Terrifying Ghost Cry Ridge, Tragic Old Ghost

Once past the borders of Qingfeng Mountain, they entered the territory of Ghost Cry Ridge.

The lush, vibrant environment from before had completely changed.

The vegetation was withered, the sky was dim, and the air was filled with gray mist, making it feel like they had entered a terrifying, hellish world.

"Caw... caw..."

Crows let out chilling cries from the dead trees.

Xiao Lian's expression remained unchanged; she was born in this world and was long accustomed to such sights.

Conversely, Ning Chuan's spine tingled, his face paled slightly, and a primal fear rose within him.

Despite his newfound strength, he was still only a sixteen-year-old boy.

Furthermore, Ning Chuan hailed from Earth, where the fear of ghosts was deeply ingrained, a fundamental instinct etched into his very genes.

No matter how powerful he became, such instincts couldn't be entirely eradicated in a short time.

"Madam, why is Ghost Cry Ridge like this?"

Ning Chuan gripped Xiao Lian's hand, his palm sweating slightly, feeling a touch of nervousness.

With his other hand, he clutched a metal projectile, ready to unleash his hidden weapon, Meteor Chasing the Moon, at any moment!

Seeing Ning Chuan's anxious state, Xiao Lian smiled, seemingly delighted to have found one of his weaknesses.

"Oh ho, the little thief who fears nothing is actually afraid of something!"

"Today, I happen to be free. Let this young lady play a ghost and scare him!"

Amused by the thought of teasing Ning Chuan, she said aloud:

"Legend has it that Ghost Cry Ridge is an ancient battlefield where countless powerful individuals were buried. The yin energy is extremely heavy, and vengeful spirits roam freely. Ordinary warriors dare not enter!"

"But one type of warrior is an exception: evil cultivators. The bandits of Ghost Cry Ridge cultivate demonic arts and thrive here!"

Hearing Xiao Lian mention vengeful spirits, Ning Chuan's heart pounded. He felt as if something was watching him and instinctively turned his head to look behind him.

This was a reflex developed from his past life.

"Madam, are there really ghosts in this world?"

Xiao Lian gently squeezed Ning Chuan's large hand, a smile playing on her lips as she replied:

"Of course, there are, and very many. Look, there's one right in front of us!"

Ning Chuan panicked. Without thinking, a golden light flashed in his hand as a metal projectile shot out in the direction Xiao Lian pointed.

The projectile gleamed with a dazzling golden light, leaving a long fiery trail as it streaked through the gray mist and vanished.

It was Meteor Chasing the Moon, in its perfected form, firing a single projectile with eighteen times the normal power.

Ning Chuan, with his strength at the 190th level of Body Tempering Realm, unleashed it with terrifying might.

He himself wasn't even sure how powerful it truly was!

"Hehehehe..."

Xiao Lian covered her mouth and chuckled, clearly amused.

Only then did Ning Chuan realize he had been tricked by Xiao Lian.

His face darkened. He pulled Xiao Lian close and began to playfully grope her.

"Ah!"

"You little thief, let go of me!"

"Gagagaga... Madam Xiao Lian, behold my Dragon Claw Hand!"

In the main hall of Ghost Cry Ridge, Old Ghost stood with his hands behind his back on a spacious high platform, looking down at the hundreds of bandits below with immense pride.

In the hall, the bandits had their heads pressed to the ground, showing the utmost respect and humility, showering him with praise.

"Old Ghost's divine skills are peerless! Killing that mere Ning Chuan is like slaughtering a chicken!"

"You're talking nonsense! Old Ghost's magic power is boundless. Killing a mere Ning Chuan wouldn't even require the effort of slaughtering a chicken; it's like crushing an ant!"

"You're the one talking nonsense! Old Ghost wouldn't even need to crush him. If Old Ghost simply wants Ning Chuan dead, Ning Chuan would die on his own!"

Old Ghost sighed inwardly.

