Senluo Legend in the Black Mist Depths, Ghost General's Deterrence

On the outskirts of the Fallen Forbidden Zone, a faint, dreamlike blue mist swirled and danced among the trees.

A few barks, accompanied by an eerie bell sound, echoed from the woods.

Two ghostly figures swept through the thin mist one after the other, quickly arriving at the outer edge of the forbidden area near the Ming River.

"Old Zhu, wait here for me to arrive."

One of the men, with Green Hair at his temples, looked at the other, fierce-looking ghostly figure and said...

The Ghost Old Man, Zhu Xun, made a sound from his nose as a response, and glanced sideways at the Green Hair man beside him with his large, round eyes, showing little respect.

The Fierce Ghost is always fearless and incredibly bold. If Chen Baimao himself were here, the Ghost Old Man Zhu Xun wouldn't dare to be too presumptuous.

But this Green Hair Chen is only about the same strength as him, and even less capable of prolonged combat. Now that he's exhausted, he's about to disappear, and he can't command the Ghost Old Man Zhu.

After Chen Dengming's clone, Green Hair, finished speaking, he destroyed the backup map in his hand, and then his figure gradually faded and disappeared.

More than 20,000 kilometers away.

Chen Dengming piloted Third-tier High-grade spirit boat, soaring through the high sky below the Spiritual Qi Wind Layer.

Beneath me lay white mist rising from the azure sky, a vast expanse of wind blowing across the boundless expanse. I could not see the many human affairs beneath the clouds, nor could I concern myself with the endless tragedies of war.

Where should we begin to manage this?

Even Spirit Transformation stage experts might not be able to control it now; if they intervene, it could trigger a new Spirit Transformation stage war.

The current war situation in the four regions is very sensitive.

It seems that the Southeast Two Regions have indeed fallen into a disadvantageous position.

Many cultivators from the Northwest Regions stormed in, plundering resources and clashing with cultivators from the Southeast Two Regions.

In the past, if such a rampant invasion had occurred, it wouldn't have been long before the various sects of the Eastern Region would have launched a powerful counterattack and encirclement.

However, at present, all the sects in the Eastern Region, including the leading major sects, are either fighting on the main Battlefield at the border or guarding their own territory. They have not paid any attention to the small groups of enemy cultivators who have secretly broken through the blockade and infiltrated the area in various ways, nor do they seem to be standing up for the small sects and Lineage in the nearby territories. They seem to be watching and waiting.

As a result, war broke out in the Southeast Region, many Marketplace were looted, and many Cultivation Family collapsed, a tragic situation comparable to the great war thousands of years ago.

Chen Dengming flew all the way here, and in just two days, he encountered two Golden Core cultivators fighting each other.

It was a massive brawl between four Golden Core cultivators. Besides the Golden Core cultivators, there were also many Foundation Establishment and Qi Cultivation Cultivator clashing on the Battlefield, with blood flowing like a river.

All these circumstances demonstrate that the situation is extremely serious.

It seems that both the Northwest and Southeast regions are testing Southeast Two Regions's limits through increasingly fierce fighting.

Despite bearing the weight of the sect's affairs, Chen Dengming refrained from meddling in others' business.

Once his identity as Chen Baimao is exposed, it's possible that figures like the Northern Yin Holy Mother and the Soul Devouring Ancestor will be alerted and come to capture him.

Fortunately, he has now handed over the sea map of the Northern Spirit Sect to the sect, and the sect's second patriarch has already announced to the outside world that the sea map is in his hands, clamoring for the Northern Yin Holy Mother to cleanse herself and come to demand it back.

This clumsy yet absolutely effective method of drawing hatred undoubtedly relieved him of the pressure from the Northern Yin Holy Mother.

At this moment, realizing that his Green Hair clone had disappeared, Chen Dengming did some quick calculations and shook his head.

"This clone was formed about ten days ago, and it collapsed on its own four days earlier. As long as the clone participates in battle and consumes Mental Strength, its existence time will be drastically shortened."

These various drawbacks are indeed difficult to solve.

