Fleeing Ghost! Enemy Cultivator Army Advances

After Chen Dengming shared his speculations about the Northern Spirit Sea map with Xing Huiguang, the latter suddenly understood.

After all, the Northern Spirit Sect is rumored to have originated from the Northern Spirit Sea. If there is only one map of the Northern Spirit Sea, then the Northern Yin Holy Mother might indeed be clinging to this object.

Because the nautical chart records two entrance routes back to the Northern Spirit Sea, it is perhaps of great importance and is not an ordinary nautical chart.

However, even if we guessed the purpose of the Northern Yin Holy Mother, it no longer mattered.

The important point is that the hunter is no longer the Northern Yin Holy Mother or the Mochao Kingdom Lord.

This game of chess cannot be stopped because of a nautical chart.

In this game of chess, the Mochao Kingdom Lord and the Northern Yin Holy Mother Kingdom made the first move, launching a fierce attack. However, the Longevity Sect had already set up a trap, intending to turn the tables on their enemies and make them suffer a loss instead of gaining an advantage.

Even if the war between the four regions was inevitable, it was not initiated by the Devil Cultivator cultivators who gained the upper hand.

Chen Dengming and Xing Huiguang agreed to study the sea chart again when they got back. He then turned off the small communication array, looked up at the increasingly bright summer night sky, and felt that the gloom in his heart these past few days had been swept away.

Too.

The so-called long-lived elder who sees far, understands clearly, and is indifferent to worldly affairs.

Although he was an elderly cultivator, compared to the sect's elders and figures like Xing Huiguang, he was still a novice.

"First, feign weakness and appear incapable, but in reality, you've already prepared all sorts of tricks to use at any time."

"From now on, if Sect Leader Xing says no, I'll have to conservatively estimate half the price to see if it's even possible. Those old turtles are too ruthless."

"The First Ancestor has Nascent Soul Perfection, yet he pretends to be in seclusion, ready to destroy his foundation at any moment if disturbed. Isn't this deliberately luring the enemy deep into his territory?"

Chen Dengming shook his head, feeling relaxed and walking with ease, returning to the house with light steps.

Following his senior Senior Brother, and several elders, he felt he had learned another lesson. It seemed that if he wanted to become an ancestor of the Longevity Sect in the future, strength alone was not enough; he also needed to be as cunning as these elders.

He pondered this in his heart.

Chen Dengming suddenly realized something was wrong. It seemed as if he was standing still, and a faint, sinister force was invading his mind, even causing him to experience brief mental illusions.

"Presumptuous!"

Chen Dengming suddenly stopped, his eyes flashing with silver light as he unleashed the Startling Eye Spirit Refining Art Law Technique Divine Ability.

The evil power that had invaded his mind was instantly devoured.

At the same time, two sharp Silver Light, like aurora borealis, shot out from Chen Dengming's eyes and struck a tree in the backyard.

"Ah--"

A scream suddenly came from behind the tree, and a disheveled black ghostly figure emerged from the tree, exuding a strong and sinister aura.

Clearly injured by Chen Dengming's Divine Sense imbued with Dao power, he was about to flee quickly.

Its escape speed was astonishing; it simply passed through walls and burrowed underground.

Given Chen Dengming's strength as Golden Core Great Cultivator, unless one forcibly shakes him out at the risk of exposing their power, it would be difficult to capture him in a short time.

"Want to leave? Did you ask my brother first?"

Chen Dengming snorted coldly, then suddenly summoned the Soul Guiding Banner, and with a 'whoosh' sound, summoned Old Zhu.

"Go after them!"

"Clang clang clang!"

After Zhu Xun burst out of the banner, he also passed through walls and burrowed underground, baring his fangs and claws as he swiftly pursued the ghost, his speed no slower than the ghostly creature.

But catching up won't be a matter of a short time.

"What kind of monster is that? It's certainly fast at escaping!"

A cold glint flashed in Chen Dengming's eyes. He suddenly summoned Lin He's Soul Bell Law Treasure, shook it abruptly, and a circle of soul-destroying sound waves quickly spread out, instantly striking the fleeing ghosts ahead.

"Ugh--"

The ghostly creature let out a shrill, unpleasant screech. The sonic shock slowed it considerably, and it stumbled and staggered, unable to maintain its swift escape. It was quickly overtaken by the butcher, Zhu Xun.