"Alas, life is truly as lonely as snow!"

As Old Ghost was contemplating, a golden light flashed from the mountainside, Resembling Meteor Chasing the Moon, it shot towards the main hall.

Old Ghost activated his vision, trying to discern what this golden light was.

However, in the blink of an eye, the golden light reached the mountainside. An immense sense of dread suddenly surged within him.

A thought flashed through his mind:

"This ball of golden light is heading straight for me!"

It was the intuition of a Martial King.

Old Ghost was horrified. He immediately circulated the Ghost God True Scripture to its extreme, preparing to ascend into the sky and evade the golden light.

Just as the thought of escape crossed his mind, the golden light flashed past his crotch.

Old Ghost looked down and froze on the spot. The smug look on his face instantly solidified, leaving him bewildered and at a loss.

His legs, from below the knees, had vanished.

The severed ends were smooth and flat, as if scorched by high heat, emitting a burnt, foul odor.

Immediately after, his upper body fell with a thud, his severed thighs propping him up on the ground.

Old Ghost, already short, was now a full foot shorter.

The broken ends of his thighs hit the ground, sending piercing pain through him. Old Ghost gasped and quickly circulated his cultivation technique to heal the injury and numb the pain.

"What, what in the world is this!"

"That golden light just now looked like a meteor. Could it be that I'm so unlucky to be hit by a meteor!"

Old Ghost was utterly horrified, not knowing what this golden light was, yet it was so powerful.

"I'm just too unlucky, running into a meteor right after coming out of seclusion!"

He looked at his now empty calves, wanting to cry but having no tears.

He absolutely refused to believe that this meteor was merely an unintended projectile from someone else.

Facing an unknown, terrifying threat, Old Ghost, despite being a Martial King, felt fear and wanted to flee.

Just then, a bandit looked up and saw Old Ghost kneeling on the ground. He mistook it for Old Ghost kneeling before them and became anxious.

"Old Ghost, you mustn't! You mustn't! Our brothers aren't worth your reverence!"

Upon hearing this, the others looked up and indeed saw Old Ghost kneeling. They were inexplicably moved.

"Old Ghost!"

"Old Ghost!"

"Old Ghost is truly a role model for us! He's so humble and respectful, actually kneeling to return our greeting!"

In an instant, the bandits' impression of Old Ghost became incredibly warm.

This wasn't the sinister and terrifying Old Ghost at all; he was simply a kind and approachable old man next door!

"This is our good Old Ghost!"

"Old Ghost, we misunderstood you before!"

"Old Ghost, please accept my kowtow!"

Below, the bandits were moved to tears.

Above, Old Ghost's face was covered in black lines, and he gnashed his teeth inwardly.

"Damn it, you brats, do you think I'm kneeling to you? Huh? My legs are gone!"

Old Ghost cried inwardly, but he was extremely vain. Even with both his calves gone, he had to maintain appearances.

He suppressed his fear, unwilling to be looked down upon by these younger generations.

He secretly bolstered himself, "Don't be afraid, this is just a coincidence. I don't believe it'll happen again!"

Old Ghost forced a smile and said gently:

"Brothers, this kneel is for the brothers of Bishui Dock, for all the leaders who died at Ning Chuan's hands!"

"I swear, I will personally kill Ning Chuan and avenge our fallen brothers!"

As Old Ghost spoke, his smile gradually faded, replaced by a somber expression, and finally, he spoke with righteous indignation, his voice echoing through the hall.

"Old Ghost is mighty! Old Ghost is mighty!"

The bandits below roared in unison, then all bowed their heads, banging their foreheads on the ground in kowtows.

The bandits' fervor seemed to heal Old Ghost's fear of losing his legs.

Old Ghost couldn't help but feel proud again, temporarily forgetting his desire to escape.

And at that very moment, Another flash of golden light appeared on the mountain.

Old Ghost's old face froze mid-smile, and a great terror surged within him.

"Damn it, the meteor is back!"