Fortunately, his Spiritual Realm has improved, and the spiritual imprint condensed within his clone is now more stable.

The more Mental Strength one has, the longer the clone can exist.

According to the message transmitted through telepathy between his clone Green Hair, Chen Dengming also knew that after two clones explored the area, they had already re-explored half of the secret passages recorded in the sect's records.

The first half of the secret passage was not dangerous; it was mostly caused by minor troublemakers, not even enough to Zhu Xun Ghost Old Man Xun's curiosity.

However, halfway through the secret passage, a powerful ghost general blocked their way.

It was also at that midway point that the clone and the Ghost Old Man Zhu Xun discovered the Soul Flower and other precious Spiritual Material of the Ghost Path.

"Ling'er, the Soul Flower has been discovered. Are you going to take action yourself?"

Chen Dengming tapped the Soul House on his chest and laughed, "I think as long as it's not a Ghost King-level expert, it shouldn't be a problem for a Nascent Soul cultivator like you who's rebuilding the Ghost Path, right?"

Soul House, the Little Array Spirit stammered, "No, no problem, no problem at all, but, but I am a pure spirit, Fellow Daoist, if you are not afraid that I will absorb and attract the Ghost King, then I will take action without hesitation."

"Huh? Now people are resorting to blackmailing others to shirk their responsibilities?"

Chen Dengming smiled sarcastically, "We've been together day and night, do you think I don't know whether you're pure or not?"

"Pah!" Little Array Spirit spat. "Go back and tell Sister Crane, she came out and started doing bad things."

Chen Dengming couldn't help but smile, thinking to himself that even He Yingyu wasn't as powerful as this Golden Core Ghost General.

However, teasing the reborn Nascent Soul True Lord every day was a unique pleasure that only Chen Baimao could enjoy.

Four days later.

The waters of the Ming River surged, and there were no boats or people on the surface, presenting a desolate and quiet scene.

A beam of light descended from the river surface near the outer edge of the Fallen Forbidden Zone.

Wearing a light Jiamu Mage Robe, Chen Dengming flew down, releasing waves of powerful spiritual energy that caused the turbulent river below to cave in, forming a semi-circle.

His gaze was like lightning as he looked at the vast, gloomy, and oppressive forest ahead. Then, he used his Heavenly Eye to look at the sky hundreds of miles away deep within the forest, a thoughtful expression on his face.

A thick, dark fog enveloped the area, like dark clouds cutting off most of the light, weaving a thick, sinister net that tightly wrapped everything in the vast, Fallen Forbidden Zone below.

If you follow the rolling black fog upwards, you can see endless thick clouds connecting with the black fog that seems to be surging from a bottomless abyss, forming a black curtain that shrouds the world and creates the harsh environment deep within the Fallen Forbidden Zone.

For many years, the vast majority of cultivators, both outside and within the Four Inner Domain, have been prevented from traveling to and from each other by the Fallen Forbidden Zone Abyss, and this is why.

The Fallen Forbidden Zone is dangerous due to the numerous ghosts within, Fallen Forbidden Zone it is even more dangerous, possessing a sinister power that can drive people to madness and even twist their minds.

But none of these are the key points. The key point is that a terrifying demonic beast, Senluo, is said to live within the black mist.

Any cultivator who ventured deep into the black mist either became a madman and lost soul within it, or became food for Senluo and his offspring.

Over the years, only a few Nascent Soul Cultivator have been able to safely pass through the edge of the black mist, or cross the Spiritual Qi Wind Layer above the black mist that connects with the sky. If they were to encounter the Netherworld, they would most likely face certain death.

This is why there has always been a rumor that only Nascent Soul Cultivator can safely travel between the Four Domains and the Four Seas.

"The first clone tried to fly into the black mist before it perished, but it was killed by a flock of ghost birds as soon as it got close. Those ghost birds could at least threaten a Golden Core cultivator, let alone the Senluo deep in the black mist."