"Roar!"

Zhu Xun Fierce Ghost with a violent temper, wanted to tear this evil spirit apart and swallow it alive.

Chen Dengming immediately sent out his Divine Sense, using dog language to soothe and restrain this easily agitated fellow, and quickly recalled him.

A short while later.

Looking at the disheveled, black-clad female ghost that Zhu Xun and brought back.

"No, it's not a female ghost."

After careful examination, Chen Dengming discovered that it wasn't a female ghost, but a male ghost.

That's true. I watched too many movies and read too many novels in my past life. Subconsciously, I would imagine encountering a ghost, a female ghost in white with a pale face and disheveled hair. There were no male ghosts at all, but there were many male ghosts or male zombies.

This time, however, he encountered a male ghost that was neither dressed in white nor female.

"You're from the Fallen Forbidden Zone? Why are you attacking me?"

Chen Dengming attempted to communicate with the ghostly entity using his Divine Sense.

But after a short while, it was found that it had no effect.

The ghost was clearly terrified of him and Zhu Xun, trembling constantly and unable to communicate properly.

Left with no other option, Chen Dengming went into the room and summoned Little Array Spirit, an expert in this field, for questioning.

"Junior Brother, what's wrong?"

Inside the room He Yingyu had already finished washing up, inquired.

"It's alright, Senior Sister! There was just a little brat who came by, but I've already caught him. You don't need to come out."

"Oh, then let's finish quickly so we can get some rest."

Chen Dengming quickly said, "No need, I want to practice a bit more tonight and familiarize myself with the surroundings. You should rest first."

After saying that, they arrived in the courtyard. The Little Array Spirit immediately recognized the captured ghost and asked in surprise.

"This... this is a ghost that's trying to escape, and it actually has the strength of the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. It doesn't seem like a wild ghost; it might be... someone who has been trained."

Chen Dengming's eyes flashed. "Oh? A fugitive?"

Thinking back to how fast they fled, it was indeed extremely fast; calling them fugitives wouldn't be wrong.

"A monster cultivated by someone else, yet it dares to attack me so brazenly?"

Chen Dengming felt a sudden sense of unease.

Remembering Senior Brother Xing's warning and my own constant vigilance, could it be that the Northern Yin Holy Mother had sent people to find this place so quickly?

That's unlikely, unless someone knew he was coming and made arrangements in advance.

Of all those who knew he had come to the Border Town, only Senior Brother Xing knew.

Moreover, if the enemy knew he was here, they wouldn't send a mere Foundation Establishment Middle Stage brat to probe him.

"We've only been here a short time, and we've already run into trouble. No wonder people say that those who live here die mysteriously. The rumors are far too conservative."

Chen Dengming pondered for a moment, staring at the fleeing ghost, his eyes hardening with coldness.

If we don't kill this fleeing ghost now and let it go back, the person who exorcised the ghost might not back down.

Let's kill this fleeing ghost. It's too high-profile to offend the ghost cultivators here so soon after arriving; it doesn't go against our original intentions.

"Being brave and aggressive is not in my nature, nor is sitting idly by and waiting to die. I should send a clone to follow and check the situation first."

Chen Dengming secretly made his plans.

He immediately used the Scattering Flowers from a Celestial Maiden Technique to condense another Wood Element Heavenly Immortal Clone, transforming it into the ferocious appearance of the butcher Zhu Xun.

The formation of this third clone was almost the limit of his Mental Strength.

The previous creation of the Bai Mao clone and the clone of his senior sister He Yingyu had already consumed seventy to eighty percent of his Mental Strength.

He had left himself some room to maneuver, which is to say that "a dragon that has gone too far will regret it," and now he could use that spare strength.

Zhu Xun stared blankly at the clone that looked exactly like him wandering around, and subconsciously uttered a sound.

Chen Dengming waved his hand, signaling Zhu Xun to business and release the fugitive first.

The moment the fugitive was released, he instinctively fled out of the courtyard.

Zhu Xun and Chen Dengming's clones immediately followed one after the other.

Fifteen minutes later.

