guangcheng Immortal Sect was already engaged in battle with the Fengdu ghost soldier. Sword light like a rainbow darted and twisted in the air, emitting a chilling sword aura, continuously slashing towards the ghostly figure. Anything swept by the sword light, whether it be boulders or trees, crumbled to pieces. The power of the sword that could fly a hundred steps was not to be underestimated.

In the hands of the Fengdu ghost soldier, however, appeared a black banner enveloped in dark energy. As the banner waved, ghostly energy surged, and ghostly figures loomed, actually holding back the sword light and preventing it from getting close.

"Is that the Five Ghost Banner?" Gu Fei felt a chill. The eerie black banner, enveloped in ghostly energy and seemingly surrounded by countless vengeful spirits, was clearly no ordinary object, able to withstand the young man's sword that could fly a hundred steps.

At this moment, Ling Luoyan also curiously looked into the valley with Gu Fei. The ghost cultivator holding the Five Ghost Banner was already waving it, and the ghostly energy that surged from the banner immediately enveloped the ghost cultivator, with a ghostly head forming from the banner.

Ling Luoyan only glanced once and suddenly felt her mind become unstable, as if her soul was about to fly out of her body. She was greatly alarmed and quickly gathered her thoughts.

"How sinister..." Ling Luoyan dared not look again.

At this moment, Ling Luoyan suddenly felt a cold wind blow from behind her, and a chill ran down her spine. The next moment, she felt Gu Fei's arm around her waist tighten, and her body soared into the air.

"Boom!" A loud explosion, a flash of golden light, and Ling Luoyan's body trembled as Gu Fei carried her into the valley.

At this moment, she saw that, at some point, four people with pale faces and emaciated bodies, enveloped in black energy, had appeared around the valley.

One of them, enveloped in black energy and exuding a chilling ghostly aura, was holding a black banner about two feet long, floating in the air, half-visible, and looking at them with surprise.

Mist and light clouds rose in the mountains, and on this dark and gloomy night, the sudden appearance of four people holding black banners was indescribably sinister and terrifying.

"Thud!" Gu Fei and Ling Luoyan floated down from the sky, and when their feet touched the ground, a dull sound echoed.

"What's wrong with you?" At this moment, Ling Luoyan noticed that the sleeve of Gu Fei's right arm was missing, revealing the bronze-colored skin of his arm.

Although Gu Fei's right arm was not particularly muscular, the veins were now prominently visible, like small dragons coiling around the muscles, giving a sense of great strength.

Clearly, in that brief moment, Gu Fei had clashed with a ghost cultivator who had ambushed him.

Without a doubt, Gu Fei's entire body was now filled with explosive power. If he wished, each muscle could unleash astonishing strength.

"Hmph! You cowardly sneak!" Gu Fei's gaze, sharp as a sword, fixed on the ghost cultivator who had attacked him, and the energy within his body surged.

A small part of his strength was condensed in his dantian, forming a colorful light ball to refine the heavenly energy absorbed through his pores. However, most of his strength was actually fused into his tendons, bones, and flesh.

Therefore, with a single thought, he could instantly launch a fierce attack, without needing to spend time casting spells or using magical artifacts like other cultivators.

Although casting spells and using magical artifacts only took a short time, that brief moment could give Gu Fei an advantage in a confrontation with cultivators of the same level.

The two people fighting in the valley were surprised to find unexpected visitors outside. The young disciple of the Guangcheng Immortal Sect and the ghost cultivator who was waving the Five Ghost Banner and controlling the fierce ghost head were both startled.

When the young disciple of the Guangcheng Immortal Sect saw the other four ghost cultivators holding black banners, his face immediately changed. Distracted, the fierce ghost head, spewing green ghost fire amidst the surging ghostly energy, immediately spat a mouthful of ghost fire at the sword light.

"Buzz!" The sword light, hit by the ghost fire, seemed to dim.

The young man was greatly alarmed. The ghost fire spewed by the ghost head, formed from thousands of vengeful spirits, could actually damage the sword, which was far beyond his expectations.

"Ha ha! Heaven has a path, but you do not take it; hell has no door, but you enter it. My five brothers have been refining the Five Ghost Banner, and it still lacks three ghost generals. We will use your three souls to complete the ghost generals in the banner."

The four ghost cultivators who suddenly appeared outside the valley, holding black banners from four directions, surrounded Gu Fei and Ling Luoyan in a pincer movement.

Gu Fei's expression was extremely serious. He sensed a massive wave of yin energy from the four ghost cultivators, especially from the Five Ghost Banners in their hands, where ghostly figures could be faintly seen, as if the yin souls were about to burst out of the black banners.

