The old Daoist in hemp robes flashed a proud smile, glanced at Ian Song, and said, "Young man, what do you think?"
"Not bad!"
Ian Song said, judging from the Daoist arts the old Daoist had just displayed, he really did have some skill.
The old Daoist was a bit dissatisfied with Ian's evaluation. Killing over a dozen high-level ghost generals in a single move, and all he got was a 'not bad'.
So, the three of them continued deeper into the town.
The yin aura grew thicker and heavier.
"Boom! Boom!"
Suddenly, the ground started shaking violently, accompanied by deafening crashes.
Next, a massive creature appeared in the trio's line of sight.
It was a Unihorn Ghost King, towering over ten meters tall, with a single horn on its forehead. In its hand was a gigantic spiked mace, its face twisted and terrifying—but perched on its shoulder sat a ghost child.
The ghost child looked only two or three years old, with an adorably innocent face—but in his eyes flickered a deep, sinister malice that sent chills down one's spine.
"The Unihorn Ghost King and the Nine-Lives Wraith Child!"
The old Daoist's expression changed, becoming extremely grave.
"Grandpa, do they have some kind of story?"
The girl asked curiously.
The old Daoist explained, "The Unihorn Ghost King is one of the fiercest among ghost kings—immense strength, terrifying defense, and partial immunity to Daoist arts. Even I would have to spend a lot of effort to handle it. As for that Nine-Lives Wraith Child, he’s even more frightening. ‘Nine lives’ means he died before the age of six in nine consecutive lifetimes, so he’s filled with overwhelming resentment. Once he became a ghost, he turned monstrously dangerous. And the Nine-Lives Wraith Child is born with a spatial escape divine ability—once he slips into the void, even I would have trouble tracking him down!"
At this, the old Daoist turned to Ian Song and said, "Young man, you take my granddaughter and leave this town. I’ll cover the retreat!"
"Too late!"
Ian Song shook his head. "We can’t get out anymore!"
The old Daoist glanced around, and his face changed dramatically. The surroundings had shifted—not a ruined town anymore, but a barren wasteland. Ahead loomed a towering city, reeking of blood.
"Oh no, we've fallen into a Ghost Emperor's ghost realm!" The old Daoist's face went pale, and even his voice trembled. "It's over, it's over. Outside the ghost realm, I could still contend with a Ghost Emperor for a while, but inside, everything is under the Ghost Emperor's control. I'm afraid I'll meet my end here!"
"Grandpa, is it really that bad?"
The girl asked.
Just then—
The Unihorn Ghost King moved, swinging its massive spiked mace straight at Ian Song and the other two.
The old Daoist’s face shifted slightly. His hands flew through a series of seals as he chanted, "Heaven and earth without limit, Dao abides in all things—Spirit Escape, arise!"
In the next moment, a golden Spirit Escape Ward appeared, enveloping all three of them.
"Boom!"
The Unihorn Ghost King’s spiked mace slammed hard into the Spirit Escape Ward, but only made it tremble slightly without causing any real damage.
"Wretched beast, prepare to die!"
The old Daoist formed another spell seal, then pointed at the Unihorn Ghost King. Instantly, a giant golden hand appeared and slammed down hard on the Unihorn Ghost King.
"Bang!"
The Unihorn Ghost King was knocked flying, crashing dozens of meters away.
But it immediately climbed back up, shook itself off, and looked completely unharmed.
At that moment, the Nine-Lives Wraith Child on its shoulder let out a piercing shriek, and the Unihorn Ghost King charged at the trio again.
"What incredible defense!"
The old Daoist’s face shifted slightly as he launched another spell attack at the Unihorn Ghost King.
Just then, Ian Song also formed a spell seal and pointed at the Unihorn Ghost King. Instantly, a curtain of cyan rain appeared above its head.
"Sss sss sss!"
The cyan raindrops fell on the Unihorn Ghost King, like water poured onto quicklime, sending up continuous clouds of black smoke.