The fugitive fled to the westernmost area of Border Town. Although it was not as bustling as the main city, it was still quite lively and was the residence of some wealthy and influential cultivators.

The fleeing ghost dashed all the way to a magnificent, towering, three-courtyard mansion.

Several monks dressed in blue robes with white lotus flowers embroidered on their chests stood guard at the entrance.

The courtyard was brightly lit, with shadowy figures standing in the shadows.

The fleeing ghost burrowed underground, bypassed the front gate, and was about to slip into the courtyard through the secluded area behind the gatehouse, where carriages were parked.

"Bang!"

Chen Dengming's clone hovered far away, conveying his thoughts through a pursed lip.

Zhu Xun a move and captured the unfortunate ghost once again.

Chen Dengming's clone took a deep look at the brightly lit mansion, his gaze lingering on the plaque that read "Zou Manor" for a long time before sending out Divine Sense, "Go!"

He didn't want to cause any more trouble.

Now that it's clear the escapee's trail is within this courtyard, it's not like we're completely blind to the truth, not even knowing who the enemy is.

However, judging from the state of this mansion, someone who can possess such wealth in Border Town and command Foundation Establishment Middle Stage fugitive might actually be living there, perhaps even a Pseudo-Core Formation cultivator or Golden Core Great Cultivator.

The matter of the duel with the Northern Yin Holy Mother has not yet been settled, and Chen Dengming is unwilling to reveal his strength, thus a conflict has broken out here.

However, necessary precautions and surveillance are still essential.

He left a surreptitious agent to hide and monitor the area near the mansion.

With the strength of a clone at the pseudo-core level, it would be difficult for anyone to discover it.

He then instructed Zhu Xun to take the fleeing ghost away, not to approach his rented house, but to go to the more remote southern area of the city.

The main body also quickly arrived with the Soul Guiding Banner, and with one stroke, it captured the fleeing ghost into the banner. Then, it returned to its rented courtyard as if nothing had happened, leaving its clone to observe the situation from a distance.

The Zou family.

Zou Ziyong, the third master of the Zou family, suddenly emerged from his seclusion with a gloomy face and a puzzled expression. He rubbed his temples, his eyes filled with doubt.

"Third Master."

An old servant waiting outside the door noticed something amiss and immediately went forward to inquire about the situation.

Zou Ziyong felt a surge of unease, his eyes flashing with a sharp light. He snorted coldly, flicked his sleeve, and quickly left the house, heading straight for his elder brother, Zou Yongchang, in the main house.

A dozen or so breaths later.

The lights came on in the main house, and an old man with a purplish-red face and a hooked nose, exuding a menacing aura, coldly snorted and rebuked.

"Third brother, how could you be so muddle-headed? Without thoroughly investigating the strength of those two newcomers, you rashly sent a fugitive to test them. Now look what's happened!"

Zou Ziyong's face was grim, and he could only bow and say, "Brother, if you have to blame someone, blame the steward of that department for giving such unclear information. He only mentioned that these two were ghost cultivators with Foundation Establishment strength, and that they were ghost cultivators from the Yin Ghost Sect, but he didn't specify how strong they were."

"Nonsense!"

Zou Yongchang slammed his fist on the table and angrily rebuked, "How would anyone know how strong you are if you don't make a move? But as long as you know that you are Foundation Establishment ghost cultivator from the Yin Ghost Sect, you should know that you are not simple. Why didn't you discuss it with me beforehand? Are you trying to take all the credit for yourself?"

Zou Ziyong was embarrassed and quickly smiled apologetically, "How could that be, brother? We're all family."

But as you know, the Yin Ghost Sect was wiped out long ago. These two may not be that strong, but they may possess the Yin Ghost Sect's legacy and a large number of Yin spirits, which would be a huge benefit to our Zou family and our ancestors.

In fact, over the years, we have never attacked cultivators with power and background. Before each attack, we would send out fugitives to test the waters first.

Given the speed at which the fugitive escaped, few cultivators could catch him unless they ran into Golden Core Great Cultivator.

As usual, I sent a fugitive to test the waters first, intending to discuss it with you after I had a result, but this time..."

"But this time something went wrong." Zou Yongchang sneered.

Zou Ziyong frowned and said, "However, according to my senses, the last place where the escape ghost's aura disappeared was not near the courtyard of those two Yin Ghost Sect cultivators, but in the South City."