As Chen Dengming pondered, he flew towards the spot where his clone had parted ways with the Ghost Old Man Zhu Xun, but he did not find Zhu Xun's figure. There was only a Soul Guiding Banner in the place.

He sent out his Divine Sense, making a 'hehe' sound, summoning Zhu Xun to come see him.

At the same time, he concentrated and made a hand seal to summon another Martial Immortal Clone, who would later accompany him to probe the state of the black mist above the depths of the Fallen Forbidden Zone.

The black fog is rumored to be able to influence people's minds and distort their souls.

Chen Dengming then wanted to test whether his Martial Immortal Clone, which possessed the Heart Inheritance, could resist that power of mental distortion.

This was merely a test, a way to gain a clear understanding of the situation. It didn't mean he would abandon the path established by the sect and insist on taking a different route.

"Hey, hey--"

Before long, Ghost Old Man Zhu Xun's reply came from the depths of the forest, gradually growing closer.

Chen Dengming looked over and saw a ghostly figure, as tall as a man, with black claws growing from its hands and feet, a blue face, fangs, and copper bell eyes, flash out from the forest. A chilling and evil Sha Qi rushed towards him, and the surrounding environment seemed to cool down.

After devouring the soul of a Golden Core Mid Stage cultivator, the Ghost Old Man Zhu Xun broke through again. Now, with the cultivation of Foundation Establishment Perfection Fierce Ghost, his Soul Body has obviously become much stronger, and his size is twice as large as before.

"Old Zhu, I told you to just stay where you are, but you're running around aimlessly again."

Chen Dengming frowned and reprimanded him.

Seeing that it was Chen Baimao himself who had come this time, and not some other flashy, cheap bastards like Green Hair Red Hair or Red Hair, the Ghost Old Man and ferocious Zhu Xun on the foreigner Zhu Xun's face softened considerably. He pursed his lips and made two ingratiating noises as he moved closer.

"That ghost general is still blocking the way inside. Is there any way to lure it out?"

Chen Dengming looked into the depths of the forest and said.

If you were to fight a ghost general-level being deep within the Fallen Forbidden Zone, not only would the ghost have the advantage of terrain, but if it also had a few 'fellow ghosts', it would be very difficult to deal with them.

It would be best to elicit a solution from that point.

The Ghost Old Man, Zhu Xun, nodded and then shook his head, uttering a 'Yin Language' that only Chen Dengming could understand.

Chen Dengming nodded slightly, then frowned.

The ghost general is indeed still inside, but ghosts of this level are quite intelligent and extremely cunning.

The clone and the Ghost Old Man Zhu Xun were once chased by the ghost general, but the ghost general would stop chasing them when they were about to leave the secret passage, as if it had a strong sense of territory.

The idea of having the Little Array Spirit of the formation lure out the ghost general flashed through Chen Dengming's mind.

But the thought was suppressed as soon as it surfaced.

Never mind.

The pure spiritual body of the Little Array Spirit, a reborn Nascent Soul True Lord, is still too attractive to these ghosts. Once it appears, it's like an old lady with bound feet walking a tightrope—extremely dangerous. If it attracts a Ghost King, the trouble will be much greater.

"You two lead the way."

Chen Dengming waved his hand.

The Martial Immortal Clone walked ahead to scout the way with the Ghost Old Man Zhu Xun, and he followed behind.

Having explored the area before with his clone, Chen Dengming was quite familiar with the Fallen Forbidden Zone even without absorbing the mental imprint.

As they ventured deeper into the forest, the surroundings grew darker. In the deep, ancient Old Lin, vines hung down everywhere, winding around Ancient Wood and entwining with new buds, swaying gently like beaded curtains.

Some slender leaves and grasses resemble a woman's delicate lips, their pale yellow tinged with green, shyly leaning against the grass stems, their swaying in the wind sounding like whispered secrets in a boudoir.

Upon noticing Chen Dengming and his companion, along with their spirit, passing by, the whispers abruptly ceased, and some slender, unfolded leaves suddenly curled up and remained motionless.

Chen Dengming could feel subtle gazes directed at him from all directions.

