Mortal: The Number One playboy of the Chaotic Star Sea

Chapter 162 The King of Shadows

The ground was riddled with potholes, and a thick, eerie fog hung in the air.

As Qingfeng and the others ventured deeper, the color of the fog changed from grayish-white to a darker shade.

"hiss!"

More than a dozen powerful evil spirits emerged from the black mist.

"Hey, Soul Crying, it's buffet again! Eat up!"

Qingfeng pointed to the approaching evil spirit.

"roar!"

The weeping soul glared, leaped into the air, opened its nostrils, and inhaled sharply, drawing all the evil spirits into its belly.

"belch!"

After swallowing several waves of Yin spirits, Tihun let out a satisfied burp, then perched on Qingfeng's shoulder and wagged its tail.

"Good heavens, I spent half the day carrying this throwing knife on tenterhooks, and I didn't get to do a single job."

Old Hu followed closely behind, watching the approaching evil spirits being sucked away by the weeping souls before they even got close, and couldn't help but sigh.

"If it weren't for Brother Qingfeng and Tihun clearing the way, we would probably have been worn down and died here by the mist and evil spirits, just like these skeletons."

Jin Qing walked behind Lao Hu and said with relief.

"Yes, the corrosive power of this fog is extremely strong. We have to be distracted by both resisting the fog and dealing with those evil spirits and ghosts. If we are not careful, we will be dragged into danger."

Han Li agreed.

"Phew. I've only been walking for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and I've already used up more magical power than I usually do in battle."

Jin Qing held the Lion Jade Seal, maintaining the protective aura around his body.

"The owners of these skeletons all died after their magical powers were exhausted and they were surrounded and attacked by a group of ghosts."

"If I hadn't escaped quickly and happened to encounter a few fellow Daoists, I would probably be one of these skeletons now."

Old Ge said with lingering fear.

"Hey, Lao Ge, you're really lucky to have met us and Brother Qingfeng."

This soul-screaming beast devours souls and ghosts as easily as drinking water or eating rice. We haven't expended a single ounce of energy on this journey."

Old Hu chuckled and turned around to say.

"Fellow Daoist Hu is right, I am indeed lucky, very lucky."

Old Ge wasn't annoyed and repeatedly cupped his hands in greeting.

Once he passes this first hurdle, he can enter the reward secret realm mentioned by the Star Palace, where he can collect some longevity fruits and live for several more decades.

"There are more and more skeletons here, so the Yin Spirit King is probably in this area."

At this moment, Han Li cautiously used his divine sense to perceive the changes around him.

The black mist not only erodes spiritual power but also interferes with divine sense detection.

After Han Li reminded them, everyone realized that the surrounding hillsides and ravines were filled with the skeletons of cultivators.

"Hey! Look! There are still some magical artifacts with their spiritual essence on these skeletons!"

Old Hu excitedly jumped onto a hill and pried a bracelet off a skeleton.

"There are still quite a few over there!"

Jin Qing also jumped into the ditch and picked up a bronze pot.

"The road we are taking is quite dangerous. Most ordinary cultivators would perish here if they traveled through it."

"If it weren't for Brother Qing, we wouldn't have been able to find treasure so easily."

Han Li walked to the side of a cliff and looked at the remains of a dead body there.

"Hehe, you can go treasure hunting without worry. With me here, the spirits won't be able to get through."

Qingfeng said casually, his hands behind his back.

Hearing Qingfeng speak, Lao Hu and the others were overjoyed. With their big brother backing them up, what else was there to say?

"Fellow Daoist Han, these remains... seem to belong to Jade Immortal, whom I've met a few times!"

Old Ge exclaimed in surprise upon seeing the precious garment on the skeleton.

"Oh? Fellow Daoist Ge knows him?"

Han Li immediately removed the precious garment from the remains and held it tightly in his hand.

"I guess we know each other. He formed his core much earlier than me, and this Fire-Repelling Robe is a fairly well-known treasure."

Three hundred years ago, he came to the Void Heaven Palace and never appeared again. Now it seems he perished here.

Old Ge sighed.