Could it be that the accident that led to the escapee's death wasn't caused by the two members of the Yin Ghost Sect, but rather by the guardians of the Tiandao Sect or the Dragon Transformation Sect?

Zou Yongchang frowned deeply, pondered for a moment, and then snorted coldly.

"Alright, let's pretend nothing's wrong for today and not go out to investigate anymore. Tomorrow I'll visit a few of my guardian friends and see how things are going."

After a pause, Zou Yongchang looked coldly at Zou Ziyong and said, "Don't cause any more trouble during this time."

Everything will have to wait until the great battle between the Northern Yin Holy Mother and the Ancestor of the Longevity Sect is over.

At that time, our senior will join forces with other demonic sects to launch an attack on the Eastern Region. This Land of Corruption will be ours sooner or later.

Those two Yin Ghost Sect ghost cultivators won't escape either. Don't let momentary gains ruin everything."

Zou Ziyong immediately agreed. Thinking of the senior's strength and promise, the anxiety he had felt earlier subsided.

Early the next morning.

Chen Dengming awoke from his meditative state and checked his proficiency with the Longevity Merit after a night of practice. It had only increased by thirty-one points, leaving him feeling helpless.

The cultivation efficiency of this Third-Rank Spirit Vein is far inferior to that of Fourth-Rank Spirit Vein, and it is even worse than that of a sect's Third-Rank Spirit Vein.

After all, the area is small, so the advantages of the Spirit Seizing Formation cannot be fully utilized.

Therefore, even after a whole day of cultivation, one can only cultivate 62 points of Spiritual Qi, which is a thankless task.

This is because the advantageous location in terms of Wealth, Companions, Dharma, and Place has been lost.

Fortunately, he won't be staying in this Border Town for too long.

He remotely sensed the condition of the clone he had left behind at the Zou family's place.

He realized that his clone had already quietly and secretly followed the carriage of an old man with a purplish-red face away from the original spot.

Flying is prohibited in the high-altitude areas of the Border Town, so wealthy families travel in exotic beast-drawn carriages, which are convenient for travel and also serve as a display of their status.

But after a moment, Chen Dengming felt a slight unease and quickly ordered his clone to hide. As he watched the carriage disappear into the distance, he couldn't help but frown.

"Such keen insight! The clone was almost discovered; it seems to be at least a pseudo-core cultivator."

He continued to arrange for his clones to follow at a distance.

With his cover, one's mind can often sense danger in advance and remain unaware of it.

After half a day, it was observed that the old man from the Zou family mainly visited a few Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Tiandao Sect and the Dragon Transformation Sect, which made them feel a little strange.

"The Zou family, who sent out these fugitives, seems to be quite close to the garrisoned cultivators of the Tiandao Sect and the Dragon Transformation Sect. Could it be a misunderstanding? Or are these parties involved in some kind of collusion?"

Chen Dengming was suspicious.

But seeing that the Zou family didn't seem to want to cause him any more trouble, and they didn't seem to be people sent by the Northern Yin Holy Mother, he immediately stopped pursuing the matter.

Even if there are some dirty deals involved, as long as they stop causing him trouble, it's none of his business.

"It seems that I deliberately took that fugitive to a distant place yesterday to deal with him, which temporarily covered the tracks."

Chen Dengming left only a clone behind to observe secretly and take necessary precautions.

The great battle between the Northern Yin Holy Mother and the sect's patriarch has not yet begun. He still needs to keep a low profile here, avoid revealing his identity, and cooperate with the sect's plan in everything he does.

Time flies.

Four days passed in the blink of an eye.

This day was the day that the Northern Yin Holy Mother challenged the Ancestor of the Longevity Sect.

Inside the rented house.

Chen Dengming paced back and forth in the backyard, occasionally looking up at the small sound transmission array standing there, waiting for good news from the sect, but he was vaguely uneasy.

Meanwhile, unnoticed by anyone, a large number of cultivators, their bodies radiating Yin Qi, had quietly arrived in the mountains and plains not far from the Border Town, slowly approaching the Border Town, their cold eyes filled with excitement and anticipation.

The two leading cultivators, though their auras were much more restrained, still emitted a faint, suppressed fluctuation.