His powerful Divine Sense had already detected the vengeful spirits hiding among the leaves and grass, but he pretended not to know and did not provoke these spirits that had lived in the Old Lin for who knows how many years.

These eerie beings have lived in this Sha Qi place filled with malevolent energy for many years. Many of them are no longer just ordinary ghosts or monsters, but rather beings that exist somewhere between evil spirits and Ghost Soul. Even if they are weak, they are difficult to completely eliminate.

"Bang!"

The Ghost Old Man Zhu Xun swaggered around like a street thug, baring his teeth and growling menacingly at the leaves and bushes, causing many of the eerie creatures lurking in the grass and crevices to tremble in fear.

Seeing the fear on the faces of these weak Soul Spirit, the Ghost Old Man Zhu Xun Zhu Xun and let out a triumphant laugh like a chimpanzee, feeling increasingly accomplished.

"His vanity and perverse sense of humor have made Old Zhu's emotions increasingly complex. It seems that as his strength has increased, his intelligence is also gradually recovering!"

Chen Dengming observed the Ghost Old Man 'Zhu Xun behavior, seemed thoughtful, and felt a little gratified.

When he rescued Zhu Xun from He Li, a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator from the Soul Devouring Sect, he had thought of trying to cultivate him to regain his intelligence, or at least let him recall his past as a human.

Only in this way can one avoid living a muddled and meaningless life, and only then can one see some signs of progress.

However, seeing that Zhu Xun was getting too cocky, he immediately whispered a reminder, "Don't show off here. Save your energy for entertaining everyone later!"

The Ghost Old Man Zhu Xun's laughter was interrupted, and he muttered in dissatisfaction through a nasal sound. He could only keep his head down and continue on his way with Martial Immortal Clone.

Perhaps due to the previous experience of his clone and the Ghost Old Man Zhu Xun clearing the way multiple times, there were almost no ghosts suddenly attacking or harassing this area. If they did encounter one, they would quickly avoid it, making the journey quite smooth.

After half a cup of tea, the light in the forest grew dimmer, and even during the day, a faint blue mist filled the air.

Various tree branches and vines wove a giant green net overhead, blocking out all light.

Deep within the rotten, eerie branches and leaves on the ground, some yellowish-white skulls could be vaguely seen. Faint Soul Body seemed to be crawling in and out of the eye sockets of the skulls, gradually creating a gloomy and oppressive atmosphere, filled with an aura of decay and decay.

"Bang!"

The Ghost Old Man, Zhu Xun, whispered a reminder.

Is it just ahead?

Chen Dengming looked at the thick vines hanging down from the depths of the mist ahead.

Those old vines, knotted and gnarled, stretched like beams between trees several feet apart, resembling an execution ground where hanged ghosts were hanged.

Beside him, a drooping vine suddenly shot out a snake-shaped shadow, fiercely coiling towards Chen Dengming.

The next moment, a flash of Golden Light.

The serpentine shadow hissed as it was shattered by the Divine Sense emanating from Chen Dengming's eyes.

The vines were instantly solidified into metal by the Gold Touch Technique, frozen in mid-air, motionless.

In that instant, it was as if ants were exploding in a pot; the previously still vines suddenly wrapped around it from all directions.

Chen Dengming, however, moved swiftly, using the Wood Escape Technique to disappear into some unremarkable trees and bushes.

Strangely, these restless vines and snake shadows seemed to ignore the Ghost Old Man Zhu Xun and the Martial Immortal Clone, allowing them to escape the attack range.

"Does it only apply to living beings, or beings with real Flesh and Blood?"

Chen Dengming slipped away among the trees, pondering to himself.

He sensed resistance and threat whenever he tried to use Wood Escape Technique to enter trees shrouded in evil energy.

Clearly, the trees in this Fallen Forbidden Zone grew from the dark earth and, having been associated with the eerie for so many years, have themselves become ominous, transforming into some kind of malevolent, tree-like Demon Beast, or perhaps a dwelling place for many ghosts.