"So, what is the strength and cultivation level of this Jade Immortal?"

Old Hu then returned to the group and asked curiously.

"This Jade Immortal is at the early stage of Core Formation, just like us, but when he came to the Void Heaven Palace, he should have reached the bottleneck and was one step away from the middle stage of Core Formation."

Their strength is likely far greater than mine, and they also possess an ice-attribute unique spiritual root, making their ice-based techniques quite formidable.

Old Ge stroked his beard as he spoke.

"Haha, I feel like my strength is much greater than yours, Lao Ge."

Old Hu joked.

Actually, Lao Hu wasn't bragging. His three signature throwing knives were quite powerful. He survived several dungeon runs and even managed to get some loot from Qingfeng.

His current strength is much greater than that of a typical early-stage Core Formation cultivator.

Even ordinary mid-stage Core Formation cultivators, without the support of powerful magic weapons, might not be his match.

"Uh... Fellow Daoist Hu is naturally quite capable, but that Jade True Man is a cultivator who is close to the mid-stage of Core Formation."

He perished here, so he must have encountered some powerful and formidable evil spirit.

"That Yin Spirit King already possessed the strength of a late-stage Core Formation cultivator three hundred years ago; we'd better be careful."

When Lao Ge heard Lao Hu bragging again, his lips twitched, and he immediately warned everyone to be wary of the Ghost King.

"We've searched the area enough, let's move on."

Jin Qing returned to the group with the magical artifacts she had found.

Everyone gained something, and Han Li even obtained a fire-repelling protective robe.

However, Qingfeng considered these magical treasures as trash; the ordinary magical treasures he crafted and fused himself were far superior.

"There are fluctuations in spiritual energy ahead; it's most likely that someone is fighting with a malevolent spirit."

Qingfeng's divine sense was comparable to that of the early Nascent Soul stage. Even though the black mist would interfere with his divine sense probing, he could still probe farther than others.

"Then, shall we take a detour?"

Old Ge knew Qingfeng was powerful, but if they encountered the Yin Spirit King and Qingfeng got entangled, they would have to face the other high-level Yin Spirits.

"Old Ge, what are you being cowardly about? With Fellow Daoist Qingfeng here, we should just go straight over."

The bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish!

Old Hu patted Old Ge on the shoulder and said excitedly.

"Let's go."

Jin Qing walked to Lao Ge's side, and together with Lao Hu, they supported Lao Ge on either side as they continued forward.

Qingfeng, carrying Tihun, transformed into a beam of light and flew forward.

Han Li trusted his elder brother's strength the most and followed closely behind him.

"Brother Han, Ji Yin is probably eyeing your Blood Jade Spider. He'll continue to watch you even after you pass the first level."

Qingfeng transmitted his voice to Han Li from the front.

"How did he know I have the Blood Jade Spider?"

Han Li asked, puzzled.

"The skeleton you encountered near the ancient teleportation array in Tiannan is very likely Ji Xuan, the junior brother of Ji Yin."

Ji Yin knew that Ji Xuan had Blood Jade Spider eggs on him, so he concluded that you had Blood Jade Spiders.

Within the inner sanctum of this Void Heaven Palace lies a precious treasure called the Void Heaven Cauldron. The Blood Jade Spider is the best spirit beast to pull this cauldron out.

So many Nascent Soul stage cultivators have come this time, all for the Void Heaven Cauldron and the treasures inside.

Qingfeng revealed some information to Han Li.

"Brother Qing... what should I do?"

Han Li's expression was solemn.

He finally achieved the Core Formation, but he's still like an ant in front of a Nascent Soul monster.

"Since you've already called me 'Big Brother,' I'll naturally find a way to help you escape. Once you get past the first hurdle, you can go to the secret realm to gather spirit herbs with peace of mind. Ji Yin will definitely come looking for you."

"Follow his instructions for now. Once you enter the inner hall, these Nascent Soul stage monsters will start fighting over the treasures. Then, find a chance to escape."

As soon as Qingfeng finished speaking, he stopped flying away.

The cultivators ahead had already been killed by the Yin Spirit Ghost King.