One of them suddenly waved his hand, his lips twitching, as if emitting a subtle, unnoticed fluctuation of Divine Sense.

Instantly, all the cultivators who were slowly advancing stealthily stopped moving, remaining hidden and waiting in place, their eyes filled with restrained excitement.

"Senior Brother Lu, after this, this Border Town in the Eastern Region will be the new headquarters of our Soul Devouring Sect. Just thinking about it is truly exciting."

Among the two leaders, one of the petite and pretty women smiled sweetly. Her long, black hair cascaded down her shoulders, and her skin was fair and smooth; she was quite beautiful.

Upon hearing this, the man addressed as Senior Brother Lu felt a surge of pride, knowing that his beloved was by his side. He laughed and said, "Dou Han, now we shall await good news from the Mochao Crown Prince and the Northern Yin Holy Mother."

Upon receiving the news, we immediately took action and captured the Border Town, which would be a great achievement."

Dou Han smiled sweetly upon hearing this, revealing her pearly white teeth. Her beautiful eyes sparkled with a charming and alluring air that stirred the heart. She playfully retorted, "Junior sister, I think we should just strike now and plunder. They've been waiting impatiently for this."

"This is not right."

Senior Brother Lu's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly shook his head, "Junior Sister, this violates the sect's orders. Even though we have the upper hand, we cannot act recklessly."

Dou Han sighed upon hearing this, glanced at the disciples around her who were also trying their best to restrain themselves, rolled her eyes, and said, "With the Northern Yin Holy Mother and the Mochao Crown Prince making their move, what hope does the Longevity Sect have of turning the tide?"

Moreover, isn't the Mochao Kingdom Lord preparing to make a move against the Longevity First Ancestor?

Having said all she wanted to say, she was unwilling to elaborate further.

She is someone who enjoys excitement, or rather, every woman who has climbed to her position in the Demonic Sect is someone who enjoys excitement.

Even with all the advantages, Senior Brother Lu remains so composed. It seems the sect did indeed send Senior Brother Lu to balance and restrain her. The journey has been quite dull.

Seeing the woman's demeanor, Lu Hu felt underestimated and secretly thought that this woman was exceptionally alluring. If she weren't the beloved concubine of the Soul Devouring Ancestor, he would definitely borrow her to play with.

The other party was quite fond of excitement, and if he hadn't kept him in check, he would have caused trouble long ago.

But this woman's strength is indeed extremely astonishing, making her a good helper.

He glanced at the sky and figured the battle should be over by now.

Regardless of how this battle unfolds, the ultimate war between the four regions is inevitable. He gritted his teeth and laughed.

"Junior sister, what you say makes sense. Since you're so interested, your Senior Brother will go along with it this once in a while. Let's first send a message to the Zou family in the city, so we can coordinate an attack from the inside!"

Rented a room in the courtyard.

Chen Dengming paced back and forth for a few moments, feeling increasingly uneasy and suspicious.

"Could there be some unexpected change in this great battle?"

He was, after all, someone who had inherited the spiritual legacy of a human immortal; he wouldn't act on a whim easily. This unease must be some kind of omen.

"Junior Brother, don't worry. Didn't you say that Sect Leader Xing already has a foolproof plan?"

At this moment, He Yingyu, with her tall and graceful figure, came over carrying a plate of melons and fruits, and smiled.

Chen Dengming turned to look at his senior sister, sighed, and laughed, "Yeah. Maybe I was just too worried and nervous."

He paused, then looked up at the sky and said, "Senior Sister, where do you think they, Nascent Soul Cultivator, will choose to hold their great battle? It must be somewhere in the sky, right?"

He Yingyu also gazed at the Sky Dome with her beautiful eyes, about to speak, when suddenly her eyes froze.

Chen Dengming also froze as he stared in astonishment at the rows of dark, luminous figures that suddenly appeared on the horizon. Their imposing aura was astonishing, like dark clouds pressing down on a city, threatening to crush it, and they were rushing towards him at an extremely fast speed.

What's going on?

(Bonus chapter tomorrow, 10,000 words, if monthly votes reach 100)

My symptoms are milder now, and I feel better today. I'll try to get more votes tomorrow and update more chapters, as a way to motivate myself.