He was now an uninvited guest, having intruded into the long-undiscovered resting place of the dead. The eerie and decaying aura around him was even stronger than when his clone had explored the place before.

It was as if some ancient Soul Spirit in this region had awakened, completely out of place with his Life Force and Blood Qi state, and was rejecting him.

Chen Dengming's expression became extremely solemn. They were now in a vast, open area with vines hanging high and thorns everywhere.

The fog ahead had turned from light blue to black.

On a hillside, vibrant red flowers bloom in all their glory, while those waiting to bloom below are lighter in color and darker in color, as if the red has settled and settled in the tenderest and smallest buds.

Soul Flower

We are now close to the place where the ghost generals, as mentioned by the Ghost Old Man Zhu Xun and the Martial Immortal Clone, roam.

"Here it comes again. Ugh, and it brings with it a person with fresh Flesh and Blood. This is a desecration of Senra!"

Call--

As if a ghostly figure suddenly swept past him, a sinister and terrifying sound, like a gust of wind, brushed past Chen Dengming's ears. At first, it was faint, but the next moment it suddenly became sharp, like a demon screaming, tearing and pounding against his eardrums.

"Playing tricks!"

Chen Dengming hid inside a tree, scoffed inwardly, and suddenly manipulated his Martial Immortal Clone to flash out.

Almost the instant the Martial Immortal Clone appeared, the faint black mist in front of him trembled.

A colossal ghostly figure appeared, shrouded in intense, eerie spiritual power. A brown hand with sharp black nails suddenly lashed out, unleashing a chilling aura that could freeze one's soul. Its power was unparalleled.

The Martial Immortal Clone's body stiffened instantly, as if the Spiritual Qi condensed in his body had been frozen. He landed with a thud, and a flash of Silver Light appeared on his body. He could only barely expel the invading ghost energy by relying on the Human Immortal Way Power.

Just then, with a loud bang, the trees exploded.

Chen Dengming's figure tore through the viscous air and fog, appearing in an instant like a fleeting black shadow, his eyes radiating fierce power, and he unleashed a Hurricane Battle Saber sword strike!

Boom!

A hurricane suddenly arose, its blade-like energy breaking the sound barrier, bending the nearby trees low in the wind.

The moment the fierce blade energy clashed with the ghostly claws, the Core Power and the ghostly energy violently collided.

Boom!--

The pitch-black claw shadow created by the ghostly claw collapsed!

The ground within a radius of several dozen feet trembled violently, instantly filled with powerful energy. Stones rolled, sand flew, wood shattered, and trees trembled, causing dizziness and shock.

The Ghost General Bo Zun let out a soft snort, his tangled hair, like small snakes, flew wildly backward, and the ghost's eyes flashed with a sharp light.

Seeing an astonishingly large sword suddenly grow larger and expand beyond reason, unleashing a fierce and surging sword aura that crashed down like a raging storm, cutting through the air into layers of shockwaves, he was horrified and hastily retreated, raising his Ghost Fork horizontally to intercept it.

"Clang!--"

A deafeningly loud bang erupted, sending out terrifying shockwaves of Spiritual Qi.

Before the immense impact could even Ghost General Bo Zun, a threatening Silver Light was already hurtling towards them along with the blade's energy.

With a fierce howl, the Ghost General Bo Zun's figure suddenly became transparent, transforming into numerous ghostly shadows to swiftly evade the attack. In an instant, he dodged the attack and circled behind Chen Dengming, suddenly thrusting his fork fiercely towards the back of Chen Dengming's head.

I'm currently out of town for three days due to some business, so I don't have any drafts saved up. Those who know me know I don't have drafts saved up, but that's okay. I'll still try my best to guarantee updates and keep updating. Since the book's release, I've never missed an update. Even when I take leave, it's only for half a day, and I still update on the same day. Today I've already updated over 5,000 words. Regarding extra chapters, I definitely won't be able to do that for the next few days. I'll add extra chapters for free when I return in three days. I hope everyone can support me by voting. If you like it, you can subscribe. The more you subscribe, the better it will be for the cover!