The aura emanating from the black banners made Gu Fei uneasy. These ghost cultivators were not weak, and with the Five Ghost Banners in hand, the situation for Gu Fei and Ling Luoyan was very unfavorable.

At this moment, the ghost cultivator who was fighting the young disciple of the Guangcheng Immortal Sect suddenly abandoned the young man and retreated.

The young man waved his hand, and the sword light immediately flew back, circling around him, dispelling the surging ghostly energy.

Ghostly energy is extremely yin and cold, capable of eroding the yang energy in the human body. Ordinary people, if they come into contact with even a trace of ghostly energy, could fall ill or even die.

The ghost cultivator did not let the young disciple of the Guangcheng Immortal Sect off but, together with the other four, surrounded the three people in the valley.

The five ghost cultivators laughed sinisterly and simultaneously waved their Five Ghost Banners. As the black banners waved, ghostly energy surged and quickly spread, instantly enveloping the entire small valley in a thick, black cloud of ghostly energy, with ghostly sounds echoing.

Five ghost heads, each as large as a cart wheel, enveloped in a sickly green ghost fire, emitted a terrifying and chilling aura, constantly appearing and disappearing amidst the surging ghostly energy.

With disheveled hair, green eyes, blood-stained mouths, and interlocking fangs, each ghost head was terrifying, as if they had just emerged from hell.

"Brother Ling, what's wrong with you!" Gu Fei suddenly noticed that the Ling Yan he was holding seemed to be in a daze. He quickly looked and was greatly alarmed.

At this moment, Gu Fei did not know that Ling Luoyan was a girl or that her real name was not Ling Yan. The young Ling Yan in Gu Fei's eyes was now in a daze, with a layer of black energy visible on her face.

Gu Fei knew that Ling Luoyan had been affected by the surrounding ghostly energy. He was somewhat anxious and quickly placed his hand on her back, channeling a stream of pure yang energy into her body.

Gu Fei, being a child, had a pure and flawless yang energy, and after practicing the ancient body-refining technique, his internal blood and qi were extremely vigorous. The powerful pure yang energy in his body was the nemesis of the Taiyin ghost energy.

"Heh heh! Just die obediently." A deep, cold voice echoed amidst the surging ghostly energy, making it hard to pinpoint its source.

Gu Fei ignored the ghostly beings. After channeling the pure yang energy into Ling Luoyan's body, the black energy on her face immediately dissipated, and she regained her color. Gu Fei was relieved.

"Roar! I will destroy you even if it means damaging my Dao power!" The young cultivator of the Guangcheng Immortal Sect roared in anger, bit his tongue, and spat a mouthful of essence blood onto the sword light.

"Buzz!" A clear sword cry rose to the sky, echoing throughout the valley. The sword light in front of the young man immediately became much brighter, extending ten zhang, and he formed a Dao seal, causing the brilliant sword light to protect the three of them who were forced together.

The sword light, like a dragon or a bolt of lightning, repelled the surging ghostly energy, preventing it from crossing the boundary.

"I am Liu Yunhe, a disciple of the Guangcheng Immortal Sect. These are Pure Yang Pills, which can dispel the evil energy. Take them quickly!" The young cultivator of the Guangcheng Immortal Sect suddenly took out two golden pills and handed them to Gu Fei and Ling Luoyan.

"Thank you. I am Gu Fei of the Taixuan Sect, and this is my friend, Ling Yan!" Gu Fei did not put on airs, introduced himself, and took the two pills from Liu Yunhe.

"Brother, you are a disciple of the Taixuan Sect, that's great." Liu Yunhe was surprised but then showed a joyful expression. The Taixuan Sect and the Guangcheng Immortal Sect were both among the three major Daoist sects, and they were closely connected. Together, they might be able to break through this ghost formation.

At this moment, Ling Luoyan, who had been forced to expel the ghostly energy by Gu Fei's pure yang energy, also regained consciousness. After taking the Pure Yang Pill, the surrounding ghostly energy could no longer affect her.

However, Gu Fei did not need to take the Pure Yang Pill. His body was full of vigorous blood and yang energy, making it difficult for the ghostly energy to approach him.

"This... What's happening? Oh, I'm so scared!" Ling Luoyan, who had regained consciousness, saw the surging ghostly energy around her and screamed repeatedly, especially when a huge ghost head suddenly spewed green ghost fire from the surging ghostly energy and lunged at her, almost making her collapse in fear.

"Thud!" The ten-zhang sword light moved like lightning, directly splitting the ghost fire and fiercely slashing the ghost head, forcing it back into the ghostly energy.